Zharchikhite, AlF(OH)2: a novel structure type related to α-PbO2.

The crystal structure of zharchikhite, AlF(OH)2, from the Zharchikhinskoe deposit (Buryatia, Russia) is solved here using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The mineral is monoclinic, space group P21/c, a = 5.1788 (4), b = 7.8386 (4), c = 5.1624 (4) Å, ß = 116.276 (10)°, V = 187.91 (3) Å3 and Z = 4. Zharchikhite demonstrates a novel structure type roughly related to the α-PbO2 structure type and different from other compounds of the Al-F-OH system. The crystal structure of zharchikhite is based on the octahedral pseudoframework built from zigzag chains of edge-sharing AlF2(OH)4 octahedra; adjacent chains are linked via F vertices and the pseudoframework contains wide channels.

New data on the crystal chemistry of the natural two-layer aluminosilicates latiumite and tuscanite.

The crystal chemistry of the natural microporous two-layer aluminosilicates (2D zeolites) latiumite and tuscanite is re-investigated based on new data on the chemical composition, crystal structures, and infrared and Raman spectra. The CO32--depleted and P- and H-enriched samples from Sacrofano paleovolcano, Lazio, Italy, are studied. Both minerals are monoclinic; latiumite P21, a = 12.0206 (3), b = 5.09502 (10), c = 10.8527 (3) Å, ß = 107.010 (3)°, V = 635.60 (3) Å3 and tuscanite P21/a, a = 23.9846 (9), b = 5.09694 (15), c = 10.8504 (4) Å, ß = 107.032 (4)°, V = 1268.26 (8) Å3. The obtained crystal chemical formulae (Z = 2 for both minerals) are [(H3O)0.48(H2O)0.24K0.28](Ca2.48K0.21Na0.21Sr0.06Mg0.04)(Si2.86Al2.14O11)[(SO4)0.70(PO4)0.20](CO3)0.10 for latiumite and [(H3O)0.96(H2O)0.58K0.46](Ca4.94K0.44Na0.45Sr0.09Mg0.08)(Si5.80Al4.20O22)[(SO4)1.53(PO4)0.33](CO3)0.14 for tuscanite. These minerals are dimorphous. Both latiumite and tuscanite show distinct affinity for the PO43- anion. Hydrolytic alteration of these minerals results in partial leaching of potassium accompanied by protonation and hydration which is an important precondition for the existence of ion/proton conductivity of related materials.

Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line MNDINSi001-A from a patient with neonatal diabetes caused by a heterozygous INS mutation.

Insulin gene (INS) mutations prove to be the second most common cause of permanent neonatal diabetes. Here, we report the generation of iPSC line from a patient, heterozygous for the intronic INS mutation that presumably leads to aberrant splicing. Dermal fibroblasts were reprogrammed using non-integrating RNA-based vector. Derivation and expansion of iPSCs were performed under feeder-free culture conditions. The iPSC line expressed pluripotency markers, had normal karyotype, could differentiate into three germ layers in vitro and retained the disease mutation. This line can be a powerful tool for modeling of diabetes and cell replacement therapy as well.

Minigene splicing assessment of 20 novel synonymous and intronic glucokinase gene variants identified in patients with maturity-onset diabetes of the young.

The next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become a routine method for diagnostics of inherited disorders. However, assessment of the discovered variants may be challenging, especially when they are not predicted to change the protein sequence. Here we performed a functional analysis of 20 novel or rare intronic and synonymous glucokinase (GCK) gene variants identified by targeted NGS in 1,130 patients with maturity-onset diabetes of the young. Human Splicing Finder, ver 3.1 and a precomputed index of splicing variants (SPIDEX) were used for in silico prediction. In vitro effects of GCK gene variants on splicing were tested using a minigene expression approach. In vitro effect on splicing was shown for 9 of 20 variants, including two synonymous substitutions. In silico and in vitro results matched in about 50% of cases. The results demonstrate that novel or rare apparently benign GCK gene variants should be regarded as potential splicing mutations.

High frequency of pathogenic and rare sequence variants in diabetes-related genes among Russian patients with diabetes in pregnancy.

AIMS: Diabetes in pregnancy may be associated with monogenic defects of beta-cell function, frequency of which depends on ethnicity, clinical criteria for selection of patients as well as methods used for genetic analysis. The aim was to evaluate the contribution and molecular spectrum of mutations among genes associated with monogenic diabetes in non-obese Russian patients with diabetes in pregnancy using the next-generation sequencing (NGS). METHODS: 188 non-obese pregnant women with diabetes during pregnancy were included in the study; among them 57 subjects (30.3%) met the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria of preexisting pregestational diabetes (pre-GDM), whereas 131 women (69.7%) fulfilled criteria of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A custom NGS panel targeting 28 diabetes causative genes was used for sequencing. The sequence variants were rated according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. RESULTS: In total, 23 pathogenic, 18 likely pathogenic and 16 variants of uncertain significance were identified in 59/188 patients (31.4%). The majority of variants (38/59) were found in GCK gene. No significant differences in the number of variants among the two study groups (pre-GDM and GDM) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that frequency of monogenic variants of diabetes might be underestimated, which warrants a broader use of genetic testing, especially in pregnancy.

Cytokinin stimulates chloroplast transcription in detached barley leaves.

Chloroplasts are among the main targets of cytokinin action in the plant cell. We report here on the activation of transcription by cytokinin as detected by run-on assays with chloroplasts isolated from apical parts of first leaves detached from 9-d-old barley (Hordeum vulgare) seedlings and incubated for 3 h on a 2.2 x 10(-5) m solution of benzyladenine (BA). Northern-blot analysis also detected a BA-induced increase in the accumulation of chloroplast mRNAs. A prerequisite for BA activation of chloroplast transcription was preincubation of leaves for 24 h on water in the light, resulting in a decreased chloroplast transcription and a drastic accumulation of abscisic acid. Cytokinin enhanced the transcription of several chloroplast genes above the initial level measured before BA treatment, and in the case of rrn16 and petD even before preincubation. Cytokinin effects on basal (youngest), middle, and apical (oldest) segments of primary leaves detached from plants of different ages revealed an age dependence of chloroplast gene response to BA. BA-induced stimulation of transcription of rrn16, rrn23, rps4, rps16, rbcL, atpB, and ndhC required light during the period of preincubation and was further enhanced by light during the incubation on BA, whereas activation of transcription of trnEY, rps14, rpl16, matK, petD, and petLG depended on light during both periods. Our data reveal positive and differential effects of cytokinin on the transcription of chloroplast genes that were dependent on light and on the age (developmental stage) of cells and leaves.