Identification and deletion of Tft1, a predicted glycosyltransferase necessary for cell wall β-1,3;1,4-glucan synthesis in Aspergillus fumigatus.

Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental mold that causes severe, often fatal invasive infections in immunocompromised patients. The search for new antifungal drug targets is critical, and the synthesis of the cell wall represents a potential area to find such a target. Embedded within the main β-1,3-glucan core of the A.

Targeted gene deletion in Aspergillus fumigatus using microbial machinery and a recyclable marker.

The emerging invasive fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus causes very serious infections among immunocompromised patient populations. While the genome of this pathogen has been sequenced, a major barrier to better understanding the complex biology of this eukaryotic organism is a lack of tools for efficient genetic manipulation. To improve upon this, we have generated a new gene deletion system for A.

Cell cycle perturbation by sodium butyrate in tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic human urothelial cell lines assessed by flow cytometric bromodeoxyuridine/DNA analysis.

The effect of sodium butyrate on cell proliferation was studied in eight human urothelial cell lines differing in transformation grade (TGr): Hu 1752 (mortal, TGr I); HCV29 (immortal and tumorigenic, TGr II); HCV29T, T24, T24A, T24B, Hu 961A and Hu 1703He (tumorigenic, TGr III). In all cell lines, except Hu 1752, addition of 4 mM sodium butyrate at 18 h after replating resulted in a significantly decreased population of adherent cells after a further 24-48 h. This might partially be explained by detachment of cells, probably mainly S phase cells, from the substrate in the lines HCV29, HCV 29T, Hu 961A and Hu 1703He.

Identity of tumorigenic human urothelial cell lines and 'spontaneously' transformed sublines.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, comparative marker chromosome analysis, and polymorphic enzyme analysis was carried out on a total of eight human urothelial cell lines and sublines selected according to our knowledge of their HLA-A,B phenotype. RFLP analysis and cytogenetic analysis showed that the cell lines Hu1703He, Hu1922, and T24 are genuine cell lines of different origin. The identity of Hu1703He could not be confirmed by its isozyme phenotype which was identical to the T24 phenotype.