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Cre expression in primary spermatocytes: a tool for genetic engineering of the germ line.

Transgenic mice were generated expressing a testicular Cre recombinase driven by promoter sequences derived from the gene encoding Synaptonemal Complex Protein 1 (Sycp1), expressed at an early stage of the male meiosis (leptotene to zygotene). Recombination at target LoxP sites was examined during germinal differentiation in mice harboring Sycp1-Cre and a second transgene where LoxP sites flank either the beta geo coding region, the Pgk1 promoter, or a tk-neo cassette inserted into the Rxr alpha locus. The LoxP-flanked transgenes were stably maintained in the somatic tissues of the double transgenic animals, as well as in the progeny of the females. Mice born after mating the double-transgenic males with normal females showed extensive deletions of the LoxP-flanked sequences. When the males were hemizygous for the Sycp1-Cre transgene, the deletions were observed even in the fraction of the offspring which had not inherited the Cre gene, thus demonstrating that expression occurred in the male parent during spermatogenesis. The high efficiency of excision at the LoxP sites makes the Sycp1-Cre transgenic males suitable for evaluating the role of defined gene functions in the germinal differentiation process.

Animals↗

Epigenetic Reactivation of TNFRSF19 Suppresses Mitophagy and Sensitizes Triple-Negative Breast Cancer to Doxorubicin.

Doxorubicin remains an important component of chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), yet chemoresistance severely limits its clinical efficacy. Here, we identify Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 19 (TNFRSF19) as an epigenetically silenced gene that critically regulates doxorubicin response. Integrative analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and clinical cohorts reveal that high TNFRSF19 expression predicts superior pathological complete response and improved survival in doxorubicin-treated TNBC patients. Mechanistically, TNFRSF19 binds the kinase domain of TGFBR1 via its intracellular domain, disrupting TGFBR1-SMAD3 complex formation and thereby inhibiting SMAD3 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and transcriptional activation of PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1). This suppresses PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy, contributing to mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and amplified DNA damage upon doxorubicin treatment. Notably, TNFRSF19 is downregulated in TNBC due to DNA hypermethylation, and decitabine restores its expression via promoter demethylation, thereby enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these findings establish TNFRSF19 as a critical epigenetic regulator of mitophagy, highlighting its potential as a predictive biomarker for doxorubicin response and a therapeutic target for sensitizing TNBC to doxorubicin.

DNA methylation↗

Changing intracellular compartmentalization of beta-galactosidase in the ROSA26 reporter mouse during embryonic development: a light- and electron-microscopic study.

The beta-geo (LacZ) reporter gene encodes for beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) in all cells of the ROSA26 mouse during embryonic development. As such, beta-gal activity constitutes an excellent marker for in situ labeling of expressing cells. However, the intracellular distribution of beta-gal differs between cells, and changes during embryonic development. Therefore, we studied LacZ-encoded beta-gal using light and electron microscopy in the heart, lung, liver, and small intestine on days 13 and 16 of gestation, and the kidney on day 16 of gestation in ROSA26 mice. The Bluo-gal method was carried out under standardized conditions, including fixation, washing, and incubation procedures. Intracellular beta-gal staining is encountered in a combination of membranous compartments, including the nuclear envelope, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the plasma membrane. Its exact localization depends on the cell type and is regulated during development. Therefore, one must take the compartmental transition of intracellular beta-gal staining into consideration when interpreting results obtained from experiments using ROSA26 mice.

Animals↗

Immune-Like Malignant Epithelial Programs Shape Tumor-Immune Interactions and Inform Prognostic Stratification in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is characterized by marked cellular heterogeneity, yet how malignant epithelial states contribute to immune regulation and clinical outcomes remains incompletely defined. We integrated single-cell RNA-sequencing data to map the cellular landscape of LUAD and identify malignant epithelial cells based on inferred copy-number alterations. Epithelial states were further examined through trajectory inference, transcription factor analysis, and cell-cell communication profiling. Single-cell-derived genes were subsequently integrated with TCGA and independent GEO cohorts to construct and validate a machine learning-based prognostic signature. Malignant epithelial cells displayed distinct functional programs, including an immune-like state associated with genomic instability, immune-related transcriptional activity, tumor-immune communication, and patient outcomes. The resulting immune-like malignant epithelial cell signature (IMEC-Sig) consistently stratified survival across multiple cohorts. Low IMEC-Sig scores were accompanied by greater immune infiltration, higher immune checkpoint expression, and increased immunophenoscore, whereas high scores were linked to a comparatively immunosuppressive phenotype. Pan-cancer analyses further identified KRT8 as a gene associated with unfavorable prognosis, and functional experiments showed that KRT8 silencing suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion, and colony formation in LUAD cells. Together, these findings connect malignant epithelial heterogeneity with the immune context and clinical outcomes, support IMEC-Sig as a biologically informed prognostic tool, and nominate KRT8 as a potential therapeutic target in LUAD.

Humans↗

Effect of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures on Immune Cell Infiltration in the Tumor Microenvironment and Prognosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) modulate immune responses in various solid tumors, but their comprehensive role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed RNA-seq data from 539 LUAD patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and microarray data from 223 samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO, GSE13213, and GSE37745). TLS signatures were evaluated via unsupervised consensus clustering based on 12 chemokine transcriptome signatures. The relationships between TLS and clinical characteristics, tumor microenvironment (TME) cell infiltration, and prognosis were assessed using ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT. A prognostic model was established using LASSO regression and validated with external datasets. Additionally, H&E and IHC analyses were performed to explore associations between intratumoral TLS density, immune-related molecular expression, and patient prognosis in LUAD. Consensus clustering of the TCGA cohort revealed two distinct LUAD patient clusters according to TLS abundance. Cluster 1 exhibited greater immune cell infiltration, more favorable prognosis, and increased expression of immune checkpoint molecules. We developed a prognostic model comprising eight survival-associated genes that act as independent prognostic factors for patient survival. H&E/IHC analyses revealed that TLS density-regardless of pathological stage-was associated with better prognosis; higher intratumoral TLS density/proportion was also related to more favorable outcomes. IHC confirmed that survival-associated genes (CD5, HLA-DMB, and P2RY13) are independent prognostic indicators in LUAD. Our study demonstrated the close relationship between TLS signatures and an active immune microenvironment, highlighting their potential as independent prognostic indicators in LUAD.

Humans↗

Aromaticity and electron affinity of Carbo(k)-[3]radialenes, k=0, 1, 2.

Aromaticity enhancement is a possible driving force for the low reduction potentials of buta-1,3-diynediyl-expanded [N]radialenes: this hypothesis is theoretically analyzed for the expanded [3]radialene prototype. This study is undertaken within a more general prospect, namely the evaluation of the variation of aromaticity with endocyclic and peripheral carbomeric expansion of [3]radialene and its mono- and dianions. The structures, denoted as [C-H](6) (h)[C-C](3) (k)carbo-[3]radialene(q) (h=0, 1; k=0, 1, 2; q=0, -1, -2), were optimized in relevant singlet, doublet, or triplet spin states at the B3PW91/6-31G** level. They were found to be all planar. The structural aromaticity was measured through the average bond length d(av) over the [C-C](3) (k)carbo-[3]radialene core, and by the corresponding bond-length equalization parameter sigma(d), related to Krygowski's GEO. The magnetic aromaticity was measured by Schleyer's NICS values at the center of the rings. Regarding the relative variation of NICS and sigma(d), two classes of species can be distinguished according to their endocyclic expansion level. The species with a nonexpanded (k=0) or doubly expanded (k=2) ring constitute the first class: they exhibit D(3h) symmetry and a strong correlation of NICS with sigma(d). The species with a singly expanded ring (k=1) fall far from the correlation line, and constitute the second class. This class distinction is related to the degeneracy scheme of the frontier orbitals of the neutral representative. A finer appraisal of the electron (de)localization is brought by the ELF (Electron Localization Function) analysis of the electron density. It allows for a weighting of relevant resonance forms. Unsubstituted species are well described by the superimposition of two or three resonance forms. For (doublet spin state) monoanionic species, their respective weights are validated by comparison with AIM spin density. The weighted mean, n, of the formal numbers of paired pi(z) electrons in the resonance forms was calculated and compared with the closest even integer of either forms 4m+2 or 4m. A density-based continuous generalization of the orbital-based discrete Hückel rule is then heuristically proposed through an analytical correlation of NICS versus sigma(d), n, and S, the spin of the species. The frontier-orbital-degeneracy pattern of neutral species is discussed with respect to structural and magnetic aromaticity criteria. A decreasing HOMO-LUMO gap versus endocyclic expansion is obtained, but [C-C](3) (1)carbo-[3]radialene possesses the highest HOMO and LUMO energies. Vertical and adiabatic electron affinities of neutral and monoanionic species were also computed and compared with related experimental data.

Journal Article↗

Reprogramming of genetic networks during initiation of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are birth defects that result from maternal alcohol use. We used a non a priori approach to prioritize candidate pathways during alcohol-induced teratogenicity in early mouse embryos. Two C57BL/6 substrains (B6J, B6N) served as the basis for study. Dosing pregnant dams with alcohol (2x 2.9 g/kg ethanol spaced 4 hr on day 8) induced FASD in B6J at a higher incidence than B6N embryos. Counter-exposure to PK11195 (4 mg/kg) significantly protected B6J embryos but slightly promoted FASD in B6N embryos. Microarray transcript profiling was performed on the embryonic headfold 3 hr after the first maternal alcohol injection (GEO data series accession GSE1074). This analysis revealed metabolic and cellular reprogramming that was substrain-specific and/or PK11195-dependent. Mapping ethanol-responsive KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways revealed down-regulation of ribosomal proteins and proteasome, and up-regulation of glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway in B6N embryos; and significant up-regulation of tight junction, focal adhesion, adherens junction, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton (and near-significant up-regulation of Wnt signaling and apoptosis) pathways in both substrains. Expression networks constructed computationally from these altered genes identified entry points for EtOH at several hubs (MAPK1, ALDH3A2, CD14, PFKM, TNFRSF1A, RPS6, IGF1, EGFR, PTEN) and for PK11195 at AKT1. Our findings are consistent with the growing view that developmental exposure to alcohol alters common signaling pathways linking receptor activation to cytoskeletal reorganization. The programmatic shift in cell motility and metabolic capacity further implies cell signals and responses that are integrated by the mitochondrial recognition site for PK11195.

Analysis of Variance↗

Quantitative structure property relationship study of the electrophoretic mobilities of some benzoic acids derivatives in different carrier electrolyte compositions.

Quantitative structure-properties relationship (QSPR) has been applied to modeling and predicting the electrophoretic mobilities of a series of benzoic acid derivatives in different carrier electrolyte composition. Descriptors that were selected by stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) technique are radial distribution function-lag8 (RDF-8), unweighted R-maximal autocorrelation geometry, topology and atomic weight assembly-lag4 (R-GETAWAY-4), geometrical descriptor lag-26 (GEO-26), and the overall dielectric constant of the carrier electrolyte. These descriptors were used as inputs for generated 4-7-1 artificial neural network (ANN). The results obtained using ANN and MLR were compared as well as with the experimental values and showed the superiority of ANN over MLR model. Also the appearance of these descriptors in QSPR models reveals the role of electronic and steric interactions in solutes mobility in capillary electrophoresis due to the dielectric and hydrodynamic friction forces.

Benzoates↗

Transcriptional activation of the urokinase receptor gene in invasive colon cancer.

The plasminogen activator urokinase promotes tumor invasion by converting plasminogen into plasmin, which degrades several extracellular matrix components. Urokinase can bind to a specific cell surface receptor, which leads to accelerated plasmin production. While there is good evidence indicating a role for this binding site in tumor invasion/metastasis, there is little information concerning the regulation of urokinase receptor expression in invasive cancer. To address this question a series of colon cancer cell lines, which demonstrate either a high or low ability to invade an extracellular matrix-coated porous filter, was characterized for receptor expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The invasive cell lines possessed 10-fold more receptors than their non-invasive counterparts as shown by cross-linking experiments and by Western blotting. Northern blotting indicated that this disparity in receptor number could be largely accounted for by a different amount of steady-state mRNA encoding the binding site. However, neither gene amplification nor enhanced mRNA stability could account for the augmented receptor protein observed for the invasive colon cancer cell types. In contrast, nuclear run-on experiments with representative cell lines revealed that the 10-fold difference in receptor display between the invasive-competent and invasive-deficient cells could be largely accounted for by differences in transcription rates. Transcription of the u-PAR gene in the receptor-deficient GEO cells, but not in the receptor-rich RKO cells, could be augmented by protein kinase C stimulation. These findings provide a clear rationale for studies to determine if the urokinase receptor promoter in invasive colon cancer is activated in cis or in trans.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗

Anti-tumor activity of the combination of cetuximab, an anti-EGFR blocking monoclonal antibody and ZD6474, an inhibitor of VEGFR and EGFR tyrosine kinases.

PURPOSE: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) autocrine pathway plays an important role in cancer cell growth. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a key regulator of tumor-induced endothelial cell proliferation and vascular permeability. ZD6474 is an orally available, small molecule inhibitor of VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), EGFR and RET tyrosine kinase activity. We investigated the activity of ZD6474 in combination with cetuximab, an anti-EGFR blocking monoclonal antibody, to determine the anti-tumor activity of EGFR blockade through the combined use of two agents targeting the receptor at different molecular sites in cancer cells and of VEGFR-2 blockade in endothelial cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo of ZD6474 and/or cetuximab was tested in human cancer cell lines with a functional EGFR autocrine pathway. RESULTS: The combination of ZD6474 and cetuximab determined synergistic growth inhibition in all cancer cell lines tested as assessed by the Chou and Talalay method. In nude mice bearing established human colon carcinoma (GEO) or lung adenocarcinoma (A549) xenografts and treated with ZD6474 and/or cetuximab for 4 weeks, a reversible tumor growth inhibition was caused by each drug. In contrast, a more significant tumor growth delay resulted from the combination of the two agents with an approximately 100-110 days increase in mice median overall survival as compared to single agent treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a rationale for evaluating in a clinical setting the double blockade of EGFR in combination with inhibition of VEGFR-2 signaling as cancer therapy.

Animals↗

Therapeutic Targeting of Decr1 Ameliorates Cardiomyopathy by Suppressing Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation in Diabetic Mice.

BACKGROUND: A significant increase in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is now increasingly recognized as one of the metabolic alterations in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying mitochondrial FAO impairment in DCM remain to be fully elucidated. METHODS: A type 2 diabetes (T2D) mouse model was established by a combination of high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were treated with high glucose (HG) and palmitic acid (HP) to simulate diabetic cardiac injury. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches and RNA sequencing were utilized to investigate the role and mechanism of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase 1 (Decr1) in DCM. RESULTS: By integrating the genomic data available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) with DCM rodents, we found that the transcriptional level of Decr1 was consistently upregulated in DCM (+255% for diabetic heart, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001; +281% for diabetic cells, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001). Cardiomyocytes-specific knockdown of Decr1 preserved cardiac function (+41% for EF, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001; +24% for FS, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0052), inhibited cardiac hypertrophy (-34%, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001), fibrosis (-69%, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001), apoptosis (-56%, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001) and oxidative damage (-59%, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001) in DCM mice, while cardiomyocytes-specific overexpression of Decr1 aggravated DCM (-28% for EF, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0347; -17% for FS, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0014). Deletion of Decr1 prevented high glucose/palmitate (HG/HP)-induced hypertrophy (-22%, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0006), mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis (-74%, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001) in cultured cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, RNA sequencing and functional analysis showed that Decr1 interacted with and upregulated pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) in injured cardiomyocytes, and overexpression of PDK4 eliminated the benefits of Decr1 downregulation in DCM (-20% for EF, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0071; -28% for FS, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0022). Mechanistically, PDK4 acted as a kinase that induced phosphorylation and mitochondrial translocation of HDAC3. In the mitochondria, HDAC3 mediated the deacetylation of dehydrogenase trifunctional multienzyme complex &#x3b1; subunit (HADHA), contributing to excessive mitochondrial FAO and subsequent cardiac injury. From a screening of 256 natural products, we identified Atranorin and Kurarinone as potential inhibitors of Decr1, both demonstrating protective effects against DCM (Atranorin, +21% for EF, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0134; +24% for FS, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0006; Kurarinone, +20% for EF, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0183; +27% for FS, p&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study delineates a molecular mechanism by which Decr1 potentiated higher mitochondrial lipid oxidation and cardiac damage by enhancing HADHA deacetylation through the PDK4/HDAC3 signalling pathway.

Animals↗

Sodium Overload-Related Molecular Subtypes and a Four-Gene Prognostic Signature Predict Survival, Immune Landscape, and Therapeutic Response in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Sodium overload has recently emerged as a critical metabolic stressor involved in cancer progression; however, its molecular characteristics and clinical relevance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain unexplored. RNA-seq data sets, clinical annotations, and mutational profiles of AML patients were annotations from The Cancer Genome Atlas and integrated with Genotype-Tissue Expression normal samples. Sodium overload-related genes (SORGs) were obtained from GeneCards. Differentially expressed SORGs (DESORGs) screened by applying the limma statistical model, followed by univariate Cox proportional hazards regression, consensus clustering, functional enrichment, immune infiltration analysis, and pathway evaluation. A prognostic signature was developed through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression followed by multivariate Cox modeling. The model's performance was further verified in two external GEO data sets (GSE71014 and GSE37642). Nomogram construction, subgroup analysis, tumor mutational burden (TMB) assessment, drug sensitivity prediction, transcription factor (TF) analysis, and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analyses were also performed. A total of 57 DESORGs were identified, and 2 sodium overload-related molecular subtypes exhibited distinct survival, immune infiltration, and inflammatory pathway activation. A robust four-gene signature (DOCK1, GABRE, HTR7, ACSM1) stratified patients into high- and low-risk categories with significantly different survival across training and validation cohorts. High-risk patients displayed increased immune infiltration, higher TMB, reduced sensitivity to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs, and inferior predicted response to PD-L1 blockade. TF and ceRNA networks revealed multilayered transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of the signature genes. This study identifies sodium overload-related molecular heterogeneity in AML and establishes a validated four-gene prognostic signature that integrates genomic, immunologic, and therapeutic features, offering potential utility for personalized risk assessment and treatment optimization.

Humans↗

Exploring the Mechanism of Zhigancao Decoction in the Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure via Modulation of Oxidative Stress.

BACKGROUND: Zhigancao decoction has shown therapeutic potential in the management of chronic heart failure (CHF); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its pharmacological effects remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate its potential mechanisms, with a particular focus on oxidative stress-related pathways. METHODS: The chemical profile of Zhigancao decoction was characterized by LC-MS/MS, and putative targets were predicted using SwissTargetPrediction. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established using the STRING database and Cytoscape software, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Differentially expressed genes from two GEO datasets (GSE9128 and GSE84796) were integrated with reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes to identify candidate targets. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were subsequently performed to investigate compound-target interactions. RESULTS: A total of 66 chemical constituents and 818 putative targets were characterized and collected, respectively. Among these targets, MMP9 emerged as a central candidate associated with the therapeutic effects of Zhigancao decoction. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses demonstrated that the core targets were significantly enriched in oxidative stress-related pathways, inflammatory signaling cascades, and cell fate regulatory pathways. Computational deconvolution of bulk transcriptomic data suggested marked alterations in the estimated immune cell composition of the CHF microenvironment. Network pharmacology analysis further indicated that multiple chemical constituents of Zhigancao decoction converge on MMP9 and its associated pathways. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated favorable binding affinities between 10 representative compounds and MMP9, with binding energies below -7.0&#x2009;kcal/mol. CONCLUSIONS: In silico predictions suggest that Zhigancao decoction may exert potential therapeutic effects against CHF through computationally predicted targeting of MMP9 and associated oxidative stress- and immune-related pathways. These computational findings provide a theoretical foundation for future experimental investigations into the mechanisms of Zhigancao decoction in CHF, though clinical application would require confirmation through rigorous in&#xa0;vivo and clinical studies.

Oxidative Stress↗

Ubiquitous expression of marker transgenes in mice and rats.

The ability to unambiguously mark a cell's genotype is essential for studies in which genetically distinct cell populations must be distinguished from one another in vivo. One approach to this challenge has been the creation of transgenic mice expressing a transgene marker that is easily detectable, with no background staining. Multiple transgenic mouse strains bearing constructs with different combinations of promoter elements and coding sequences have been described, each with its own advantages and limitations. In this report we describe the use of an 800-bp promoter fragment isolated from the beta(geo) integration site in ROSA26 mice to target expression of two marker genes. We demonstrate that the ROSA26 promoter directs ubiquitous expression of human placental alkaline phosphatase and enhanced green fluorescent protein during embryonic and postnatal development in mouse and rat. We further demonstrate the general utility of these transgenes for marking donor cells in transplantation studies.

Animals↗

Urbanization's impact on timber harvesting in the south central United States.

The impact of urbanization on timber harvesting in the south central United States was investigated. Geo-referenced Census and Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) data were combined using a geographic information system (GIS) in order to examine the effects of various demographic and biophysical forest inventory characteristics on timber harvesting. These effects were estimated for intermediate and final harvests using a multinomial logit model. The probability for both types of harvests decreased with increasing population density, decreasing forest size, and decreasing distance to urban areas; however, the reduction in intermediate harvests was greater for each variable. Harvesting rates decreased by as much as 19% as population densities increased or distance to urban areas decreased. The results indicated that active forest management is curtailed far beyond the urban boundary. In order to model the impact of urbanization adequately, timber supply projections must also account for its impact on harvesting frequencies in surrounding areas.

Cities↗

The Electronic Spectrum of Germanium Monosulfide: Rotational Structure in the A(1)Pi-X(1)Sigma(+) Transition in (70)GeS.

The emission spectrum of the specific isotopomer (70)GeS was excited in a microwave (2450-MHz) discharge and the A(1)Pi-X(1)Sigma(+) transition (270-430 nm) was photographed under high resolution on a 10.6-m Ebert grating spectrograph. The rotational analysis of 43 bands led to the determination of accurate vibrational and rotational constants. Making use of these constants, the potential energy curves for the A(1)Pi and X(1)Sigma(+) states were generated by the RKR method and Franck-Condon factors and r-centroids were computed for the bands analyzed. The present extensive high-resolution study has revealed only a few localized perturbations in the A(1)Pi (v'=4, 5, 9) vibronic states, which contrasts with the situation in the isovalent molecules such as GeO, SiS, and SiSe. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

Prolonged transgene expression mediated by a helper-dependent adenoviral vector (hdAd) in the central nervous system.

Conventional adenoviral vectors such as E1-deleted first-generation adenovirus (fgAd) elicit striking host immune response, resulting in limited expression of the transgene. A recently described helper-dependent, or gutless, adenoviral vector (hdAd) can promote stable transgene expression in peripheral organs, including the liver. We therefore investigated the safety and durability of hdAd-mediated gene transfer to the central nervous system (CNS) of rats compared with gene delivery by fgAd. Equal amounts of either fgAd or hdAd carrying the beta geo transgene were stereotactically injected into the right hippocampus of adult rats. Transgene expression was assessed by histochemical staining, transgene stability by PCR analysis, and immune infiltration of T lymphocytes and macrophages by immunocytochemical methods. Strong transgene expression from either vector was detected in brain tissue examined on day 6 postinoculation. Thereafter, fgAd-mediated gene expression rapidly decreased, becoming undetectable by day 66, while expression from the hdAd vector persisted throughout the test period. PCR confirmed the presence of hdAd-associated DNA at 66 days postinoculation. The hdAd injection elicited apparently lower numbers of brain-infiltrating macrophages and T cells than did administration of fgAd. These results indicate improved transgene expression and reduced immunogenicity with use of hdAd to deliver genes to the CNS.

Adenoviridae↗

Deaths in winter: can Britain learn from Europe?

There is a substantial increase in the number of deaths in winter in the United Kingdom. This is also seen in some, but not all, European countries. Almost 60% of the variation among countries can be explained by the minimum average monthly temperature and the gross national product per capita. Seasonal variation is lowest in those countries with cold winters, suggesting that insulation may be important. It is also low in the more wealthy countries. The implications for health service policy of these finding are discussed. Some of the residual variation may be explained by known factors, such as low cost geo-thermal energy in Iceland, but much remains unexplained. There is a need for more research in this field.

Analysis of Variance↗