Telomere-based risk models for the early diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer.

Background: The objective of this study was to explore telomere-associated variables (TAV) as complementary biomarkers in the early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa), analyzing their application in risk models for significant PCa (Gleason score > 6).

Methods: As part of a larger prospective longitudinal study of patients with suspicion of PCa undergoing prostate biopsy according to clinical practice, a subgroup of patients (n = 401) with PSA 3-10 ng/ml and no prior biopsies was used to evaluate the contribution of TAV to discern non-significant PCa from significant PCa. The cohort was randomly split for training (2/3) and validation (1/3) of the models.

Biosurfactant-mediated biodegradation of straight and methyl-branched alkanes by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 55925.

Accidental oil spills and waste disposal are important sources for environmental pollution. We investigated the biodegradation of alkanes by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 55925 in relation to a rhamnolipid surfactant produced by the same bacterial strain. Results showed that the linear C11-C21 compounds in a heating oil sample degraded from 6% to 100%, whereas the iso-alkanes tended to be recalcitrant unless they were exposed to the biosurfactant; under such condition total biodegradation was achieved.

Three-component assembly of amines, boronic acids, and a polyfunctionalized furanose: a concise entry to furanose-based carbohydrate templates.

A highly functionalyzed furanose derivative, accessible in five steps from D-mannose, comprising a halo-alkenyl allylic-oxirane system, undergoes a palladium catalyzed one-pot, three component, assembly with boronic acids (or alkyl boranes) and amines to give, in a complete regio- and stereocontrolled manner, a sugar based derivative with two sites of molecular diversity.

Functional analysis of mutations in the human carnitine/acylcarnitine translocase in Aspergillus nidulans.

Deficiency of the carnitine/acylcarnitine translocase (CACT), the most severe disorder of fatty acid beta-oxidation, is usually lethal in both humans and animals, precluding the development of animal models of the disease. In contrast, CACT deficiency is conditionally lethal in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans, since loss-of-function mutations in acuH, the translocase structural gene, do not prevent growth on carbon sources other than ketogenic compounds, such as fatty acids. Here, we describe the molecular characterization of extant acuH alleles and the development of a fungal model for CACT deficiency based on the ability of human CACT to fully complement, when expressed at physiological levels, the growth defect of an A.

A general method for convergent synthesis of functionalized exo-glycals based on halogenation and Suzuki cross-coupling of 1-exo-methylene sugars.

Functionalized exo-glycals can be readily obtained by palladium catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling of halo-exo-glycals with boronic acids.

One-pot synthesis of 1-exo-alkylidene-2,3-anhydro furanoses: convenient precursors for exo-glycals and functionalized C-glycals.

1-exo-Methylene-2,3-anhydro furanoses, obtained from C-glycals in a one-pot, three step operation can be readily transformed into functionalized C-glycals by palladium-catalyzed nucleophilic addition.

Effect of cytochalasin A on apical growth, actin cytoskeleton organization and enzyme secretion in Aspergillus nidulans.

The role of actin in apical growth and enzyme secretion in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans was studied by treating the hyphae with cytochalasin A (CA), which inhibits actin polymerization. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy revealed actin at the tips of main hyphae and branches, and at the site of developing septa. CA inhibited the growth of the fungus and changed the growth pattern of hyphal tips from cylindrical tubes to spherical beads.