Error‐free DNA damage tolerance pathway is facilitated by the Irc5 translocase through cohesin

DNA damage tolerance (DDT) mechanisms facilitate replication resumption and completion when DNA replication is blocked by bulky DNA lesions. In budding yeast, template switching (TS) via the Rad18/Rad5 pathway is a favored DDT pathway that involves usage of the sister chromatid as a template to bypass DNA lesions in an error‐free recombination‐like process. Here, we establish that the Snf2 family translocase Irc5 is a novel factor that promotes TS and averts single‐stranded DNA persistence during replication. We demonstrate that, during replication stress, Irc5 enables replication progression by assisting enrichment of cohesin complexes, recruited in an Scc2/Scc4‐dependent fashion, near blocked replication forks. This allows efficient formation of sister chromatid junctions that are crucial for error‐free DNA lesion bypass. Our results support the notion of a key role of cohesin in the completion of DNA synthesis under replication stress and reveal that the Rad18/Rad5‐mediated DDT pathway is linked to cohesin enrichment at sites of perturbed replication via the Snf2 family translocase Irc5.     

Comparison between the effectiveness of expiration and abdominal bracing maneuvers in maintaining spinal stability following sudden trunk loading

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effectiveness of expiration and abdominal bracing maneuvers in response to sudden trunk loading in healthy subjects. Fifteen healthy male subjects were anteriorly loaded under different experimental conditions. Tests were conducted at rest and while performing each of the stabilization maneuvers (expiration and abdominal bracing) at 15% of the maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the internal oblique muscle. Subjects had no knowledge of the perturbation timing. An electromyographic biofeedback system was used to control the intensity of internal oblique muscle activation. Muscular pre-activation of three trunk muscles (internal oblique, external oblique, and L3 erector spinae muscles) and lumbar acceleration in response to loading were measured. The expiration and abdominal bracing maneuvers promoted torso co-contraction, reduced the magnitude of lumbar acceleration, and increased spinal stability compared to the resting condition. There were no differences between the expiration and abdominal bracing maneuvers in the pre-activation of the three trunk muscles or in lumbar acceleration in response to loading. It appears that both expiration and abdominal bracing maneuvers are effective in increasing spinal stability in response to sudden anterior loading.     

Sulfosalicylate mediates improved vinorelbine loading into LUVs and antineoplastic effects

Liposomal vinorelbine formulation is desirable, as it might improve the therapeutic activity of vinorelbine. However, because of its lipophilic and membrane-permeable properties, vinorelbine is hard to be formulated into liposomes using conventional drug-loading technologies. To improve vinorelbine retention, ammonium salts of several anionic agents were employed to prepare liposomal vinorelbine formulations. It was found that 5-sulfosalicylate (5ssa) could form stable complexes with vinorelbine and stabilize entrapped vinorelbine. The resultant vesicles had an in vitro release t_1/2 of ~12.49 hours in NH₃-containing media, which is longer than those of sulfate and phytate vesicles (~0.57 hours). The circulation half-life of vinorelbine after the injection of 5ssa vesicles into normal mice was ~13.01 hours, accounting for ~2-fold increase relative to that of sulfate vesicles. Improved drug retention correlated with enhanced antitumor efficacy. In the RM-1/c57 model, 5ssa vesicles were more efficacious than sulfate vesicles (P?<?0.05). In RM-1/BDF1 and Lewis lung cancer/c57 models, antitumor efficacy was also considerably improved after vinorelbine encapsulation into 5ssa vesicles. For instance, in the RM/BDF1 model, liposomal vinorelbine was at least 4-fold more therapeutically active than free vinorelbine. Our results demonstrated that 5ssa could stabilize vinorelbine relative to other anions, resulting in the formulation with improved drug retention and efficacy. Improved vinorelbine retention might be associated with the formation of insoluble precipitate, which could be proved by precipitation study and decreased drug-release rate at a high D/L ratio.     

Role of phloem in sucrose transport by Ricinus cotyledons

Sucrose is taken up and accumulated by cotyledons of Ricinus communis L. Autoradiographic studies reveal a predominant accumulation of sucrose in the phloem of the cotyledons. The export of sucrose from the cotyledons to hypocotyl and roots proceeds in the phloem by mass flow. These results, taken together with previous data, are experimental evidence for proton-sucrose symport as the mechanism of phloem loading.     

Physiological implications of SWEETs in plants and their potential applications in improving source–sink relationships for enhanced yield

The sugars will eventually be exported transporters (SWEET) family of transporters in plants is identified as a novel class of sugar carriers capable of transporting sugars, sugar alcohols and hormones. Functioning in intercellular sugar transport, SWEETs influence a wide range of physiologically important processes. SWEETs regulate the development of sink organs by providing nutritional support from source leaves, responses to abiotic stresses by maintaining intracellular sugar concentrations, and host–pathogen interactions through the modulation of apoplastic sugar levels. Many bacterial and fungal pathogens activate the expression of SWEET genes in species such as rice and Arabidopsis to gain access to the nutrients that support virulence. The genetic manipulation of SWEETs has led to the generation of bacterial blight (BB)-resistant rice varieties. Similarly, while the overexpression of the SWEETs involved in sucrose export from leaves and pathogenesis led to growth retardation and yield penalties, plants overexpressing SWEETs show improved disease resistance. Such findings demonstrate the complex functions of SWEETs in growth and stress tolerance. Here, we review the importance of SWEETs in plant–pathogen and source–sink interactions and abiotic stress resistance. We highlight the possible applications of SWEETs in crop improvement programmes aimed at improving sink and source strengths important for enhancing the sustainability of yield. We discuss how the adverse effects of the overexpression of SWEETs on plant growth may be overcome.     

Stimulation of sugar loading into sieve elements of willow by potassium and sodium salts

Potassium as the chloride, nitrate or sulphate or sodium as the chloride, were applied at a concentration of 50 mM either to the xylem of stem segments or to the cambial surface of bark strips of willow. Potassium chloride increased the concentration of sucrose in sieve tube exudate collected via severed aphid stylets, without significantly affecting the volume flow rate, or the concentration of potassium in the exudate. The increase in the sucrose level in the sieve tube sap was shown to be due to a stimulation of loading, rather than to an enhancement of longitudinal transport. Potassium nitrate and sulphate or sodium chloride, were not as effective as potassium chloride in stimulating the loading of sucrose. It is suggested that uptake of the cation into cells supplying sugars to the sieve tube is linked to the rate of release of sugars by the supplying cells.     

Comparative study of four retentive anchor systems for implant supported overdentures – retention force changes

Objectives: Wear of attachments leads to a loss of retention and potentially reduces the function of complete dentures. This study evaluated the retention force changes of different prefabricated attachment systems for implant‐supported overdentures to estimate the wear constancy and applicability in clinical practice. Methods: Four prefabricated attachment systems were tested [Group SG: retentive ball attachment (Straumann, Switzerland) with gold matrix, Group ST: retentive ball attachment (Straumann, Switzerland) with titanium spring matrix, Group IB: UNOR i‐Ball with Ecco matrix (UNOR, Switzerland) and Group IMZ: IMZ^®‐TwinPlus ball attachment with gold matrix (DENTSPLY Friadent, Germany)]. Ten samples of each system were subjected to 10 000 insertion‐separation cycles. Results: Results showed that all types of attachments showed wear, which led to a loss of retention force after an initial increase at the beginning of the wear simulation. Attachments with a plastic retention insert or gold matrices underwent the smallest changes in retention force. The titanium spring system showed the largest changes in retention force and a greater variation between the different cycles and specimen. This behaviour is probably caused by a large fitting tolerance of the titanium spring. Conclusions: Attachment systems which possess a male and female component of different material composition are preferable. They show smaller changes in the retention force. For retention force increase and wear compensation, an attachment system should be adjustable.