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Vascular endothelial growth factor is a multipotent angiogenic factor implicated in cell survival and proliferation. The objective was to determine effects of exogenous recombinant human VEGFA (or VEGFA165) in culture media on porcine oocyte maturation and parthenote development. Adding 5 ng/mL VEGFA to the culture medium improved the maturation rate of denuded oocytes (P < 0.05), although 5, 50, or 500 ng/mL did not significantly affect nuclear maturation of oocytes. Parthenotes from oocytes cultured either in in vitro maturation or in vitro culture medium supplemented with 5 or 50 ng/mL VEGFA had an improved blastocyst rate and increased total numbers of cells (P < 0.05). Moreover, those treated with 5 ng/mL of VEGFA had a higher hatched blastocyst rate (average of 121 cells per blastocyst). All VEGFA-treated oocytes had reduced apoptotic indices (P < 0.05), except for those with a higher dose (500 ng/mL) of VEGFA which had more apoptotic cells (P < 0.05). Adding 5 ng/mL VEGFA to oocytes during the last 22 h of in vitro maturation improved (P < 0.05) blastocyst rates and total numbers of cells, with reduced apoptosis indices similar to that of long-term (44 h) culture. Furthermore, Axitinib (VEGFR inhibitor) reversed the effects of VEGFA on parthenote development (P < 0.05). Follicular fluids from medium (2-6 mm) to large (>6 mm) follicles contained 5.3 and 7.0 ng/mL vascular endothelial growth factor protein, respectively, higher (P < 0.05) than concentrations in small (<2 mm) follicles (0.4 ng/mL). Also, VEGFA and its receptor (VEGFR-2) were detected (immunohistochemistry) in growing follicles and developing blastocysts. In addition, VEGFA inhibited caspase-3 activation in matured oocytes (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this is apparently the first report that VEGFA has proliferative and cytoprotective roles in maturing porcine oocytes and parthenotes. Furthermore, an optimal VEGFA concentration promoted porcine oocyte maturation and subsequent development.

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OBJECTIVES: To study the antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular epidemiology of Salmonella enterica isolates from 2005 to 2010 in Hong Kong. METHODS: S. enterica isolates from 2005 to 2010 in one of the hospital clusters were serotyped and studied their antimicrobial susceptibility by determining the minimal inhibitory concentration of 17 antimicrobial agents and their relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). RESULTS: A total of 60 S. enterica serovars were identified among the 963 strains of Salmonella from 2005 to 2010. Enteritidis (47.3%) and Typhimurium (17.2%) were the two most common serovars. Ciprofloxacin non-susceptibility increased significantly from 39.3% in 2005 to 63% in 2010 (p < 0.05) and the percentage of multidrug resistant strains increased from 17.8% in 2005 to 36.2% in 2010 (p < 0.05). However, resistance to the third generation cephalosporins (1.4%) remained low. More strains of S. Typhimurium than other Salmonella serovars were resistant to the antimicrobial agents tested than S. Enteritidis. PFGE analysis showed there were predominant clones of S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium and S. Stanley circulating in the community, and two outbreaks caused by S. Enteritidis and S. Virchow during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed both a worrying percentage of Salmonella strains resistant to quinolone and of multidrug resistant strains. PFGE identified two outbreaks in the study period.

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A total of 217 and 73 strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi isolated from 1985 to 1997 in Hong Kong and in 2 months of 1989 and 1990 in Vietnam, respectively, were studied. These isolates were typed by plasmid profile analysis, plasmid fingerprinting, ribotyping with PstI, and total DNA fingerprinting with NarI. There appeared to be no major outbreak of typhoid fever in Hong Kong during the study period since there was considerable heterogeneity among the isolates. Isolates from Hong Kong were different from those from Vietnam. Thirty-seven percent of Vietnamese isolates belonged to two predominant clones, with the rest being heterogeneous in nature. Total DNA fingerprinting supplemented with ribotyping could be a reliable and rapid method for epidemiological typing of S. enterica serotype Typhi.

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Multiple mRNA isoforms are generated from Siat1, the gene encoding ST6Gal I (beta-galactoside alpha2,6-sialyltransferase, SiaT-1, ST6N, alpha2,6ST). These isoforms, transcriptionally initiated from a number of physically distinct promoter regions, differ only in the 5'-most untranslated region and share an identical ST6Gal I coding region. W16 cells, a spontaneous mutant from MDAY-D2, the highly metastatic murine lymphoid tumor cell line, is considerably less metastatic and exhibits significantly slower tumor growth characteristics [R. Takano, E. Muchmore, and J. W. Dennis (1994) Glycobiology 4, 665-674]. Takano et al. further reported that ST6Gal I mRNA in W16 is elevated 40-fold compared to the parental cells. Here, by means of 5'-RACE analysis, we demonstrate a heretofore undocumented ST6Gal I mRNA form expressed in W16 cells. This ST6Gal I mRNA contains a novel 5'-most untranslated region with 96% sequence similarity to the retroviral-like transposable element, intracisternal particle A (IAP). This observation suggests the notion that elevated ST6Gal I expression in W16 cells is the result of DNA rearrangement in the Siat1 locus. Atypical transcriptional activation of Siat1 is the result of this IAP transposition.

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A single gene, SIAT1, encodes ST6Gal I, the sialyltransferase that mediates transfer of alpha2,6-linked sialic acids to Galbeta1, 4GlcNAc termini of N-linked glycoproteins. In vivo, multiple SIAT1 mRNA forms, differing only in the 5'-untranslated region, are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. This mRNA heterogeneity has been attributed, at least in part, to transcription from a number of physically distinct promoter regions. In mature B-lymphocytes, SIAT1 transcription initiates at P2, a regulatory region known to function only in B-lineage cells. Bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) under the control of the P2 region encompassing 415 bp 5'- and 125 bp 3' of the transcriptional initiation site is efficiently expressed in Louckes, a mature B-lymphoblastoid cell line. In contrast, CAT expression in Reh, a T-null/B-null precursor line, and in HepG2, a hepatoma line, are 14-fold and >25-fold less than in Louckes, respectively. The data is consistent with the presence of cis -acting regulatory elements residing both 5' and 3' of the P2 transcriptional initiation site. At least 370 bp of 5'-flanking sequence, coinciding with the inclusion of AP2 and NF-kappaB sites, is necessary for high level expression in Louckes. Exon sequences 3' of the transcription start site are also important for expression. A segment from(+)32 to(+)125 (position(+)1 is transcription start site) is capable of exerting promoter-like activity in Louckes, but not in Reh or HepG2. CAT expression by P2 is negligible in Reh cells. However, enhanced CAT activity is not accompanied by elevated mRNA levels. This observation is consistent with the relief of translational restraints imposed by the(+)32 to(+)125 region. Together, the data demonstrate that efficient and cell-specific transcription regulation in mature B lymphocytes is contained in a 495 bp P2 segment that is comprised of 370 bp of 5'-flanking region and 125 bp of transcribed region of Exon X.

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From a systematic search of the UniGene and dbEST databanks, using human beta 4-galactosyltransferase (beta 4GalT-I), which is recognized to function in lactose biosynthesis, as the query sequence, we have identified five additional gene family members denoted as beta 4GalT-II, -III, -IV, -V, and -VI. Complementary DNA clones containing the complete coding regions for each of the five human homologs were obtained or generated by a PCR-based strategy (RACE) and sequenced. Relative to beta 4GalT-I, the percent sequence identity at the amino acid level between the individual family members, ranges from 33% (beta 4GalT-VI) to 55% (beta 4GalT-II). The highest sequence identity between any of the homologs is between beta 4GalT-V and beta 4GalT-VI (68%). beta 4GalT-II is the ortholog of the chicken beta 4GalT-II gene, which has been demonstrated to encode an alpha-lactalbumin responsive beta 4-galactosyltransferase (Shaper et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272, 31389-31399, 1997). As established by Northern analysis, beta 4GalT-II and -IV show the most restricted pattern of tissue expression. High steady state levels of beta 4GalT-II mRNA are seen only in fetal brain and adult heart, muscle, and pancreas; relatively high levels of beta 4GalT-VI mRNA are seen only in adult brain. When the corresponding mouse EST clone for each of the beta 4GalT family members was used as the hybridization probe for Northern analysis of murine mammary tissue, transcription of only the beta 4GalT-I gene could be detected in the lactating mammary gland. These observations support the conclusion that among the six known beta 4GalT family members in the mammalian genome, that have been generated through multiple gene duplication events of an ancestral gene(s), only the beta 4GalT-I ancestral lineage was recruited for lactose biosynthesis during the evolution of mammals.

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Beta1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta4GalT-I) is a constitutively expressed trans-Golgi enzyme, widely distributed in vertebrates, which synthesizes the beta4-N-acetyllactosamine structure commonly found in glycoconjugates. In mammals beta4GalT-I has been recruited for a second biosynthetic function, the production of lactose; this function takes place exclusively in the lactating mammary gland. In preparation for lactose biosynthesis, beta4GalT-I enzyme levels are increased significantly. We show that mammals have evolved a two-step mechanism to achieve this increase. In step one there is a switch to the use of a second transcriptional start site, regulated by a stronger, mammary gland-restricted promoter. The transcript produced is distinguished from its housekeeping counterpart by the absence of approximately 180 nt of 5'-untranslated sequence. In step two, this truncated transcript is translated more efficiently, relative to the major transcript expressed in all other somatic tissues.

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Multiple mRNA isoforms are generated from SIAT1, the gene encoding the beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I, SiaT-1, ST6N, alpha 2,6ST). These isoforms are transcriptionally initiated from a number of physically distinct promoter regions. In human B-lymphocytic cells, two SIAT1 mRNA isoforms have been identified. In order to determine if additional SIAT1 mRNA isotypes exist, RNA from Louckes, a human cell line with the mature B-phenotype, was subjected to 5'-RACE analysis. In addition to the two previously characterized mRNA forms, three additional SIAT1 mRNA forms were identified. The new mRNA isoforms incorporate novel sequence blocks into their 5'-UT regions. The data strongly suggest that these novel sequence blocks originate from previously undocumented 5'-noncoding exons and are incorporated into mRNA by alternative splicing events and/or usage of additional transcriptional promoter regions. BLAST analysis reveals no similarity of these novel regions, Exons U, V, and W, to sequences in GenBank. The only exception is Exon V, which contains a portion of Alu, a repetitive element. The data suggest that two of these novel mRNA isotypes are likely to be minor components. However, one form may contribute significantly to the SIAT1 mRNA pool in Louckes cells.

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A total of 182 Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi isolated from three hospitals in Hong Kong from 1986 to 1992 were tested for their susceptibility to 21 antimicrobial agents. Four percent or less were resistant to chloramphenicol, ampicillin, some of the cephalosporins, nalidixic acid, tetracycline and trimethoprim and 6% to 1024 mg/l sulfamethoxazole. All were susceptible to the aminoglycosides and the 4-quinolones. Nineteen isolates were resistant to at least 1, and up to 9, antibiotics. Of 8 chloramphenicolor multiply-resistant isolates studied, only 3 could transfer their resistances while resistance of one could only be mobilized. Four of 5 ampicillin-resistant strains produced a beta-lactamase of pI 5.5. Antibiotic resistances were mediated by plasmids of 106, 116 or 221 kb of incompatibility groups H, I1 and K. Three resistant isolates did not harbour any plasmid. A total of 43 (24%) S. Typhi harboured plasmids ranging in size from 4.3 to 221 kb. Plasmids of 106 kb and 8.5 kb were found in 17 and 10 isolates, respectively. Restriction enzyme digestion of these two plasmids showed that each could be differentiated into 3 types. Of 89 isolates that were phage typed, 38% were untypable, while 17% and 12% were of phage types E1 and A, respectively, and the rest belonged to 17 other types.

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A single human gene, SIAT1, encodes the beta-galactoside alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase from which multiple mRNA isoforms are generated. In rat, expression of the hepatic mRNA isoform (Form 1) has been defined with respect to the transcriptional initiation site and promoter region. We show here that a similar hepatic SIAT1 mRNA isoform exists in human. Another human mRNA isoform, a mature B-cell-specific mRNA isoform (Form 2), was previously reported. Here, we used 5'-RACE and S1 nuclease protection analysis to define the 5'-untranslated region of Form 2 human SIAT1 mRNA. We demonstrate conclusively that Form 2 mRNA is initiated from a point completely distinct from that of Form 1 mRNA. A number of cis-acting regulatory elements residing immediately 5'of the Form 2 initiation site includes AP-1, AP-2, NF-kappa B, NF-IL6, C/EBP, and CREB. A TATAA box is also present 29 bp 5' of the transcriptional initiation site. CAT reporter gene expression from serially-truncated segments of the 5'-flanking region of the Form 2 initiation site indicates that the segment between -784 and +125 was sufficient to promote high level CAT expression in Louckes, a mature B-cell line. The 5'-flanking region to the human Form 1 initiation site is competent in expression of CAT upon transfection of the fusion construct into HepG2, a human hepatoma cell line. Cellular specificity of expression is apparently retained. Louckes cells expressed CAT efficiently from Form 2 promoter but only marginally from the Form 1 promoter. In contrast, CAT expression from Form 1 promoter is more efficient than from the Form 2 promoter in HepG2 cells.

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The complete nucleotide sequence of the genomic RNA of bamboo mosaic virus (BaMV) was determined by sequencing a set of overlapping cDNA clones and by direct sequencing of the viral RNA. The RNA genome of BaMV is 6366 nucleotides long [excluding 3'poly(A) tail] and contains six open reading frames (ORFs 1 to 6) coding for polypeptides with M(r) values of 155K, 28K, 13K, 6K, 25K and 14K, respectively. The genome organization and sizes of the encoded proteins are very similar to those of other potexviruses which have been sequenced except that ORF 6 lies completely within ORF 1. The first five putative proteins of the BaMV genome show identities ranging between 44 to 59%, 26 to 49%, 30 to 53%, 15 to 35% and 20 to 30%, respectively, to the corresponding ORFs of other members of the potexvirus group. However the putative product ORF 6 shows no significant similarity to those of other potexvirus ORF products.

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