Hatakeyama S et al. (1999) Oncogene "JTB: a novel membrane protein gene at 1q21 rearranged in a jumping translocation."

Hatakeyama S, Omine M, Osawa M, Ishikawa F

[Oncogene, 1999]

1q21 is frequently involved in different types of translocation in many types of cancers. Jumping translocation (JT) is an unbalanced translocation that comprises amplified chromosomal segments jumping to various telomeres. In this study, we identified a novel gene human JTB (Jumping Translocation Breakpoint) at 1q21, which fused with the telomeric repeats of acceptor telomeres in a case of JT. hJTB (human JTB) encodes a trans-membrane protein that is highly conserved among divergent eukaryotic species. JT results in a hJTB truncation, which potentially produces an hJTB product devoid of the trans-membrane domain. hJTB is located in a gene-rich region at 1q21, called EDC (Epidermal Differentiation Complex). This is the first report identifying the gene involved in unbalanced translocations at 1q21.

Tatara CP et al. (1998) Aquat Toxicol "Use of ion characteristics to predict relative toxicity of mono-, di- and trivalent metal ions: Caenorhabditis elegans LC50."

Williams PL, Newman MC, Tatara CP, McCloskey JT

[Aquat Toxicol, 1998]

Predictive models for relative toxicity of divalent metal ions using ion characteristics have been produced with both Microtox(R), a 15 min microbial bioassay, and the 24 h Caenorhabditis elegans bioassay. Relative toxicity of mono-, di- and trivalent metal ions has also been successfully modeled using ion characteristics with the Microtox(R) bioassay. This study extends this approach to include longer exposure durations (24 h) and a more complex organism (metazoan). Twenty-four-hour LC50s (expressed as total and free ion concentrations) for the free-living soil nematode, C. elegans, were determined for Li: Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, and Pb in an aqueous medium. Relative metal toxicity was predicted with least squares linear regression and several ion characteristics. Toxicity was most effectively predicted (r(2) = 0.85) with a two-variable model containing log K-OH (where K-OH is the first hydrolysis constant) and chi(m)(2)r (the covalent index). The first hydrolysis constant reflects a metal ion's tendency to bind to intermediate ligands such as biochemical groups with O donor atoms, while X(m)(2)r reflects binding to soft ligands such as those with S donor atoms. The use of LC50s based on free ion concentrations did not significantly improve model fit. The results of this study are consistent with earlier models generated with Microtox(R) data, with the exception of barium, which was much more toxic to C. elegans than would be predicted from the model. We conclude that, with thoughtful application, ion characteristics can be used to predict the relative toxicity of metal ions that

Tatara CP et al. (1997) Aquat Toxicol "Predicting relative metal toxicity with ion characteristics: Caenorhabditis elegans LC50."

McCloskey JT, Tatara CP, Williams PL, Newman MC

[Aquat Toxicol, 1997]

Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships (QSAR) predict relative toxicity of a family of chemicals from fundamental and surrogate molecular qualities. Most QSARs are developed for organic toxicants, with inorganic toxicants (metals) being under-represented. Successful predictive models for relative toxicity of divalent metal ions using ion characteristics have been produced using Microtox(R), a 15 min microbial bioassay. The present study extends this approach to longer exposure durations (24 h), and a more complex organism (metazoan). Twenty-four hour LC50s (expressed as total metal concentration) for the free-living soil nematode, C. elegans were determined for Ca, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in an aqueous medium. Relative metal toxicity was predicted with least squares linear regression and several ion characteristics. Toxicity was most effectively predicted (r(2) = 0.89) with log k(OH) (where K-OH is the first hydrolysis constant), which reflects a metal ion's tendency to bind to intermediate ligands such as biochemical functional groups with O donor atoms. The best fitting model was obtained using LC50 metameters based on total metal concentration, indicating that the identification of the bioactive species of metals can be ambiguous, and does not necessarily aid in the prediction of relative metal toxicity with ion characteristics. The modelling of relative metal toxicity using ion characteristics was successful for 24 h exposure durations using this more complex organism.

Filingeri D (2015) J Neurophysiol "Humidity sensation, cockroaches, worms, and humans: are common sensory mechanisms for hygrosensation shared across species?"

Filingeri D

[J Neurophysiol, 2015]

Although the ability to detect humidity (i.e., hygrosensation) represents an important sensory attribute in many animal species (including humans), the neurophysiological and molecular bases of such sensory ability remain largely unknown in many animals. Recently, Russell and colleagues (Russell J, Vidal-Gadea AG, Makay A, Lanam C, Pierce-Shimomura JT. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111: 8269-8274, 2014) provided for the first time neuromolecular evidence for the sensory integration of thermal and mechanical sensory cues which underpin the hygrosensation strategy of an animal (i.e., the free-living roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans) that lacks specific sensory organs for humidity detection (i.e., hygroreceptors). Due to the remarkable similarities in the hygrosensation transduction mechanisms used by hygroreceptor-provided (e.g., insects) and hygroreceptor-lacking species (e.g., roundworms and humans), the findings of Russell et al. highlight potentially universal mechanisms for humidity detection that could be shared across a wide range of species, including humans.