MRE11 mutations and impaired ATM-dependent responses in an Italian family with ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder

Hypomorphic mutations of the MRE11 gene are the hallmark of the radiosensitive ataxia-telangiectasia-like disorder (ATLD). Here, we describe a new family with two affected siblings, ATLD5 and ATLD6, now aged 37 and 36, respectively. They presented with late onset cerebellar degeneration slowly progressing until puberty and absence of telangiectasias, and were cancer-free. Both patients were wild-type for ATM and NBS1, but compound heterozygotes for MRE11 gene mutations [1422C-->A, T481K; 1714C-->T, R571X]. The 1422C-->A allele was inherited from the mother, whereas the 1714C-->T, allele paternally inherited, was apparently null as a result of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Interestingly, the 1714C-->T mutation is the same as previously identified in an unrelated English ATLD family (probands ATLD3 and ATLD4), suggesting an important role for NMD in saving potentially lethal mutations. Lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from ATLD5 and ATLD6 were normal for ATM, but defective for Mre11, Rad50 and Nbs1 (the MRN complex) protein expression. Their response to gamma-radiation was abnormal, as evidenced by the enhanced radiosensitivity, attenuated autophosphorylation of ATM-S1981 and phosphorylation of the ATM targets p53-S15 and Smc1-S966, failure to form Mre11 nuclear foci and defective G1 checkpoint arrest. The fibroblasts, but not LCLs, from ATLD5 and ATLD6 showed an impaired ATM-dependent Chk2 phosphorylation. These findings further underscore the interconnection between ATM activity and MRN function, which rationalizes the clinical similarity between ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) and ATLD.     

Biallelic somatic inactivation of the mismatch repair gene MLH1 in a primary skin melanoma

Inactivation of mismatch repair (MMR) genes has been linked to the hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer syndrome and to a subset of sporadic cancers. A phenotypic characteristic of tumors with defective MMR is microsatellite instability (MSI). Although MSI has been reported in a proportion of cutaneous melanomas, inactivation of MMR genes in this tumor type has not been detected thus far. We recently described a human melanoma cell line, PR-Mel, and a cutaneous metastasis from the same patient, which displayed a MMR defect, and showed high MSI. Here we report that in the PR-Mel cell line both MLH1 alleles are somatically inactivated. One allele is lost through a chromosomal deletion of the region 3p21-24, whereas the remaining allele harbors a G --> A transition at position -1 of the acceptor splice site of intron 15, leading to the in-frame skipping of exon 16. The primary melanoma of the PR patient shows loss of heterozygosity at the BAT21 microsatellite marker, located in the MLH1 gene, and does not express the MLH1 and PMS2 proteins. Moreover, it harbors the same mutation detected in the PR-Mel cells. These results demonstrate that biallelic inactivation of MLH1 had occurred in the primary melanoma of the PR patient and suggest that disruption of MMR might have had a role in the development of the melanoma. This is the first report in which genetic defects leading to disruption of MMR function in a human melanoma have been identified.     

Deletion of the mental retardation gene Gdi1 impairs associative memory and alters social behavior in mice

Non-specific mental retardation (NSMR) is a common human disorder characterized by mental handicap as the only clinical symptom. Among the recently identified MR genes is GDI1, which encodes alpha Gdi, one of the proteins controlling the activity of the small GTPases of the Rab family in vesicle fusion and intracellular trafficking. We report the cognitive and behavioral characterization of mice carrying a deletion of Gdi1. The Gdi1-deficient mice are fertile and anatomically normal. They appear normal also in many tasks to assess spatial and episodic memory and emotional behavior. Gdi1-deficient mice are impaired in tasks requiring formation of short-term temporal associations, suggesting a defect in short-term memory. In addition, they show lowered aggression and altered social behavior. In mice, as in humans, lack of Gdi1 spares most central nervous system functions and preferentially impairs only a few forebrain functions required to form temporal associations. The general similarity to human mental retardation is striking, and suggests that the Gdi1 mutants may provide insights into the human defect and into the molecular mechanisms important for development of cognitive functions.     

Age and sex influence on oxidative damage and functional status in human skeletal muscle

A reduction in muscle mass, with consequent decrease in strength and resistance, is commonly observed with advancing age. In this study we measured markers of oxidative damage to DNA, lipids and proteins, some antioxidant enzyme activities as well Ca²⁺ transport in sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes in muscle biopsies from vastus lateralis of young and elderly healthy subjects of both sexes in order to evaluate the presence of age- and sex- related differences. We found a significant increase in oxidation of DNA and lipids in the elderly group, more evident in males, and a reduction in catalase and glutathione transferase activities. The experiments on Ca²⁺ transport showed an abnormal functional response of aged muscle after exposure to caffeine, which increases the opening of Ca²⁺ channels, as well a reduced activity of the Ca²⁺ pump in elderly males. From these results we conclude that oxidative stress play an important role in muscle aging and that oxidative damage is much more evident in elderly males, suggesting a gender difference maybe related to hormonal factors.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

μ and δ opioid receptor activation inhibits ω-conotoxin-sensitive calcium channels in a voltage- and time-dependent mode in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y

 Ca²⁺ channel modulation by the μ opioid agonist [d-Ala², N-Me-Phe⁴, Gly⁵-ol]-enkephalin (DAGO) and the δ opiate agonists [d-Pen², d-Pen⁵]-enkephalin (DPDPE) and [d-Ala², d-Leu⁵]-enkephalin (DADLE) in cultured human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was investigated using the whole-cell variant of the patch-clamp technique. In SH-SY5Y cells, differentiated in vitro with retinoic acid, all agonists reversibly decreased high-voltage-activated, ω-conotoxin-sensitive Ba²⁺ currents in a concentration-dependent way. Inhibition was maximal with a 1 μM concentration of opiate agonists (76% with DAGO and 63% with δ agonists, when measured at 0 mV) and was characterized by a clear slow down of Ba²⁺ current activation at low test potentials. Both inhibition and slow down of activation were attenuated at more positive potentials, and could be partially relieved by strong conditioning depolarizations. Current suppression operated by both μ and δ agonists was prevented by pre-treatment of the cells with pertussis toxin. No sign of additivity was observed when δ agonists were applied to cells that were maximally activated by DAGO, suggesting that a common mechanism, involving the same type of modulating molecule, is responsible for Ca²⁺ channel inhibition promoted by activation of μ and δ opioid receptors in SH-SY5Y cells. Received: 10 October 1996 / Received after revision and accepted: 18 November 1996     

Successful xenografting of cryopreserved primary pancreatic cancers

In order to assess the suitability of cryopreserved neoplastic tissues for xenografting into nude (nu/nu) mice, we compared the take rate in 28 samples of pancreatic ductal carcinoma. Eleven fresh samples were implanted in nu/nu mice, and 17 were frozen in cryopreserving solution and implanted at a later time. All samples were examined for the presence of neoplastic tissue in cryostat sections. A total of 15 tumors grew in the animals; five from the freshly implanted samples and ten from those cryopreserved. Ten xenografted tumors were characterized for alterations in p53, K-ras, and p16 genes, which were found in six, eight, and nine cases, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the take rate for xenografting is comparable between cryopreserved and fresh tissue samples. The procedure allows for the exchange of tumor material between institutions and permits the establishment of centralized facilities for the storage of an array of different primary tumor samples suitable for the production of in vivo models of cancers.     

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection in larval Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding on blackbirds in northwestern Italy

Birds belonging to 59 species (n = 1,206) were live captured in Piemonte, northwestern Italy, in 2001. Ixodes ricinus (L.) larvae were collected from 59 birds belonging to nine species, and nymphs were recovered on 79 birds belonging to 10 species. Eurasian blackbirds, Turdus merula L., had significantly higher levels of infestation by ticks than other passerine species. Larval I. ricinus of blackbirds peaked in summer, when prevalence was 39% (95% confidence interval 24.2-55.5) and mean number of ticks per host was 3.3 (1.6-7.2), whereas nymphs peaked in spring, when prevalence was 72.2% (54.8-85.8) and mean number of ticks per host was 6.9 (4.4-10.7). Immature I. ricinus were coincidentally aggregated on blackbirds, with 15 blackbirds feeding 67.4% of nymphs and 40.3% of larvae, and coinfestation by both stages was relatively high in summer: Kappa = 0.64 (0.40-0.88). Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 58.3% (35.9-78.5) of larvae with engorgement ratio > or = 3 that were collected from blackbirds. Larvae that were collected from other passerine species gave negative PCR results. Sixteen of 21 PCR-positive samples belonged to B. garinii (76.2%), and five (23.8%) were Borrelia valaisiana. Results of this study suggest that blackbirds play an important role as hosts for immature I. ricinus and as reservoir of Borrelia garinii in northwestern Italy.     

Identification of the basic subunit of Ara h 3 as the major allergen in a group of children allergic to peanuts.

BACKGROUND: Several proteins have been identified as peanut allergens; among them, Ara h 1 (7S globulin) and Ara h 2 (2S globulin) are usually considered the major allergens. OBJECTIVE: To identify the major allergens in a group of children selected for their specific pattern of immunoreactivity. METHODS: We identified the dominant allergen by using (1) amino acid sequencing of the bands that show the strongest IgE immunoreactivity in 1-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting and (2) specific animal IgGs raised against the dominant immunoreactive band to pinpoint the allergen(s) in peanut proteins separated by 2-dimensional electrophoresis and immunoblotting. To confirm these data, we further examined the peanut proteome using serum samples from the children with the unusual immunoreactivity. RESULTS: We found a group of children with marked peanut allergy who are specifically sensitized to the basic subunit of Ara h 3 (11S globulin family). CONCLUSION: That the dominant immunoreactivity in these patients is in a basic subunit of Ara h 3 was unexpected, because previous studies had indicated that Ara h 3 was only a minor peanut allergen and that the identified allergenic epitopes occurred mainly in the acidic Ara h 3 subunit.     

Consumption of solutions containing sodium chloride is enhanced in female oxytocin-deficient mice

Intact and ovariectomized oxytocin (OT)-deficient (OT-/-) and wild-type (OT+/+) mice were tested for consumption of 0.5 M NaCl solution or tap water in a 2-bottle choice test. During 3 days of acclimation, voluntary ingestion of NaCl was equal between genotypes. After overnight fluid deprivation, intact OT-/- mice ingested 2 times more NaCl solution than OT+/+ mice in the 6th hr, but not the 1st hr, after reintroduction of fluid. Ovariectomized mice consumed less than intact mice after overnight fluid deprivation. When a 0.2 M NaCl solution was administered for 6 days in ovariectomized mice, OT-/- mice voluntarily consumed greater amounts than OT+/+ mice. After overnight fluid deprivation, consumption by OT-/- mice was 3 times that of OT+/+ mice at 1 hr and 2-fold greater after 6 hr. Enhanced intake of NaCl-containing solutions in female OT-/- mice suggests that central OT may be an important inhibitor of sodium consumption.     

Transcription Factor PU.1 Promotes Conventional Dendritic Cell Identity and Function via Induction of Transcriptional Regulator DC-SCRIPT

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