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Our objective was to evaluate the impact of body composition (BC), beyond body mass index (BMI), and lipid metabolism disorders on therapeutic responses and outcomes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).Methods: 123 and 415 patients with advanced HGSOC from two cohorts (PUC and TCGA) were analyzed. Databases containing clinical/genomic variables were built-up. BC was estimated using the measurement of adiposity (e.g., Whole body Adipose Tissue [WBAT]) and muscle mass (Lumbar muscle area to vertebral body at L4-level, [PLVI]) by CT-scan. A list of 425 genes linked to obesity and lipid metabolism was used to identify clusters using non-negative matrix factorization. GSEA, Gene Ontology, KEGG pathways enrichment, and Ecotyper analyzes were also made. Survival curves and Cox-regression models were also built-up. Results: We identified four BC types and two clusters that, unlike BMI, effectively correlate with survival regardless of achieving optimal debulking or complete response. Mention deserves central sarcopenia, which was associated with worse survival in any condition. So also, that recovering a normal BC and adding medications to correct metabolism disorders (e.g., statins) could have a positive impact on outcomes. Along with this, we showed that micro-environments depleted of immune cells predominate in HGSOC, something more evident in the BC type (High WBAT/Low PLVI) and cluster (Obesity/Lipid Metabolism Type I) with worse prognosis. Conclusions: Here, we demonstrate the relevance of BC and lipid metabolism disorders in determining therapeutic responses and long-term outcomes. Also, the importance of incorporating corrective measures addressing these disorders to obtain better results. (Research supported by Fondecyt 1201083) Citation Format: Mauricio A. Cuello-Fredes, Fernan Gomez, Ignacio Wichmann, Felipe Suarez, Sumie Kato, Jorge Brañes, Elisa Orlandini, Carolina Ibañez. Body composition and metabolic dysfunction really matter for the achievement of better outcomes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 922.

Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to manifest two opposing tendencies in their attentional biases and symptoms. However, whether common neural mechanisms account for their opposing attentional biases and symptoms remains unknown. We here propose a model in which reciprocal inhibition between the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) predicts synchronized alternations between emotional under- and overmodulatory states at the neural, behavioral, and symptom levels within the same patients. This reciprocal inhibition model predicts that when the amygdala is dominant, patients enter an emotional undermodulatory state where they show attentional bias toward threat and manifest re-experiencing symptoms. In contrast, when the vmPFC is dominant, patients are predicted to enter an emotional overmodulatory state where they show attentional bias away from threat and avoidance symptoms. To test the model, we performed a behavioral meta-analysis (total N = 491), analyses of own behavioral study (N = 20), and a neuroimaging meta-analysis (total N = 316). Supporting the model, we found the distributions of behavioral attentional measurements to be bimodal, suggesting alternations between the states within patients. Moreover, attentional bias toward threat was related to re-experiencing symptoms, whereas attentional bias away from threat was related with avoidance symptoms. We also found that the increase and decrease of activity in the left amygdala activity was related with re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms, respectively. Our model may help elucidate the neural mechanisms differentiating nondissociative and dissociative subtypes of PTSD, which usually show differential emotional modulatory levels. It may thus provide a new venue for therapies targeting each subtype.

Although obesity-associated metabolic disorders have a negative impact on various cancers, such evidence remains controversial for ovarian cancer. Here, we aimed to evaluate the impact of body composition (BC) and metabolism disorders on outcomes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). Methods: We analyzed clinical/genomic data from two cohorts (PUC n = 123/TCGA-OV n = 415). BC was estimated using the measurement of adiposity/muscle mass by a CT scan. A list of 425 genes linked to obesity/lipid metabolism was used to cluster patients using non-negative matrix factorization. Differential expression, gene set enrichment analyses, and Ecotyper were performed. Survival curves and Cox-regression models were also built-up. Results: We identified four BC types and two clusters that, unlike BMI, effectively correlate with survival. High adiposity and sarcopenia were associated with worse outcomes. We also found that recovery of a normal BC and drug interventions to correct metabolism disorders had a positive impact on outcomes. Additionally, we showed that immune-cell-depleted microenvironments predominate in HGSOC, which was more evident among the BC types and the obesity/lipid metabolism cluster with worse prognosis. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the relevance of BC and metabolism disorders as determinants of outcomes in HGSOC. We have shone a spotlight on the relevance of incorporating corrective measures addressing these disorders to obtain better results.

Despite growing evidence linking obesity to the development and overall survival of cancer patients, the impact of increased body mass index (BMI) on gene expression patterns in gynecologic cancers is unclear. To address this, we herein downloaded RNAseq gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) UCEC (uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma) dataset and matched it with clinical data entries including patient height and weight. We calculated BMI for each patient and used it to stratify patients as normoweight (BMI < 25), overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30) or obese (BMI ≥ 30). BMI and nutritional status were matched to RNAseq gene expression data. Considering the known differences between endometrioid and serous uterine corpus tumors, analyses were performed separately for endometrioid (n = 356) and serous carcinomas (n = 117). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed between normoweight, overweight and obese patients. GSEA shows that tumors from obese patients display multiple dysregulated Gene Ontology (GO) terms (Biological Process, BP), which also differ between serous and endometrioid tumors. We further explored the impact of obesity on transcriptomic profiles of serous and endometrioid carcinomas by nutritional status independently by differential expression analysis using limma-voom. Significantly up- or downregulated genes were defined as those with logFC ≥ 1.5 at a non-adjusted P-value ≤ 0.01. Despite a clear enrichment or suppression of GO terms as evidenced by GSEA, transcriptomic analyses did not clearly separate patients according to their nutritional status. Therefore, obesity may impact on the dysregulation of biological processes through the cumulative effects of subtle differences in gene expression that, individually, do not seem to play a major role in oncogenesis. These results spotlight the relevance of obesity on the biology of uterine corpus cancers, which impact on the clinical course and treatment response of obese patients is yet to be determined. Funding: This work was supported by CONICYT FONDAP 15130011 (MC, IW), CONICYT-PFCHA/Doctorado Nacional 2019-Folio 21190421 (FG) and FONDECYT 1201083 (MC). Citation Format: Ignacio A. Wichmann, Fernán Gómez, Cristián Salazar, Felipe Suárez, Sumie Kato, Mauricio A. Cuello-Fredes. Distinct biological response of uterine corpus serous and endometrioid carcinomas to obesity may contribute to differences in clinical outcomes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3361.

Introduction High grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the leading cause of death among all gynecological malignancies. Extracellular microvesicles (MVs) are secreted by most cells in the body and play a crucial role regulating cell-to-cell communication and several biological functions. Current evidence shows that MV release and its content are modified in cancer cells compared to normal counterpart. By this mean, cancer cells can condition tumor microenvironment allowing them to metastasize, survive when exposed to adverse conditions (i.e. chemotherapy) and evade immune surveillance. Simvastatin (Simv), a HMGCoA reductase inhibitor and beyond its primary property of reducing cholesterol synthesis, exerts a role in cellular signaling and protein trafficking by inhibiting the isoprenylation of small GTPases. Recently, our group has demonstrated that (Simv) reduces metastasis in HGSOC murine models and improve survival among statin users. Here, our aim was to study the effect of simvastatin in MV release from HGSOC cancer cells, the MV composition, its uptake, its intracellular trafficking in neighbor cancer cells and in the MVinduced migration and metastasis of these cells. Methods HeyA8-released MVs were isolated upon 24h exposition to Simv (5 µM) or MOCK (DMSO as vehicle) by using differential ultracentrifugation, characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunoblotting (Alix, HSP70, TSG101, and CD63), and quantify by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). For the uptake assays, HeyA8 cells were treated with PKH67-labelled MVs (2,5h) and analyzed by flow cytometry. For MV content composition, proteins involved in adhesion and invasion (i.e. EMMPRIN) were characterized by immunoblotting. The endocytic trafficking was assessed by measuring the colocalization of PKH67-labelled MVs with recycling endosome (Transferrin) and lysosome (Lysotracker) markers by fluorescence microscopy in recipient HeLa cells. For migration and invasion assays HeyA8 cells were incubated with Simv or MOCK-treated MVs for up to 48h. Results Simv did not modify MV profile and release from HeyA8 cells. However, Simv significantly reduced the EMMPRIN content in MVs and increased its uptake in recipient cancer cells compared with MOCK conditions. Upon Simv exposure, a shift in intracellular trafficking towards recycling endosomes rather than to lysosomes was observed in these cells. More importantly, a significant reduction in migration and invasion induced by MVs in HeyA8 cancer cells was observed upon Simv exposure. Conclusion Herein, we demonstrated that MVs released by HGSOC cells exert an autocrine and paracrine effect that prompt migration and invasiveness of cancer cells. Among the mechanisms by which Simv inhibit cancer cell metastasis are the modification in MV content, its uptake and intracellular trafficking, all critical steps for determining their pro-carcinogenic effects. Our findings provide preliminary and novel evidence on the relevance of Simv in regulating cell-to-cell communication through MVs and further support for considering the use and maintenance of statins in HGSOC patients. (Research support by Fondecyt 1201083 and 1181907).

Background Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common tumor of the biliary tract. The incidence of GBC shows a large geographic variability, being particularly frequent in Native American populations. In Chile, GBC represents the second cause of cancer-related death among women. We describe here the establishment of three novel cell lines derived from the ascitic fluid of a Chilean GBC patient, who presented 46% European, 36% Mapuche, 12% Aymara and 6% African ancestry. Results After immunocytochemical staining of the primary cell culture, we isolated and comprehensively characterized three independent clones (PUC-GBC1, PUC-GBC2 and PUC-GBC3) by short tandem repeat DNA profiling and RNA sequencing as well as karyotype, doubling time, chemosensitivity, in vitro migration capability and in vivo tumorigenicity assay. Primary culture cells showed high expression of CK7, CK19, CA 19-9, MUC1 and MUC16, and negative expression of mesothelial markers. The three isolated clones displayed an epithelial phenotype and an abnormal structure and number of chromosomes. RNA sequencing confirmed the increased expression of cytokeratin and mucin genes, and also of TP53 and ERBB2 with some differences among the three cells lines, and revealed a novel exonic mutation in NF1. The PUC-GBC3 clone was the most aggressive according to histopathological features and the tumorigenic capacity in NSG mice. Conclusions The first cell lines established from a Chilean GBC patient represent a new model for studying GBC in patients of Native American descent.

In obesity, the increase in the number and / or size of adipocytes leads to chronic low-grade systemic inflammation that conditions the development and evolution of a series of pathologies such as coronary heart disease or cancer. The change from hyperplasia to hypertrophy has been characterized by the expression of early and late adipogenic biomarkers, but little is known about the communications between cells. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (30-100 nm in diameter) released by exocytosis in almost all cell types. Due to its wide distribution and absorption by different cell types, exosomes have been considered an attractive tool for diagnosis, therapy and response evaluation. Objective: To characterize the exosomes released by human fat cells during differentiation and the effect of hyperplasia on the function of these. Material and methods: Human cells (SW-872) were cultured for 24h in DMEM-F12- with FBS serum (free of steroids and exosomes), differentiated with adipogenic cocktail for 7 days, and hypertrophy for further 24h G1 agonist treatment. Exosomes were isolated from conditioned medium of SW872 cells by ultracentrifugation and characterized by immunoblotting against exosomal markers, (Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cancer initiating cells (CICs) were isolated from HeyA8 ovarian cancer cells using culture selecting conditions. CICs were 24h treated with exosomes (1x1011 particles/mL) and then seeded over matrigel to carry out 3Dmigration assays. Results: SW872 cells showed the morphological characteristics described for this cell line and MR expression was observed. Successful isolation of SW872-derived exosomes was confirmed by assessing the particle size distribution by NTA, the morphology by TEM and the presence of exosome markers (Alix, HSP70, TSG101, and CD36) by immunoblotting. Preadipocyte differentiation showed a significant decrease in the exosome concentration (pre,1.3x1011 particles/ml vs adipo, 1.5x1010 particles/ml p

To investigate whether specific obesity/metabolism‐related gene expression patterns affect the survival of patients with ovarian cancer. Clinical and genomic data of 590 samples from the high‐grade ovarian serous carcinoma (HGOSC) study of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and 91 samples from the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study were downloaded from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) portal. Clustering of mRNA microarray and reverse‐phase protein array (RPPA) data was performed with 83 consensus driver genes and 144 obesity and lipid metabolism‐related genes. Association between different clusters and survival was analyzed with the Kaplan–Meier method and a Cox regression. Mutually exclusive, co‐occurrence and network analyses were also carried out. Using RNA and RPPA data, it was possible to identify two subsets of HGOSCs with similar clinical characteristics and cancer driver mutation profiles (e.g. TP53), but with different outcome. These differences depend more on up‐regulation of specific obesity and lipid metabolism‐related genes than on the number of gene mutations or copy number alterations. It was also found that CD36 and TGF‐ß are highly up‐regulated at the protein levels in the cluster with the poorer outcome. In contrast, BSCL2 is highly up‐regulated in the cluster with better progression‐free and overall survival. Different obesity/metabolism‐related gene expression patterns constitute a risk factor for prognosis independent of the therapy results in the Cox regression. Prognoses were conditioned by the differential expression of obesity and lipid metabolism‐related genes in HGOSCs with similar cancer driver mutation profiles, independent of the initial therapeutic response.

Introduction Many universal school-based preventative intervention trials for anxiety have been conducted in Western countries. This pilot study examined the efficacy and acceptability of a school-based, universal preventative program for anxiety among children aged 8–9 years in Japan. The program was based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and was informed by similar universal programs (i.e., the Fun FRIENDS program; Barrett, 2007a, 2007b). Methods Seventy-four children from a single school were allocated to an intervention or control group. The intervention comprised 10 CBT sessions, and assessments were conducted before and after the program. The primary outcome measure was the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) as children's self-report. Secondary outcome measures were the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C), Children's Hope Scale (Hope), Spence Children's Anxiety Scale-Parent Version (SCAS-P), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Parent Version (SDQ-P). Results The SCAS as the primary outcome showed no significant differences between the two groups. In addition, DSRS-C, Hope and SDQ-P also showed no significant differences. SCAS-P in the intervention group showed significant decrease compared to those in the control group. Conclusion The results of this trial study suggest that a school-based universal preventative program for anxiety may have no significant effects on 8–9-year-old children. Trial registration UMIN-CTR Identifier UMIN000008798.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) describes a process by which cancer cells establish an alternative perfusion pathway in an endothelial cell-free manner. Despite its strong correlation with reduced patient survival, controversy still surrounds the existence of an in vitro model of VM. Furthermore, many studies that claim to demonstrate VM fail to provide solid evidence of true hollow channels, raising concerns as to whether actual VM is actually being examined. Herein, we provide a standardized in vitro assay that recreates the formation of functional hollow channels using ovarian cancer cell lines, cancer spheres and primary cultures derived from ovarian cancer ascites. X-ray microtomography 3D-reconstruction, fluorescence confocal microscopy and dye microinjection conclusively confirm the existence of functional glycoprotein-rich lined tubular structures in vitro and demonstrate that many of structures reported in the literature may not represent VM. This assay may be useful to design and test future VM-blocking anticancer therapies.

// Rafaela Erices 1, 2 , Sofia Cubillos 2 , Raul Aravena 2, 3 , Felice Santoro 2 , Monica Marquez 2 , Renan Orellana 1, 15 , Carolina Ramirez 2 , Pamela Gonzalez 2, 4 , Patricia Fuenzalida 2 , Maria Loreto Bravo 2, 4, 5 , Barbara Oliva 2, 4 , Sumie Kato 1 , Carolina Ibanez 5, 6, 7 , Jorge Branes 1 , Erasmo Bravo 8 , Catalina Alonso 8 , Karen Garcia 7, 9 , Clemente Arab 10 , Vicente A. Torres 11, 16 , Alejandro S. Godoy 2, 12 , Jaime Pereira 6 , Galdo Bustos 13 , Julio Cesar Cardenas 13, 14 , Mauricio A. Cuello 1 , Gareth I. Owen 2, 4, 5, 7, 16 1 Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 2 Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 3 Universidad Santo Tomas, Santiago, Chile 4 Biomedical Research Consortium of Chile, Santiago, Chile 5 Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 6 Hematology and Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 7 Center UC Investigation in Oncology, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 8 Hospital Gustavo Fricke, Vina de Mar, Santiago, Chile 9 Hospital Sotero del Rio, Santiago, Chile 10 Hospital Luis Tisne, Santiago, Chile 11 Institute for Research in Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile 12 Department of Urology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA 13 Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile 14 Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, USA 15 Universidad Bernardo OHiggins, Facultad de Salud, Departamento de Ciencias Quimicas y Biologicas, General Gana, Santiago, Chile 16 Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile Correspondence to: Gareth I. Owen, email: gowen@bio.puc.cl Keywords: thrombocytosis, hemostasis, EA.hy926, SKOV3, UCI101 Received: July 27, 2016 Accepted: January 27, 2017 Published: February 15, 2017 ABSTRACT Clinical studies have suggested a survival benefit in ovarian cancer patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus taking metformin, however the mechanism by which diabetic concentrations of metformin could deliver this effect is still poorly understood. Platelets not only represent an important reservoir of growth factors and angiogenic regulators, they are also known to participate in the tumor microenvironment implicated in tumor growth and dissemination. Herein, we investigated if diabetic concentrations of metformin could impinge upon the previously reported observation that platelet induces an increase in the tube forming capacity of endothelial cells (angiogenesis) and upon ovarian cancer cell aggressiveness. We demonstrate that metformin inhibits the increase in angiogenesis brought about by platelets in a mechanism that did not alter endothelial cell migration. In ovarian cancer cell lines and primary cultured cancer cells isolated from the ascitic fluid of ovarian cancer patients, we assessed the effect of combinations of platelets and metformin upon angiogenesis, migration, invasion and cancer sphere formation. The enhancement of each of these parameters by platelets was abrogated by the present of metformin in the vast majority of cancer cell cultures tested. Neither metformin nor platelets altered proliferation; however, metformin inhibited the increase in phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase induced by platelets. We present the first evidence suggesting that concentrations of metformin present in diabetic patients may reduce the actions of platelets upon both endothelial cells and cancer cell survival and dissemination.

ObjectiveTraumatic life-events can leave individuals with contrasting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including re-experiencing and avoidance. Notably, patients with PTSD are known to periodically switch between two opposing attentional biases; namely, toward threat and away from threat. We hypothesized that reciprocal inhibition between the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) may induce alternations between these attentional biases, which in turn may contribute to the re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms, respectively.MethodsTo test this reciprocal inhibition model, we performed an experiment to measure the attentional biases of patients with PTSD. We examined the differential relationships between PTSD symptom clusters (re-experiencing/avoidance) and attentional biases (toward/away from threat). Additionally, we performed a meta-regression analysis to examine the role of amygdala reactivity in the imbalance between re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms.ResultsWe found that attentional bias toward threat was selectively associated with re-experiencing symptoms whereas attentional bias away from threat was selectively associated with avoidance symptoms. Meta-regression analysis based on twelve participant populations (total N = 316) revealed that left amygdala activity was positively correlated with the severity of re-experiencing symptoms relative to avoidance symptoms.ConclusionsOur findings support the hypothesis that reciprocal inhibition of common neural circuits may underlie the switch between attentional biases toward and away from threat as well as that between re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms. Re-experiencing and avoidance/emotional numbing are the core symptoms used to distinguish between the non-dissociative and dissociative PTSD subtypes. The reciprocal inhibition mechanism may help elucidate the mechanisms underlying those PTSD subtypes.

Objectives HGSOC is the deadliest gynecologic cancer. Molecular analysis to samples available at The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) allowed the identification of 4 molecular subtypes with different biology/prognosis. Recently, our group demonstrated by bioinformatic analysis that patients expressing high levels of genes related to obesity and lipid metabolism (e.g. CD36/TGFs) experienced poorer outcomes in two international cohorts (TCGA and AOCS). Here, our goal was to establish if there was correlation between such patterns and the prevalence and prognosis of different molecular subtypes of HGSOC. Methods We retrieved matching data of 455 cases of stage II-IV HGSOC from TCGA and categorized into 4 clusters based first on molecular subtypes (differentiated, immunoreactive, mesenchymal and proliferative) and then subdivided based on obesity and lipid metabolism gene pattern expression (CD36/TGFs high vs low). Proportion and survival analyses were carried out. Chi square, Kaplan Meier were used to assess statistical significance. Results Mesenchymal subtype was significantly more prevalent among women expressing CD36/TGFs high (51,2% vs 6,9%, p Conclusions Our results confirm the importance of immune response and the negative impact that obesity and lipid metabolism alterations have in defining prognosis in HGSOC (supported by Fondecyt 1160800).

Background High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most prevalent and aggressive histologic type of ovarian cancer. To date, there are no reliable biomarkers to effectively predict patient prognosis. Studies have demonstrated inflammation and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) correlate with a bad and good prognosis, respectively. Here, we sought to evaluate systemic inflammation and TILs as early prognostic markers of survival. Methods Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and serum Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) were used as indicators of systemic inflammation. NLR, serum LDH, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), PDL1 and quality of debulking surgery were evaluated as determinants of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in a cohort of 128 HGSOC patients. Results Initial univariate analysis showed that systemic inflammation measures (NLR and serum LDH), debulking surgery, and intra-epithelial TILs have a significant impact on both PFS and OS. After adjustment for several variables, multivariate analyses confirmed intraepithelial CD4+ T-cells, systemic inflammation measures, PDL1 and debulking surgery as determinants of better OS and PFS. Conclusions Systemic inflammation and TILs are early determinants of OS in HGSOC. Other variables such as the quality of debulking surgery and PDL1 also improve survival of patients. Regarding TIL sub-populations, intraepithelial CD4+ cells are associated to an increase in both PFS and OS. We also confirmed previous reports that demonstrate intraepithelial CD8+ cells correlate with an increase on PFS in ovarian cancer. A combined score using systemic inflammation and TILs may be of prognostic value for HGSOC patients.

Cell plasticity of ‘stem-like’ cancer-initiating cells (CICs) is a hallmark of cancer, allowing metastasis and cancer progression. Here, we studied whether simvastatin, a lipophilic statin, could impair the metastatic potential of CICs in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGS-ovC), the most lethal among the gynecologic malignancies. qPCR, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry were used to assess simvastatin effects on proteins involved in stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal cell plasticity (EMT). Its effects on tumor growth and metastasis were evaluated using different models (e.g., spheroid formation and migration assays, matrigel invasion assays, 3D-mesomimetic models and cancer xenografts). We explored also the clinical benefit of statins by comparing survival outcomes among statin users vs non-users. Herein, we demonstrated that simvastatin modifies the stemness and EMT marker expression patterns (both in mRNA and protein levels) and severely impairs the spheroid assembly of CICs. Consequently, CICs become less metastatic in 3D-mesomimetic models and show fewer ascites/tumor burden in HGS-ovC xenografts. The principal mechanism behind statin-mediated effects involves the inactivation of the Hippo/YAP/RhoA pathway in a mevalonate synthesis-dependent manner. From a clinical perspective, statin users seem to experience better survival and quality of life when compared with non-users. Considering the high cost and the low response rates obtained with many of the current therapies, the use of orally or intraperitoneally administered simvastatin offers a cost/effective and safe alternative to treat and potentially prevent recurrent HGS-ovCs.

To characterize the molecular mechanism and map the response element used by progesterone (P) to upregulate tissue factor (TF) in breast cancer cells. TF expression and mRNA levels were analyzed in breast cancer ZR-75 and T47D cells, using Western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. Mapping of the TF promoter was performed using luciferase vectors. Progesterone receptor (PR) and specificity protein 1 (Sp1) binding to the TF promoter were analyzed by chromatin immuno precipitation assay. Specific or selective inhibitors were used for the MEK1/2 and the c-Src pathways (UO126 and PP2, respectively). TF mRNA increase peaks at 18 h following P treatment in ZR-75 and T47D cells. P upregulation occurs via a transcriptional mechanism that depends on PR and MEK1/2 activation, PR and Sp1 transcription factors bind to a region in the TF promoter that contains three Sp1 sites. TF mRNA upregulation requires an intact PR proline-rich site (mPRO), but it is independent from c-Src. TF upregulation by P is mediated by Sp1 sites in the TF promoter region. Transcriptional upregulation in breast cancer cells occurs via a new mechanism that requires MEK1/2 activation and the mPRO site but independent of c-Src activity. PR Phosphorylation at serine 294 and 345 is not essential.

a b s t r a c t In apples, four cytoplasmic groups, ‘Golden Delicious’-, ‘Delicious’-, ‘McIntosh’- and ‘Dolgo Crab’ cytotypes, are differentiated by variation in the mitochondrial cox1 and atp9 loci. The present study builds upon previous reports that (1) ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Delicious’ cytotype accessions each contain an intact cox1 (named as G-cox1 and D-cox1, respectively) and a pseudocopy (G- cox1 and D- cox1) at different stoichiometries and (2) the relative copy number of an atp9 pseudocopy ( atp9-1) is distinct in each cytotype. Here, the D-cox1 and D- cox1 sequences were found as predominant forms in ‘McIntosh’ type germplasm accessions but as substoichiometric forms in ‘Dolgo Crab’ type accessions. The G-cox1 and G- cox1 sequences were predominant in the ‘Dolgo Crab’ group whereas these two sequences were substoichiometric in the ‘McIntosh’ group. ‘We also detected the presence of predominant form of atp91 in ‘McIntosh’ and ‘Dolgo Crab’ groups. Moreover, the four cytotypes could be distinguished from one another by their own chloroplast DNA haplotypes. Using these data and those from our earlier publications, we attempted to construct a network of cytotypes representing possible maternal lineages of apples.

Our laboratory has implemented an in vitro assay to estimate the response to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer cells pertaining to individual patients. In two selected patients, we determined the correlation between an in vitro assay of cells from suspected ovarian cancer ascites, with the clinical chemotherapy response. Cancer cells isolated from peritoneal fluid with suspected ovarian cancer were tested for cytotoxicity with corresponding chemotherapy regimens. Circulating Cal25 levels and attending physician consultation determined clinical course and response to chemotherapy. The in vitro assay result correlated with Cal25 levels, progression free survival and attending physician evaluation. The assay predicted correctly the failure of two successive chemotherapy regimes in the first patient, while predicting a favorable clinical response in the second subject.

This report is an integrated study to include the molecular simulation, physicochemical characterization and biological analysis of a paclitaxel-loaded PHBV nanoparticle that demonstrates uptake, release and cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines. Taking this nanoparticle one step closer to its use in a clinical setting, we demonstrate that it causes significant cell death in primary cultures of stage IIIc serous ovarian cancer cells isolated from six patients. Molecular simulations revealed a high affinity of paclitaxel for the water–polymer interface, thus the drug is delivered only when the polymer near it is degraded. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggests the formation of a short-lived crystalline phase, also observed in the CG simulations, and transmission electron microscopy revealed branched structures on the surface of particles, which disappeared after 4 days. Biological analyses indicated that these particles have a 48-h window of toxicity protection, allowing for the endocytosis of the particle by the cells; this finding was corroborated by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. The low cost to synthesize PHBV using microorganisms and the potential chemical modifications of the polymer make it attractive for inexpensive, large-scale pharmaceutical production.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among gynecological malignancies. It is detected at late stages when the disease is spread through the abdominal cavity in a condition known as peritoneal carcinomatosis. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic interventions to target advanced stages of ovarian cancer. Mammary serine protease inhibitor (Maspin) represents an important metastasis suppressor initially identified in breast cancer. Herein we have generated a sequence-specific zinc finger artificial transcription factor (ATF) to up-regulate the Maspin promoter in aggressive ovarian cancer cell lines and to interrogate the therapeutic potential of Maspin in ovarian cancer. We found that although Maspin was expressed in some primary ovarian tumors, the promoter was epigenetically silenced in cell lines derived from ascites. Transduction of the ATF in MOVCAR 5009 cells derived from ascitic cultures of a TgMISIIR-TAg mouse model of ovarian cancer resulted in tumor cell growth inhibition, impaired cell invasion, and severe disruption of actin cytoskeleton. Systemic delivery of lipid-protamine-RNA nanoparticles encapsulating a chemically modified ATF mRNA resulted in inhibition of ovarian cancer cell growth in nude mice accompanied with Maspin re-expression in the treated tumors. Gene expression microarrays of ATF-transduced cells revealed an exceptional specificity for the Maspin promoter. These analyses identified novel targets co-regulated with Maspin in human short-term cultures derived from ascites, such as TSPAN12, that could mediate the anti-metastatic phenotype of the ATF. Our work outlined the first targeted, non-viral delivery of ATFs into tumors with potential clinical applications for metastatic ovarian cancers.

In this study, the mitochondrial atp9 gene sequence of an apple cultivar 'Golden Delicious' was found to exist in one intact version and two truncated versions (termed φatp9-1 and φatp9-2). Interestingly, the φatp9-1 sequence is maintained at high copy number in the six 'Golden Delicious'-cytotype cultivars examined but present substoichiometrically in eight 'Delicious'-cytotype cultivars. Our data also suggest that φatp9-1 originated in a homologous recombination event mediated by the short repeat in a common ancestral mitochondrial genome of 'Golden Delicious' and 'Delicious', and was preferentially amplified in an evolutionary lineage that gave rise to the 'Golden Delicious'-type genome. On the other hand, φatp9-2 was revealed to be present in high abundance in all 14 cultivars examined.

Tissue factor (TF) serving as the receptor for coagulation factor VII (FVII) initiates the extrinsic coagulation pathway. We previously demonstrated that progesterone increases TF, coagulation and invasion in breast cancer cell lines. Herein, we investigated if tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) could down-regulate progesterone-increased TF activity in these cells. Classically, TFPI redistributes TF-FVII-FX-TFPI in an inactive quaternary complex to membrane associated lipid raft regions. Herein, we demonstrate that TF increased by progesterone is localized to the heavy membrane fraction, despite progesterone-increased coagulation originating almost exclusively from lipid raft domains, where TF levels are extremely low. The progesterone increase in coagulation is not a rapid effect, but is progesterone receptor (PR) dependent and requires protein synthesis. Although a partial relocalization of TF occurs, TFPI does not require the redistribution to lipid rafts to inhibit coagulation or invasion. Inhibition by TFPI and anti-TF antibodies in lipid raft membrane fractions confirmed the dependence on TF for progesterone-mediated coagulation. Through the use of pathway inhibitors, we further demonstrate that the TF up-regulated by progesterone is not coupled to the progesterone increase in TF-mediated coagulation. However, the progesterone up-regulated TF protein may be involved in progesterone-mediated breast cancer cell invasion, which TFPI also inhibits. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 3278-3285, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

We have characterized the mitochondrial cox1 gene copies in two apple cultivars ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Delicious’. Both the cultivars contained an intact copy and a truncated copy of cox1 . The intact ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Delicious’ cox1 genes, designated G-cox1 and D-cox1 , respectively, were both found to be actually transcribed to give an RNA of approximately 1.7 kb. The two intact cox1 and two truncated copies ( G-φcox1 and D-φcox1 ) shared a common 1115-bp segment flanked by four combinations of two different 5′- and 3′-sequences. PCR assay demonstrated that the configurations bearing G-cox1 and G-φcox1 existed in substoichiometric amounts within the mitochondrial genome of ‘Delicious’ whereas substoichiometric molecules carrying D-φcox1 were present in the ‘Golden Delicious’ mitochondrial genome. Although ancestor/descendant relationships cannot be inferred between the G-cox1 and D-cox1 arrangements, the results led us to hypothesize that (1) the 1115-bp segment containing part of the progenitor cox1 was duplicated, thereby generating a pseudo- cox1 copy, and (2) this was followed by homologous recombination across a portion of the 1115-bp repeats which gave rise to the descendant cox1 and pseudo- cox1 arrangements.

Some second language learners do better than others because they are better motivated.There are two kinds of motivation in second language learning, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The intrinsic motivation is which oriented learner is interested in learning the second language in order to meet and communicate with people of the target language community. The extrinsic motivation is which oriented learner are ones who want to learn the language for pragmatic reasons such as to get a certain kind of job or to pass an examination. In this paper, I attempted to investigate how difference learner's occupation may cause their motivation. Participants were 37 Japanese undergraduate university students majoring in not English and 31 trainees. This study revealed that the trainee's both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are higher than university student's.

This research investigates how learning approach affects the language learner. It explores the learning process of Japanese adult learners being taught through Communicative Language Teaching. In the past, most schools in Japan did not teach English via Communicative Language Teaching. Japan adopted the Grammar-Translation method as it is the more familiar method and is regarded as the safest method to ensure good results in university entrance examinations. As a result, many Japanese adult learners feel that they will never be able to use enough realistic language to communicative successfully in the target language in real situations. \nA case study method involving interviews and questionnaires has been used. The learners have been living in Singapore, learnt English by the Grammar-Translation Method in Japan and are learning English through Communicative Language Teaching in Singapore. Learners are found to have more advantages if they learn English through Communicative Language Teaching because it increases their communicative competence. This increases their confidence and motivation, too. It also showed that motivation is important for Japanese adult learners when living in an English-speaking country. The findings of this study suggest that learner's background and context, teachers' role and activities used in the classroom are factors for Japanese adult learners in language learning.

// Sumie Kato 1 , Lorena Abarzua-Catalan 1 , Cesar Trigo 1 , Ana Delpiano 1 , Cristobal Sanhueza 2 , Karen Garcia 1 , Carolina Ibanez 2 , Katherine Hormazabal 1 , Daniela Diaz 1 , Jorge Branes 1 , Enrique Castellon 4 , Erasmo Bravo 5 , Gareth Owen 3 and Mauricio A. Cuello 1 1 Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 2 Department Hematology and Oncology, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 3 Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, Chile 4 Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile 5 Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Hospital Gustavo Fricke, Vina del Mar, Chile Correspondence to: Mauricio A. Cuello, email: // Keywords : leptin, ovary, neoplasia, metastasis, obesity Received : March 10, 2015 Accepted : May 13, 2015 Published : May 22, 2015 Abstract The evidence linking obesity with ovarian cancer remains controversial. Leptin is expressed at higher levels in obese women and stimulates cell migration in other epithelial cancers. Here, we explored the clinical impact of overweight/obesity on patient prognosis and leptin’s effects on the metastatic potential of ovarian cancer cells. We assessed clinical outcomes in 70 ovarian cancer patients (33 healthy weight and 37 overweight) that were validated with an external cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Progression-free and overall survival rates were significantly decreased in overweight patients. Similarly, a worse overall survival rate was found in TCGA patients expressing higher leptin/OB-Rb levels. We explored serum and ascites leptin levels and OB-Rb expression in our cohort. Serum and ascites leptin levels were higher in overweight patients experiencing worse survival. OB-Rb was more highly expressed in ascites and metastases than in primary tumors. Leptin exposure increased cancer cell migration/invasion through leptin-mediated activation of JAK/STAT3, PI3/AKT and RhoA/ROCK and promoted new lamellipodial, stress-fiber and focal adhesion formation. Leptin also contributed to the maintenance of stemness and the mesenchymal phenotype in ovarian cancer cells. Our findings demonstrate that leptin stimulated ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion, offering a potential explanation for the poor prognosis among obese women.

Accumulating evidence suggests a correlation between disulfide bonding and the allergenicity of proteins. Also, a significant characteristic of most food allergens is that they are stable to proteases. We sought to identify putative allergens of buckwheat seed comprehensively by combining a disulfide proteome technique with an in vitro digestibility test. First, a dilute acetic acid fraction of buckwheat seed was found to be rich in disulfide proteins. Internal amino acid sequence analyses of these proteins showed that most of them were known allergens or putative allergens sharing high amino acid sequence similarities to known allergens. Next, the fraction was subjected to in vitro protease digestion, which revealed relatively large fragments that were resistant to prolonged enzymatic digestion. These protease-resistant fragments contained disulfide bonds that should have protected the potential enzyme cleavage sites by forming compact structures. These results confirm and extend our knowledge o...

Progesterone in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) preparations increases, while hysterectomy greatly reduces, the incidence of breast cancer. Cross-talk between the progesterone and growth factor signaling pathways occurs at multiple levels and this maybe a key factor in breast cancer survival and progression. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the effect of progesterone pre-treatment on the sensitization of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling pathway to EGF in the breast cancer cell line ZR-75. For the first time in ZR-75 cells and in agreement with previous work using synthetic progestins, we demonstrate that pre-treatment with the natural ligand progesterone increases EGF receptor (EGFR) levels and subsequent ligand-dependent phosphorylation. Downstream we demonstrate that progesterone alone increases erk-1 + 2 phosphorylation, potentiates EGF-phosphorylated erk-1 + 2 and maintains these levels elevated for 24 h; over 20 h longer than in vehicle treated cells. Additionally, progesterone increased the levels of STAT5, another component of the EGF signaling cascade. Progesterone increased EGF mediated transcription of a c-fos promoter reporter and the nuclear localization of the native c-fos protein. Furthermore, progesterone and EGF both alone and in combination, significantly increase cell proliferation. Several results presented herein demonstrate the conformity between the action of the natural ligand progesterone with that of synthetic progestins such as MPA and R5020 and allows the postulation that the progestin/progesterone-dependent increase of EGF signaling provides a survival advantage to burgeoning cancer cells and may contribute to the breast cancer risk associated with endogenous progesterone and with progestin-containing HRT.

The expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is involved in the determination of final fruit size of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). We developed transgenic tomatoes that over-expressed the melon (Cucumis melo L. reticulatus) Cm-HMGR-CD gene, which encodes the catalytic domain of HMGR. The derived transgenic plants expressed Cm-HMGR-CD. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that cell division and/or elongation in the fruit pericarp during early fruit development was induced more rapidly in the transgenic plant than in the wild-type control. The fruit size in transgenic plants was larger than that in controls. The growth of fruit pericarp also enhanced in transgenic plants. These results suggest that HMGR might stimulate pericarp development by activation of cell division and/or elongation (differentiation), and thereby affects fruit size. In addition, the constitutive expression of Cm-HMGR-CD affected plant morphology. Thus, transgenic plant growth was suppressed and the leaves accumulated higher levels of chlorophyll, as compared to wild-type control plants.

To review animal and human data available regarding the etiology, maternal and fetal impact, and treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). Pertinent studies on human and animal models of ICP were selected through a MEDLINE database search, focusing on etiology and clinical impact of the disease. Analytic and descriptive studies were included, and the data were analyzed looking for crude numbers. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is a pregnancy-specific disorder. Its prevalence is higher in Chile and Sweden compared with any other population. Its etiology is largely unknown, although endocrine, genetic, and environmental factors have been postulated as responsible for the appearance of the disease. Maternal effects of ICP are mild; however, there is a clear association between ICP and poor perinatal outcome, including a higher frequency of fetal distress, preterm labor and delivery, and unexplained fetal death. The treatment is mainly symptomatic. Recent data suggest that oral use of ursodeoxycholic acid improves maternal condition and might prevent the fetal complications of ICP. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy should be considered a high-risk condition, and careful fetal assessment and appropriate medical intervention might improve perinatal outcome.

Introduction: A key step in cancer progression is tumor irrigation. The process of angiogenesis can be complemented in sub-sets of highly aggressive cancers by the process of vasculogenic mimicry, which is the formation of tubular structures by tumor cells. Herein, we sought to establish an in vitro assay of vasculogenic mimicry and determine the percentage of ovarian and gastrointestinal primary cultures capable of undergoing this process. Materials & Methods: Gastric cancer cell lines, AGS and Hs746T, and the ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV-3 and HEY were used in conjunction with gastrointestinal and ovarian primary cultured cancer cells extracted from peritoneal fluid. Cells were seeded on matrigel and monitored for a week. Hollow channels formation was evaluated by fluorescent dye microinyection, periodic acid Schiff staining, confocal microscopy and X-Ray microtomography (Micro-CT). Results: SKOV-3, HEY and AGS cell lines underwent the process of vasculogenic mimicry. Both confocal microscopy and Micro-CT reconstruction were able to show the presence of a lumen of the structures in 3D. In 22 primary cancer cultures (Ovarian, Colon and Gastric) only 38% could underwent vasculogenic mimicry. Discussion: We have standardized an in vitro assay to assay and quantify vasculogenic mimicry. Regardless of origin, only a low percentage of cultures have the ability to undergo vasculogenic mimicry. An understanding of this process could shed light on new therapies for this sub-set of highly aggressive cancers. Funding: FONDECYT 1120292, 3150028 & 1140970. CORFO L2 13IDL2-18608, BMRC 13CTI 21526-P6, IMII P09/016-F, CONICYT-FONDAP #1513001 Citation Format: Andres Valdivia, Dusan Racordon, Raul Aravena, Gabriel Mingo, Alejandra Sandoval, Maria Loreto Bravo, Mauricio A. Cuello, Sumie Kato, Rafaela Erices, Carolina Ramirez, Pamela Gonzalez, Beatriz Sanchez, Alejandro H. Corvalan, Gareth I. Owen. Establishment of an in vitro model for the study of vasculogenic mimicry in ovarian and gastrointestinal cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 789. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-789

Ovarian cancer metastasis occurs when malignant cells migrate from the primary tumor into the ascitic fluid and form a secondary tumor in the peritoneal cavity. The cells responsible for this process, Metastases Initiating Cells (MICs), suffer a series of changes in protein expression, with increased Epithelial Mesenquimal Transition and stem cell markers having been reported. Tissue Factor Pathway Inibitor-2 (TFPI-2) is a serine proteinase inhibitor and potential tumor suppressor gene, whose reduction is correlated with more metastases and poor prognosis. As the exact stage of TFPI-2 loss is still unknown, the purpose of our study was to determine TFPI-2 during ovarian cancer progression. Protein and RNA levels were assessed in primary tumor and metastatic tissue from papillary serous carcinoma by immunohistochemistry and qPCR, respectively. TFPI-2 RNA and protein levels were analyzed in cancer cell lines and primary cultured cancer cells isolated from ascitic fluid of advanced ovarian cancer patients and in cancer spheres derived from these cultures. Epigenetic changes of 3 CpG were analized by bisulfite and pirosequencing technique in ovarian cancer cell lines and in cancer spheres derived from these cultures. We report that significantly decreased TFPI-2 protein levels in metastatic tissue compared to the primary tumor, a result confirmed in matched primary and metastatic lesions from the same ovarian cancer patients. Furthermore, cancer spheres (representing potential MICs) displayed significantly lower levels of TFPI-2 than corresponding cell line and some primary cultured cancer cells. The cancer spheres showed a modest increase in methylation percentage in three specific CpG sites within the TFPI-2 promoter. Our results suggest that TFPI-2 loss plays a role in the cancer cell escape from the primary tumor. Future studies will determine the mechanism and the biological consequences of the progressive loss of TFPI-2 in cancer. Funding: FONDECYT 11140657, 1160800, 1140970, 3140335, 3150028, CORFO L2 13IDL2-18608, IMII-P09/016-F, CONICYT-FONDAP 15130011, BMRC 13CTI21526-P6 Citation Format: Jacqueline Fry, Sumie Kato, Lorena Abarzua, Pamela Gonzalez, Carolina Ramirez, Elisa Cumsille, Erasmo Bravo, Raimundo Correa, Juan E. Leiva, Cesar Paredes, Juan C. Roa, Carolina Ibañez, Mauricio Cuello, Gareth I. Owen, Maria L. Bravo. Regulation of TFPI-2 in the progression of ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5516. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5516

Mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used to examine cytoplasmic diversity within a relic-like population of Fagus hayatae, located in northern Taiwan. Fifteen trees were surveyed for three restriction endonucleases (BamHI, EcoRI and HindIII) and five mitochondrial gene probes (atpA, atp6, atp9, coxI and coxII). The analysis failed to reveal any polymorphisms, an observation that suggests cytoplasmic uniformity in the F. hayatae population examined. It is also interesting to note that the chondriome type of our F. hayatae samples is very close to that characteristic of F. crenata populations in the southernmost area of Japan.

プラスチックの近赤外反射スペクトルからスペクトルの特徴抽出を行い迅速な分類を行う方法として、高速フーリエ変換FFTを用いた1/f揺らぎ解析を検討した。近赤外反射スペクトルの1/f揺らぎ解析により１８種類のプラスチックは高速かつ実用上十分な精度で分類できることがわかった。本方法によってプラスチック廃棄物のリサイクルの有効性と経済性を高めるために、プラスチック廃棄物を迅速にかつ非破壊的に分類することが可能となる。

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragments that contain cox2 and atp6 were cloned from a wild soybean (Glycine soja, accession 'B09002') and from a cultivated soybean (G. max, 'Harosoy'). Comparison of these DNAs revealed that two sets of repeated sequences, namely, 299 bp and 23 bp, were present in the 5' regions of cox2 and atp6. The 299-bp and 23-bp repeats were present close to each other on the 5' flanking region and the 5' part of the coding region of cox2 in both 'Harosoy' and 'B09002', as well as on the 5' flanking region of atp6 in 'Harosoy', while these two repeats were separated by a 706-bp nucleotide sequence that contained a truncated sequence of nad3 at the 5' flanking region of atp6 in 'B09002'. The mtDNA configurations upstream from atp6 and cox2 found in 'Harosoy' appeared to have been generated from configurations of cox2 and atp6 found in 'B09002' via recombination across the 299-bp or 23-bp repeated sequences, or vice versa, in the mitochondrial genome of the hypothetical progenitor of these plants. The 299-bp sequence was found to be interspersed in the mitochondrial genome. Eight loci were identified that include mtDNA configurations that are inter-convertible with each other via recombination across this sequence in 'B09002'. Various loci on the mitochondrial genomes of higher plants that harbor segments of the 299-bp repeats in Glycine were identified.

The amount and distribution of mitochondrial (mt) DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism was determined among individual tree samples of two Japanese beech species, Fagus crenata and F.japonica. Individual plants were collected from 16 F. crenata populations throughout the range of the species, and from three F. japonica populations. We detected enough variation to characterize eleven and three chondriome types in F. crenata and F.japonica, respectively. The grouping of beech chondriome types based upon the cladistic analysis of mtDNA polymorphism allowed us to recognize the apparent geographical patterns of mtDIMA diversity: the resulting three main groups occupied distinct geographic areas. This geographic differentiation is likely to reflect the history of the Japanese beech forests after the last glacial period of the Pleistocene. In addition, the mtDNA polymorphism encountered within F. crenata encompassed all the variation observed in F.japonica. Our result suggests the need for re-evaluation of their phylogenetic relationships.