A point mutation found in the WT1 gene in a sporadic Wilms' tumor without genitourinary abnormalities is identical with the most frequent point mutation in Denys-Drash syndrome

AbstractWe have analyzed exon 9 of the WT1 gene of 18 non-familial/sporadic unilateral Wilms' tumors (WTs) from Japanese patients, by the polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method. After screening these WTs, a nucleotide alternation, which was present on both alleles, was found in only one case. Furthermore, PCR-SSCP analysis of the constitutional DNA revealed that this patient carried the mutation on only one allele in the germline. Sequence analysis showed that the tumor carried a point mutation (C-1180 to T-1180) in WT1 exon 9 of both alleles, resulting in an Arg-394 to Trp-394 amino acid substitution within the third zinc finger domain of the WT1 product. Interestingly, this mutation is identical with the most frequent point mutation associated with the Denys-Drash syndrome. However, the classical triad of Denys-Drash syndrome does not apply to this patient. This is in the first report of the point mutation in the zinc finger domain of both WT1 alleles in a sporadic unilateral WT without genitourinary abnormalities, and the mutation suggests that some sporadic WTs carry the Denys-Drash WT1 mutations

Factors Associated with Inadequate Tissue Yield in EUS-FNA for Gastric SMT

Aims. Our aim was to identify the factors that made the specimens inadequate and nondiagnostic in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) biopsy of suspected submucosal tumors (SMTs). Methods. From August 2001 to October 2009, 47 consecutive patients with subepithelial hypoechoic tumors originating in the fourth sonographic layer of the gastric wall suspected as GIST by standard EUS in Chiba University hospital underwent EUS-FNA for histologic diagnosis. We evaluated patient age, sex, location of lesion, size, pattern of growth in a stomach, and pattern of echography retrospectively. We defined a case of gaining no material or an insufficient material for immunohistological diagnosis as nondiagnostic. Results. The diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA for the diagnosis of gastric SMTs was 74.5%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that age of under 60 years (compared with patients older than 60 years: odds ratio [OR] = 11.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.761–80.48) and location of SMT at lower third area (compared with upper or middle third area: OR = 10.62, 95% CI = 1.290–87.42) were the predictive factors for inadequate tissue yield in EUS-FNA. Conclusions. The factors associated with inadequate tissue yield in EUS-FNA were younger age and the location of lesion at lower third area in stomach

Clinical Indication of Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: The Optimal Extent of Lymph Node Dissection based on Depth of Colorectal Cancer and Technical Feasibility of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery.

Recently, laparoscopic colorectal surgery has been considered to be appropriate for colorectal cancer, and the feasibility of many laparoscopic techniques has been established; however, the indication for curative colorec-tal cancers is controversial. In this study, before laparoscopic procedure was performed on patients with colorectal cancers, 641 patients who had under-gone open laparotomy for colorectal cancer during the past 16 years were ev-aluated for the distribution of metastatic lymph nodes classified by depth of invasion. The results obtained were as follows: The rate of all lymph node metastasis of patients with pTis was 0%. The rate of intermediate lymph node (n2) metastasis of patients with pT1 and pT2 tumor was low (3.4% and 4.1% respectively) , however, in patients with pT3 and pT4 tumors, this rate was much higher (15.9% and 15.8% respectively) . Therefore, with re-gard to lymph nodes dissection for colorectal cancer it might be concluded that the intermediate lymph nodes metastases in patients with pT1 and pT2 tumors (less than 5%) were negligible. However, in patients with pT3 and pT4 tumors, for the purpose of performing a complete harvest of intermedi-ate lymph nodes, D3-dissection (including principal lymph node dissection) is required. it is questionable whether or not performance of the laparoscopic procedure for cancer achieves the same extent of lymph node dissection as compared with open laparotomy. Dissection was restricted to intermediate grade lymph node including the paracolic lymph nodes (D2) . Accordingly, patients with pT3 and pT4 tumor should be excluded from indication for laparoscopic procedure. Between October 1997 and November 1998, laparoscopic colorectal resec-actions were performed on a limited number of the above mentioned patients with Tis, Ti and T2 tumor. The grade of lymph node dissection was deter-mined by the results of a preoperative assessment of the depth of cancer in-vasion. With the exception of one patient, whose preoperative assessment for depth of cancer invasion was a limitation at the muscularis propria, but whose histological outcome had been pT3 tumor, all the other patients were able to undergo laparoscopic colorectal resection. The final histological results were as follows: 3 patients with pTis tumor, 6 pTl tumor, and 3 pT2 tumor. One of the pT3 patients alone was converted from a laparoscopic pro-cedure to open laparotomy because of the intraoperative proof of intermediate lymph node metastases, and subsequently this patient underwent principal lymph node dissection (D3-dissection) . With regard to the histological metas-tasis of harvested lymph nodes, no patients was found to have regional lymph node metastasis except for one patient only who had a pT3 tumor. Thus the histological findings were similar to those for conventional open laparotomy. In this study, it was concluded that by laparoscopic procedure a safe and complete dissection of intermediate lymph nodes including the paracolic lymph nodes (nl and n2) could be achieved. On the other hand, the true incidence of port site recurrence, and also its mechanism remain unknown to date. However, it is considered that the incidence of port site recurrence in patients with serosal invasion (T4 tumor) is higher than in those without (i.e., patients with pTis, pTl, pT2 and pT3 tumor) . We are also convinced that a number of patients with pTis, pTl and pT2 undergoing laparoscopic procedure were able to gain curative colorectal resection in terms of port site non-recurrence, and strongly believe that the application of laparoscopic col-orectal surgery for cancer might be acceptable

Photopolymerizable nanocomposite photonic materials and their holographic applications in light and neutron optics

We present an overview of recent investigations of photopolymerizable nanocomposite photonic materials in which, thanks to their high degree of material selectivity, recorded volume gratings possess high refractive index modulation amplitude and high mechanical/thermal stability at the same time, providing versatile applications in light and neutron optics. We discuss the mechanism of grating formation in holographically exposed nanocomposite materials, based on a model of the photopolymerization-driven mutual diffusion of monomer and nanoparticles. Experimental inspection of the recorded gratings morphology by various physicochemical and optical methods is described. We then outline the holographic recording properties of volume gratings recorded in photopolymerizable nanocomposite materials consisting of inorganic/organic nanoparticles and monomers having various photopolymerization mechanisms. Finally, we show two examples of our holographic applications, holographic digital data storage and slow-neutron beam control.(VLID)286369

Transcriptome Profiling of Lotus japonicus Roots During Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Development and Comparison with that of Nodulation

To better understand the molecular responses of plants to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, we analyzed the differential gene expression patterns of Lotus japonicus, a model legume, with the aid of a large-scale cDNA macroarray. Experiments were carried out considering the effects of contaminating microorganisms in the soil inoculants. When the colonization by AM fungi, i.e. Glomus mosseae and Gigaspora margarita, was well established, four cysteine protease genes were induced. In situ hybridization revealed that these cysteine protease genes were specifically expressed in arbuscule-containing inner cortical cells of AM roots. On the other hand, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis-related genes for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase, etc. were repressed in the later stage, although they were moderately up-regulated on the initial association with the AM fungus. Real-time RT–PCR experiments supported the array experiments. To further confirm the characteristic expression, a PAL promoter was fused with a reporter gene and introduced into L. japonicus, and then the transformants were grown with a commercial inoculum of G. mosseae. The reporter activity was augmented throughout the roots due to the presence of contaminating microorganisms in the inoculum. Interestingly, G. mosseae only colonized where the reporter activity was low. Comparison of the transcriptome profiles of AM roots and nitrogen-fixing root nodules formed with Mesorhizobium loti indicated that the PAL genes and other phenylpropanoid biosynthesis-related genes were similarly repressed in the two organs

A plastidial sodium-dependent pyruvate transporter (vol 476, pg 472, 2011)

Furumoto T, Yamaguchi T, Ohshima-Ichie Y, et al. A plastidial sodium-dependent pyruvate transporter (vol 476, pg 472, 2011). Nature. 2011;478(7368):274

Regulatory phosphorylation of plant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase: role of a conserved basic residue upstream of the phosphorylation site

AbstractIn order to mimic regulatory phosphorylation of the Ser-15 of maize C4-form phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), we replaced Ser-15 and Lys-12 with Asp (S15D) and Asn (K12N), respectively, by site-directed mutagenesis. Although both mutant enzymes were catalytically as active as the wild-type PEPC, they showed much less sensitivity to malate, an allosteric inhibitor, similarly to the phosphorylated wild-type PEPC. A maize protein kinase of 30 kDa which is known to be specific to PEPC (PEPC-PK), phosphorylated K12N as well as the wild-type PEPC but not S15D. The phosphorylation of K12N further diminished the sensitivity to malate. Thus, a positive charge of the conserved Lys-12 is not required for the recognition by PEPC-PK but contributes to the intrinsic sensitivity to malate inhibition