Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis Reveals Novel Pathogenic Variants in Four Chinese Siblings With Late-Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis

Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are progressive degenerative diseases mainly affect brain and retina. They are characterized by accumulation of autofluorescent storage material, mitochondrial ATPase subunit C, or sphingolipid activator proteins A and D in lysosomes of most cells. Heterogenous storage material in NCLs is not completely disease-specific. Most of CLN proteins and their natural substrates are not well-characterized. Studies have suggested variants of Late-Infantile NCLs (LINCLs) include the major type CLN2 and minor types CLN5, CLN6, CLN7, and CLN8. Therefore, combination of clinical and molecular analysis has become a more effective diagnosis method. We studied 4 late-infantile NCL siblings characterized by seizures, ataxia as early symptoms, followed by progressive regression in intelligence and behavior, but mutations are located in different genes. Symptoms and progression of 4 types of LINCLs are compared. Pathology of LINCLs is also discussed. We performed Nest-Generation Sequencing on these phenotypically similar families. Three novel variants c.1551+1insTGAT in TPP1, c.244G>T in CLN6, c.554-5A>G in MFSD8 were identified. Potential outcome of the mutations in structure and function of proteins are studied. In addition, we observed some common and unique clinical features of Chinese LINCL patient as compared with those of Western patients, which greatly improved our understanding of the LINCLs

Suppression of Phospholipase Dγs Confers Increased Aluminum Resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the major stress in acidic soil that comprises about 50% of the world's arable land. The complex molecular mechanisms of Al toxicity have yet to be fully determined. As a barrier to Al entrance, plant cell membranes play essential roles in plant interaction with Al, and lipid composition and membrane integrity change significantly under Al stress. Here, we show that phospholipase Dγs (PLDγs) are induced by Al stress and contribute to Al-induced membrane lipid alterations. RNAi suppression of PLDγ resulted in a decrease in both PLDγ1 and PLDγ2 expression and an increase in Al resistance. Genetic disruption of PLDγ1 also led to an increased tolerance to Al while knockout of PLDγ2 did not. Both RNAi-suppressed and pldγ1-1 mutants displayed better root growth than wild-type under Al stress conditions, and PLDγ1-deficient plants had less accumulation of callose, less oxidative damage, and less lipid peroxidation compared to wild-type plants. Most phospholipids and glycolipids were altered in response to Al treatment of wild-type plants, whereas fewer changes in lipids occurred in response to Al stress in PLDγ mutant lines. Our results suggest that PLDγs play a role in membrane lipid modulation under Al stress and that high activities of PLDγs negatively modulate plant tolerance to Al

Integrated Profiling of MicroRNAs and mRNAs: MicroRNAs Located on Xq27.3 Associate with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background: With the advent of second-generation sequencing, the expression of gene transcripts can be digitally measured with high accuracy. The purpose of this study was to systematically profile the expression of both mRNA and miRNA genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using massively parallel sequencing technology. Methodology: The expression of mRNAs and miRNAs were analyzed in tumor tissues and matched normal adjacent tissues obtained from 10 ccRCC patients without distant metastases. In a prevalence screen, some of the most interesting results were validated in a large cohort of ccRCC patients. Principal Findings: A total of 404 miRNAs and 9,799 mRNAs were detected to be differentially expressed in the 10 ccRCC patients. We also identified 56 novel miRNA candidates in at least two samples. In addition to confirming that canonical cancer genes and miRNAs (including VEGFA, DUSP9 and ERBB4; miR-210, miR-184 and miR-206) play pivotal roles in ccRCC development, promising novel candidates (such as PNCK and miR-122) without previous annotation in ccRCC carcinogenesis were also discovered in this study. Pathways controlling cell fates (e. g., cell cycle and apoptosis pathways) and cell communication (e. g., focal adhesion and ECM-receptor interaction) were found to be significantly more likely to be disrupted in ccRCC. Additionally, the results of the prevalence screen revealed that the expression of a miRNA gene cluster located on Xq27.3 was consistently downregulated in at least 76.7% of similar to 50 ccRCC patients. Conclusions: Our study provided a two-dimensional map of the mRNA and miRNA expression profiles of ccRCC using deep sequencing technology. Our results indicate that the phenotypic status of ccRCC is characterized by a loss of normal renal function, downregulation of metabolic genes, and upregulation of many signal transduction genes in key pathways. Furthermore, it can be concluded that downregulation of miRNA genes clustered on Xq27.3 is associated with ccRCC

Efficacy of a Non-Hypercalcemic Vitamin-D2 Derived Anti-Cancer Agent (MT19c) and Inhibition of Fatty Acid Synthesis in an Ovarian Cancer Xenograft Model

BACKGROUND:Numerous vitamin-D analogs exhibited poor response rates, high systemic toxicities and hypercalcemia in human trials to treat cancer. We identified the first non-hypercalcemic anti-cancer vitamin D analog MT19c by altering the A-ring of ergocalciferol. This study describes the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action of MT19c in both in vitro and in vivo models. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING:Antitumor efficacy of MT19c was evaluated in ovarian cancer cell (SKOV-3) xenografts in nude mice and a syngenic rat ovarian cancer model. Serum calcium levels of MT19c or calcitriol treated animals were measured. In-silico molecular docking simulation and a cell based VDR reporter assay revealed MT19c-VDR interaction. Genomewide mRNA analysis of MT19c treated tumors identified drug targets which were verified by immunoblotting and microscopy. Quantification of cellular malonyl CoA was carried out by HPLC-MS. A binding study with PPAR-Y receptor was performed. MT19c reduced ovarian cancer growth in xenograft and syngeneic animal models without causing hypercalcemia or acute toxicity. MT19c is a weak vitamin-D receptor (VDR) antagonist that disrupted the interaction between VDR and coactivator SRC2-3. Genome-wide mRNA analysis and western blot and microscopy of MT19c treated xenograft tumors showed inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN) activity. MT19c reduced cellular levels of malonyl CoA in SKOV-3 cells and inhibited EGFR/phosphoinositol-3kinase (PI-3K) activity independently of PPAR-gamma protein. SIGNIFICANCE:Antitumor effects of non-hypercalcemic agent MT19c provide a new approach to the design of vitamin-D based anticancer molecules and a rationale for developing MT19c as a therapeutic agent for malignant ovarian tumors by targeting oncogenic de novo lipogenesis

Track D Social Science, Human Rights and Political Science

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138414/1/jia218442.pd

PROFIL WISATAWAN MUSEUM RADYA PUSTAKA SURAKARTA

Anggit Margaret, C9407031 2011. Profil Wisatawan Museum Radya Pustaka Surakarta. Program Studi Diploma III Usaha Perjalanan Wisata Fakultas Sastra Dan Seni Rupa Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta. Penelitian tugas akhir ini mengkaji tentang Profil Wisatawan di Museum Radya Pustaka Surakarta. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dari daerah mana saja wisatawan yang berkunjung ke Museum Radya Pustaka, bagaimana ciri-ciri wisatawan yang berkunjung ke Museum Radya Pustaka serta harapan-harapan yang diinginkan wisatawan terhadap Museum Radya Pustaka. Penelitian dilakukan dengan metode kualitatif. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui wawancara dengan narasumber wisatawan yang berkujung di Museum Radya Pustaka Surakarta tempat penulis melakukan penelitian, serta studi pustaka dan studi dokumen guna menambah sumber data. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa (1) Sebagian besar wisatawan yang datang berasal dari Semarang sebesar 32%. (2) Mayoritas wisatawan yang berkunjung ke Museum Radya Pustaka berusia antara 17-25 tahun dan kebanyakan dari mereka adalah pelajar atau mahasiswa dengan prosentase 52%. (3) Sebagian besar wisatawan yang datang ke Museum Radya Pustaka adalah bertujuan untuk melakukan penelitian yaitu sebesar 34%. (4) Harapan wisatawan yang berkunjung terhadap kelangsungan Museum Radya Pustaka sebagian besar adalah agar ditingkatkan lagi pengelolaan dan keamanan museum, agar kejadian hilangnya benda-benda koleksi museum tidak terulang lagi dikemudian hari. Kesimpulan dari hasil penelitian ini bahwa wisatawan yang berkujung ke Museum Radya Pustaka Surakarta mayoritas berasal dari Semarang, mayoritas berusia 17-25 tahun dan kebanyakan dari mereka adalah berprofesi sebagai pelajar dan mahasiswa. Kebanyakan wisatawan yang datang bertujuan untuk melakukan penelitian, serta harapan wisatawan terhadap Museum Radya Pustaka adalah supaya lebih ditingkatkan lagi pengelolaan dan keamanan museum

The KIM-family protein-tyrosine phosphatases use distinct reversible oxidation intermediates: Intramolecular or intermolecular disulfide bond formation

The kinase interaction motif (KIM) family of protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) includes hematopoietic protein-tyrosine phosphatase (HePTP), striatal-enriched protein-tyrosine phosphatase (STEP), and protein-tyrosine phosphatase receptor type R (PTPRR). KIM-PTPs bind and dephosphorylate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and thereby critically modulate cell proliferation and differentiation. PTP activity can readily be diminished by reactive oxygen species (ROS), e.g. H2O2, which oxidize the catalytically indispensable active-site cysteine. This initial oxidation generates an unstable sulfenic acid intermediate that is quickly converted into either a sulfinic/sulfonic acid (catalytically dead and irreversible inactivation) or a stable sulfenamide or disulfide bond intermediate (reversible inactivation). Critically, our understanding of ROS-mediated PTP oxidation is not yet sufficient to predict the molecular responses of PTPs to oxidative stress. However, identifying distinct responses will enable novel routes for PTP-selective drug design, important for managing diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, we performed a detailed biochemical and molecular study of all KIM-PTP family members to determine their H2O2 oxidation profiles and identify their reversible inactivation mechanism(s). We show that despite having nearly identical 3D structures and sequences, each KIM-PTP family member has a unique oxidation profile. Furthermore, we also show that whereas STEP and PTPRR stabilize their reversibly oxidized state by forming an intramolecular disulfide bond, HePTP uses an unexpected mechanism, namely, formation of a reversible intermolecular disulfide bond. In summary, despite being closely related, KIM-PTPs significantly differ in oxidation profiles. These findings highlight that oxidation protection is critical when analyzing PTPs, for example, in drug screening.American Diabetes Association Pathway to Stop Diabetes [1-14-ACN-31]; National Institutes of Health [R01NS091336]; Brazil Initiative Brown University grant; National Institutes of Health Grant [R01GM098482]12 month embargo; First Published: 7 April 2017This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]