Effect of gentamycin on insulin release and45Ca net uptake by isolated islets

Summary In isolated islets, gentamycin reduced both the⁴⁵Ca net uptake and insulin release induced by glucose, but failed to inhibit the insulin secretion provoked by the combination of Ba²⁺ and theophylline. This indicates that the inhibitory effect of gentamycin is due to a reduction of Ca²⁺ entry into B-cells instead of to a harmful effect upon the integrity of the effector system, responsible for the extrusion of the insulin containing granules.Supported by a Grant (No. 79/1872) from the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil.     

Whole-genome sequencing identifies recurrent mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), the most frequent leukaemia in adults in Western countries, is a heterogeneous disease with variable clinical presentation and evolution. Two major molecular subtypes can be distinguished, characterized respectively by a high or low number of somatic hypermutations in the variable region of immunoglobulin genes. The molecular changes leading to the pathogenesis of the disease are still poorly understood. Here we performed whole-genome sequencing of four cases of CLL and identified 46 somatic mutations that potentially affect gene function. Further analysis of these mutations in 363 patients with CLL identified four genes that are recurrently mutated: notch 1 (NOTCH1), exportin 1 (XPO1), myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MYD88) and kelch-like 6 (KLHL6). Mutations in MYD88 and KLHL6 are predominant in cases of CLL with mutated immunoglobulin genes, whereas NOTCH1 and XPO1 mutations are mainly detected in patients with unmutated immunoglobulins. The patterns of somatic mutation, supported by functional and clinical analyses, strongly indicate that the recurrent NOTCH1, MYD88 and XPO1 mutations are oncogenic changes that contribute to the clinical evolution of the disease. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive analysis of CLL combining whole-genome sequencing with clinical characteristics and clinical outcomes. It highlights the usefulness of this approach for the identification of clinically relevant mutations in cancer.     

Multistage interband cascade photovoltaic devices with a bandgapof 0.23 eV operating above room temperature

Interband cascade （IC） photovoltaic （PV）device structures, consisting of multiple discrete InAs/GaSb superlattice absorbers sandwiched between electronand hole barriers, were grown by molecular beam epitaxy.Details of the molecular beam epitaxy growth and materialcharacterization of the structures are presented. The dis-crete absorber architecture enables certain advantages, suchas high open-circuit voltage, high collection efficiency,high operating temperature, and smooth integration ofcascade stages with different bandgaps. The two- andthree-stage ICPV devices presented in this article operate atroom temperature with substantial open-circuit voltages ata cutoff wavelength of 5.3 μm （corresponding to a bandgapof 0.23 eV）, the longest ever reported for room temperaturePV devices. The device characteristics indicate a high levelof current matching and demonstrate the advantages of theinterband cascade approach in thermophotovoltaic celldesign.