Aspects of the Neurospora crassa Sulfur Starvation Response Are Revealed by Transcriptional Profiling and DNA Affinity Purification Sequencing.

Accurate nutrient sensing is important for rapid fungal growth and exploitation of available resources. Sulfur is an important nutrient source found in a number of biological macromolecules, including proteins and lipids. The model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is capable of utilizing sulfur found in a variety of sources from amino acids to sulfate.

Computer-assisted ultrasound assessment of plaque characteristics in radiation-induced and non-radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis.

Background: This study investigated the feasibility of using a computer-assisted method to evaluate and differentiate the carotid plaque characteristics in radiation-induced and non-radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods: This study included 107 post-radiotherapy (post-RT) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and 110 subjects with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). Each participant had a carotid ultrasound examination, and carotid plaques and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) were evaluated with grey scale ultrasound.

DNA affinity purification sequencing and transcriptional profiling reveal new aspects of nitrogen regulation in a filamentous fungus.

Sensing available nutrients and efficiently utilizing them is a challenge common to all organisms. The model filamentous fungus is capable of utilizing a variety of inorganic and organic nitrogen sources. Nitrogen utilization in is regulated by a network of pathway-specific transcription factors that activate genes necessary to utilize specific nitrogen sources in combination with nitrogen catabolite repression regulatory proteins.

Factors affecting target motion in stereotactic body radiotherapy of liver cancer using CyberKnife.

Introduction: In stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of solitary liver cancer, organ motion due to respiration is an important factor in the definition of planning target volume (PTV). This study evaluated the potential associations of target motion with gross tumour volume (GTV) size, tumour location, Child-Pugh score and intra-fraction treatment time in SBRT of liver cancer treated by CyberKnife.

Methods: Translational motion data of 145 liver cancer patients, who were previously treated by CyberKnife with free breathing under tumour tracking, were recorded in the log files of the motion tracking system and analysed.

The regulatory and transcriptional landscape associated with carbon utilization in a filamentous fungus.

Filamentous fungi, such as , are very efficient in deconstructing plant biomass by the secretion of an arsenal of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, by remodeling metabolism to accommodate production of secreted enzymes, and by enabling transport and intracellular utilization of plant biomass components. Although a number of enzymes and transcriptional regulators involved in plant biomass utilization have been identified, how filamentous fungi sense and integrate nutritional information encoded in the plant cell wall into a regulatory hierarchy for optimal utilization of complex carbon sources is not understood. Here, we performed transcriptional profiling of on 40 different carbon sources, including plant biomass, to provide data on how fungi sense simple to complex carbohydrates.

A comparison of dose and set-up accuracy between flexed and extended neck positions in Helical Tomotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with Helical Tomotherapy (HT) are commonly set up in an extended neck (EN) or a flexed neck (FN) position. This study investigated the dosimetric and set-up accuracy differences between these 2 set-up positions. Twenty NPC patients treated with HT from each set-up position were retrospectively recruited.

A dosimetric evaluation on applying RTOG-based and CT/MRI-based delineation methods to brachial plexus in radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with helical tomotherapy.

Objective: In radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients, the brachial plexus (BP) situated at both sides of the neck is often irradiated to high dose. This study was to evaluate different BP delineation methods and analyse the dosimetric consequences when applying BP dose constraints in radiotherapy planning of NPC.

Methods: 15 NPC cases radically treated with helical tomotherapy were recruited.

Regulation of Cell-to-Cell Communication and Cell Wall Integrity by a Network of MAP Kinase Pathways and Transcription Factors in .

Maintenance of cell integrity and cell-to-cell communication are fundamental biological processes. Filamentous fungi, such as , depend on communication to locate compatible cells, coordinate cell fusion, and establish a robust hyphal network. Two MAP kinase (MAPK) pathways are essential for communication and cell fusion in : the cell wall integrity/MAK-1 pathway and the MAK-2 (signal response) pathway.

Comparison of the verification performance and radiation dose between ExacTrac x-ray system and On-Board Imager-A phantom study.

Recently, On-Board Imager (OBI) and ExacTrac x-ray 6 degree-of-freedom system (ExacTrac) are increasingly used verification systems in local radiotherapy centers. This study aimed to compare the differences between these two systems in terms of verification accuracy, organ doses, and verification time for head-and-neck (H&N) and pelvic cases. Rando anthropomorphic phantoms of H&N and pelvic regions were positioned with known set-up deviations from the reference position in the linear accelerator.

A study on the post-radiotherapy changes of temporomandibular joint in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

Objective: Radiation-induced trismus, which is resulted from damage of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), is one of the common late complications in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients after radical radiotherapy. This study investigated the radiation induced TMJ changes using ultrasonography in post-radiotherapy (post-RT) NPC patients.

Methods: 114 NPC patients, who had completed radiotherapy for more than 4 years, were assessed with the maximum incisal distance (MID) and ultrasonography examination of TMJ from which the maximum disc thickness of the joint disc, the condyle irregularity (CI), joint vascularity (JV) and relative muscle echogenicity were assessed.

The transcription factor PDR-1 is a multi-functional regulator and key component of pectin deconstruction and catabolism in .

Background: Pectin is an abundant component in many fruit and vegetable wastes and could therefore be an excellent resource for biorefinery, but is currently underutilized. Fungal pectinases already play a crucial role for industrial purposes, such as for foodstuff processing. However, the regulation of pectinase gene expression is still poorly understood.

A fungal transcription factor essential for starch degradation affects integration of carbon and nitrogen metabolism.

In Neurospora crassa, the transcription factor COL-26 functions as a regulator of glucose signaling and metabolism. Its loss leads to resistance to carbon catabolite repression. Here, we report that COL-26 is necessary for the expression of amylolytic genes in N.

Deciphering the Regulatory Network between the SREBP Pathway and Protein Secretion in .

Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) are conserved from yeast to mammalian cells and function in the regulation of sterol homeostasis. In fungi, the SREBP pathway has been implicated in the adaptation to hypoxia and in virulence. In and , the SREBP pathway also negatively regulates protein secretion under lignocellulolytic conditions.

Influence of autophagy on the efficacy of radiotherapy.

Autophagy is an important catabolic process in which cells digest and recycle their own cytoplasmic contents for maintaining cellular homeostasis. Interestingly, autophagy could play both pro-death and pro-survival roles in influencing the development of cancer via various signal pathways. As radiotherapy is one of the main treatment modalities for cancer, we reviewed the effect of autophagy modulations on radiosensitivity and radiotherapy efficacy in various cancer types.

Identification of Glutaminyl Cyclase Genes Involved in Pyroglutamate Modification of Fungal Lignocellulolytic Enzymes.

Unlabelled: The breakdown of plant biomass to simple sugars is essential for the production of second-generation biofuels and high-value bioproducts. Currently, enzymes produced from filamentous fungi are used for deconstructing plant cell wall polysaccharides into fermentable sugars for biorefinery applications. A post-translational N-terminal pyroglutamate modification observed in some of these enzymes occurs when N-terminal glutamine or glutamate is cyclized to form a five-membered ring.

The impact of positron emission tomography on primary tumour delineation and dosimetric outcome in intensity modulated radiotherapy of early T-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: In intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), accurate delineation of the gross tumour volume (GTV) is important. Image registration of CT and MRI has been routinely used in treatment planning. With recent development of positron emission tomography (PET), the aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of PET on GTV delineation and dosimetric outcome in IMRT of early stage NPC patients.

Radiation-induced temporo-mandibular joint disorder in post-radiotherapy nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: assessment and treatment.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in southern China, and its incidence in Hong Kong is relatively high. Radiotherapy is the mainstay treatment for NPC due to its relatively high radiosensitivity and deep-seated anatomical position, which is not readily accessible by surgery. Although the technique of radiotherapy in NPC has been advancing and offers promising treatment outcome, complications around the irradiation areas are inevitable and the quality of life of the post-radiotherapy patients is often compromised.

A split-parotid delineation approach for dose optimization in volumetric modulated arc therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with parapharyngeal space invasion and level IIa cervical lymph node involvements.

Objective: This study evaluated the potential benefit of a split-parotid delineation approach on the parotid gland in the treatment planning of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: 50 patients with NPC with parapharyngeal space (PPS) and/or level IIa cervical node involvements were divided into three groups: PPS only, level IIa cervical node only and both. Two volumetric-modulated arc therapy plans were computed.

Evaluation of the dosimetric impact of applying flattening filter-free beams in intensity-modulated radiotherapy for early-stage upper thoracic carcinoma of oesophagus.

Introduction: Flattening filter-free (FFF) radiation beams have recently become clinically available on modern linear accelerators in radiation therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the dosimetric impact of using FFF beams in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for early-stage upper thoracic oesophageal cancer.

Methods: Eleven patients with primary stage upper thoracic oesophageal cancer were recruited.

Dosimetric verification of stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung cancer treatment plans using flattening filter-free beams.

Aims: This study aimed to analyze the dose distribution using different dosimetric tools in conducting pretreatment quality assurance for lung cancer stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) plans with flattening filter free (FFF) beams.

Methods: Nine patients with lung cancer treated via SBRT were randomly selected, and their treatment plans were generated using the Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS) with FFF beams. For each patient, the same plan was applied to the Delta4 phantom and MatriXX by the TPS, which calculated the dose distribution.

Association between genetic polymorphisms and carotid atherosclerosis in patients treated with radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) of the neck is commonly given to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients for preventing cervical lymph node metastasis. However, neck RT may induce the development of carotid atherosclerosis. The mechanisms of radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis are still unclear and no previous study has investigated the genetic involvement of radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis.

Ultrasound Evaluation of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Post-Radiotherapy Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients, Type 2 Diabetics, and Healthy Controls.

 To comprehensively evaluate and compare the degree of carotid atherosclerosis in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and using healthy subjects as controls.  The present study recruited 69 post-RT NPC patients without conventional cardiovascular risk factors, 70 type 2 diabetic patients without previous RT, and 76 healthy controls without conventional cardiovascular risk factors and previous RT. For each participant, 5 carotid atherosclerotic parameters, namely carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid arterial stiffness (CAS), presence of carotid plaque, carotid plaque score, and presence of ≥ 50 % carotid stenosis, were assessed using ultrasonography.

Predictors of the extent of carotid atherosclerosis in patients treated with radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective: To determine the predictors of the extent of carotid atherosclerosis in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: The present study investigated 129 post-RT NPC patients. Carotid atherosclerotic parameters, such as carotid intima-media thickness, carotid arterial stiffness and carotid plaque burden (plaque score, the presence of plaque and ≥50% stenosis) were assessed using ultrasonography.

Association of and gene haplotypes with the development of radiation-induced fibrosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Radiation-induced fibrosis is one of the late complications of radiotherapy (RT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 1 and 3 ( and , respectively) gene haplotypes and radiation-induced fibrosis in NPC patients. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of 120 NPC patients previously treated with RT.

Evaluation of clinical hypothyroidism risk due to irradiation of thyroid and pituitary glands in radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal cancer patients.

Introduction: Radiation-induced thyroid dysfunction after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) has been reported. This study investigated the radiation effects of the thyroid and pituitary glands on thyroid function after radiotherapy for NPC.

Methods: Sixty-five NPC patients treated with radiotherapy were recruited.