Currently available human tumour cell line panels consist of a small number of lines in each lineage that generally fail to retain the phenotype of the original patient tumour. Here we develop a cell culture medium that enables us to routinely establish cell lines from diverse subtypes of human ovarian cancers with >95% efficiency. Importantly, the 25 new ovarian tumour cell lines described here retain the genomic landscape, histopathology and molecular features of the original tumours. Furthermore, the molecular profile and drug response of these cell lines correlate with distinct groups of primary tumours with different outcomes. Thus, tumour cell lines derived using this methodology represent a significantly improved platform to study human tumour pathophysiology and response to therapy.

To study the effect of troponin (Tn) T mutations that cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) on cardiac muscle contraction, wild-type, and the following recombinant human cardiac TnT mutants were cloned and expressed: I79N, R92Q, F110I, E163K, R278C, and intron 16(G 1 3 A) (In16). These TnT FHC mutants were reconstituted into skinned cardiac muscle preparations and characterized for their effect on maximal steady state force activation, inhibition, and the Ca 2؉ sensitivity of force development. Troponin complexes containing these mutants were tested for their ability to regulate actin-tropomyosin(Tm)-activated myosin-ATPase activity. TnT(R278C) and TnT(F110I) reconstituted preparations demonstrated dramatically increased Ca 2؉ sensitivity of force development, while those with TnT(R92Q) and TnT(I79N) showed a moderate increase. The deletion mutant, TnT(In16), significantly decreased both the activation and the inhibition of force, and substantially decreased the activation and the inhibition of actin-Tm-activated myosin-ATPase activity. ATPase activation was also impaired by TnT(F110I), while its inhibition was reduced by TnT(R278C). The TnT(E163K) mutation had the smallest effect on the Ca 2؉ sensitivity of force; however, it produced an elevated activation of the ATPase activity in reconstituted thin filaments. These observed changes in the Ca 2؉ regulation of force development caused by these mutations would likely cause altered contractility and contribute to the development of FHC.

SummaryThe analysis of a candidate biosynthetic gene cluster (97 kbp) for the polyether ionophore monensin from Streptomyces cinnamonensis has revealed a modular polyketide synthase composed of eight separate multienzyme subunits housing a total of 12 extension modules, and flanked by numerous other genes for which a plausible function in monensin biosynthesis can be ascribed. Deletion of essentially all these clustered genes specifically abolished monensin production, while overexpression in S. cinnamonensis of the putative pathway-specific regulatory gene monR led to a fivefold increase in monensin production. Experimental support is presented for a recently-proposed mechanism, for oxidative cyclization of a linear polyketide intermediate, involving four enzymes, the products of monBI , monBII , monCI and monCII . In frame deletion of either of the individual genes monCII (encoding a putative cyclase) or monBII (encoding a putative novel isomerase) specifically abolished monensin production. Also, heterologous expression of monCI , encoding a flavin-linked epoxidase, in S. coelicolor was shown to significantly increase the ability of S. coelicolor to epoxidize linalool, a model substrate for the presumed linear polyketide intermediate in monensin biosynthesis.

(2008) J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 45, 281-288). We performed actomyosin ATPase and spectroscopic solution studies to investigate the molecular properties of these mutations. Actomyosin ATPase activity was measured as a function of [Ca 2؉ ] utilizing reconstituted thin filaments (TFs) with 50% mutant and 50% wild type (WT) and 100% mutant cardiac troponin (cTn) complexes: A8V, C84Y, and D145E increased the Ca 2؉ sensitivity with only A8V demonstrating lowered Ca 2؉ sensitization at the 50% ratio when compared with 100%; E134D was the same as WT at both ratios. Of these four mutants, only D145E showed increased ATPase activation in the presence of Ca 2؉ . None of the mutants affected ATPase inhibition or the binding of cTn to the TF measured by co-sedimentation. Only D145E increased the Ca 2؉ affinity of site II measured by 2-(4-(2؆-iodoacetamido)phenyl)aminonaphthalene-6-sulfonic acid fluorescence in isolated cTnC or the cTn complex. In the presence of the TF, only A8V was further sensitized to Ca 2؉ . Circular dichroism measurements in different metal-bound states of the isolated cTnCs showed changes in the secondary structure of A8V, C84Y, and D145E, whereas E134D was the same as WT. PyMol modeling of each cTnC mutant within the cTn complex revealed potential for local changes in the tertiary structure of A8V, C84Y, and D145E. Our results indicate that 1) three of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cTnC mutants increased the Ca 2؉ sensitivity of the myofilament; 2) the effects of the mutations on the Ca 2؉ affinity of isolated cTnC, cTn, and TF are not sufficient to explain the large Ca 2؉ sensitivity changes seen in reconstituted and fiber assays; and 3) changes in the secondary structure of the cTnC mutants may contribute to modified proteinprotein interactions along the sarcomere lattice disrupting the coupling between the cross-bridge and Ca 2؉ binding to cTnC.Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) 3 is typically inherited as an autosomal dominant disease that is caused by mutations in sarcomeric genes and is the most prevalent cause of sudden death in athletes and young people (1, 2). The clinical hallmark of HCM is an increased thickness of the left ventricular wall. Myocyte disarray, fibrosis, septal hypertrophy, and abnormal diastolic function can also be present in HCM patients (3). HCM mutations have been reported in 13 myofilament-related genes; however, the cardiac troponin C (cTnC) gene remained excluded from this list (4 -7). The clinical and functional phenotypes may vary according to the gene and the location of the mutation (8). Recently our group has reported evidence that brings cTnC into focus as an HCM susceptibility gene (9). Interestingly the prevalence for cTnC HCM mutations was the same as other well characterized genes (i.e. actin and tropomyosin) (6). To date, prior to our recent report, only one mutation in cTnC (L29Q) had been linked to HCM (10). In vitro and in situ studies demonstrating changes in the functional parameters of cardiac muscle regulation suggest that this mutation is causative...

SummaryTo study the regulation of cardiac muscle contraction by the myosin essential light chain (ELC) and the physiological significance of its N-terminal extension, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice partially replacing the endogenous mouse ventricular ELC with either the human ventricular ELC wild type (Tg-WT) or its 43 amino acid N-terminal truncation mutant (Tg-Δ43) in the murine hearts. The mutant protein is similar in sequence to the short ELC variant present in skeletal muscle and the ELC protein distribution in Tg-Δ43 ventricles resembles that of fast skeletal muscle. Cardiac muscle preparations from Tg-Δ43 mice demonstrate reduced force per crosssectional area of muscle, which is likely caused by a reduced number of force generating myosin cross-bridges and/or by decreased force per cross-bridge. As the mice grow older, the contractile force per cross-sectional area further decreases in Tg-Δ43 mice and the mutant hearts develop a phenotype of non-pathologic hypertrophy while still maintaining normal cardiac performance. The myocardium of older Tg-Δ43 mice also exhibits reduced myosin content. Our results suggest that the role of the N-terminal ELC extension is to maintain the integrity of myosin and to modulate force generation by decreasing myosin neck region compliance and promoting strong cross-bridge formation and/or by enhancing myosin attachment to actin.

Tumours are comprised of a highly heterogeneous population of cells, of which only a small subset of stem-like cells possess the ability to regenerate tumours in vivo. These cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a significant clinical challenge as they are resistant to conventional cancer therapies and play essential roles in metastasis and tumour relapse. Despite this realization and great interest in CSCs, it has been difficult to develop CSC-targeted treatments due to our limited understanding of CSC biology. Here, we present evidence that specific histone deacetylases (HDACs) play essential roles in the CSC phenotype. Utilizing a novel CSC model, we discovered that the HDACs, HDAC1 and HDAC7, are specifically over-expressed in CSCs when compared to non-stem-tumour-cells (nsTCs). Furthermore, we determine that HDAC1 and HDAC7 are necessary to maintain CSCs, and that over-expression of HDAC7 is sufficient to augment the CSC phenotype. We also demonstrate that clinically available HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) targeting HDAC1 and HDAC7 can be used to preferentially target CSCs. These results provide actionable insights that can be rapidly translated into CSC-specific therapies.

The essential light chain of myosin (ELC) is known to be important for structural stability of the ␣-helical lever arm domain of the myosin head, but its function in striated muscle contraction is poorly understood. Two ELC isoforms are expressed in fast skeletal muscle, a long isoform and its NH 2-terminal ϳ40 amino acid shorter counterpart, whereas only the long ELC is observed in the heart. Biochemical and structural studies revealed that the NH 2-terminus of the long ELC can make direct contacts with actin, but the effects of the ELC on the affinity of myosin for actin, ATPase, force, and the kinetics of force generating myosin cross-bridges are inconclusive. Myosin containing the long ELC has been shown to have slower cross-bridge kinetics than myosin with the short isoform. A difference was also reported among myosins with long isoforms. Increased shortening velocity was observed in atrial compared with ventricular muscle fibers. The common findings suggest that ELC provides the fine tuning of the myosin motor function, which is regulated in an isoform and tissue-dependent manner. The functional importance of the ELC is further implicated by the discovery of ELC mutations associated with Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. The pathological phenotypes vary in severity, but more notably, almost all ELC mutations result in sudden cardiac death at a young age. This review summarizes the functional roles of striated muscle ELC in normal healthy muscle and in disease. Transgenic animal models and phenotypic characterization of ELC-mediated remodeling of the heart are also discussed.cross-bridge kinetics; striated muscle contraction; familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; sarcomeric mutations; failing heart; sudden cardiac death STRIATED MUSCLE MYOSIN

Our results suggest that the N47K and R58Q mutations may act through similar mechanisms, leading to compensatory hypertrophy of the functionally compromised myocardium, but the malignant R58Q phenotype is most likely associated with more severe alterations in cardiac performance manifested as impaired relaxation and global diastolic dysfunction. At the molecular level, we suggest that by reducing the phosphorylation of RLC, the R58Q mutation decreases the kinetics of myosin cross-bridges, leading to an increased myofilament calcium sensitivity and to overall changes in intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis.