Displaying publications 3041 - 3060 of 3510 in total

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  1. Fulltext Molecular characterization of two Malaysian patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
    Baharin MF, Kader Ibrahim SB, Yap SH, Abdul Manaf AM, Mat Ripen A, Dhaliwal JS
    Malays J Pathol, 2015 Aug;37(2):153-8.
    PMID: 26277674 MyJurnal
    The Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked immunodeficiency condition characterized by microthrombocytopenia, eczema and recurrent infections. It is caused by mutations in the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP) gene. We investigated two Malay boys who presented with congenital thrombocytopenia, eczema and recurrent infections. Here we report two cases of WASP mutation in Malaysia from two unrelated families. One had a novel missense mutation in exon 1 while the other had a nonsense mutation in exon 2. Both patients succumbed to diseaserelated complications. A differential diagnosis of WAS should be considered in any male child who present with early onset thrombocytopenia, especially when this is associated with eczema and recurrent infections.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Mutational Analysis
  2. Fulltext Synergy of ruthenium metallo-intercalator, [Ru(dppz)2(PIP)]2+, with PARP inhibitor Olaparib in non-small cell lung cancer cells
    Yusoh NA, Chia SL, Saad N, Ahmad H, Gill MR
    Sci Rep, 2023 Jan 26;13(1):1456.
    PMID: 36702871 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28454-x
    Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) are critical DNA repair enzymes that are activated as part of the DNA damage response (DDR). Although inhibitors of PARP (PARPi) have emerged as small molecule drugs and have shown promising therapeutic effects, PARPi used as single agents are clinically limited to patients with mutations in germline breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA). Thus, novel PARPi combination strategies may expand their usage and combat drug resistance. In recent years, ruthenium polypyridyl complexes (RPCs) have emerged as promising anti-cancer candidates due to their attractive DNA binding properties and distinct mechanisms of action. Previously, we reported the rational combination of the RPC DNA replication inhibitor [Ru(dppz)2(PIP)]2+ (dppz = dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine, PIP = 2-(phenyl)-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), "Ru-PIP", with the PARPi Olaparib in breast cancer cells. Here, we expand upon this work and examine the combination of Ru-PIP with Olaparib for synergy in lung cancer cells, including in 3D lung cancer spheroids, to further elucidate mechanisms of synergy and additionally assess toxicity in a zebrafish embryo model. Compared to single agents alone, Ru-PIP and Olaparib synergy was observed in both A549 and H1975 lung cancer cell lines with mild impact on normal lung fibroblast MRC5 cells. Employing the A549 cell line, synergy was confirmed by loss in clonogenic potential and reduced migration properties. Mechanistic studies indicated that synergy is accompanied by increased double-strand break (DSB) DNA damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels which subsequently lead to cell death via apoptosis. Moreover, the identified combination was successfully able to inhibit the growth of A549 lung cancer spheroids and acute zebrafish embryos toxicity studies revealed that this combination showed reduced toxicity compared to single-agent Ru-PIP.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA
  3. In-silico selection employing rigid docking and molecular dynamic simulation in selecting DNA aptamers against androgen receptor
    Thevendran R, Tang TH, Citartan M
    Biotechnol J, 2023 Apr;18(4):e2200092.
    PMID: 36735817 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202200092
    Aptamers are a class of single-stranded (ss) nucleic acid molecules generated through Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) that involves iterations of time-consuming and tedious selection, amplification, and enrichment steps. To compensate for the drawbacks of conventional SELEX, we have devised an in-silico methodology that facilitates a cost-effective and facile manner of aptamer selection. Here, we report the isolation of DNA aptamers against androgen receptors (ARs) using androgen response elements (ARE) that possess natural affinity toward AR. A virtual library of ARE sequences was prepared and subjected to a stringent selection criterion to generate a sequence pool having stable hairpin conformations and high GC content. The 3D-structures of the selected ss AREs were modeled and screened through rigid docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation to examine their potency as potential AR binders. The predicted sequences were further validated using direct enzyme-linked aptasorbent assay (ELASA), which includes the measurement of their binding affinity, specificity, and target discrimination properties under complex biological enviroments. A short, 15 nucleotides (nts), ssDNA aptamer, termed ARapt1 with the estimated Kd value of 5.5 ± 3 nm, was chosen as the most prominent aptamer against AR based on the coherence of both the in-silico and in-vitro evaluation results. The high target-binding affinity and selectivity of ARapt1 signify its potential use as a versatile tool in diagnostic applications relevant to prostate cancer and related diseases.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Single-Stranded
  4. Genomic, metabolomic, and functional characterisation of beneficial properties of Pediococcus pentosaceus ST58, isolated from human oral cavity
    Favaro L, Campanaro S, Fugaban JII, Treu L, Jung ES, d'Ovidio L, et al.
    Benef Microbes, 2023 Mar 14;14(1):57-72.
    PMID: 36815495 DOI: 10.3920/BM2022.0067
    Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are proteinaceous antibacterial metabolites that normally exhibit bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity against genetically closely related bacteria. In this work, the bacteriocinogenic potential of Pediococcus pentosaceus strain ST58, isolated from oral cavity of a healthy volunteer was evaluated. To better understand the biological role of this strain, its technological and safety traits were deeply investigated through a combined approach considering physiological, metabolomic and genomic properties. Three out of 14 colonies generating inhibition zones were confirmed to be bacteriocin producers and, according to repPCR and RAPD-PCR, differentiation assays, and 16S rRNA sequencing it was confirmed to be replicates of the same strain, identified as P. pentosaceus, named ST58. Based on multiple isolation of the same strain (P. pentosaceus ST58) over the 26 weeks in screening process for the potential bacteriocinogenic strains from the oral cavity of the same volunteer, strain ST58 can be considered a persistent component of oral cavity microbiota. Genomic analysis of P. pentosaceus ST58 revealed the presence of operons encoding for bacteriocins pediocin PA-1 and penocin A. The produced bacteriocin(s) inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus spp. and some Lactobacillus spp. used to determine the activity spectrum. The highest levels of production (6400 AU/ml) were recorded against L. monocytogenes strains after 24 h of incubation and the antimicrobial activity was inhibited after treatment of the cell-free supernatants with proteolytic enzymes. Noteworthy, P. pentosaceus ST58 also presented antifungal activity and key metabolites potentially involved in these properties were identified. Overall, this strain can be of great biotechnological interest towards the development of effective bio-preservation cultures as well as potential health promoting microbes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
  5. Discovery of indoleninyl-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines as potent chemotherapeutic agents against colorectal cancer cells
    Basir NH, Ramle AQ, Ng MP, Tan CH, Tiekink ERT, Sim KS, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2024 May;146:107256.
    PMID: 38460334 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107256
    A new series of indolenines decorated with pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines were designed and synthesized in up to 96% yield from the acid-catalyzed cyclocondensation of 1,3-dialdehydes with 3-aminopyrazoles. X-ray crystallography on a representative derivative, 5n, revealed two close to planar conformations whereby the N-atom of the pyridyl residue was syn or anti to the pyrrole-N atom in the two independent molecules of the asymmetric unit. The computational and DNA binding data suggest that 5n is a strong DNA intercalator with the results in agreement with its potent cytotoxicity against two colorectal cancer cell lines (HCT 116 and HT-29). In contrast to doxorubicin, compounds 5k-o have higher druggability (compliance to more criteria stated in Lipinski's rule of five and Veber's rule), higher bioavailability, and better medicinal chemistry properties, indicative of their potential application as chemotherapeutical agents.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA
  6. Fulltext Little influence of DNA quality on the direct sequencing output of non-human primates' faecal samples
    Lee FCH, Sitam FT, Tan LP
    J Virol Methods, 2025 Feb;332:115074.
    PMID: 39580121 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2024.115074
    DNA samples selected for long read sequencing (LRS) are routinely required to be 'pure' with high DNA concentration. Hence the usefulness of samples with substandard DNA quality for LRS is unknown. We aim to perform de-novo assembly of Adenovirus sequenced from non-human primate (NHP) faeces using the Oxford Nanopore technologies (ONT), an LRS platform. Guided by initial conventional PCR screening, we performed ONT sequencing on 34 Adenovirus positive DNA samples, without prior selection based on faeces freshness level or DNA quality. Non-parametric correlation analysis showed that ONT sequencing outputs is not significantly associated (p > 0.05) with DNA concentrations, faeces freshness levels and the OD ratios of A260/A280 and A260/A230. This indicated that conventional DNA quality parameters may not be the most critical factors in determining the suitability of samples for ONT sequencing. A total of 61.76 % (21/34) of the positive-by-PCR-screening samples yielded Adenovirus reads while 38.24 % (13/34) did not in the PCR-free ONT workflow, although rarefaction analysis showed that sequencing saturation was achieved by all samples. Among the 21 samples with adenovirus reads, ten resulted in at least one Adenovirus contig by the Flye assembler while nine did not and two samples had only a single Adenovirus read. Identity similarity above 90 % in conventional PCR screening may help in selecting ONT positive samples.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sequence Analysis, DNA
  7. Bombesin-like receptor 3 expression induced by bisphenol A is likely associated with reduced cell proliferation by inhibiting DNA synthesis and inducing inflammation in liver cells
    Ismael LQ, Keong YY, Bahari H, Lan CA, Yin KB
    Mol Biol Rep, 2024 Feb 01;51(1):271.
    PMID: 38302795 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-09080-2
    BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an exogenous endocrine disruptor mimicking hormones closely associated with health complications, such as cancer progression. BPA is also related to an increase in the prevalence of obesity-related diseases due to its obesogenic action. Bombesin-like receptor 3 (BRS3) is an important factor that should be considered in the adipogenic gene network, as depletion of this gene alters adiposity.

    METHODS: Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of BRS3 in human liver THLE-2 cells post-BPA treatment by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The effects of BPA on the levels of pro-inflammatory proteins, interleukin 6 (IL6) and CC motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), in conditioned media of BPA-treated THLE-2 cells and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in replicating BPA-treated THLE-2 cells during the cell cycle were also examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry, respectively.

    RESULTS: The study found that the mRNA expression of BRS3 was increased in THLE-2 cells treated with BPA. The study also showed that the expression levels of IL6 and CCL2 reached an optimum level in the conditioned media of BPA-treated THLE-2 cells after 48 h of treatment. Subsequently, the DNA synthesis analysis showed that bromodeoxyuridine/propidium iodide (BrdU/PI) stained positive cells were decreased in BPA-treated THLE-2 cells at 72 h of treatment.

    CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that BRS3 expression induced by BPA is likely associated with reduced cell proliferation by inhibiting DNA synthesis and inducing cellular inflammation in liver cells.

    Matched MeSH terms: DNA
  8. Azolla pinnata and Lemna minor as comparative hyperaccumulators for livestock wastewater treatment: morpho-physiological and genetic approach
    Md Nasir NAN, Zakarya IA, Kamaruddin SA
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Dec;31(58):66360-66371.
    PMID: 39625624 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35598-4
    The potential of two different aquatic macrophytes, Azolla pinnata R.Br. and Lemna minor L., to treat livestock wastewater through phytoremediation was investigated. The physiological analysis includes the removal efficiency of manganese (Mn) from livestock wastewater by AAS. Morphological observation was performed by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and visual observation. RAPD analysis was applied to observe the DNA profile. It was observed that the removal efficiency of Mn was higher in L. minor with a 92% removal rate, while in A. pinnata RE, it was at a 77% rate. The higher removal rate of Mn by L. minor showed that plants had a significant impact on the removal of heavy metals, with a p ≤ 0.05. Retention time and the removal of heavy metals were found to be positively correlated. As early as 24 h after exposure to livestock wastewater (LW), the stomata on the leaves of A. pinnata and L. minor have both shrunk, and the root surfaces have shortened. According to the RAPD analysis, A. pinnata only shows an increase in band intensities and no polymorphism, whereas L. minor has 19% polymorphisms that indicate higher tolerance as hyperaccumulators. As a conclusion, L. minor showed no signs of necrosis and performed more efficiently as a hyperaccumulator in LW, with a higher removal efficiency.
    Matched MeSH terms: Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
  9. Evolution of endemism on a young tropical mountain
    Merckx VS, Hendriks KP, Beentjes KK, Mennes CB, Becking LE, Peijnenburg KT, et al.
    Nature, 2015 Aug 20;524(7565):347-50.
    PMID: 26266979 DOI: 10.1038/nature14949
    Tropical mountains are hot spots of biodiversity and endemism, but the evolutionary origins of their unique biotas are poorly understood. In varying degrees, local and regional extinction, long-distance colonization, and local recruitment may all contribute to the exceptional character of these communities. Also, it is debated whether mountain endemics mostly originate from local lowland taxa, or from lineages that reach the mountain by long-range dispersal from cool localities elsewhere. Here we investigate the evolutionary routes to endemism by sampling an entire tropical mountain biota on the 4,095-metre-high Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia. We discover that most of its unique biodiversity is younger than the mountain itself (6 million years), and comprises a mix of immigrant pre-adapted lineages and descendants from local lowland ancestors, although substantial shifts from lower to higher vegetation zones in this latter group were rare. These insights could improve forecasts of the likelihood of extinction and 'evolutionary rescue' in montane biodiversity hot spots under climate change scenarios.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
  10. Fulltext Towards complete and error-free genome assemblies of all vertebrate species
    Rhie A, McCarthy SA, Fedrigo O, Damas J, Formenti G, Koren S, et al.
    Nature, 2021 Apr;592(7856):737-746.
    PMID: 33911273 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03451-0
    High-quality and complete reference genome assemblies are fundamental for the application of genomics to biology, disease, and biodiversity conservation. However, such assemblies are available for only a few non-microbial species1-4. To address this issue, the international Genome 10K (G10K) consortium5,6 has worked over a five-year period to evaluate and develop cost-effective methods for assembling highly accurate and nearly complete reference genomes. Here we present lessons learned from generating assemblies for 16 species that represent six major vertebrate lineages. We confirm that long-read sequencing technologies are essential for maximizing genome quality, and that unresolved complex repeats and haplotype heterozygosity are major sources of assembly error when not handled correctly. Our assemblies correct substantial errors, add missing sequence in some of the best historical reference genomes, and reveal biological discoveries. These include the identification of many false gene duplications, increases in gene sizes, chromosome rearrangements that are specific to lineages, a repeated independent chromosome breakpoint in bat genomes, and a canonical GC-rich pattern in protein-coding genes and their regulatory regions. Adopting these lessons, we have embarked on the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP), an international effort to generate high-quality, complete reference genomes for all of the roughly 70,000 extant vertebrate species and to help to enable a new era of discovery across the life sciences.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sequence Analysis, DNA
  11. Anticancer Activity and Molecular Mechanism of Polyphenol Rich Calophyllum inophyllum Fruit Extract in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells
    Shanmugapriya, Chen Y, Kanwar JR, Sasidharan S
    Nutr Cancer, 2017 10 25;69(8):1308-1324.
    PMID: 29068745 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2017.1367944
    This study was conducted to investigate the anticancer effects and mechanism of Calophyllum inophyllum fruit extract against MCF-7 cells. C. inophyllum fruit extract was found to have markedly cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner with the IC50 for 24 h of 23.59 µg/mL. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that C. inophyllum fruit extract mediated cell cycle at G0/G1 and G2/M phases, and MCF-7 cells entered the early phase of apoptosis. The expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 was decreased whereas the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax, cytochrome C and p53 were increased after treatment. C. inophyllum fruit extract led to apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via the mitochondrial pathway in a dose dependent manner. This is evidenced by the elevation of intracellular ROS, the loss of mitochondria membrane potential (Δψm), and activation of caspase-3. Meanwhile, dose-dependent genomic DNA fragmentation was observed after C. inophyllum fruits extract treatment by comet assay. This study shows that C. inophyllum fruits extract-induced apoptosis is primarily p53 dependent and mediated through the activation of caspase-3. C. inophyllum fruit extract could be an excellent source of chemopreventive agent in the treatment of breast cancer and has potential to be explored as green anticancer agent.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Fragmentation/drug effects
  12. Fulltext Pathogenesis of Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection in the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) as an experimental model for severe malaria
    Junaid QO, Khaw LT, Mahmud R, Ong KC, Lau YL, Borade PU, et al.
    Parasite, 2017;24:38.
    PMID: 29034874 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2017040
    BACKGROUND: As the quest to eradicate malaria continues, there remains a need to gain further understanding of the disease, particularly with regard to pathogenesis. This is facilitated, apart from in vitro and clinical studies, mainly via in vivo mouse model studies. However, there are few studies that have used gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) as animal models. Thus, this study is aimed at characterizing the effects of Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection in gerbils, as well as the underlying pathogenesis.

    METHODS: Gerbils, 5-7 weeks old were infected by PbA via intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 106 (0.2 mL) infected red blood cells. Parasitemia, weight gain/loss, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count and body temperature changes in both control and infected groups were monitored over a duration of 13 days. RNA was extracted from the brain, spleen and whole blood to assess the immune response to PbA infection. Organs including the brain, spleen, heart, liver, kidneys and lungs were removed aseptically for histopathology.

    RESULTS: Gerbils were susceptible to PbA infection, showing significant decreases in the hemoglobin concentration, RBC counts, body weights and body temperature, over the course of the infection. There were no neurological signs observed. Both pro-inflammatory (IFNγ and TNF) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines were significantly elevated. Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were also observed. PbA parasitized RBCs were observed in the organs, using routine light microscopy and in situ hybridization.

    CONCLUSION: Gerbils may serve as a good model for severe malaria to further understand its pathogenesis.

    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Complementary/genetics
  13. Neuroimmunomodulatory properties of DPSCs in an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease
    Gnanasegaran N, Govindasamy V, Mani V, Abu Kasim NH
    IUBMB Life, 2017 09;69(9):689-699.
    PMID: 28685937 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1655
    In neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, microglial cell activation is thought to contribute to their degeneration by producing neurotoxic compounds. While dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have been regarded as the next possible cell source for cell replacement therapy (CRT), their actual role when exposed in such harsh environment remains elusive. In this study, the immunomodulatory behavior of DPSCs from human subjects was investigated in a coculture system consisting of neuron and microglia which were treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine, which mimics the inflammatory conditions and contribute to degeneration of dopaminergic (DA-ergic) neurons. Assessments were performed on their proliferation, extent of DNA damage, productions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), as well as secretion of inflammatory mediators. Notably, DPSCs were shown to attenuate their proliferation, production of ROS, and NO significantly (P DNA damage. Despite DPSCs were exposed to such harsh environment, they were still able to express neuronal markers such as Nestin, Pax 6, and Nurr1, at least by twofold thereby indicating their applicability for CRT especially in PD conditions. To conclude, DPSCs were shown to have immunomodulatory capacities which could probably serve as secondary effects upon transplantation in a CRT regime. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(9):689-699, 2017.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Damage/drug effects
  14. Fulltext The molecular mechanism of the anticancer effect of Artonin E in MDA-MB 231 triple negative breast cancer cells
    Etti IC, Abdullah R, Kadir A, Hashim NM, Yeap SK, Imam MU, et al.
    PLoS One, 2017;12(8):e0182357.
    PMID: 28771532 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182357
    Nature has provided us with a wide spectrum of disease healing phytochemicals like Artonin E, obtained from the root bark of Artocarpus elasticus. This molecule had been predicted to be drug-like, possessing unique medicinal properties. Despite strides made in chemotherapy, prognosis of the heterogenous aggressive triple negative breast cancer is still poor. This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of inhibition of Artonin E, a prenylated flavonoid on MDA-MB 231 triple negative breast cancer cell, with a view of mitigating the hallmarks displayed by these tumors. The anti-proliferative effect, mode of cell death and the mechanism of apoptosis induction were investigated. Artonin E, was seen to effectively relinquish MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells of their apoptosis evading capacity, causing a half-maximal growth inhibition at low concentrations (14.3, 13.9 and 9.8 μM) after the tested time points (24, 48 and 72 hours), respectively. The mode of cell death was observed to be apoptosis with defined characteristics. Artonin E was seen to induce the activation of both extrinsic and intrinsic caspases initiators of apoptosis. It also enhanced the release of total reactive oxygen species which polarized the mitochondrial membrane, compounding the release of cytochrome c. Gene expression studies revealed the upregulation of TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand and proapoptotic genes with down regulation of anti-apoptotic genes and proteins. A G2/M cell cycle arrest was also observed and was attributed to the observed upregulation of p21 independent of the p53 status. Interestingly, livin, a new member of the inhibitors of apoptosis was confirmed to be significantly repressed. In all, Artonin E showed the potential as a promising candidate to combat the aggressive triple negative breast cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Fragmentation/drug effects
  15. Contributions of IKZF1, DDC, CDKN2A, CEBPE, and LMO1 Gene Polymorphisms to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in a Yemeni Population
    Al-Absi B, Razif MFM, Noor SM, Saif-Ali R, Aqlan M, Salem SD, et al.
    Genet Test Mol Biomarkers, 2017 Oct;21(10):592-599.
    PMID: 28768142 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2017.0084
    BACKGROUND: Genome-wide and candidate gene association studies have previously revealed links between a predisposition to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and genetic polymorphisms in the following genes: IKZF1 (7p12.2; ID: 10320), DDC (7p12.2; ID: 1644), CDKN2A (9p21.3; ID: 1029), CEBPE (14q11.2; ID: 1053), and LMO1 (11p15; ID: 4004). In this study, we aimed to conduct an investigation into the possible association between polymorphisms in these genes and ALL within a sample of Yemeni children of Arab-Asian descent.

    METHODS: Seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IKZF1, three SNPs in DDC, two SNPs in CDKN2A, two SNPs in CEBPE, and three SNPs in LMO1 were genotyped in 289 Yemeni children (136 cases and 153 controls), using the nanofluidic Dynamic Array (Fluidigm 192.24 Dynamic Array). Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate ALL risk, and the strength of association was expressed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

    RESULTS: We found that the IKZF1 SNP rs10235796 C allele (p = 0.002), the IKZF1 rs6964969 A>G polymorphism (p = 0.048, GG vs. AA), the CDKN2A rs3731246 G>C polymorphism (p = 0.047, GC+CC vs. GG), and the CDKN2A SNP rs3731246 C allele (p = 0.007) were significantly associated with ALL in Yemenis of Arab-Asian descent. In addition, a borderline association was found between IKZF1 rs4132601 T>G variant and ALL risk. No associations were found between the IKZF1 SNPs (rs11978267; rs7789635), DDC SNPs (rs3779084; rs880028; rs7809758), CDKN2A SNP (rs3731217), the CEBPE SNPs (rs2239633; rs12434881) and LMO1 SNPs (rs442264; rs3794012; rs4237770) with ALL in Yemeni children.

    CONCLUSION: The IKZF1 SNPs, rs10235796 and rs6964969, and the CDKN2A SNP rs3731246 (previously unreported) could serve as risk markers for ALL susceptibility in Yemeni children.

    Matched MeSH terms: DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
  16. Fulltext Evaluation of the Protective Effect of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Vaccines Encoding Granule Antigen 2 and 5 Against Acute Toxoplasmosis in BALB/c Mice
    Ching XT, Fong MY, Lau YL
    Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2017 Jun;96(6):1441-1447.
    PMID: 28719288 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0548
    AbstractToxoplasma gondii infects a broad range of warm-blooded hosts, including humans. Important clinical manifestations include encephalitis in immunocompromised patients as well as miscarriage and fetal damage during early pregnancy. Toxoplasma gondii dense granule antigen 2 and 5 (GRA2 and GRA5) are essential for parasitophorous vacuole development of the parasite. To evaluate the potential of GRA2 and GRA5 as recombinant DNA vaccine candidates, these antigens were cloned into eukaryotic expression vector (pcDNA 3.1C) and evaluated in vaccination experiments. Recombinant DNA vaccines constructed with genes encoding GRAs were validated in Chinese hamster ovary cells before evaluation using lethal challenge of the virulent T. gondii RH strain in BALB/c mice. The DNA vaccines of pcGRA2 and pcGRA5 elicited cellular-mediated immune response with significantly higher levels of interferon-gamma, interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and IL-10 (P < 0.05) compared with controls. A mixed T-helper cell 1 (Th1)/Th2 response was associated with slightly prolonged survival. These findings provide evidence that DNA vaccination with GRA2 and GRA5 is associated with Th1-like cell-mediated immune responses. It will be worthwhile to construct recombinant multiantigen combining full-length GRA2 or/and GRA5 with various antigenic proteins such as the surface antigens and rhoptry antigens to improve vaccination efficacy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Vaccines, DNA/immunology*
  17. Fulltext LMTK3 confers chemo-resistance in breast cancer
    Stebbing J, Shah K, Lit LC, Gagliano T, Ditsiou A, Wang T, et al.
    Oncogene, 2018 06;37(23):3113-3130.
    PMID: 29540829 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0197-0
    Lemur tyrosine kinase 3 (LMTK3) is an oncogenic kinase that is involved in different types of cancer (breast, lung, gastric, colorectal) and biological processes including proliferation, invasion, migration, chromatin remodeling as well as innate and acquired endocrine resistance. However, the role of LMTK3 in response to cytotoxic chemotherapy has not been investigated thus far. Using both 2D and 3D tissue culture models, we found that overexpression of LMTK3 decreased the sensitivity of breast cancer cell lines to cytotoxic (doxorubicin) treatment. In a mouse model we showed that ectopic overexpression of LMTK3 decreases the efficacy of doxorubicin in reducing tumor growth. Interestingly, breast cancer cells overexpressing LMTK3 delayed the generation of double strand breaks (DSBs) after exposure to doxorubicin, as measured by the formation of γH2AX foci. This effect was at least partly mediated by decreased activity of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) as indicated by its reduced phosphorylation levels. In addition, our RNA-seq analyses showed that doxorubicin differentially regulated the expression of over 700 genes depending on LMTK3 protein expression levels. Furthermore, these genes were found to promote DNA repair, cell viability and tumorigenesis processes / pathways in LMTK3-overexpressing MCF7 cells. In human cancers, immunohistochemistry staining of LMTK3 in pre- and post-chemotherapy breast tumor pairs from four separate clinical cohorts revealed a significant increase of LMTK3 following both doxorubicin and docetaxel based chemotherapy. In aggregate, our findings show for the first time a contribution of LMTK3 in cytotoxic drug resistance in breast cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded/drug effects
  18. Fulltext High Prevalence of Toxigenic and Nontoxigenic Clostridium difficile Strains in Malaysia
    Riley TV, Collins DA, Karunakaran R, Kahar MA, Adnan A, Hassan SA, et al.
    J Clin Microbiol, 2018 Jun;56(6).
    PMID: 29563206 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00170-18
    Accumulating evidence shows a high prevalence of Clostridium difficile in Southeast Asia associated with a range of clinical presentations. However, severe infections are rarely reported. We investigated C. difficile infection (CDI) across four hospitals in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu, Malaysia. Enzyme immunoassays for glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and toxin A or B were performed on diarrheal stool specimens collected from patients in 2015 and 2016. Specimens were also cultured and isolates of C. difficile characterized by PCR ribotyping and detection of toxin genes. In total, 437 specimens were collected and fecal toxin was detected in 3.0%. A further 16.2% of specimens were GDH positive and toxin negative. After culture, toxigenic strains were isolated from 10.3% and nontoxigenic strains from 12.4% of specimens. The most prevalent PCR ribotypes (RTs) were RT 017 (20.0%) and RT 043 (10.0%). The high prevalence of RT 017 and nontoxigenic strains in Malaysia and in neighboring Thailand and Indonesia suggests that they localize to the region of Southeast Asia, with an implication that they may mediate the burden of CDI in the region.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA, Bacterial/genetics
  19. ATM inhibition prevents interleukin-6 from contributing to the proliferation of glioblastoma cells after ionizing radiation
    Lim YC, Quek H, Offenhäuser C, Fazry S, Boyd A, Lavin M, et al.
    J Neurooncol, 2018 Jul;138(3):509-518.
    PMID: 29564746 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-018-2838-0
    Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly fatal disease with a 5 year survival rate of less than 22%. One of the most effective treatment regimens to date is the use of radiotherapy which induces lethal DNA double-strand breaks to prevent tumour growth. However, recurrence occurs in the majority of patients and is in-part a result of robust radioresistance mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that the multifunctional cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6), confers a growth advantage in GBM cells but does not have the same effect on normal neural progenitor cells. Further analysis showed IL-6 can promote radioresistance in GBM cells when exposed to ionising radiation. Ablation of the Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated serine/threonine kinase that is recruited and activated by DNA double-strand breaks reverses the effect of radioresistance and re-sensitised GBM to DNA damage thus leading to increase cell death. Our finding suggests targeting the signaling cascade of DNA damage response is a potential therapeutic approach to circumvent IL-6 from promoting radioresistance in GBM.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Damage/radiation effects
  20. Piperazine clubbed with 2-azetidinone derivatives suppresses proliferation, migration and induces apoptosis in human cervical cancer HeLa cells through oxidative stress mediated intrinsic mitochondrial pathway
    Khanam R, Kumar R, Hejazi II, Shahabuddin S, Meena R, Jayant V, et al.
    Apoptosis, 2018 02;23(2):113-131.
    PMID: 29349707 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-018-1439-x
    Piperazine scaffolds or 2-azetidinone pharmacophores have been reported to show anti-cancer activities and apoptosis induction in different types of cancer cells. However, the mechanistic studies involve in induction of apoptosis addressing these two moieties for human cervical cancer cells remain uncertain. The present study emphasizes on the anti-proliferating properties and mechanism involved in induction of apoptosis for these structurally related azoles derivatives in HeLa cancer cells. 1-Phenylpiperazine clubbed with 2-azetidione derivatives (5a-5h) were synthesized, characterized using various spectroscopic techniques and evaluated for their in-vitro anti-proliferative activities and induction of apoptosis. Further, we also evaluated oxidative stress generated by these synthetic derivatives (5a-5h). Cell viability studies revealed that among all, the compound N-(3-chloro-2-(3-nitrophenyl)-4-oxoazetidin-1-yl)-2-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl) acetamide 5e remarkably inhibited the growth of HeLa cells in a concentration dependent manner having IC50 value of 29.44 ± 1.46 µg/ml. Morphological changes, colonies suppression and inhibition of migration clearly showed the antineoplasicity in HeLa cells treated with 5e. Simultaneously, phosphatidylserine externalization, DNA fragmentation and cell-cycle arrest showed ongoing apoptosis in the HeLa cancer cells induced by compound 5e in concentration dependent manner. Additionally, generation of intracellular ROS along with the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential supported that compound 5e caused oxidative stress resulting in apoptosis through mitochondria mediated pathway. Elevation in the level of cytochrome c and upregulation in expression of caspase-3 clearly indicated the involvement of the intrinsic pathway of programmed cell death. In brief; compound 5e could serve as a promising lead for the development of an effective antitumor agent.
    Matched MeSH terms: DNA Fragmentation/drug effects
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