ΔNp63α transcriptionally represses p53 target genes involved in the radiation-induced DNA damage response : ΔNp63α may cause genomic instability in epithelial stem cells.

BACKGROUND: The DNA damage response (DDR) is a mechanism that protects cells against radiation-induced oxidative DNA damage by causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. TP63 is a member of the tumour suppressor TP53 gene family, and ΔNp63α, a TP63 splicing variant, is constitutively expressed in the stem cell-containing basal layer of stratified epithelial tissues, including the mammary gland, where it plays a critical role in stemness and tissue development. ΔNp63α has been reported to transcriptionally inhibit the tumour suppression protein p53. This p53-repressive activity may cause genomic instability in epithelial stem cells exposed to radiation. In this study, we analysed the inhibitory effect of ΔNp63α on radiation-induced DDR. METHODS: To elucidate the role of the p53-repressive effect of ΔNp63α in radiation response, we performed a p63-siRNA knockdown experiment using human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) expressing ΔNp63α and then performed ectopic and entopic expression experiments using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). After irradiation, the expression of DDR-related genes and proteins in ΔNp63α-expressing and control cells was analysed by RT-qPCR, Western blotting, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The mRNA/protein expression levels of BAX and p21 were significantly increased in p63-siRNA-treated HMECs (sip63) after X-ray irradiation (4 Gy, 0.7 Gy/min) but not in scramble-siRNA treated HMECs (scr). Transcriptomic analysis showed decreased RNA expression of cell cycle-related genes and increased expression of programmed cell death-related genes in sip63 cells compared to scr cells. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis revealed an increase in apoptotic cells and a decrease in 5-ethynyl-2´-deoxyuridine uptake in sip63 cells compared to scr cells. On the other hand, both the ectopic and entopic expression of ΔNp63α in apoptosis-sensitive hiPSCs reduced the expression levels of BAX after irradiation and significantly decreased the number of apoptotic cells induced by radiation. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results indicate that ΔNp63α represses p53-related radiation-induced DDR, thereby potentially causing genomic instability in epithelial stem cells.

DOSE-RATE EFFECT OF RADIATION ON RAT MAMMARY CARCINOGENESIS AND AN EMERGING ROLE FOR STEM CELL BIOLOGY.

The uncertain cancer risk of protracted radiation exposure at low dose rates is an important issue in radiological protection. Tissue stem/progenitor cells are a supposed origin of cancer and may contribute to the dose-rate effect on carcinogenesis. The authors have shown that female rats subjected to continuous whole body γ irradiation as juveniles or young adults have a notably reduced incidence of mammary cancer as compared with those irradiated acutely. Experiments using the mammosphere formation assay suggested the presence of radioresistant progenitor cells. Cell sorting indicated that basal progenitor cells in rat mammary gland were more resistant than luminal progenitors to killing by acute radiation, especially at high doses. Thus, the evidence indicates a cell-type-dependent inactivation of mammary cells that manifests only at high acute doses, implying a link to the observed dose-rate effect on carcinogenesis.

Chromosomal translocation t(11;14) and p53 deletion induced by the CRISPR/Cas9 system in normal B cell-derived iPS cells.

Multiple myeloma (MM) cells are derived from mature B cells based on immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene analysis. The onset of MM is often caused by a reciprocal chromosomal translocation (cTr) between chr 14 with IgH and chr 11 with CCND1. We propose that mature B cells gain potential to transform by reprograming, and then chromosomal aberrations cause the development of abnormal B cells as a myeloma-initiating cell during B cell redifferentiation. To study myeloma-initiating cells, we have already established normal B cell-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (BiPSCs). Here we established two BiPSCs with reciprocal cTr t(11;14) using the CRISPR/Cas9 system; the cleavage site were located in the IgH Eµ region of either the VDJ rearranged allele or non-rearranged allele of IgH and the 5'-upsteam region of the CCND1 (two types of BiPSC13 with t(11;14) and MIB2-6 with t(11;14)). Furthermore, p53 was deleted using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in BiPSC13 with t(11;14). These BiPSCs differentiated into hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). However, unlike cord blood, those HPCs did not differentiated into B lymphocytes by co-culture with BM stromal cell. Therefore, further ingenuity is required to differentiate those BiPSCs-derived HPCs into B lymphocytes.

Flow Cytometry Definition of Rat Mammary Epithelial Cell Populations and Their Distinct Radiation Responses.

Breast tissue is very susceptible to radiation-induced carcinogenesis, and mammary stem/progenitor cells are potentially important targets of this. The mammary epithelium is maintained as two mostly independent lineages of luminal and basal cells. To elucidate their immediate radiation responses, we analyzed the mammary glands of female Sprague-Dawley rats, a radiation carcinogenesis model, using colony formation, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. The results revealed that flow cytometry successfully fractionates rat mammary cells into CD49fhi CD24lo basal, CD49fmed CD24hi luminal progenitor, and CD49flo CD24hi mature luminal populations, resembling human breast, rather than mouse tissues. The colony-forming ability of the basal cells was more radiosensitive than the luminal progenitor cells. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence showed more efficient cell cycle arrest, γ-H2AX responses, and apoptosis in the irradiated luminal progenitor cells, than in the basal cells. These results provide important insights into the early phase of radiation-induced breast cancer.

Development of a gateway for interoperability in community-based care: An empirical study.

BACKGROUND: Information and communications technology has attracted attention as a useful way of sharing care records in community-based care. Such information sharing systems, however, imposed the burden of inputting the same records into different information systems due to a lack of interoperability of the systems. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop a gateway that links information systems and to investigate the functionality and usability of the gateway through an empirical study. METHODS: We developed a gateway with healthcare and welfare professionals in Kashiwa city, Japan. The gateway system consisted of two sub-systems: a data exchange sub-system and a common sub-system. Regarding the security, we used the transport layer security 1.2 and a public key infrastructure. For document formats, we utilized the health level seven international, extensible markup language, and portable document format. In addition, we performed an empirical study with 11 scenarios of four simulated patients and a questionnaire survey to the professionals. RESULTS: Professionals of eight occupations participated the empirical study and verified the gateway to link information systems of six vendors. For a questionnaire survey, 32 professionals out of 40 reported that the gateway would eliminate the burden of inputting the same records into different information systems.

Structure of bovine fungiform taste buds and their immunoreactivity for gustducin.

The taste buds of bovine fungiform papillae were studied by light and electron microscopy using both histological and immunohistochemical methods. The taste buds existed in the epithelium of the apical region of the papillae. By electron microscopy, two types of taste cells, namely type I and type II cells, could be classified according to the presence of dense-cored vesicles, the cytoplasmic density and the cell shape. Type I cells were thin, had an electron-dense cytoplasm containing dense-cored vesicles, and possessed long thick apical processes in the taste pore. Type II cells were thick, had an electron-lucent cytoplasm containing many electron-lucent vesicles, rather than dense-cored vesicles, and possessed microvilli in the taste pore. Immunohistochemical staining with an antiserum against gustducin was investigated by both light and electron microscopy using the avidin-biotin complex (ABC) method. Some, but not all, of the type II cells exhibited gustducin immunoreactivity, whereas none of the type I cells showed any immunoreactivity.

A case of exercise-induced acute renal failure in a patient with idiopathic renal hypouricemia developed during antihypertensive therapy with losartan and trichlormethiazide.

Exercise-induced acute renal failure (ARF) developed in a 45-year-old man during antihypertensive therapy with losartan and trichlormethiazide. The antihypertensive therapy was stopped and marked hypouricemia became apparent during improvement of his renal function. The daily urinary excretion of uric acid was normal and an increased fractional excretion of uric acid was observed. Renal biopsy revealed that the kidney was recovering from acute tubular necrosis with interstitial fibrosis. Based on the results of pyrazinamide and benzbromarone tests, we classified this case as one of presecretory reabsorption defect of uric acid. Antihypertesive therapy with benidipine and candesartan was initiated, and the patient has not had any ARF episodes since. Because idiopathic renal hypouricemia can be associated with exercise-induced ARF and chronic renal dysfunction, careful antihypertensive therapy and follow-up evaluation of renal function might be necessary for hypertensive patients with idiopathic renal hypouricemia.

Isolation of chicken taste buds for real-time Ca2+ imaging.

We isolated chicken taste buds and used a real-time Ca2+ imaging technique to investigate the functions of the taste cells. With RT-PCR, we found that isolated chicken taste bud-like cell subsets express chicken gustducin messenger RNA. Immunocytochemical techniques revealed that the cell subsets were also immunopositive for chicken gustducin. These results provided strong evidence that the isolated cell subsets contain chicken taste buds. The isolated cell subsets were spindle-shaped and approximately 61-75 µm wide and 88-98 µm long, and these characteristics are similar to those of sectional chicken taste buds. Using Ca2+ imaging, we observed the buds' response to 2 mmol/L quinine hydrochloride (a bitter substance) and their response to a mixture of 25 mmol/L L-glutamic acid monopotassium salt monohydrate and 1 mmol/L inosine 5'-monophosphate disodium salt, umami substances. The present study is the first morphological demonstration of isolated chicken taste buds, and our results indicate that the isolated taste buds were intact and functional approaches for examining the taste senses of the chicken using Ca2+ imaging can be informative.

Gustducin is expressed in the taste buds of the chicken.

We investigated the expression of gustducin in chicken taste buds using molecular biological, biochemical and immunohistochemical techniques. Expression of a gustducin-like sequence was detected by RT-PCR in the tissues containing taste buds, and corresponded to the predicted gustducin gene in the chicken. Expression of this sequence was not detected in the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, intestine, kidney and testis of the chicken. The expressed sequence had a high specificity for oral tissues that contained taste buds. These results suggest that the detected sequence was the chicken gustducin gene. Next, we generated a polyclonal antiserum against the chicken gustducin protein to observe its localization in the oral tissues. The results revealed that the chicken gustducin was specifically expressed in the taste buds. It is suggested that the chicken has a gustatory system mediated by gustducin, and chicken gustducin is a reliable marker for taste buds or taste cells. This is the first molecular biological, biochemical and immunohistochemical demonstration of the presence of gustducin in the chicken.

The number of taste buds is related to bitter taste sensitivity in layer and broiler chickens.

The relationship between taste sensitivity and the number of taste buds using a bitter tastant, quinine hydrochloride, was investigated in White Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, and broiler chickens. The White Leghorn and Rhode Island Red strains were able to perceive 2.0 mmol/L quinine hydrochloride, but the taste sensitivity of Rhode Island Red chickens was higher than that of White Leghorn chickens. Broiler chickens perceived 0.5 mmol/L quinine hydrochloride. The number of taste buds in the White Leghorn strain was the lowest, then the Rhode Island Red strain, with the number of taste buds highest in the broiler chickens. The number of taste buds was well correlated with bitter taste sensitivity. Therefore, we suggest that the number of taste buds is a vital factor in the perception of bitter taste and may be useful in selecting appropriate feeds for chickens.