Caspase-8-mediated PAR-4 cleavage is required for TNFα-induced apoptosis

The tumor suppressor protein prostate apoptosis response-4 (PAR-4) is silenced in a subset of human cancers and its down-regulation serves as a mechanism for cancer cell survival following chemotherapy. PAR-4 re-expression selectively causes apoptosis in cancer cells but how its pro-apoptotic functions are controlled and executed precisely is currently unknown. We demonstrate here that UV-induced apoptosis results in a rapid caspase-dependent PAR-4 cleavage at EEPD131¯G, a sequence that was preferentially recognized by caspase-8. To investigate the effect on cell growth for this cleavage event we established stable cell lines that express wild-type-PAR-4 or the caspase cleavage resistant mutant PAR-4 D131G under the control of a doxycycline-inducible promoter. Induction of the wild-type protein but not the mutant interfered with cell proliferation, predominantly through induction of apoptosis. We further demonstrate that TNFα-induced apoptosis leads to caspase-8-dependent PAR-4-cleavage followed by nuclear accumulation of the C-terminal PAR-4 (132-340) fragment, which then induces apoptosis. Taken together, our results indicate that the mechanism by which PAR-4 orchestrates the apoptotic process requires cleavage by caspase-8

Tetra-μ-aqua-octaaqua­bis(μ-4-chloro­pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl­ato)bis­(4-chloro­pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl­ato)tri­cobalt(II)disodium(I) bis­[triaqua­bis(4-chloro­pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl­ato)cobalt(II)] hexa­hydrate

The title compound, [Co3Na2(C7H2ClNO4)4(H2O)12][Co(C7H2ClNO4)(H2O)3]2·6H2O, consists of a centrosymmetric dimer of [CoII(dipicCl)2]2− complex dianions [dipicCl is 4-chloro­pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl­ate] bridged by an [Na2CoII(H2O)12]4+ tetra­cationic cluster, two independent [Co(dipicCl)(H2O)3] complexes, and six water mol­ecules of crystallization. The metals are all six-coordinate with distorted octahedral geometries. The [CoII(dipicCl)(H2O)3] complexes are neutral, with one tridentate ligand and three water molecules. The [CoII(dipicCl)2]2− complexes each have two tridentate ligands. The [Na2CoII(H2O)12]4+ cluster has a central CoII ion which is coordinated to six water molecules and lies on a crystallographic inversion center. Four of the water molecules bridge to two sodium ions, each of which have three other water molecules coordinated along with an O atom from the [CoII(dipicCl)2]2− complex. In the crystal structure, the various units are linked by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. Two water molecules are disordered equally over two positions

Distribution of cerebral blood flow in the caudate nucleus, lentiform nucleus and thalamus in patients with carotid artery stenosis

To investigate the influence of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis on the distribution of blood flow to the caudate nucleus, lentiform nucleus, and thalamus. We studied 18 healthy control subjects, 20 patients with a unilateral asymptomatic ICA stenosis, and 15 patients with a recently symptomatic unilateral ICA stenosis. The contribution of the ICAs and the basilar artery to the perfusion of the deep brain structures was assessed by perfusion territory selective arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI. Differences were tested with a two-tailed Fishers' exact test. The caudate nucleus was predominantly supplied with blood by the ipsilateral ICA in all groups. In 4 of the 15 (27%) the symptomatic patients, the caudate nucleus partially received blood from the contralateral ICA, compared to none of the 18 healthy control subjects (p = 0.03). The lentiform nucleus and the thalamus were predominantly supplied with blood by the ipsilateral ICA and basilar artery respectively in all groups. In patients with a symptomatic ICA stenosis, the caudate nucleus may be supplied with blood by the contralateral ICA more often than in healthy controls.Neuro Imaging Researc

Genetic Characterization of a Core Set of a Tropical Maize Race Tuxpeño for Further Use in Maize Improvement

The tropical maize race Tuxpeño is a well-known race of Mexican dent germplasm which has greatly contributed to the development of tropical and subtropical maize gene pools. In order to investigate how it could be exploited in future maize improvement, a panel of maize germplasm accessions was assembled and characterized using genome-wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers. This panel included 321 core accessions of Tuxpeño race from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) germplasm bank collection, 94 CIMMYT maize lines (CMLs) and 54 U.S. Germplasm Enhancement of Maize (GEM) lines. The panel also included other diverse sources of reference germplasm: 14 U.S. maize landrace accessions, 4 temperate inbred lines from the U.S. and China, and 11 CIMMYT populations (a total of 498 entries with 795 plants). Clustering analyses (CA) based on Modified Rogers Distance (MRD) clearly partitioned all 498 entries into their corresponding groups. No sub clusters were observed within the Tuxpeño core set. Various breeding strategies for using the Tuxpeño core set, based on grouping of the studied germplasm and genetic distance among them, were discussed. In order to facilitate sampling diversity within the Tuxpeño core, a minicore subset of 64 Tuxpeño accessions (20% of its usual size) representing the diversity of the core set was developed, using an approach combining phenotypic and molecular data. Untapped diversity represents further use of the Tuxpeño landrace for maize improvement through the core and/or minicore subset available to the maize community