Predicting the development of infant emotionality from maternal characteristics

Few studies have examined the associations between environmental conditions and developing infant emotionality or the differential susceptibility to those conditions. The present longitudinal study aims to make a contribution to close that gap. We analyzed whether positive emotionality, negative emotionality/irritability, and withdrawal/fear at the end of the first year of life are predictable from preceding caregiver's depression/anxiety, social support, and sensitivity in the interaction with the infant while controlling for antecedent states of emotionality. Furthermore, the question of whether associations between maternal characteristics and subsequent fear are stronger in the subgroup of infants high in irritability as opposed to those who are low in irritability was investigated. Subjects were 101 healthy firstborn infants and their primary caregivers. Assessments were conducted at infant ages of 4, 8, and 12 months. Depression, anxiety, and the social support of the caregiver were assessed by questionnaire. Sensitivity in the caregiver-infant interaction was assessed by behavior observations within the scope of home visits. Temperament characteristics were observed in standardized laboratory episodes. Whereas negative emotionality and withdrawal/fear were significantly predictable from the maternal characteristics, no predictability could be shown for developing positive emotionality. There were indications of a stronger association between the maternal characteristics and developing withdrawal/fear in irritable infants.     

Analysis of gene expression patterns in small amounts of human ventricular myocardium by a multiplex RNase protection assay

 End-stage human heart failure is associated with changes in expression of steady-state messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. These changes correspond to alterations in protein levels and myocardial function and may have clinical implications regarding etiology, clinical state, or prognosis. However, analysis of mRNA levels in endomyocardial biopsies can be accomplished only by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction, which is difficult to standardize. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the RNase protection assay is applicable to measure mRNAs of multiple genes simultaneously in small amounts of ventricular myocardium comparable to myocardial biopsies. Total RNA was prepared from left ventricular myocardium from terminally failing hearts with idiopathic (n=9) or ischemic cardiomyopathy (n=7) and from nonfailing control hearts (n=10). mRNA was measured by an optimized RNase protection assay for the β₁-adrenoceptor, the stimulatory G protein α-subunit (G_sα), phospholamban, the calcium ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SERCA), β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), and the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). We extracted 10.7±2.1 μg total RNA from three myocardial biopsies taken in vitro. All of the six genes were measurable in duplicate in a total of 7 μg RNA. mRNAs of β₁-adrenoceptor, phospholamban, and SERCA were lower in failing than in nonfailing myocardium by 50%, 33%, and 42% respectively, whereas β-MHC and G_sα mRNAs were unchanged. mRNA of ANP was expressed at high levels only in the failing myocardium, providing a highly specific and sensitive marker for discriminating nonfailing and failing hearts. A direct comparison with ANP and G_sα levels obtained by Northern blot analysis with 7.5 μg total RNA showed a good correlation between the two methods. The RNase protection assay is thus a suitable method for simultaneous measurements of multiple mRNA levels in human myocardial biopsies. Changes in mRNA levels closely reflected those identified by other methods using larger amounts of RNA. Increased myocardial ANP mRNA levels determined by the RNase protection assay may serve as a molecular marker of heart failure. Received: 12 May 1997 / Accepted: 8 September 1997     

Clonal differentiation of uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates of serotype O6:K5 by fimbrial antigen typing and DNA long-range mapping techniques

Escherichia coli isolates of serotype O6:K5 are the most common causative agents of cystitis and pyelonephritis in adults. To answer the question, as to whether strains of this particular serotype represent one special clonal group, out of a collection of 34 serotype O6:K5 isolates [Zingler et al. (1990) Zentralbl. Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg [A] 274:372–381] 15 strains were selected and analyzed in detail. The flagellar (H) antigen and the outer membrane protein (OMP) pattern were determined. Further serum resistance properties and the genetic presence and expression of other virulence factors, including hemolysin, aerobactin, P fimbriae, S/F1C fimbriae and type 1 fimbriae was evaluated. In addition the Xba-Imacrorestriction pattern of ten representative isolates was elaborated and the fimbrial (F) antigen type of the P fimbriae was determined, to obtain the complete O:K:H:F pattern. These analyses could clearly show that the O6:K5 isolates do not represent one clonal group. The XbaI-macrorestriction profiles were heterogeneous and marked differences in the hybridization patterns, using virulence-associated gene probes in Southern hybridization of long-range-separated genomic DNA, were observed among the strains. However, some of strains showed similarities in the genomic profiles, arguing for clonal groupings among the O6:K5 isolates. Interstingly the strains grouped together exhibited the same fimbrial F type that many indicate a coincidence of this phenotypic trait with clonality.In memoriam of Prof. G. Naumann     

Fusion of a scid Pre-B Cell with a Wild Type (Myeloma) B Cell Results in Correct Rearrangement of a V(D)J Recombination Substrate

Mice with the scid mutation have a defect in the V(D)J recombinase. In order to determine whether the SCID product is normally present in mature B cells that do not have the recombinase activity, scid pre-B cells were fused with myeloma cells. It was found that in the hybrid cells, a rearrangement test gene was correctly joined immediately after fusion. The same test gene was aberrantly rearranged in the scid pre-B cells. Stable hybrids between the scid pre-B and the myeloma cells had lost the expression of RAG-1 and RAG-2 genes, supporting the previous finding of an inhibitor of rearrangement in myeloma cells that acts shortly after fusion. Thus, mature B cells apparently contain the SCID product, the wild type SCID function is not competitively interfered with by products present in scid pre-B cells, and the SCID product seems not to be a target for the recombinase inhibitor.     

Linkage analysis between manic-depressive illness and markers on the long arm of chromosome 11

The long arm of chromosome 11 is one of the most interesting regions in the search for major genes involved in the etiology of manic-depressive illness. Several candidate genes have been identified, including the gene encoding the dopamine D2 receptor, the M1 muscarinic receptor, and porfobillinogen deaminase. Furthermore, different families with co-segregation of psychiatric illness and structural chromosome abnormalities involving regions 11q21, 11q22.3, and 11q25 have been reported. Using narrow as well as broad phenotypic models, conservative genetic parameters, models with dominant or recessive modes of inheritance, and various methods to reduce misclassification, the present study did not find evidence for a major gene causing manic-depressive illness on the long arm of chromosome 11. In the broader phenotypic models multi-point analyses excluded at least 11q14 to 11q23.3, approximately 60 cM, even in one large family. Assuming homogeneity close linkage to DRD2 was excluded for all dominant models, and also in the affecteds-only analyses in the large family alone. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Emergence of translocation t(9;11)-positive leukemia during treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) characterized by the t(9;11)(p22;q23) translocation is one of the most frequent secondary malignancies. The timing of the initiation of translocation and of development of the malignant t(9;11) clone during chemotherapy is presently unknown. In the present study, we backtracked bone marrow samples from three children during treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Two patients developed a t(9;11)-positive t-AML 19 and 30 months after therapy start, whereas the third patient, diagnosed with a rare t(9;11)-positive ALL, suffered from an ALL relapse 23 months after initial diagnosis. The genomic MLL-MLLT3 (MLL-AF9) fusion site was amplified by a multiplex, nested long-range PCR and used as a clonal marker for quantification of the MLL-MLLT3-positive cells during chemotherapy. The t(9;11)-positive clone was detectable 13 and 18 months after therapy start in both t-AML cases, which was 6-12 months before clinical diagnosis of the secondary malignancy. In the t(9;11)-positive ALL patient, the identical leukemic clone reoccurred during maintenance therapy after a short molecular remission, 8 months before clinically overt ALL relapse. The time course and characteristics of the genomic breakpoints in the present t-AML cases support the hypothesis of translocation formation as a result of defective breakage repair after topoisomerase II cleavage.     

Synthese und charakterisierung von linearem poly(iminoethylen)

Linear poly(iminoethylene) was synthetised by cationic polymerization of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline using BF₃? O(C₂H₅)₂, SnCl₄, and CH₃COBF₄ as initiators and in the presence or absence of CH₃CN. The resulting product, poly(N-acetyliminoethylene), was then hydrolysed in basic medium. The resulting poly(iminoethylene) was identified and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The synthetised polymer will be used as a polymeric support in ionic-exchange resins as well as in macromolecular pesticides.     

Detection of human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) tax sequences in New York City blood donors seronegative for HTLV types 1 and 2

A potential public health concern is the reported detection of the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) tax gene in the lymphocytes of up to 11% of a low-risk group of New York City blood donors (NYBD). This study aimed to independently confirm the prevalence of HTLV tax sequences in 293 NYBD. All NYBD tested negative for antibodies to HTLV types 1 and 2 and HTLV Tax. HTLV tax sequences were not detected in the NYBD lymphocytes. These data demonstrate the lack of HTLV-1 tax in this group of NYBD at low risk for HTLV infection.     

Preantral follicle culture as a novel in vitro assay in reproductive toxicology testing in mammalian oocytes

The most common genetic disorder in humans, trisomy, is caused predominantly by errors in chromosome segregation during oogenesis. Isolated mouse oocytes resuming meiosis and progressing to metaphase II in vitro have recently been used to assess targets, aneugenic potential and sensitivity of oocytes to chemical exposures. In order to extend in vitro maturation tests to earlier stages of oogenesis, an in vitro assay with mouse preantral follicle cultures has been established. It permits the identification of direct and also indirect effects of environmental chemicals on the somatic compartment, the follicle and theca cells, that may lead to disturbances of oocyte growth, maturation and chromosome segregation. Early preantral follicles from prepubertal female mice are cultured in microdroplets for 12 days under strictly controlled conditions. The follicle-enclosed oocytes resume maturation, develop to metaphase II and become in vitro ovulated within 16 h after a physiological ovulatory stimulus with recombinant human gonadotrophins and epidermal growth factor. These oocytes grown and matured in vitro possess normal barrel-shaped spindles with well-aligned chromosomes. Their chromosomes segregate with high fidelity during anaphase I. The model aneugen colchicine induced a meiotic arrest and aneuploidy in these in vitro grown, follicle-enclosed oocytes in a dose-dependent manner, comparable to in vivo tests. Therefore, preantral follicle culture appears to provide an effective and reliable method to assess the influences of environmental mutagens, pharmaceutical agents and potentially endocrine disrupting chemicals on the fidelity of female meiosis.