Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States—Major Pathogens

Each year, 31 pathogens caused 9.4 million episodes of foodborne illness, resulting in 55,961 hospitalizations and 1,351 deaths

Molecular Cloning of a Mutated Hoxb7 Cdna Encoding a Truncated Transactivating Homeodomain-Containing Protein

Homeodomain-containing proteins regulate, as transcription factors, the coordinated expression of genes involved in development, differentiation, and malignant transformation. We report here the molecular cloning of a mutated HOXB7 transcript encoding a truncated homeodomain-containing protein in MCF7 cells. This is a new example of mutation affecting the coding region of a HOX gene. In addition, we detected two HOXB7 transcripts in several breast cell lines and demonstrated that both normal and mutated alleles were expressed at the RNA level in MCF7 cells as well as in a variety of breast tissues and lymphocytes, suggesting that a truncated HOXB7 protein might be expressed in vivo. Using transient co-transfection experiments, we demonstrated that both HOXB7 proteins can activate transcription from a consensus HOX binding sequence in breast cancer cells. Our results provide evidence that HOXB7 protein has transcription factor activity in vivo and that the two last amino acids do not contribute to this property

Homeobox Genes: Potential Candidates for the Transcriptional Control of the Transformed and Invasive Phenotype

peer reviewedThe transformation of a cell and the acquisition of the invasive and metastatic phenotype result from the activation of a group of complex cellular processes rather than from the effect of a single gene product. It is likely that the coordination of the multiple genes involved in malignancy is under the control of a few genes that act as master genes or orchestrator genes. The latter probably code for transcription factors that control the genetic program for tumor invasion and metastasis. Homeobox genes are a family of transcription factors that contain a 183 bp highly conserved nucleotide sequence coding for a 61 amino acid domain that binds specifically to DNA. First discovered in Drosophila as genes controlling segmentation and segment identity, homeobox genes have since been identified in many other species including nematodes, frog, mouse and human. There is strong support for the suggestion that homeobox genes play a key role in development and differentiation. In humans, there are 38 homeobox genes organized in four clusters that are localized on chromosomes 2, 7, 12 and 17. The specific functions of each of these genes are generally unknown. Alterations in expression of several homeobox genes have been reported in a variety of malignant lesions, suggesting that they could play a role in the development of cancer. Using reverse transcriptase reaction coupled with polymerase chain reaction and degenerate oligonucleotides corresponding to the 5' and 3' ends of the highly conserved homeodomain, we amplified 130 bp cDNA fragments from the human breast cancer cell line MCF7 that were subsequently cloned into pBluescript vector. Sequencing of the clones, resulted in the identification of the homeodomains of four different human homeobox genes: HOXB6, HOXA1, HOXA10 and HOXC6. Further studies should determine the specific role of these four homeobox genes in the development and progression of human breast cancer and potentially determine if they might be good targets for gene therapy

Retinoic Acid Induces Three Newly Cloned Hoxa1 Transcripts in Mcf7 Breast Cancer Cells

Coordinated expression of genes involved in development, differentiation and malignant transformation is regulated by transcription factors including homeodomain-containing proteins. However, most of their cDNA sequences are still unknown. We report here the molecular characterization of three newly cloned HOXA1 transcripts from human breast cancer cells. In addition, we provide evidence that these alternatively spliced transcripts encode one homeodomain-containing protein and two products lacking the conserved DNA-binding domain. Moreover, we demonstrate that all three HOXA1 transcripts are induced by retinoic acid in MCF7 cells. Taken together, our results suggest that HOXA1 gene may be a key element in the establishment of the breast cancer cell phenotype

Entretiens avec Alain Girault, Bernard Sobel, Roger Planchon et Antoine Vitez

Girault Alain, Sobel Bernard, Planchon Roger, Vitez Antoine, Petitjean André, Tordjman Charles. Entretiens avec Alain Girault, Bernard Sobel, Roger Planchon et Antoine Vitez. In: Pratiques : linguistique, littérature, didactique, n°15-16, 1977. Théâtre. pp. 34-61