Alteration of surfactant protein A expression in renal cell carcinoma

Surfactant protein-A (SP-A) belongs to a family of collagen-containing C-type lectins called collectins. SP-A is expressed by renal tubule epithelial cells. We investigated the distribution of SP-A in renal cell carcinomas (RCC) using immunohistochemical techniques and western blotting. We used 35 formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) RCC tissue samples. We compared results with clinico-pathological parameters of RCC including age, sex, Fuhrman grade, tumor volume, tumor node metastasis (TNM) and clinical stage. SP-A was localized in the glomerulus and renal tubule epithelium in nontumor tissue and strong SP-A immunoreactivity was observed in tumor tissue. SP-A was expressed in the RCC tumor cells (64%) and nontumor cells (34%) in males and RCC tumor cells (90%) and nontumor cells (30%) in females. There was a significant correlation between SP-A immunoreactivity in tumor cells and gender, age, tumor diameter, Fuhrman grade and tumor diameter. Western blot analysis supported the immunohistochemical findings. We present evidence for involvement of SP-A in RCC and suggest that increased SP-A expression in RCC is associated with favorable prognosis.     

Palatability and feeding preferences of Uresiphita maorialis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) for three Sophora species

In a three-hour bioassay, we tested the palatability and feeding preferences of Uresiphita maorialis (kōwhai moth) for Sophora tetraptera, Sophora microphylla and Sophora prostrata. Palatability tests showed no differences among the Sophora species. Feeding preferences, on the other hand, showed that S. tetraptera and S. microphylla leaves are preferred over S. prostrata leaves. Our results support our field observations in Wellington city parks and gardens showing that S. tetraptera and S. microphylla plants frequently have higher densities of larvae than S. prostrata.     

Morphological and molecular evidence supporting an arbutoid mycorrhizal relationship in the Costa Ricanpáramo

This study examines evidence for a particular arbutoid mycorrhizal interaction in páramo, a high-altitude neotropical ecosystem important in hydrological regulation but poorly known in terms of its fungal communities. Comarostaphylis arbutoides Lindley (Ericaceae) often forms dense thickets in Central American páramo habitats. Based on phylogenetic classification, it has been suggested that C. arbutoides forms arbutoid mycorrhizae with diverse Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes; however, this assumption has not previously been confirmed. Based on field data, we hypothesized an arbutoid mycorrhizal association between C. arbutoides and the recently described bolete Leccinum monticola Halling & G.M. Mueller; in this study, we applied a rigorous approach using anatomical and molecular data to examine evidence for such an association. We examined root samples collected beneath L. monticola basidiomes for mycorrhizal structures, and we also compared rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences between mycorrhizal root tips and leaf or basidiome material of the suspected symbionts. Root cross sections showed a thin hyphal sheath and intracellular hyphal coils typical of arbutoid mycorrhizae. DNA sequence comparisons confirmed the identity of C. arbutoides and L. monticola as the mycorrhizal symbionts. In addition, this paper provides additional evidence for the widespread presence of minisatellite-like inserts in the ITS1 spacer in Leccinum species (including a characterization of the insert in L. monticola) and reports the use of an angiosperm-specific ITS primer pair useful for amplifying plant DNA from mycorrhizal roots without co-amplifying fungal DNA.     

Effect of unilateral and bilateral resistance exercise on maximal voluntary strength,total volume of load lifted,and perceptual and metabolic responses

The present study investigated the effect of unilateral and bilateral resistance exercise (RE) on maximal voluntary strength, total volume of load lifted (TVLL), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and blood lactate concentration of resistance-trained males. Twelve healthy men were assessed for the leg extension one-repetition maximum (1RM) strength using bilateral and unilateral contractions. Following this assessment, an RE session (3 sets of repetitions to failure) was conducted with bilateral and unilateral (both limbs) contractions using a load of 50% 1RM. The TVLL was calculated by the product of the number of repetitions and the load lifted per repetition. RPE and blood lactate were measured before, during and after each set. Session RPE was measured 30 minutes after RE sessions. There was a significant difference in the bilateral (120.0±11.9) and unilateral (135.0±20.2 kg) 1RM strength (p < 0.05). The TVLL was similar between both RE sessions. Although the repetitions decreased with each successive set, the total number of repetitions completed in the bilateral protocol (48) was superior to the unilateral (40) protocol (p < 0.05). In both bouts, RPE increased with each subsequent set whilst blood lactate increased after set 1 and thereafter remained stable (p < 0.05). The RPE and lactate responses were not significantly different between both sessions. In conclusion, a bilateral deficit in leg extension strength was confirmed, but the TVLL was similar between both RE sessions when exercising to voluntary fatigue. This outcome could be attributed to the number of repetitions completed in the unilateral RE bout. The equal TVLL would also explain the similar perceptual and metabolic responses across each RE session.     

Constitutive and UV-induced fibronectin degradation is a ubiquitination-dependent process controlled by beta-TrCP

Loss of fibronectin (FN) assembly in the extracellular matrix has long been recognized as a feature of cellular transformation. However, such assembly is regulated not only by FN synthesis but also by its post-translational modifications. The mechanism controlling FN protein stability has remained unclear so far. Recently it was demonstrated that FN matrix turnover occurs intracellularly at the lysosome following caveolin-1-dependent endocytosis. Although FN was reported to undergo ubiquitindependent degradation, the ubiquitin ligase responsible for FN ubiquitination is unknown. In this study, we have identified beta-TrCP as the ubiquitin ligase for lysosomal degradation of FN. We found two conserved beta-TrCP recognition motif (DSGVVYS and DSGSIVVS) in the primary amino acid sequence of human, mouse, and rat FN. Down-regulation of either beta-TrCP1 or beta-TrCP2 by small interference (siRNA) caused significant accumulation of FN. Immunolocalization studies showed intracellular accumulation of FN in beta-TrCP siRNA-treated cells without showing much alteration in its matrix association. We also observed that exposure of cells to UV irradiation effectively down-regulated FN following increased ubiquitination, which was significantly inhibited either by lysosomal inhibitor or by siRNA-mediated down-regulation of beta-TrCP. Taken together, constitutive FN degradation, as well as UV-induced degradation, is ubiquitination dependent and controlled by beta-TrCP.     

Sutorius: a new genus for Boletus eximius

Sutorius is described as a new genus of Boletaceae to accommodate Boletus robustus originally named illegitimately by C.C. Frost from eastern North America. The legitimate name, Boletus eximius, provided by C.H. Peck, has been used since for a dark purple to chocolate brown bolete with finely scaly stipe and reddish brown spore deposit. This iconic taxon has been documented on five continents. Despite the straightforward species identification from morphology, the interpretation of stipe macro-morphology and spore color has led to equivocal generic placement. Phylogenetic analyses of genes encoding large subunit rRNA and translation elongation factor 1α confirm Sutorius as a unique generic lineage in the Boletaceae. Two species are recognized based on multiple accessions: S. eximius, represented by collections from North America, Costa Rica, Guyana, Indonesia and Japan (molecular data are lacking for only the Guyanan and Japanese material); and S. australiensis, represented by material from Queensland, Australia. Additional collections from Zambia and Thailand represent independent lineages, but sampling is insufficient to describe new species for these entities.     

Pacific boletes: Implications for biogeographic relationships

The obligate association of boletes with their plant partners is critical to understanding biogeographic distribution of these fungi. Only in rare instances are boletes not obligatory associates of plants; the majority are presumed or proven partners in obligate symbioses with a variety of plants. The array of plant-associated distributions provides a potential handle for evaluating bolete distribution on a global scale. However, migration processes remain unclear and distributions are often disjunct. As an illustration of phylogeographic studies of putatively widespread bolete taxa, we present preliminary analyses for Tylopilus ballouii using LSU rDNA and RPB1 sequence data. The LSU data suggest geographic structuring of the tested accessions. However, RPB1 data indicate that long-distance dispersal events (possibly mediated by humans) are possible, or that selection or other factors have obscured geographical patterns. Molecular divergence between samples in RPB1 argues against panmixis, and indicates that populations have been isolated for long periods.     

三氧化二砷对食管癌细胞增殖和热休克蛋白70表达的影响

目的：研究三氧化二砷（As2O3）对食管癌细胞增殖和热休克蛋白70（HSP70）表达的影响。方法：通过相差显微镜、流式细胞术、免疫细胞化学染色和免疫印迹分析等方法观察As2O3对人食管癌细胞株EC1的作用效果和作用机制。结果：与对照组相比,经2μmol/L和5μmol/Las2O3作用的细胞出现明显的生长抑制,G2/M期细胞比例增加;2μmol/Las2O3作用48h后经Ecl细胞HSP70（heat shock protein70）及HSC70(heat shock cognate protein70)表达均增加。结论：As2O3诱导食管癌细胞G2/M期阻滞抑制细胞增殖和生长;HSP70的升高是细胞对As2O3作用后出现的应激反应,并与细胞周期阻滞相关。     

Intragenic duplication and divergence in the spectrin superfamily of proteins

Many structural, signaling, and adhesion molecules contain tandemly repeated amino acid motifs. The alpha-actinin/spectrin/dystrophin superfamily of F-actin-crosslinking proteins contains an array of triple alpha-helical motifs (spectrin repeats). We present here the complete sequence of the novel beta-spectrin isoform beta(Heavy)- spectrin (beta H). The sequence of beta H supports the origin of alpha- and beta-spectrins from a common ancestor, and we present a novel model for the origin of the spectrins from a homodimeric actin-crosslinking precursor. The pattern of similarity between the spectrin repeat units indicates that they have evolved by a series of nested, nonuniform duplications. Furthermore, the spectrins and dystrophins clearly have common ancestry, yet the repeat unit is of a different length in each family. Together, these observations suggest a dynamic period of increase in repeat number accompanied by homogenization within each array by concerted evolution. However, today, there is greater similarity of homologous repeats between species than there is across repeats within species, suggesting that concerted evolution ceased some time before the arthropod/vertebrate split. We propose a two-phase model for the evolution of the spectrin repeat arrays in which an initial phase of concerted evolution is subsequently retarded as each new protein becomes constrained to a specific length and the repeats diverge at the DNA level. This evolutionary model has general applicability to the origins of the many other proteins that have tandemly repeated motifs.