A novel candidate tumor suppressor, ING1, is involved in the regulation of apoptosis

We have recently cloned a novel growth inhibitor and candidate tumor suppressor called p33ING1 (I. Garkavtsev et al., Nature Genet., 14: 415-420, 1996). Because some tumor suppressors participate in the regulation of apoptosis, we hypothesized that the ING1 gene may also play a role in this process. Our results show that p33ING1 levels increase upon the induction of apoptosis in P19 teratocarcinoma cells by serum deprivation. Elevated expression of ING1 in P19 and rodent fibroblast cells containing a tetracycline-controlled human c-myc gene enhanced the extent of serum starvation-induced apoptosis. This suggests that the pathway by which ING1 modulates cell death is synergistic with Myc-dependent apoptosis. Conversely, constitutive expression of an antisense construct of INGI conferred protection against apoptosis in these cells. These data support the idea that loss of proper ING1 function may facilitate tumorigenesis, in part, by reducing the cell's sensitivity to apoptosis.     

Widespread tinea corporis in an immunocompetent patient resistant to all conventional forms of treatment

A 70-year-old immunocompetent man with a more than forty-year history of tinea corporis unresponsive to multiple systemic and topical antifungal agents, including systemic terbinafine, is described. The literature with respect to persistent dermatophyte infection is reviewed.     

DARPP-32: regulator of the efficacy of dopaminergic neurotransmission

Dopaminergic neurons exert a major modulatory effect on the forebrain. Dopamine and adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-regulated phosphoprotein (32 kilodaltons) (DARPP-32), which is enriched in all neurons that receive a dopaminergic input, is converted in response to dopamine into a potent protein phosphatase inhibitor. Mice generated to contain a targeted disruption of the DARPP-32 gene showed profound deficits in their molecular, electrophysiological, and behavioral responses to dopamine, drugs of abuse, and antipsychotic medication. The results show that DARPP-32 plays a central role in regulating the efficacy of dopaminergic neurotransmission.     

Does the US Navy attract young women who smoke?

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the United States Navy is disproportionately attracting and recruiting female smokers from the civilian sector. METHODS: Standardised comparisons of cigarette use among Navy women recruits and civilian women were conducted with data from a 1996-97 Department of Defense study and the 1994 National Health Interview Survey. RESULTS: Young Navy women recruits (18-22 years) had significantly higher rates of current and heavy smoking than their civilian counterparts after adjusting for differences in sociodemographic characteristics. Smoking rates among older recruits and civilian women (23-30 years) were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that the Navy attracts young civilian women who already smoke, many of whom smoke heavily.     

Low nutritional quality of unconventional tropical crop seeds in rats

As the search for alternative sources of food to alleviate hunger continues, this study was undertaken to determine the biological value in growing rats (BV) of proteins of some lesser known tropical seeds gathered in Nigeria. Antinutritional factors (trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, oxalate, tannin, alkaloids) and amino acid compositions were also determined, and protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) was calculated using the amino acid requirement pattern of the preschool child and individual seed-specific correction factors for crude protein. A rat growth and balance study was conducted to determine digestibility, nitrogen-, and energy balance by feeding as the only unsupplemented protein source milled and heat-treated seeds of Adansonia digitata (Bombacaceae) and Prosopis africana, Lonchocarpus sericeus, Enterolobium cyclocarpium, Sesbania pachycarpa and Pterocarpus osun (Leguminosae) in comparison to casein fortified with methionine (control). Diets containing P. africana and L. sericeus seeds caused poor feed intake and weight loss in rats and were excluded from the nitrogen-balance test. Among the seed samples, S. pachycarpa followed by A. digitata showed the most advantageous nutritional quality [amino acid composition, digestibility, BV and net protein utilization (NPU)]. True digestibility was 82.9 and 74.5 vs. 98.5, BV was 64.6 and 70.0 vs. 90.4, and NPU was 53.5 and 52.1 vs. 89.0 for S. pachycarpa and A. digitata vs. casein (control), respectively. In terms of PDCAAS, lysine was the first limiting amino acid for S. pachycarpa (88%) and for A. digitata (58%). The PDCAAS of all essential amino acids was below 100% for E. cyclocarpium (e.g., cysteine + methionine: 37%) and for P. africana (e.g., threonine: 46%, except valine and a very high content of cysteine and methionine). In conclusion, all seeds tested in the rat balance trial were of inferior quality compared to casein. Before these tropical seeds could be used as food components or feed supplements, safety studies and proper processing to remove antinutritional factors and possible toxic constituents were required.     

The prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Northern Ireland

Amyloid P component (AP) is a matrix glycoprotein of adult renal glomeruli. To establish whether the deposition of AP in glomeruli is an age-related phenomenon, this study used indirect immunofluorescence (IF) to investigate 34 renal biopsy specimens and 11 renal autopsy specimens. The biopsy specimens were taken from 9 patients (age range from 2 to 38 years) with normal glomerular morphology and from 25 patients (age range from 4 to 56 years) with various renal diseases. All autopsy specimens (age range form 2 months to 28 years) showed normal glomerular morphology. AP was not detected in glomeruli before age 6. By age 14, the IF intensity reached the level of the adult specimens, in which a strong fluorescence was seen along the basement membranes and within the mesangial matrix. In renal diseases, glomerular AP also appeared after age 6, although varying in its location and intensity. In conclusion, our results indicate that the appearance of AP in glomeruli is an age-related phenomenon, the pattern of which varies in renal diseases.     

A single amino acid in the p58 killer cell inhibitory receptor controls the ability of natural killer cells to discriminate between the two groups of HLA-C allotypes

To examine the structural basis for the specific recognition of the MHC class I allotypes HLA-Cw*0401 and HLA-Cw*0304 by the killer cell inhibitory receptors (KIR) cl42 and cl43, respectively, mutant KIR-Ig fusion proteins were tested by direct binding to cells transfected with single HLA-C alleles. The putative loop region at position 44-46 of KIR contained amino acids that were necessary for the discrimination between HLA-Cw*0401 and HLA-Cw*0304. Surprisingly, exchanging the methionine at position 44 in cl42 with the lysine at position 44 in cl43 was sufficient to switch the specificity of cl42 from HLA-Cw*0401 to HLA-Cw*0304, and vice versa. Thus, a single amino acid in the first Ig domain of these KIR determines their ability to discriminate between the two groups of HLA-C allotypes.