Molecular Characterization Of G And P-types Bovine Rotavirus Strains From Goiás, Brazil: High Frequency Of Mixed P-type Infections.

In this study, 331 samples from calves less than one month old from a dairy herd in the district of Piracanjuba, state of Goiás, Brazil were tested for rotavirus. Thirty-three samples (9.9%) tested positive for rotavirus. Out of those, 31 were submitted to G and P characterization by reverse transcription followed by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction. Two samples were characterized as G6P[1], three as G10P[11] and five as G6P[11]. The majority of the samples (51.6%) displayed multiple P genotypes (P-genotype mixtures), including typical human genotypes P[4] and P[6M], suggesting the occurrence of co-infections and genetic reassortment. Also, the detection of human genotypes in bovine samples may be considered evidence of the zoonotic potential of rotaviruses. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such a high frequency of P genotype mixtures in bovine rotavirus samples. It also increases data on G and P rotavirus genotypes circulating in dairy herds in Brazil and can help in the development of more efficient immunization approaches, thereby controlling infection and reducing economical losses.1051040-

ATM Pathway Is Essential for HPV-Positive Human Cervical Cancer-Derived Cell Lines Viability and Proliferation.

Infection with some mucosal human papillomavirus (HPV) types is the etiological cause of cervical cancer and of a significant fraction of vaginal, vulvar, anal, penile, and head and neck carcinomas. DNA repair machinery is essential for both HPV replication and tumor cells survival suggesting that cellular DNA repair machinery may play a dual role in HPV biology and pathogenesis. Here, we silenced genes involved in DNA Repair pathways to identify genes that are essential for the survival of HPV-transformed cells. We identified that inhibition of the ATM/CHK2/BRCA1 axis selectively affects the proliferation of cervical cancer-derived cell lines, without altering normal primary human keratinocytes (PHK) growth. Silencing or chemical inhibition of ATM/CHK2 reduced the clonogenic and proliferative capacity of cervical cancer-derived cells. Using PHK transduced with HPV16 oncogenes we observed that the effect of ATM/CHK2 silencing depends on the expression of the oncogene E6 and on its ability to induce p53 degradation. Our results show that inhibition of components of the ATM/CHK2 signaling axis reduces p53-deficient cells proliferation potential, suggesting the existence of a synthetic lethal association between CHK2 and p53. Altogether, we present evidence that synthetic lethality using ATM/CHK2 inhibitors can be exploited to treat cervical cancer and other HPV-associated tumors

Serological and molecular diversity of human rotavirus in São Paulo, Brazil.

De um total de 187 amostras fecais coletadas no ambulatório do Hospital Universitário/USP, entre 1994 a 1996, 54 (28,9%) foram positivas para rotavírus. Entre as amostras caracterizadas por EGPA foram identificados nove perfis eletroforéticos longos, dois curtos e um tipo não usual. O subgrupo II e o sorotipo G2 foram os mais freqüentemente identificados. Foram caracterizadas três amostras com misturas de sorotipos. As amostras positivas e mais 163 amostras, coletadas em um laboratório particular, em 2000, foram genotipadas. Os genótipos G2P[4] e G1P[8] foram os mais freqüentes nos anos de 1994-1996 e G1P[8] e G9P[8], os mais freqüentes em 2000. Os genótipos G3 e G4 foram detectado em menor freqüência. No HU, 20 (38,5%) amostras foram caracterizadas como misturas de genótipos G e 16 (29,6%), como misturas de genótipos P; não foram identificadas misturas em 2000. Dezoito amostras foram caracterizadas como P[10] por RT-PCR mas a análise da seqüência de nucleotídeos mostrou uma homologia de 90,7 a 98,0% com a amostra padrão P[8].From 187 fecal samples collected from outpatients at Hospital Universitário (HU)/ USP, between 1994 to 1996, 54 (28,9%) were positive for rotavirus. Positive samples were submitted to electropherotyping, subgrouping, and G serotype. Electropherotypes were characterized as nine different long genome profiles, one short and one unusual profile. Subgroup II and G2 serotype were the most frequently found and three samples showed mixed serotypes. Rotavirus samples and an additional 163 positive fecal samples, collected in a private laboratory in 2000, were G and P genotyped. Genotypes G2P[4] and G1P[8] were the most frequently found in 1994-1996 and, in 2000, G1P[8] and G9P[8] were the most frequent. Genotype G3 and G4 were detected as minor strains in both years. For HU, G genotype mixtures were found in 20 (38.5%) samples and P mixtures were found in 16 (29.6%). No mixtures were identified in 2000. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 18 P[10] samples by RT-PCR showed 90.7 to 98.0% homology with the P[8] prototype

DNA repair diseases: what do they tell us about cancer and aging?

The discovery of DNA repair defects in human syndromes, initially in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) but later in many others, led to striking observations on the association of molecular defects and patients' clinical phenotypes. For example, patients with syndromes resulting from defective nucleotide excision repair (NER) or translesion synthesis (TLS) present high levels of skin cancer in areas exposed to sunlight. However, some defects in NER also lead to more severe symptoms, such as developmental and neurological impairment and signs of premature aging. Skin cancer in XP patients is clearly associated with increased mutagenesis and genomic instability, reflecting the defective repair of DNA lesions. By analogy, more severe symptoms observed in NER-defective patients have also been associated with defective repair, likely involving cell death after transcription blockage of damaged templates. Endogenously induced DNA lesions, particularly through oxidative stress, have been identified as responsible for these severe pathologies. However, this association is not that clear and alternative explanations have been proposed. Despite high levels of exposure to intense sunlight, patients from tropical countries receive little attention or care, which likely also reflects the lack of understanding of how DNA damage causes cancer and premature aging

Detection, Subgroup Specificity, and Genotype Diversity of Rotavirus Strains in Children with Acute Diarrhea in Paraguay

Of a total of 220 stool specimens from children with acute diarrhea, mostly under the age of 3 years, collected in Paraguay between January 1999 and March 2000, 70 (31.8%) were found positive for rotaviruses (RV). Positive samples were characterized by electropherotyping and subgrouping. Sixty-one (87.1%) were classified as group A, subgroup II; one (1.4%) was classified as group A, subgroup I; six (8.6%) were group A, non-I non-II; and two (2.9%) were not tested. RV strains were G and P genotyped by reverse transcription-PCR. The following G types were detected: G4 (34.3%), G1 (21.4%), G2 (1.4%), and G9 (5.7%). Mixtures of human and animal genotypes were detected in 15 (21.4%) samples, and 11 samples (15.7%) were nontypeable. The following P types were detected: P[8] (48.6%), P[4] (1.4%), and P[1] (1.4%). A mixed type was found in 10% of samples, and an unexpectedly high percentage (38.6%) of nontypeable samples was found. The common human G- and P-type combinations P[8], G4 (15.7%) and P[8], G1 (14.2%) were detected. Mixed human and animal genotypes were observed as the following combinations: G4 + G5, G4 + G5 + G10, and G1 + G10 for G types and P[8]-P[1] for P types. The emerging G9 genotype was detected in four samples. These results show for the first time the diversity of RV circulating among children in Paraguay and contribute to the knowledge of this pathogen required to devise strategies to prevent diarrheal illness in this country. The finding of mixed genotypes may indicate interspecies transmission of RV between humans and animals.