Host Cell Egress and Invasion Induce Marked Relocations of Glycolytic Enzymes in Toxoplasma gondii Tachyzoites

Apicomplexan parasites are dependent on an F-actin and myosin-based motility system for their invasion into and escape from animal host cells, as well as for their general motility. In Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species, the actin filaments and myosin motor required for this process are located in a narrow space between the parasite plasma membrane and the underlying inner membrane complex, a set of flattened cisternae that covers most the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. Here we show that the energy required for Toxoplasma motility is derived mostly, if not entirely, from glycolysis and lactic acid production. We also demonstrate that the glycolytic enzymes of Toxoplasma tachyzoites undergo a striking relocation from the parasites' cytoplasm to their pellicles upon Toxoplasma egress from host cells. Specifically, it appears that the glycolytic enzymes are translocated to the cytoplasmic face of the inner membrane complex as well as to the space between the plasma membrane and inner membrane complex. The glycolytic enzymes remain pellicle-associated during extended incubations of parasites in the extracellular milieu and do not revert to a cytoplasmic location until well after parasites have completed invasion of new host cells. Translocation of glycolytic enzymes to and from the Toxoplasma pellicle appears to occur in response to changes in extracellular [K+] experienced during egress and invasion, a signal that requires changes of [Ca2+]c in the parasite during egress. Enzyme translocation is, however, not dependent on either F-actin or intact microtubules. Our observations indicate that Toxoplasma gondii is capable of relocating its main source of energy between its cytoplasm and pellicle in response to exit from or entry into host cells. We propose that this ability allows Toxoplasma to optimize ATP delivery to those cellular processes that are most critical for survival outside host cells and those required for growth and replication of intracellular parasites

Clonal Structure of Rapid-Onset MDV-Driven CD4+ Lymphomas and Responding CD8+ T Cells

Lymphoid oncogenesis is a life threatening complication associated with a number of persistent viral infections (e.g. EBV and HTLV-1 in humans). With many of these infections it is difficult to study their natural history and the dynamics of tumor formation. Marek's Disease Virus (MDV) is a prevalent α-herpesvirus of poultry, inducing CD4+ TCRαβ+ T cell tumors in susceptible hosts. The high penetrance and temporal predictability of tumor induction raises issues related to the clonal structure of these lymphomas. Similarly, the clonality of responding CD8 T cells that infiltrate the tumor sites is unknown. Using TCRβ repertoire analysis tools, we demonstrated that MDV driven CD4+ T cell tumors were dominated by one to three large clones within an oligoclonal framework of smaller clones of CD4+ T cells. Individual birds had multiple tumor sites, some the result of metastasis (i.e. shared dominant clones) and others derived from distinct clones of transformed cells. The smaller oligoclonal CD4+ cells may represent an anti-tumor response, although on one occasion a low frequency clone was transformed and expanded after culture. Metastatic tumor clones were detected in the blood early during infection and dominated the circulating T cell repertoire, leading to MDV associated immune suppression. We also demonstrated that the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cell response was dominated by large oligoclonal expansions containing both “public” and “private” CDR3 sequences. The frequency of CD8+ T cell CDR3 sequences suggests initial stimulation during the early phases of infection. Collectively, our results indicate that MDV driven tumors are dominated by a highly restricted number of CD4+ clones. Moreover, the responding CD8+ T cell infiltrate is oligoclonal indicating recognition of a limited number of MDV antigens. These studies improve our understanding of the biology of MDV, an important poultry pathogen and a natural infection model of virus-induced tumor formation

Deciphering the Unique MicroRNA Signature in Human Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is characterized by a steep rise in incidence rates in the Western population. The unique miRNA signature that distinguishes EAC from other upper gastrointestinal cancers remains unclear. Herein, we performed a comprehensive microarray profiling for the specific miRNA signature associated with EAC. We validated this signature by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: Microarray analysis showed that 21 miRNAs were consistently deregulated in EAC. miR-194, miR-192, miR-200a, miR-21, miR-203, miR-205, miR-133b, and miR-31 were selected for validation using 46 normal squamous (NS), 23 Barrett’s esophagus (BE), 17 Barrett’s high grade dysplasia (HGD), 34 EAC, 33 gastric adenocarcinoma (GC), and 45 normal gastric (NG) tissues. The qRT-PCR analysis indicated that 2 miRNAs (miR-21 and miR-133b) were deregulated in both EAC and GC, and 6 miRNAs (up-regulated: miR-194, miR-31, miR-192, and miR-200a; down-regulated: miR-203 and miR-205) in EAC, as compared to BE but not in GC, indicating their potential unique role in EAC. Our data showed that miR-194, miR-192, miR-21, and miR-31 were up-regulated in BE adjacent to HGD lesions relative to isolated BE samples. Analysis of clinicopathological features indicated that down-regulation of miR-203 is significantly associated with progression and tumor stages in EAC. Interestingly, the overexpression levels of miR-194, miR-200a, and miR-192 were significantly higher in early EAC stages, suggesting that these miRNAs may be involved in EAC tumor development rather than progression. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate the presence of a unique miRNA signature for EAC. This may provide some clues for the distinct molecular features of EAC to be considered in future studies of the role of miRNAs in EAC and their utility as disease biomarkers

Influence of Feedstock Powder Modification by Heat Treatments on the Properties of APS-Sprayed Al2O3-40% TiO2 Coatings27

The formation and decomposition of aluminum titanate (Al2TiO5, tialite) in feedstock powders and coatings of the binary Al2O3-TiO2 system are so far poorly understood. A commercial fused and crushed Al2O3-40%TiO2 powder was selected as the feedstock for the experimental series presented in this paper, as the composition is close to that of Al2TiO5. Part of that powder was heat-treated in air at 1150 and 1500 °C in order to modify the phase composition, while not influencing the particle size distribution and processability. The powders were analyzed by thermal analysis, XRD and FESEM including EDS of metallographically prepared cross sections. Only a maximum content of about 45 wt.% Al2TiO5 was possible to obtain with the heat treatment at 1500 °C due to inhomogeneous distribution of Al and Ti in the original powder. Coatings were prepared by plasma spraying using a TriplexPro-210 (Oerlikon Metco) with Ar-H2 and Ar-He plasma gas mixtures at plasma power levels of 41 and 48 kW. Coatings were studied by XRD, SEM including EDS linescans of metallographically prepared cross sections, and microhardness HV1. With the exception of the powder heat-treated at 1500 °C an Al2TiO5-Ti3O5 (tialite–anosovite) solid solution Al2−xTi1+xO5 instead of Al2TiO5 existed in the initial powder and the coatings