An investigation of terrestrial bryophyte species diversity and community structure along an altitudinal gradient from 2,001 to 4,221 m a.s.l. in Gongga Mountain in Sichuan, China was carried out in June 2010. Factors which might affect bryophyte species composition and diversity, including climate, elevation, slope, depth of litter, vegetation type, soil pH and soil Eh, were examined to understand the altitudinal feature of bryophyte distribution. A total of 14 representative elevations were chosen along an altitudinal gradient, with study sites at each elevation chosen according to habitat type (forests, grasslands) and accessibility. At each elevation, three 100 m × 2 m transects that are 50 m apart were set along the contour line, and three 50 cm × 50 cm quadrats were set along each transect at an interval of 30 m. Species diversity, cover, biomass, and thickness of terrestrial bryophytes were examined. A total of 165 species, including 42 liverworts and 123 mosses, are recorded in Gongga mountain. Ground bryophyte species richness does not show any clear elevation trend. The terrestrial bryophyte cover increases with elevation. The terrestrial bryophyte biomass and thickness display a clear humped relationship with the elevation, with the maximum around 3,758 m. At this altitude, biomass is 700.3 g m−2 and the maximum thickness is 8 cm. Bryophyte distribution is primarily associated with the depth of litter, the air temperature and the precipitation. Further studies are necessary to include other epiphytes types and vascular vegetation in a larger altitudinal range.

Gemcitabine is among the most efficacious and widely used antimetabolite agents. Its molecular targets are ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) and elongating DNA. Acquired and de novo resistance as a result of RRM1 overexpression are major obstacles to therapeutic efficacy. We deployed a synthetic lethality screen to investigate if knockdown of 87 selected protein kinases by siRNA could overcome RRM1-dependent gemcitabine resistance in high and low RRM1-expressing model systems. The models included genetically RRM1-modified lung and breast cancer cell lines, cell lines with gemcitabine-induced RRM1 overexpression, and a series of naturally gemcitabine-resistant cell lines. Lead molecular targets were validated by determination of differential gemcitabine activity using cell lines with and without target knock down, and by assessing synergistic activity between gemcitabine and an inhibitor of the lead target. CHK1 was identified has the kinase with the most significant and robust interaction, and it was validated using AZD7762, a small-molecule ATP-competitive inhibitor of CHK1 activation. Synergism between CHK1 inhibition and RRM1-dependent gemcitabine efficacy was observed in cells with high RRM1 levels, while antagonism was observed in cells with low RRM1 levels. In addition, four cell lines with natural gemcitabine resistance demonstrated improved gemcitabine efficacy after CHK1 inhibition. In tumor specimens from 187 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, total CHK1 and RRM1 in situ protein levels were significantly (p = 0.003) and inversely correlated. We conclude that inhibition of CHK1 may have its greatest clinical utility in malignancies where gemcitabine resistance is a result of elevated RRM1 levels. We also conclude that CHK1 inhibition in tumors with low RRM1 levels may be detrimental to gemcitabine efficacy.

Rho family guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), such as RhoA, Cdc42, and Rac1, play a fundamental role in various cellular processes. The activation of Rho proteins is catalyzed by guanine nucleotide-exchange factors (GEFs), which promote the exchange of GDP for GTP. The precise mechanisms regulating the activation of Rho proteins are not fully understood. Herein, we demonstrate that RhoA activity is regulated by cylindromatosis (CYLD), a deubiquitinase harboring multiple functions. In addition, we find that RhoA-mediated cytoskeletal rearrangement, chromosome separation, and cell polarization are altered in CYLD-depleted cells. Mechanistically, CYLD does not interact with RhoA; instead, it interacts with and deubiquitinates leukemia-associated RhoGEF (LARG). Our data further show that CYLD-mediated deubiquitination of LARG enhances its ability to stimulate the GDP/GTP exchange on RhoA. These data thus identify LARG as a new substrate of CYLD and provide novel insights into the regulation of RhoA activation. Our results also suggest that the LARG-RhoA signaling pathway may play a role in diverse CYLD-mediated cellular events.

R2 retrotransposable elements exclusively insert into the tandemly repeated rRNA genes, the rDNA loci, of their animal hosts. R2 elements form stable long-term associations with their host, in which all individuals in a population contain many potentially active copies, but only a fraction of these individuals show active R2 retrotransposition. Previous studies have found that R2 RNA transcripts are processed from a 28S co-transcript and that the likelihood of R2-inserted units being transcribed is dependent upon their distribution within the rDNA locus. Here we analyze the rDNA locus and R2 elements from nearly 100 R2-active and R2-inactive individuals from natural populations of Drosophila simulans. Along with previous findings concerning the structure and expression of the rDNA loci, these data were incorporated into computer simulations to model the crossover events that give rise to the concerted evolution of the rRNA genes. The simulations that best reproduce the population data assume that only about 40 rDNA units out of the over 200 total units are actively transcribed and that these transcribed units are clustered in a single region of the locus. In the model, the host establishes this transcription domain at each generation in the region with the fewest R2 insertions. Only if the host cannot avoid R2 insertions within this 40-unit domain are R2 elements active in that generation. The simulations also require that most crossover events in the locus occur in the transcription domain in order to explain the empirical observation that R2 elements are seldom duplicated by crossover events. Thus the key to the long-term stability of R2 elements is the stochastic nature of the crossover events within the rDNA locus, and the inevitable expansions and contractions that introduce and remove R2-inserted units from the transcriptionally active domain.

Author Summary

Selfish transposable elements survive in eukaryotic genomes despite the elaborate mechanisms developed by the hosts to limit their activity. One accessible system that simplifies the complex interactions between element and host involves the R2 elements, which exclusively insert in the tandemly arranged rRNA genes. R2 exhibits remarkable stability in animal lineages even though each insertion inactivates one rRNA gene. Here we determine the size of the rDNA locus and R2 number in natural isolates of Drosophila simulans. Combined with previous data concerning the expression and regulation of R2, we develop a detailed population genetic model for rRNA gene and R2 evolution that duplicates all properties of the rRNA loci in natural populations. Critical components of the model are that only a contiguous 40 unit array of rRNA gene units are needed for transcription, that R2 elements are active only when present in this transcription domain, and that most of the crossovers in the rDNA loci occur in this domain. These results suggest that the key to the long-term survival of R2 is the redistribution of rDNA units in the locus brought about by the crossovers that maintain sequence identity in all rDNA units.

Microgels with two interpenetrating polymer networks of poly-N-isopropylacrylamide and poly-acrylic acid (PNIPAM-IPN-PAAc) were synthesized using a seed method. The IPN microgels in water have an average hydrodynamic radius of about 85 nm at 21 °C, measured by dynamic light scattering method. The atomic force microscope image showed that the particles were much smaller after they were dried but remain their spherical shape. The storage and loss moduli G' and G' ' of dispersions of IPN microgels were measured in the linear stress regime as functions of temperature and frequency at various polymer concentrations using a stress-controlled rheometer. For dispersions with high polymer concentration (3.5 and 6.0 wt%) and at high temperatures (34 and 38 °C), the samples behave as viscoelastic solids and the storage modulus was larger than the loss modulus over the entire frequency range. The loss tangent was measured at various frequencies as a function of temperature. The gelation temperature was determined to be 33 °C at the point where a frequency-independent value of the loss tangent was first observed.

Using an animal implantation model, the biocompatibility and drug release properties of the IPN microgl dispersion were evaluated. Fluorescein as a model drug was mixed into an aqueous microgel dispersion at ambient temperature. This drug loaded liquid was then injected subcutaneously in Balb/C mice from Taconic Farms. The test results have shown that the IPN microgels were biocompatible in this acute implantation model and the presence of gelled microgel dispersion substantially slowed the release of fluorescein.

Inflammatory diseases are associated with the accumulation of activated inflammatory cells, particularly polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), which release reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eradicate foreign bodies and microorganisms. To assess the location and extent of localized inflammatory responses, L-012, a highly-sensitive chemiluminescence probe, was employed to non-invasively monitor the production of ROS. We find that L-012-associated chemiluminescence imaging can be used to identify and to quantify the extent of inflammatory responses. Furthermore, regardless of differences among animal models, there is a good linear relationship between chemiluminescence intensity and PMN numbers surrounding inflamed tissue. Depletion of PMN substantially diminished L-012-associated chemiluminescence in vivo. Finally, L-012-associated chemiluminescence imaging was found to be a powerful tool for assessing implant-mediated inflammatory responses by measuring chemiluminescent intensities at the implantation sites. These results support the use of L-012 for monitoring the kinetics of inflammatory responses in vivo via the detection and quantification of ROS production.

Background

Angiomatous nasal polyps (ANPs), also known as angiectatic polyps, have rarely been reported in the literature. ANPs are characterized by extensive vascular proliferation and ectasia. ANPs can grow rapidly and exhibit aggressive clinical behavior that could simulate malignancy preoperatively, and they are easily confused with other diseases. In the present study, we analyzed the correlation between the computed tomography (CT) findings of nasal angiomatous polyps and their pathological features.

Methods

We evaluated CT findings and pathological features of 31 surgically proven ANPs.

Results

The study population included 16 males and 15 females aged between 27 and 81 years (mean age, 53.5 years). On CT, the masses were heterogeneous; they had a soft tissue density and filled the maxillary and/or nasal cavities. Calcifications were found in 2 of the 31 cases. The lesions showed a clear boundary (15/31). The low-density shading on CT was related to the inflammatory, necrotic, and cystic changes, and the high-density shading on CT was related to hemorrhagic areas of the mass. On contrast-enhanced CT, the center of the lesions was non-enhanced with peripheral intensification due to occlusion or compression of feeder vessels of the polyp center, and the inflammatory cells and neovascularization around the edge of the mass. The most common site of maxillary wall erosion was the medial wall (21/31), followed by the posterior lateral wall (3/31), upper wall (2/31), and septum (3/31). Of these, the nasal cavity and/or maxillary sinus were enlarged in 28 cases. These findings were associated with the chronic progress of nasal angiomatous changes.

Conclusions

CT of ANPs may demonstrate benign bone changes associated with the lesions and may also reflect the fact that ANPs do not invade peripheral soft tissue. CT demonstrated these lesions consistently and provided information useful for surgical planning.

Ferritin, an iron homeostasis protein, has important functions in transition and storage of toxic metal ions. In this study, the full-length cDNA of ferritin was isolated from Dendrorhynchus zhejiangensis by cDNA library and RACE approaches. The higher similarity and conserved motifs for ferritin were also identified in worm counterparts, indicating that it belonged to a new member of ferritin family. The temporal expression of worm ferritin in haemocytes was analyzed by RT-PCR, and revealed the ferritin could be induced by Cd2+, Pb2+ and Fe2+. The heavy metal binding activity of recombinant ferritin was further elucidated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was observed that the ferritin protein could form a chain of beads with different size against three metals exposure, and the largest one with 35∼40 nm in height was identified in the Cd2+ challenge group. Our results indicated that worm ferritin was a promising candidate for heavy metals detoxification.

Cytohesins have been identified as cytoplasmic ErbB receptor activators in certain cancers, exhibiting an important role in ErbB signaling. However, whether cytohesins are essential in colorectal cancer is unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether cytohesins contribute to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) pathway in colorectal cancer cells. RT-PCR and immunofluorescence experiments were employed to detect the expression of cytohesins in colorectal cancer cell lines. The EGF pathway activation conditions were investigated by examining the phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and intracellular signal-related kinases, with or without chemical inhibition (SecinH3) and knockdown of cytohesins. An MTT assay was conducted to examine the inhibitory effect of SecinH3 and cytohesin-specific siRNA in HT-29 cells. Results demonstrated that the four homologous members of the cytohesin family were expressed in the four colorectal cancer cell lines. Notably, a significantly higher expression level of cytohesin-2 (ARNO) compared with the other three homologous family members was observed. Stimulation with EGF and SecinH3, as well as knockdown of ARNO, are capable of reducing EGF pathway activation and proliferation of HT-29 cells. In conclusion, cytohesins play an essential role in the activation of the EGF pathway and may be a potential target in colorectal cancer therapy.

Medical implant-mediated inflammatory responses, often involving high levels of macrophages, are typically determined by histological analyses. These methods however are time consuming and require many animals to monitor the kinetics of inflammatory reactions and to generate reproducible outcomes. Recent studies have shown that activated macrophages in inflamed tissue express high levels of folate receptor (FR). In this study, FR-targeting NIR nanoprobes were fabricated and then tested for their ability to detect and quantify the extent of biomaterial-mediated inflammatory responses in vivo. Indeed, FR-targeting nanoprobes preferentially accumulate on activated macrophage surfaces. When administered intravenously, we found that the FR-targeting nanoprobes distinctively gathered in the inflamed tissues and that a different extent of FR-targeting nanoprobe gathering could be found in tissues implanted with different types of biomaterials. Most importantly, we found that there was a good relationship between the extent of inflammatory reactions and the intensity of nanoprobe-associated NIR signal in tissue. Our results support that FR-targeting NIR nanoprobes can be used to monitor and quantify the extent of macrophage recruitment and the degree of an implants' biocompatibility in real time.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are involved in the maintenance of endothelial homoeostasis and in the process of new vessel formation. Experimental and clinical studies have shown that atherosclerosis is associated with reduced numbers and dysfunction of EPCs; and that medications alone are able to partially reverse the impairment of EPCs in patients with atherosclerosis. Therefore, novel EPC-based therapies may provide enhancement in restoring EPCs’ population and improvement of vascular function. Here, for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying EPC impairment in atherosclerosis, we provide a comprehensive overview on EPC characteristics, phenotypes, and the signaling pathways underlying EPC impairment in atherosclerosis.

Responses of 302 mitral/tufted (M/T) cells in the olfactory bulb were recorded from 42 anesthetized freely breathing rats using a 16-channel microwire electrode array. Saturated vapors of four pure chemicals, anisole, carvone, citral and isoamyl acetate were applied. After aligning spike trains to the initial phase of the inhalation after odor onset, the responses of M/T cells showed transient temporal features including excitatory and inhibitory patterns. Both odor-evoked patterns indicated that mammals recognize odors within a short respiration cycle after odor stimulus. Due to the small amount of information received from a single cell, we pooled results from all responsive M/T cells to study the ensemble activity. The firing rates of the cell ensembles were computed over 100 ms bins and population vectors were constructed. The high dimension vectors were condensed into three dimensions for visualization using principal component analysis. The trajectories of both excitatory and inhibitory cell ensembles displayed strong dynamics during odor stimulation. The distances among cluster centers were enlarged compared to those of the resting state. Thus, we presumed that pictures of odor information sent to higher brain regions were depicted and odor discrimination was completed within the first breathing cycle.

Introduction

Recent studies have indicated higher risk of fractures among coffee drinkers. To quantitatively assess the association between coffee consumption and the risk of fractures, we conducted this meta-analysis.

Material and methods

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for prospective studies reporting the risk of fractures with coffee consumption. Quality of included studies was assessed with the Newcastle Ottawa scale. We conducted a meta-analysis and a cumulative meta-analysis of relative risk (RR) for an increment of one cup of coffee per day, and explored the potential dose-response relationship. Sensitivity analysis was performed where statistical heterogeneity existed.

Results

We included 10 prospective studies covering 214,059 participants and 9,597 cases. There was overall 3.5% higher fracture risk for an increment of one cup of coffee per day (RR = 1.035, 95% CI: 1.019-1.052). Pooled RRs were 1.049 (95% CI: 1.022-1.077) for women and 0.910 (95% CI: 0.873-0.949) for men. Among women, RR was 1.055 (95% CI: 0.999-1.114) for younger participants, and 1.047 (95% CI: 1.016-1.080) for older ones. Cumulative meta-analysis indicated that risk estimates reached a stabilization level (RR = 1.035, 95% CI: 1.019-1.052), and it revealed a positive dose-response relationship between coffee consumption and risk of fractures either for men and women combined or women specifically.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggests an overall harm of coffee intake in increasing the risk of fractures, especially for women. But current data are insufficient to reach a convincing conclusion and further research needs to be conducted.

Chemotherapy is a common treatment for uveal melanoma. Rapid clearance of injected drug from the vitreous, necessitates repeated injections in to the eye. We have investigated the use of hydrogel particles to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to the uveal melanoma site. Fluorescent dye-labeled nano- and micro-particles were injected intravenously into the animal. Particle accumulation in the uveal tissue was studied. The nanoparticles showed a much higher accumulation in the uveal tissue than the microparticles. The optimal particle size is between 100 and 300 nm. These particles could be decorated with targeting moieties and loaded with chemotherapeutic drugs to achieve sustained release at the cancerous site.

Ribonucleotide Reductase M1 (RRM1) is the regulatory subunit of the holoenzyme that catalyzes the conversion of ribonucleotides to 2′-deoxyribonucleotides. Its function is indispensible in cell proliferation and DNA repair. It also serves as a biomarker of therapeutic efficacy of the antimetabolite drug gemcitabine (2′,2′-difluoro-2′-deoxycytidine) in various malignancies. However, a mechanistic explanation remains to be determined. This study investigated how the alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) interacts with the inhibitory activity of gemcitabine on its target protein RRM1 in vivo. We found, when cells were treated with gemcitabine in the presence of NEM, a novel 110 kD band, along with the 90 kD native RRM1 band, appeared in immunoblots. This 110 kD band was identified as RRM1 by mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and represented a conformational change resulting from covalent labeling by gemcitabine. It is specific to gemcitabine/NEM, among 11 other chemotherapy drugs tested. It was also detectable in human tumor xenografts in mice treated with gemcitabine. Among mutations of seven residues essential for RRM1 function, C218A, C429A, and E431A abolished the conformational change, while N427A, C787A, and C790A diminished it. C444A was unique since it was able to alter the conformation even in absence of gemcitabine treatment. We conclude that the thiol alkylator NEM can stabilize the gemcitabine-induced conformational change of RRM1, and this stabilized RRM1 conformation has the potential to serve as a specific biomarker of gemcitabine’s therapeutic efficacy

Studies of brain-specific kinase 2 (BRSK2), an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-related kinase, and its homologs suggest that they are multifunctional regulators of cell-cycle progression. BRSK2, which contains a ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain, is polyubiquitinated in cells. However, the regulatory mechanisms and exact biological function of BRSK2 remain unclear. Herein, we show that BRSK2 co-localizes with the centrosomes during mitosis. We also demonstrate that BRSK2 protein levels fluctuate during the cell cycle, peaking during mitosis and declining in G1 phase. Furthermore, Cdh1, rather than Cdc20, promotes the degradation of BRSK2 in vivo. Consistent with this finding, knock-down of endogenous Cdh1 blocks BRSK2 degradation during the G1 phase. The conserved KEN box of BRSK2 is required for anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome-Cdh1 (APC/CCdh1)-dependent degradation. Additionally, overexpression of either BRSK2(WT) or BRSK2(ΔKEN) increases the percentage of cells in G2/M. Thus, our results provide the first evidence that BRSK2 regulates cell-cycle progression controlled by APC/CCdh1 through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Controversy has arisen as to the role of transforming growth factor-β-induced protein (TGFBI) in the regulation of tumor metastasis. Using lung and breast cancer cell lines (H522 and MCF7, respectively), we established that TGFBI induced cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins by activating adhesion-associated signaling and subsequent structure reformation, ultimately leading to cells less motile; whereas TGFBI reduced abilities of colony formation in soft agar, penetration through matrix gel, and activation of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9. Furthermore, injection of TGFBI-expressing cells into immuno-deficient mice resulted in a significant reduction in tumor metastasis in vivo. Taken together, these data suggest that TGFBI moderates the metastatic potential of cancer cells.

Background

Individual variances usually affect drug metabolism and disposition, and hence result in either ineffectiveness or toxicity of a drug. In addition to genetic polymorphism, the multiple confounding factors of lifestyles, such as dietary preferences, contribute partially to individual variances. However, the difficulty of quantifying individual diversity greatly challenges the realization of individualized drug therapy. This study aims at quantitative evaluating the association between individual variances and the pharmacokinetics.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Molecules in pre-dose baseline serum were profiled using gas chromatography mass spectrometry to represent the individual variances of the model rats provided with high fat diets (HFD), routine chows and calorie restricted (CR) chows. Triptolide and its metabolites were determined using high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Metabonomic and pharmacokinetic data revealed that rats treated with the varied diets had distinctly different metabolic patterns and showed differential Cmax values, AUC and drug metabolism after oral administration of triptolide. Rats with fatty chows had the lowest Cmax and AUC values and the highest percentage of triptolide metabolic transformation, while rats with CR chows had the highest Cmax and AUC values and the least percentage of triptolide transformation. Multivariate linear regression revealed that in baseline serum, the concentrations of creatinine and glutamic acid, which is the precursor of GSH, were linearly negatively correlated to Cmax and AUC values. The glutamic acid and creatinine in baseline serum were suggested as the potential markers to represent individual diversity and as predictors of the disposal and pharmacokinetics of triptolide.

Conclusions/Significance

These results highlight the robust potential of metabonomics in characterizing individual variances and identifying relevant markers that have the potential to facilitate individualized drug therapy.

Introduction

There has been limited attention to pathological features of basilar artery atherosclerosis. It has been assumed that pathology of basilar artery atherosclerosis mimics that of other vascular beds.

Methods

To define the nature of the basilar artery atherosclerotic lesions we analyzed postmortem intracranial artery samples from eight subjects with history of stroke.

Results

Atherosclerotic lesions were present in 7/8 arteries examined, with a mean estimated stenosis of 34%. Lumen thrombus with a disrupted fibrous cap was seen in 1 lesion; the remaining 6 lesions revealed a thick fibrous cap. Neovascularity and calcification were seen in 1 lesion and mild to moderate inflammation was seen in 3 lesions. Necrotic core was present in 4/7 lesions, and was associated with plaque rupture in the only disrupted lesion.

Conclusions

Basilar artery atherosclerotic lesions were relatively benign in this series of patients presenting with stroke. While confirmation is needed with larger sample size, the relative paucity of neovascularity suggests a possibly distinctive histopathological profile.

Objectives

Neurilemmomas are benign tumors deriving from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath. They occur in all parts of the body. The highest incidence of neurilemmoma is in the head and neck region (38–45%), but involvement of the nose and paranasal sinus is quite rare, with only sporadic cases having been reported in the world literature. Fewer than 4% of these tumors involve the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. We describe the clinical, pathologic, and computed tomography (CT) features of five nasal neurilemmomas.

Methodology

CT features of five patients with nasal schwannoma proved by operation and pathology were investigated.

Results

Schwannomas tend to be solitary and are usually well-circumscribed tumors with an oval, round or fusiform shape in the unilateral nasal cavity. The lesions usually have a mottled central lucency with peripheral intensification on contrast-enhanced CT scans. The heterogeneous appearance is related to areas of increased vascularity with adjacent non-enhancing cystic or necrotic regions.

Conclusions

Schwannoma should be considered in the differential of unusual nasal masses. Certain clinical and CT patterns may be of use in the differential diagnosis.

Neutrophils play an important role in implant-mediated inflammation and infection. Unfortunately, current methods which monitor neutrophil activity, including enzyme measurements and histological evaluation, require many animals and cannot be used to accurately depict the dynamic cellular responses. To understand the neutrophil interactions around implant-mediated inflammation and infection it is critical to develop methods which can monitor in vivo cellular activity in real time. In this study, formyl peptide receptor (FPR)-targeting near-infrared nanoprobes were fabricated. This was accomplished by conjugating near-infrared dye with specific peptides having a high affinity to the FPRs present on activated neutrophils. The ability of FPR-targeting nanoprobes to detect and quantify activated neutrophils was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. As expected, FPR-targeting nanoprobes preferentially accumulated on activated neutrophils in vitro. Following transplantation, FPR-targeting nanoprobes preferentially accumulated at the biomaterial implantation site. Equally important, a strong relationship was observed between the extent of fluorescence intensity in vivo and the number of recruited neutrophils at the implantation site. Furthermore, FPR-targeting nanoprobes may be used to detect and quantify the number of neutrophils responding to a catheter-associated infection. The results show that FPR-targeting nanoprobes may serve as a powerful tool to monitor and measure the extent of neutrophil responses to biomaterial implants in vivo.

Objective: Our objective was to construct a recombinant bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine (rBCG) that secretes human interferon-alpha 2b (IFNα-2b) and to study its immunogenicity and in vitro antitumor activity against human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and T5637. Methods: The signal sequence BCG Ag85B and the gene IFNα-2b were amplified from the genome of BCG and human peripheral blood, respectively, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The two genes were cloned in Escherichia coli-BCG shuttle-vector pMV261 to obtain a new recombinant plasmid pMV261-Ag85B-IFNα-2b. BCG was transformed with the recombinant plasmid by electroporation and designated rBCG-IFNα-2b. Mononuclear cells were isolated from human peripheral blood (PBMCs) and stimulated with rBCG-IFNα-2b or wild type BCG for 3 d, and then cultured with human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and T5637. Their cytotoxicities were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results: BCG was successfully transformed with the recombinant plasmid pMV261-Ag85B-IFNα-2b by electroporation and the recombinant BCG (rBCG-IFNα-2b) was capable of synthesizing and secreting cytokine IFNα-2b. PBMC proliferation was enhanced significantly by rBCG-IFNα-2b, and the cytotoxicity of PBMCs stimulated by rBCG-IFNα-2b to T24 and T5627 was significantly stronger in comparison to wild type BCG. Conclusions: A recombinant BCG, secreting human IFNα-2b (rBCG-IFNα-2b), was constructed successfully and was superior to control wild type BCG in inducing immune responses and enhancing cytotoxicity to human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and T5637. This suggests that rBCG-IFNα-2b could be a promising agent for bladder cancer patients in terms of possible reductions in both clinical dosage and side effects of BCG immunotherapy.

Hsp70/Hsp90-organizing protein (HOP) is a member of the co-chaperone family, which directly binds to chaperones to regulate their activities. The participation of HOP in cell motility and endothelial cell functions remains largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that HOP is critically involved in endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis. Tube formation and capillary sprouting experiments reveal that depletion of HOP expression significantly inhibits vessel formation from endothelial cells. Wound healing and transwell migration assays show that HOP is important for endothelial cell migration. By examination of centrosome reorientation and membrane ruffle dynamics, we find that HOP plays a crucial role in the establishment of cell polarity in response to migratory stimulus. Furthermore, our data show that HOP interacts with tubulin and colocalizes with microtubules in endothelial cells. These findings indicate HOP as a novel regulator of angiogenesis that functions through promoting vascular endothelial cell polarization and migration.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) has been reported to be important in normal plant growth and stress responses. In this study, it was verified that PI3K played a vital role in rice seed germination through regulating NADPH oxidase activity. Suppression of PI3K activity by inhibitors wortmannin or LY294002 could abate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, which resulted in disturbance to the seed germination. And then, the signal cascades that PI3K promoted the ROS liberation was also evaluated. Diphenylene iodonium (DPI), an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, suppressed most of ROS generation in rice seed germination, which suggested that NADPH oxidase was the main source of ROS in this process. Pharmacological experiment and RT-PCR demonstrated that PI3K promoted the expression of Os rboh9. Moreover, functional analysis by native PAGE and the measurement of the 2, 3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazo-lium-5- carboxanilide (XTT) formazan concentration both showed that PI3K promoted the activity of NADPH oxidase. Furthermore, the western blot analysis of OsRac-1 demonstrated that the translocation of Rac-1 from cytoplasm to plasma membrane, which was known as a key factor in the assembly of NADPH oxidase, was suppressed by treatment with PI3K inhibitors, resulting in the decreased activity of NADPH oxidase. Taken together, these data favored the novel conclusion that PI3K regulated NADPH oxidase activity through modulating the recruitment of Rac-1 to plasma membrane and accelerated the process of rice seed germination.