Intact Cohesion, Anaphase, and Chromosome Segregation in Human Cells Harboring Tumor-Derived Mutations in STAG2

Somatic mutations of the cohesin complex subunit STAG2 are present in diverse tumor types. We and others have shown that STAG2 inactivation can lead to loss of sister chromatid cohesion and alterations in chromosome copy number in experimental systems. However, studies of naturally occurring human tumors have demonstrated little, if any, correlation between STAG2 mutational status and aneuploidy, and have further shown that STAG2-deficient tumors are often euploid. In an effort to provide insight into these discrepancies, here we analyze the effect of tumor-derived STAG2 mutations on the protein composition of cohesin and the expected mitotic phenotypes of STAG2 mutation. We find that many mutant STAG2 proteins retain their ability to interact with cohesin; however, the presence of mutant STAG2 resulted in a reduction in the ability of regulatory subunits WAPL, PDS5A, and PDS5B to interact with the core cohesin ring. Using AAV-mediated gene targeting, we then introduced nine tumor-derived mutations into the endogenous allele of STAG2 in cultured human cells. While all nonsense mutations led to defects in sister chromatid cohesion and a subset induced anaphase defects, missense mutations behaved like wild-type in these assays. Furthermore, only one of nine tumor-derived mutations tested induced overt alterations in chromosome counts. These data indicate that not all tumor-derived STAG2 mutations confer defects in cohesion, chromosome segregation, and ploidy, suggesting that there are likely to be other functional effects of STAG2 inactivation in human cancer cells that are relevant to cancer pathogenesis

Choline transporter gene variation is associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) plays a critical role in brain circuits mediating motor control, attention, learning and memory. Cholinergic dysfunction is associated with multiple brain disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease, addiction, schizophrenia and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The presynaptic choline transporter (CHT, SLC5A7) is the major, rate-limiting determinant of ACh production in the brain and periphery and is consequently upregulated during tasks that require sustained attention. Given the contribution of central cholinergic circuits to the control of movement and attention, we hypothesized that functional CHT gene variants might impact risk for ADHD. We performed a case-control study, followed by family-based association tests on a separate cohort, of two purportedly functional CHT polymorphisms (coding variant Ile89Val (rs1013940) and a genomic SNP 3’ of the CHT gene (rs333229), affording both a replication sample and opportunities to reduce potential population stratification biases. Initial genotyping of pediatric ADHD subjects for two purportedly functional CHT alleles revealed a 2–3 fold elevation of the Val89 allele (n = 100; P = 0.02) relative to healthy controls, as well as a significant decrease of the 3’SNP minor allele in Caucasian male subjects (n = 60; P = 0.004). In family based association tests, we found significant overtransmission of the Val89 variant to children with a Combined subtype diagnosis (OR = 3.16; P = 0.01), with an increased Odds Ratio for a haplotype comprising both minor alleles. These studies show evidence of cholinergic deficits in ADHD, particularly for subjects with the Combined subtype, and, if replicated, may encourage further consideration of cholinergic agonist therapy in the disorder

Delegated job design

We develop a theory of delegation within organizations where agents are privately informed about whether they should be engaged in exploitation or in exploration activities. Excessive delegation lead agents to inefficiently herd into exploration in an attempt to boost their market value. The theory is consistent with both high-delegation practices and practices where agents are assigned to activities. Our main result is that an agent should be delegated more the weaker career concerns, a variable that is made endogenous through the firm's technology and its degree of transparency. The theory sheds light on empirical regularities that are previously unexplained, such as a positive relation between wages and delegation, and delegation being more prevalent in closed environments or environments with long-term employment contracts

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission: Optical Telescope Element Design, Development, and Performance

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared space telescope that has recently started its science program which will enable breakthroughs in astrophysics and planetary science. Notably, JWST will provide the very first observations of the earliest luminous objects in the Universe and start a new era of exoplanet atmospheric characterization. This transformative science is enabled by a 6.6 m telescope that is passively cooled with a 5-layer sunshield. The primary mirror is comprised of 18 controllable, low areal density hexagonal segments, that were aligned and phased relative to each other in orbit using innovative image-based wavefront sensing and control algorithms. This revolutionary telescope took more than two decades to develop with a widely distributed team across engineering disciplines. We present an overview of the telescope requirements, architecture, development, superb on-orbit performance, and lessons learned. JWST successfully demonstrates a segmented aperture space telescope and establishes a path to building even larger space telescopes.Comment: accepted by PASP for JWST Overview Special Issue; 34 pages, 25 figure