Detection of pre-neoplastic and neoplastic prostate disease by MALDI profiling of urine

The heterogeneous progression to the development of prostate cancer (PCa) has precluded effective early detection screens. Existing prostate cancer screening paradigms have relatively poor specificity for cancer relative to other prostate diseases, commonly benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A method for discrimination of BPH, HGPIN, and PCa urine proteome was developed through testing 407 patient samples using matrix assisted laser desorption-mass spectrometry time of flight (MALDI-TOF). Urine samples were adsorbed to reverse phase resin, washed, and the eluant spotted directly for MALDI-TOF analysis of peptides. The processing resolved over 130 verifiable signals of a mass range of 1000-5000 m/z to suggest 71.2% specificity and 67.4% sensitivity in discriminating PCa vs. BPH. Comparing BPH and HGPIN resulted in 73.6% specificity and 69.2% sensitivity. Comparing PCa and HGPIN resulted in 80.8% specificity and 81.0% sensitivity. The high throughput, low-cost assay method developed is amenable for large patient numbers required for supporting biomarker identification.     

Indirubin derivatives protect against endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cytotoxicity and down-regulate CHOP levels in HT22 cells

Indirubin and its derivatives have been reported to exhibit anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Recently, some of its derived analogs have been shown to have neuroprotective potential. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been demonstrated to contribute to the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases, whereas the effects of indirubin derivatives on ER stress-induced cell death have not been addressed. In the present study, a series of 44 derivatives of indirubin was prepared to search for a novel class of neuroprotective agents against ER stress-induced neuronal death. The MTT reduction assay indicated that tunicamycin (TM), an inducer of ER stress, significantly decreased the viability of hippocampal neuronal HT22 cells. Among the compounds tested, eight showed significant inhibitory activity against TM-induced cell death. Western blot analysis showed that application of these analogs to the cells simultaneously with TM reduced the TM-induced expression of CHOP, an established mediator of ER stress. Our results suggest that the preventive effect of these indirubin derivatives against ER stress-induced neuronal death may be due, at least in part, to attenuation of the CHOP-dependent signaling system.     

Geographical variation in female sex pheromones of the rice leaffolder moth, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis: identification of pheromone components in Japan

Sex pheromone components of the Japanese rice leaffolder moth, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were identified from ovipositor extracts of virgin females as (Z)-11-octadecenal, (Z)-13-octadecenal, (Z)-11-octadecen-1-ol and (Z)-13-octadecen-1-ol at a ratio of 11:100:24:36 by GC-EAD, GC, GC-MS. The total amount was estimated to be ca.0.9 ng/female. Field bioassays in Kagoshima, Japan, showed that the two aldehydes are essential for male attraction and the alcohols may have a synergistic effect on the aldehydes. A rubber septum containing 0.9 mg of the four components at the natural ratio was shown to be an effective lure for monitoring this pest in Japan. The above four components are quite different from the sex pheromone components reported previously for the same species of either Philippine or Indian origin; components were shown to be (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate and (Z)-13-octadecenyl acetate at a ratio of 98:2 in the Philippine blend and 1:10 in the Indian blend. Furthermore, in the field tests in Japan, neither the Philippine blend nor the Indian blend showed any attractive activity, while the Japanese blend attracted significant numbers of male moths. These results suggest that there are remarkable geographical variations in the sex pheromone composition of this species or there are several distinct species using different sex pheromone blends.     

Continuous Decolorization of Molasses Waste Water with Mycelia of Coriolus versicolor Ps4a

Continuous decolorization of molasses waste water by mycelia of Coriolus versicolor Ps4a was studied using waste water from a baker’s yeast factory, treated by means of methane fermentation and with activated sludge. Optimum decolorization with bare pellet-type mycelia in shaking flasks needed the addition of glucose (0.5%) and peptone (0.05%) and aerobic conditions (1ppm of dissolved oxygen). Continuous decolorization in a bubbling column reactor showed a decolorization yield of approximately 75% in only 20 hr at a dilution rate (D) of 0.03 hr^?1 under the optimum conditions.

In order to continue the decolorization for a longer time, mycelia immobilized within Caalginate gel were tested in a bubbling column reactor under the optimum conditions. The immobilized mycelia showed an almost constant decolorization yield (65.7%) during continuous decolorization for 16 days at D = 0.22 hr^?1.     

Formation of Gold Particles via Thiol Groups on Glycoconjugates Comprising the Sheath Skeleton of Leptothrix

Leptothrix, iron-oxidizing bacterium, produces microtubular sheaths that surround the catenulate cells. Organic nanofibrils excreted from the cell surfaces interweave and coalesce to form immature sheaths, which attract aqueous-phase inorganics to eventually form mature organic–inorganic sheaths. Such inorganic encrustation of the sheaths results from interactions between functional groups in the sheath skeleton and inorganics. Based on our previous findings that Leptothrix sheath skeleton sorbed 47 inorganics (Au was one of the most abundant adsorbates), we examined the sorption status of Au cations on cell-enclosing sheaths and their protein-free remnants and found that nano to sub-micron Au particles (AuNPs and AuSMPs, respectively) formed on the sheath-forming polymer consisting of a glycoconjugate (an amphoteric glycan modified with cysteine, glycine, and 3-hydroxypropionic acid). When the purified polymer was incubated in HAuCl₄ solution, AuNPs and AuSMPs formed on the polymer surfaces. Both particles formed also on cell-enclosing sheaths and protein-free sheath remnants incubated in HAuCl₄ solution. When SH groups in the cell-enclosing sheaths were masked with a fluorescent protein, Au particles did not form after incubation in HAuCl₄ solution. Results implicate that SH groups are at least partially involved in the reduction of Au cations to metallic Au and eventual formation of Au particles.