Enhancer of Polycomb is a suppressor of position-effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster.

Polycomb group (PcG) genes of Drosophila are negative regulators of homeotic gene expression required for maintenance of determination. Sequence similarity between Polycomb and Su(var)205 led to the suggestion that PcG genes and modifiers of position-effect variegation (PEV) might function analogously in the establishment of chromatin structure. If PcG proteins participate directly in the same process that leads to PEV, PcG mutations should suppress PEV. We show that mutations in E(Pc), an unusual member of the PcG, suppress PEV of four variegating rearrangements: In(l)wm4, B(SV), T(2;3)Sb(V) and In(2R)bw(VDe2). Using reversion of a Pelement insertion, deficiency mapping, and recombination mapping as criteria, homeotic effects and suppression of PEV associated with E(Pc) co-map. Asx is an enhancer of PEV, whereas nine other PcG loci do not affect PEV. These results support the conclusion that there are fewer similarities between PcG genes and modifiers of PEV than previously supposed. However, E(Pc) appears to be an important link between the two groups. We discuss why Asx might act as an enhancer of PEV.     

PET-CT在非完全实性肺结节中的应用价值

肺癌在中国恶性肿瘤的发病率位居第一,随着低剂量薄层CT在肺癌筛查中的广泛应用,临床发现更多表现为非完全实性结节的肺腺癌,目前众多研究使CT影像学特征和肺腺癌病理的关系得到更进一步的认知,虽然CT能对部分非完全实性结节做出定性和定位诊断,但仍有部分非完全实性结节诊断困难,PET-CT结合了病灶的代谢信息和精确的定位信息,从而提高对肺部结节诊断的敏感性、特异性、准确性,综合多个文献PET-CT在非完全实性结节中的诊断分期价值较CT无明显提升,却在评估预后和制定合适手术方案上可以起到一定的作用,本文就PET-CT在SSN中的应用价值进行阐述。     

Conservatism of sites of tRNA loci among the linkage groups of severalDrosophila species

Summary The sites of seven tRNA genes (Arg-2, Lys-2, Ser-2b, Ser-7, Thr-3, Thr-4, Val-3b) were studied by in situ hybridization.¹²⁵I-labeled tRNA probes fromDrosophila melanogaster were hybridized to spreads of polytene chromosomes prepared from fourDrosophila species representing different evolutionary lineages (D. melanogaster, Drosophila hydei, Drosophila pseudoobscura, andDrosophila virilis). Most tRNA loci occurred on homologous chromosomal elements of all four species. In some cases the number of hybridization sites within an element varied and sites on nonhomologous elements were found. It was observed that both tRNA ₂ ^Arg and tRNA ₂ ^Lys hybridized to the same site on homologous elements in several species. These data suggest a limited amount of exchange among different linkage groups during the evolution ofDrosophila species.     

Mutagen sensitivity and suppression of position-effect variegation result from mutations in mus209, the Drosophila gene encoding PCNA.

The mus209B1 mutant of Drosophila melanogaster exhibits a complex pleiotropy of temperature-sensitive (ts) lethality, hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents such as ionizing radiation and methyl methanesulfonate, suppression of position-effect variegation (PEV), and female sterility. Our discovery that mus209 encodes proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which is an indispensable component of the DNA replication apparatus, suggests that alterations to chromosome replication may underlie that pleiotropy. Nine lethal mutations, three of them ts, genetically define the Pcna locus. Temperature shift studies reveal that the vital function of PCNA is required throughout virtually all stages of fly development, and that maternally encoded PCNA is essential for embryogenesis. All three ts mutants strongly suppress PEV, which suggests a role for PCNA in chromatin assembly or modification.     

RNA-DNA hybridization analyses of tRNA-Val-3b in Drosophila melanogaster

Summary Transfer RNA was extracted from 50–300 mg of adult flies and specifically labeled in vitro. The level of individual isoacceptors was quantitated by efficient annealing to Drosphila tRNA genes carried on recombinant DNA plasmids immobilized on nitrocellulose filters. The level of tRNA _3b ^Val in the tRNA isolated from flies deficient in the major tRNA _3b ^Val loci has been examined. The results show that deletion of the major tRNA _3b ^Val loci resulted in a reduction of approximately 50% in the level of tRNA _3b ^Val but did not produce the Minute phenotype; furthermore the effects of deficiencies at two loci were approximately additive.     

Localization of tRNA genes of Drosophila melanogaster by in situ hybridization

Six purified tRNAs labeled with ¹²⁵I by chemical or enzymatic methods were hybridized to polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster. The main chromosomal regions of hybridization were: tRNA _GGA ^Gly , 58A, 84C, and 90E; tRNA ₂ ^Leu , 44E, 66B5-8, and 79F; tRNA _2b ^Ser , 86A, 88A9-12, and 94A6-8; tRNA ₃ ^Thr , 47F and 87B; tRNA ₄ ^Thr , 93A1-2; and tRNA ₁ ^Tyr , 19F, 22F-23A, 41, 50C1-4 and 85A. At 50C the hybridization of tRNA ₁ ^Tyr was polymorphic in the giant strains. When the hybridization of three valine isoacceptors studied previously was re-investigated, it was found that only one hybridization site, 90BC, was shared between tRNA _3b ^Val and tRNA ₄ ^Val . tRNA _3a ^Val did not have any sites in common with the other two.     

Genetic and Developmental Analysis of a Temperature-Sensitive Minute Mutation of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

A temperature-sensitive (ts) third chromosome Minute (M) mutation, designated Q-III, has been recovered and characterized. Q-III heterozygotes raised at 29° exhibit all of the dominant traits of M mutants including small bristles, rough eyes, prolonged development, reduced viability and interactions with several unrelated mutations. Q-III homozygotes raised at 29° are lethal; death occurs primarily during the first larval instar. When raised at 22°, Q-III heterozygotes are phenotypically normal and Q-III homozygotes display moderate M traits. In addition, Q-III elicits ts sterility and maternal-effect lethality. As it true of M lesions, the dominant traits of Q-III are not expressed in triploid females raised at 29°. Complementation tests suggest that Q-III is a ts allele of M(3)LS4, which is located in 3L near the centromere.—Reciprocal temperature-shift experiments revealed that the temperature-sensitive period (TSP) of Q-III lethality is polyphasic, extending from the first instar to the latter half of pupation. Heat-pulse experiments further resolved this into two post-embryonic TSPs: one occurring during the latter half of the second larval instar, and the other extending from the larval/pupal boundary to the second half of pupation. In addition, heat pulses elicited a large number of striking adult phenotypes in Q-III individuals. These included pattern alterations such as deficiencies and duplications and other morphological defects in structures produced by the eye-antennal, leg, wing and genital imaginal discs and the abdominal histoblasts. Each defect or pattern alteration is associated with a specific TSP during development.—We favor the interpretation that most of the major Q-III defects, particularly the structural duplications and deficiencies, result from temperature-induced cell death in mitotically active imaginal anlagen, while the small macrochaete phene probably results from the direct effects of Q-III on bristle synthesis. The hypothesis that the Q-III locus specifices a component required for protein synthesis is discussed, and it is concluded that this hypothesis can account for the pleiotropy of Q-III, and that perhaps it can be extended to M loci in general.     

Somatoform disorders among patients attending walk-in clinics in Trinidad: prevalence and association with depression and anxiety

Objectives Somatoform disorders are common in international primary care settings, but have been little studied in the developing world. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder, and its relationship to depression and anxiety, among patients attending walk-in clinics in Trinidad.Methods The study participants, who were all aged 18 years or older and attending walk-in clinics at 16 randomly selected health centres, were surveyed between May and August 2007 using the PRIME-MD questionnaire.Results There were 594 participants (the response rate was 92%), of whom 72.7% were female. Their ages ranged from 18 to 93 years, and 54.5% were over 50 years of age. In total, 37.2% were married and 25.9% were single. Indo-Trinidadians represented 43.1% and Afro-Trinidadians represented 36% of the study sample; 56.5% of the participants reported that their income was less than US$ 400 per month, and 65.7% were unemployed. At walk-in clinics in Trinidad, the estimated prevalence of severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder was 10.3% (95% CI: 7.86–12.74), that of hypochondriasis was 28.5% (95% CI: 24.9–32.1), and that of body dysmorphic disorder was 15.8% (95% CI: 11.9–18.7). Severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder was statistically significantly associated with gender and ethnicity but not with age, level of education, employment status or income. Chi-square testing found significant associations between the presence of severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder and both depression and anxiety (P < 0.05), between hypochondriasis and both anxiety and depression (P < 0.05), and between body dysmorphic disorder and depression (P < 0.05) but not anxiety. Regression analysis suggested that the demographic features that predicted severe undifferentiated somatoform disorder were being female or Indo-Trinidadian.Conclusions Walk-in clinics in Trinidad that serve older patients on a lower income have a high proportion of patients with somatoform disorders as measured by the PRIME-MD scale. These patients exhibit many features of anxiety and depression. These findings have implications for medical training and service delivery.