The Neurospora crassa colonial temperature sensitive 2, 4 and 5 (cot-2, cot-4 and cot-5) genes encode regulatory and structural proteins required for hyphal elongation and branching

The morphology and the genetic defects of theNeurospora crassa colonial temperature-sensitive-2, -4 and -5 mutants were analyzed. cot-2 is allelic to gs-1 and encodes a component of the glucan synthesis process. cot-4 encodes the catalytic subunit of a type 2B phosphatase and is allelic to calcineurin (cna-1). cot-5 encodes a homologue of the S. cerevisiae ALG2 manosyltransferase-encoding gene, a component of the dolichol pathway

Regulation of polarised growth in fungi

Polarised growth in fungi occurs through the delivery of secretory vesicles along tracks formed by cytoskeletal elements to specific sites on the cell surface where they dock with a multiprotein structure called the exocyst before fusing with the plasmamembrane. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has provided a useful model to investigate the mechanisms involved and their control. Cortical markers, provided by bud site selection pathways during budding, the septin ring during cytokinesis or the stimulation of the pheromone response receptors during mating, act through upstream signalling pathways to localise Cdc24, the GEF for the rho family GTPase, Cdc42. Cdc42 in its GTP-bound activates a multiprotein protein complex called the polarisome which nucleates actin cables along which the secretory vesicles are transported to the cell surface. Hyphae can elongate at a rate orders of magnitude faster than the extension of a yeast bud, so understanding hyphal growth will require substantial modification of the yeast paradigm. The rapid rate of hyphal growth is driven by a structure called the Spitzenkörper, located just behind the growing tip and which is rich in secretory vesicles. It is thought that secretory vesicles are delivered to the apical region where they accumulate in the Spitzenkörper. The Spitzenkörper then acts as vesicle supply centre in which vesicles exit the Spitzenkörper in all directions, but because of its proximity, the tip receives a greater concentration of vesicles per unit area than subapical regions. There are no obvious equivalents to the bud site selection pathway to provide a spatial landmark for polarised growth in hyphae. However, an emerging model is the way that the site of polarised growth in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is marked by delivery of the kelch repeat protein, Tea1, along microtubules. The relationship of the Spitzenkörper to the polarisome and the mechanisms that promote its formation are key questions that form the focus of current research

Condition of the excretory function of pancreas and microbiocenosis of a large intestine in patients with chronic pancreatitis in the dependence of severity of the course of the disease

The aim of the research is the analysis of the excretory function of pancreas and microbiocenosis of a large intestine in patients with alcoholic and biliary chronic pancreatitis in the dependence of severity of the course of the disease. 96 patients were examined during the research work. Traditional clinical laboratory methods were used, and the excretory function and the microbiocenosis of the intestine were studied. According of the M-ANNHEIM mark scale, patients with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis had a moderate and medium severity degree of the disease, patients with biliary chronic pancreatitis had a minimal severity. The decrease of the level of elastase-1 in the feces and the amylase in the urine were in patients with severe course of the disease. The invert moderate correlation was set between the severity degree and the level of elastase-1 and the moderate direct connection was established between the severity degree and the level of the amylase in the urine. Disbiotic disorders were revealed in 92,3 % of patients. The results of bacteriologic research coincided with the data of gas-liquid chromatography test. Disbiotic disorders were more apparent in patients with the severe course of the disease.Цель исследования - анализ экскреторной функции поджелудочной железы и микробиоценоза толстой кишки у больных алкогольным и билиарнозависимым хроническим панкреатитом в зависимости от степени тяжести заболевания. Проведено комплексное обследование 96 больных. Использованы традиционные клинико-лабораторные методы, изучена также экскреторная функция и микробиоценоз кишечника. В соответствии с бальной шкалой оценки M-ANNHEIM у больных алкогольным хроническим панкреатитом преобладали умеренная и средняя степени тяжести заболевания, с билиарнозависимым - минимальная. Снижение уровня эластазы-1 в кале и повышение - амилазы в моче чаще наблюдали при тяжелом течении. Дисбиотические нарушения выявили в 92,3% случаев. Результаты бактериологического обследования как правило совпадали с данными газожидкостной хроматографии. Алкогольная форма хронического панкреатита отличалась более тяжелым течением. Между степенью тяжести и уровнем эластазы-1 установлена обратная умеренная коррелятивная связь, - амилазы в моче - умеренная прямая. Дисбиотические нарушения более выражены на фоне тяжелого течения

The antifungal protein PAF interferes with PKC/MPK and cAMP/PKA signalling of Aspergillus nidulans

The Penicillium chrysogenum antifungal protein PAF inhibits polar growth and induces apoptosis in Aspergillus nidulans. We report here that two signalling cascades are implicated in its antifungal activity. PAF activates the cAMP/protein kinase A (Pka) signalling cascade. A pkaA deletion mutant exhibited reduced sensitivity towards PAF. This was substantiated by the use of pharmacological modulators: PAF aggravated the effect of the activator 8-Br-cAMP and partially relieved the repressive activity of caffeine. Furthermore, the Pkc/mitogen-activated protein kinase (Mpk) signalling cascade mediated basal resistance to PAF, which was independent of the small GTPase RhoA. Non-functional mutations of both genes resulted in hypersensitivity towards PAF. PAF did not increase MpkA phosphorylation or induce enzymes involved in the remodelling of the cell wall, which normally occurs in response to activators of the cell wall integrity pathway. Notably, PAF exposure resulted in actin gene repression and a deregulation of the chitin deposition at hyphal tips of A. nidulans, which offers an explanation for the morphological effects evoked by PAF and which could be attributed to the interconnection of the two signalling pathways. Thus, PAF represents an excellent tool to study signalling pathways in this model organism and to define potential fungal targets to develop new antifungals

Cotton Leaf Curl Multan Virus C4 Protein Suppresses Both Transcriptional and Post-transcriptional Gene Silencing by Interacting with SAM Synthetase

Author summary Geminiviruses are single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses that infect a wide range of plant species and are responsible for substantial crop damage worldwide. However, how geminiviruses inhibit plant antiviral gene silencing defense is unclear. Here, we report that a single geminiviral protein CLCuMuV C4 inhibits both plant transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) and post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) to promote an effective viral infection. We show that CLCuMuV C4 protein interacts with SAMS, a core enzyme in methyl cycle, and inhibits SAMS activity. Overexpression of CLCuMuV C4 reduces the DNA methylation levels of both a transgene and an endogenous locus. Further, silencing of SAMS reduced both TGS and PTGS, and enhanced viral infection while CLCuMuV virus carrying a mutation in C4 that fails to interact with SAMS showed decreased infection. These findings reveal a novel mechanism by which the CLCuMuV C4 protein suppress SAMS mediated TGS and PTGS, leading to enhanced viral infection in plant

PF-05280014 (a trastuzumab biosimilar) plus paclitaxel compared with reference trastuzumab plus paclitaxel for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: a randomised, double-blind study

BACKGROUND: This randomised, double-blind study compared PF-05280014 (a trastuzumab biosimilar) with reference trastuzumab (Herceptin®) sourced from the European Union (trastuzumab-EU), when each was given with paclitaxel as first-line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. METHODS: Between 4 April 2014 and 22 January 2016, 707 participants were randomised 1:1 to receive intravenous PF-05280014 plus paclitaxel (PF-05280014 group; n = 352) or trastuzumab-EU plus paclitaxel (trastuzumab-EU group; n = 355). PF-05280014 or trastuzumab-EU was administered weekly (first dose 4 mg/kg, subsequent doses 2 mg/kg), with the option to change to a 3-weekly regimen (6 mg/kg) from Week 33. Treatment with PF-05280014 or trastuzumab-EU could continue until disease progression. Paclitaxel (starting dose 80 mg/m2 ) was administered on Days 1, 8 and 15 of 28-day cycles for at least six cycles or until maximal benefit of response. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR), evaluating responses achieved by Week 25 and confirmed by Week 33, based on blinded central radiology review. RESULTS: The risk ratio for ORR was 0.940 (95% CI: 0.842–1.049). The 95% CI fell within the pre-specified equivalence margin of 0.80–1.25. ORR was 62.5% (95% CI: 57.2–67.6%) in the PF-05280014 group and 66.5% (95% CI: 61.3–71.4%) in the trastuzumab-EU group. As of data cut-off on 11 January 2017 (using data up to 378 days post-randomisation), there were no notable differences between groups in progression-free survival (median: 12.16 months in the PF-05280014 group vs. 12.06 months in the trastuzumab-EU group; 1-year rate: 54% vs. 51%) or overall survival (median: not reached in either group; 1-year rate: 89.31% vs. 87.36%). Safety outcomes and immunogenicity were similar between the treatment groups. CONCLUSION: When given as first-line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, PF-05280014 plus paclitaxel demonstrated equivalence to trastuzumab-EU plus paclitaxel in terms of ORR. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0198967

Targeted disruption of Slc2a8 (GLUT8) reduces motility and mitochondrial potential of spermatozoa

GLUT8 is a class 3 sugar transport facilitator which is predominantly expressed in testis and also detected in brain, heart, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, adrenal gland, and liver. Since its physiological function in these tissues is unknown, we generated a Slc2a8 null mouse and characterized its phenotype. Slc2a8 knockout mice appeared healthy and exhibited normal growth, body weight development and glycemic control, indicating that GLUT8 does not play a significant role for maintenance of whole body glucose homeostasis. However, analysis of the offspring distribution of heterozygous mating indicated a lower number of Slc2a8 knockout offspring (30.5:47.3:22.1%, Slc2a8+/+, Slc2a8+/−, and Slc2a8−/− mice, respectively) resulting in a deviation (p = 0.0024) from the expected Mendelian distribution. This difference was associated with lower ATP levels, a reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and a significant reduction of sperm motility of the Slc2a8 knockout in comparison to wild-type spermatozoa. In contrast, number and survival rate of spermatozoa were not altered. These data indicate that GLUT8 plays an important role in the energy metabolism of sperm cells

Glutamine Acts as a Neuroprotectant against DNA Damage, Beta-Amyloid and H2O2-Induced Stress

Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the human blood stream and is ‘conditionally essential’ to cells. Its intracellular levels are regulated both by the uptake of extracellular glutamine via specific transport systems and by its intracellular synthesis by glutamine synthetase (GS). Adding to the regulatory complexity, when extracellular glutamine is reduced GS protein levels rise. Unfortunately, this excess GS can be maladaptive. GS overexpression is neurotoxic especially if the cells are in a low-glutamine medium. Similarly, in low glutamine, the levels of multiple stress response proteins are reduced rendering cells hypersensitive to H2O2, zinc salts and DNA damage. These altered responses may have particular relevance to neurodegenerative diseases of aging. GS activity and glutamine levels are lower in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, and a fraction of AD hippocampal neurons have dramatically increased GS levels compared with control subjects. We validated the importance of these observations by showing that raising glutamine levels in the medium protects cultured neuronal cells against the amyloid peptide, Aβ. Further, a 10-day course of dietary glutamine supplementation reduced inflammation-induced neuronal cell cycle activation, tau phosphorylation and ATM-activation in two different mouse models of familial AD while raising the levels of two synaptic proteins, VAMP2 and synaptophysin. Together, our observations suggest that healthy neuronal cells require both intracellular and extracellular glutamine, and that the neuroprotective effects of glutamine supplementation may prove beneficial in the treatment of AD