Chondrosarcoma of the mobile spine and sacrum.

Chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of bone. This family of tumors can be primary malignant tumors or a secondary malignant transformation of an underlying benign cartilage tumor. Pain is often the initial presenting complaint when chondrosarcoma involves the spine. In the mobile spine, chondrosarcoma commonly presents within the vertebral body and shows a predilection for the thoracic spine. Due to the resistance of chondrosarcoma to both radiation and chemotherapy, treatment is focused on surgery. With en bloc excision of chondrosarcoma of the mobile spine and sacrum patients can have local recurrence rates as low as 20%.

Case of "slow" stroke from carotid artery occlusion treated by delayed but cautious endovascular intervention.

In a challenging case of carotid occlusion with slowly evolving stroke, we used brain imaging to facilitate endovascular revascularization resulting in the relief of the patient's symptoms. Patients with carotid occlusion and continued neurological worsening or fluctuations present enormous treatment challenges. These patients may present "slow" strokes with subacute infarcts that present significant challenges and risks during attempts at revascularization of the occluded artery. We present such a case in which we used multimodal imaging techniques, including MR-perfusion, to facilitate endovascular revascularization. Our approach of delayed but cautious intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy, guided by brain imaging, and followed by stent placement across the residual stenosis, enabled revascularization of the occluded artery without overt in-hospital complications.

Astrocytes from the contused spinal cord inhibit oligodendrocyte differentiation of adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells by increasing the expression of bone morphogenetic proteins.

Promotion of remyelination is an important therapeutic strategy to facilitate functional recovery after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) or oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) has been used to enhance remyelination after SCI. However, the microenvironment in the injured spinal cord is inhibitory for oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation of NSCs or OPCs. Identifying the signaling pathways that inhibit OL differentiation in the injured spinal cord could lead to new therapeutic strategies to enhance remyelination and functional recovery after SCI. In the present study, we show that reactive astrocytes from the injured rat spinal cord or their conditioned media inhibit OL differentiation of adult OPCs with concurrent promotion of astrocyte differentiation. The expression of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) is dramatically increased in the reactive astrocytes and their conditioned media. Importantly, blocking BMP activity by BMP receptor antagonist, noggin, reverse the effects of active astrocytes on OPC differentiation by increasing the differentiation of OL from OPCs while decreasing the generation of astrocytes. These data indicate that the upregulated bone morphogenetic proteins in the reactive astrocytes are major factors to inhibit OL differentiation of OPCs and to promote its astrocyte differentiation. These data suggest that manipulation of BMP signaling in the endogenous or grafted NSCs or OPCs may be a useful therapeutic strategy to increase their OL differentiation and remyelination and enhance functional recovery after SCI.

Complete Genome Sequence of Treponema paraluiscuniculi, Strain Cuniculi A: The Loss of Infectivity to Humans Is Associated with Genome Decay.

Treponema paraluiscuniculi is the causative agent of rabbit venereal spirochetosis. It is not infectious to humans, although its genome structure is very closely related to other pathogenic Treponema species including Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum, the etiological agent of syphilis. In this study, the genome sequence of Treponema paraluiscuniculi, strain Cuniculi A, was determined by a combination of several high-throughput sequencing strategies. Whereas the overall size (1,133,390 bp), arrangement, and gene content of the Cuniculi A genome closely resembled those of the T. pallidum genome, the T. paraluiscuniculi genome contained a markedly higher number of pseudogenes and gene fragments (51). In addition to pseudogenes, 33 divergent genes were also found in the T. paraluiscuniculi genome. A set of 32 (out of 84) affected genes encoded proteins of known or predicted function in the Nichols genome. These proteins included virulence factors, gene regulators and components of DNA repair and recombination. The majority (52 or 61.9%) of the Cuniculi A pseudogenes and divergent genes were of unknown function. Our results indicate that T. paraluiscuniculi has evolved from a T. pallidum-like ancestor and adapted to a specialized host-associated niche (rabbits) during loss of infectivity to humans. The genes that are inactivated or altered in T. paraluiscuniculi are candidates for virulence factors important in the infectivity and pathogenesis of T. pallidum subspecies.

Hepatic and renal cytochrome p450 gene regulation during citrobacter rodentium infection in wild-type and toll-like receptor 4 mutant mice.

Citrobacter rodentium is the rodent equivalent of human enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection. This study investigated regulation of hepatic and renal cytochrome P450 (P450) mRNAs, hepatic P450 proteins, cytokines, and acute phase proteins during C. rodentium infection. Female C3H/HeOuJ (HeOu) and C3H/HeJ (HeJ) mice [which lack functional toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)] were infected with C. rodentium by oral gavage and sacrificed 6 days later. Hepatic CYP4A10 and 4A14 mRNAs were decreased in HeOu mice (<4% of control). CYP3A11, 2C29, 4F14, and 4F15 mRNAs were reduced to 16 to 55% of control levels, whereas CYP2A5, 4F16, and 4F18 mRNAs were induced (180, 190, and 600% of control, respectively). The pattern of P450 regulation in HeJ mice was similar to that in HeOu mice for most P450s, with the exception of the TLR4 dependence of CYP4F15. Hepatic CYP2C, 3A, and 4A proteins in both groups were decreased, whereas CYP2E protein was not. Renal CYP4A10 and 4A14 mRNAs were significantly down-regulated in HeOu mice, whereas other P450s were unaffected. Most renal P450 mRNAs in infected HeJ mice were increased, notably CYP4A10, 4A14, 4F18, 2A5, and 3A13. Hepatic levels of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) mRNAs were significantly increased in infected HeOu mice, whereas only TNFalpha mRNA was significantly increased in HeJ mice. Hepatic alpha1-acid glycoprotein was induced in both groups, whereas alpha-fibrinogen and angiotensinogen were unchanged. These data indicate that hepatic inflammation induced by C. rodentium infection is mainly TLR4-independent and suggest that hepatic P450 down-regulation in this model may be cytokine-mediated.

Construction of improved temperature-sensitive and mobilizable vectors and their use for constructing mutations in the adhesin-encoding acm gene of poorly transformable clinical Enterococcus faecium strains.

Inactivation by allelic exchange in clinical isolates of the emerging nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecium has been hindered by lack of efficient tools, and, in this study, transformation of clinical isolates was found to be particularly problematic. For this reason, a vector for allelic replacement (pTEX5500ts) was constructed that includes (i) the pWV01-based gram-positive repAts replication region, which is known to confer a high degree of temperature intolerance, (ii) Escherichia coli oriR from pUC18, (iii) two extended multiple-cloning sites located upstream and downstream of one of the marker genes for efficient cloning of flanking regions for double-crossover mutagenesis, (iv) transcriptional terminator sites to terminate undesired readthrough, and (v) a synthetic extended promoter region containing the cat gene for allelic exchange and a high-level gentamicin resistance gene, aph(2'')-Id, to distinguish double-crossover recombination, both of which are functional in gram-positive and gram-negative backgrounds. To demonstrate the functionality of this vector, the vector was used to construct an acm (encoding an adhesin to collagen from E. faecium) deletion mutant of a poorly transformable multidrug-resistant E. faecium endocarditis isolate, TX0082. The acm-deleted strain, TX6051 (TX0082Deltaacm), was shown to lack Acm on its surface, which resulted in the abolishment of the collagen adherence phenotype observed in TX0082. A mobilizable derivative (pTEX5501ts) that contains oriT of Tn916 to facilitate conjugative transfer from the transformable E. faecalis strain JH2Sm::Tn916 to E. faecium was also constructed. Using this vector, the acm gene of a nonelectroporable E. faecium wound isolate was successfully interrupted. Thus, pTEX5500ts and its mobilizable derivative demonstrated their roles as important tools by helping to create the first reported allelic replacement in E. faecium; the constructed this acm deletion mutant will be useful for assessing the role of acm in E. faecium pathogenesis using animal models.

Chronic exposure to MDMA (Ecstasy) elicits behavioral sensitization in rats but fails to induce cross-sensitization to other psychostimulants.

BACKGROUND: The recreational use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) among adolescents and young adults has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. While evidence suggests that the long-term consequences of MDMA use include neurodegeneration to serotonergic and, possibly, dopaminergic pathways, little is known about susceptibility, such as behavioral sensitization, to MDMA. METHODS: The objectives of this study were to examine the dose-response characteristics of acute and chronic MDMA administration in rats and to determine whether MDMA elicits behavioral sensitization and whether it cross-sensitizes with amphetamine and methylphenidate. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three MDMA dosage groups (2.5 mg/kg, 5.0 mg/kg, and 10.0 mg/kg) and a saline control group (N = 9/group). All three MDMA groups were treated for six consecutive days, followed by a 5-day washout, and subsequently re-challenged with their respective doses of MDMA (day 13). Rats were then given an additional 25-day washout period, and re-challenged (day 38) with similar MDMA doses as before followed by either 0.6 mg/kg amphetamine or 2.5 mg/kg methylphenidate on the next day (day 39). Open-field locomotor activity was recorded using a computerized automated activity monitoring system. RESULTS: Acute injection of 2.5 mg/kg MDMA showed no significant difference in locomotor activity from rats given saline (control group), while animals receiving acute 5.0 mg/kg or 10.0 mg/kg MDMA showed significant increases in locomotor activity. Rats treated chronically with 5.0 mg/kg and 10.0 mg/kg MDMA doses exhibited an augmented response, i.e., behavioral sensitization, on experimental day 13 in at least one locomotor index. On experimental day 38, all three MDMA groups demonstrated sensitization to MDMA in at least one locomotor index. Amphetamine and methylphenidate administration to MDMA-sensitized animals did not elicit any significant change in locomotor activity compared to control animals. CONCLUSION: MDMA sensitized to its own locomotor activating effects but did not elicit any cross-sensitization with amphetamine or methylphenidate.

Dose-response characteristics of methylphenidate on locomotor behavior and on sensory evoked potentials recorded from the VTA, NAc, and PFC in freely behaving rats.

BACKGROUND: Methylphenidate (MPD) is a psychostimulant commonly prescribed for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The mode of action of the brain circuitry responsible for initiating the animals' behavior in response to psychostimulants is not well understood. There is some evidence that psychostimulants activate the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). METHODS: The present study was designed to investigate the acute dose-response of MPD (0.6, 2.5, and 10.0 mg/kg) on locomotor behavior and sensory evoked potentials recorded from the VTA, NAc, and PFC in freely behaving rats previously implanted with permanent electrodes. For locomotor behavior, adult male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY; n = 39) rats were given saline on experimental day 1 and either saline or an acute injection of MPD (0.6, 2.5, or 10.0 mg/kg, i.p.) on experimental day 2. Locomotor activity was recorded for 2-h post injection on both days using an automated, computerized activity monitoring system. Electrophysiological recordings were also performed in the adult male WKY rats (n = 10). Five to seven days after the rats had recovered from the implantation of electrodes, each rat was placed in a sound-insulated, electrophysiological test chamber where its sensory evoked field potentials were recorded before and after saline and 0.6, 2.5, and 10.0 mg/kg MPD injection. Time interval between injections was 90 min. RESULTS: Results showed an increase in locomotion with dose-response characteristics, while a dose-response decrease in amplitude of the components of sensory evoked field responses of the VTA, NAc, and PFC neurons. For example, the P3 component of the sensory evoked field response of the VTA decreased by 19.8% +/- 7.4% from baseline after treatment of 0.6 mg/kg MPD, 37.8% +/- 5.9% after 2.5 mg/kg MPD, and 56.5% +/- 3.9% after 10 mg/kg MPD. Greater attenuation from baseline was observed in the NAc and PFC. Differences in the intensity of MPD-induced attenuation were also found among these brain areas. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that an acute treatment of MPD produces electrophysiologically detectable alterations at the neuronal level, as well as observable, behavioral responses. The present study is the first to investigate the acute dose-response effects of MPD on behavior in terms of locomotor activity and in the brain involving the sensory inputs of VTA, NAc, and PFC neurons in intact, non-anesthetized, freely behaving rats previously implanted with permanent electrodes.

Translational regulation of nuclear gene COX4 expression by mitochondrial content of phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Previous results indicated that translation of four mitochondrion-encoded genes and one nucleus-encoded gene (COX4) is repressed in mutants (pgs1Delta) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin. COX4 translation was studied here using a mitochondrially targeted green fluorescence protein (mtGFP) fused to the COX4 promoter and its 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs). Lack of mtGFP expression independent of carbon source and strain background was established to be at the translational level. The translational defect was not due to deficiency of mitochondrial respiratory function but was rather caused directly by the lack of phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin in mitochondrial membranes. Reintroduction of a functional PGS1 gene under control of the ADH1 promoter restored phosphatidylglycerol synthesis and expression of mtGFP. Deletion analysis of the 5' UTR(COX4) revealed the presence of a 50-nucleotide fragment with two stem-loops as a cis-element inhibiting COX4 translation. Binding of a protein factor(s) specifically to this sequence was observed with cytoplasm from pgs1Delta but not PGS1 cells. Using HIS3 and lacZ as reporters, extragenic spontaneous recessive mutations that allowed expression of His3p and beta-galactosidase were isolated, which appeared to be loss-of-function mutations, suggesting that the genes mutated may encode the trans factors that bind to the cis element in pgs1Delta cells.

Functional analysis of the amine substrate specificity domain of pepper tyramine and serotonin N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferases.

Pepper (Capsicum annuum) serotonin N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (SHT) catalyzes the synthesis of N-hydroxycinnamic acid amides of serotonin, including feruloylserotonin and p-coumaroylserotonin. To elucidate the domain or the key amino acid that determines the amine substrate specificity, we isolated a tyramine N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (THT) gene from pepper. Purified recombinant THT protein catalyzed the synthesis of N-hydroxycinnamic acid amides of tyramine, including feruloyltyramine and p-coumaroyltyramine, but did not accept serotonin as a substrate. Both the SHT and THT mRNAs were found to be expressed constitutively in all pepper organs. Pepper SHT and THT, which have primary sequences that are 78% identical, were used as models to investigate the structural determinants responsible for their distinct substrate specificities and other enzymatic properties. A series of chimeric genes was constructed by reciprocal exchange of DNA segments between the SHT and THT cDNAs. Functional characterization of the recombinant chimeric proteins revealed that the amino acid residues 129 to 165 of SHT and the corresponding residues 125 to 160 in THT are critical structural determinants for amine substrate specificity. Several amino acids are strongly implicated in the determination of amine substrate specificity, in which glycine-158 is involved in catalysis and amine substrate binding and tyrosine-149 plays a pivotal role in controlling amine substrate specificity between serotonin and tyramine in SHT. Furthermore, the indisputable role of tyrosine is corroborated by the THT-F145Y mutant that uses serotonin as the acyl acceptor. The results from the chimeras and the kinetic measurements will direct the creation of additional novel N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferases from the various N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferases found in nature.

The dynamic proteome of Lyme disease Borrelia.

The proteome of the spirochete bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick-borne agent of Lyme disease, has been characterized by two different approaches using mass spectrometry, providing a launching point for future studies on the dramatic changes in protein expression that occur during transmission of the bacterium between ticks and mammals.

Comparison of OG1RF and an isogenic fsrB deletion mutant by transcriptional analysis: the Fsr system of Enterococcus faecalis is more than the activator of gelatinase and serine protease.

The FsrABC system of Enterococcus faecalis controls the expression of gelatinase and a serine protease via a quorum-sensing mechanism, and recent studies suggest that the Fsr system may also regulate other genes important for virulence. To investigate the possibility that Fsr influences the expression of additional genes, we used transcriptional profiling, with microarrays based on the E. faecalis strain V583 sequence, to compare the E. faecalis strain OG1RF with its isogenic mutant, TX5266, an fsrB deletion mutant. We found that the presence of an intact fsrB influences expression of numerous genes throughout the growth phases tested, namely, late log to early stationary phase. In addition, the Fsr regulon is independent of the activity of the proteases, GelE and SprE, whose expression was confirmed to be activated at all three time points tested. While expression of some genes (i.e., ef1097 and ef0750 to -757, encoding hypothetical proteins) was activated in late log phase in OG1RF versus the fsrB deletion mutant, expression of ef1617 to -1634 (eut-pdu orthologues) was highly repressed by the presence of an intact Fsr at entry into stationary phase. This is the first time that Fsr has been characterized as a negative regulator. The newly recognized Fsr-regulated targets include other factors, besides gelatinase, described as important for biofilms (BopD), and genes predicted to encode the surface proteins EF0750 to -0757 and EF1097, along with proteins implicated in several metabolic pathways, indicating that the FsrABC system may be an important regulator in strain OG1RF, with both positive and negative effects.

Ligand-signaled upregulation of Enterococcus faecalis ace transcription, a mechanism for modulating host-E. faecalis interaction.

Enterococcus faecalis, the third most frequent cause of bacterial endocarditis, appears to be equipped with diverse surface-associated proteins showing structural-fold similarity to the immunoglobulin-fold family of staphylococcal adhesins. Among the putative E. faecalis surface proteins, the previously characterized adhesin Ace, which shows specific binding to collagen and laminin, was detectable in surface protein preparations only after growth at 46 degrees C, mirroring the finding that adherence was observed in 46 degrees C, but not 37 degrees C, grown E. faecalis cultures. To elucidate the influence of different growth and host parameters on ace expression, we investigated ace expression using E. faecalis OG1RF grown in routine laboratory media (brain heart infusion) and found that ace mRNA levels were low in all growth phases. However, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR showed 18-fold-higher ace mRNA amounts in cells grown in the presence of collagen type IV compared to the controls. Similarly, a marked increase was observed when cells were either grown in the presence of collagen type I or serum but not in the presence of fibrinogen or bovine serum albumin. The production of Ace after growth in the presence of collagen type IV was demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy, mirroring the increased ace mRNA levels. Furthermore, increased Ace expression correlated with increased collagen and laminin adhesion. Collagen-induced Ace expression was also seen in three of three other E. faecalis strains of diverse origins tested, and thus it appears to be a common phenomenon. The observation of host matrix signal-induced adherence of E. faecalis may have important implications on our understanding of this opportunistic pathogen.

Role of the cytoplasmic domain in Anabaena sensory rhodopsin photocycling: vectoriality of Schiff base deprotonation.

Light-induced electric signals in intact E. coli cells generated by heterologously expressed full-length and C-terminally truncated versions of Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) demonstrate that the charge movements within the membrane-embedded part of the molecule are stringently controlled by the cytoplasmic domain. In particular, truncation inverts the direction of proton movement during Schiff base deprotonation from outward to cytoplasmic. Truncation also alters faster charge movements that occur before Schiff base deprotonation. Asp(217) as previously shown by FTIR serves as a proton acceptor in the truncated ASR but not in the full-length version, and its mutation to Asn restores the natural outward direction of proton movement. Introduction of a potential negative charge (Ser(86) to Asp) on the cytoplasmic side favors a cytoplasmic direction of proton release from the Schiff base. In contrast, mutation of the counterion Asp(75) to Glu reverses the photocurrent to the outward direction in the truncated pigment, and in both truncated and full-length versions accelerates Schiff base deprotonation more than 10-fold. The communication between the cytoplasmic domain and the membrane-embedded photoactive site of ASR demonstrated here is likely to derive from the receptor's use of a cytoplasmic protein for signal transduction, as has been suggested previously from binding studies.

Endocarditis and biofilm-associated pili of Enterococcus faecalis.

Increasing multidrug resistance in Enterococcus faecalis, a nosocomial opportunist and common cause of bacterial endocarditis, emphasizes the need for alternative therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy or immunoprophylaxis. In an earlier study, we demonstrated the presence of antibodies in E. faecalis endocarditis patient sera to recombinant forms of 9 E. faecalis cell wall-anchored proteins; of these, we have now characterized an in vivo-expressed locus of 3 genes and an associated sortase gene (encoding sortase C; SrtC). Here, using mutation analyses and complementation, we demonstrated that both the ebp (encoding endocarditis and biofilm-associated pili) operon and srtC are important for biofilm production of E. faecalis strain OG1RF. In addition, immunogold electron microscopy using antisera against EbpA-EbpC proteins as well as patient serum demonstrated that E. faecalis produces pleomorphic surface pili. Assembly of pili and their cell wall attachment appeared to occur via a mechanism of cross-linking of the Ebp proteins by the designated SrtC. Importantly, a nonpiliated, allelic replacement mutant was significantly attenuated in an endocarditis model. These biologically important surface pili, which are antigenic in humans during endocarditis and encoded by a ubiquitous E. faecalis operon, may be a useful immunotarget for studies aimed at prevention and/or treatment of this pathogen.