TEM analysis of apatite surface layers observed on zinc based glass polyalkenoate cements

peer-reviewedGlass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) are acid base cements formed by the reaction of an aqueous solution of polyalkenoic acid, usually polyacrylic acid (PAA) with an acid degradable aluminosilicate glass. The result of the reaction is cement consisting of reacted and unreacted glass particles embedded in a polysalt matrix. In addition to these conventional GPCs, aluminium free glass polyalkenoate cements based on zinc silicate glasses (Zn-GPCs) exhibit significant potential as bone cements for several reasons. Primarily, they are formulated without the inclusion of aluminium (Al) [1] in the glass phase and thus eliminate clinical complications arising from the release of the Al3+ ion from the cement in vivo. Such complications have, in the past, included aluminium induced encephalopathy [2-5] and defective mineralisation of cancellous bone [6]. Secondly, Zn-GPCs set without a significant evolution of heat, when compared with commercial bone cements such as Spineplex ® (Stryker, Limerick, Ireland). Finally, these materials can be tailored to release clinically beneficial ions into surrounding tissues [7]. In addition to Zn, these cements have been synthesized to contain strontium (Sr) [8, 9]. Both Sr and Zn inhibit osteoclastic turnover and promote osteoblastic turnover, resulting in increased bone strength and decreased fracture risk [10-14].Acceptedpeer-reviewe

Silencing of Vlaro2 for chorismate synthase revealed that the phytopathogen Verticillium longisporum induces the cross-pathway control in the xylem

The first leaky auxotrophic mutant for aromatic amino acids of the near-diploid fungal plant pathogen Verticillium longisporum (VL) has been generated. VL enters its host Brassica napus through the roots and colonizes the xylem vessels. The xylem contains little nutrients including low concentrations of amino acids. We isolated the gene Vlaro2 encoding chorismate synthase by complementation of the corresponding yeast mutant strain. Chorismate synthase produces the first branch point intermediate of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis. A novel RNA-mediated gene silencing method reduced gene expression of both isogenes by 80% and resulted in a bradytrophic mutant, which is a leaky auxotroph due to impaired expression of chorismate synthase. In contrast to the wild type, silencing resulted in increased expression of the cross-pathway regulatory gene VlcpcA (similar to cpcA/GCN4) during saprotrophic life. The mutant fungus is still able to infect the host plant B. napus and the model Arabidopsis thaliana with reduced efficiency. VlcpcA expression is increased in planta in the mutant and the wild-type fungus. We assume that xylem colonization requires induction of the cross-pathway control, presumably because the fungus has to overcome imbalanced amino acid supply in the xylem

Silver diagnosis in neuropathology: principles, practice and revised interpretation

Silver-staining methods are helpful for histological identification of pathological deposits. In spite of some ambiguities regarding their mechanism and interpretation, they are widely used for histopathological diagnosis. In this review, four major silver-staining methods, modified Bielschowsky, Bodian, Gallyas (GAL) and Campbell–Switzer (CS) methods, are outlined with respect to their principles, basic protocols and interpretations, thereby providing neuropathologists, technicians and neuroscientists with a common basis for comparing findings and identifying the issues that still need to be clarified. Some consider “argyrophilia” to be a homogeneous phenomenon irrespective of the lesion and the method. Thus, they seek to explain the differences among the methods by pointing to their different sensitivities in detecting lesions (quantitative difference). Comparative studies, however, have demonstrated that argyrophilia is heterogeneous and dependent not only on the method but also on the lesion (qualitative difference). Each staining method has its own lesion-dependent specificity and, within this specificity, its own sensitivity. This “method- and lesion-dependent” nature of argyrophilia enables operational sorting of disease-specific lesions based on their silver-staining profiles, which may potentially represent some disease-specific aspects. Furthermore, comparisons between immunohistochemical and biochemical data have revealed an empirical correlation between GAL+/CS-deposits and 4-repeat (4R) tau (corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy and argyrophilic grains) and its complementary reversal between GAL-/CS+deposits and 3-repeat (3R) tau (Pick bodies). Deposits containing both 3R and 4R tau (neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer type) are GAL+/CS+. Although no molecular explanations, other than these empiric correlations, are currently available, these distinctive features, especially when combined with immunohistochemistry, are useful because silver-staining methods and immunoreactions are complementary to each other