We attempted to determine whether ␤1,3-galactosyltransferase ␤3Gal-T5 is involved in the biosynthesis of a specific subset of type 1 chain carbohydrates and expressed in a cancer-associated manner. We transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing Fuc-TIII with ␤3Gal-T cDNAs and studied the relevant glycoconjugates formed. ␤3Gal-T5 directs synthesis of Lewis type 1 antigens in CHO cells more efficiently than ␤3Gal-T1, whereas ␤3Gal-T2, -T3, and -T4 are almost unable to direct synthesis. In the clone expressing Fuc-TIII and ␤3Gal-T5 (CHO-FT-T5), sialyl-Lewis a synthesis is strongly inhibited by swainsonine but not by benzyl-␣-GalNAc, and sialyl-Lewis x is absent, although it is detected in the clones expressing Fuc-TIII and ␤3Gal-T1 (CHO-FT-T1) or Fuc-TIII and ␤3Gal-T2 (CHO-FT-T2). Endo-␤-galactosidase treatment of Nglycans prepared from clone CHO-FT-T5 releases (؎NeuAc␣233)Gal␤133[Fuc␣134]GlcNAc␤133Gal but not GlcNAc␤133Gal or type 2 chain oligosaccharides, which are found in CHO-FT-T1 cells. This result indicates that ␤3Gal-T5 expression prevents poly-Nacetyllactosamine and sialyl-Lewis x synthesis on Nglycans. Kinetic studies confirm that ␤3Gal-T5 prefers acceptors having the GlcNAc␤133Gal end, including lactotriosylceramide. Competitive reverse transcriptase mediated-polymerase chain reaction shows that the ␤3Gal-T5 transcript is expressed in normal colon mucosa but not or poorly in adenocarcinomas. Moreover, recombinant carcinoembryonic antigen purified from a CHO clone expressing Fuc-TIII and ␤3Gal-T5 reacts with anti-sialyl-Lewis a and carries type 1 chains on oligosaccharides released by endo-␤-galactosidase. We conclude that ␤3Gal-T5 down-regulation plays a relevant role in determining the cancer-associated glycosylation pattern of N-glycans.Type 1 chain oligosaccharides found in N-and O-glycans, as well as in glycolipids, contain the distinctive Gal␤133GlcNAc disaccharide as their core structure. It is synthesized by ␤1,3-galactosyltransferases (

Femoral glands of male lizards produce waxy secretions that are involved in inter- and intraspecific chemical communication. The main components of these secretions are proteins and lipids, the latter having been extensively studied and already associated to male quality. On the opposite, the composition and role of proteins are nearly unknown, the only available information coming from few studies on iguanids. These studies got the conclusion that proteins might have a communicative function, notably they could signal individual identity. A generalization of these findings requires the extension of protein analysis to other lizard families, and the primary detection of some patterns of individual variability. Using the common wall lizard Podarcis muralis as a model species, the protein fraction of the femoral pore secretions was investigated to provide the first characterization of this component in a lacertid lizard and to explore its source of variability, as a first step to support the hypothesized communicative role. Samples of proteins from femoral secretions were collected from 6 Italian populations and subjected to 1-dimensional electrophoresis. The binary vector of the band presence/absence was used to define the individual profiles. Protein fraction is found to have a structured pattern, with both an individual and a population component. Although the former supports the potential communicative role of proteins, the latter offers a double interpretation, phylogenetic or environmental, even though the phylogenetic effect seems more likely given the climatic resemblance of the considered sites. Further studies are necessary to shed light on both these issues.

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Background:The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties of a new measure of alexithymia, the Psychological Treatment Inventory-Alexithymia Scale (PTI-AS). Method: A group of 778 participants completed the PTI-AS. In order to evaluate aspects of concurrent validity, a part of the sample (n = 116) completed the PTI-AS, the Twenty-Items Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ). In order to evaluate aspects of discriminant validity a group of patients with a diagnosis of Eating Disorders completed the PTI-AS, the TAS-20 and the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI-3). Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) showed a solid structure with one factor. Results were confirmed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), which yielded good fit indices (CFI = .98; TLI = .95; RMSEA = .08; SRMR = .04). The PTI Alexithymia Scale showed a good degree of internal consistency (α = .88). Correlations between the PTI Alexithymia Scale, the TAS-20 (r = .74, p < .001) and the BVAQ (r = .40, p < .001) were statistically significant, supporting the scale's concurrent validity. Conclusion: Thanks to its good psychometric properties the PTI-AS can be considered as a brief and useful measure for assessing alexithymia.

Hard ticks are hematophagous arthropods that act as vectors of numerous pathogenic microorganisms of high relevance in human and veterinary medicine. Ixodes ricinus is one of the most important tick species in Europe, due to its role of vector of pathogenic bacteria such as Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, of viruses such as tick borne encephalitis virus and of protozoans as Babesia spp. In addition to these pathogens, I. ricinus harbors a symbiotic bacterium, Midichloria mitochondrii. This is the dominant bacteria associated to I. ricinus, but its biological role is not yet understood. Most M. mitochondrii symbionts are localized in the tick ovaries, and they are transmitted to the progeny. M. mitochondrii bacteria have however also been detected in the salivary glands and saliva of I. ricinus, as well as in the blood of vertebrate hosts of the tick, prompting the hypothesis of an infectious role of this bacterium. To investigate, from a proteomic point of view, the tick I. ricinus and its symbiont, we generated the protein profile of the ovary tissue (OT) and of salivary glands (SG) of adult females of this tick species. To compare the OT and SG profiles, 2-DE profiling followed by LC-MS/MS protein identification were performed. We detected 21 spots showing significant differences in the relative abundance between the OT and SG, ten of which showed 4- to 18-fold increase/decrease in density. This work allowed to establish a method to characterize the proteome of I. ricinus, and to detect multiple proteins that exhibit a differential expression profile in OT and SG. Additionally, we were able to use an immunoproteomic approach to detect a protein from the symbiont. Finally, the method here developed will pave the way for future studies on the proteomics of I. ricinus, with the goals of better understanding the biology of this vector and of its symbiont M. mitochondrii.