Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a potentially irreversible movement disorder observed following long‐term antipsychotic exposure. Its cause is unknown; however, a genetic component has been supported by ...studies of affected families. Dysbindin‐1, encoded by the dystrobrevin‐binding protein 1 DTNBP1 gene, has been associated with schizophrenia and is potentially involved in dopamine neurotransmission through its regulation of dopamine release and dopamine D2 receptor recycling, making it a candidate for investigation in TD. We investigated common variants across the DTNBP1 gene in our schizophrenia/patients with schizoaffective disorder of European ancestry. We found a number of DTNBP1 three‐marker haplotypes to be associated with TD occurrence and TD severity (p < 0.05). These preliminary findings, if replicated in larger independent samples, would suggest that drugs targeting dysbindin‐1 may be an option in the prevention and treatment of TD.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The Madagascar periwinkle Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don is a commercially important horticultural flower species and is a valuable source for several monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), such as ...the powerful antihypertensive drug ajmalicine and the antineoplastic agents, vinblastine and vincristine. While biosynthesis of the common MIA precursor strictosidine and its reactive aglycones has been elucidated, the branch point steps leading to the formation of different classes of MIAs remain poorly characterized. Screening of 3600 ethyl methyl sulfonate mutagenized C. roseus plants using a simple thin-layer chromatography screen yielded a mutant (M2-0754) accumulating high levels of ajmalicine together with significantly lower levels of catharanthine and vindoline. Comparative bioinformatic analyses, virus-induced gene silencing, and biochemical characterization identified geissoschizine synthase, the gateway enzyme that controls flux for the formation of iboga and aspidosperma MIAs. The reduction of geissoschizine synthase transcripts in this high ajmalicine mutant, together with increased transcripts and enzyme activities of strictosidine β-glucosidase and of heteroyohimbine synthase, explains the preferential formation of ajmalicine in the mutant instead of catharanthine and vindoline that accumulates in the wild-type parent. Reciprocal crosses established that that the high ajmalicine phenotype is inherited as a Mendelian recessive trait.
•Developed data-mining framework to study plant specialized metabolism.•Compared two next-generation sequencing technologies.•Assigned functional information to >800,000 transcripts from 20 plant ...species.•Described selection of gene candidates associated with six metabolic pathways.
Plants produce a vast array of specialized metabolites, many of which are used as pharmaceuticals, flavors, fragrances, and other high-value fine chemicals. However, most of these compounds occur in non-model plants for which genomic sequence information is not yet available. The production of a large amount of nucleotide sequence data using next-generation technologies is now relatively fast and cost-effective, especially when using the latest Roche-454 and Illumina sequencers with enhanced base-calling accuracy. To investigate specialized metabolite biosynthesis in non-model plants we have established a data-mining framework, employing next-generation sequencing and computational algorithms, to construct and analyze the transcriptomes of 75 non-model plants that produce compounds of interest for biotechnological applications. After sequence assembly an extensive annotation approach was applied to assign functional information to over 800,000 putative transcripts. The annotation is based on direct searches against public databases, including RefSeq and InterPro. Gene Ontology (GO), Enzyme Commission (EC) annotations and associated Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway maps are also collected. As a proof-of-concept, the selection of biosynthetic gene candidates associated with six specialized metabolic pathways is described. A web-based BLAST server has been established to allow public access to assembled transcriptome databases for all 75 plant species of the PhytoMetaSyn Project (www.phytometasyn.ca).
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is currently diagnosed based on morphological assessment of myeloid cells’ features, immunophenotypic characterization of specific cell surface and intracellular markers, ...conventional cytogenetic testing and screening for genetic abnormalities in bone marrow and peripheral blood specimens. In recent years new technologies have shed light on the complexity and heterogeneity of this elusive leukemia and are providing useful biomarkers, predictive of prognosis in AML patients. Hence, technological efforts are being made in order to identify more accurate AML biomarkers also useful to track minimal residual disease at the various follow-up times. This remains an unmet need that, together with the intrinsic tumor features of AML, results in the highest death rate of all leukemias and a 5-year overall survival <50%. This review provides insights into the state-of-the-art of AML-related biomarkers and their role in clinical practice as prognostic indicators, minimal residual disease detection or candidates for targeted therapy. In addition, we report modifications of RNA epitranscriptome during normal hematopoiesis that are de-regulated in AML, recently revealed by new and more sophisticated techniques. We focus on alterations of m6A modifications on mRNAs and of enzymes catalyzing them, which have been reported to affect normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis and are providing novel promising biomarkers for AML risk assessment and newly druggable targets for treatment.
•AML incidence is expected to increase as the population ages•Molecular biomarkers can predict AML patients' prognosis and drive therapy choices•Diverse criteria for AML risk assessment are used in clinical practice•Individual precision medicine is an urgent AML need•RNA epitranscriptome is providing novel biomarkers and druggable targets for AML
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Rationale
Antipsychotic dosage is generally adjusted by physicians depending on the stability of the patient and the response to that particular drug. Our hypothesis is that patients with previous ...suicide attempt are prescribed higher doses of antipsychotics.
Objective
We examined the dosage and patterns of antipsychotic use in regard to past suicidal behaviour.
Methods
For this study, 304 subjects with schizophrenia spectrum disorders between the ages of 18 and 75 were recruited. A cross-sectional assessment was used for this study, in which data were collected from each patient through an interview and self-report questionnaires. The percentages of the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS) maximum recommended daily dose were applied to standardize antipsychotic dosages across different treatments. We compared the standardized dosage of antipsychotics in schizophrenics with previous suicide attempts and those who have never attempted suicide.
Results
Applying the ANCOVA, our preliminary results show no significant difference (
P
= 0.467) in antipsychotic dosage in the attempters and non-attempters. The prescribed clozapine dosage fails to show a significant relationship with suicidal history (
P
>0.05).
Conclusions
In summary, our analysis does not show antipsychotic dosage adjustment based on past suicide attempt, after controlling for the current suicidal ideation and hopelessness.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FSPLJ, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, VSZLJ, ZAGLJ
We have previously reported the Val66Met and GT(n) repeat polymorphisms of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene to be associated with bipolar disorder. However, these findings have not ...been replicated consistently.
To dissect the association of the BDNF gene with bipolar disorder by examining additional markers at the DNA level and by testing the illness categories of bipolar disorder I and II and rapid cycling.
We performed a family-based association study and haplotype analyses with 312 nuclear families using four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the Val66Met and GT(n) repeat polymorphisms.
The SNPs hCV11592756 and rs2049045, the Val66Met and GT(n) were significantly associated with bipolar disorder using transmission disequilibrium analyses (P=0.02, 0.009, 0.001 and 0.008 respectively). The effect atthese markers was mainly driven by the rapid-cycling patients.
Within bipolar disorder, variation in the BDNF gene appears to predict risk for developing rapid cycling according to DSM-IV. Incorporating this clinical sub-phenotyping into other studies of the BDNF gene may help to resolve some of the inconsistencies reported thus far concerning BDNF and bipolar disorder.
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder that may occur after extended use of antipsychotic medications. The etiopathophysiology is unclear; however, genetic factors play an important role. The ...Perlecan (
) gene was found to be significantly associated with TD in Japanese schizophrenia patients, and this association was subsequently replicated by an independent research group. To add to the evidence for this gene in TD, we conducted a meta-analysis specific to the relationship of
rs2445142 with TD occurrence, while also adding our unpublished genotype data. Overall, we found a significant association of the G allele with TD occurrence (
= 0.0001); however, much of the effect appeared to originate from the discovery dataset. Nonetheless, most study samples exhibit the same trend of association with TD for the G allele. Our findings encourage further genetic and molecular studies of HSPG2 in TD.
The mechanisms involved in the coordination of muscle activity are not completely known: to investigate adaptive changes in human motor cortex Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was often used. ...The sport models are frequently used to study how the training may affect the corticospinal system excitability: Karate represents a valuable sport model for this kind of investigations for its high levels of coordination required to athletes. This study was aimed at examining possible changes in the resting motor threshold (rMT) and in the corticospinal response in karate athletes, and at determining whether athletes are characterized by a specific value of rMT.
We recruited 25 right-handed young karate athletes and 25 matched non-athletes. TMS was applied to primary motor cortex (M1). Motor evoked potential (MEP) were recorded by two electrodes placed above the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. We considered MEP latencies and amplitudes at rMT, 110% of rMT, and 120% of rMT.
The two groups were similar for age (
> 0.05), height (
> 0.05) and body mass (
> 0.05). The TMS had a 70-mm figure-of-eight coil and a maximum output of 2.2 T, placed over the left motor cortex. During the stimulation, a mechanical arm kept the coil tangential to the scalp, with the handle at 45° respect to the midline. The SofTaxic navigator system (E.M.S. Italy, www.emsmedical.net) was used in order to correctly identifying and repeating the stimulation for every subject. Compared to non-athletes, athletes showed a lower resting motor threshold (
< 0.001). Furthermore, athletes had a lower MEP latency (
< 0.001) and a higher MEP amplitude (
< 0.001) compared to non-athletes. Moreover, a ROC curve for rMT was found significant (area: 0.907; sensitivity 84%, specificity 76%).
As the main finding, the present study showed significant differences in cortical excitability between athletes and non-athletes. The training can improve cortical excitability inducing athletes' modifications, as demonstrated in rMT and MEP values. These finding support the hypothesis that the sport practice determines specific brain organizations in relationship with the sport challenges.
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