Agnes Day

Differential cytokine mRNA expression in swine whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures.

The kinetics of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 gene expression in concanavalin A (Con A)-activated whole blood (WB) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures were examined using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Unstimulated PBMC or WB cultures failed to show increases in basal cytokine PCR amplicon levels for any cytokine examined. PBMC cultures demonstrated peak expression of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 mRNA levels at 12, 24, 24 and 6h, respectively. WB cultures exhibited peak IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 mRNA levels at 24, 12, 6 and 24h, respectively. PBMC cultures consistently exhibited higher levels of IL-2 mRNA at all times examined than did WB cultures. WB cultures consistently had higher levels of IL-6 mRNA than PBMC cultures. IL-8 and IL-10 protein levels in PBMC cultures were first detected 12h after stimulation and continued to increase in concentration through 48h. In WB cultures, IL-8 and IL-10 protein levels were first noted at 12 and 6h, respectively. WB culture IL-8 and IL-10 levels quickly reached equilibrium after being detected and remained at levels lower than those noted in PBMC cultures. These results show WB cultures represent an approach with reduced cost and time when compared to traditional cell culture and isolation methods. It may also produce an in vitro test system that more closely resembles in vivo conditions.

Estrogen receptor-dependent genomic expression profiles in breast cancer cells in response to fatty acids.

Context: The estrogen receptor (ER) status in breast cancer plays a major role in the progression and metastatic potential of breast cancer in women. Breast cancer cells lacking the ER are usually more advanced and more difficult to treat than ER+ breast cancer cells. ER− women have more advanced breast cancer at the time of diagnosis than ER+ women. ER− breast cancer cells in women, regardless of age, are more likely to have tumor Grade III or IV with fewer Grade I and II tumor stages combined for each individual stage group. Studies have suggested a strong correlation between fat intake and the elevated risk of ER+ breast cancer cells. Materials and Methods: We studied the role of ER status on the gene expression in breast cancer cells in response to omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids using microarrays. We have studied gene expression patterns in 8 breast cancer cell lines (4 ER− and 4 ER+) in response to Eicosapentanoic (EPA) and Arachidonic (AA) acids. Statistical Analysis: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) t-test analysis was carried out to identify genes differentially expressed between the two groups. Results: We identified genes which were significantly correlated with the ER status when breast cancer cells were treated with these fatty acids. Conclusion: We have determined ER-related gene expression patterns in breast cancer cells in response to fatty acids. Additional studies of these biomarkers may enlighten the importance of the ER status on the mechanistic and therapeutic roles of fatty acids in breast cancer.

The first report of antifungal lipopeptide production by a Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum strain

A strain of bacteria in the Bacillus subtilis species complex was isolated from a buildings air vent in the Washington DC area, USA, and produced strong antifungal activity with in vitro assays. This strain, designated (HU Biol-II), showed pronounced inhibitory effects on mycelial growth of a wide spectrum of fungi. The objectives of this study were to use genome sequencing to confirm the taxonomy of HU Biol-II, evaluate its antifungal activity and implement genome mining and HPLC-MS/MS to characterize the bioactive secondary metabolites. The strain, as determined by multilocus sequence alignment analysis, was identified as a member of Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum clade. Core genome phylogeny showed that the isolate is most closely related to B. subtilis subsp. inaquosorum strain DE111, a commercially produced human probiotic. The investigation identified eight bioactive metabolite clusters in the genome. HPLC MS/MS was able to confirm the production of seven of the metabolites. This study is the first to report the production of two antifungal cyclic lipopeptides (bacillomycin F and fengycin) from a member of B. subtilis subsp. inaquosorum. The strain also produced the antibacterial aurantinin B, which confirms the biosynthetic cluster responsible for its production. Comparative genomics and metabolomics demonstrated the commercial probiotic strain DE111 produced the same metabolites, with the exception of aurantinin B. These findings are the first description of the secondary metabolites produced by a strain of B. subtilis subsp. inaquosorum.