The UDP-Glycosyltransferase Family in Drosophila melanogaster: Nomenclature Update, Gene Expression and Phylogenetic Analysis.

UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are important conjugation enzymes found in all kingdoms of life, catalyzing a sugar conjugation with small lipophilic compounds and playing a crucial role in detoxification and homeostasis. The UGT gene family is defined by a signature motif in the C-terminal domain where the uridine diphosphate (UDP)-sugar donor binds. UGTs have been identified in a number of insect genomes over the last decade and much progress has been achieved in characterizing their expression patterns and molecular functions. Here, we present an update of the complete repertoire of UGT genes in Drosophila melanogaster and provide a brief overview of the latest research in this model insect. A total of 35 UGT genes are found in the D. melanogaster genome, localized to chromosomes 2 and 3 with a high degree of gene duplications on the chromosome arm 3R. All D. melanogaster UGT genes have now been named in FlyBase according to the unified UGT nomenclature guidelines. A phylogenetic analysis of UGT genes shows lineage-specific gene duplications. Analysis of anatomical and induced gene expression patterns demonstrate that some UGT genes are differentially expressed in various tissues or after environmental treatments. Extended searches of UGT orthologs from 18 additional Drosophila species reveal a diversity of UGT gene numbers and composition. The roles of Drosophila UGTs identified to date are briefly reviewed, and include xenobiotic metabolism, nicotine resistance, olfaction, cold tolerance, sclerotization, pigmentation, and immunity. Together, the updated genomic information and research overview provided herein will aid further research in this developing field

Identification and characterization of capa and pyrokinin genes in the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera): Gene structure, immunocytochemistry, and differential expression

CAPA and pyrokinin (PK) neuropeptides are produced from two different genes, capa and pyrokinin, respectively. In this study, we identified and characterized the capa and pyrokinin genes from the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera). The capa gene encodes two CAPA-PVK (periviscerokinin) peptides (DAGLFPFPRVamide and EQ-LIPFPRVamide) and one CAPA-DH (diapause hormone; NGASGNGGLWFGPRLamide). The pyrokinin gene encodes three PK2 peptides (QLVSFRPRLamide, SPPFAPRLamide, and FYAPFSPRLamide). The whole-mounting immunocytochemistry revealed the neurons contained PRXamide-like peptides throughout the cerebral ganglia (CRG), gnathal ganglia (GNG), thoracic ganglia (TG), and abdominal ganglia (AG). A pair of neurosecretory cells in the CRG and three cell clusters in the GNG were found with the axonal projections extended through the lateral side. A pair of immunostained cells were found in the TG, while three pairs of cells were present in the fused AG. Different expression patterns of capa and pyrokinin genes were observed in the CRG-GNG, TG, and AG. The capa gene was highly expressed in the AG tissue, whereas the pyrokinin gene was strongly expressed in the CRG-GNG. Interestingly, different developmental stages showed similar expressions of both genes, with the highest from the first nymph, gradually decreasing to the female adult. Comparison of peptide sequences encoded from pyrokinin genes showed the PK1 peptide is lost in Heteroptera suborders including H. halys, but retained in other suborders. The missing PK1 from the pyrokinin gene might be compensated by CAPA-DH (=PK1-like) produced by the caps gene

Long-term outcomes after revascularization for advanced popliteal artery entrapment syndrome with segmental arterial occlusion

ObjectivesThere are few long-term follow-up studies about the result of revascularization surgery for the treatment of popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES). We performed this retrospective study to analyze the long-term result of revascularization surgery in patients with advanced PAES during the last 16 years.MethodsTwenty-two limbs in 18 consecutive patients with PAES were treated surgically at Seoul National University Hospital between January 1994 and December 2009. The preoperative diagnosis of PAES was made by duplex ultrasonography, three-dimensional computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, or conventional angiography. The method of surgical approach was determined by the extent of arterial occlusion in preoperative images.ResultsThe mean age was 31 years old and the majority of patients were men (94%). The chief complaints were claudication in 18 limbs, ischemic rest pain in three limbs, and toe necrosis in one limb. All 22 limbs underwent revascularization for advanced PAES with segmental arterial occlusion. Fourteen limbs underwent musculotendinous section and popliteo-popliteal interposition graft (13 posterior approaches, one medial approach), five femoropopliteal (below-knee) bypasses, one femoro-posterior tibial bypass, and two popliteo-posterior tibial bypasses. All revascularization surgeries were performed with reversed saphenous veins. The overall primary graft patency rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 80.9%, 74.6%, and 74.6%, respectively. Comparing 5-year graft patency according to the extent of arterial occlusion, patients with occlusion confined to the popliteal artery (n = 14) showed a better patency rate than patients with occlusion extended beyond the popliteal artery (n = 8) with no statistical significance (83.6% vs 53.6%; P = .053). Comparing 5-year graft patency according to the inflow artery, superficial femoral artery inflow (n = 6) showed a worse patency rate than popliteal artery inflow (n = 16) (30.0% vs 85.9%; P = .015).ConclusionIn advanced popliteal entrapment syndrome, longer bypass with superficial femoral artery inflow showed poor long-term graft patency rate. The graft patency rate was excellent in patients whose arterial occlusion was confined to the popliteal artery and treated by popliteal interposition graft with reversed saphenous vein. With these data, we suggest that longer bypass extending beyond the popliteal artery might only be indicated in patients with critical limb ischemia when the extent of disease does not allow short interposition graft

Effect of non-nutritive sugars to decrease the survivorship of spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii

In this study, we investigated the effects of non-nutritive sugars and sugar alcohols on the survivorship of spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, and found erythritol and erythrose as potentially insecticidal to the fly. In a dose-dependent study, erythritol and erythrose significantly reduced fly longevity, with 100% mortality with 1, 0.5, 0.1 & 0.05 M doses after feeding for 7 days. When sucrose and erythritol solutions were provided separately to flies for 7 days, there was no effect on survivorship regardless of erythritol concentrations. However, with a serial combination of sucrose and erythritol solutions, fly survivorship was significantly decreased for the same period. Also, the higher dose of erythritol regardless of the sucrose dose combined showed greater mortality. In a no-choice assay, D. suzukii ingested more erythritol than sucrose or water, indicating the fly continuously fed on erythritol for 72 h. Also under no-choice conditions, erythritol and sucrose-fed flies gained more weight than water-fed flies. However, in two-choice assays, the amount of erythritol ingested was less than sucrose or water. Total sugar and glycogen levels among erythritol and erythrose-fed flies were significantly less than mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and sucrose-fed flies after 48 h. This indicates that these two non-nutritive sugars can’t be used a substrate for enzymes involved in sugar metabolism. Although the metabolism of erythritol and erythrose is unknown in insects, the mortality of D. suzukii flies ingesting these sugars might be caused by two potential physiological changes. The fly is starved by feeding of non-metabolizable erythritol and erythrose, or experiences abnormally high osmotic pressure in the hemolymph with erythritol molecules diffused from the midgut. Non-nutritive sugars might be used as an insecticide alone or combined with conventional or biological insecticides to enhance efficacy. If other sugar sources are present, a palatable sugar might be mixed with erythritol to elicit feeding

Surface Characteristics of Orthodontic Materials and Their Effects on Adhesion of Mutans streptococci

Objective: To test the hypothesis that there are no significant differences in the adhesion of mutans streptococci (MS) to various orthodontic materials based on their surface characteristics. Materials and Methods: Surface roughness (SR) and surface free energy (SFE) characteristics were investigated for nine different orthodontic materials (four orthodontic adhesives, three bracket raw materials, hydroxyapatite blocks, and bovine incisors) using confocal laser scanning microscopy and sessile drop method. Each material, except the bovine incisors, was incubated with whole saliva or phosphate-buffered saline for 2 hours. Adhesion assays were performed by incubating tritium-labeled MS with each material for 3 or 6 hours. Results: Orthodontic adhesives had higher SFE characteristics and lower SR than bracket materials. Orthodontic adhesives showed a higher MS retaining capacity than bracket materials, and MS adhesion to resin-modified glass ionomer and hydroxyapatite was highest. Extended incubation time increased MS adhesion, while saliva coating did not significantly influence MS adhesion. SFE, specifically its dispersive and polar components, was positively correlated with MS adhesion, irrespective of saliva coating. Conclusions: The hypothesis is rejected. This study suggests that SFE characteristics play an important role in the initial MS adhesion to orthodontic materials.This study was supported by a grant from the Korea Health 21 Project, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (03-PJ1-PG1-CH09-0001)

Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Right Malrotated Kidney

The authors report a case of renal cell carcinoma in a right malrotated (horizontal axis) kidney. The patient was treated by hand-assisted laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. This is the first report of a horizontal axis malrotated kidney with renal cell carcinoma

Small and Medium Amplitude Oscillatory Shear Rheology of Model Branched Polystyrene (PS) Melts

Linear and nonlinear rheological properties of model comb polystyrenes (PS) with loosely to densely grafted architectures were measured under small and medium amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS and MAOS) flow. This comb PS set had the same length of backbone and branches but varied in the number of branches from 3 to 120 branches. Linear viscoelastic properties of the comb PS were compared with the hierarchical model predictions. The model underpredicted zero-shear viscosity and backbone plateau modulus of densely branched comb with 60 or 120 branches because the model does not include the effect of side chain crowding. First- and third-harmonic nonlinearities reflected the hierarchy in the relaxation motion of comb structures. Notably, the low-frequency plateau values of first-harmonic MAOS moduli scaled with M$^{-2}$$_{w}$ (total molecular weight), reflecting dynamic tube dilution (DTD) by relaxed branches. Relative intrinsic nonlinearity Q$_{0}$ exhibited the difference between comb and bottlebrush via no low-frequency Q$_{0}$ peak of bottlebrush corresponding to backbone relaxation, which is probably related to the stretched backbone conformation in bottlebrush

Elevated CO2 may alter pheromonal communication in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) as a greenhouse gas has been increasing in recent decades. Because an elevated atmospheric CO2 influences insect physiology and behaviour, we hypothesize that pheromone-mediated communication in the moth is affected by an increased CO2 level. We test the behavioural responses of male Helicoverpa armigera to sex pheromone in a wind tunnel, demonstrating a significant reduction of approaching behaviour to the odour source at a high CO2 level (1000ppm). Electroantennogram (EAG) responses of male to the pheromone component are also significantly suppressed in high CO2 environments (600 and 1000ppm), indicating that a high CO2 level inhibits both behavioural and electrophysiological responses of male to the sex pheromone. Interestingly, the EAG response of the whole head preparation of males is influenced more by the elevated CO2 level than that of the antenna-cut preparation. A sequential increase of CO2 levels from an ambient CO2 level also decreases the EAG response of the whole head but not of the labial palp-removed head, implying a potential mediation of labial palp in the head where the CO2 receptor is located. By contrast, sex pheromone production in females reared under or shifted to an elevated CO2 condition is increased, and the putative underlying mechanism for this is discussed. The present study provides an insight into the adaptive strategy of moth pheromone communication in a changing environment

Overexpression and nonsynonymous mutations of UDP-glycosyltransferases are potentially associated with pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles funestus

UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) enzymes are pivotal in insecticide resistance by transforming hydrophobic substrates into more hydrophilic forms for efficient cell elimination. This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of Anopheles funestus UGT genes, their evolution, and their association with pyrethroid resistance. We employed a genome-wide association study using pooled sequencing (GWAS-PoolSeq) and transcriptomics on pyrethroid-resistant An. funestus, along with deep-targeted sequencing of UGTs in 80 mosquitoes Africa-wide. UGT310B2 was consistently overexpressed Africa-wide and significant gene-wise F differentiation was observed between resistant and susceptible populations: UGT301C2 and UGT302A3 in Malawi, and UGT306C2 in Uganda. Additionally, nonsynonymous mutations in UGT genes were identified. Gene-wise Tajima's D density curves provide insights into population structures within populations across these countries, supporting previous observations. These findings have important implications for current An. funestus control strategies facilitating the prediction of cross-resistance to other UGT-metabolised polar insecticides, thereby guiding more effective and targeted insecticide resistance management efforts

A Case of Disseminated and Fulminant Plasmacytomas That Developed during Bortezomib Treatment

Multiple myeloma is an incurable and slow growing plasma cell neoplasm. The introduction of new drugs has increased the number of treatment options. Bortezomib, the first-in-class proteasome inhibitor, has been shown to have a significant antitumor activity in the treatment of relapse/refractory patients with multiple myeloma. Additionally, plasmacytomas have shown significant response to bortezomib. In this case report, we describe a patient who developed disseminated and fulminant extramedullary plasmacytomas during combination chemotherapy treatment with bortezomib within a short period, after having shown clinical improvement