Polymorphisms in the glucocorticoid receptor gene that modulate glucocorticoid sensitivity are associated with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction  

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) plays an important regulatory role in the immune system. Four polymorphisms in the GR gene are associated with differences in glucocorticoid (GC) sensitivity; the minor alleles of the polymorphisms N363 S and BclI are associated with relative hypersensitivity to GCs, while those of the polymorphisms ER22/23EK and 9β are associated with relative GC resistance. Because differences in GC sensitivity may influence immune effector functions, we examined whether these polymorphisms are associated with the susceptibility to develop Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and RA disease severity.     

Step on it: can footprints from tracking tunnels be used to identify lizard species?

There are few effective or efficient established methods for monitoring cryptic herpetofauna. Footprint tracking tunnels are routinely used to index small mammal populations, but also have potential for monitoring herpetofauna. We evaluated the utility of tracking tunnels for identification of New Zealand lizards using captive- and wild-sourced animals (four skink and eight gecko species). All skink prints that we obtained were indistinct or obscure, but we obtained relatively clear, measurable prints for all gecko species. We found that identification to species level was possible for the two gecko species for which we had a large sample—Naultinus gemmeus and Woodworthia ‘Otago large’—using linear discriminant analysis (the best model correctly assigned 96.1% of individuals). Our findings suggest that footprints from tracking tunnels may be used to distinguish between species of geckos. Additional research is needed to assess the ability to further discriminate intra- and inter-genera lizard footprints from tracking tunnels, and the utility of the technique for surveying and monitoring lizard populations.     

Marker-free image registration of electron tomography tilt-series

Background  

Tilt series are commonly used in electron tomography as a means of collecting three-dimensional information from two-dimensional projections. A common problem encountered is the projection alignment prior to 3D reconstruction. Current alignment techniques usually employ gold particles or image derived markers to correctly align the images. When these markers are not present, correlation between adjacent views is used to align them. However, sequential pairwise correlation is prone to bias and the resulting alignment is not always optimal.     

DNA base sequence changes induced by diethyl sulfate in postmeiotic male germ cells of Drosophila melanogaster

Summary The DNA base sequence changes induced by diethyl sulfate (DES) were analyzed in postmeiotic male germ cells of Drosophila melanogaster. 31 transmissible vermilion mutants were recovered in F₁ and F₂ generations, with a frequency of 2.6 × 10^–4 for the F₁, and of 1.8–13 × 10^–4 for the F₂. The results show that DES induces both base pair substitutions (93%) and deletions (7%). In accord with its relatively high ability to alkylate oxygens in DNA, the most frequent type of sequence alteration among the basepair changes are GC-AT transitions, accounting for 73% of mutations, followed by transversions AT-TA (10%). DES also induced AT-GC transitions and AT-CG transversions. Both induced deletions were intralocus deletions, not occurring between basepair repeats. No influence of neighboring bases on the mutation position was found.     

Physiological tonicity improves human chondrogenic marker expression through nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5 <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

Introduction  

Chondrocytes experience a hypertonic environment compared with plasma (280 mOsm) due to the high fixed negative charge density of cartilage. Standard isolation of chondrocytes removes their hypertonic matrix, exposing them to nonphysiological conditions. During in vitro expansion, chondrocytes quickly lose their specialized phenotype, making them inappropriate for cell-based regenerative strategies. We aimed to elucidate the effects of tonicity during isolation and in vitro expansion on chondrocyte phenotype.     

Immune responses to stress after stress management training in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction

Psychological stress may alter immune function by activating physiological stress pathways. Building on our previous study, in which we report that stress management training led to an altered self-reported and cortisol response to psychological stress in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we explored the effects of this stress management intervention on the immune response to a psychological stress task in patients with RA.

Methods

In this study, 74 patients with RA, who were randomly assigned to either a control group or a group that received short stress management training, performed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) 1 week after the intervention and at a 9-week follow-up. Stress-induced changes in levels of key cytokines involved in stress and inflammatory processes (for example, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8) were assessed.

Results

Basal and stress-induced cytokine levels were not significantly different in patients in the intervention and control groups one week after treatment, but stress-induced IL-8 levels were lower in patients in the intervention group than in the control group at the follow-up assessment.

Conclusions

In line with our previous findings of lower stress-induced cortisol levels at the follow-up of stress management intervention, this is the first study to show that relatively short stress management training might also alter stress-induced IL-8 levels in patients with RA. These results might help to determine the role of immunological mediators in stress and disease.

Trial registration

The Netherlands National Trial Register (NTR1193)     

Comparative genomics and experimental promoter analysis reveal functional liver-specific elements in mammalian hepatic lipase genes

Background

Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) is a high-throughput method for measuring genome-wide DNA copy number changes. Current aCGH methods have limited resolution, sensitivity and reproducibility. Microarrays for aCGH are available only for a few organisms and combination of aCGH data with expression data is cumbersome.

Results

We present a novel method of using commercial oligonucleotide expression microarrays for aCGH, enabling DNA copy number measurements and expression profiles to be combined using the same platform. This method yields aCGH data from genomic DNA without complexity reduction at a median resolution of approximately 17,500 base pairs. Due to the well-defined nature of oligonucleotide probes, DNA amplification and deletion can be defined at the level of individual genes and can easily be combined with gene expression data.

Conclusion

A novel method of gene resolution analysis of copy number variation (graCNV) yields high-resolution maps of DNA copy number changes and is applicable to a broad range of organisms for which commercial oligonucleotide expression microarrays are available. Due to the standardization of oligonucleotide microarrays, graCNV results can reliably be compared between laboratories and can easily be combined with gene expression data using the same platform.     

Circadian rhythm of glycoprotein secretion in the vas deferens of the moth, Spodoptera littoralis

Background  

Reproductive systems of male moths contain circadian clocks, which time the release of sperm bundles from the testis to the upper vas deferens (UVD) and their subsequent transfer from the UVD to the seminal vesicles. Sperm bundles are released from the testis in the evening and are retained in the vas deferens lumen overnight before being transferred to the seminal vesicles. The biological significance of periodic sperm retention in the UVD lumen is not understood. In this study we asked whether there are circadian rhythms in the UVD that are correlated with sperm retention.