Genetic predisposition to papillary thyroid cancer

Approximately 5% of differentiated thyroid cancers are hereditary. Hereditary non-medullary thyroid cancer may occur as a minor component of familial cancer syndromes (e.g. familial adenomatous polyposis) or as a primary feature (familial non-medullary thyroid cancer [FNMTC]). Among FNMTC, PTC is the most common. Although a hereditary predisposition to non-medullary thyroid cancer is well established, the susceptibility genes are poorly known. Up to now, by linkage analysis using microsatellite markers, several putative loci have been described - 1q21, 6q22, 8p23.1-p22, and 8q24; however, validation studies have been unsuccessful. In the present review we discuss the results of linkage analysis and the most recent results of genome wide association studies (GWAS) with high resolution SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) arrays.     

On the photosynthetic properties of marine bacterium COL2P belonging to Roseobacter clade

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAPs) are prokaryotic microorganisms capable of harvesting light using bacteriochlorophyll-based reaction centres. Marine AAP communities are generally dominated by species belonging to the Roseobacter clade. For this reason, we used marine Roseobacter-related strain COL2P as a model organism to characterize its photosynthetic apparatus, level of pigmentation and expression of photosynthetic complexes. This strain contained functional photosynthetic reaction centres with bacteriochlorophyll a and spheroidenone as the main light-harvesting pigments, but the expression of the photosynthetic apparatus was significantly reduced when compared to truly photoautotrophic species. Moreover, the absence of peripheral light-harvesting complexes largely reduced its light-harvesting capacity. The size of the photosynthetic unit was limited to 35.4 ± 1.0 BChl a molecules supplemented by the same number of spheroidenone molecules. The contribution of oxidative phosphorylation and photophosphorylation was analysed by respiration and fluorometric measurements. Our results indicate that even with a such reduced photosynthetic apparatus, photophosphorylation provides up to three times higher electron fluxes than aerobic respiration. These results suggest that light-derived energy can provide a substantial fraction of COL2P metabolic needs.     

Changes in wheat plastid membrane properties induced by cadmium and selenium in presence/absence of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

The aim of the work was to recognize the effect of cadmium (Cd) and selenium (Se) onto properties of plastid lipid membranes. Plastids were isolated from wheat calli cultured during 2 weeks on Murashige–Skoog media with presence/absence of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Plastids obtained in presence of 2,4-D represented an earlier developmental stage in comparison to those, got in absence of 2,4-D, which reached a pre-chloroplast stage. The studied metals were introduced to culture media separately (2 μM Na₂SeO₄ or 800 μM CdCl₂) or together (Se + Cd). The changes of following properties of plastid envelope membrane caused by both metals were measured: composition of main lipid fractions, their fatty acid saturation, membrane fluidity, lipid peroxidation and membrane zeta potential. Results of experiments led to the conclusion that galactolipid component plays a predominant role in modification of plastid membrane properties responding to Cd and Se addition. It was shown that galactolipid protecting reaction to Cd toxic action can consists in increased plastid envelope membrane stiffness. The presence of hormone (2,4-D) and Se did not counterbalance Cd toxic effects (at least under concentration level applied in the experiments). Se applied separately can probably stimulate plastid/chloroplast transformation in wheat cells by increasing a galactolipid unsaturation degree. The zeta potentials seem to be important physicochemical parameter in determination of properties of membranes exposed to metal stress conditions.     

Regulierung des Blutdruckes beim Rothirsch (Cervus elaphus L.)

European Journal of Wildlife Research - Drei Hirsche unterschiedlichen Alters und Gewichtes wurden mit verschiedenen Narkotika betäube, die Höhe des Blutdruckes ermittelt und die...     

Thio-functionalized carbohydrate thiosemicarbazones and evaluation of their anticancer activity

Thiosemicarbazides and their analogs have shown potential medical applications as antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer drugs. We designed, synthesized and evaluated in vitro anticancer activity against ovarian (A2780), cervix (HeLa), colon (LoVo), breast (MCF-7) and brain (MO59J) human cancer cell lines of seven novel compounds –S-glycosylated thiosemicarbazones. We assessed the cyto- and genotoxic properties of all novel compounds using a variety of methods including comet assay, XTT assay, various fluorescent assays and toxicology PathwayFinder expression array. We tried to evaluate their possible mechanism of action with particular attention to induction of DNA damage and repair, apoptosis, oxidative stress analysis and cellular response in terms of changes in gene expression. The most sensitive cell line was human ovarian cancer. The results revealed that the major activity against A2780 cancer cell line displayed by our compounds is induction of DNA damage. This effect is not associated with apoptosis or oxidative stress induction and the resulting damage will not lead to cell cycle arrest. We also observed up-expression of heat shock related genes and NQO1 gene in response to our compounds. The second effect seems to be specific to glycosylated S-bond compounds as we observed it earlier. Upregulation of heat shock protein encoding genes suggest that our compounds induce stressful conditions. The nature of this phenomena (heat shock, pH shift or hypoxia) needs further study.     

Exposure to carbaryl leads to ultrastructural changes and alters activity of antioxidant enzymes in Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract. The toxic effect of carbamate insecticide carbaryl on Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae was examined. Insects appeared to be highly sensitive to it; numerous malfunctions and malformations were observed. The first ultrastructural alterations, including biological membrane swelling, nuclear condensation, and disintegration, and abnormalities around the mitochondria were observed even before massive mortality was noted. Scanning electron microscopy revealed changes in cuticle. Carbaryl depleted the wet weight of fat body mass and changed (in most of the cases elevated) the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The majority of these malformations are rather non-specific and are common among animals exposed to xenobiotics. However, they all suggest serious disruptions in metabolism, in addition to indicating that reactive oxygen species may play an important role in the toxic effect of carbaryl.