Hymenobacter swuensis sp. nov., a gamma-radiation-resistant bacteria isolated from mountain soil.

Gram stain-negative and non-motile bacteria, designated as DY53(T) and DY43, were isolated from mountain soil in South Korea prior exposure with 5 kGy gamma radiation. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the strains belonged to the family Cytophagaceae in the class Cytophagia. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of strains DY53(T) and DY43 was 100 %. The highest degrees of sequence similarities of strains DY53(T) and DY43 were found with Hymenobacter perfusus A1-12(T) (98.8 %), Hymenobacter rigui WPCB131(T) (98.5 %), H. yonginensis HMD1010(T) (97.9 %), H. xinjiangensis X2-1g(T) (96.6 %), and H. gelipurpurascens Txg1(T) (96.5 %). The DNA G+C content of the novel strains DY53(T) and DY43 were 59.5 mol%. Chemotaxonomic data revealed that strains possessed major fatty acids such as C15:0 iso, C15:0 anteiso, C16:1 ω5c, summed feature 3 (16:1 ω7c/ω6c), summed feature 4 (17:1 anteiso B/iso I) and C17:0 iso, and major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The novel strains showed resistance to gamma radiation, with a D10 value (i.e., the dose required to reduce the bacterial population by tenfold) in excess of 5 kGy. Based on these data, strains DY53(T) and DY43 should be classified as representing a novel species, for which the name Hymenobacter swuensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain DY53(T) (=KCTC 32018(T) = JCM 18582(T)) and DY43 (=KCTC 32010).

Androgen receptor signaling regulates T-type Ca2+ channel expression and neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer cells.

Therapies designed to reduce androgen production or receptor activation are effective in limiting prostate tumor growth. However, prolonged treatment with anti-androgen therapies results in the progression of prostate cancers into an androgen refractory state. Neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) has been associated with the progression of prostate cancers to an androgen resistant phenotype. In this work we investigated the effect of disrupting androgen receptor signaling in promoting NED of prostate carcinoma cells and whether it is accompanied by an increase in T-type Ca2+ channel expression. The effect of disrupting androgen signaling was assessed in LNCaP and 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells following treatment with the androgen receptor blocker, bicalutamide, or hormone-depleted media. Treatment of LNCaP cells with bicalutamide or hormone-depleted media for 4-10 d evoked considerable morphological and biochemical changes consistent with NED including the development of long neurite-like processes and the expression of the neuronal marker, tubulin IIIß. PCR analysis of bicalutamide-stimulated cells revealed no significant changes in Cav3.2 mRNA. However, stimulation of LNCaP cells with bicalutamide or hormone-depleted media for 10 d evoked a significant increase in Cav3.2 protein expression and the appearance of functional T-type Ca2+ channels. Inhibition of T-type Ca2+ channel function with various pharmacological blockers disrupted the morphological differentiation of LNCaP cells. Bicalutamide-evoked expression of functional T-type Ca2+ channels in LNCaP cells promoted chemoresistance to docetaxel. These findings indicate that disruption of androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer cells evokes increased expression of functional T-type Ca2+ channels, which may result in significant morphological and biochemical changes.

Inkjet-Printed Organic Transistors Based on Organic Semiconductor/Insulating Polymer Blends.

Recent advances in inkjet-printed organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) based on organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are reviewed in this article. Organic semiconductor/insulating polymer blends are attractive ink candidates for enhancing the jetting properties, inducing uniform film morphologies, and/or controlling crystallization behaviors of organic semiconductors. Representative studies using soluble acene/insulating polymer blends as an inkjet-printed active layer in OFETs are introduced with special attention paid to the phase separation characteristics of such blended films. In addition, inkjet-printed semiconducting/insulating polymer blends for fabricating high performance printed OFETs are reviewed.