GRAS transcription factors regulate cell division planes in moss overriding the default rule.

Plant cells are surrounded by a cell wall and do not migrate, which makes the regulation of cell division orientation crucial for development. Regulatory mechanisms controlling cell division orientation may have contributed to the evolution of body organization in land plants. The GRAS family of transcription factors was transferred horizontally from soil bacteria to an algal common ancestor of land plants. SHORTROOT (SHR) and SCARECROW (SCR) genes in this family regulate formative periclinal cell divisions in the roots of flowering plants, but their roles in nonflowering plants and their evolution have not been studied in relation to body organization. Here, we show that SHR cell autonomously inhibits formative periclinal cell divisions indispensable for leaf vein formation in the moss Physcomitrium patens, and SHR expression is positively and negatively regulated by SCR and the GRAS member LATERAL SUPPRESSOR, respectively. While precursor cells of a leaf vein lacking SHR usually follow the geometry rule of dividing along the division plane with the minimum surface area, SHR overrides this rule and forces cells to divide nonpericlinally. Together, these results imply that these bacterially derived GRAS transcription factors were involved in the establishment of the genetic regulatory networks modulating cell division orientation in the common ancestor of land plants and were later adapted to function in flowering plant and moss lineages for their specific body organizations.

Short-Term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy for Advanced Gastric Cancer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Between April 2003 and March 2014, LDG was performed for 392 patients, 91 patients (23.2%) had histopathologically diagnosed AGC beyond T2 depth. The clinicopathological features, postoperative outcomes, mortality, morbidity, recurrence rate, and survivals of those patients were reviewed. The TNM stages of the tumor were IB in 26 patients (28.5%), IIA in 20 (21.9%), IIB in 18 (19.7%), IIIA in 13 (14.2%), IIIB in 6 (6.5%), IIIC in 6 (6.5%), and IV in 2 (2.1%). Major morbidity occurred in 14 patients (15.3%), with no postoperative mortality. Median follow-up was 24.5 months; 10 patients developed recurrence during the follow-up period, and 10 patients died, including 6 cancer deaths. The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 76.8% and 72.6%, respectively. By stage, OS/DFS was 92.3%/91.8% in stage IB, 85.4%/85.4% in stage II, and 49.3%/26.9% in stage III. Oncologic outcomes were good in patients with AGC, especially with stage IB-IIB, who underwent LDG. LDG appears to be an effective approach for treating stage IB and II gastric cancer.

[A case of gastric cancer in which grade 2 treatment effects were obtained with preoperative two-week S-1 administration].

In our hospital, a clinical trial on the effects of preoperative 2-week S-1 administration for advanced gastric cancer is being conducted. A7 5-year-old man presented to our hospital with a type 2 tumor(poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma)in the pyloric antrum. Subpyloric lymph node enlargement and a c-T2(MP), N1, M0, Stage II A tumor (according to the gastric cancer handling agreement, 14th edition)were diagnosed, and S-1(100mg/day)was subsequently administered for 14 days. On day 15, we performed laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy, with D2 dissection. Analysis of the resected specimen, ie the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes, confirmed the effect of the treatment as Grade 2, and revealed a type 2 gastric cancer of 30×20mm in size; this tumor was downstaged to yp-T1b(SM), N1, Stage I B. No adverse events associated with perioperative S-1 were observed, and the postoperative course was good. At the latest follow-up(6 years after treatment), no recurrence was observed.

[Combined use of the Airway Scope and gum elastic bougie for tracheal intubation in a patient with an epiglottic cyst].

A 71-year-old man with sigmoid colon cancer was scheduled for the sigmoidectomy under general anesthesia. In preoperative examination, an epiglottic cyst was found accidentally. He had no subjective symptom. Rapid induction with remifentanil, propofol, rocuronium and ephedrine was performed, and the mask ventilation was easy. The Airway Scope (AWS) was inserted at first, but it was difficult to intubate because of the epiglottic cyst. Then a gum elastic bougie (GEB) was inserted under observation by AWS monitor. GEB was passed into the trachea, and the tube was passed over the GEB into the trachea. Combined use of AWS and GEB is useful for endotracheal intubation in a patient with a epiglottic cyst.

Novel regulatory role for Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-encoded vFLIP in chemosensitization to bleomycin.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV-8) is associated with malignancy. KSHV-derived vFLIP is structurally related to cellular FLIP and binds to NEMO/IκB kinase (IKKγ) to activate NF-κB signaling. NF-κB activation is postulated to confer chemoresistance to various anticancer drugs. However, here we showed that vFLIP expression uniquely sensitized HEK293 cells to bleomycin and its derivatives. Chemosensitization to bleomycin by vFLIP accompanied accumulation of γ-H2AX and G2/M-arrest of cells, while bleomycin-induced DNA damage checkpoints, such as phosphorylation of Chk2 and foci formation of Rad51, were similarly detected in both parental and vFLIP-expressing cells, suggesting that primary DNA damage was not affected by vFLIP. Paradoxically, while NF-κB activity was little affected by bleomycin treatment, vFLIP-stimulated NF-κB activity was suppressed by it. Additionally, cAMP-response element (CRE)- and p53-dependent transcriptional reporter activity was negatively regulated by vFLIP in the presence of bleomycin. Interestingly, a negative regulatory phosphatase essential for G2 checkpoint recovery and for dephosphorylation of γ-H2AX, Wip1/PPM1D, whose gene promoter is regulated by p53, CRE and NF-κB, was selectively downregulated in vFLIP-expressing cells after bleomycin treatment. These results suggest that vFLIP-mediated transcriptional regulation such as Wip1/PPM1D repression is involved in chemosensitization to bleomycin.