Human lymphocytes lack substance P receptors.

Substance P (SP), a neuropeptide found in high concentrations in the gut, is reported to have many potent immunomodulatory actions. This study evaluated some effects of SP on human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and jejunal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) and the expression of SP receptors on these and other lymphocytes types. In contrast to previous studies, SP (10(-8) or 10(-12) M) did not affect the proliferation (spontaneous or mitogen-induced) nor spontaneous cytotoxicity by PBL or IEL. To determine whether this unresponsiveness was due to an absence of SP receptors, the SP binding potential of these and other human lymphocyte types was determined by Scatchard analysis of radioligand binding. The IM-9 B lymphoblastoid cell line, used as a positive control, demonstrated 4838 +/- 603 or 3131 +/- 832 receptors per cell, with a Kd of 0.21 +/- 0.01 or 0.18 +/- 0.09 nM, using [3H]SP or 125I-SP, respectively. No receptors were found on PBL, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, splenocytes, IEL, or jejunal lamina propria lymphocytes using either radioligand. These findings dispute the presence of large numbers of SP receptors on lymphocytes in peripheral blood, spleen, or intestinal mucosa, and argue against any major effect of SP on T cell proliferation or spontaneous cytotoxicity.     

Molecular Assortment of Lens Species with Different Adaptations to Drought Conditions Using SSR Markers

The success of drought tolerance breeding programs can be enhanced through molecular assortment of germplasm. This study was designed to characterize molecular diversity within and between Lens species with different adaptations to drought stress conditions using SSR markers. Drought stress was applied at seedling stage to study the effects on morpho-physiological traits under controlled condition, where tolerant cultivars and wilds showed 12.8–27.6% and 9.5–23.2% reduction in seed yield per plant respectively. When juxtaposed to field conditions, the tolerant cultivars (PDL-1 and PDL-2) and wild (ILWL-314 and ILWL-436) accessions showed 10.5–26.5% and 7.5%–15.6% reduction in seed yield per plant, respectively under rain-fed conditions. The reductions in seed yield in the two tolerant cultivars and wilds under severe drought condition were 48–49% and 30.5–45.3% respectively. A set of 258 alleles were identified among 278 genotypes using 35 SSR markers. Genetic diversity and polymorphism information contents varied between 0.321–0.854 and 0.299–0.836, with mean value of 0.682 and 0.643, respectively. All the genotypes were clustered into 11 groups based on SSR markers. Tolerant genotypes were grouped in cluster 6 while sensitive ones were mainly grouped into cluster 7. Wild accessions were separated from cultivars on the basis of both population structure and cluster analysis. Cluster analysis has further grouped the wild accessions on the basis of species and sub-species into 5 clusters. Physiological and morphological characters under drought stress were significantly (P = 0.05) different among microsatellite clusters. These findings suggest that drought adaptation is variable among wild and cultivated genotypes. Also, genotypes from contrasting clusters can be selected for hybridization which could help in evolution of better segregants for improving drought tolerance in lentil.     

Potent and selective biphenyl azole inhibitors of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aFABP)

Herein we report the first disclosure of biphenyl azoles that are nanomolar binders of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aFABP or aP2) with up to thousand-fold selectivity against muscle fatty acid binding protein and epidermal fatty acid binding protein. In addition a new radio-ligand to determine binding against the three fatty acid binding proteins was also synthesized.     

Microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitors: discovery and synthesis of alkyl phosphonates as potent MTP inhibitors and cholesterol lowering agents

A series of newly synthesized phosphonate esters were evaluated for their effects on microsomal triglyceride transfer protein activity (MTP). The most potent compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit lipoprotein secretion in HepG2 cells and to affect VLDL secretion in rats. These inhibitors were also found to lower serum cholesterol levels in a hamster model upon oral dosing.     

Application of robotics to steady state enzyme kinetics: analysis of tight-binding inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV

Using available commercial robotics and instrumentation, we developed a fully automated and rigorous steady state enzyme kinetic assay for dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV; E.C. 3.4.14.5). The automated assay was validated with isoleucyl thiazolidide, a potent inhibitor of DPP IV with K(is)=110nM. Signal window analysis indicated that the assay had a 98% probability of detecting an inhibitor yielding 15% inhibition, with a predicted false positive rate of 0.13%. A mechanistic inhibition version of the automated assay was validated with isoleucyl 4-cyanothiazolidide, a very potent inhibitor of DPP IV. Isoleucyl 4-cyanothiazolidide was a competitive inhibitor of purified porcine DPP IV with K(is)=1 nM. Similar K(is) values were obtained for purified rat DPP IV and for DPP IV activity in human plasma from normal and diabetic donors. The pH dependence of K(is) for isoleucyl 4-cyanothiazolidide yielded a bell-shaped profile, with pK(a)=5.0 and pK(b)=7.6. To date, over 100,000 data points have been generated in profiling targeted compound libraries and in the analysis of tight-binding inhibitors of DPP IV. The data also show that robotic analysis is capable of producing full mechanistic inhibition analysis in a timely fashion to support drug discovery.     

Investigation of urinary volatomic alterations in head and neck cancer: a non-invasive approach towards diagnosis and prognosis

Introduction

Head and neck cancer (HNC), like many other forms of cancer, is usually detected in advanced stages, causing poor survival outcomes. Lack of specific and sensitive screening markers for early detection of HNC has worsened the scenario for the patients as well as the clinicians. Therefore, identification of efficient, noninvasive and affordable screening marker/methodology with high specificity and sensitivity is imminent need of situation.

Objectives

This study aims to identify and characterize urinary volatomic alterations specific to HNC.

Methods

Volatomic analysis of urine samples collected from HNC patients (n?=?29) and healthy controls (n?=?31) was performed using headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Both univariate and multivariate statistical approaches were used to investigate HNC specific volatomic alterations.

Results

Statistical analysis revealed a total of 28 metabolites with highest contribution towards discrimination of HNC patients from healthy controls (VIP >1, p?<?0.05, Log₂ FC ≥0.58/≤?0.57). The discrimination efficiency and accuracy of urinary VOCs was ascertained by ROC curve analysis that allowed the identification of four metabolites viz. 2,6-dimethyl-7-octen-2-ol, 1-butanol, p-xylene and 4-methyl-2-heptanone with highest sensitivity and specificity to discriminate HNC patients from healthy controls. Further, the metabolic pathway analysis identified several dysregulated pathways in HNC patients and their detailed investigations could unravel novel mechanistic insights into the disease pathophysiology.

Conclusion

Overall, this study provides valuable fingerprint of the volatile profile of HNC patients, which in turn, might help in improving the current understanding of this form of cancer and lead to the development of non-invasive approaches for HNC diagnosis.

     

Exploring Potential of Pearl Millet Germplasm Association Panel for Association Mapping of Drought Tolerance Traits

A pearl millet inbred germplasm association panel (PMiGAP) comprising 250 inbred lines, representative of cultivated germplasm from Africa and Asia, elite improved open-pollinated cultivars, hybrid parental inbreds and inbred mapping population parents, was recently established. This study presents the first report of genetic diversity in PMiGAP and its exploitation for association mapping of drought tolerance traits. For diversity and genetic structure analysis, PMiGAP was genotyped with 37 SSR and CISP markers representing all seven linkage groups. For association analysis, it was phenotyped for yield and yield components and morpho-physiological traits under both well-watered and drought conditions, and genotyped with SNPs and InDels from seventeen genes underlying a major validated drought tolerance (DT) QTL. The average gene diversity in PMiGAP was 0.54. The STRUCTURE analysis revealed six subpopulations within PMiGAP. Significant associations were obtained for 22 SNPs and 3 InDels from 13 genes under different treatments. Seven SNPs associations from 5 genes were common under irrigated and one of the drought stress treatments. Most significantly, an important SNP in putative acetyl CoA carboxylase gene showed constitutive association with grain yield, grain harvest index and panicle yield under all treatments. An InDel in putative chlorophyll a/b binding protein gene was significantly associated with both stay-green and grain yield traits under drought stress. This can be used as a functional marker for selecting high yielding genotypes with ‘stay green’ phenotype under drought stress. The present study identified useful marker-trait associations of important agronomics traits under irrigated and drought stress conditions with genes underlying a major validated DT-QTL in pearl millet. Results suggest that PMiGAP is a useful panel for association mapping. Expression patterns of genes also shed light on some physiological mechanisms underlying pearl millet drought tolerance.     

Urinary proteome alterations in HER2 enriched breast cancer revealed by multipronged quantitative proteomics

Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women. Although biomarker discoveries through various proteomic approaches of tissue and serum samples have been studied in breast cancer, urinary proteome alterations in breast cancer are least studied. Urine being a noninvasive biofluid and a significant source of proteins, it has the potential in early diagnosis of breast cancer. This study used complementary quantitative gel‐based and gel‐free proteomic approaches to find a panel of urinary protein markers that could discriminate HER2 enriched (HE) subtype breast cancer from the healthy controls. A total of 183 differentially expressed proteins were identified using three complementary approaches, namely 2D‐DIGE, iTRAQ, and sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra. The differentially expressed proteins were subjected to various bioinformatics analyses for deciphering the biological context of these proteins using protein analysis through evolutionary relationships, database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery, and STRING. Multivariate statistical analysis was undertaken to identify the set of most significant proteins, which could discriminate HE breast cancer from healthy controls. Immunoblotting and MRM‐based validation in a separate cohort testified a panel of 21 proteins such as zinc‐alpha2‐glycoprotein, A2GL, retinol‐binding protein 4, annexin A1, SAP3, SRC8, gelsolin, kininogen 1, CO9, clusterin, ceruloplasmin, and α1‐antitrypsin could be a panel of candidate markers that could discriminate HE breast cancer from healthy controls.     

Genetic analysis and molecular mapping of seedling survival drought tolerance gene in lentil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lens culinaris</Emphasis> Medikus)

Lentil populations were developed from crosses between ‘JL-3’ (sensitive to drought stress) and ‘PDL-1’ and ‘FLIP-96-51’ (tolerant to drought stress), to study the inheritance of drought tolerance and to identify the markers associated with it. The parental types, F₁, F₂, F₃, and backcross (BC) generations were screened for drought tolerance using seedling survivability and drought scores. The F₁ hybrids responded similar to the drought-tolerant parent, indicating dominance of seedling drought tolerance over sensitivity. Segregation for seedling survival drought tolerance versus sensitivity in F₂ generation was in complete agreement with monogenic 3:1 ratio. The F₃ families and backcross data additionally confirmed monogenic tolerance based on seedling survival under drought. Out of 51 SSR markers screened, thirteen markers were polymorphic between the parental types. Seven markers among them were found to be associated with seedling survival drought tolerance through bulk segregant analysis. Association of these markers with seedling survival drought tolerance was further confirmed through their screening on 10 drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive genotypes. These seven markers were screened in F₂ mapping population (JL-3 × PDL-1) of 101 individuals to map their position in relation to the gene for seedling survival drought tolerance. Linkage analysis mapped the seven markers within a map distance of 133.2 cM. A single major gene Sdt was identified with a LOD value of 19.9 and phenotypic variation (R ²) of 69.7 %. The Sdt locus was obtained in the marker interval of PLC_105–PBA_LC_1480 spanning 24.9 cM with the closest marker PLC_105 at a distance of 9.0 cM on the obtained linkage group. This is the first report on genetic control and linkage of SSR markers for drought tolerance in lentil. These linked markers can be used in molecular breeding programmes for introgression of seedling survival drought tolerance gene in high-yielding cultivars.