532 research outputs found
KRAS and CREBBP mutations: a relapse-linked malicious liaison in childhood high hyperdiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia
High hyperdiploidy defines the largest genetic entity of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Despite its relatively low recurrence risk, this subgroup generates a high proportion of relapses. The cause and origin of these relapses remains obscure. We therefore explored the mutational landscape in high hyperdiploid (HD) ALL with whole-exome (n=19) and subsequent targeted deep sequencing of 60 genes in 100 relapsing and 51 non-relapsing cases. We identified multiple clones at diagnosis that were primarily defined by a variety of mutations in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)/Ras pathway and chromatin-modifying genes. The relapse clones consisted of reappearing as well as new mutations, and overall contained more mutations. Although RTK/Ras pathway mutations were similarly frequent between diagnosis and relapse, both intergenic and intragenic heterogeneity was essentially lost at relapse. CREBBP mutations, however, increased from initially 18-30% at relapse, then commonly co-occurred with KRAS mutations (P<0.001) and these relapses appeared primarily early (P=0.012). Our results confirm the exceptional susceptibility of HD ALL to RTK/Ras pathway and CREBBP mutations, but, more importantly, suggest that mutant KRAS and CREBBP might cooperate and equip cells with the necessary capacity to evolve into a relapse-generating clone
Proapoptotic activity of Ukrain is based on Chelidonium majus L. alkaloids and mediated via a mitochondrial death pathway
BACKGROUND: The anticancer drug Ukrain (NSC-631570) which has been specified by the manufacturer as semisynthetic derivative of the Chelidonium majus L. alkaloid chelidonine and the alkylans thiotepa was reported to exert selective cytotoxic effects on human tumour cell lines in vitro. Few clinical trials suggest beneficial effects in the treatment of human cancer. Aim of the present study was to elucidate the importance of apoptosis induction for the antineoplastic activity of Ukrain, to define the molecular mechanism of its cytotoxic effects and to identify its active constituents by mass spectrometry. METHODS: Apoptosis induction was analysed in a Jurkat T-lymphoma cell model by fluorescence microscopy (chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation), flow cytometry (cellular shrinkage, depolarisation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-activation) and Western blot analysis (caspase-activation). Composition of Ukrain was analysed by mass spectrometry and LC-MS coupling. RESULTS: Ukrain turned out to be a potent inducer of apoptosis. Mechanistic analyses revealed that Ukrain induced depolarisation of the mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspases. Lack of caspase-8, expression of cFLIP-L and resistance to death receptor ligand-induced apoptosis failed to inhibit Ukrain-induced apoptosis while lack of FADD caused a delay but not abrogation of Ukrain-induced apoptosis pointing to a death receptor independent signalling pathway. In contrast, the broad spectrum caspase-inhibitor zVAD-fmk blocked Ukrain-induced cell death. Moreover, over-expression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-x(L )and expression of dominant negative caspase-9 partially reduced Ukrain-induced apoptosis pointing to Bcl-2 controlled mitochondrial signalling events. However, mass spectrometric analysis of Ukrain failed to detect the suggested trimeric chelidonine thiophosphortriamide or putative dimeric or monomeric chelidonine thiophosphortriamide intermediates from chemical synthesis. Instead, the Chelidonium majus L. alkaloids chelidonine, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, protopine and allocryptopine were identified as major components of Ukrain. Apart from sanguinarine and chelerythrine, chelidonine turned out to be a potent inducer of apoptosis triggering cell death at concentrations of 0.001 mM, while protopine and allocryptopine were less effective. Similar to Ukrain, apoptosis signalling of chelidonine involved Bcl-2 controlled mitochondrial alterations and caspase-activation. CONCLUSION: The potent proapoptotic effects of Ukrain are not due to the suggested "Ukrain-molecule" but to the cytotoxic efficacy of Chelidonium majus L. alkaloids including chelidonine
Measurement of the branching ratio of the decay
From the 2002 data taking with a neutral kaon beam extracted from the
CERN-SPS, the NA48/1 experiment observed 97 candidates with a background contamination of events.
From this sample, the BR() is measured to be
Observation of the rare decay K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^-
A search for the decay K_S -> pi^0mu^+mu^- has been made by the NA48/1
Collaboration at the CERN SPS accelerator. The data were collected during 2002
with a high-intensity K_S beam. Six events were found with a background
expectation of 0.22^+0.18_-0.11 event. Using a vector matrix element and unit
form factor, the measured branching ratio is B(K_S ->
pi^0mu^+mu^-)=[2.9^+1.5_-1.2(stat)+/-0.2(syst)]x10^{-9}.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. To be published in Physics Letters
First observation and branching fraction and decay parameter measurements of the weak radiative decay Xi0 --> Lambda e+e-
The weak radiative decay Xi0 --> Lambda e+e- has been detected for the first
time. We find 412 candidates in the signal region, with an estimated background
of 15 +/- 5 events. We determine the branching fraction B(Xi0 --> Lambda e+e-)
= [7.6 +/- 0.4(stat) +/- 0.4(syst) +/- 0.2(norm)] x 10^{-6}, consistent with an
internal bremsstrahlung process, and the decay asymmetry parameter
alpha_{XiLambdaee} = -0.8 +/- 0.2, consistent with that of Xi0 --> Lambda
gamma. The charge conjugate reaction Xi0_bar --> Lambda_bar e+e- has also been
observed.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables; revised: 19 pages, 4 figures, 4
tables, after reviewers' comments: 1 figure removed, 1 figure corrected,
minor editorial changes; to be published in Phys. Lett.
First observation of the KS->pi0 gamma gamma decay
Using the NA48 detector at the CERN SPS, 31 KS->pi0 gamma gamma candidates
with an estimated background of 13.7 +- 3.2 events have been observed. This
first observation leads to a branching ratio of BR(KS->pi0 gamma gamma) = (4.9
+- 1.6(stat) +- 0.9(syst)) x 10^-8 in agreement with Chiral Perturbation theory
predictions.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures submitted to Phys. Lett.
Search for CP violation in K0 -> 3 pi0 decays
Using data taken during the year 2000 with the NA48 detector at the CERN SPS,
a search for the CP violating decay K_S -> 3 pi0 has been performed. From a fit
to the lifetime distribution of about 4.9 million reconstructed K0/K0bar -> 3
pi0 decays, the CP violating amplitude eta_000 = A(K_S -> 3 pi0)/A(K_L -> 3
pi0) has been found to be Re(eta_000) = -0.002 +- 0.011 +- 0.015 and
Im(eta_000) = -0.003 +- 0.013 +- 0.017. This corresponds to an upper limit on
the branching fraction of Br(K_S -> 3 pi0) < 7.4 x 10^-7 at 90% confidence
level. The result is used to improve knowledge of Re(epsilon) and the CPT
violating quantity Im(delta) via the Bell-Steinberger relation.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.
A precision measurement of direct CP violation in the decay of neutral kaons into two pions
The direct CP violation parameter Re(epsilon'/epsilon) has been measured from
the decay rates of neutral kaons into two pions using the NA48 detector at the
CERN SPS. The 2001 running period was devoted to collecting additional data
under varied conditions compared to earlier years (1997-99). The new data yield
the result: Re(epsilon'/epsilon) = (13.7 +/- 3.1) times 10^{-4}. Combining this
result with that published from the 1997, 98 and 99 data, an overall value of
Re(epsilon'/epsilon) = (14.7 +/- 2.2) times 10^{-4} is obtained from the NA48
experiment.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Physics Letters
Measurement of the branching ratios of the decays Xi0 --> Sigma+ e- nubar and anti-Xi0 --> anti-Sigma+ e+ nu
From 56 days of data taking in 2002, the NA48/1 experiment observed 6316 Xi0
--> Sigma+ e- nubar candidates (with the subsequent Sigma+ --> p pi0 decay) and
555 anti-Xi0 --> anti-Sigma+ e+ nu candidates with background contamination of
215+-44 and 136+-8 events, respectively. From these samples, the branching
ratios BR(Xi0 --> Sigma+ e- nubar)= (2.51+-0.03stat+-0.09syst)E(-4) and
BR(anti-Xi0 --> anti-Sigma+ e+ nu)= (2.55+-0.14stat+-0.10syst)E(-4) were
measured allowing the determination of the CKM matrix element |Vus| =
0.209+0.023-0.028. Using the Particle Data Group average for |Vus| obtained in
semileptonic kaon decays, we measured the ratio g1/f1 = 1.20+-0.05 of the
axial-vector to vector form factors.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures Submitted to Phys.Lett.
Measurement of the Ratio Gamma(KL -> pi+ pi-)/Gamma(KL -> pi e nu) and Extraction of the CP Violation Parameter |eta+-|
We present a measurement of the ratio of the decay rates Gamma(KL -> pi+
pi-)/Gamma(KL -> pi e nu), denoted as Gamma(K2pi)/Gamma(Ke3). The analysis is
based on data taken during a dedicated run in 1999 by the NA48 experiment at
the CERN SPS. Using a sample of 47000 K2pi and five million Ke3 decays, we find
Gamma(K2pi)/Gamma(Ke3) = (4.835 +- 0.022(stat) +- 0.016(syst)) x 10^-3. From
this we derive the branching ratio of the CP violating decay KL -> pi+ pi- and
the CP violation parameter |eta+-|. Excluding the CP conserving direct photon
emission component KL -> pi+ pi- gamma, we obtain the results BR(KL -> pi+ pi-)
= (1.941 +- 0.019) x 10^-3 and |eta+-| = (2.223 +- 0.012) x 10^-3.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Phys. Lett.
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