Podocalyxin enhances the adherence of cells to platelets

Podocalyxin (PODXL) is a mucin protein of the CD34 family expressed in kidney glomerular podocytes, vascular endothelium, progenitor bone marrow and tumor cells. It is assumed that PODXL plays an anti-adherent role in kidney podocytes. CHO cells stably expressing human PODXL (CHO-PODXL) or human tumor cells (Tera-1) inherently expressing PODXL showed increased adherence to platelets. The adherence of cells was inhibited (70%) by blockers of platelet P-selectin, prevented by the soluble ectodomain of human PODXL (PODXL-Δ) or by the arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGDS) peptide and partially impeded by inhibition of integrin αVβ3/αVβ5, suggesting a coordinated action of P-selectin and integrins. Colocalization of platelet P-selectin and PODXL expressed on CHO cells was demonstrated by confocal immunofluorescence. No adherence to platelets was observed when PODXL was expressed in glycomutant CHO cells deficient in sialic acid. Received 14 August 2007; received after revision 12 September 2007; accepted 13 September 2007     

Drugs of the future: the hormone relaxin

The peptide hormone relaxin is emerging as a multi-functional factor in a broad range of target tissues including several non-reproductive organs, in addition to its historical role as a hormone of pregnancy. This review discusses the evidence that collectively demonstrates the many diverse and vital roles of relaxin: the homeostatic role of endogenous relaxin in mammalian pregnancy and ageing; its gender-related effects; the therapeutic effects of relaxin in the treatment of fibrosis, inflammation, cardioprotection, vasodilation and wound healing (angiogenesis) amongst other pathophysiological conditions, and its potential mechanism of action. Furthermore, translational issues using experimental models (to humans) and its use in various clinical trials, are described, each with important lessons for the design of future trials involving relaxin. The diverse physiological and pathological roles for relaxin have led to the search for its significance in humans and highlight its potential as a drug of the future. Received 12 December 2006; received after revision 12 February 2007; accepted 15 March 2007     

生物种群Logistic扩展模型灰色增量生成参数辨识方法及应用

提出 Logistic扩展模型 LM(n,1 )的一般形式 ,将内禀增长率 r扩展为具有复合振动特征的时变参数项 ,相应参数的生物、生态学意义明确 .基于灰色 GM (n,1 )微分动态建模原理 ,按离散数据序列特点 ,探索出灰色高阶增量动态 GMS(n,1 )建模原理与方法 ,为 LM (n,1 )模型及若干生长曲线模拟提供了有效、规范的参数辨识方法 .GMS(n,1 )模型的信息包容量丰富 ,适用范围广 .实际模拟结果表明精度极高     

GM(1,1)模型的背景值构造方法和应用(Ⅱ)

通过重构一个表达形式简单的背景值计算公式,使得GM（1,1）模型能通用于等间距序列和非等间距序列,从而达到了扩大GM（1,1）模型应用范围的目的,同时仍保持了GM（1,1）建模简单易行的显著优点．实例说明,重构的背景值计算公式用于非等间距序列有很高的拟合和预测精度．     

hB1F与HNF1协同调控HBV增强子Ⅱ的功能

人Ｂ１结合因子（ｈｕｍａｎ Ｂ１ ｂｉｎｄｉｎｇ ｆａｃｔｏｒ,ｈＢ１Ｆ）是本实验室克隆到的一个新的转录因子,它能够结合于ＨＢＶ增强子Ⅱ（ＥＮⅡ）的Ｂ１区并反式激活其功能,对ｈＢ１Ｆ和其他反式激活ＥＮⅡ的肝细胞核因子间在功能上的相互关系进行了研究。氯霉素乙酰转移酶（ｃｈｌｏｒａｍｐｈｅｎｉｃｏｌ ａｃｅｔｙｌｔｒａｎｓｆｅｒａｓｅ,ＣＡＴ）报告基因分析发现,ｈＢ１Ｆ与ＨＮＦ３β,ＨＮＦ４间在激活Ｅ     

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: clinicopathology and molecular alterations

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS, OMIM 175200) is an unusual inherited intestinal polyposis syndrome associated with distinct peri-oral blue/black freckling [1–9]. Variable penetrance and clinical heterogeneity make it difficult to determine the exact frequency of PJS [4]. PJS is a cancer predisposition syndrome. Affected individuals are at high risk for intestinal and extra-intestinal cancers. In 1997, linkage studies mapped PJS to chromosome 19p [10, 11], and subsequently a serine/threonine kinase gene defect (LKB1) was noted in a majority of PJS cases [12, 13]. A phenotypically similar syndrome has been produced in an LKB1 mouse knockout model [14–18]. Several PJS kindred without LKB1 mutations have been described, suggesting other PJS loci [19–22]. The management of PJS is complex and evolving. New endoscopic technologies may improve management of intestinal polyposis. Identification of specific genetic mutations and their targets will more accurately assess the clinical course, and help gage the magnitude of cancer risk for affected individuals. Received 20 February 2006; received after revision 5 May 2006; accepted 15 June 2006     

Cancer and blood coagulation

In human patients, blood coagulation disorders often associate with cancer, even in its early stages. Recently, in vitro and in vivo experimental models have shown that oncogene expression, or inactivation of tumour suppressor genes, upregulate genes that control blood coagulation. These studies suggest that activation of blood clotting, leading to peritumoral fibrin deposition, is instrumental in cancer development. Fibrin can indeed build up a provisional matrix, supporting the invasive growth of neoplastic tissues and blood vessels. Interference with blood coagulation can thus be considered as part of a multifaceted therapeutic approach to cancer. Received 30 November 2005; received after revision 7 February 2005; accepted 8 February 2006     

The ubiquitin-specific protease USP25 interacts with three sarcomeric proteins

The biological functions of the more than one hundred genes coding for deubiquitinating enzymes in the human genome remain mostly unknown. The USP25 gene, located at 21q11.2, encodes three protein isoforms produced by alternative splicing. While two of the isoforms are expressed nearly ubiquituously, the expression of the longer USP25 isoform (USP25m) is restricted to muscular tissues and is upregulated during myogenesis. USP25m interacts with three sarcomeric proteins: actin alpha-1 (ACTA1), filamin C (FLNC), and myosin binding protein C1 (MyBPC1), which are critically involved in muscle differentiation and maintenance, and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of severe myopathies. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that MyBPC1 is a short-lived proteasomal substrate, and its degradation is prevented by over-expression of USP25m but not by other USP25 isoforms. In contrast, ACTA1 and FLNC appear to be stable proteins, indicating that their interaction with USP25m is not related to their turnover rate. Received 7 November 2005; received after revision 7 January 2006; accepted 13 January 2006     

Functional interactions of protein kinase A and C in signalling networks: a recapitulation

On the basis of evidence collected from the literature, we propose a general model by which protein kinase (PK) A and the different PKC isoforms can inversely affect cell growth. Molecular switches, which are able to direct the signal towards antiproliferative or mitogenic pathways, are the different isoforms of Raf and PKC. Conflicting data are also reported and discussed in an attempt to reconcile them. Received 10 November 2005; received after revision 28 December 2005; accepted 3 January 2006