An RNA Damage Response Network Mediates the Lethality of 5-FU in Clinically Relevant Tumor Types.

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a successful and broadly used anti-cancer therapeutic. A major mechanism of action of 5-FU is thought to be through thymidylate synthase (TYMS) inhibition resulting in dTTP depletion and activation of the DNA damage response. This suggests that 5-FU should synergize with other DNA damaging agents.

Transite: A Computational Motif-Based Analysis Platform That Identifies RNA-Binding Proteins Modulating Changes in Gene Expression.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play critical roles in regulating gene expression by modulating splicing, RNA stability, and protein translation. Stimulus-induced alterations in RBP function contribute to global changes in gene expression, but identifying which RBPs are responsible for the observed changes remains an unmet need. Here, we present Transite, a computational approach that systematically infers RBPs influencing gene expression through changes in RNA stability and degradation.

The role of multi-purpose solutions in prevention and removal of lipid depositions on contact lenses.

The sorption and desorption of radiolabeled dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and cholesterol (CH) were measured on 5 types of commercial contact lenses. The lenses were soaked in vitro in an artificial tear fluid for 16h. The effects of borate buffered saline and two commercial multi-purpose lens-care solutions (MPSs) on reducing the lipid (DPPC and CH) sorption and increasing the lipid removal were examined.

IDH1 mutations alter citric acid cycle metabolism and increase dependence on oxidative mitochondrial metabolism.

Oncogenic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) occur in several types of cancer, but the metabolic consequences of these genetic changes are not fully understood. In this study, we performed (13)C metabolic flux analysis on a panel of isogenic cell lines containing heterozygous IDH1/2 mutations. We observed that under hypoxic conditions, IDH1-mutant cells exhibited increased oxidative tricarboxylic acid metabolism along with decreased reductive glutamine metabolism, but not IDH2-mutant cells.

Quantitation of cholesterol and phospholipid sorption on silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

The introduction of silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses to the consumer marketplace necessitates study of the susceptibility of these lenses to spontaneous deposition by hydrophobic lipid components of ocular tears. The use of radioisotopes to measure lipid sorption on SiHy contact lenses gives precise and accurate results but requires institutional infrastructure and compels efficient lipid removal from the lens. This study compares three methods of quantitating phospholipid and cholesterol sorption on SiHy lenses using radiolabeled cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine that were sorbed on lenses from an artificial tear fluid.