hTERT gene amplification and increased mRNA expression in central nervous system embryonal tumors

High-level gains at 5p15, a chromosomal region including the human telomerase catalytic protein subunit (hTERT) gene, have been documented in several medulloblastomas. We therefore analyzed hTERT gene dosage in a group of medulloblastomas and other embryonal brain tumors using differential PCR. Amplification of the hTERT locus was detected in 15 of 36 (42%) tumors examined. To correlate gene amplification with message level, we used real-time quantitative PCR to measure hTERT mRNA in 50 embryonal brain tumors. hTERT mRNA was detected in all but one of these cases, and mRNA level correlated significantly with gene dosage (r = 0.82). Log-rank analysis of survival data revealed a trend toward poor clinical outcomes in patients with medulloblastomas containing high hTERT mRNA levels, but clinical follow-up was relatively short and the association was not statistically significant (P = 0.078). Comparative genomic hybridization was used to further analyze the tumor with the greatest hTERT gene dosage and mRNA level, a recurrent medulloepithelioma. hTERT was amplified in the recurrent tumor but not in the primary lesion, suggesting this locus can be involved in tumor progression. Our data indicate that hTERT gene amplification is relatively common in embryonal brain tumors, and that increased expression of hTERT mRNA may be associated with biologically aggressive tumor behavior.     

Generation, annotation, evolutionary analysis, and database integration of 20,000 unique sea urchin EST clusters

Together with the hemichordates, sea urchins represent basal groups of nonchordate invertebrate deuterostomes that occupy a key position in bilaterian evolution. Because sea urchin embryos are also amenable to functional studies, the sea urchin system has emerged as one of the leading models for the analysis of the function of genomic regulatory networks that control development. We have analyzed a total of 107,283 cDNA clones of libraries that span the development of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Normalization by oligonucleotide fingerprinting, EST sequencing and sequence clustering resulted in an EST catalog comprised of 20,000 unique genes or gene fragments. Around 7000 of the unique EST consensus sequences were associated with molecular and developmental functions. Phylogenetic comparison of the identified genes to the genome of the urochordate Ciona intestinalis indicate that at least one quarter of the genes thought to be chordate specific were already present at the base of deuterostome evolution. Comparison of the number of gene copies in sea urchins to those in chordates and vertebrates indicates that the sea urchin genome has not undergone extensive gene or complete genome duplications. The established unique gene set represents an essential tool for the annotation and assembly of the forthcoming sea urchin genome sequence. All cDNA clones and filters of all analyzed libraries are available from the resource center of the German genome project at http://www.rzpd.de.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilities and plasmid contents of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from commercial sex workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh: emergence of high-level resistance to ciprofloxacin

Commercial sex workers (CSWs) serve as the most important reservoir of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), including gonorrhea. Periodic monitoring of the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a high-risk population provides essential clues regarding the rapidly changing pattern of antimicrobial susceptibilities. A study concerning the prevalence of gonococcal infection among CSWs was conducted in Bangladesh. The isolates were examined with regards to their antimicrobial susceptibility to, and the MICs of, penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, and spectinomycin by disk diffusion and agar dilution methods. The total plasmid profile of the isolates was also analyzed. Of the 224 CSWs, 94 (42%) were culture positive for N. gonorrhoeae. There was a good correlation between the results of the disk diffusion and agar dilution methods. Some 66% of the isolates were resistant to penicillin, and 34% were moderately susceptible to penicillin. Among the resistant isolates, 23.4% were penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG). 60.6% of the isolates were resistant and 38.3% were moderately susceptible to tetracycline, 17.5% were tetracycline-resistant N. gonorrhoeae, 11.7% were resistant and 26.6% had reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, 2.1% were resistant and 11.7% had reduced susceptibility to cefuroxime, and 1% were resistant to ceftriaxone. All PPNG isolates contained a 3.2-MDa African type of plasmid, and a 24.2-MDa conjugative plasmid was present in 34.1% of the isolates. Since quinolones such as ciprofloxacin are recommended as the first line of therapy for gonorrhea, the emergence of significant resistance to ciprofloxacin will limit the usefulness of this drug for treatment of gonorrhea in Bangladesh.     

Mouse macrophage development in the absence of the common γ chain: defining receptor complexes responsible for IL-4 and IL-13 signaling

The common γ chain (γ_c) forms a critical component of the receptors for interleukins (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-15. We analyzed γ_c-deficient mice to define a role for γ_c signaling in the development and function of the macrophage lineage. No major differences in absolute cell numbers, cell surface phenotype, or in vitro function of γ^?_c compared to γ⁺_c macrophages were observed. We therefore conclude that signaling through the γ_c chain is not essential for the differentiation of mouse macrophages. Although B and T cells require γ_c for IL-4 responses, IL-4 up-regulated major histocompatibility class II molecules and inhibited nitric oxide production from γ^?_c macrophages following stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ. γ^?_c macrophages could also respond to IL-13, consistent with the model of a type II IL-4 receptor α/IL-13R which can function in the absence of γ_c. Both IL-4 and IL-13 responses could be completely inhibited with the mouse IL-4 antagonist QY, suggesting that all of the observed IL-13 responses pass through the type II receptor, making it the primary signaling receptor complex for IL-13 in mouse macrophages.     

Pathogenesis of primary respiratory disease induced by isolates from a new genetic cluster of bovine viral diarrhea virus type I

The pathogenesis of infection induced by cytopathogenic isolates from the newly identified genetic cluster Id of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) type I was studied in two experimental infections of previously seronegative, immunocompetent calves. Experiment 1 focused on the evaluation of clinical patterns, viremia, and serological responses. All infected calves in this experiment developed respiratory symptoms and seroconverted to BVDV positivity. Contact calves also contracted a respiratory tract infection following exposure to infected animals. Viremia was demonstrated between postinfection days 2 and 17, and the virus was detected in organ specimens of all but one each of the infected and contact calves. In experiment 2, the distribution of BVDV in various tissues of calves euthanized at defined days postinfection was studied. In two of these calves recurrent shedding of BVDV in nasal secretions was shown. BVDV was detected in various tissues of all infected calves throughout the experiment and also following seroconversion and the clearance of BVDV from the circulatory system. Despite the widespread distribution of the virus in various organs, significant tissue damage was found mainly in respiratory tract and lymphoid tissues. These experiments revealed that viruses from cluster Id of BVDV are able to induce primary respiratory disease in previously seronegative, immunocompetent calves. Contact transmission and virus recurrence, contrary to observations from acute experimental infections with noncytopathogenic BVDV, are likely to reflect differences in biological features of these cytopathogenic isolates. Virus shedding and its presence in tissues following peripheral clearance and in the presence of antibodies may have implications in the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and epidemiology of BVDV-induced syndromes in cattle.     

Characterization of Aeromonas spp. isolated from humans with diarrhea, from healthy controls, and from surface water in Bangladesh.

Aeromonas isolates from patients with diarrhea in Bangladesh (n = 69), from healthy controls (n = 11), and from surface water (n = 40) were analyzed with respect to their hybridization groups (HGs) by the aid of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) characterization and DNA fingerprinting by AFLP, biochemical phenotypes (Phe-nePlate [PhP] types), and the production of hemolysin and cytotoxin. The aim of the investigation was to find out whether certain strains carrying virulence factors predominated among patient isolates. According to FAME and/or AFLP analysis, most human isolates were allocated to DNA HGs 4 (Aeromonas caviae) and 1 (A. hydrophila). Most environmental strains were allocated to HG8 (A. veronii biogroup sobria) and HG4 (A. caviae), and only one was of HG1. According to PhP typing, the diversity among patient isolates was lower than that among other strains, and two dominating PhP types (types BD-1 and BD-2) were identified in 29 and 30% of the patient isolates, respectively. PhP type BD-1 was also common among the environmental isolates, whereas PhP type BD-2 was only identified in two of the other isolates. Twenty-five of 26 isolates belonging to HG1 were of the same PhP type (BD-2), whereas isolates of other common HGs were more diverse according to their PhP types. Hemolytic and cytotoxin-producing strains occurred more frequently among the environmental isolates than among patient isolates. However, the hemolytic and cytotoxic activities among human isolates was strongly correlated to the HG1/BD-2 type, which, in addition, showed high cytotoxin titers (median values, 1/512 compared to 1/128 for cytotoxin-positive isolates belonging to other types). Thus, the HG1/BD-2 type may represent a pathogenic A. hydrophila type that is able to produce diarrhea in humans.     

Controlled study of Escherichia coli diarrheal infections in Bangladeshi children.

Diarrheal diseases are highly prevalent in Bangladesh. However, the relative contribution of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli organisms--those that are enterotoxigenic (ETEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), enteroinvasive, enterohemorrhagic, enteroaggregative, and diffuse adherent--to diarrhea in Bangladeshi populations is not known. With DNA probes specific for these diarrheagenic E. coli strains, we analyzed fecal E. coli from 451 children up to 5 years of age with acute diarrhea seeking treatment at a Dhaka hospital and from 602 matched control children without diarrhea from July 1991 to May 1992. Enteroinvasive E. coli was not isolated from any children; enterohemorrhagic E. coli was not isolated from any diarrheal children but was isolated from five control children; enteroaggregative and diffuse adherent E. coli strains were isolated with similar frequencies from children with and without diarrhea, thereby showing no association with diarrhea; ETEC was significantly associated with diarrhea in the diarrheal children as a whole and especially in the age groups of 0 to 24 months and 37 to 48 months (further analysis suggests an association with diarrhea for the heat-stable toxin only and for both heat-labile- and heat-stable-toxin-producing ETEC only); and EPEC was significantly associated with diarrhea in the diarrhea group as a whole and particularly in infants up to 1 year of age. Further analysis suggested that EPEC strains of only the traditional serogroups were significantly associated with diarrhea. ETEC and EPEC infections peaked during warm months. Our data thus suggest that EPEC and ETEC are important causes of acute diarrhea in children in this setting.     

Effects of Purified Staphylococcal Alpha Toxin on the Ultrastructure of Human and Rabbit Erythrocytes

Previous studies have suggested that the primary site of action of purified staphylococcal alpha toxin is the cell membrane. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy studies were undertaken, therefore, to define toxin-induced alterations in the surface morphology of rabbit and human red blood cells. During the prelytic lag phase, scanning electron microscopy revealed multiple discrete blisters on the surface of rabbit red blood cells; during hemolysis, cellular collapse and ghosts were seen, but most striking was the separation of large fragments of cell membrane from red blood cell surfaces. In contrast, alterations in less sensitive human red blood cells were limited to occasional fingerlike protrusions during the period of accelerated lysis. Transmission electron microscopy substantiated these changes. These studies have provided further evidence that the cell membrane is the primary site of action of staphylococcal alpha toxin.     

Molecular characterization of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and -2 in individuals from guinea-bissau with single or dual infections: predominance of a distinct HIV-1 subtype A/G recombinant in West Africa.

Guinea-Bissau in West Africa has the highest prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-2 infection in the world, but recently the HIV-1 prevalence increased rapidly with the subsequent appearance of HIV-1 and HIV-2 dual infections. Information about the genetic subtypes of HIV in the region is limited. Therefore, we characterized the env V3 region of HIV-1 and HIV-2 variants through direct DNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 18 individuals with HIV-1 only and 9 individuals with dual infection. Phylogenetic analyses of these new sequences and database sequences from other West African countries showed that all HIV-1 and HIV-2 sequences from singly as well as dually infected individuals, except one, clustered among HIV-1 subtype A and HIV-2 subtype A, respectively. Importantly, a majority of the HIV-1 sequences from Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring countries were closely related with the isolates IbNG, DJ263, and DJ264, which share a common subtype A/G recombination pattern. Analysis of pol gene sequences from selected HIV-1 variants showed that "IbNG-like" viruses in Guinea-Bissau are also recombinant, indicating that the HIV-1 epidemic in Guinea-Bissau and neighbouring countries is dominated by an epidemic spread of a distinct subtype A/G recombinant, which is strikingly similar to the epidemic spread of a subtype A/E recombinant in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the HIV-1 and HIV-2 variants carried by individuals with dual infection were intermixed with variants from singly infected individuals, indicating that variants involved in dual and single infections have common epidemiological histories.