Notch3 regulates Mybl2 via HeyL to limit proliferation and tumor initiation in breast cancer.

Notch signaling is a conserved signaling pathway that participates in many aspects of mammary gland development and homeostasis, and has extensively been associated with breast tumorigenesis. Here, to unravel the as yet debated role of Notch3 in breast cancer development, we investigated its expression in human breast cancer samples and effects of its loss in mice. Notch3 expression was very weak in breast cancer cells and was associated with good patient prognosis.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of L. (Pinaceae).

The Swiss pine () is a montane tree in Central Europe and, therefore, known for its hardiness against severe winter colds. The seeds are harvested and eaten as pine nuts. We assembled and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of to serve as a valuable resource in future genetic studies.

Mitochondrial Genome of L. as a Source for Taxonomic Marker Development in the Fagales.

European beech, L., is one of the most important and widespread deciduous tree species in Central Europe and is widely managed for its hard wood. The complete DNA sequence of the mitochondrial genome of L.

sp. nov., having a SPI-1-like Type III secretion system and low virulence.

strains isolated from potato stems in Finland, Poland and the Netherlands were subjected to polyphasic analyses to characterize their genomic and phenotypic features. Phylogenetic analysis based on 382 core proteins showed that the isolates clustered closest to but could be divided into two clades. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis revealed that the isolates in one of the clades included the type strain, whereas the second clade was at the border of the species with a 96 % ANI value.

Effect of large magnetotactic bacteria with polyphosphate inclusions on the phosphate profile of the suboxic zone in the Black Sea.

The Black Sea is the world's largest anoxic basin and a model system for studying processes across redox gradients. In between the oxic surface and the deeper sulfidic waters there is an unusually broad layer of 10-40 m, where neither oxygen nor sulfide are detectable. In this suboxic zone, dissolved phosphate profiles display a pronounced minimum at the upper and a maximum at the lower boundary, with a peak of particulate phosphorus in between, which was suggested to be caused by the sorption of phosphate on sinking particles of metal oxides.

A metatranscriptomics-based assessment of small-scale mixing of sulfidic and oxic waters on redoxcline prokaryotic communities.

Lateral intrusions of oxygen caused by small-scale mixing are thought to shape microbial activity in marine redoxclines. To examine the response of prokaryotes to such mixing events we employed a shipboard mixing experiment in the euxinic central Baltic Sea: oxic, nitrate containing and sulfidic water samples without detectable oxygenized substances were incubated directly or after mixing. While nitrate, nitrite and ammonium concentrations stayed approximately constant in all incubations, we observed a decrease of sulfide after the contact with oxygen in the sulfide containing incubations.

Metatranscriptomic data reveal the effect of different community properties on multifunctional redundancy.

The assessment of functional redundancy (FR) is essential to understand community structure-function relationships because FR buffers the functional performance of communities against changes in community composition. We introduce a novel metatranscriptome-based approach to quantify FR, which permits multifunctional aspects to be addressed. FR among prokaryotes was ranked in water samples after exposure to changing salinity.

Genomic sequence of 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' haplotype C and its comparison with haplotype A and B genomes.

Haplotypes A and B of 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' (CLso) are associated with diseases of solanaceous plants, especially Zebra chip disease of potato, and haplotypes C, D and E are associated with symptoms on apiaceous plants. To date, one complete genome of haplotype B and two high quality draft genomes of haplotype A have been obtained for these unculturable bacteria using metagenomics from the psyllid vector Bactericera cockerelli. Here, we present the first genomic sequences obtained for the carrot-associated CLso.

Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and whole-genome MLST of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human infections in three districts during a seasonal peak in Finland.

A total of 95 human Campylobacter jejuni isolates acquired from domestic infections and collected from three districts in Finland during the seasonal peak (June to September) in 2012 were analyzed by PCR-based multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Four predominant sequence types (STs) were detected among the isolates: ST-45 (21%) and ST-230 (14%, ST-45 clonal complex [CC]), ST-267 (21%, ST-283 CC), and ST-677 (19%, ST-677 CC). In districts 1 and 3, most of the infections occurred from early July to the middle of August, with a peak at weeks 29 to 31, but in district 2, the infections were dispersed more evenly throughout 3 months (June to August).

Conserved features and major differences in the outer membrane protein composition of chlamydiae.

Chlamydiae are a highly successful group of obligate intracellular bacteria infecting a variety of eukaryotic hosts. Outer membrane proteins involved in attachment to and uptake into host cells, and cross-linking of these proteins via disulfide bonds are key features of the biphasic chlamydial developmental cycle. In this study, we used a consensus approach to predict outer membrane proteins in the genomes of members of three chlamydial families.

Genome analysis of Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from a waterborne outbreak.

Background: Waterborne Campylobacter jejuni outbreaks are common in the Nordic countries, and PFGE (pulsed field gel electrophoresis) remains the genotyping method of choice in outbreak investigations. However, PFGE cannot assess the clonal relationship between isolates, leading to difficulties in molecular epidemiological investigations. Here, we explored the applicability of whole genome sequencing to outbreak investigation by re-analysing three C.

Evolution and comparative genomics of Campylobacter jejuni ST-677 clonal complex.

Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of gastroenteritis in the European Union with over 200,000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported annually. This is the first study to describe findings related to comparative genomics analyses of the sequence type (ST)-677 clonal complex (CC), a Campylobacter jejuni lineage associated with bacteremia cases in humans. We performed whole-genome sequencing, using Illumina HiSeq sequencing technology, on five related ST-677 CC isolates from two chicken farms to identify microevolution taking place at the farms.

Genomic variation between Campylobacter jejuni isolates associated with milk-borne-disease outbreaks.

Bacterial genome sequencing has led to the development of new approaches for the analysis of food-borne epidemics and the exploration of the relatedness of outbreak-associated isolates and their separation from nonassociated isolates. Using Illumina technology, we sequenced a total of six isolates (two from patients, two from raw bulk milk, and two from dairy cattle) associated with a milk-borne Campylobacter jejuni outbreak in a farming family and compared their genomes. These isolates had identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types, and their multilocus sequence typing (MLST) type was ST-50.

Comparative genomics of unintrogressed Campylobacter coli clades 2 and 3.

Background: Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli share a multitude of risk factors associated with human gastrointestinal disease, yet their phylogeny differs significantly. C.

Genetic heterogeneity of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168 upon human infection.

Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168 variants before and after accidental human infection were sequenced with Illumina technology and mapped against the isogenic reference genome applying the Breseq pipeline. Only the frequencies of length variations of homopolymeric tracts in the contingency genes Cj0045c, Cj0456c, Cj1139c, Cj1145c, and Cj1306c and a deletion in Cj0184c were significantly different after human passage (p<0.01).

Microevolution of a zoonotic Helicobacter population colonizing the stomach of a human host before and after failed treatment.

To investigate the microevolution of Helicobacter bizzozeronii in the human stomach, comparative genomics of antrum-derived populations, obtained 3 months before (T(0)) and 6 months after (T(1)) an unsuccessful eradication treatment, was performed. For each time point, the DNA of bacterial mass, representing the population diversity in three biopsies, was mixed in equal amounts and sequenced using Illumina technology. Polymorphic sites (PSs) were detected by mapping the reads against an isogenic reference genome, derived from a corpus isolate obtained at T(0).

Complete genome sequence of a variant of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168.

Campylobacter jejuni NCTC 11168 is widely used in research, but at least two variants have been reported. The available genome was sequenced from a variant which later showed a different phenotype and gene expression profile. Here we present the complete genome sequence of a second variant of C.

Identification and characterization of a lipopolysaccharide α,2,3-sialyltransferase from the human pathogen Helicobacter bizzozeronii.

Terminal sialic acid in the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) of mucosal pathogens is an important virulence factor. Here we report the characterization of a Helicobacter sialyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of sialylated LPS in Helicobacter bizzozeronii, the only non-pylori gastric Helicobacter species isolated from humans thus far. Starting from the genome sequences of canine and human strains, we identified potential sialyltransferases downstream of three genes involved in the biosynthesis of N-acetylneuraminic acid.

Genome and physiology of a model Epsilonproteobacterium responsible for sulfide detoxification in marine oxygen depletion zones.

Eutrophication and global climate change lead to expansion of hypoxia in the ocean, often accompanied by the production of hydrogen sulfide, which is toxic to higher organisms. Chemoautotrophic bacteria are thought to buffer against increased sulfide concentrations by oxidizing hydrogen sulfide before its diffusion to oxygenated surface waters. Model organisms from such environments have not been readily available, which has contributed to a poor understanding of these microbes.

Comparative genomics of Helicobacter pylori and the human-derived Helicobacter bizzozeronii CIII-1 strain reveal the molecular basis of the zoonotic nature of non-pylori gastric Helicobacter infections in humans.

Background: The canine Gram-negative Helicobacter bizzozeronii is one of seven species in Helicobacter heilmannii sensu lato that are detected in 0.17-2.3% of the gastric biopsies of human patients with gastric symptoms.

Genome sequence of Helicobacter bizzozeronii strain CIII-1, an isolate from human gastric mucosa.

The canine-adapted Helicobacter bizzozeronii is the only nonpylori Helicobacter species isolated from human gastric biopsy tissue. Here we present the genome sequence of strain CIII-1, isolated from a 45-year-old female patient with severe gastric symptoms. This is the first genome sequence of nonpylori gastric Helicobacter isolated from human gastritis.

Structural and functional self-organization of Photosystem II in grana thylakoids.

The biogenesis of the well-ordered macromolecular protein arrangement of photosystem (PS)II and light harvesting complex (LHC)II in grana thylakoid membranes is poorly understood and elusive. In this study we examine the capability of self organization of this arrangement by comparing the PSII distribution and antenna organization in isolated untreated stacked thylakoids with restacked membranes after unstacking. The PS II distribution was deduced from freeze-fracture electron microscopy.

Living donor right liver lobes: preoperative CT volumetric measurement for calculation of intraoperative weight and volume.

Purpose: To prospectively develop equations for the calculation of expected intraoperative weight and volume of a living donor's right liver lobe by using preoperative computed tomography (CT) for volumetric measurement.

Materials And Methods: After medical ethics committee and state medical board approval, informed consent was obtained from eight female and eight male living donors (age range, 18-63 years) for participation in preoperative CT volumetric measurement of the right liver lobes by using the summation-of-area method. Intraoperatively, the graft was weighed, and the volume of the graft was determined by means of water displacement.

Predicting non-return to work in patients attending cardiac rehabilitation.

Return to work (RTW) is the primary goal in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from coronary heart diseases. However, in spite of expensive rehabilitative efforts, many patients do not resume work following cardiac rehabilitation. To increase cost-effectiveness, predictive tests for non-RTW are needed to identify patients who are at risk of applying for early retirement, for reasons other than medical ones, at the beginning of the rehabilitation process, so that the necessary intervention is incorporated into the rehabilitation programme.