A study was conducted on a new acid peroxygen system based disinfectant (Virkon), in order to assess its in vitro efficacy. The chemical was tested on different bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, ...Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli), spores (Bacillus subtilis) and on the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and compared in its activity with phenol and glutaraldehyde (calculation of the 'phenol coefficient' and the 'glutaraldehyde coefficient'). The constancy of speed of disinfection, the coefficient of concentration, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) were also determined, and the destruction of the HBsAg antigenic activity was studied using an ELISA kit. The sporicidal efficacy of Virkon was assessed by cultivating spores in agar nutrient after contact with different dilutions of the disinfectant. The results of the tests showed that Virkon has a high concentration coefficient (mean value of k: 0.374/min) and a wide range of action. The low MIC demonstrates how little concentrations of Virkon can inactivate all studied bacteria. The disinfectant was also able to destroy the hepatitis B surface antigen, and it demonstrated good activity against spores, especially if used in physiologic solution. These characteristics, coupled with the absence of irritation or toxic effects on animals showed by other studies, make wide fields of application for the new disinfectant foreseeable.
To search for morphologic nuclear features in the epithelial lining of odontogenic keratocysts to differentiate simple from Gorlin syndrome cysts.
Five cases of syndrome-associated keratocysts and ...five of simple ones were studied. Thirty nuclei from the epithelial basal layer for each case were analyzed by the shape analytical morphometry (SAM) software system to quantitatively evaluate nuclear dimensions (area, perimeter, diameter), contour irregularities and nuclear shape asymmetries. Results were subjected to Student's t test and cluster analysis.
Values of nuclear dimensions were very close in both groups of keratocysts, without any significant statistical differences. The variables related to nuclear profile irregularities, as well as those describing nuclear asymmetry, showed significantly higher values (P < .001) in syndromic cysts. Cluster analysis produced two different clusters by using variables related to nuclear contour irregularities.
Preliminary results indicate the existence of nuclear morphologic differences between simple and syndromic cysts.
Yield and collection efficiency Dimonte, D; Cazzato, L; Poliseno, G ...
International journal of artificial organs,
12/1993, Letnik:
16 Suppl 5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Yield and collection efficiency are two important and strictly related aspects of an apheresis system. We have examined the various formulas, dwelling upon a few particular aspects of the collection ...of platelets, granulocytes and stem cells.
Summary
Background
Gap‐junctional intercellular communication is crucial for epidermal cellular homeostasis. Inability to establish melanocyte–keratinocyte contact and loss of the intercellular ...junction’s integrity may contribute to melanoma development. Connexins, laminins and desmocollins have been implicated in the control of melanoma growth, where their reduced expression has been reported in metastatic lesions.
Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate connexin 31·1 (GJB5) expression and identify any association with BRAF mutational status, prognosis of patients with melanoma and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor (MAPKi) treatment.
Methods
GJB5 expression was measured at RNA and protein level in melanoma clinical samples and established cell lines treated (or not) with BRAF and MEK inhibitors (MEKi), as well as in cell lines which developed MAPKi resistance. Findings were further validated and confirmed by analysis of independent datasets.
Results
Our analysis reveals significant downregulation of GJB5 expression in metastatic melanoma lesions compared with primary ones and in BRAF‐mutated vs. BRAF‐wildtype (BRAFWT) melanomas. Likewise, GJB5 expression is significantly lower in BRAFV600E compared with BRAFWT cell lines and increases on MAPKi treatment. MAPKi‐resistant melanoma cells display a similar expression pattern compared with BRAFWT cells, with increased GJB5 expression associated with morphological changes. Enhancement of BRAFV600E expression in BRAFWT melanoma cells significantly upregulates miR‐335‐5p expression with consequent downregulation of GJB5, one of its targets. Furthermore, overexpression of miR‐335‐5p in two BRAFWT cell lines confirms specific GJB5 protein downregulation. Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis also revealed upregulation of miR‐335 in BRAFV600E melanoma cells, which is significantly downregulated in cells resistant to MEKi. Our data were further validated using the TCGA_SKCM dataset, where BRAF mutations associate with increased miR‐335 expression and inversely correlate with GJB5 expression. In clinical samples, GJB5 underexpression is also associated with patient overall worse survival, especially at early stages.
Conclusions
We identified a significant association between metastases/BRAF mutation and low GJB5 expression in melanoma. Our results identify a novel mechanism of gap‐junctional protein regulation, suggesting a prognostic role for GJB5 in cutaneous melanoma.
What is already known about this topic?
GJB5 expression has never been studied in melanoma.
Although there is very limited knowledge about connexins in melanoma, these types of gap‐junction proteins have recently been linked with late stages of tumorigenesis and metastasis and are considered as tumour suppressors.
What does this study add?
This study establishes a significant association between BRAFV600E, metastases and GJB5 downregulation in melanoma.
GJB5 underexpression also correlates with worse patient overall survival. Therefore, the data support a prognostic role for GJB5 in cutaneous melanoma.
What is the translational message?
This study highlights the importance of monitoring the integrity of connexin and junctional proteins during melanomagenesis, providing novel therapeutic target options for melanoma treatment, as well as a novel prognostic biomarker to predict melanoma progression.
Linked Comment: J.E. Fromme and P. Zigrino. Br J Dermatol 2022; 186:13–14.
Plain language summary available online
Dorometra Clark,
1917
(Comatulida: Antedonidae) is an Indo-Pacific genus of small-sized cryptic feather stars currently comprising nine species. The monophyly of this crinoid genus has been widely ...questioned, although only few studies have investigated the phylogeny of Antedonidae in depth. In this study we used an integrated approach combining molecular phylogenetic, morphology, and multivariate analyses to clarify the taxonomic placement of the genus Dorometra within family Antedonidae. Eight of the nine known species of the genus collected from Australia to the Sea of Japan were included in analyses. Phylogenetic analyses using sequences from two mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and one nuclear (28S) genes demonstrate that Dorometra is polyphyletic, and its species are divided into three main clades, which are spread within other Antedonidae. As a result, we herein describe Nesometra gen. nov. Four different species delimitation methods on single and multi-locus alignments also showed higher diversity than previously thought. In particular, our results highlighted the presence of cryptic diversity within the species Dorometra nana (Hartlaub, 1890) in geographically close localities within southern Japan. By multivariate analysis of morphological matrix, we confirmed the homoplasy and plasticity of the taxonomic characters used in the description of Dorometra species, providing a path forward for the general taxonomic revision of this genus and of Antedonidae and related families.
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DB7C239C-5CA0-485B-B4A8-205288FC4080
This study focuses on the analyses of the gastral cavity contents of two species of Ceriantharia, namely
Isarachnanthus nocturnus
Hartog, 1977, collected in São Sebastião, Brazil, and
Pachycerianthus ...magnus
Nakamoto, 1919, collected from two points along the coast of Okinawa Island, Japan. Both morphological (light microscopy) and metagenomic (whole-genome shotgun sequencing) analyses were conducted with the aim of identifying the main classes of organisms that make up the diet of these species. The results revealed that morphological analyses were not sufficient for identifying prey organisms, but metagenomic analyses showed a diverse range of animal classes, indicating the varied diet of these ceriantharians. The most abundant classes observed in the contents of both species were Anthozoa, Aconoidasida, Kinetoplastea, Actinopterygii, Insecta, and Leptocardii. This finding suggests a cohesive feeding pattern among these two species from distant areas, providing a more comprehensive understanding of their feeding performance and contributing to studies on the subclass Ceriantharia.
Mitogenome diversity is staggering among early branching animals with respect to size, gene density, content and order, and number of tRNA genes, especially in cnidarians. This last point is of ...special interest as tRNA cleavage drives the maturation of mitochondrial mRNAs and is a primary mechanism for mt-RNA processing in animals. Mitochondrial RNA processing in non-bilaterian metazoans, some of which possess a single tRNA gene in their mitogenomes, is essentially unstudied despite its importance in understanding the evolution of mitochondrial transcription in animals.
We characterized the mature mitochondrial mRNA transcripts in a species of the octocoral genus Sinularia (Alcyoniidae: Octocorallia), and defined precise boundaries of transcription units using different molecular methods. Most mt-mRNAs were polycistronic units containing two or three genes and 5' and/or 3' untranslated regions of varied length. The octocoral specific, mtDNA-encoded mismatch repair gene, the mtMutS, was found to undergo alternative polyadenylation, and exhibited differential expression of alternate transcripts suggesting a unique regulatory mechanism for this gene. In addition, a long noncoding RNA complementary to the ATP6 gene (lncATP6) potentially involved in antisense regulation was detected.
Mt-mRNA processing in octocorals possessing a single mt-tRNA is complex. Considering the variety of mitogenome arrangements known in cnidarians, and in general among non-bilaterian metazoans, our findings provide a first glimpse into the complex mtDNA transcription, mt-mRNA processing, and regulation among early branching animals and represent a first step towards understanding its functional and evolutionary implications.
Little is known about density and structure of black coral populations of the continental Pacific coasts of Central and South America. Species diversity and ecology of the antipatharian fauna of ...Machalilla National Park (Province of Manabí, Ecuador) were surveyed using scuba, and two species, Myriopathes panamensis and Antipathes galapagensis, were identified. New information on the two species and their associated fauna was obtained through both underwater observations and laboratory analyses. Specific associations with stalked barnacles and parasitic zoanthids are described. An underwater visual census indicated that the black coral assemblage had a maximal density between depths of 15 and 30 m. Myriopathes panamensis commonly occurred below 20 m depth, and A. galapagensis was mainly recorded from deeper than 25 m depth. Surveyed sites were characterized by sparse rocks mixed with sandy patches, and occurrence of black corals was mainly related to availability of rocky substrate. With an average density of 0.5 colonies m-2, the shallow black coral community of Machalilla National Park is one of the densest in the world. Data from this study represent a clear baseline for monitoring of population dynamics of benthic organisms in an area subjected to periodic El Niño and La Niña events, which may greatly affect composition and abundance of the marine communities.
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