Expression of Y-box-binding protein dbpC/contrin, a potentially new cancer/testis antigen

Y-box-binding proteins are members of the human cold-shock domain protein superfamily, which includes dbpA, dbpB/YB-1, and dbpC/contrin. dbpC/contrin is a germ cell-specific Y-box-binding protein and is suggested to function as a nuclear transcription factor and RNA-binding protein in the cytoplasm. Whereas ubiquitous dbpB/YB-1 expression has been well studied in various types of human carcinomas as a prognostic or predictive marker, the dbpC/contrin expression in human tumour cells has not been reported. In this report, we provide the first evidence showing that dbpC was highly expressed in human testicular seminoma and ovarian dysgerminomas, and in carcinomas in other tissues and that its expression in normal tissues is nearly restricted to germ cells and placental trophoblasts. These results indicate that dbpC/contrin would be a potentially novel cancer/testis antigen

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of bruises: a pilot study

The purpose of this study was to investigate if magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be used to image the presence of hemosiderin in bruises and if there was the potential for this technique to be applied as a non-invasive method to estimate the age of bruises. To achieve this aim an animal model to produce lesions resembling bruises was created by injecting blood obtained from the tail vein subcutaneously into an area of the abdominal wall. The animals were euthanized at 3, 6, 12 h, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 days post injection and the skin of the abdominal wall was excised for MRI scanning and histological examination. The injected blood appeared as hypointense (dark) areas on the T2* MRI at 3 and 6 h. The image of the injected areas became indistinct at 12 h and continued to be indistinct at 1 and 2 days, although there appeared to be transitioning from hypointensity to hyperintensity (light). The magnetic resonance image appeared to better correspond to the histological appearance at 3 and 5 days, with the "bruise" appearing hyperintense (white); however, some hypointense (darker) areas at 3 day possibly corresponded to the development of hemosiderin. At 7 day the injected blood had been converted to hemosiderin with possible correlation between areas of blue staining in Perls' stained histologic sections and areas of extreme hypointensity in the T2* magnetic resonance image. This study has shown that a series of changes occur on MRI of bruises in an animal model that may relate to histological changes. Although variability in the intensity of the MRI signal and considerable soft tissue artifact currently make interpretations difficult, this may be a technique worth pursuing in the non-invasive evaluation of bruises.Neil E. I. Langlois, Claire G. Ross, Roger W. Byar

The Evolution of Morphospace in Phytophagous Scarab Chafers: No Competition - No Divergence?

<div><p>Body shape reflects species' evolution and mediates its role in the environment as it integrates gene expression, life style, and structural morphology. Its comparative analysis may reveal insight on what shapes shape, being a useful approach when other evidence is lacking. Here we investigated evolutionary patterns of body shape in the highly diverse phytophagous chafers (Scarabaeidae: Pleurosticti), a polyphagous group utilizing different parts of angiosperms. Because the reasons of their successful diversification are largely unknown, we used a phylogenetic tree and multivariate analysis on twenty linear measurements of body morphology including all major Pleurosticti lineages to infer patterns of morphospace covariation and divergence. The chafer's different feeding types resulted to be not distinguishable in the described morphospace which was largely attributed to large occupancy of the morphospace of some feeding types and to multiple convergences of feeding behavior (particularly of anthophagy). Low correlation between molecular and morphological rates of evolution, including significant rate shifts for some lineages, indicated directed selection within feeding types. This is supported by morphospace divergence within feeding types and convergent evolution in Australian Melolonthinae. Traits driving morphospace divergence were extremities and traits linked with locomotion behavior, but also body size. Being highly adaptive for burrowing and locomotion these traits showed major changes in the evolution of pleurostict scarabs. These activities also affected another trait, the metacoxal length, which is highly influenced by key innovations of the metacoxa (extended mesal process, secondary closure) particularly in one lineage, the Sericini. Significant shape divergence between major lineages and a lack of strong differentiation among closely related lineages indicated that the question about the presence or absence of competition-derived directed selection needs to be addressed for different time scales. Striking divergence between some sister lineages at their origin revealed strong driven selection towards morphospace divergence, possibly linked with resource partitioning.</p></div