Lingfeng Tao

© 2014 Tao et al.Modes of sexual reproduction in eukaryotic organisms are extremely diverse. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans undergoes a phenotypic switch from the white to the opaque phase in order to become mating-competent. In this study, we report that functionally- and morphologically-differentiated white and opaque cells show a coordinated behavior during mating. Although white cells are mating-incompetent, they can produce sexual pheromones when treated with pheromones of the opposite mating type or by physically interacting with opaque cells of the opposite mating type. In a co-culture system, pheromones released by white cells induce opaque cells to form mating projections, and facilitate both opposite- and same-sex mating of opaque cells. Deletion of genes encoding the pheromone precursor proteins and inactivation of the pheromone response signaling pathway impair the promoting role of white cells in the sexual mating of opaque cells. White and opaque cells communicate via a paracrine pheromone signaling system, creating an environment conducive to sexual mating. This coordination between the two different cell types may be a trade-off strategy between sexual and asexual lifestyles in C. albicans.

With the addition of rituximab and other treatment advances, survival after diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has improved, but subsequent primary malignancies have emerged as an important challenge for DLBCL survivorship. We calculated standardized incidence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for SPMs among 23 879 patients who survived at least 1 year after a first primary DLBCL diagnosed during 1989-2012, compared to the general population in California. Cumulative incidence of SPMs, accounting for the competing risk of death, also was calculated. We found that the incidence of acute myeloid leukaemia nearly doubled in the post-rituximab era [SIR 4·39 pre- and 8·70 post-rituximab ]. Subsequent thyroid cancer was rare pre-rituximab, but increased substantially after 2001 [0·66 vs. 2·27]. The 5-year CMI for all SPMs, AML, thyroid cancer and melanoma were greater in DLBCL patients diagnosed in the post- versus pre-rituximab period. This study provides insight into the changing pattern of SPM occurrence after the introduction of rituximab, which may elucidate the aetiology of SPMs and should guide future cancer surveillance efforts among DLBCL patients.