Correction to: Dysregulated expression of the b2-adrenergic receptor insepsis

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Measuring Phosphatidylinositol Generation on Biological Membranes

Phosphatidylinositol (PI) is a phospholipid molecule required for the generation of seven different phosphoinositide lipids which have a diverse range of signaling and trafficking functions. The precise mechanism of phosphatidylinositol supply during receptor activated signaling and the cellular compartmentation of the synthetic process are still incompletely understood and remain controversial despite several decades of research in this area. The synthesis of phosphatidylinositol requires the activity of an enzyme called phosphatidylinositol synthase, also known as CDIPT, which catalyzes a reversible headgroup exchange reaction on its substrate liponucleotide CDP-diacylglycerol resulting in the incorporation of inositol to generate phosphatidylinositol and the release of CMP. This protocol describes a method for locating PI synthase activity in isolated, intact biological membranes and vesicles.

Daniel Turner (1667–1741): syphillis and the condum

Daniel Turner 1667–1741 was the first English medical author to use the term syphillis incidentally, also mentioning early usage of the condom (condum). This paper shows that venereologists in 18th century London wrote on the use of condoms by some men, but who were sceptical about its usage. This paper also describes some of the contemporary spellings of condum and syphillis.

Autografting followed by rituximab for chemosensitive mantle cell lymphoma: A pilot study and literature review

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is rarely cured with either conventional-dose chemotherapy or autografting. Recent evidence suggests that anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy (rituximab) in combination with chemotherapy may improve the response rate. We report a pilot study of autografting using busulfan-melphalan conditioning followed by rituximab in 9 patients (median age 52 years) with chemosensitive MCL. Rituximab was given for 4 doses of 375 mg/m(2) between 4 and 10 weeks post-transplant. Three of 5 patients autografted after induction therapy remain alive in clinical and molecular complete remission at 33-50 months post-transplant. Only 1 of 4 patients autografted after relapse remains in complete remission. Two of the 3 patients with persistent marrow molecular positivity post-autograft became negative after rituximab therapy. Molecular negativity was first observed in 2 patients only after rituximab therapy. Overall, 2 patients have relapsed and the remaining 3 died of late-onset respiratory failure, probably reflecting infection and/or aggressive conditioning in an older patient population. These preliminary results, together with a review of the literature, suggest that the combination of autografting and rituximab may lead to durable molecular remissions in patients with chemosensitive MCL. Further studies are required to clarify whether the administration of rituximab: (1) is optimal pre- or post-autograft and (2) impacts on the incidence of infection and idiopathic pneumonitis in this context.

Classification of hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus-1 sequences with the branching index

Classification of viral sequences should be fast, objective, accurate and reproducible. Most methods that classify sequences use either pair-wise distances or phylogenetic relations, but cannot discern when a sequence is unclassifiable. The branching index (BI) combines distance and phylogeny methods to compute a ratio that quantifies how closely a query sequence clusters with a subtype clade. In the hypothesis-testing framework of statistical inference, the BI is compared with a threshold to test whether sufficient evidence exists for the query sequence to be classified among known sequences. If above the threshold, the null hypothesis of no support for the subtype relation is rejected and the sequence is taken as belonging to the subtype clade with which it clusters on the tree. This study evaluates statistical properties of the BI for subtype classification in hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1). Pairs of BI values with known positive- and negative-test results were computed from 10,000 random fragments of reference alignments. Sampled fragments were of sufficient length to contain phylogenetic signals that grouped reference sequences together properly into subtype clades. For HCV, a threshold BI of 0.71 yields 95.1% agreement with reference subtypes, with equal false-positive and false-negative rates. For HIV-1, a threshold of 0.66 yields 93.5% agreement. Higher thresholds can be used where lower false-positive rates are required. In synthetic recombinants, regions without breakpoints are recognized accurately; regions with breakpoints do not represent any known subtype uniquely. Web-based services for viral subtype classification with the BI are available online.

Status dystonicus and Hallervorden-Spatz disease: treatment with intrathecal baclofen and pallidotomy

Severe dystonia or status dystonicus is a life threatening disorder that develops in patients with both primary and secondary dystonia. We present the case of a 9-year-old boy with Hallervorden-Spatz disease (HVS) who developed status dystonicus, failing to respond to high dose oral therapy with multiple antidystonic agents. High dose intravenous sedating agents combined with endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation were required to control the spasms. Alleviation of the spasms was achieved by a combination of temporary intrathecal baclofen infusions and bilateral pallidotomy. Although it could be argued this is a situation where only palliative measures should be used, we believe a relatively aggressive approach was justified. It relieved the intense pain associated with the spasms and allowed the child to be discharged home without the prolonged stay in intensive care, morbidity and mortality, which characterize status dystonicus.

Functional genomics of cell elongation in developing cotton fibers

Cotton fibers are single-celled seed trichomes of major economic importance. Factors that regulate the rate and duration of cell expansion control fiber morphology and important agronomic traits. For genetic characterization of rapid cell elongation in cotton fibers, approximately 14,000 unique genes were assembled from 46,603 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from developmentally staged fiber cDNAs of a cultivated diploid species ( Gossypium arboreum L.). Conservatively, the fiber transcriptome represents 35-40% of the genes in the cotton genome. In silico expression analysis revealed that rapidly elongating fiber cells exhibit significant metabolic activity, with the bulk of gene transcripts, represented by three major functional groups - cell wall structure and biogenesis, the cytoskeleton and energy/carbohydrate metabolism. Oligonucleotide microarrays revealed dynamic changes in gene expression between primary and secondary cell wall biogenesis showing that fiber genes in the dbEST are highly stage-specific for cell expansion - a conclusion supported by the absence of known secondary cell wall-specific genes from our fiber dbEST. During the developmental switch from primary to secondary cell wall syntheses, 2553 "expansion-associated" fiber genes are significantly down regulated. Genes (81) significantly up-regulated during secondary cell wall synthesis are involved in cell wall biogenesis and energy/carbohydrate metabolism, which is consistent with the stage of cellulose synthesis during secondary cell wall modification in developing fibers. This work provides the first in-depth view of the genetic complexity of the transcriptome of an expanding cell, and lays the groundwork for studying fundamental biological processes in plant biology with applications in agricultural biotechnology.

Reduction reactions of a 1,3,5-triphosphabenzene

The reactions of the triphosphabenzene, 1,3,5-P3C3But3, with LiMH4, M = Al or Ga, lead to the triphosphabicyclo[3.1.0]hexanediyl metallate complexes, [[[Li(OEt2)][MH2(P3C3But3H2)]]2], which give exo- and endo-isomers of a triphosphabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, P3C3But3H4 upon quenching. The related reaction of [AlH3(NMe3)] with 1,3,5-P3C3But3 affords three identifiable products, viz. a triphosphabicyclo[3.1.0]hexenyl complex, [AlH2(P3C3But3H)(NMe3)], and two triphosphabicyclo[3.1.0]hexanediyl complexes, [AlH(P3C3But3H2)(NMe3)] and [Al2H4(P3C3But3H2)(NMe3)]. In contrast, the reactions of 1,3,5-P3C3But3 with either [GaH3(quin)], quin = quinuclidine, or Me3SnH lead only to the triphosphabicyclo[3.1.0]hexenyl complexes, [GaH2(P3C3But3H)(quin)] and [Me3Sn(P3C3But3H)]. Quenching of the former affords a triphosphabicyclo[3.1.0]hexene, P3C3But3H2, while quenching the latter gives its triphosphacyclohexa-1,4-diene valence isomer. Treatment of 1,3,5-P3C3But3 with "GaI" yields a GaI3 complex of the triphosphahexa-1,4-diene, [GaI3(P3C3But3H2)], whilst treatment with the anionic Ga(I) heterocycle, [:Ga[N(Ar)C(H)]2]-, Ar = C6H3Pri2-2,6, affords the known diphospholyl anion, [1,3-P2C3But3]- via a P-abstraction from the triphosphabenzene. Finally, reaction of the 1,3,5-triphosphacyclohexane, [P(OEt)C(H)(But)]3, with thionyl chloride yields the unusual lambda5, lambda5, lambda5-1,3,5-triphosphacyclohexane, [P(O)(Cl)C(H)(But)]2[P(OEt)(S)C(H)(But)]. Suggestions as to the mechanisms of a number of these reduction reactions are made and the crystal structures of seven compounds are reported.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships of the bispecific antibody MDX-H210 when administered in combination with interferon gamma: a multiple-dose phase-I study in patients with advanced cancer which overexpresses HER-2/neu

INTRODUCTION

MDX-H210 is a Fab'xFab' bispecific antibody (BsAb) constructed chemically by crosslinking Fab' mAb 520C9 (anti-HER-2/neu) and Fab' mAbH22 (anti-CD64).

STUDY DESIGN AND OBJECTIVES

This was a dose escalation study of intravenous MDX-H210 (1-70 mg/m(2)), preceded 24 h beforehand by subcutaneous IFNgamma (50 microg/m(2) to up-regulate FcgammaRI) administered three times a week for 3 weeks. We investigated the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships between MDX-H210 C(max) and AUC and (i) MDX-H210 binding to peripheral blood monocytes and neutrophils, (ii) the peak plasma G-CSF, IL-6, IL-8 and TNFalpha concentrations, and (iii) the observed clinical toxicity.

RESULTS

23 patients (19F:4M; median age 51.5; range 25-72 y) with advanced HER-2/neu positive cancers (19 breast, three prostate and one lung) were studied. Plasma MDX-H210 concentrations over time, circulating numbers of monocytes and neutrophils, percent saturation of monocyte and neutrophil FcgammaRI, and plasma concentrations over time of G-CSF, IL-6, IL-8 and TNFalpha were measured and clinical toxicity monitored. The E(max) pharmacodynamic model best fitted the relationship of MDX-H210 C(max) and the maximum percent saturation of both monocytes (E(max)=74.6; EC(50)=0.9 microg/ml) and neutrophils (E(max)=66.2; EC(50)=2.3 microg/ml) on the first day of treatment. On the last day of treatment, day 19, these parameters were E(max)=57.0% and EC(50)=0.46 microg/ml for monocytes and E(max)=61.9% and EC(50)=0.26 microg/ml for neutrophils. No positive relationship was defined between the log MDX-H210 C(max) and the log peak plasma IL-6, G-CSF, TNF or IL-8 concentrations on day 1. On day 19 these plasma cytokine concentrations were undetectable post MDX-H210 therapy. There was no consistent relationship between MDX-H210 C(max) and the observed clinical toxicities.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that MDX-H210 C(max) and AUC could be related by the E(max) model to maximum percent FcgammaRI saturation on circulating monocytes and neutrophils in the patients studied. After day 1, the post MDX-H210 therapy cytokine response attenuated over time, consistent with desensitization. We did not find a relationship between log MDX-H210 C(max) and peak plasma cytokine concentrations or clinical toxicities.

Signal transduction cascades regulating fungal development and virulence

Cellular differentiation, mating, and filamentous growth are regulated in many fungi by environmental and nutritional signals. For example, in response to nitrogen limitation, diploid cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergo a dimorphic transition to filamentous growth referred to as pseudohyphal differentiation. Yeast filamentous growth is regulated, in part, by two conserved signal transduction cascades: a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade and a G-protein regulated cyclic AMP signaling pathway. Related signaling cascades play an analogous role in regulating mating and virulence in the plant fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis and the human fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans. We review here studies on the signaling cascades that regulate development of these and other fungi. This analysis illustrates both how the model yeast S. cerevisiae can serve as a paradigm for signaling in other organisms and also how studies in other fungi provide insights into conserved signaling pathways that operate in many divergent organisms.

Signal transduction cascades regulating fungal development and virulence

Cellular differentiation, mating, and filamentous growth are regulated in many fungi by environmental and nutritional signals. For example, in response to nitrogen limitation, diploid cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae undergo a dimorphic transition to filamentous growth referred to as pseudohyphal differentiation. Yeast filamentous growth is regulated, in part, by two conserved signal transduction cascades: a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade and a G-protein regulated cyclic AMP signaling pathway. Related signaling cascades play an analogous role in regulating mating and virulence in the plant fungal pathogen Ustilago maydis and the human fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans. We review here studies on the signaling cascades that regulate development of these and other fungi. This analysis illustrates both how the model yeast S. cerevisiae can serve as a paradigm for signaling in other organisms and also how studies in other fungi provide insights into conserved signaling pathways that operate in many divergent organisms.

Microbe-Mediated Germination of Ascospores of Monosporascus cannonballus

ABSTRACT Ascospores of Monosporascus cannonballus germinated readily in the rhizosphere of cantaloupe plants growing in field soil. However, little or no germination occurred in the rhizosphere of melon plants growing in field soil that was autoclaved prior to infestation with ascospores. The latter data suggested that root exudates alone do not stimulate ascospore germination and that the soil microflora may be involved in the induction of ascospore germination. Amending field soil with streptomycin (which inhibits gram-negative microorganisms) did not suppress ascospore germination in the rhizosphere of cantaloupe plants. However, amending the soil with penicillin (which inhibits gram-positive microorganisms) did suppress ascospore germination. Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), which inhibits the gram-positive actinomycetes but does not inhibit gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria, also suppressed ascospore germination. These results suggest that actinomycetes, either directly or indirectly, are involved in the induction of ascospore germination in field soil in the presence of exudates from cantaloupe roots. Optimum germination occurred at temperatures ranging from 25 to 35 degrees C, and data indicate that a high percentage (>/=72%) of the ascospore population within 500 mum of a root are capable of germination and subsequent penetration of cantaloupe roots.

The phytophthora genome initiative database: informatics and analysis for distributed pathogenomic research

The Phytophthora Genome Initiative (PGI) is a distributed collaboration to study the genome and evolution of a particularly destructive group of plant pathogenic oomycete, with the goal of understanding the mechanisms of infection and resistance. NCGR provides informatics support for the collaboration as well as a centralized data repository. In the pilot phase of the project, several investigators prepared Phytophthora infestans and Phytophthora sojae EST and Phytophthora sojae BAC libraries and sent them to another laboratory for sequencing. Data from sequencing reactions were transferred to NCGR for analysis and curation. An analysis pipeline transforms raw data by performing simple analyses (i.e., vector removal and similarity searching) that are stored and can be retrieved by investigators using a web browser. Here we describe the database and access tools, provide an overview of the data therein and outline future plans. This resource has provided a unique opportunity for the distributed, collaborative study of a genus from which relatively little sequence data are available. Results may lead to insight into how better to control these pathogens. The homepage of PGI can be accessed at http:www.ncgr.org/pgi, with database access through the database access hyperlink.

A flow cytometric method to estimate the precursor frequencies of cells proliferating in response to specific antigens

Fluorescent dyes that stain cell membranes or cytoplasm and then partition between daughter cells at division have been used in conjunction with flow cytometry to measure the proliferation of cells. In this paper, using peripheral blood mononuclear cells responding to tetanus toxoid, we describe an extension of this dye methodology to calculate the precursor frequency of antigen-specific T-cells. With mathematical deconvolution of the fluorescence histograms providing information about the proportion of cells in each of the daughter generations, information can be derived about the precursor frequency of cells in the original population that responded to the specific stimulus. Data from a model system with different proportions of fixed and viable cells indicate that the flow method returns accurate values for precursor frequency. Based on the characteristics of flow cytometric data acquisition, it is estimated that the flow method could detect proliferation of cells that represented, before addition of the stimulus, approximately 1/10(5) of the population. When comparing results to those from the limiting dilution technique, the flow cytometric method returns values that indicate higher precursor frequencies. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. The flow cytometric method offers the advantage of simplicity as well as the additional ability to phenotype the responding cells and determine their rate of proliferation. The flow method may find use as a simple, routine assay in the fields of allergy, transplant rejection, and autoimmunity and for quantitating responses to vaccination and cancer immunotherapy.

High resolution brain SPECT imaging of marijuana smokers with AD/HD

Marijuana abuse is common among young Americans and even more common among teenagers and adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). Many teenagers and young adults believe that marijuana is a safe substance to use despite a number of studies demonstrating cognitive impairment with chronic or heavy usage. Brain single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) imaging is being used increasingly in psychiatry to study underlying functional brain problems, including AD/HD. SPECT provides information on cerebral blood flow and metabolic function. Brain SPECT studies were performed on 30 heavy marijuana users (who had used on at least a weekly basis for a minimum of one year) with AD/HD from an outpatient psychiatric clinic and 10 AD/HD control group subjects matched for age and sex who had never used drugs. The three-dimensional surface images were used in the analysis of the scans, and were blindly interpreted without knowledge of the clinical data. Decreased perfusion in the prefrontal cortex was the only abnormality seen in the AD/HD control group (80%). In the marijuana group, there was a similar decrease in the perfusion of the prefrontal cortex while performing the same concentration task (83%). However, the marijuana group also demonstrated marked decreased activity in the right and left temporal lobes. The severe and moderate ratings were found in the heaviest users, but not necessarily the longest users. This study demonstrates decreased cerebral perfusion in the temporal lobe regions of the brain on SPECT imaging from chronic marijuana usage.

The Genome Sequence DataBase (GSDB): improving data quality and data access

In 1997 the primary focus of the Genome Sequence DataBase (GSDB; www. ncgr.org/gsdb ) located at the National Center for Genome Resources was to improve data quality and accessibility. Efforts to increase the quality of data within the database included two major projects; one to identify and remove all vector contamination from sequences in the database and one to create premier sequence sets (including both alignments and discontiguous sequences). Data accessibility was improved during the course of the last year in several ways. First, a graphical database sequence viewer was made available to researchers. Second, an update process was implemented for the web-based query tool, Maestro. Third, a web-based tool, Excerpt, was developed to retrieve selected regions of any sequence in the database. And lastly, a GSDB flatfile that contains annotation unique to GSDB (e.g., sequence analysis and alignment data) was developed. Additionally, the GSDB web site provides a tool for the detection of matrix attachment regions (MARs), which can be used to identify regions of high coding potential. The ultimate goal of this work is to make GSDB a more useful resource for genomic comparison studies and gene level studies by improving data quality and by providing data access capabilities that are consistent with the needs of both types of studies.

Selective modulation of IFN-gamma mRNA stability by IL-12/NKSF

We investigated the role of IL-12 in regulating IL-2 and IFN-gamma production in primary culture of human T cells. Addition of neutralizing antiserum against the 40-kDa subunit of IL-12 to PHA-stimulated PBMC markedly reduced both IFN-gamma protein production and mRNA accumulation and stability. Moreover, concurrent treatment of partially purified T cells (> 90% CD3+) with PHA and rIL-12 selectively enhanced IFN-gamma mRNA stability and protein production, while IL-2 protein and mRNA levels were unaffected. These studies also show that IFN-gamma and IL-2 mRNA stability are temporally dissociated during the course of T cell activation, and we propose that this dissociation may be mediated through the production of IL-12. The effect of IL-12 on modulation of IFN-gamma mRNA turnover is not associated with detectable changes in either the levels or affinity of cytoplasmic RNA-binding proteins capable of recognizing AU-rich sequences in the 3'UTR of IFN-gamma mRNA.