Homeoprotein Hbx4 represses adhesion molecule governing cytokinesis and development

Homeobox genes encode proteins with a highly conserved DNA-binding motif and provoke morphological diversification of body segments by differentially controlling the expression of downstream targets. Here, we have identified _hbx4_, one of many homeobox genes in _Dictyostelium discoideum_ and investigated its role during growth and development. In suspension, Hbx4-overexpressing cells, Hbx4^OE^, showed defects in cytokinesis and growth rate. During development, Hbx4^OE^ and _hbx4_-disrupting cells, _hbx4¯_ made differences in shape of mound and slug, cell-type proportioning from wild type KAx3 cells. These phenotypes were similar to those of mutant defective in _cadA_ encoding Ca^2+^-dependent cell adhesion molecule so that we investigated the relationship between _hbx4_ and _cadA_. Overexpression of Hbx4 inhibited the expression of _cadA_ and cAMP also failed to stimulate _cadA_ in Hbx4^OE^. Furthermore, gel mobility shift assay showed the promoter of _cadA_ contained Hbx4-binding site, indicating Hbx4 negatively regulates the expression of _cadA_. Proteome analysis revealed that overexpression of Hbx4 repressed the _rdiA_ and _abpB_ encoding rho guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor1, RhoGDI1 and actin bundling protein 34, ABP34, respectively. And the overexpression of _cadA_ in Hbx4^OE^ cells rescued the defects and increased mRNA level of _rdiA_, _abpB_ and one of Rho GTPase, _rac1b_. These results suggested that Hbx4 can modulate cytokinesis, cell sorting and cell-type proportioning by repressing _cadA_ that regulates GTPase-dependent signaling pathway

Multijet topology in high-energy nuclear collisions: jet broadening

This work presents the first theoretical investigation of the medium modification of jet broadening as an event-shape observable in multijet final states due to jet quenching in high-energy nuclear collisions. The partonic spectrum of $pp$ collisions with next-to-leading order (NLO) accuracy at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV is provided by the POWHEG$+$PYTHIA8 event generator, while the linear Boltzmann transport (LBT) model is utilized to investigate the energy loss of fast partons as they traverse through the hot and dense QCD medium. We present the jet broadening distributions in multijet final states for both $pp$ and PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} = 5.02$ TeV, then observe an enhancement at the small jet broadening region and suppression at the large jet broadening region in PbPb collisions relative to that in $pp$. This suggests that medium modification with parton energy loss in the QGP leads to a more concentrated energy flow in all observed multijet events in PbPb reactions. We also demonstrate that the intertwining of two effects, the jet number reduction and the restructured contribution, results in the novel behavior of nuclear modification of the jet broadening observable in PbPb collisions.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Two Cases of Hypertensive Encephalopathy Involving the Brainstem

Hypertensive encephalopathy is a medical emergency whose clinical manifestations are usually associated with bilateral parieto-occipital lesions. Predominant brainstem edema without accompanying occipital lesions is rare in hypertensive encephalopathy and usually occurs in patients with secondary hypertension. We describe the clinical and radiological features of two patients with reversible hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy. Both patients had chronic renal failure, but the extensive neuroimaging abnormalities revealed few clinical features of brainstem involvement. The clinical findings and neuroimaging abnormalities resolved once the hypertension was treated

Disruption of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase results in absolute glutathione auxotrophy and apoptosis in Candida albicans

AbstractGlutathione is the most abundant non-protein thiol and a major source of reducing equivalents in eukaryotes. We examined the role of glutathione in Candida albicans by the disruption of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS1), an essential enzyme in glutathione biosynthesis. The gcs1/gcs1 null mutants exhibited glutathione auxotrophy, which could be rescued by supplementing with reduced and oxidized glutathione and γ-glutamylcysteine. When the mutants were depleted of glutathione, they showed typical markers of apoptosis. These results suggest that glutathione itself is an essential metabolite and C. albicans lacking GCS1 undergoes apoptosis

Myasthenia Gravis Appearing After Thymectomy: a Case Report and Review of the Literature

A small proportion of thymoma patients without myasthenia gravis (MG) have been observed to develop MG after total removal of the thymoma. However, the underlying cause is not yet known due to the rarity of postoperative MG patients. We report a 39-year-old man in whom MG appeared after surgical removal of a thymoma. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed no signs of recurrent or metastatic thymoma. Administration of pyridostigmine bromide resulted in the prompt improvement of myasthenic symptoms. Our observations indicate that postoperative follow-up care with monitoring of possible postoperative MG is necessary after resecting a thymoma

Liver transplantation: Intraoperative changes in coagulation factors in 100 first transplants

Six intraoperative blood samples were obtained at intervals from each of 100 individuals undergoing their first liver transplants. The patients fell into the following diagnostic categories: postnecrotic cirrhosis 28, primary biliary cirrhosis 20, sclerosing cholangitis 19, miscellaneous diseases 14, carcinoma/neoplasia 12 and fulminant hepatitis 7. Coagulation factor values in the initial (baseline) blood samples varied by patient diagnosis. In general, all factor levels were reduced except factor VIII:C, which was increased to almost twice normal. The slight intraoperative changes in factors II, VII, IX, X, XI and XII suggested that a steady‐state relationship existed between depletion (consumption/bleeding) and repletion (transfusion, transit from extra‐ to intravascular space), even in the anhepatic state. In contrast, there were rapid and very significant falls in factor VIII and fibrinogen and a less pronounced decrease in factor V, all reaching their nadirs in early to mid‐Stage III. The cause of these coagulation changes appears to be activation of the fibrinolytic system. Copyright © 1989 American Association for the Study of Liver Disease

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High resolution crystal structure of PedB: a structural basis for the classification of pediocin-like immunity proteins

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pediocin-like bacteriocins, ribosomally-synthesized antimicrobial peptides, are generally coexpressed with cognate immunity proteins in order to protect the bacteriocin-producer from its own bacteriocin. As a step for understanding the mode of action of immunity proteins, we determined the crystal structure of PedB, a pediocin-like immunity protein conferring immunity to pediocin PP-1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 1.6 Å crystal structure of PedB reveals that PedB consists of an antiparallel four-helix bundle with a flexible C-terminal end. PedB shows structural similarity to an immunity protein against enterocin A (EntA-im) but some disparity to an immunity protein against carnobacteriocin B2 (ImB2) in both the C-terminal conformation and the local structure constructed by α3, α4, and their connecting loop. Structure-inspired mutational studies reveal that deletion of the last seven residues of the C-terminus of PedB almost abolished its immunity activity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The fact that PedB, EntA-im, and ImB2 share a four-helix bundle structure strongly suggests the structural conservation of this motif in the pediocin-like immunity proteins. The significant difference in the core structure and the C-terminal conformation provides a structural basis for the classification of pediocin-like immunity proteins. Our mutational study using C-terminal-shortened PedBs and the investigation of primary sequence of the C-terminal region, propose that several polar or charged residues in the extreme C-terminus of PedB which is crucial for the immunity are involved in the specific recognition of pediocin PP-1.</p