Evaluation of mutagenic,recombinogenic and carcinogenic potential of (+)-usnic acid in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster

The main of this study was to evaluate the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of (+) – usnic acid (UA), using Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) and the test for detecting epithelial tumor clones (wts) in Drosophila melanogaster. Larvae from 72 ± 4 h from Drosophila were fed with UA (5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 mM); urethane (10.0 mM) (positive control); and solvent (Milli-Q water, 1% Tween-80 and 3% ethanol) (negative control). ST cross produced increase in total mutant spots in the individuals treated with 5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 mM of UA. HB cross produced spot frequencies in the concentration of 5.0 mM that were higher than the frequency for the same concentration in the ST cross. In the highest concentrations the result was negative, which means that the difference observed can be attributed, in part, to the high levels of P450, suggesting that increasing the metabolic capacity maximized the toxic effect of these doses. In the evaluation of carcinogenesis using the wts test, the results obtained for the same concentrations of UA show a positive result for the presence of tumors when compared to the negative control. We conclude that UA has recombinogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on somatic cells in D. melanogaster.     

A novel DDC gene deletion mutation in two Chinese mainland siblings with aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency

Background

Aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency (OMIM #608643) is a rare and severe disorder of biogenic amine synthesis caused by mutations in the DDC gene. The phenomenology of the movement disorder includes intermittent oculogyric crises and limb dystonia, generalized athetosis, and impaired voluntary movement.

一腓骨肌萎缩症家系临床及基因分析

目的分析一腓骨肌萎缩症家系的临床表现及不同基因检测方法的特点。方法收集一CMT家系8名成员临床资料,并应用等位基因特异性PCR-双酶切方法及多重连接依赖的探针扩增技术(MLPA)检测PMP22基因突变情况,同时选择60名性别、年龄无明显差异的健康人做为对照组。结果该家系中患病者以行走不稳、跨阈步态,伴有弓形足为主要临床表现。该家系中5名成员经等位基因特异性PCR-双酶切及MLPA方法均检测出PMP22基因重复序列,其中出现临床症状的有4名(Ⅱ3、Ⅱ9、Ⅱ11、Ⅲ7),未出现临床症状但基因检测结果示PMP22基因重复序列的为携带者有1名(Ⅲ5),家系中余3名成员及对照组60名均未见重复序列。结论基因检测在明确CMT诊断中起重要作用,且MLPA法筛查基因时操作更简便、灵敏度更高、特异性更好。     

Antimicrobial activities of novel bipyridine compounds produced by a new strain of Saccharothrix isolated from Saharan soil

The actinobacterium strain ABH26 closely related to Saccharothrix xinjiangensis, isolated from an Algerian Saharan soil sample, exhibited highly antagonist activity against Gram-positive bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. Its ability to produce antimicrobial compounds was investigated using several solid culture media. The highest antimicrobial activity was obtained on Bennett medium. The antibiotics secreted by strain ABH26 on Bennett medium were extracted by methanol and purified by reverse-phase HPLC using a C18 column. The chemical structures of the compounds were determined after spectroscopic (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY and ¹H-¹³C HMBC spectra), and spectrometric (mass spectrum) analyses. Two new cyanogriside antibiotics named cyanogriside I (1) and cyanogriside J (2), were characterized along with three known caerulomycins, caerulomycin A (3), caerulomycin F (4) and caerulomycinonitrile (5). This is the first report of cyanogrisides and caerulomycins production by a member of the Saccharothrix genus. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these antibiotics were determined against pathogenic microorganisms.     

PINK1 mutations in sporadic early-onset Parkinson's disease.

Pathogenic PINK1 mutations have been described in PARK6-linked Parkinson's disease (PD) patients of Asian origin. However, data on the frequency of PINK1 mutations in sporadic early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) Asian patients are lacking. The objectives of this study were to report the frequency of PINK1 mutations of sporadic EOPD in an Asian cohort comprising of ethnic Chinese, Malays, and Indians, and to highlight a PINK1-positive patient who presented with restless legs symptoms. Eighty consecutive sporadic EOPD patients from the movement disorder clinics of two major tertiary institutions in the country were included. We performed sequence analysis of all the coding and exon-intron junctions of the PINK1 using specific primer sets. In addition, we genotyped polymorphisms detected from the analysis in a group of sporadic PD patients and controls. Three different mutations (two homozygous nonsense and one heterozygous missense) in the putative kinase domain were found in three patients, giving a 3.7% frequency of PINK1 mutations in our EOPD cohort. All the mutations were absent in 200 healthy controls. One patient with a novel homozygous nonsense PINK1 mutation presented unusually with restless legs symptoms. Separately, analysis of the frequency of four PINK1 polymorphisms in a group of sporadic PD and controls did not reveal any significant differences. We highlight a 3.7% frequency of PINK1 mutations in an Asian cohort (ethnic Chinese, Malay, and Indian) of EOPD. The phenotypic spectrum associated with PINK1-positive patients may be wider than previously reported. Polymorphisms of PINK1 do not appear to modulate risk of PD in our population.     

人睫状神经营养因子结构和功能的研究

制备高活性的重组人睫状神经营养因子，并研究其生物学功能。方法：应用大肠杆菌表达ｈＣＮＴＦ，用片段插入和法研究其结构与功能关系；切断大鼠骨神经，局部及皮下给予ＣＮＴＦ，应用辣根过氧化物酶逆行追踪技术显示再生轴突通过修复部位的胞体。结果；ｈＣＮＴＦ分子中α－螺旋结构的维持对其生物活性十分重要Ｃ端松散地其生物活性贡献不大，Ｄ螺旋中后段可能与生物活性有密切关系；     

Haemophilia A and haemophilia B: molecular insights

This review focuses on selected areas that should interest both the scientist and the clinician alike: polymorphisms within the factor VIII and factor IX genes, their linkage, and their ethnic variation; a general assessment of mutations within both genes and a detailed inspection of the molecular pathology of certain mutations to illustrate the diverse cause–effect relations that exist; a summary of current knowledge on molecular aspects of inhibitor production; and an introduction to the new areas of factor VIII and factor IX catabolism. An appendix defining various terms encountered in the molecular genetics of the haemophilias is included, together with an appendix providing accession numbers and locus identification links for accessing gene and sequence information in the international nucleic acid databases.     

Modelling Germline Mosaicism and Different New Mutation Rates Simultaneously for Appropriate Risk Calculations in Families with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

For several genetic diseases two biological phenomena have been recognised as important: germline mosaicism; and different new mutation rates in males and females depending on mutation type. Both principles have been investigated separately and their influence on risk estimation in families has been exemplified in the literature. The aim of this paper is to present a general model that includes mosaicism and different new mutation rates. Mosaicism is introduced by defining additional alleles at the disease locus in combination with adapted segregation rules. Taking Duchenne muscular dystrophy as an example, we derive the conditions which have to be fulfilled for a population in mutation selection equilibrium. Our approach describes the model at the population level and not in individual subjects. This has the advantage of being able to use well known algorithms for the calculation of likelihoods in pedigrees, and to include additional diagnostic information such as marker genotypes and carrier deletion test results. We demonstrate the impact of the new model on a typical pedigree. In families where the patient is not available, the distinction between point mutations and deletions is important, since often molecular diagnostic tests for females can only screen for deletions. Negative deletion test results can now be included in the risk calculations.