Genetics of thyroid function and disease

Genetics play a prominent role in both determination of thyroid hormone and thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations, and susceptibility to autoimmune thyroid disease. Heritability studies have suggested that up to 67% of circulating thyroid hormone and TSH concentrations are genetically determined, suggesting a genetic basis for narrow intra-individual variation in levels, perhaps a genetic 'set point'. The search for the genes responsible has revealed several candidates, including the genes for phosphodiesterase 8B, iodothyronine deiodinase 1, F-actin-capping protein subunit beta and the TSH receptor; however, each of these only contributes a small amount to the variability of hormone concentrations, suggesting that further genes and mechanisms of genetic influence are yet to be discovered. Some genes known to influence thyroid function, including iodothyronine deiodinase 2 and the TSH receptor, have been shown to influence a wide range of clinical and developmental phenotypes from bone health to neurological development and longevity; such observations will help us understand the complex action of thyroid hormones on individual tissues. Finally, autoimmune thyroid disease commonly runs in families, and the search for genes which increase susceptibility has identified several good candidates, particularly those involved in immune regulation and thyroid function. However, these genes alone account for only a small percentage of the current prevalence of these disorders. Although the advancement of genetic technology has led to many significant findings in the last decade or two, it is clear that we are only just beginning to understand the role of genetics in thyroid function and disease.     

Endocytosis of beta1 integrins is an early event in migration promoted by the cell adhesion molecule L1

Directional cell motility is a complex process requiring orchestration of signals from diverse cell adhesion receptors for proper organization of neuronal groups in the brain. The L1 cell adhesion molecule potentiates integrin-dependent migration of neuronal cells and stimulates integrin endocytosis but its mechanism of action is unclear. The hypothesis was investigated that L1 stimulates cell motility by modulating surface levels of integrins through intracellular trafficking using a model cell system. Antibody-induced clustering of L1, which mimics ligand binding, induced formation of cell surface complexes of L1 and beta1 integrins in L1-expressing HEK293 cells. L1 formed cell surface complexes with integrin beta1 and alpha3 subunits but not with integrin alpha1. Following cell surface clustering, beta1 integrins and L1 became rapidly internalized into Rab5+ early endosomes. Internalization of L1 and beta1 integrins was prevented by treatment with monodansyl cadaverine (MDC), an inhibitor of clathrin-dependent endocytosis, and by deletion of the AP2/clathrin binding motif (RSLE) from the L1 cytoplasmic domain. MDC treatment coordinately inhibited L1-potentiated haptotactic migration of HEK293 cells to fibronectin in Transwell assays. These results suggested that downregulation of adhesive complexes of L1 and beta1 integrin at the plasma membrane by clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a potential mechanism for enhancing cell motility.     

Purification and characterization of a serine protease (CESP) from mature coconut endosperm

Background

Identifying the endogenous RNA induced silencing complex(RISC)-associated RNAs is essential for understanding the cellular regulatory networks by miRNAs. Recently, isolation of RISC-associated mRNAs using antibody was reported, but their method needs a large amount of initial materials. We tried to improve the protocol and constructed an efficient and convenient system for analyzing miRNA and mRNA contents in RISC.

Findings

With our protocol, it is possible to clone both miRNAs and mRNAs from the endogenous RISC-associated RNAs immunoprecipitated from less than 10⁷ cells, and we show the ability of our system to isolate the particular target mRNAs for a specific miRNA from the RISC-associated mRNAs using well-characterized miR-122 as an example. After introduction of miR-122 into HepG2 cells, we found several cDNA clones that have miR-122 target sequences. Four of these clones that were concentrated in RISC but decreased in total RNA fraction are expected to be miR-122 target candidates. Interestingly, we found substantial amounts of Alu-related sequences, including both free Alu RNA and Alu-embedded mRNA, which might be one of the general targets for miRNA, in the cDNA clones from the RISC-associated mRNAs.

Conclusion

Our method thus enables us to examine not only dynamic changes in miRNA and mRNA contents in RISC but also the relationship of miRNA and target mRNA. We believe that our method can contribute to understanding cellular regulatory networks by miRNAs.     

Optimization of SELDI-TOF protein profiling for analysis of cervical mucous

Cervical mucous, produced in the region where cervical neoplasia occurs, is thought to be a good choice for discovery of biomarkers to improve cervical cancer screening. In this study, SELDI-TOF MS analysis was used to evaluate parameters for protein profiling of mucous. Proteins were extracted from mucous collected with Weck-Cel^® sponges. Several parameters like extraction reagent, loading protein concentration, matrix type, bind/wash conditions and sample fractionation, on different protein chip surfaces were evaluated. SELDI peak number and consistency in the resulting spectra were used to evaluate each condition. Analysis of spectra generated by different protein chips revealed an average of 30 peaks in the 2.5–30 kDa mass range using sinnapinic acid in the unfractionated sample. Sample concentration and buffer conditions evaluated did not lead to large alterations in the profiles. Quality control spectra were reproducible with intra- and inter-assay intensity CV for CM10, H50 and Q10 arrays being less than 20% and 30% respectively. IMAC30-Cu chips had higher intra- and inter-assay CV's at 25% and 35%. Current data showed that optimizing pre-analytical parameters can help in standardization and reproducibility of protein profiles produced by cervical mucous, and thus can be used for protein biomarker discovery with the SELDI platform.     

Characterization of 13 newly isolated strains of anaerobic, cellulolytic, thermophilic bacteria

Characteristics of 13 newly isolated thermophilic, anaerobic, and cellulolytic strains were compared with previously described strains of Clostridium thermocellum: ATCC 27405 and JW20 (ATCC 31549). Colony morphology, antibiotic sensitivity, fermentation end-products, and cellulose degradation were documented. All 13 strains were sensitive to erythromycin (5 μg/ml) and chloramphenicol (25 μg/ml), and all strains but one were sensitive to kanamycin (20 μg/ml). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using primers based on gene sequences from C. thermocellum ATCC 27405 was successful for all 13 strains in the case of the hydrogenase gene and 11 strains in the case of phosphotransacetylase/acetate kinase genes. Ten strains amplified a product of the expected size with primers developed to be specific for C. thermocellum 16SrRNA primers. Two of the 13 strains did not amplify any product with the PCR primers designed for the phosphotransacetylase/acetate kinase and 16SrRNA primers. A MboI-like GATC- recognizing restriction activity was present in all of the five strains examined. The results of this study have several positive implications with respect to future development of a transformation system for cellulolytic thermophiles. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2001) 27, 275–280. Received 12 September 2000/ Accepted in revised form 20 November 2000     

PCR Detection of a Newly Emerged Pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 Pathogen in Pure Cultures and Seeded Waters from the Gulf of Mexico

This study describes the optimization of PCR parameters and testing of a wide number of microbial species to establish a highly specific and sensitive PCR-based method of detection of a newly emerged pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 strain in pure cultures and seeded waters from the Gulf of Mexico (gulf water). The selected open reading frame 8 (ORF8) DNA-specific oligonucleotide primers tested were found to specifically amplify all 35 pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 pandemic isolates, whereas these primers were not found to detectably amplify two strains of V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 that were isolated prior to the 1996 outbreaks, 122 non-O3:K6 strains of V. parahaemolyticus, 198 non-V. parahaemolyticus spp., or 16 non-Vibrio bacterial spp. The minimum level of detection by the PCR method was 1 pg of purified genomic DNA or 10² ORF8-positive V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 cells in 100 ml of water. The effectiveness of this method for the detection of ORF8-positive isolates in environmental samples was tested in gulf water seeded with 10-fold serial dilutions of this pathogen. A detection level of 10³ cells per 100 ml of gulf water was achieved. Also, the applicability of this methodology was tested by the detection of this pathogen in gulf water incubated at various temperatures for 28 days. This PCR approach can potentially be used to monitor with high specificity and well within the required range of sensitivity the occurrence and distribution of this newly emerged pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 strain in coastal, marine, and ship ballast waters. Early detection of V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 will help increase seafood safety and decrease the risk of infectious outbreaks caused by this pathogen.     

A simple and rapid microwave-assisted hematoxylin and eosin staining method using 1,1,1 trichloroethane as a dewaxing and a clearing agent

The use and practicability of microwave-assisted staining procedures in routine histopathology has been well established for more than 17 years. In the study reported here, we aimed to examine an alternative approach that would shorten the duration of dewaxing and clearing steps of hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining of paraffin sections by using a microwave oven. Although xylene is one of the most popular dewaxing and clearing agents, its flammability restricts its use in a microwave oven; thus we preferred 1,1,1 trichloroethane, which is not flammable, as the dewaxing and clearing agent in the present study. In Group I and Group II (control groups), intestine was processed with xylene and 1,1,1 trichloroethane, respectively. The sections were then stained with H & E according to the conventional staining protocol at room temperature and subdivided into two groups according to the duration of dewaxing and clearing in xylene. In Groups III and IV (experimental groups) similar tissues were processed with xylene and 1,1,1 trichloroethane, respectively; however, sections from these groups were divided into four subgroups to study the period required for dewaxing and clearing in 1,1,1 trichloroethane, then stained with H & E in the microwave oven at 360 W for 30 sec. Our conventional H & E staining procedure, which includes dewaxing, staining and clearing of sections, requires approximately 90 min, while our method using 1,1,1 trichloroethane and microwave heating required only 2 min. Our alternative method for H & E staining not only reduced the procedure time significantly, but also yielded staining quality equal or superior to those stained the conventional way. Our results suggest that 1,1,1 trichloroethane can be used effectively and safely as a dewaxing and clearing agent for H & E staining in a microwave oven.     

Real-time PCR detection of Vibrio vulnificus in oysters: comparison of oligonucleotide primers and probes targeting vvhA

We compared three sets of oligonucleotide primers and two probes designed for Vibrio vulnificus hemolysin A gene (vvhA) for TaqMan-based real-time PCR method enabling specific detection of Vibrio vulnificus in oysters. Two of three sets of primers with a probe were specific for the detection of all 81 V. vulnificus isolates by TaqMan PCR. The 25 nonvibrio and 12 other vibrio isolates tested were negative. However, the third set of primers, F-vvh1059 and R-vvh1159, with the P-vvh1109 probe, although positive for all V. vulnificus isolates, also exhibited positive cycle threshold (C(T)) values for other Vibrio spp. Optimization of the TaqMan PCR assay using F-vvh785/R-vvh990 or F-vvh731/R-vvh1113 primers and the P-vvh874 probe detected 1 pg of purified DNA and 10(3) V. vulnificus CFU/ml in pure cultures. The enriched oyster tissue homogenate did not exhibit detectable inhibition to the TaqMan PCR amplification of vvhA. Detection of 3 x 10(3) CFU V. vulnificus, resulting from a 5-h enrichment of an initial inoculum of 1 CFU/g of oyster tissue homogenate, was achieved with F-vvh785/R-vvh990 or F-vvh731/R-vvh1113 primers and P-vvh875 probe. The application of the TaqMan PCR using these primers and probe, exhibited detection of V. vulnificus on 5-h-enriched natural oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico. Selection of appropriate primers and a probe on vvhA for TaqMan-PCR-based detection of V. vulnificus in post-harvest-treated oysters would help avoid false-positive results, thus ensuring a steady supply of safe oysters to consumers and reducing V. vulnificus-related illnesses and deaths.