Induction of small cell lung cancer by somatic inactivation of both Trp53 and Rb1 in a conditional mouse model

AbstractSmall cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive human tumor with a more than 95% mortality rate. Its ontogeny and molecular pathogenesis remains poorly understood. We established a mouse model for neuroendocrine (NE) lung tumors by conditional inactivation of Rb1 and Trp53 in mouse lung epithelial cells. Mice carrying conditional alleles for both Rb1 and Trp53 developed with high incidence aggressive lung tumors with striking morphologic and immunophenotypic similarities to SCLC. Most of these tumors, which we designate MSCLC (murine small cell lung carcinoma), diffusely spread through the lung and gave rise to extrapulmonary metastases. In our model, inactivation of both Rb1 and p53 was a prerequisite for the pathogenesis of SCLC

Bmi1 Controls Tumor Development in an Ink4a/Arf-Independent Manner in a Mouse Model for Glioma

SummaryThe Polycomb group and oncogene Bmi1 is required for the proliferation of various differentiated cells and for the self-renewal of stem cells and leukemic cancer stem cells. Repression of the Ink4a/Arf locus is a well described mechanism through which Bmi1 can exert its proliferative effects. However, we now demonstrate in an orthotopic transplantation model for glioma, a type of cancer harboring cancer stem cells, that Bmi1 is also required for tumor development in an Ink4a/Arf-independent manner. Tumors derived from Bmi1;Ink4a/Arf doubly deficient astrocytes or neural stem cells have a later time of onset and different histological grading. Moreover, in the absence of Ink4a/Arf, Bmi1-deficient cells and tumors display changes in differentiation capacity

Discovery of a small arterivirus gene that overlaps the GP5 coding sequence and is important for virus production

The arterivirus family (order Nidovirales) of single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses includes porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus and equine arteritis virus (EAV). Their replicative enzymes are translated from their genomic RNA, while their seven structural proteins are encoded by a set of small, partially overlapping genes in the genomic 3′-proximal region. The latter are expressed via synthesis of a set of subgenomic mRNAs that, in general, are functionally monocistronic (except for a bicistronic mRNA encoding the E and GP2 proteins). ORF5, which encodes the major glycoprotein GP5, has been used extensively for phylogenetic analyses. However, an in-depth computational analysis now reveals the arterivirus-wide conservation of an additional AUG-initiated ORF, here termed ORF5a, that overlaps the 5′ end of ORF5. The pattern of substitutions across sequence alignments indicated that ORF5a is subject to functional constraints at the amino acid level, while an analysis of substitutions at synonymous sites in ORF5 revealed a greatly reduced frequency of substitution in the portion of ORF5 that is overlapped by ORF5a. The 43–64 aa ORF5a protein and GP5 are probably expressed from the same subgenomic mRNA, via a translation initiation mechanism involving leaky ribosomal scanning. Inactivation of ORF5a expression by reverse genetics yielded a severely crippled EAV mutant, which displayed lower titres and a tiny plaque phenotype. These defects, which could be partially complemented in ORF5a-expressing cells, indicate that the novel protein, which may be the eighth structural protein of arteriviruses, is expressed and important for arterivirus infection

Discovery of a small arterivirus gene that overlaps the GP5 coding sequence and is important for virus production

The arterivirus family (order Nidovirales) of single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses includes porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus and equine arteritis virus (EAV). Their replicative enzymes are translated from their genomic RNA, while their seven structural proteins are encoded by a set of small, partially overlapping genes in the genomic 3′-proximal region. The latter are expressed via synthesis of a set of subgenomic mRNAs that, in general, are functionally monocistronic (except for a bicistronic mRNA encoding the E and GP2 proteins). ORF5, which encodes the major glycoprotein GP5, has been used extensively for phylogenetic analyses. However, an in-depth computational analysis now reveals the arterivirus-wide conservation of an additional AUG-initiated ORF, here termed ORF5a, that overlaps the 5′ end of ORF5. The pattern of substitutions across sequence alignments indicated that ORF5a is subject to functional constraints at the amino acid level, while an analysis of substitutions at synonymous sites in ORF5 revealed a greatly reduced frequency of substitution in the portion of ORF5 that is overlapped by ORF5a. The 43–64 aa ORF5a protein and GP5 are probably expressed from the same subgenomic mRNA, via a translation initiation mechanism involving leaky ribosomal scanning. Inactivation of ORF5a expression by reverse genetics yielded a severely crippled EAV mutant, which displayed lower titres and a tiny plaque phenotype. These defects, which could be partially complemented in ORF5a-expressing cells, indicate that the novel protein, which may be the eighth structural protein of arteriviruses, is expressed and important for arterivirus infection

SQUIDs in biomagnetism : A roadmap towards improved healthcare

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 686865.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Dynamical cancellation of pulse-induced transients in a metallic shielded room for ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging

Peer reviewe

Conductive shield for ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging: theory and measurements of eddy currents

Peer reviewe

Frat is dispensable for canonical Wnt signaling in mammals

Wnt-signal transduction through β-catenin is thought to require the inhibition of GSK3 by Frat/GBP. To investigate the role of Frat in mammalian development, we have generated mice with targeted mutations in all three murine Frat homologs. We show that Frat is normally expressed at sites of active Wnt signaling. Surprisingly, Frat-deficient mice do not display gross abnormalities. Moreover, canonical Wnt signaling in primary cells is unaffected by the loss of Frat. These studies show that Frat is not an essential component of the canonical Wnt pathway in higher organisms, despite the strict requirement of Frat/GBP for maternal Wnt signaling in Xenopus