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Supplementary Figure 1 and 2. Generation and Characterisation of ECCre+;FAKY397F/Y397F and ECCre+;FAKY861F/Y861F mice.

Supplementary Figure 6. Knocking down Ang-2 in B16F0s cells ablates angiogenic response in ECCre+;FAKY861F/Y861F mice in vivo.

Expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in endothelial cells (EC) is essential for angiogenesis, but how FAK phosphorylation at tyrosine-(Y)397 and Y861 regulate tumor angiogenesis in vivo is unknown. Here, we show that tumor growth and angiogenesis are constitutively reduced in inducible, ECCre+;FAKY397F/Y397F–mutant mice. Conversely, ECCre+;FAKY861F/Y861F mice exhibit normal tumor growth with an initial reduction in angiogenesis that recovered in end-stage tumors. Mechanistically, FAK-Y397F ECs exhibit increased Tie2 expression, reduced Vegfr2 expression, decreased β1 integrin activation, and disrupted downstream FAK/Src/PI3K(p55)/Akt signaling. In contrast, FAK-Y861F ECs showed decreased Vegfr2 and Tie2 expression with an enhancement in β1 integrin activation. This corresponds with a decrease in Vegfa–stimulated response, but an increase in Vegfa+Ang2- or conditioned medium from tumor cell–stimulated cellular/angiogenic responses, mimicking responses in end-stage tumors with elevated Ang2 levels. Mechanistically, FAK-Y861F, but not FAK-Y397F ECs showed enhanced p190RhoGEF/P130Cas-dependent signaling that is required for the elevated responses to Vegfa+Ang2. This study establishes the differential requirements of EC-FAK-Y397 and EC-FAK-Y861 phosphorylation in the regulation of EC signaling and tumor angiogenesis in vivo.Significance:Distinct motifs of the focal adhesion kinase differentially regulate tumor blood vessel formation and remodeling.

Precise vascular patterning is crucial for normal growth and development. The ERG transcription factor drives Delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4)/Notch signalling and is thought to act as a pivotal regulator of endothelial cell (EC) dynamics and developmental angiogenesis. However, molecular regulation of ERG activity remains obscure. Using a series of EC-specific focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-knockout (KO) and point-mutant FAK-knock-in mice, we show that loss of ECFAK, its kinase activity or phosphorylation at FAK-Y397, but not FAK-Y861, reduces ERG and DLL4 expression levels together with concomitant aberrations in vascular patterning. Rapid immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry of endogenous proteins identified that endothelial nuclear-FAK interacts with the deubiquitinase USP9x and the ubiquitin ligase TRIM25. Further in silico analysis confirms that ERG interacts with USP9x and TRIM25. Moreover, ERG levels are reduced in FAKKO ECs via a ubiquitin-mediated post-translational modification programme involving USP9x and TRIM25. Re-expression of ERG in vivo and in vitro rescues the aberrant vessel-sprouting defects observed in the absence of ECFAK. Our findings identify ECFAK as a regulator of retinal vascular patterning by controlling ERG protein degradation via TRIM25/USP9x.

Expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in endothelial cells (EC) is essential for angiogenesis, but how FAK phosphorylation at tyrosine-(Y)397 and Y861 regulate tumor angiogenesis in vivo is unknown. Here, we show that tumor growth and angiogenesis are constitutively reduced in inducible, ECCre+;FAKY397F/Y397F–mutant mice. Conversely, ECCre+;FAKY861F/Y861F mice exhibit normal tumor growth with an initial reduction in angiogenesis that recovered in end-stage tumors. Mechanistically, FAK-Y397F ECs exhibit increased Tie2 expression, reduced Vegfr2 expression, decreased β1 integrin activation, and disrupted downstream FAK/Src/PI3K(p55)/Akt signaling. In contrast, FAK-Y861F ECs showed decreased Vegfr2 and Tie2 expression with an enhancement in β1 integrin activation. This corresponds with a decrease in Vegfa–stimulated response, but an increase in Vegfa+Ang2- or conditioned medium from tumor cell–stimulated cellular/angiogenic responses, mimicking responses in end-stage tumors with elevated Ang2 levels. Mechanistically, FAK-Y861F, but not FAK-Y397F ECs showed enhanced p190RhoGEF/P130Cas-dependent signaling that is required for the elevated responses to Vegfa+Ang2. This study establishes the differential requirements of EC-FAK-Y397 and EC-FAK-Y861 phosphorylation in the regulation of EC signaling and tumor angiogenesis in vivo. Significance: Distinct motifs of the focal adhesion kinase differentially regulate tumor blood vessel formation and remodeling.

Summary Focal adhesion kinase is a non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase with signaling functions downstream of integrins and growth factor receptors. In addition to its role in adhesion, migration, and proliferation it also has non-kinase scaffolding functions in the nucleus. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation involves the following: (1) ligand bound growth factors or clustered integrins activate FAK kinase domain; (2) FAK autophosphorylates tyrosine (Y) 397; (3) Src binds pY397 and phosphorylates FAK at various other sites including Y861; (4) downstream signaling of activated FAK elicits changes in cellular behavior. Although many studies have demonstrated roles for the kinase domain, Y397 and Y861 sites, in vitro much less is known about their functions in vivo. Here, we report the generation of a series of FAK-mutant knockin mice where mutant FAK, either kinase dead, non-phosphorylatable mutants Y397F and Y861F, or mutant Y397E—containing a phosphomimetic site that results in a constitutive active Y397, can be expressed in a Cre inducible fashion driven by the ROSA26 promoter. In future studies, intercrossing these mice with FAKflox/flox mice and inducible cre-expressing mice will enable the in vivo study of mutant FAK function in the absence of endogenous FAK in a spatially and temporally regulated fashion within the whole organism. genesis 52:907–915, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors have been developed as potential anticancer agents and are undergoing clinical trials. In vitro activation of the FAK kinase domain triggers autophosphorylation of Y397, Src activation, and subsequent phosphorylation of other FAK tyrosine residues. However, how FAK Y397 mutations affect FAK kinase‐dead (KD) phenotypes in tumour angiogenesis in vivo is unknown. We developed three Pdgfb‐iCreert‐driven endothelial cell (EC)‐specific, tamoxifen‐inducible homozygous mutant mouse lines: FAK wild‐type (WT), FAK KD, and FAK double mutant (DM), i.e. KD with a putatively phosphomimetic Y397E mutation. These ECCre+;FAKWT / WT, ECCre+;FAKKD / KD and ECCre+;FAKDM / DM mice were injected subcutaneously with syngeneic B16F0 melanoma cells. Tumour growth and tumour blood vessel functions were unchanged between ECCre+;FAKWT / WT and ECCre−;FAKWT / WT control mice. In contrast, tumour growth and vessel density were decreased in ECCre+;FAKKD / KD and ECCre+;FAKDM / DM mice, as compared with Cre − littermates. Despite no change in the percentage of perfused vessels or pericyte coverage in either genotype, tumour hypoxia was elevated in ECCre+;FAKKD / KD and ECCre+;FAKDM / DM mice. Furthermore, although ECCre+;FAKKD / KD mice showed reduced blood vessel leakage, ECCre+;FAKDM / DM and ECCre−;FAKDM / DM mice showed no difference in leakage. Mechanistically, fibronectin‐stimulated Y397 autophosphorylation was reduced in Cre+;FAKKD / KD ECs as compared with Cre+;FAKWT / WT cells, with no change in phosphorylation of the known Src targets FAK‐Y577, FAK‐Y861, FAK‐Y925, paxillin‐Y118, p130Cas‐Y410. Cre+;FAKDM / DM ECs showed decreased Src target phosphorylation levels, suggesting that the Y397E substitution actually disrupted Src activation. Reduced VE‐cadherin‐pY658 levels in Cre+;FAKKD / KD ECs were rescued in Cre+FAKDM / DM ECs, corresponding with the rescue in vessel leakage in the ECCre+;FAKDM / DM mice. We show that EC‐specific FAK kinase activity is required for tumour growth, angiogenesis, and vascular permeability. The ECCre+;FAKDM/DM mice restored the KD‐dependent tumour vascular leakage observed in ECCre+;FAKKD/KD mice in vivo. This study opens new fields in in vivo FAK signalling. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

SummaryPlatelets play an important role in the development of plaque formation and in the events after rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque, leading to atherothrombosis. Multiple hormones, either in excess or when deficient, are involved in the development of atherothrombotic disease, but, to which extent such hormones affect platelet function, is still controversial. It was the objective of this study to assess the ability of the pituitary hormone prolactin to affect platelet functions. Venous blood was collected from six healthy males. Platelet activation was studied by (i) flow cytometry in whole blood (exposure of P-selectin as a measure of platelet secretion, and binding of PAC-1 as a measure of ligand-binding conformation of αIIbβ3), and by (ii) optical aggregation and whole blood aggregation. All studies were performed without and with exposure to several concentrations of ADP (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 μM) and prolactin (50 and 1,000 μg/l). The presence of the prolactin receptor was investigated by Western blot and flow cytometry. In response to either 50 or 1,000 μg/l prolactin, no evidence of platelet activation or aggregation was found. In addition, ADP-induced platelet activation or aggregation was not enhanced by prolactin. Finally, prolactin receptors could not be detected on the surface of platelets. The present data indicate that prolactin does not directly modulate platelet function.

Cathepsins are lysosomal enzymes that were shown to release the antiangiogenic fragments 16K prolactin (PRL), endostatin, and angiostatin by processing precursors at acidic pH in vitro. However, the physiological relevance of these findings is questionable because the neutral pH of physiological fluids is not compatible with the acidic conditions required for the proteolytic activity of these enzymes. Here we show that cathepsin D secreted from various tissues is able to process PRL into 16K PRL outside the cell. To specifically target extracellular proteolysis, we used tissues from PRL receptor-deficient mice, which are unable to internalize PRL. As assessed by the use of specific inhibitors of proton extruders, we show that the proteolytic activity of cathepsin D requires local acid secretion driven by Na(+)/H(+) exchangers and H(+)/ATPase. Although it is usually assumed that cathepsin-mediated generation of antiangiogenic peptides occurs in the moderately acidic pericellular milieu found in malignant tumors, we propose a new mechanism explaining the extracellular activity of this acidic protease under physiological pH. Our data support the concept that secreted lysosomal enzymes could be involved in the maintenance of angiogenesis dormancy via the generation of active antiangiogenic peptides in nonpathological contexts.

Changes in transcription in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana were characterised following challenge with strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 allowing differentiation of basal resistance (hrpA mutants), gene-specific resistance (RPM1-specified interactions) and susceptibility (wild-type pathogen). In planta avirulence gene induction, changes in host [Ca2+]cyt and leaf collapse were used to delineate the transition from infection to induced resistance. The plant responds rapidly, dynamically and discriminately to infection by phytopathogenic bacteria. Within the first 2 h host transcriptional changes are common to all challenges indicating that Type III effector function does not contribute to early events in host transcriptome re-programming. The timing of induction for specific transcripts was reproducible, hierarchical and modulated at least in part through EDS1 function. R gene-specific transcripts were not observed until 3 h after inoculation. Intriguingly, the R gene-specific response proteins are expected to localise to diverse cellular addresses indicative of a global impact on cellular homeostasis. The altered transcriptional response rapidly manifests into initial symptoms of leaf collapse within 2 h, although establishment of the full macroscopic HR occurs significantly later.

The effects of maturity stage and chopping length of maize silage on chewing behaviour, particle size reduction and rumen retention time were studied in four lactating cows fitted with a ruminal cannula, according to a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Maize silage made up 80% of the diet and the cows were fed at 90% of the ad libitum intake level. Chopping length had only a significant effect on the particle size of the maize harvested at the late maturity stage. For the latter, the proportion of particles larger than 2 mm (LP2) from the feed to the rumen content decreased from 73 to 38% for the coarse maize and from 58 to 37% for the fine maize, mainly by ingestive mastication. Eating time expressed per unit of feed intake did not vary significantly between these two silages (21.3 vs. 19.8 min·kg -1 DMI). Ingestive mastication in dairy cows thus reduces long particles more efficiently than short particles.

Repartition de l'activite fibrolytique microbienne et des bacteries cellulolytiques entre phases solides et liquides du contenu ruminal. Quatre moutons, munis d'une canule du rumen, ont recu un regime a base de foin. Des echantillons de contenus ruminaux etaient preleves 3 h apres la distribution du repas afin d'isoler la population totale de micro-organismes (TP), la population de microorganismes associes a la phase solide du contenu (SAP) et celle fermement associee a cette phase solide (SAFP). Les activites fibrolytiques specifiques (xylanase, CMCase et β-glycosidases) etaient estimees a partir de la quantite de sueres reducteurs ou de p-nitrophenol libere. La distribution des 3 principales especes bacteriennes cellulolytiques (Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens) etait determinee par hybridation sur membrane en utilisant des sondes specifiques de la region ciblant l'ARNr 16S. Les activites specifiques des enzymes polysaccharidasiques etaient plus elevees dans TP que dans SAP, et dans SAFP que dans SAP. La somme des 3 especes bacteriennes cellulolytiques representaient en moyenne 9 % de l'ARN bacterien total, et augmentaient apres filtration. Dans tous les echantillons, F. succinogenes etait mieux represente que R. albus et que R. flavefaciens. Ces resultats montrent que les enzymes les plus actives sont secretees par les microorganismes associes a la phase particulaire du contenu ruminal. Les differences de composition de la microflore ruminale entre phase solide et phase liquide suggerent que les especes cellulolytiques sont egalement en proportion plus importante dans la phase solide.

Chemoresistance is a serious limitation of cancer treatment1. Until recently, almost all the work done to study this limitation has been restricted to tumour cells2. Here we identify a novel molecular mechanism by which endothelial cells regulate chemosensitivity. We establish that specific targeting of focal adhesion kinase (FAK; also known as PTK2) in endothelial cells is sufficient to induce tumour-cell sensitization to DNA-damaging therapies and thus inhibit tumour growth in mice. The clinical relevance of this work is supported by our observations that low blood vessel FAK expression is associated with complete remission in human lymphoma. Our study shows that deletion of FAK in endothelial cells has no apparent effect on blood vessel function per se, but induces increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation within perivascular tumour-cell compartments of doxorubicin- and radiotherapy-treated mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that endothelial-cell FAK is required for DNA-damage-induced NF-κB activation in vivo and in vitro, and the production of cytokines from endothelial cells. Moreover, loss of endothelial-cell FAK reduces DNA-damage-induced cytokine production, thus enhancing chemosensitization of tumour cells to DNA-damaging therapies in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our data identify endothelial-cell FAK as a regulator of tumour chemosensitivity. Furthermore, we anticipate that this proof-of-principle data will be a starting point for the development of new possible strategies to regulate chemosensitization by targeting endothelial-cell FAK specifically.

The prolactin receptor (PRLR) is emerging as a therapeutic target in oncology. Knowledge-based drug design led to the development of a pure PRLR antagonist (Del1-9-G129R-hPRL) that was recently shown to prevent PRL-induced mouse prostate tumorogenesis. In humans, the first gain-of-function mutation of the PRLR (PRLR(I146L)) was recently identified in breast tumor patients. At the molecular level, the actual mechanism of action of these two novel players in the PRL system remains elusive. In this study, we addressed whether constitutive PRLR activation (PRLR(I146L)) or PRLR blockade (antagonist) involved alteration of receptor oligomerization and/or of inter-chain distances compared to unstimulated and PRL-stimulated PRLR. Using a combination of various biochemical and spectroscopic approaches (co-IP, blue native electrophoresis, BRET(1)), we demonstrated that preformed PRLR homodimers are altered neither by PRL- or I146L-induced receptor triggering, nor by antagonist-mediated blockade. These findings were confirmed using a novel time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) technology that allows monitoring distance changes between cell surface tagged receptors. This technology revealed that PRLR blockade or activation did not involve detectable distance changes between extracellular domains of receptor chains within the dimer. This study merges with our previous structural investigations suggesting that the mechanism of PRLR activation solely involves intermolecular contact adaptations leading to subtle intramolecular rearrangements.

The involvement of prolactin in human tumourogenesis has been long debated. The reason is that the evidence supporting the role of circulating prolactin in promoting breast cancer was mainly obtained using rodent models, whereas most of the studies performed in human species in the 1980s have remained inconclusive. Things have now started to change because two alternative mechanisms of prolactin actions in tumour growth have emerged since the beginning of the 21st Century. The first involves locally-produced prolactin, which acts by an autocrine/paracrine mechanism. Genetically-modified mouse models have demonstrated the tumourigenic potential of local prolactin on the prostate and the mammary gland, and arguments are now emerging in humans also. The second mechanism involves genetic variants of the receptor. Although no genetic disorder has been reported for prolactin or its receptor, a variant of the prolactin receptor exhibiting constitutive activity has been recently identified in patients presenting with breast tumours, suggesting that sustained prolactin signalling may participate in breast tumourogenesis. Recent data regarding these two nonclassical mechanisms of prolactin action are discussed. Finally, we address the question of their inhibition in future cancer therapy, both in light of other findings that have revealed novel actions of prolactin in breast cancer cells, and with respect to the compounds currently available to target prolactin receptor signalling.

Platelets play an important role in the development of plaque formation and in the events after rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque, leading to atherothrombosis. Multiple hormones, either in excess or when deficient, are involved in the development of atherothrombotic disease, but, to which extent such hormones affect platelet function, is still controversial. It was the objective of this study to assess the ability of the pituitary hormone prolactin to affect platelet functions. Venous blood was collected from six healthy males. Platelet activation was studied by (i) flow cytometry in whole blood (exposure of P-selectin as a measure of platelet secretion, and binding of PAC-1 as a measure of ligand-binding conformation of alpha(IIb)beta(3)), and by (ii) optical aggregation and whole blood aggregation. All studies were performed without and with exposure to several concentrations of ADP (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 microM) and prolactin (50 and 1,000 microg/l). The presence of the prolactin receptor was investigated by Western blot and flow cytometry. In response to either 50 or 1,000 microg/l prolactin, no evidence of platelet activation or aggregation was found. In addition, ADP-induced platelet activation or aggregation was not enhanced by prolactin. Finally, prolactin receptors could not be detected on the surface of platelets. The present data indicate that prolactin does not directly modulate platelet function.

In vitro reverse transcription of a mixture of total RNA from plants infected with the I17F or R strains of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), representative of subgroups IA and II, respectively, results in viral cDNA populations including rare recombinant RNA 3 molecules, some of which also have point mutations. The biological properties of 17 recombinants in the capsid gene or the 3′ non-coding region of RNA 3 were evaluated when associated with I17F RNAs 1 and 2. Six viruses displayed deficiencies (non-viability, deficiencies for movement and/or replication, delayed infection, loss of aphid transmissibility). Nine induced symptoms close to those of I17F-CMV on tobacco and pepper plants. All recombinants bearing the movement protein (MP) of R-CMV and part or most of the capsid protein (CP) of I17F-CMV, as well as the recombinant created in vitro by exchanging the corresponding open reading frames, also induced filiformism on tobacco, but induced only faint symptoms on melon. Two recombinants induced atypically severe symptoms on both tobacco and pepper. Most of the recombinants generally accumulated to lower levels than the wild-type I17F strain in tobacco. Three recombinants, however, including one responsible for severe symptoms, accumulated to generally higher levels than I17F-CMV. When two of these were tested in co-infection experiments with I17F RNA 3, they proved to be poorly competitive, suggesting that they would be unlikely to emerge in the field.

International audience; Reverse transcriptases with RNase H activity are particularly apt to switch templates and generate recombinant molecules in vitro. This property has been exploited for the first time to create a library of recombinant RNAs 3 between two strains of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or between CMV and Tomato aspermy virus (TAV), which share 75 and 63% sequence identity, respectively. The recombination events were almost entirely of the precise homologous type, and occurred at the same sites as those previously identified in co-infected plants, making it possible to use this strategy to create numerous cDNA fragments with crossovers similar to those occurring in vivo. Sub-cloning of recombinant fragments into an infectious full-length clone was accomplished by homologous recombination in yeast, alleviating the need for in vitro ligation at common restriction sites. Most of the recombinant genomes were infectious. Association of these two methods constitutes an efficient and practical means for generating numerous infectious viral genomes equivalent to ones that might arise by precise homologous recombination between two parental viral genomes in nature.

Changes in transcription in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana were characterised following challenge with strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 allowing differentiation of basal resistance (hrpA mutants), gene-specific resistance (RPM1-specified interactions) and susceptibility (wild-type pathogen). In planta avirulence gene induction, changes in host [Ca2+]cyt and leaf collapse were used to delineate the transition from infection to induced resistance. The plant responds rapidly, dynamically and discriminately to infection by phytopathogenic bacteria. Within the first 2 h host transcriptional changes are common to all challenges indicating that Type III effector function does not contribute to early events in host transcriptome re-programming. The timing of induction for specific transcripts was reproducible, hierarchical and modulated at least in part through EDS1 function. R gene-specific transcripts were not observed until 3 h after inoculation. Intriguingly, the R gene-specific response proteins are expected to localise to diverse cellular addresses indicative of a global impact on cellular homeostasis. The altered transcriptional response rapidly manifests into initial symptoms of leaf collapse within 2 h, although establishment of the full macroscopic HR occurs significantly later.

Phospholipase D (PLD; EC 3.1.4.4) has been linked to a number of cellular processes, including Tran membrane signaling and membrane degradation. Four PLD genes (alpha, beta, gamma1, and gamma2) have been cloned from Arabidopsis thalami. They encode isoforms with distinct regulatory and catalytic properties but little is known about their physiological roles. Using cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism display and RNA blot analysis, we identified Arabidopsis PLDgamma1 and a gene encoding a lysophospholipase (EC 3.1.1.5), lysoPL1, to be differentially expressed during host response to virulent and avirulent pathogen challenge. Examination of the expression pattern of phospholipase genes induced in response to pathogen challenge was undertaken using the lysoPL1 and gene-specific probes corresponding to the PLD isoforms a, beta, and gamma1. Each mRNA class exhibited different temporal patterns of expression after infiltration of leaves with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato with or without avrRpm1. PLDalpha was rapidly induced and remained constitutively elevated regardless of treatment. PLDbeta was transiently induced upon pathogen challenge. However, mRNA for the lysoPL1 and PLDgamma1 genes showed enhanced and sustained elevation during an incompatible interaction, in both ndr1 and overexpressing NahG genetic backgrounds. Further evidence for differential engagement of these PLD mRNA during defense responses, other than gene-for-gene interactions, was demonstrated by their response to salicylic acid treatment or wounding. Our results indicate that genes encoding lysoPL1, PLDgamma1, and PLDbeta are induced during early responses to pathogen challenge and, additionally, PLDyl and lysoPL1 are specifically upregulated during gene-for-gene interactions, leading to the hypersensitive response. We discuss the possible role of these genes in plant-pathogen interactions.

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) requires the manipulation of a large amount of both quantitative and qualitative data. It is also a continuous and iterative process in which the knowledge of previous steps is always necessary for the realization and understanding of subsequent stages. Current LCA data models are mostly organized as lists from which quantitative data can be extracted and manipulated, subsequently leading to lists of numerical results. Performing an LCA can benefit from more flexible structures that allow for complete or partial treatments and provides links between the successive transformations of various types of information. A generic, object-oriented model is presented, written in ISO/STEP EXPRESS, using the STEP principles.

Extracts of nine mosses, collected in Switzerland, were screened for antimicrobial, antioxidative, and 15-lipoxygenase (15-lpo) inhibitory activities. The CH2Cl2 extract of Dicranum scoparium was found to possess pronounced antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. In addition, inhibition of soybean 15-lpo occurred at very low concentration. Phytochemical investigation of this extract afforded Z,Z,Z-octadeca-6-yne-9,12,15-trienoic acid [1] by a combination of chromatographic techniques. This compound, named dicranin [1], was found to be responsible for most of the biological activity. The strongest antimicrobial effect was observed against Streptococcus faecalis (disc diffusion assay). In contrast to the CH2Cl2 extract of D. scoparium, dicranin was inactive against E. coli. Dicranin was identified by ir, ms, and nmr spectroscopy. A 2D INADEQUATE experiment confirmed the structure and yielded the assignment of all 13C-nmr signals.

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related death and thus understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this process is critical. Here, our data demonstrate, contrary to established dogma, that loss of haematopoietic-derived focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is sufficient to enhance tumour metastasis. Using both experimental and spontaneous metastasis models, we show that genetic ablation of haematopoietic FAK does not affect primary tumour growth but enhances the incidence of metastasis significantly. At a molecular level, haematopoietic FAK deletion results in an increase in PU-1 levels and decrease in GATA-1 levels causing a shift of hematopoietic homeostasis towards a myeloid commitment. The subsequent increase in circulating granulocyte number, with an increase in serum CXCL12 and granulocyte CXCR4 levels, was required for augmented metastasis in mice lacking haematopoietic FAK. Overall our findings provide a mechanism by which haematopoietic FAK controls cancer metastasis.

International audience; Energy efficiency in the service sector is a key issue because of the important growth of its energy consumption. The energy performance of buildings and equipment can be improved through technical investments, but this has to be linked with an efficient management and good practices in order to reach better energy efficiency levels in a cost-effective way. Experience feedback concerning awareness activities in the service sector highlights the interesting opportunities of energy efficiency improvements they represent. This paper first draws a synthesis of the available feedback in this area to detect factors of success for this kind of activities. More than twenty operations from Europe and North America were analyzed looking at items such as the stakeholders involved, the actions implemented, the communication means, and the evaluation performed. Then a case study describes an EDF pilot operation in South East of France. An awareness campaign was led in four particular EDF buildings to inform the employees of the best practices and to involve them to apply these advice. Different action packages were used to compare their efficiency. The evaluation emphasizes the success of the operation, with around 10% of energy savings (i.e. more than 270 MWh/a). More than 80% of the employees said they changed their energy behavior and other indicators show their commitment and satisfaction towards the campaign. Finally, suggestions are made to disseminate good practices at a broader scale, especially out of the "initiated" circle. Building up a know-how from the evaluation of past experiences makes easier the development of process such as networking, experience sharing, and including these activities in energy services offers and in white certificates systems.