Differential selection of acridine resistance mutations in human DNA topoisomerase IIbeta is dependent on the acridine structure

Type II DNA topoisomerases are targets of acridine drugs. Nine mutations conferring resistance to acridines were obtained by forced molecular evolution, using methyl N-(4'-(9-acridinylamino)-3-methoxy-phenyl) methane sulfonamide (mAMSA), methyl N-(4'-(9-acridinylamino)-2-methoxy-phenyl) carbamate hydrochloride (mAMCA), methyl N-(4'-(9-acridinylamino)-phenyl) carbamate hydrochloride (AMCA), and N-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]acridines-4-carboxamide (DACA) as selection agents. Mutations betaH514Y, betaE522K, betaG550R, betaA596T, betaY606C, betaR651C, and betaD661N were in the B' domain, and betaG465D and betaP732L were not. With AMCA, four mutations were selected (betaE522K, betaG550R, betaA596T, and betaD661N). Two mutations were selected with mAMCA (betaY606C and betaR651C) and two with mAMSA (betaG465D and betaP732L). It is interesting that there was no overlap between mutation selection with AMCA and mAMSA or mAMCA. AMCA lacks the methoxy substituent present in mAMCA and mAMSA, suggesting that this motif determines the mutations selected. With the fourth acridine DACA, five mutations were selected for resistance (betaG465D, betaH514Y, betaG550R, betaA596T, and betaD661N). betaG465D was selected with both DACA and mAMSA, and betaG550R, betaA596T, and betaD661N were selected with both DACA and AMCA. DACA lacks the anilino motif of the other three drugs but retains the acridine ring motif. The overlap in selection with DACA and mAMSA or AMCA suggests that altered recognition of the acridine moiety may be involved in these mutations. We used restriction fragment length polymorphisms and heteroduplex analysis to demonstrate that some mutations were selected multiple times (betaG465D, betaE522K, betaG550R, betaA596T, and betaD661N), whereas others were selected only once (betaH514Y, betaY606C, betaR651C, and betaP732L). Here, we compare the drug resistance profile of all nine mutations and report the biochemical characterization of three, betaG550R, betaY606C, and betaD661N.     

A violent mix? The association between concurrent alcohol and cocaine use and violence amongst young people in England and Wales

Aim: This study explored the association between concurrent alcohol and cocaine use and its predictive probability of self-reported violent behaviour. Methods: A series of logistic regression models were run on a sample of 3098 young people (aged 16–25) from a national self-report study. Findings: Current cocaine use was identified as predictive of violent offending (Exp B?=?2.363, p?≤?0.01). Cocaine use was also more likely in those reporting heavy episodic drinking. Whilst findings suggested an additive risk for both heavy episodic drinking and cocaine consumption, there was no evidence of a multiplicative risk associated with concurrent use on the probability of assault outcomes. Results also suggest that heavy episodic alcohol drinking was mediated by experience of violent victimization and having been involved in anti-social behaviour. Conclusions: Findings suggest that whilst interventions aimed at reducing drinking or cocaine consumption are likely to have some effect in reducing offending behaviour, attention should also be given to other individual level factors such as prior violent victimization and wider involvement in anti-social behaviour as these may be confounded as part of a wider substance misusing lifestyle or associated with violence as part as a wider repertoire of anti-social behaviour.     

Protection of pigs against Taenia solium cysticercosis by immunization with novel recombinant antigens

Recombinant antigens from the oncosphere stage of the parasite Taenia solium were expressed in Escherichia coli. The TSOL16, TSOL45-1A and TSOL45-1B recombinant antigens, each consisting of fibronectin type III (FnIII) domain S, were produced as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and maltose binding protein (MBP). Groups of pigs were immunized twice with the GST fusions of the antigens and boosted a third time with the MBP fusions prior to receiving a challenge infection with T. solium eggs. The TSOL16 antigen was found to be capable of inducing high levels of immunity in pigs against a challenge infection with T. solium. Immunological investigations identified differences in immune responses in the pigs vaccinated with the various antigens. The results demonstrate that the TSOL16 antigen could be a valuable adjunct to current porcine vaccination approaches and may allow the further development of new vaccination strategies against T. solium cysticercosis.     

Antigenic differences between the EG95‐related proteins from Echinococcus granulosus G1 and G6 genotypes: implications for vaccination

Cystic echinococcosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus remains an important and neglected issue in public health. The study of the likely efficacy of the currently available EG95 vaccine against other genotypes of the parasite is important to improve the vaccine as a potential tool to be used in control programmes. The recombinant vaccine EG95‐1G1 was developed based on the G1 genotype of E. granulosus. Characterization of the eg95 gene family in the G6 genotype by genomic DNA cloning previously produced the first unequivocal information about the composition of the gene family in a different genotype. The information was used in this study to predict and express two EG95‐related proteins from the G6 genotype as recombinants, for assessment of their capacity to bind antibodies raised in sheep vaccinated with the EG95‐1G1 vaccine. The proteins (EG95‐1G6 and EG95‐5G6) from the G6 genotype of E. granulosus were unable to bind all the antibodies raised by sheep vaccinated with EG95‐1G1. Differences in the amino acid sequence of EG95‐related proteins from G6 and likely the differences in the encoded FnIII domain may be responsible for changes in the conformation of these epitopes.     

Identification of the RAG-1 as a suitable mouse model for mitochondrial DNA disease

Previous studies have shown that transfer of human myoblasts carrying a mitochondrial DNA mutation into muscles of the severe combined immunodeficient mouse may provide an important animal model for mitochondrial myopathy. However, a major drawback of this mouse is its extreme sensitivity to ionising radiation, a pre-treatment which enhances the efficiency of myoblast transfer success. We implanted human myoblasts into the tibialis anterior muscles of another immunodeficient mouse, mutated in the recombinase activating gene-1 (RAG-1), to determine if this mouse could be an alternative to the severe combined immunodeficient for our mitochondrial myoblast transfer model. We also examined several different methods of muscle degeneration prior to myoblast transfer to determine which method resulted in the greatest amount of human tissue in implanted muscles. Our results show that the RAG-1 mouse displayed no sensitivity to the irradiation process compared to the high sensitivity in the severe combined immunodeficient mouse which resulted in early termination of the study. We also show that degeneration of host muscles by the myotoxin barium chloride (BaCl(2)) resulted in the greatest amount of regenerating human muscle fibres in both the severe combined immunodeficient and RAG-1 mice. In addition, the maximum amount of human fibres observed in transplanted muscles was similar in each mouse strain. The average number of fibres throughout muscles was significantly greater in severe combined immunodeficient mice injured by BaCl(2), but was similar between all other muscle groups. This study suggests that the RAG-1 mouse is a suitable host for the mitochondrial myoblast transfer model and may also prove valuable for other myoblast transfer models such as muscular dystrophy.     

The use of skin fibroblast cultures in the detection of respiratory chain defects in patients with lacticacidemia

Cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with lacticacidemia were incubated with glucose for 1 h and the lactate and pyruvate production measured. Those patients with increased lactate to pyruvate ratios were further analyzed for the cause of the abnormal redox state. Two categories of patients are described. The first contains patients with either severe or partial cytochrome oxidase deficiency; this group can be broken down further into patients with Leigh's disease, Kearns-Sayre syndrome, and liver-specific cytochrome oxidase deficiency. In this group, the rise in lactate to pyruvate ratio roughly correlated with the severity of the defect. The second patient category had defects located in complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. This is easily demonstrated in the most severely affected patients with the fatal infantile form of the disease. Patients with severe defects in either complex I or cytochrome oxidase had complexes that were only partially assembled. Patients with mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes demonstrated only minor changes in redox state and in the behavior of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.     

DNA Delivery to Mitochondria: Sequence Specificity and Energy Enhancement

Purpose  

Mitochondria are competent for DNA uptake in vitro, a mechanism which may support delivery of therapeutic DNA to complement organelle DNA mutations. We document here key aspects of the DNA import process, so as to further lay the ground for mitochondrial transfection in intact cells.     

Characterisation of antibody responses in pigs induced by recombinant oncosphere antigens from Taenia solium

Recombinant antigens cloned from the oncosphere life cycle stage of the cestode parasite Taenia solium (T. solium) have been proven to be effective as vaccines for protecting pigs against infections with T. solium. Previous studies have defined three different host protective oncosphere antigens, TSOL18, TSOL16 and TSOL45. In this study, we evaluated the potential for combining the antigens TSOL16 and TSOL18 as a practical vaccine. Firstly, in a laboratory trial, we compared the immunogenicity of the combined antigens (TSOL16/18) versus the immunogenicity of the antigens separately. Secondly, in a field trial, we tested the ability of the TSOL16/18 vaccine to induce detectable antibody responses in animals living under environmental stress and traditionally reared in areas where T. solium cysticercosis is endemic; and finally, we characterised the immune response of the study population. Pigs of 8–16 weeks of age were vaccinated with 200 μg each of TSOL16 and TSOL18, plus 5 mg of Quil-A. Specific total IgG, IgG₁ and IgG₂ antibody responses induced by TSOL16 and TSOL18 were determined with ELISA. The immunogenicity of both antigens was retained in the combined TSOL16/18 vaccine. The combined vaccine TSOL16/18 induced detectable specific anti-TSOL18 antibody responses in 100% (113/113) and specific anti-TSOL16 in 99% (112/113) of the vaccinated animals measured at 2 weeks following the booster vaccination. From the two IgG antibody subtypes analysed we found there was stronger response to IgG₂.