Multiplex polymerase chain reaction as an improved method for screening Histoplasma capsulatum mating types

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, a heterothallic ascomycete. The sexual reproduction of this fungus is regulated by the mating type (MAT1) locus that contains MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs, which were identified by uniplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study aimed to optimise single-step multiplex PCR for the accurate detection of the distinct mating types of H. capsulatum. Among the 26 isolates tested, 20 had MAT1-1 genotype, while six showed MAT1-2 genotype, in agreement with the uniplex PCR results. These results suggest that multiplex PCR is a fast and specific tool for screening H. capsulatum mating types.

Inhibition of the proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells by MAT1 gene-targeted short interfering RNA in vitro / 肿瘤

Objective: To observe the influence of silencing MAT1 gene by short interfering RNA (siRNA) on the proliferation and invasion of human pancreatic cancer cells and discuss the feasibility of using MAT1 gene as therapeutic target for treatment of pancreatic cancer. Methods: BxPC-3 cells were transfected with sequence-specific siRNA targeting MAT1 gene with liposome mediation. The mRNA and protein expression of MAT1 were confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The cell proliferation was measured by Trypan blue exclusion staining. The invasion ability was determined by Boyden chamber model in vitro. Results: The mRNA and protein expression of MAT1 were significantly down-regulated by siRNA in BxPC-3 cells compared with the control groups. The expression of MAT1 mRNA was reduced by 55.2% and 64.3% at 24 h and 48 h, respectively (P <0.01). The cell proliferation and invasion ability of BxPC-3 cells were significantly inhibited in vitro (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The results suggest that siRNA targeting MAT1 gene inhibits the cell proliferation and invasion of BxPC-3 cells in vitro. MAT1 may be a potential target for gene therapy of human pancreatic cancer.

Relationship between MAT1 expression and clinicopathological features of pancreatic cancers / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To investigate the expression of MAT1 protein in pancreatic cancers and the relationship between MAT1 and clinicopathological features of pancreatic cancers. METHODS: 94 surgical specimens, including 70 pancreatic cancers, 10 pancreatic benign tumors, 14 chronic pancreatitis and 10 autopsy normal pancreas tissues, were analyzed immunohistochemically, and then MAT1 expression and clinicopathological features were compared. RESULTS: MAT1 was expressed mainly in the cancer cells,and also in the fibroblasts, where it was localized within the cytoplasm and nuclear envelope. MAT1 expression was found in 75.7% (53/70) of the cancers, but not detected or weakly expressed in control tissues. There was a significant difference in expression of MAT1 among the above four tissues (P