Genome Sequence of Gordonia Phage Yvonnetastic.

Gordonia bacteriophage Yvonnetastic was isolated from soil in Pittsburgh, PA, using Gordonia terrae 3612 as a host. Yvonnetastic has siphoviral morphology and a genome of 98,136 bp, with 198 predicted protein-coding genes and five tRNA genes. Yvonnetastic does not share substantial sequence similarity with other sequenced bacteriophage genomes.

Associations between pigment epithelium-derived factor, insulin resistance and high density lipoprotein.

AIMS: To measure serum pigment epithelium-derived factor in control subjects with normal fasting glucose, and in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and those with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes, before treatment initiation, and to measure pigment epithelium-derived factor prospectively in patients being treated with HDL-raising therapy, niacin. METHODS: We enrolled 89 individuals attending an institutional health screen. Biochemical indices including lipids, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and pigment epithelium-derived factor were analysed in fasting blood. To validate the association between HDL and pigment epithelium-derived factor, we analysed samples from a separate study cohort with low HDL, followed up for 12-weeks while on niacin treatment. Secreted pigment epithelium-derived factor from 3T3-L1 adipocytes, after HDL treatment (24-h), was measured using Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Mean (± sd) serum pigment epithelium-derived factor was significantly higher in subjects with impaired fasting glucose [13.99 (± 3.06) µg/ml] and Type 2 diabetes [12.94 (± 2.61)] µg/ml, compared with control subjects [11.83 (± 2.85) µg/ml (P = 0.014)]. In multivariate analyses, serum pigment epithelium-derived factor concentration was associated with BMI (ß = 0.32, 0.007), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (ß = 0.33, P = 0.01) and HDL (ß = -0.24, P = 0.05), after adjustment for age, gender and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. In the niacin study, on-treatment HDL was an independent determinant of pigment epithelium-derived factor (ß = -0.439, P = 0.033), after adjusting for age, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance and treatment. Adipocytes treated with HDL were found to have reduced pigment epithelium-derived factor secretion [24.8% (50 µg/ml), 28.4% (100 µg/ml) HDL; P < 0.05)], compared with the control samples. CONCLUSION: Serum pigment epithelium-derived factor is positively associated with homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance and negatively associated with HDL. Further studies are needed to understand the mechanism of low HDL and raised pigment epithelium-derived factor and to determine if they are causally related to the pathobiology of insulin resistance.

Microvessel density and p53 mutations in advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer.

We planned to determine the relationship between angiogenesis and p53 mutational status in advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer. Using 190 tumor samples from patients with stage III and IV ovarian cancer we performed p53 sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and CD31 microvessel density (MVD) determination. MVD was elevated in tumors with p53 null mutations compared to p53 missense mutation or no mutation. Disease recurrence was increased with higher MVD in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. In adjusted analysis, p53 null mutation was associated with increased recurrence and worse overall survival. Worse overall survival and increased recurrence risk were also associated with the combination of CD31 MVD values >25 vessels/HPF and any p53 mutation. P53 mutation status and MVD may have prognostic significance in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Tumors with p53 null mutations are likely to be more vascular, contributing to decreased survival and increased recurrence probability.