A 2-year study of Candida-associated denture stomatitis treatment in aged care subjects

Objective: To test the efficacy of two methods of treatment for denture stomatitis in aged care institutions. Background data: Candida‐associated denture stomatitis has been associated with a lack of denture hygiene. Materials and methods: Sixty subjects with denture stomatitis were randomly divided into three groups: sodium hypochlorite denture soak, microwaving and control. Both methods of treatment were carried out on a nightly basis for 1 week, excepting the control group. Standardised photographs of the palate and microbial samples of palate, upper and lower dentures were taken before and after treatment. Results: Both hypochlorite and microwave irradiation significantly reduced the numbers of Candida and aerobic bacteria on both dentures and both methods significantly reduced Candida on the palate. However, palatal aerobic bacteria were not significantly reduced by either method and the controls showed insignificant changes at all three sites for both Candida and aerobes. Conclusion: While both methods of denture disinfection were successful, except for the counts of palatal aerobic bacteria, three independent observers of the clinical photographs had difficulty in identifying the controls but were more successful with the treatments. The raters also showed that there was no difference between both methods of disinfection and this agreed with the microbiological analysis.     

The distribution and evolutionary history of the PRP8 intein

Background  

We recently described a mini-intein in the PRP8 gene of a strain of the basidiomycete Cryptococcus neoformans, an important fungal pathogen of humans. This was the second described intein in the nuclear genome of any eukaryote; the first nuclear encoded intein was found in the VMA gene of several saccharomycete yeasts. The evolution of eukaryote inteins is not well understood. In this report we describe additional PRP8 inteins (bringing the total of these to over 20). We compare and contrast the phylogenetic distribution and evolutionary history of the PRP8 intein and the saccharomycete VMA intein, in order to derive a broader understanding of eukaryote intein evolution. It has been suggested that eukaryote inteins undergo horizontal transfer and the present analysis explores this proposal.     

BMP8B increases brown adipose tissue thermogenesis through both central and peripheral actions

Thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is fundamental to energy balance and is also relevant for humans. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) regulate adipogenesis, and, here, we describe a role for BMP8B in the direct regulation of thermogenesis. BMP8B is induced by nutritional and thermogenic factors in mature BAT, increasing the response to noradrenaline through enhanced p38MAPK/CREB signaling and increased lipase activity. Bmp8b(-/-) mice exhibit impaired thermogenesis and reduced metabolic rate, causing weight gain despite hypophagia. BMP8B is also expressed in the hypothalamus, and Bmp8b(-/-) mice display altered neuropeptide levels and reduced phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), indicating an anorexigenic state. Central BMP8B treatment increased sympathetic activation of BAT, dependent on the status of AMPK in key hypothalamic nuclei. Our results indicate that BMP8B is a thermogenic protein that regulates energy balance in partnership with hypothalamic AMPK. BMP8B may offer a mechanism to specifically increase energy dissipation by BAT.     

An essential role for katanin p80 and microtubule severing in male gamete production

Katanin is an evolutionarily conserved microtubule-severing complex implicated in multiple aspects of microtubule dynamics. Katanin consists of a p60 severing enzyme and a p80 regulatory subunit. The p80 subunit is thought to regulate complex targeting and severing activity, but its precise role remains elusive. In lower-order species, the katanin complex has been shown to modulate mitotic and female meiotic spindle dynamics and flagella development. The in vivo function of katanin p80 in mammals is unknown. Here we show that katanin p80 is essential for male fertility. Specifically, through an analysis of a mouse loss-of-function allele (the Taily line), we demonstrate that katanin p80, most likely in association with p60, has an essential role in male meiotic spindle assembly and dissolution and the removal of midbody microtubules and, thus, cytokinesis. Katanin p80 also controls the formation, function, and dissolution of a microtubule structure intimately involved in defining sperm head shaping and sperm tail formation, the manchette, and plays a role in the formation of axoneme microtubules. Perturbed katanin p80 function, as evidenced in the Taily mouse, results in male sterility characterized by decreased sperm production, sperm with abnormal head shape, and a virtual absence of progressive motility. Collectively these data demonstrate that katanin p80 serves an essential and evolutionarily conserved role in several aspects of male germ cell development.     

A cyclin D1/microRNA 17/20 regulatory feedback loop in control of breast cancer cell proliferation

Decreased expression of specific microRNAs (miRNAs) occurs in human tumors, which suggests a function for miRNAs in tumor suppression. Herein, levels of the miR-17-5p/miR-20a miRNA cluster were inversely correlated to cyclin D1 abundance in human breast tumors and cell lines. MiR-17/20 suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and tumor colony formation by negatively regulating cyclin D1 translation via a conserved 3' untranslated region miRNA-binding site, thereby inhibiting serum-induced S phase entry. The cell cycle effect of miR-17/20 was abrogated by cyclin D1 siRNA and in cyclin D1-deficient breast cancer cells. Mammary epithelial cell-targeted cyclin D1 expression induced miR-17-5p and miR-20a expression in vivo, and cyclin D1 bound the miR-17/20 cluster promoter regulatory region. In summary, these studies identify a novel cyclin D1/miR-17/20 regulatory feedback loop through which cyclin D1 induces miR-17-5p/miR-20a. In turn, miR-17/20 limits the proliferative function of cyclin D1, thus linking expression of a specific miRNA cluster to the regulation of oncogenesis.     

The ligase chain reaction distinguishes hepatitis B virus S-gene variants

Abstract The functional significance of charged amino acids of the anion-selective porin Omp34 from Acidovorax delafieldii was investigated by means of conductance measurements. Chemical modification of Lys and Arg as well as titration of charges by adjusting the pH value revealed that positively charged amino acid residues determine the major functional properties of the porin. Positive charges are involved in creating the protein surface potential, the selectivity filter inside the channels, and the voltage-sensing and/or gating mechanisms.     

Establishment of imaginal discs and histoblast nests in Drosophila

In Drosophila the homeotic genes of the bithorax-complex (BX-C) and Antennapedia-complex (ANT-C) specify the identity of segments. Adult segment primordia are established in the embryo as the histoblast nests of the abdomen and the imaginal discs of the head, thorax and terminalia. We have used a molecular probe for the limb primordia and in vivo culture to describe the nature of the adult primordia in mutants in which the pattern of homeotic gene expression was altered. The results suggest that the histoblast or disc 'mode' of development is initiated by the extended germ band stage through activity of the BX-C and ANT-C and is relatively inflexible thereafter [corrected].