A Novel Autosomal Dominant Inclusion Body Myopathy Linked to 7q22.1-31.1

We describe a novel autosomal dominant hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM) that clinically mimics limb girdle muscular dystrophy in a Chinese family. We performed a detailed clinical assessment of 36 individuals spanning four generations. The age of onset ranged from the 30s to the 50s. Hip girdle, neck flexion and axial muscle weakness were involved at an early stage. This disease progressed slowly, and a shoulder girdle weakness appeared later in the disease course. Muscle biopsies showed necrotic, regenerating, and rimmed vacuolated fibers as well as congophilic inclusions in some of the fibers. Electron micrograph revealed cytoplasmic inclusions of 15–21 nm filaments. A genomewide scan and haplotype analyses were performed using an Illumina Linkage-12 DNA Analysis Kit (average spacing 0.58 cM), which traced the disease to a new locus on chromosome 7q22.1–31.1 with a maximum multi-point LOD score of 3.65. The critical locus for this unique disorder, which is currently referred to as hereditary inclusion body myopathy 4 (HIBM4), spans 8.78 Mb and contains 65 genes. This localization raises the possibility that one of the genes clustered within this region may be involved in this disorder

Impaired access of lymphocytes to neoplastic prostate tissue is associated with neoangiogenesis in the tumour site

Recent reports demonstrated that neovasculature of certain murine tumours inhibits migration of lymphocytes to malignant tissues. We examined the possible existence of this phenomenon in human prostate adenocarcinoma by relating extent, patterns and composition of leucocyte infiltrates in adenocarinoma specimens (N=28) to microvessel density and percentages of these vessels expressing adhesion molecules CD54, CD106 and CD62E. Specimens of nodular hyperplasia (N=30) were used as a control for nonmalignant prostate. Increased microvessel density was detected in foci of adenocarcinoma, as compared with adjacent benign areas (P=0.004) or hyperplastic specimens (P=0.001). Only CD54 was detected on prostate vasculature; percentages of CD54-expressing vessels in adenocarcinoma lesions and adjacent areas were higher than in hyperplasia (P=0.041 and P=0.014, respectively). Infiltrating leucocytes were either scattered diffusely in tissue or organised into clusters mainly composed of CD4-positive lymphocytes; smaller percentage of tissue was occupied by clustered infiltrates in adenocarcinoma foci (mean=0.7; median=0; range=0–5) than in adjacent tissue (mean=2.5; median=1; range=0–15; P=.021) and hyperplasia (mean=1.9; median=2; range=0–5; P=.006). In adenocarcinoma foci, microvessel density tended to negatively correlate with percentage of tissue occupied by an overall leucocyte infiltrate (mean=8.6; median=7.5; range=30) and negatively correlated with percentage of tissue occupied by clustered infiltrate (P=0.045). Percentage of CD54-expressing vessels positively correlated with percentage of tissue occupied by an overall (mean=12; median=10; range=30; P=0.01) and clustered (P=0.023) infiltrate in hyperplasia, whereas in carcinoma-adjacent benign areas, correlation was detected only for clustered infiltrates (P=0.02). The results indicate that impaired access of lymphocytes to malignant lesions is associated with increased numbers of newly formed blood vessels, whereas vascular CD54 likely contributes to extravasation of lymphocytes only in benign prostate tissue

Biological and taxonomic studies of Chartocerus subaeneus (Hymcnoptera: Signiphoridac), a hyperparasite of mealybugs

Volume: 1Start Page: 241End Page: 25

Aleyrodidae

The adults of the Aleyrodidae (whiteflies) are small winged insects usually yellow-white in colour; some species bear grey marks on the wings or are darker, even brown-black. Immatures may be misidentified as aphids or scale insects, but the “vasiform orifice” will help in separating whiteflies from other groups in slide mounted and red-stained puparia. All instars secrete wax, in the shape of powder, curls, threads or as vitreous layers. They are called “whiteflies” due to their general whitish appearance. They are mostly bisexual, but several species or “strains” show both arrhenotokous and thelytokous parthenogenesis, usually in relation to insemination. The post-embryonic development is neometabolic, consisting of four larval instars, pupae (immotile and not-feeding) and adults. Whiteflies share with other Sternorrhyncha the piercing-sucking mouthparts and the specialized “filter chamber” mid gut. They suck plant sap, killing their host plants in heavy infestations and excreting abundant liquid faeces as honeydew drops. These drops cover infested plants, which then blacken because of colonization by sooty mold fungi. The blackened plants or products are untradeable due to the sooty mold. Whiteflies may also cause physiological changes and transmit viruses. In the Mediterranean Region whiteflies live mostly on woody perennial plants. Natural or classical biological control programmes have successfully controlled current or potential pest species by the introduction of effective natural enemies. Aleurocanthus spiniferus Quaintance is currently of major concern to citriculture in the Mediterranean Region because it was recently introduced and no indigenous natural enemies seem to control it. As in the past, unwanted, introduced whiteflies may become key pests of citrus in the Mediterranean Region

Aleyrodidae

The adults of the Aleyrodidae (whiteflies) are small winged insects usually yellow-white in colour; some species bear grey marks on the wings or are darker, even brown-black. Immatures may be misidentified as aphids or scale insects, but the "vasiform orifice" will help in separating whiteflies from other groups in slide mounted and red-stained puparia. All instars secrete wax, in the shape of powder, curls, threads or as vitreous layers. They are called "whiteflies" due to their general whitish appearance. They are mostly bisexual, but several species or "strains" show both arrhenotokous and thelytokous parthenogenesis, usually in relation to insemination. The post-embryonic development is neometabolic, consisting of four larval instars, pupae (immotile and not-feeding) and adults. Whiteflies share with other Sternorrhyncha the piercing-sucking mouthparts and the specialized "filter chamber" mid gut. They suck plant sap, killing their host plants in heavy infestations and excreting abundant liquid faeces as honeydew drops. These drops cover infested plants, which then blacken because of colonization by sooty mold fungi. The blackened plants or products are untradeable due to the sooty mold. Whiteflies may also cause physiological changes and transmit viruses. In the Mediterranean Region whiteflies live mostly on woody perennial plants. Natural or classical biological control programmes have successfully controlled current or potential pest species by the introduction of effective natural enemies. Aleurocanthus spiniferus Quaintance is currently of major concern to citriculture in the Mediterranean Region because it was recently introduced and no indigenous natural enemies seem to control it. As in the past, unwanted, introduced whiteflies may become key pests of citrus in the Mediterranean Region. © 2012 Bentham Science Publishers. All rights reserved