Time-resolved pathogenic gene expression analysis of the plant pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Virulence of wild-type and mutant Xoo strains on rice. (DOCX 16 kb

Unleashing the full potential of Hsp90 inhibitors as cancer therapeutics through simultaneous inactivation of Hsp90, Grp94, and TRAP1

Cancer therapeutics: Extending a drug's reach A new drug that blocks heat shock proteins (HSPs), helper proteins that are co-opted by cancer cells to promote tumor growth, shows promise for cancer treatment. Several drugs have targeted HSPs, since cancer cells are known to hijack these helper proteins to shield themselves from destruction by the body. However, the drugs have had limited success. Hye-Kyung Park and Byoung Heon Kang at Ulsan National Institutes of Science and Technology in South Korea and coworkers noticed that the drugs were not absorbed into mitochondria, a key cellular compartment, and HSPs in this compartment were therefore not being blocked. They identified a new HSP inhibitor that can reach every cellular compartment and inhibit all HSPs. Testing in mice showed that this inhibitor effectively triggered death of tumor cells, and therefore shows promise for anti-cancer therapy. The Hsp90 family proteins Hsp90, Grp94, and TRAP1 are present in the cell cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria, respectively; all play important roles in tumorigenesis by regulating protein homeostasis in response to stress. Thus, simultaneous inhibition of all Hsp90 paralogs is a reasonable strategy for cancer therapy. However, since the existing pan-Hsp90 inhibitor does not accumulate in mitochondria, the potential anticancer activity of pan-Hsp90 inhibition has not yet been fully examined in vivo. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database revealed that all Hsp90 paralogs were upregulated in prostate cancer. Inactivation of all Hsp90 paralogs induced mitochondrial dysfunction, increased cytosolic calcium, and activated calcineurin. Active calcineurin blocked prosurvival heat shock responses upon Hsp90 inhibition by preventing nuclear translocation of HSF1. The purine scaffold derivative DN401 inhibited all Hsp90 paralogs simultaneously and showed stronger anticancer activity than other Hsp90 inhibitors. Pan-Hsp90 inhibition increased cytotoxicity and suppressed mechanisms that protect cancer cells, suggesting that it is a feasible strategy for the development of potent anticancer drugs. The mitochondria-permeable drug DN401 is a newly identified in vivo pan-Hsp90 inhibitor with potent anticancer activity

Arthroscopic Capsular Repair without Relaying Sutures: ‘Simple Sewing Technique’

We report a simple technique for repairing capsular tear, using only a hook-like, cannulated instrument and braided sutures without relaying steps. A No. 2 braided suture is passed through the lumen of the instrument. Under direct arthroscopic view, the tip of the instrument is passed through the side of the capsule that has previously been separated with the probe. One end of the suture is retrieved with a grasper through a separate portal. The tip is moved back without withdrawing through the skin, and reinserted into the other side of the capsule. Holding the end retrieved earlier, the other end of the suture is retrieved with a suture retriever. After complete removal of the instrument, the suture is tied through a cannula using the standard knot tying techniques. The same procedures are repeated for other required knots

Clinical Implications of Residual Urine in Korean Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Patients: A Prognostic Factor for BPH-Related Clinical Events

Purpose Although post-void residual urine (PVR) is frequently utilized clinically in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), mainly because of its procedural simplicity, its role as a clinical prognostic factor, predictive of treatment goals, is still under much dispute. We investigated the predictive value of PVR for BPH-related clinical events including surgery, acute urinary retention (AUR), and admission following urinary tract infection (UTI). Methods From January to June of 2006, patients over 50 years of age who were diagnosed with BPH for the first time at the outpatient clinic and were then treated for at least 3 years with medications were enrolled in this study. The variables of patients who underwent surgical intervention for BPH, had occurrences of AUR, or required admission due to UTI (Group 1, n=43) were compared with those of patients who were maintained with medications only (Group 2, n=266). Results Group 1 had a significantly higher PVR, more severe symptoms, and a larger prostate at the time of the initial diagnosis in both the univariate and the multivariate analysis. In the 39 patients who underwent BPH-related surgery, although there was a significant change in Qmax at the time of surgery (mean, 13.1 months), PVR and the symptom score remained unchanged compared with the initial evaluation. In the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve of Group 1 was in the order of prostate volume (0.834), PVR (0.712), and symptom score (0.621). When redivided by arbitrarily selected PVR cutoffs of 50 mL, 100 mL, and 150 mL, the relative risk of clinical BPH progression was measured as 3.93, 2.61, and 2.11. Conclusions These data indicate that, in the symptomatic Korean population, increased PVR at baseline is a significant indicator of BPH-related clinical events along with increased symptom score or prostate volume

Rotating Arm Internally Can Change the Arthroscopic Diagnosis of a Partial-thickness Tear of the Subscapularis

Background The aims of this study were (1) to examine the footprint of the subscapularis tendon using the traditional posterior portal and 30° arthroscope by simple internal rotation of the arm during surgery, and (2) to classify the pattern of a subscapularis partial-thickness tear. Methods This study analyzed a total of 231 patients with a partial-thickness subscapularis tear from 550 consecutive patients undergoing an arthroscopic operation who had a visualization of the subscapularis tendon footprint by internal rotation of the arm. First, the patients were classified into four categories according to the tear pattern: (1) stable lamination, (2) unstable lamination, (3) avulsion, and (4) laminated avulsion. Randomized arthroscopic videos were reviewed blindly by two independent orthopedic surgeons. The pattern of the tear of the subscapularis at the neutral position and after internal rotating the arm were assessed and compared with the treatment decision (level IV case series). Results Stable lamination, unstable lamination, avulsion, and laminated avulsion were observed in 9.1% (n=21), 20.8% (n=48), 41.1% (n=95), and 29.0% (n=67) of cases, respectively. In 145 out of 231 cases (62.8%), the decision was changed after inspecting the footprint after internal rotation of the arm, and the treatment method was changed in 116 (50.2%) cases. Conclusions In a subscapularis tendon partial-thickness tear, inspecting the footprint of the subscapularis tendon is essential to diagnosing and deciding on the appropriate treatment. In addition, simply internal rotating the arm during surgery when using the traditional posterior portal and 30° arthroscope can be a valuable method

Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae from Ny-Ålesund and Blomstrandhalvøya Island (Svalbard)

A field survey of algae and cyanobacteria from terrestrial and freshwater habitats in the vicinity of Ny-Ålesund and on Blomstrandhalvøya Island (Svalbard) was performed in June 2009, and results were compared with data from our fieldwork in June 2006. In total, we identified 30 taxa belonging to 23 genera from the specimens collected near Ny-Ålesund (26 taxa) and on Blomstrandhalvøya Island (24 taxa). Five species previously unrecorded from this locality are depicted, including astaxanthin-containing Haematococcus sp. collected from Blomstrandhalvøya Island. This is the first report on a Haematococcus species from the High Arctic.Une étude sur le terrain portant sur les algues et les cyanobactéries d’habitats terrestres et dulçaquicoles dans les environs de Ny-Ålesund et de l’île Blomstrandhalvøya (Svalbard) a été réalisée en juin 2009, et les résultats ont été comparés aux données de notre travail sur le terrain effectué en juin 2006. En tout, nous avons identifié 30 taxons appartenant à 23 genres à partir de spécimens prélevés près de Ny-Ålesund (26 taxons) et de Blomstrandhalvøya (24 taxons). Cinq espèces qui n’avaient jamais été répertoriées dans cette localité sont illustrées, dont l’Haematococcus sp. contenant de l’astaxanthine recueillie à l’île Blomstrandhalvøya. Il s’agit de la première fois que l’espèce Haematococcus a été signalée dans l’Extrême-Arctique

Abalone visceral extract inhibit tumor growth and metastasis by modulating Cox-2 levels and CD8+ T cell activity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Abalone has long been used as a valuable food source in East Asian countries. Although the nutritional importance of abalone has been reported through <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>studies, there is little evidence about the potential anti-tumor effects of abalone visceral extract. The aim of the present study is to examine anti-tumor efficacy of abalone visceral extract and to elucidate its working mechanism.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the present study, we used breast cancer model using BALB/c mouse-derived 4T1 mammary carcinoma and investigated the effect of abalone visceral extract on tumor development. Inhibitory effect against tumor metastasis was assessed by histopathology of lungs. Cox-2 productions by primary and secondary tumor were measured by real-time RT-PCR and immunoblotting (IB). Proliferation assay based on [³H]-thymidine incorporation and measurement of cytokines and effector molecules by RT-PCR were used to confirm tumor suppression efficacy of abalone visceral extract by modulating cytolytic CD8+ T cells. The cytotoxicity of CD8⁺T cell was compared by JAM test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Oral administration of abalone visceral extract reduced tumor growth (tumor volume and weight) and showed reduced metastasis as confirmed by decreased level of splenomegaly (spleen size and weight) and histological analysis of the lung metastasis (gross analysis and histological staining). Reduced expression of Cox-2 (mRNA and protein) from primary tumor and metastasized lung was also detected. In addition, treatment of abalone visceral extract increased anti-tumor activities of CD8⁺T cells by increasing the proliferation capacity and their cytolytic activity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that abalone visceral extract has anti-tumor effects by suppressing tumor growth and lung metastasis through decreasing Cox-2 expression level as well as promoting proliferation and cytolytic function of CD8⁺T cells.</p