Lower-crustal intrusion on the North Atlantic continental margin

When continents break apart, the rifting is sometimes accompanied by the production of large volumes of molten rock. The total melt volume, however, is uncertain, because only part of it has erupted at the surface. Furthermore, the cause of the magmatism is still disputed-specifically, whether or not it is due to increased mantle temperatures. We recorded deep-penetration normal-incidence and wide-angle seismic profiles across the Faroe and Hatton Bank volcanic margins in the northeast Atlantic. Here we show that near the Faroe Islands, for every 1 km along strike, 360-400 km(3) of basalt is extruded, while 540-600 km(3) is intruded into the continent-ocean transition. We find that lower-crustal intrusions are focused mainly into a narrow zone approximately 50 km wide on the transition, although extruded basalts flow more than 100 km from the rift. Seismic profiles show that the melt is intruded into the lower crust as sills, which cross-cut the continental fabric, rather than as an 'underplate' of 100 per cent melt, as has often been assumed. Evidence from the measured seismic velocities and from igneous thicknesses are consistent with the dominant control on melt production being increased mantle temperatures, with no requirement for either significant active small-scale mantle convection under the rift or the presence of fertile mantle at the time of continental break-up, as has previously been suggested for the North Atlantic Ocean.     

Gene-specific control of inflammation by TLR-induced chromatin modifications

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) induce a multi-component inflammatory response that must be tightly regulated to avoid tissue damage. Most known regulatory mechanisms target TLR signalling pathways and thus broadly inhibit multiple aspects of the inflammatory response. Given the functional diversity of TLR-induced genes, we proposed that additional, gene-specific regulatory mechanisms exist to allow individual aspects of the TLR-induced response to be differentially regulated. Using an in vitro system of lipopolysaccharide tolerance in murine macrophages, we show that TLR-induced genes fall into two categories on the basis of their functions and regulatory requirements. We demonstrate that representatives from the two classes acquire distinct patterns of TLR-induced chromatin modifications. These gene-specific chromatin modifications are associated with transient silencing of one class of genes, which includes pro-inflammatory mediators, and priming of the second class, which includes antimicrobial effectors. These findings illustrate an adaptive response in macrophages and reveal component-specific regulation of inflammation.     

Corrosion of magnesium and magnesium –calcium alloy in biologically-simulated environment

A study of biocompatibility and corrosion of both metallic magnesium(Mg) and a magnesium alloy containing 1% calcium(Mg–Ca) were investigated in in vitro culture conditions with and without the presence of bone marrow derived human mesenchymal stem cells(h MSCs).Chemical analysis of the degraded samples was performed using XRD and FEGSEM. The results from the XRD analysis strongly suggested that crystalline phase of magnesium carbonate was present on the surface of both the Mg and Mg–Ca samples. Flame absorption spectrometry was used to analyse the release of magnesium and calcium ions into the cell culture medium. Magnesium concentration was kept consistently at a level ranging from 40 to 80 m M for both Mg and Mg–Ca samples. No cell growth was observed when in direct contact with the metals apart from a few cells observed at the bottom of culture plate containing Mg–Ca alloy. In general, in vitro study of corrosion of Mg–Ca in a biologicallysimulated environment using cell culture medium with the presence of h MSCs demonstrated close resemblances to in vivo corrosion. Although in vitro corrosion of Mg–Ca revealed slow corrosion rate and no immediate cytotoxicity effects to h MSCs, its corrosion rate was still too high to achieve normal stem cell growth when cells and alloys were cultured in vitro in direct contact.     

Exome sequencing identifies recurrent mutations of the splicing factor SF3B1 gene in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Here we perform whole-exome sequencing of samples from 105 individuals with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most frequent leukemia in adults in Western countries. We found 1,246 somatic mutations potentially affecting gene function and identified 78 genes with predicted functional alterations in more than one tumor sample. Among these genes, SF3B1, encoding a subunit of the spliceosomal U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP), is somatically mutated in 9.7% of affected individuals. Further analysis in 279 individuals with CLL showed that SF3B1 mutations were associated with faster disease progression and poor overall survival. This work provides the first comprehensive catalog of somatic mutations in CLL with relevant clinical correlates and defines a large set of new genes that may drive the development of this common form of leukemia. The results reinforce the idea that targeting several well-known genetic pathways, including mRNA splicing, could be useful in the treatment of CLL and other malignancies.     

A common variant at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus is associated with estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer

Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer shows a higher incidence in women of African ancestry compared to women of European ancestry. In search of common risk alleles for ER-negative breast cancer, we combined genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from women of African ancestry (1,004 ER-negative cases and 2,745 controls) and European ancestry (1,718 ER-negative cases and 3,670 controls), with replication testing conducted in an additional 2,292 ER-negative cases and 16,901 controls of European ancestry. We identified a common risk variant for ER-negative breast cancer at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus on chromosome 5p15 (rs10069690: per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 1.18 per allele, P = 1.0 × 10(-10)). The variant was also significantly associated with triple-negative (ER-negative, progesterone receptor (PR)-negative and human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2)-negative) breast cancer (OR = 1.25, P = 1.1 × 10(-9)), particularly in younger women (<50 years of age) (OR = 1.48, P = 1.9 × 10(-9)). Our results identify a genetic locus associated with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer subtypes in multiple populations.     

PALB2, which encodes a BRCA2-interacting protein, is a breast cancer susceptibility gene

PALB2 interacts with BRCA2, and biallelic mutations in PALB2 (also known as FANCN), similar to biallelic BRCA2 mutations, cause Fanconi anemia. We identified monoallelic truncating PALB2 mutations in 10/923 individuals with familial breast cancer compared with 0/1,084 controls (P = 0.0004) and show that such mutations confer a 2.3-fold higher risk of breast cancer (95% confidence interval (c.i.) = 1.4-3.9, P = 0.0025). The results show that PALB2 is a breast cancer susceptibility gene and further demonstrate the close relationship of the Fanconi anemia-DNA repair pathway and breast cancer predisposition.     

A QTL influencing F cell production maps to a gene encoding a zinc-finger protein on chromosome 2p15

F cells measure the presence of fetal hemoglobin, a heritable quantitative trait in adults that accounts for substantial phenotypic diversity of sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. We applied a genome-wide association mapping strategy to individuals with contrasting extreme trait values and mapped a new F cell quantitative trait locus to BCL11A, which encodes a zinc-finger protein, on chromosome 2p15. The 2p15 BCL11A quantitative trait locus accounts for 15.1% of the trait variance.     

Antitumoral effects of 9-cis retinoic acid in adrenocortical cancer

The currently available medical treatment options of adrenocortical cancer (ACC) are limited. In our previous meta-analysis of adrenocortical tumor genomics data, ACC was associated with reduced retinoic acid production and retinoid X receptor-mediated signaling. Our objective has been to study the potential antitumoral effects of 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cisRA) on the ACC cell line NCI-H295R and in a xenograft model. Cell proliferation, hormone secretion, and gene expression have been studied in the NCI-H295R cell line. A complex bioinformatics approach involving pathway and network analysis has been performed. Selected genes have been validated by real-time qRT-PCR. Athymic nude mice xenografted with NCI-H295R have been used in a pilot in vivo xenograft model. 9-cisRA significantly decreased cell viability and steroid hormone secretion in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in the NCI-H295R cell line. Four major molecular pathways have been identified by the analysis of gene expression data. Ten genes have been successfully validated involved in: (1) steroid hormone secretion (HSD3B1, HSD3B2), (2) retinoic acid signaling (ABCA1, ABCG1, HMGCR), (3) cell-cycle damage (GADD45A, CCNE2, UHRF1), and the (4) immune response (MAP2K6, IL1R2). 9-cisRA appears to directly regulate the cell cycle by network analysis. 9-cisRA also reduced tumor growth in the in vivo xenograft model. In conclusion, 9-cisRA might represent a promising new candidate in the treatment of hormone-secreting adrenal tumors and adrenocortical cancer.     

青海省西宁市城市市政污水中绿藻资源调查

以青海省西宁市市政污水出水为研究对象,初步调查了污水中的绿藻资源,并从形态学上进行初步鉴定。结果显示,污水中含有绿藻门小球藻科蹄形藻、小球藻、顶棘藻,栅藻科栅藻,卵囊藻科纤维藻,衣藻科衣藻等藻株。而且栅藻藻株种类明显多于其他种类藻株。该实验结论希望能为污水净化和利用污水培养能源微藻提供依据。     

CCDC39 is required for assembly of inner dynein arms and the dynein regulatory complex and for normal ciliary motility in humans and dogs

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an inherited disorder characterized by recurrent infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract, reduced fertility in males and situs inversus in about 50% of affected individuals (Kartagener syndrome). It is caused by motility defects in the respiratory cilia that are responsible for airway clearance, the flagella that propel sperm cells and the nodal monocilia that determine left-right asymmetry. Recessive mutations that cause PCD have been identified in genes encoding components of the outer dynein arms, radial spokes and cytoplasmic pre-assembly factors of axonemal dyneins, but these mutations account for only about 50% of cases of PCD. We exploited the unique properties of dog populations to positionally clone a new PCD gene, CCDC39. We found that loss-of-function mutations in the human ortholog underlie a substantial fraction of PCD cases with axonemal disorganization and abnormal ciliary beating. Functional analyses indicated that CCDC39 localizes to ciliary axonemes and is essential for assembly of inner dynein arms and the dynein regulatory complex.