The authors have cloned a full-length putative rat pancreatic lysophospholipase cDNA by an improved mRNA isolation method and cDNA cloning strategy using (/sup 32/P)-labelled nucleotides. These new methods allow the construction of a cDNA library from the adult rat pancreas in which the majority of recombinant clones contained complete sequences for the corresponding mRNAs. A previously recognized but unidentified long and relatively rare cDNA clone containing the entire sequence from the cap site at the 5' end to the poly(A) tail at the 3' end of the mRNA was isolated by single-step screening of the library. The size, amino acid composition, and the activity of the protein expressed in heterologous cells strongly suggest this mRNA codes for lysophospholipase.
Recently, we cloned purpurin cDNA as an upregulated gene in the axotomized fish retina. The retina-specific protein was secreted from photoreceptors to ganglion cell layer during an early stage of optic nerve regeneration in zebrafish retina. The purpurin worked as a trigger molecule for axonal regrowth in adult injured fish retina. During zebrafish development, purpurin mRNA first appeared in ventral retina at 2 days post-fertilization (dpf) and spread out to the outer nuclear layer at 3 dpf. Here, we investigated the role of purpurin for zebrafish retinal development using morpholino gene knockdown technique. Injection of purpurin morpholino into the 1-2 cell stage of embryos significantly inhibited the transcriptional and translational expression of purpurin at 3 dpf. In the purpurin mo...
A recombinant M13 clone (O42) containing a 65 b.p. cDNA fragment from human fetal liver mRNA coding for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase has been identified and it has been used to isolate from...Full Text Available
We report that expression of a nearly full-lengthcDNA clone of the L-A double-stranded RNA virus causes virus loss in a wild-type strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that in this system exclusion...Full Text Available
The fulllengthcDNA of the Brn1 was first cloned, and then expression of the Brn1 was analyzed and the function was identified by silencing technology. Results show that the fulllengthcDNA of the C. lunata Brn1 gene contains 1001 base pairs and an 801?bp open reading frame encoding 267 amino acids. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis shows that the expression of Brn1 at 96?h is significantly higher than at 24 and 72?h (p?Brn1-silenced transformants were light brown in culture filtrate, and have significantly reduced toxin production relative to the wild-type. These results imply that Brn1 gene in C. lunata is not only involved in 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene melanin synthesis, but is also relatively associated with toxin biosynthesis of the pathogen.
Catalase is an important antioxidant protein which can protect organisms against various oxidative stresses by eliminating hydrogen peroxide. The catalase cDNA of Cristaria plicata@?cpCAT@? was cloned from the haemocytes using degenerate primers by the method of 3' and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR. The gene is 4863 bp long and has a total of two introns and three exons. The precise size and location of the introns and exons have been determined. In addition the full-lengthcDNA of cpCAT contained 2618 bp, The cDNA contained a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 136 nucleotides, the 3' UTR of 979 bp with a canonical polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA and a polyA tail, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 1503 bp, encoding 501 amino acid residues with 56.86 kDa predicted molecular w...
The presence of endothelin (ET)-like immunoreactivity and the cardiovascular effects of mammalian ET-1 in fish have been reported. To identify ET-related peptides in fish, we screened the cDNA library of the salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) stomach by means of rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and we cloned cDNAs encoding an ET-related peptide. The salmon ET-related sequence of 21 amino acids is identical to the trout ET-1 peptide recently purified from kidney specimens of Oncorhynchus mykiss. The deduced amino acid sequence of salmon pre-proET-1 (PPET-1) comprises 244 amino acids, including a putative signal sequence and mature ET-1, as well as big ET-1 and ET-1-like sequences. This precursor, the first reported PPET-1 sequence for Salmoniformes, Teleostei, has low homology with the sequences of human, mouse, frog (Xenopus laevis), and zebrafish (Danio rerio) PPET-1 (26%, 29%, 24%, and 39%, respectively). PMID:16740985
A 4.1?kbp positive-strand RNA virus known as Diaporthe RNA virus 1 (DRV1) occurs in hypovirulent, non-sporulating isolates of the fungal pathogen Diaporthe perjuncta. A full-lengthcDNA clone of DRV1 was developed and RNA transcribed from the cDNA clone used to transfect different Diaporthe spp. The transfected species included three D. ambigua isolates and an unidentified Phomopsis asexual state of a Diaporthe sp. Successful transfections were confirmed using RT-PCR. Although the in vitro-transcribed positive sense single-stranded RNA used for transfection included vector sequences at both ends, the genomes of progeny virus from DRV1-transfected isolates were free of the vector sequences. Transfection resulted in morphological changes in these fungal pathogens. However, the presence of DR...
The authors used a near full-length human ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase cDNA, huOAT6, as a probe under low stringency hybridization conditions to identify a new autosomal ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase-related sequence (OATL3). Cloning and characterization of this sequence reveal it to be a partial nonprocessed pseudogene corresponding to exon 3 and flanking intronic sequences of the ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase structural gene. Using somatic cell hybrids and fluorescence in situ hybridization, they mapped OATL3 to 10q26, adjacent to the ornithine [delta]-aminotransferase structural gene locus. 13 refs., 3 figs.
Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Family, Solanaceae), commonly known as Ashwagandha is one of the most valuable medicinal plants synthesizing large number of pharmacologically active secondary metabolites known as withanolides. Though the plant has been well characterized in terms of phytochemical profiles as well as pharmaceutical activities, not much is known about the genes responsible for biosynthesis of these compounds. In this study, we have characterized a gene encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS; EC 2.5.1.10), a key enzyme in the pathway of biosynthesis of isoprenoids, from W. somnifera. The full-lengthcDNA of Withania somnifera FPPS (WsFPPS) of 1,253?bps encodes a polypeptide of 343 amino acids. The amino acid sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis suggest that WsFPPS...
Goosecoid is a homeobox gene first isolated from a Xenopus dorsal lip cDNA library. Homologous genes have been isolated from mouse, zebrafish, and chick. In all species examined, the gene is expressed and plays an important role during the process of gastrulation in early embryonic development. The authors report here the cloning of the human goosecoid (GSC) from a genomic library and the sequence of its encoded protein. The genomic organization and protein sequence of the human gene are highly conserved with respect to those of its Xenopus and mouse counterparts: all three genes consist of three exons, with conserved exon-intron boundaries. The sequence of the homeo-domain is 100% conserved in most vertebrates. Using somatic cell hybrid and chromosomal in situ hybridization, the gene was mapped to chromosome 14q32.1. 30 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brainstem. Recently, in vivo analysis of glycinergic synaptic transmission has been pursued in zebrafish using...Full Text Available
Over the last decade, the use of the zebrafish as a genetic model has moved beyond the proof-of-concept for the analysis of vertebrate embryonic development to demonstrated utility as a mainstream...Full Text Available
Low membrane permeability is one of the major obstacles to the successful cryopreservation of zebrafish embryos. The aim of the present study was to explore if this could be overcome by yolk...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe zebrafish is recognized as a versatile cancer and drug screening model. However, it is not known whether the estrogen-responsive genes and signaling pathways that are...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene duplication is the primary force of new gene evolution. Deciphering whether a pair of duplicated genes has evolved divergent functions is often challenging. The zebrafish...Full Text Available
The zebrafish is emerging as a prominent model system for studying the genetics of human development and disease. Genetic alterations that underlie each mutant model can exist in the form of...Full Text Available
During formation of the optic projection in astray/robo2 mutant zebrafish, optic axons exhibit rostro-caudal pathfinding errors, ectopic midline crossing and...Full Text Available
The neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor {alpha}7 subunit is a member of a family of ligand-gated ion channels, and is the only subunit know to bind {alpha}-bungarotoxin in mammalian brain. {alpha}-Bungarotoxin binding sites are known to be more abundant in the hippocampus of mouse strains that are particularly sensitive to nicotine-induced seizures. The {alpha}7 receptor is highly permeable to calcium, which could suggest a role in synaptic plasticity in the nervous system. Auditory gating deficiency, an abnormal response to a second auditory stimulus, is characteristic of schizophrenia. Mouse strains that exhibit a similar gating deficit have reduced hippocampal expression of the {alpha}7 subunit. We have cloned and sequenced the fulllengthcDNA for the mouse {alpha}7 gene (Acra-7) and characterized its gene structure. The murine {alpha}7 shares amino acid identity of 99% and 93% with the rat and human {alpha}7 ...
Insect host/parasitoid interactions are co-evolved systems in which host defenses are balanced by parasitoid mechanisms to disable or hide from host immune effectors. Although there is a rich literature on these systems, parasitoid immune-disabling mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here we report on a newly discovered immune-disabling mechanism in the Pieris rapae/Pteromalus puparum host/parasitoid system. Because venom injections and parasitization suppresses host phagocytosis, we turned attention to the P. rapae scavenger receptor (Pr-SR), posing the hypothesis that P. puparum venom suppresses expression of the host Pr-SR gene. To test our hypothesis, we cloned a full-lengthcDNA of the Pr-SR. Multiple sequences alignment showed the deduced amino acid sequence of Pr-SR is similar to scavenger receptors of other lepidopterans. Bacterial and bead injections induced Pr-SR mRNA and protein expression, which peaked at 4h post-bead ...
We review visually guided behaviors in larval zebrafish and summarise what is known about the neural processing that results in these behaviors, paying particular attention to the progress made in the last 2 years. Using the examples of the optokinetic reflex, the optomotor response, prey tracking and the visual startle response, we illustrate how the larval zebrafish presents us with a very promising model vertebrate system that allows neurocientists to integrate functional and behavioral studies and from which we can expect illuminating insights in the near future.
BackgroundVisual acuity, the ability of the visual system to distinguish two separate objects at a given angular distance, is influenced by the optical and neuronal properties of...Full Text Available
BackgroundMutations that disrupt the conversion of prelamin A to mature lamin A cause the rare genetic disorder Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome and a group of laminopathies....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe construction of cDNA libraries is a useful tool to understand gene expression in organisms under different conditions, but random sequencing of unbiased cDNA collections...Full Text Available
A cDNA encoding a cytochrome P450 enzyme was isolated from a cDNA library of the corpora allata (CA) from reproductively active Diploptera punctata cockroaches. This P450 from the endocrine...Full Text Available
Two cDNA libraries corresponding to polyA+ RNA from human adult skeletal muscle have been constructed by cloning in the PstI site of pBR322. Skeletal alpha actin cDNA clones have been isolated and characterized....Full Text Available
Sphere-forming abilities in culture condition are considered a hallmark of cancer stem-like cells, which represents tumor cell invasiveness and stem-like characteristics. We aimed to show that the sphere-forming subpopulation of human malignant melanoma cell line WM-266-4 acts differently to zebrafish embryo extracts compared with their bulk counterpart. Spheres were maintained in neural stem cell culture conditions. The embryos of zebrafish at specific developmental stages were collected and the extracts were purified under 100 kDa. Spheres were treated with embyo extracts and proliferation assay and immunocytochemistry were conducted. Spheroid cells expressed nestin and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) but not melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells (MART)1, indicating their stem-l...
This document presents an assessment of the severe accident phenomena observed from four Full-Length High-Temperature (FLHT) tests that were performed by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) in the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. These tests were conducted for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as part of the Severe Accident Research Program. The objectives of the test were to simulate conditions and provide information on the behavior of full-length fuel rods during hypothetical, small-break, loss-of-coolant severe accidents, in commercial light water reactors.
During development, multipotent neural precursors give rise to oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which migrate and divide to produce additional OPCs. Near the end of embryogenesis and...Full Text Available
Somite boundary formation is crucial for segmentation of vertebrate somites and vertebrae and skeletal muscle morphogenesis. Previously, we developed a Tol2 transposon-mediated...Full Text Available
Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels have been implicated in detecting chemical, thermal and mechanical stimuli in organisms ranging from mammals to Caenorhabditis elegans....Full Text Available
The recent introduction of several transposable elements in zebrafish opens new frontiers for genetic manipulation in this important vertebrate model. This review discusses transposable elements as...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn humans, myocardial infarction is characterized by irreversible loss of heart tissue, which becomes replaced with a fibrous scar. By contrast, teleost fish and urodele...Full Text Available
BackgroundVariation of gene number among species indicates that there is a general process of new gene origination. One of the major mechanism providing raw materials for the origin...Full Text Available
The neuronal networks in spinal cord can produce a diverse array of motor behaviors. In aquatic vertebrates such as fishes and tadpoles, these include escape behaviors, swimming across a range...Full Text Available
alpha-actinins are actin microfilament crosslinking proteins. Vertebrate actinins fall into two classes: the broadly-expressed actinins 1 and 4 (actn1 and actn4)...Full Text Available
Acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity is the most common drug-induced cause of acute liver failure in the United States. The only available treatment, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), has a limited...Full Text Available
Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the molecule processes of sarcomere assembly, partially due to the lack of systematic genetic studies of sarcomeric genes in an in vivo...Full Text Available
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease in humans and is characterized by progressive cyst formation, renal enlargement, and abnormal tubular development....Full Text Available
Skeletal formation is an essential and intricately regulated part of vertebrate development. Humans and mice deficient in Growth and Differentiation Factor 6 (Gdf6) have numerous...Full Text Available
Zebrafish transgenesis is a powerful and increasingly common strategy to assay vertebrate transcriptional regulatory control. Several challenges remain, however, to the broader application of...Full Text Available
BackgroundGATA-2 is a transcription factor required for hematopoietic stem cell survival as well as for neuronal development in vertebrates. It has been shown that specific expression...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe genomic organisation of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) varies greatly between different vertebrates. In mammals, the classical MHC consists of a large number...Full Text Available
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a mitogen that is critically involved in vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and hematopoiesis. However, what and how transcription factors participate in the regulation of vegf gene expression are not fully understood. Here we report the cloning and sequencing of the zebrafish vegf promoter which revealed that the promoter contains a number of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-activated Smad binding elements (SBE), implicating Smad1 and Smad5 in the regulation of BMP-induced expression of vegf. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays of adding recombinant Smad proteins to the SBE-containing DNA oligonucleotides that represent portions of zebrafish vegf promoter resulted in mobility shift of the oligonucleotides. These changes demonstrate potential interactions between Smad1/5 and the vegf promoter. Reporter activity assays using the wild-type or SBE-deleted vegf promoters to drive the luciferase reporter ...
Okayama and Berg (1) have recently described a technique for the high efficiency cloning of full-length dscDNAs. We have constructed eukaryotic expression vectors compatible both with this technique...Full Text Available
Human BTEB cDNA clones have been isolated, sequenced, and the corresponding gene has been assigned to human chromosome 9, region q13, by fluorescent in situ hybridization and DNA blot analysis using DNAs from hybrid cell clones containing a single human chromosome. The cDNA clone encodes a polypeptide of 244 amino acids whose sequence shows a high sequence similarity with the rat BTEB (98% amino acid identity).
We have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones encoding the human U1-70K snRNP protein, and have mapped this locus (U1AP1) to human chromosome 19. The gene produces two size classes of RNA, a major 1.7-kb...Full Text Available
We have isolated a human thrombomodulin cDNA, and a human genomic clone containing the putative promoter domain, as well as the translated and untranslated regions of the endothelial cell receptor....Full Text Available
Action potentials from the brain control the activity of spinal neural networks to produce, by as yet unknown mechanisms, a variety of motor behaviors. Particularly lacking are details on how identified descending neurons integrate diverse sensory inputs to generate specific locomotor patterns. We have examined the operations of the principal neurons in an intriguing midbrain nucleus, the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (nMLF), in the larval zebrafish. The nMLF is the most rostral grouping of neurons that projects from the brain well into the spinal cord of teleost fishes, yet there is little direct physiological data available regarding its function. We report here that a distinct set of large, individually-identifiable neurons in nMLF (the MeL and MeM neurons) are activated...
Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is the developmental restructuring of somatic cells towards the embryogenic pathway and forms the basis of cellular totipotency in angiosperms. With the availability of full-length...Full Text Available
To delineate the mechanisms of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) pathogenesis, four full-length BLV clones, 1, 8, 9, and 13, derived from the transformed cell line FLK-BLV and a clone construct, pBLV913,...Full Text Available
AIM: To identify a method for efficient large-scale purification of functional hepatitis B virus polymerase (HBV-Pol) without addition of cellular factors.METHODS: Full-length HBV-Pol (843 amino...Full Text Available
Experimental investigation of heat transfer and friction factor characteristics of circular tube fitted with full-length helical screw element of different twist ratio, and helical screw inserts with spacer length 100, 200, 300 and 400mm have been studied with uniform heat flux under laminar flow condition. The experimental data obtained are verified with those obtained from plain tube published data. The effect of spacer length on heat transfer augmentation and friction factor, and the effect of twist ratio on heat transfer augmentation and friction factor have been presented separately. The decrease in Nusselt number for the helical twist with spacer length is within 10% for each subsequent 100mm increase in spacer length. The decrease in friction factor is nearly two times lower than the fulllength helical twist at low Reynolds number, and four times lower than the fulllength ...
Biliary obstructions are rarely caused by a foreign body and have received sparse attention. We present an unusual case with pruritis and abdominal pain caused by impacted fulllength surgical gauze...Full Text Available
BackgroundInformation on more than 35 000 full-length Oryza sativa cDNAs, together with associated microarray gene expression data collected under various treatment...Full Text Available
The full-length gene encoding the histone deacetylase (HDAC)-like amidohydrolase (HDAH) from Bordetella or Alcaligenes (Bordetella/Alcaligenes) strain...Full Text Available
We cloned and characterized horse preproendothelin-2 (PPET-2) cDNA from intestinal tissue. The cDNA encoded 178 amino acids of the PPET-2 polypeptide, in which a 21-amino-acid mature endothelin-2 peptide and a 16-amino acid endothelin-2-like peptide were found. For the open reading frame the correspondence of horse PPET-2 cDNA with those of the ferret, human, dog, mouse and rat was 85.1%, 84.9%, 82.1%, 77.8% and 77.2%, respectively. Analysis of the organ distribution of PPET-2 mRNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that the kidney, stomach and small intestine are major sites of expression of the PPET-2 gene. Surprisingly, the mRNA is not detected in the large intestine, where high expression is demonstrated in the mouse and rat. This difference may result from the underlying functional differences of the large intestine between a herbivore (horse) and an omnivore (mouse and rat). PMID:15838341
We recently identified a cDNA encoding a putative isovaleryl-coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase in Arabidopsis (AtIVD). In animals, this homotetrameric enzyme is located in mitochondria and catalyzes the...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe study of bacterial species interactions in a mixed-species community can be facilitated by transcriptome analysis of one species in the community using cDNA microarray...Full Text Available
Nuclear hormone receptors comprise a characteristic family of transcription factors found in vertebrates, insects and nematodes. Here we show by cDNA and gene cloning that a Cnidarian, Tripedalia...Full Text Available
Reverse genetics technology so far established for measles virus (MeV) is based on the Edmonston strain, which was isolated several decades ago, has been passaged in nonlymphoid cell lines, and is no...Full Text Available
The relative sensitivities of different protocols for detecting cytomegalovirus nucleic acid sequences in histological specimens, using a biotinylated cDNA probe, were assessed. Several commonly used...Full Text Available
A pore-forming peptide is implicated in the potent cytolytic activity of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica. Using NH2-terminal sequence information of this peptide, the corresponding cDNA was isolated....Full Text Available
Two overlapping cDNA clones encoding human DNA topoisomerase II were identified by two independent methods. In one, a human cDNA library in phage {lambda} was screened by hybridization with a mixed oligonucleotide probe encoding a stretch of seven amino acids found in yeast and Drosophila DNA topoisomerase II; in the other, a different human cDNA library in a {lambda}gt11 expression vector was screened for the expression of antigenic determinants that are recognized by rabbit antibodies specific to human DNA topoisomerase II. The entire coding sequences of the human DNA topoisomerase II gene were determined from these and several additional clones, identified through the use of the cloned human TOP2 gene sequences as probes. Hybridization between the cloned sequences and mRNA and genomic DNA indicates that the human enzyme is encoded by a single-copy gene. The location of the gene was mapped to chromosome 17q21-22 by in ...
The cDNA encoding the B chain of the plant toxin ricin has been cloned and expressed in monkey kidney COS-M6 cells. The recombinant B chain was detected by labeling the transfected cells with [35S]methionine...Full Text Available
An /alpha//sub 2/-adrenergic receptor subtype has been cloned from a human kidney cDNA library using the gene for the human platelet /alpha//sub 2/-adrenergic receptor as a probe. The deduced amino acid sequence resembles the human platelet /alpha//sub 2/-adrenergic receptor and is consistent with the structure of other members of he family of guanine nucleotide-binding protein-coupled receptors. The cDNA was expressed in a mammalian cell line (COS-7), and the /alpha//sub 2/-adrenergic ligand (/sup 3/H)rauwolscine was bound. Competition curve analysis with a variety of adrenergic ligands suggests that this cDNA clone represents the /alpha//sub 2/B-adrenergic receptor. The gene for this receptor is on human chromosome 4, whereas the gene for the human platelet /alpha//sub 2/-adrenergic receptor (/alpha//sub 2/A) lies on chromosome 10. This ability to express the receptor in mammalian cells, free of other adrenergic receptor ...
Gene expression from bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones has been demonstrated to facilitate physiologically relevant levels compared to viral and nonviral cDNA vectors. BACs are large enough...Full Text Available
The complete RNA genome of the avian nephritis virus (ANV) associated with acute nephritis in chickens has been molecularly cloned and sequenced. Excluding the poly(A) tail, the genome comprises 6,927...Full Text Available
A cDNA library was constructed using RNA isolated from the livers of chickens which had been treated with zinc. This library was screened with a RNA probe complementary to mouse metallothionein-I (MT), and eight chicken MT cDNA clones were obtained. All of the cDNA clones contained nucleotide sequences homologous to regions of the longest (375 bp) cDNA clone. The latter contained an open reading frame of 189 bp, and the deduced amino acid sequence indicates a protein of 63 amino acids of which 20 are cysteine residues. Amino acid composition and partial amino acid sequence analyses of purified chicken MT protein agreed with the amino acid composition and sequence deduced from the cloned cDNA. Amino acid sequence comparison establish that chicken MT shares extensive homology with mammalian MTs. Southern blot analysis of chicken DNA indicates that the chicken MT gene is not a part of ...
Men who have sex with men (MSM) have become one of the populations with severely HIV prevalence in China. However, very few genetic studies have been done on HIV-1 spreading in this population. In this study, the genetic characterization of HIV-1 strains prevalent in the MSM in Shijiazhuang, China, was analyzed basing on the HIV-1 full-length gag, pol, and partial env gene. 21 drug-naive HIV-1 sero-positive patients were enrolled into the study. Fulllength gag, pol, partial env genes and some near fulllength genomes were amplified with nest RT-PCR followed by sequencing. Multiple subtypes, including CRF01_AE (52.9%), subtype B (35.3%) and CRF07_BC (11.8%), were found in the population. Phylogenetic analysis showed close relationship between our strains with those from Beijing MSM but not...
The Drosophila melanogaster tissue-specific transcription factor NTF-1 was originally identified in vitro as a protein that could bind to and activate transcription from the Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc) gene. A structure-function analysis of NTF-1 led to the identification of a discrete amino-terminal activation domain. Here, we report that an NTF-1 mutant lacking the activation domain acts as a trans-dominant inhibitor of NTF-1 activation in tissue culture cells by forming inactive heterodimers with the full-length protein. Ectopically expressing this dominant-negative protein or the full-length protein in developing Drosophila embryos leads to dire developmental consequences. Overexpressing the trans-dominant NTF-1 leads to lethality, while overexpressing full-length NTF-1 results in both lethality and morphogenetic defects. Our results suggest that both the activity and the regulation of NTF-1 are critical for viability and ...
Fish retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) can survive and regrow their axons after optic nerve injury. Injured RGCs express anti-apoptotic proteins, such as Bcl-2, after nerve injury; however, upstream effectors of this anti-apoptotic protein are not yet fully understood. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play a crucial role in cell survival against various stress conditions. In this study, we focused on HSP70 expression in the zebrafish retina after optic nerve injury. HSP70 mRNA and protein levels increased rapidly 2.3-fold in RGCs by 1-6 h after injury and returned to control levels by 1-3 days. HSP70 transcription is regulated by heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). HSF1 mRNA and phosphorylated-HSF1 protein rapidly increased by 2.2-fold in RGCs 0.5-6 h after injury. Intraocular injection of HSP inhibitor I s...
A {lambda}gt11 cDNA library was constructed from poly(U)-Spharose-selected Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite RNA in order to clone and identify surface antigens. The library was screened with rabbit polyclonal anti-E. histolytica serum. A 700-base-pair cDNA insert was isolated and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA revealed a cysteine-rich protein. DNA hybridizations showed that the gene was specific to E. histolytica since the cDNA probe reacted with DNA from four axenic strains of E. histolytica but did not react with DNA from Entamoeba invadens, Acanthamoeba castellanii, or Trichomonas vaginalis. The insert was subcloned into the expression vector pGEX-1 and the protein was expressed as a fusion with the C terminus of glutathione S-transferase. Purified fusion protein was used to generate 22 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and a mouse polyclonal antiserum ...
A #lambda#gt11 cDNA library was constructed from poly(U)-Spharose-selected Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite RNA in order to clone and identify surface antigens. The library was screened with rabbit polyclonal anti-E. histolytica serum. A 700-base-pair cDNA insert was isolated and the nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA revealed a cysteine-rich protein. DNA hybridizations showed that the gene was specific to E. histolytica since the cDNA probe reacted with DNA from four axenic strains of E. histolytica but did not react with DNA from Entamoeba invadens, Acanthamoeba castellanii, or Trichomonas vaginalis. The insert was subcloned into the expression vector pGEX-1 and the protein was expressed as a fusion with the C terminus of glutathione S-transferase. Purified fusion protein was used to generate 22 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and a mouse polyclonal antiserum ...
Screening of a human placenta lambdagt11 library has led to the isolation of the cDNA for the human ..beta../sub 1/-adrenergic receptor (..beta../sub 1/AR). Used as the probe was the human genomic clone termed G-21. This clone, which contains an intronless gene for a putative receptor, was previously isolated by virtue of its cross hybridization with the human ..beta../sub 2/-adrenergic receptor (..beta../sub 2/AR). The 2.4-kilobase cDNA for the human ..beta../sub 1/AR encodes a protein of 477 amino acid residues that is 69% homologous with the avian ..beta..AR but only 54% homologous with the human ..beta../sub 2/AR. This suggests that the avian gene encoding ..beta..AR and the human gene encoding ..beta../sub 1/AR evolved from a common ancestral gene. RNA blot analysis indicates a message of 2.5 kilobases in rat tissues, with a pattern of tissue distribution consistent with ..beta../sub 1/AR binding. This pattern is quite distinct from the ...
Radixin is a cytoskeletal protein that may be important in linking actin to the plasma membrane. Recent cloning of the murine and porcine radixin cDNAs revealed a protein highly homologous to ezrin and moesin. The authors have cloned and sequenced the human radixin cDNA and found the predicted amino acid sequence for the human protein to be nearly identical to those predicted for radixin in the two other species. By Southern analyses of Chinese hamster x human somatic cell hybrid DNA and of PCR products derived from hybrids, the coding gene (RDX) was mapped to 11q. Fluorescence chromosomal in situ hybridization with a cDNA plasmid further localized this gene to band 11q23. However, PCR amplification with [open quotes]radixin-specific[close quotes] primers on the hybrid DNA panel yielded an additional, very similar DNA sequence that was further characterized by direct sequencing of PCR products. This sequence represents a truncated version and ...
A full-length complementary DNA clone encoding tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC; EC 4.1.1.28) from Catharanthus roseus (De Luca V, Marineau C, Brisson N [1989] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 86:...Full Text Available
Mutations in full-length HBV isolates obtained from a chronic HBV-infected patient were evaluated at three time points: 1 day, 6 months, and 31 months. While 5 nucleotides variation, and an 18 bp...Full Text Available
The endogenous reverse transcriptase reaction of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) has been studied, and conditions allowing synthesis of full-length minus-strand DNA have been determined. In contrast...Full Text Available
The Lesch-Nyhan (LN) syndrome is a severe X chromosome-linked disease that results from a deficiency of the purine salvage enzyme hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). The mutations leading to the disease are heterogeneous and frequently arise as de novo events. The authors have identified nucleotide alterations in 15 independently arising HPRT-deficiency cases by direct DNA sequencing of in vitro amplified HPRT cDNA. They also demonstrate that the direct DNA sequence analysis can be automated, further simplifying the detection of new mutations at this locus. The mutations include DNA base substitutions, small DNA deletions, a single DNA base insertion, and errors in RNA splicing. The application of these procedures allows DNA diagnosis and carrier identification by the direct detection of the mutant alleles within individual families affected by LN.
A clone encoding a human D{sub 2} dopamine receptor was isolated from a pituitary cDNA library and sequenced. The deduced protein sequence is 96% identical with that of the cloned rat receptor with one major difference: the human receptor contains an additional 29 amino acids in its putative third cytoplasmic loop. Southern blotting demonstrated the presence of only one human D{sub 2} receptor gene. Two overlapping phage containing the gene were isolated and characterized. DNA sequence analysis of these clones showed that the coding sequence is interrupted by six introns and that the additional amino acids present in the human pituitary receptor are encoded by a single exon of 87 base pairs. The involvement of this sequence in alternative splicing and its biological significance are discussed.
Basement membranes contain several proteoglycans, and those bearing heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans such as perlecan and agrin usually predominate. Most mammalian basement membranes also contain...Full Text Available
Purpose : To detect differentially expressed genes in the patients with uterine cervical cancer during the radiation therapy. Materials and Methods : In patients with biopsy proven uterine cervical cancer, we took a tumor tissue just before radiation therapy and at 40 minutes after external irradiation of 1.8 Gy. Total RNAs isolated from non-irradiated and irradiated tumor tissue samples were analyzed using the differential-display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). Complementary DNA (cDNA) fragments corresponding to differentially expressed messenger RNAs(mRNAs) were eluted, and cloned. The differential expression of the corresponding mRNAs was confirmed by reverse northern blot. Differentially expressed cDNA bands were sequenced. Nucleotide sequence data were analyzed in the Gene Bank and EMBL databases via the BLAST network server to identify homologies to known genes or cDNA fragments. ...
(E)-α-Bisabolene synthase is one of two wound-inducible sesquiterpene synthases of grand fir (Abies grandis), and the olefin product of this cyclization reaction...Full Text Available
A cDNA library was constructed from HL60 human promyelocyte poly(A)+ RNA harvested 3 h after induction of macrophage differentiation with 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate in the presence of cycloheximide....Full Text Available
This report describes our initial attempts at the molecular characterization of a maize controlling element. We have prepared a cDNA probe and used it to detect changes at a locus where Ds elements are found. Evidence of their presence are indicated by changes in the restriction patterns, but there is as yet no information on the physical nature of the controlling elements nor on the kinds of rearrangements they cause.
Defects in mismatch repair genes cause the genetic instability characteristic of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer and a subset of sporadic colon tumors. The newest member of the mismatch repair gene family, GTBP, has recently been identified as a partial cDNA. Here, we describe the isolation of its 5{prime} terminus, allowing definition of the entire coding region. Several polymorphisms within the 5{prime} end were identified and are presented. 13 refs., 1 fig.
Several cDNA clones encoding Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR, l-proline:NAD[P]+ 5-oxidoreductase, EC 1.5.1.2), which catalyzes the terminal step in...Full Text Available
AtCBR, a cDNA encoding NADH-cytochrome (Cyt) b5 reductase, and AtB5-A and AtB5-B, two cDNAs encoding Cyt b5, were isolated from Arabidopsis....Full Text Available
Currently, over 30,000 mapped STSs and 27,000 mapped Unigenes (non-redundant, unigene sets of cDNA representing EST clusters) are available for human alone. A total of 44,000 Unigene cDNA clones have been supplied by Research Genetics. Unigenes, or cDNAs are excellent resource for map building for two reasons. Firstly, they exist in two alternative forms -- as both sequence information for PCR primer pairs, and cDNA clones -- thus making library screening by colony hybridization as well as pooled library PCR possible. The authors have developed an efficient and robust procedure to screen genomic libraries with large number of DNA probes. Secondly, the linkage and order of expressed sequences, or genes are highly conserved among human, mouse and other mammalian species. Therefore, mapping with cDNA markers rather than random anonymous STSs will greatly facilitate comparative, evolutionary studies as well ...
Evolutionary conservation of DNA sequences provides a tool for the identification of functional elements in genomes. We have created a database of evolutionary conserved regions (ECRs) in vertebrate genomes entitled ECRbase that is constructed from a collection of pairwise vertebrate genome alignments produced by the ECR Browser database. ECRbase features a database of syntenic blocks that recapitulate the evolution of rearrangements in vertebrates and a collection of promoters in all vertebrate genomes presented in the database. The database also contains a collection of annotated transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in all ECRs and promoter elements. ECRbase currently includes human, rhesus macaque, dog, opossum, rat, mouse, chicken, frog, zebrafish, and two pufferfish genomes. It is freely accessible at http://ECRbase.dcode.org.
At tandem cold rolling mills in Kawasaki Steel, by means of applying newly developed strip longitudinal (rolling) and transverse gauge control systems, high accuracy of thickness of within {+-}0.5 % has been achieved over the fulllength and full width of cold rolled strip, as gauge accuracy in a coil in longitudinal and transverse directions has become an extremely important quality control item in the manufacturing of cold rolled sheets due to the stricter quality requirements of customers, in recent years. The longitudinal gauge accuracy has been improved by the development of a high-response drive system for a mill mair motor, an all-stands gauge control system and a dynamic set-up control system. The transverse gauge accuracy has been improved by applying a one-side tapered work roll shifting method and the development of an edge drop control system in terms of the optimum use of an edge drop sensor. (author)
Abstract TLR9 recognizes unmethylated CpG-containing DNA commonly found in bacteria. Synthetic oligonucleotides containing CpG-motifs (CpG ODNs) recapitulate the activation of TLR9 by microbial DNA, whereas inversion of the CG dinucleotide within the CpG motif to GC (GpC ODNs) renders such ODNs inactive. This difference cannot be attributed to binding of ODNs to the full-length TLR9 ectodomain, as both CpG and GpC ODNs bind comparably. Activation of murine TLR9 requires cleavage into an active C-terminal fragment, which binds CpG robustly. We therefore compared the ability of CpG and GpC ODNs to bind to full-length and C-terminal TLR9, and their impact on the cleavage of TLR9. We found that CpG binds better to C-terminal TLR9 when compared with GpC, despite comparably low binding of both O...
Synaptobrevin is a synaptic vesicle protein that has an essential role in exocytosis and forms the SNARE complex with syntaxin and SNAP-25. We have analyzed the structure of isolated synaptobrevin and its binary interaction with syntaxin using NMR spectroscopy. Our results demonstrate that isolated synaptobrevin is largely unfolded in solution. The entire SNARE motif of synaptobrevin is capable of interacting with the isolated C-terminal SNARE motif of syntaxin but only a few residues bind to the full-length cytoplasmic region of syntaxin. This result suggests an interaction between the N- and C-terminal regions of syntaxin that competes with core complex assembly.
Effects of the rapid early-in-life expansion of metal fuel were measured in an irradiation experiment in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). This important performance/design information was obtainable through the unique combination of a dimensionally stable FFTF oxide core and the calibrated proximity instrumentation associated with the test. These results delineate the time dependence of metal-fuel swelling and provide quantitative estimates of the magnitude of axial fuel swelling in full-length metal-fuel assemblies. Final posttest examination results will define actual fuel column growth levels.
Cadmium is a non-essential heavy metal found abundantly in the environment. Children of women exposed to cadmium during pregnancy display lower motor and perceptual abilities. High cadmium body burden in children is also related to impaired intelligence and lowered school achievement. However, little is known about the molecular and cellular basis of developmental neurotoxicity in the sensitive early life stages of animals. In this study, we explore neurological deficits caused by cadmium during early embryonic stages in zebrafish by examining regionalization of the neural tube, pattern formation and cell fate determination, commitment of proneural genes and induction of neurogenesis. We show that cadmium-treated embryos developed a smaller head with unclear boundaries between the brain subdivisions, particularly in the mid-hindbrain region. Embryos display normal anterior to posterior regionalization; however, the commitment of neural progenitor cells was affected ...
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 (PGC-1), a cold-inducible coactivator of nuclear receptors, stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration in muscle cells. In the present study, we first cloned a rat PGC-1 gene from a brown adipose tissue cDNA library which encodes a predicted 796-amino-acid protein and exhibits respectively 98% and 95% identity with the mouse and human homologues. Next, we examined the effect of swimming exercise training on the level of expression of the PGC-1 gene in rat epitrochlearis (Epi) muscle. PGC-1 mRNA level in Epi muscle in rats that swam 2 h a day for 3 and 7 days increased dramatically by 154% and 163%, respectively, compared to the non-exercised control group. PGC-1 mRNA up-regulation was not observed in an immersion group treated at 35 degrees C during the training program but without swimming exercise. These results demonstrate that expression of the PGC-1 gene in Epi muscle is induced not only ...
We aim to isolate cDNAs mapping to human chromosome 16 and localise such cDNAs on the high resolution physical map. In collaboration with LANL, PCR primers will be synthesised from cDNA sequences mapped to chromosome 16 and used as ESTs in the generation of mega-YAC contigs for this chromosome. Probing of high density cosmid grids will enable integration of the ESTs into cosmid contigs and location of the cosmid contigs on the YAC contig. A hn-cDNA library has been constructed from the hybrid CY18 which contains chromosome 16 as the only human chromosome. A modified screening protocol has been successfully developed and 15 hn-cDNA clones have been sequenced and localised on the hybrid map. Sequence analysis of four of these revealed that they were known cDNAs, which are now mapped to chromosome 16. Development of techniques to allow the isolation of longer cDNAs from the identified exons is in progress. This will depend on PCR amplification of cDNAs from a total ...
Abstract Plant annexins represent a multigene family involved in cellular elongation and development. A cDNA encoding a novel annexin was isolated from a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fiber cDNA library and designated-GhAnx1. This gene encodes a 316 amino acid protein with a theoretical molecular mass of 36.06 kDa and a theoretical pI of 6.19. At the amino acid level, it shares high sequence similarity and has evolutionary relationships with annexins from higher plants. The purified recombinant protein expressed in-Escherichia coli-was used to investigate its physicochemical properties. Circular dichroism spectrum analyses showed a positive peak rising to the maximum at 196 nm and a broad negative band rounding 215 nm, suggesting that the GhAnx1 protein was prominently -helical. The fluoresc...
The PMS2 gene encodes a protein that is involved in DNA mismatch repair and is mutated in a subset of patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC). The previously published PMS2 cDNA sequence lack an upstream in-frame stop codon preceding the presumptive initiating methionine. To evaluate the 5` terminus of the PMS2 coding region further, we isolated additional cDNA clones, RT-PCR products, and the corresponding 5` genomic segment of the PMS2 locus. The PMS2 gene transcripts were found to have heterogeneous but colinear 5` termini, one of which contained an in-frame termination codon preceding the initiating methionine. In addition, a novel gene encoding a 34.5-kDa polypeptide was found to initiate transcriptionally within PMS2 from the opposite strand. 23 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.
A rat thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone, TSH) receptor cDNA was isolated that encoded a protein of 764 amino acids, M_r 86,528. Transfection of the cDNA caused COS-7 cells to develop a TSH-sensitive adenylate cyclase response and the ability to bind "1"2"5I-labeled TSH; both activities were similar to those of rat FRTL-5 thyroid cells and not duplicated by lutropin. The gene represented by the cDNA was assigned to mouse chromosome 12 and human chromosome 14. Northern analyses identified two species of mRNA, 5.6 and 3.3 kilobases, in FRTL-5 thyroid cells; the transcripts appeared to differ only in the extent of their 3' noncoding sequences. There were minimal amounts of the two mRNAs in rat ovary, and neither was detected in RNA preparations from rat testis, liver, lung, brain, spleen, and FRT thyroid cells, which do not have a functional TSH receptor. TSH decreased both mRNA species 3- to 4-fold within 8 hr in FRTL-5 ...
Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are caused by defects of dystrophin, which forms a part of the membrane cytoskeleton of specialized cells such as muscle. It has been previously shown that the dystrophin-associated protein A1 (59-kDa DAP) is actually a heterogeneous group of phosphorylated proteins consisting of an acidic ({alpha}-A1) and a distinct basic ({beta}-A1) component. Partial peptide sequence of the A1 complex purified from rabbit muscle permitted the design of oligonucleotide probes that were used to isolate a cDNA for one human isoform of A1. This cDNA encodes a basic A1 isoform that is distinct from the recently described syntrophins in Torpedo and mouse and is expressed in many tissues with at least five distinct mRNA species of 5.9, 4.8, 4.3, 3.1, and 1.5 kb. A comparison of the human cDNA sequence with the GenBank expressed sequence tag (EST) data base has identified a relative from human skeletal ...
The Drosophila sequence-specific DNA binding protein, Adf-1, is capable of activating transcription of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene, Adh, and is implicated in the transcriptional control of other developmentally regulated genes. We have cloned the cDNA encoding Adf-1 by generating specific DNA probes deduced from partial amino acid sequence of the protein. Several cDNA clones encoding an extended open reading frame were isolated from a phage lambda library. The complete amino acid sequence of Adf-1 deduced from the longest cDNA reveals structural similarities to the putative helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif of Myb and Myb-related proteins. DNA sequence analysis of genomic clones and Northern blot analysis of mRNA suggest that Adf-1 is a single-copy gene encoding a 1.9-kb transcript. Purified recombinant Adf-1 expressed in Escherichia coli binds specifically to Adf-1 recognition sites and activates transcription of a ...
The performance of steam generator tubes in water-cooled nuclear power reactors has been reviewed for 1979. Tube failures occurred at 38 of the 93 reactors surveyed. Causes of these failures and procedures designed to deal with them are described. The defect rate was twice that in 1978 but still lower than the two previous years. Methods being employed to detect defects include increasing use of multifrequency eddy-current testing and a trend to full-length inspection of all tubes. To reduce the incidence of tube failures by corrosion, plant operators are turning to full-flow condensate demineralization and more leak-resistant condenser tubes. (author).
A concentric reducer tube, which was a part of the top exit roughing hydraulic descaler in a hot strip mill failed prematurely under working pressure. A detailed metallurgical investigation comprising physical examination, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis was carried out to find out the genesis of the failure. Physical examination revealed cracks located symmetrically around the circumference of the tube that ran along its fulllength, up to the weld beads at both ends. Optical microscopy of etched samples revealed a banded ferrite-pearlite structure and the existence of forging folds near the change-in-section(160? fillets). Cracks were found to initiate from these forging folds. No structural abnormalities were found in the weld beads and...
Keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 2c share identical amino acid sequences, except for a 46-amino acid domain in the extracellular region. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific to KGFR have not been reported nor are commercially available. In this study, we generated murine MAbs specific to KGFR in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice using a modified Repeated Immunizations at Multiple Sites (RIMMS) technology. Stable cell lines expressing the full-length human KGFR or FGFR2c were produced to facilitate the identification of KGFR-specific MAbs. Following the initial screening of hybridoma clones with a fluorescence-based, confocal cell detection method and ELISA, KGFR-specific MAbs were selected and confirmed by flow cytometry and Western blot ...
The heat transfer a characteristics and friction factor in the horizontal double pipes of flat tubes with fulllength helical screw element of different twist ratio and helical screw inserts with different spacer length are investigated. Cold and hot water are used as working fluid in tube side and shell side respectively. The experiments covered a range of Reynolds numbers 5.7x102Re1.31x103. The effect of spacer length on the heat transfer augmentation and friction factor and the effect of twist ratio on heat transfer augmentation and friction factor have been presented separately. The study shows that, the Nusslet number (Nu) and friction factor (f) decrease with the increase of S or Y for flat tube. The comparison between the data of present plain circular with that of previous plain ci...
56 patients with the clinical diagnosis of sprained ankles were investigated. Evaluation of the anterior (AFTL) and posterior fibulotalar ligament (PFTL) was performed with the foot in dorsiflexion (20 ) and of the fibulo calcanear ligament (FCL) in plantarflexion (45 ). Axial T{sub 1}w-SE and T{sub 2}w-TSE images were obtained. Full-length visualisation of ligmaments in one slice and the extent of injury were evaluated. 12 ankle injuries were confirmed by operation. With MRI full-length visualisation of lateral ankle ligaments was possible in 86%. A partial/complete rupture of the AFTL was noticed in 33/64% and of the FCI in 29/39%, and of the PFTL in 27/5%. Sensitivity/specificity of MRI when compared to surgery was 100/100% for injuries of the AFTL, 64/100% for the FCL, and 33/78% for the PFTL. (orig./MG) [Deutsch] 56 Patienten wurden mit der klinischen Diagnose einer frischen Supinationsverletzung des oberen Sprunggelenkes untersucht. Das ...
The T cell receptor is a fundamental mediator of the adaptive immune responses, since TR ab on T cells recognize foreign structures (peptides derived from processed antigens) bound to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on APC cells. In the present study, we report the cloning of six TRB chains cDNA sequences from gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata), a fish of high economical impact in South Mediterranean aquaculture. The V-BETA domains have the canonical features of known teleost and mammalian TR V-BETA domains and have been divided in four different subgroups. A multiple alignment of the six sea bream TRB chains with other known TRB sequences was assembled and showed the conservation of the four cysteine residues involved in disulphide bonds and of some amino acids with an importan...
The thymus is a key organ of the immune system in most vertebrates and, for this reason, it has been used in this paper for the generation of a normalized cDNA library from sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), one of the most extensively cultured species in South Mediterranean aquaculture. A total of 1632 ESTs from this library were initially analysed for sequence quality and vector sequences and, after this control, 1264 (77% of total clones sequenced) high-quality ESTs were further processed. The total collection of D. labrax thymus ESTs has been deposited in the EBI-GenBank-DBJ database (GenBank accession numbers from FN565576 to FN566839). The functional classification of ESTs was performed by Gene Ontology and KEGG annotation and, successively, the sequences were analysed using the Immuno...
The efficiency of dendrosome (a gene porter) was assessed in transferring recombinant human rotavirus VP2 cDNA into A549, a human lung cell line. After gene transferring, transmission electron microscopy showed core-like particles (CLPs) formation in the transfected cells both with dendrosome and lipofectamine porters. In addition, western blotting analysis showed that the expression of VP2 gene was almost equal in the dendrosome and lipofectamine-transfected cells. Also, the cytotoxicity studies revealed that dendrosome had a lower cytotoxicity than lipofectamine. Therefore, our study may introduce dendrosome as a possible carrier for gene transferring into the human lung cell line, especially, for intranasally administration of DNA vaccines.
There is a need for earlier and more accurate cancer diagnostics as well as new targets for cancer immunotherapy. To this end, it is important to identify sets of tumour antigens specific for different cancer forms. Several methods that identify potential tumour antigens in an arrayed and high-throughput format have been developed during the last years of SEREX (serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning) related research. Such techniques may hold the potential to describe the complete immunogenic part of the cancer proteome, also called the cancer immunoproteome.We have developed a powerful platform for automated serological high-throughput filter screening of tumour cDNA libraries. The screening format of this method is 18,000 single cDNAs clones, which is s...
The ultimate goal of this research is to generate and apply novel technologies to speed completion and integration of the human genome map and sequence with biomedical problems. To do this, techniques were developed and genome-wide resources generated. This includes a genome-wide Mapped and Integrated BAC/PAC Resource that has been used for gene finding, map completion and anchoring, breakpoint definition and sequencing. In the last period of the grant, the Human Mapped BAC/PAC Resource was also applied to determine regions of human variation and to develop a novel paradigm of primate evolution through to humans. Further, in order to more rapidly evaluate animal models of human disease, a BAC Map of the mouse was generated in collaboration with the MTI Genome Center, Dr. Bruce Birren.
Genetic mapping is approached using the techniques of high resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This technology and the results of its application are designed to rapidly generate whole genome as tool box of expressed sequence to speed the identification of human disease genes. The results of this study are intended to dovetail with and to link the results of existing technologies for creating backbone YAC and genetic maps. In the first eight months, this approach generated 60--80% of the expressed sequence map, the remainder expected to be derived through more long-term, labor-intensive, regional chromosomal gene searches or sequencing. The laboratory has made significant progress in the set-up phase, in mapping fetal and adult brain and other cDNAs, in testing a model system for directly linking genetic and physical maps using FISH with small fragments, in setting up a database, and in establishing the validity and throughput of the system.
To more accurately measure fluorescent signals from microarrays, we calibrated our acquisition and analysis systems by using groundtruth samples comprised of known quantities of red and green gene-specific DNA probes hybridized to cDNA targets. We imaged the slides with a full-field, white light CCD imager and analyzed them with our custom analysis software. Here we compare, for multiple genes, results obtained with and without preprocessing (alignment, color crosstalk compensation, dark field subtraction, and integration time). We also evaluate the accuracy of various image processing and analysis techniques (background subtraction, segmentation, quantitation and normalization). This methodology calibrates and validates our system for accurate quantitative measurement of microarrays. Specifically, we show that preprocessing the images produces results significantly closer to the known ground-truth for these samples.
Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage protei...
ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are small guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that enhance the enzymatic activities of cholera toxin. Two ARF cDNAs, ARF1 and ARF3, were cloned from a human cerebellum library. Based on deduced amino acid sequences and patterns of hybridization of cDNA and oligonucleotide probes with mammalian brain poly(A)"+ RNA, human ARF1 is the homologue of bovine ARF1. Human ARF3, which differs from bovine ARF1 and bovine ARF2, appears to represent a newly identified third type of ARF. Hybridization patterns of human ARF cDNA and clone-specific oligonucleotides with poly(A)"+ RNA are consistent with the presence of at least two, and perhaps four, separate ARF messages in human brain. In vitro translation of ARF1, ARF2, and ARF3 produced proteins that behaved, by SDS/PAGE, similar to a purified soluble brain ARF. Deduced amino acid sequences of human ARF1 and ARF3 contain regions, similar to those in other G proteins, that ...
A cytochrome P450 that hydroxylates lauric acid at the 12 position (P450LA omega) was isolated from liver microsomes of clofibrate treated rats. P450LA omega was immunologically distinct from P450s a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,j,PB1, and PCN1. Polyclonal antibody against P450LA omega was utilized to screen a gt11 cDNA library. A clone (pP450LA omega), was isolated and its sequence determined. The P450LA omega mRNA is a minimum 2387 nts in length and codes for a P450 of Mr.58,222 daltons. This protein shares less than 35% amino acid similarity with P450s b,c,d,e,f,PB1, and PCN1; however, it does contain a hydrophobic amino terminal peptide and a conserved sequence surrounding the Cys residue at position 456, which is similar to other microsomal P450s. P450LA omega is present at high levels in untreated rat kidney and is induced by clofibrate in both kidney and liver. This induction is the result of an accumulation of mRNA through a rapid transcriptional activation of the P450LA ...
Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage proteins and amino acid composition. The antisense line had a lower C-hordein level and down-regulated transcript encoding C-hordein. The production of the S-rich B/gamma- and ...
Antisense- or RNAi-mediated suppression of the biosynthesis of nutritionally inferior storage proteins is a promising strategy for improving the amino acid profile of seeds. However, the potential pleiotropic effects of this on interconnected pathways and the agronomic quality traits need to be addressed. In the current study, a transcriptomic analysis of an antisense C-hordein line of barley was performed, using a grain-specific cDNA array. The C-hordein antisense line is characterized by marked changes in storage protein and amino acid profiles, while the seed weight is within the normal range and no external morphological irregularities were observed. The results of the transcriptome analysis showed excellent correlation with data on changes in the relative proportions of storage proteins and amino acid composition. The antisense line had a lower C-hordein level and down-regulated transcript encoding C-hordein. The production of the S-rich B/ - and D-hordeins ...
A series of 22 steady-state, rod bundle, dispersed flow film boiling experiments has been performed in the Thermal-Hydraulic Test Facility (THTF), a pressurized-water loop containing 64 full-length electrically heated rods. Test parameters in the upflow experiments cover a wide range of conditions typical of those which might be encountered during a nuclear reactor loss-of-coolant accident. Local equilibrium fluid conditions were calculated using mass and energy conservation considerations. Experimentally determined heat transfer coefficients were compared to several available film boiling heat transfer correlations: Dougall-Rohsenow, Groeneveld 5.7, Groeneveld-Delorme, Chen, Jones-Zuber, and Yoder-Rohsenow. The Groeneveld 5.7 correlation tended to predict the data better than any other correlation tested. The Dougall-Rohsenow correlation tends to overpredict the data while the Yoder-Rohsenow correlation predicted the data better than the other nonequilibrium ...
A series of 27 reflood experiments has been carried out in a full-length electrically heated rod bundle facility. The primary objective of these tests was to study the effects of a simultaneous upper plenum and downcomer coolant injection and to provide data for the verification of computer codes. The experimental results indicate that an upper plenum injection alone cools the test rods slowly, a simultaneous coolant injection to the downcomer improves cooling significantly, and a downcomer injection alone cools the test rod bundle best if the total value of the coolant flow rate is the same in these three different cases. If the coolant injected to the upper plenum increases the total flow rate, the quench time of the test rods decreases at all elevations. Quenching time and clad temperature histories calculated with the computer codes NORCOOL-I and FLOOD4 are in a reasonable quantitative agreement with experiments in the case of pure downcomer injection. ...
Obtaining precise values of the undulator parameter, K, is critical for producing high-gain FEL radiation. At the LCLS [1], where the FEL wavelength reaches down to 1.5 {angstrom}, the relative precision of K must satisfy ({Delta}K/K){sub rms} {approx}< 0.015% over the fulllength of the undulator. Transverse misalignments, construction errors, radiation damage, and temperature variations all contribute to errors in the mean K values among the undulator segments. It is therefore important to develop some means to measure relative K values, after installation and alignment. We propose a method using the angle-integrated spontaneous radiation spectrum of two nearby undulator segments, and the natural shot-to-shot energy jitter of the electron beam. Simulation of this scheme is presented using both ideal and measured undulator fields. By ''leap-frogging'' to different pairs of segments with extended ...
Steam Generator (SG) tubes in PWR plant are periodically inspected using eddy current testing (ECT) method. In Japan, bobbin coil type dual function probe is used for fulllength inspection, but the detectability for circumferential crack is very poor, and to improve detectability for circumferential crack and supplement regular ECT, various kinds of multi segment eddy current probes and multi transducer ultrasonic testing (UT) method have been developed. ECT probes are constructed of multiple surfaceriding special winding differential type coils and UT probe consists of 16 transducers which are spaced equally around the probe circumference for 360deg wall coverage. Both of those EC and UT probes are designed effective to detect circumferential crack. On the other hand, various kinds of laboratory induced circumferential cracks have been made and destroyed to prove the detectability of these probes. (author).
The testing performed during the last phase of the geothermal direct contact heat exchanger program utilizing the 500 kW pilot plant provided more insight into the capabilities and limits of the direct contact approach and showed that more work needs to be done to understand the inner workings of a large direct contact heat exchanger if they are to be modeled analytically. Testing of the column demonstrated that the performance was excellent and that the sizing criteria is conservative. The system operated smoothly and was readily controlled over a wide range of operating conditions. Performance evaluation showed pinch differentials of 4/sup 0/F or less and better than predicted heat transfer capability. Testing during this final phase was directed towards establishing the limits of the column to transfer heat. The working column height was shortened progressively to approximately 16 feet from a design length of 28 feet. The short column performed as well as a full ...
The characterization data obtained to date are described for Approved Testing Material (ATM)-106 spent fuel from Assembly BT03 of pressurized-water reactor Calvert Cliffs No. 1. This report is one in a series being prepared by the Materials Characterization Center at Pacific Northwest Laboratory on spent fuel ATMs. The ATMs are receiving extensive examinations to provide a source of well- characterized spent fuel for testing in the US Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCWRM) program. ATM-106 consists of 20 full-length irradiated fuel rods with rod-average burnups of about 3700 GJ/kgM (43 MWd/kgM) and expected fission gas release of /approximately/10%. Characterization data include (1) as-fabricated fuel design, irradiation history, and subsequent storage and handling; (2) isotopic gamma scans; (3) fission gas analyses; (4) ceramography of the fuel and metallography of the cladding; (5) calculated nuclide inventories and ...
The characterization data obtained to date are described for Approved Testing Material (ATM)-103, which is spent fuel from Assembly D101 of pressurized-water reactor Calvert Cliffs, No. 1. This report is one in a series being written by the Materials Characterization Center (MCC) at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) on spent fuel ATMs. The ATMs are receiving extensive examinations to provide a source of well-characterized spent fuel for testing in the US nuclear waste repository program. ATM-103 consists of 176 full-length irradiated fuel rods with rod-average burnups of about 2600 GJ/kgM (30 MWd/kgM) and less than 1% fission gas release. Characterization data include 1) as-fabricated fuel design, irradiation history, and subsequent storage and handling; 2) isotopic gamma scans; 3) fission gas analyses; 4) ceramography of the fuel and metallography of the cladding; 5) special fuels studies involving analytical transmission electron microscopy (AEM); 6) calculated ...
The characterization data obtained to date are described for Approved Testing Material 104 (ATM-104), which is spent fuel from Assembly DO47 of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (Unit 1), a pressurized-water reactor. This report is one in a series being prepared by the Materials Characterization Center at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) on spent fuel ATMs. The ATMs are receiving extensive examinations to provide a source of well-characterized spent fuel for testing in the US Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) Program. ATM-104 consists of 128 full-length irradiated fuel rods with rod-average burnups of about 42 MWd/kgM and expected fission gas release of about 1%. A variety of analyses were performed to investigate cladding characteristics, radionuclide inventory, and redistribution of fission products. Characterization data include (1) fabricated fuel design, irradiation history, and subsequent storage and handling ...
The characterization data obtained to data are described for Approved Testing Material 105 (ATM-105), which is spent fuel from Bundles CZ346 and CZ348 of the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant, a boiling-water reactor. This report is one in a series being prepared by the Materials Characterization Center at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) on spent fuel ATMs. The ATMs are receiving extensive examinations to provide a source of well-characterized spent fuel for testing in the US Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) Program. ATM-105 consists of 88 full-length irradiated fuel rods with rod-average burnups of about 2400 GJ/kgM (28 MWd/kgM) and expected fission gas release of about 1%. Characterization data include (1) descriptions of as-fabricated fuel design, irradiation history, and subsequent storage and handling; (2) isotopic gamma scans; (3) fission gas analyses; (4) ceramography of the fuel and metallography of the cladding; (5) ...
This contribution presents different approaches for the modeling of gas entrainment under water by a plunging jet. Since the generation of bubbles happens on a scale which is smaller than the bubbles, this process cannot be resolved in meso-scale simulations, which include the fulllength of the jet and its environment. This is why the gas entrainment has to be modeled in meso-scale simulations. In the frame of a Euler-Euler simulation, the local morphology of the phases has to be considered in the drag model. For example, the gas is a continuous phase above the water level but bubbly below the water level. Various drag models are tested and their influence on the gas void fraction below the water level is discussed. The algebraic interface area density (AIAD) model applies a drag coefficient for bubbles and a different drag coefficient for the free surface. If the AIAD model is used for the simulation of impinging jets, the gas entrainment ...
The heat transfer a characteristics and friction factor in the horizontal double pipes of flat tubes with fulllength helical screw element of different twist ratio and helical screw inserts with different spacer length are investigated. Cold and hot water are used as working fluid in tube side and shell side respectively. The experiments covered a range of Reynolds numbers 5.7 x 10{sup 2} {<=} Re {<=} 1.31 x 10{sup 3}. The effect of spacer length on the heat transfer augmentation and friction factor and the effect of twist ratio on heat transfer augmentation and friction factor have been presented separately. The study shows that, the Nusslet number (Nu) and friction factor (f) decrease with the increase of S or Y for flat tube. The comparison between the data of present plain circular with that of previous plain circular tube showed a good agreement between them but the data of present plain flat tube showed a higher in heat ...
Abstract: Snake venom contains a number of small proteins,enzymes and other components,which displays a broad spectrum of biological activities. With the ability of specifically binding on acetylcholine acceptor, alpha-bungarotoxins are not only useful molecular probes in investigating the mechanism of neural signal transmission, but also potential pharmic preparations for neural disease treatment. In current research,cDNAs of Bungarus multicinutus venom gland were synthesized using SMART cDNA amplification kit and then, alpha-bungarotoxin genes were cloned and sequenced. Total of 20 clones were sequenced representing 14 isotoxin mRNAs of alpha-bungarotoxins. Among those clones, a novel isotoxin gene was subcloned into two expression plasmids, alpha-BgTX/pQE30a and alpha-BgTX/pGEX-4T-1, and transformed into E. coli. After inducing with IPTG, fused protein of GST-alpha-BgTX was successfully expressed at level of 30% gross proteins of bacteria. More than 25% of fused ...
The promising use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in regenerative technologies accounts for necessity of detailed study of their physiology. Proliferation and differentiation of multipotent cells often involve changes in their metabolic state. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of ATP-sensitive potassium (K"A"T"P) channels in MSC and upon in vitro differentiation. K"A"T"P channels are present in many cells and regulate a variety of cellular functions by coupling cell metabolism with membrane potential. Kir6.1, Kir6.2 and SUR2A were expressed in undifferentiated MSC, whereas SUR2B and SUR1 were not detected on cDNA and protein level. Upon adipogenic differentiation Kir6.1 and SUR2A showed a significant reduction of the amount of mRNA by 84% and 95%, respectively, whereas Ki...
The product of the human GRO gene is a cytokine with inflammatory and growth-regulatory properties; GRO is also called MGSA for melanoma growth-stimulatory activity. The authors have identified two additional genes, GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma#, that share 90% and 86% identity at the deduced amino acid level with the original GRO#alpha# isolate. One amino acid substitution of proline in GRO#alpha# by leucine in GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma# leads to a large predicted change in protein conformation. Significant differences also exist in the 3' untranslated region, including different numbers of ATTTA repeats associated with mRNA instability. A 122-base-pair region in the 3' region is conserved among the three GRO genes, and a part of it is also conserved in the Chinese hamster genome, suggesting a role in regulation. DNA hybridization with oligonucleotide probes and partial sequence analysis of the genomic clones confirm that the three forms are derived from related but different genes. Only one ...
Human erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate is normally quite stable in the presence of 10 #mu#M NADP"+. Certain glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase variants lose virtually all their activity at this concentration of NADP"+ but are reactivated by 200 #mu#M NADP"+. Such variants presumably have a defect in their NADP"+-binding site. The authors analyzed the sequence of cDNA or genomic DNA from seven unrelated patients with hemolytic anemia due to the inheritance of variants that are reactivated by NADP"+. Six patients had substitutions of one of three adjacent amino acids, and the seventh patient had another amino acid substitution 23 residues downstream. These amino acids are highly conserved, all being present in rat and all but one being found also in Drosophila. The anomalous electrophoretic behavior of some of the variants can be explained by their loss of ability to bind NADP"+. The conclude that the region in which these mutations occur defines the binding domain for ...
The authors characterized nine human actin genes that they isolated from a library of cloned human DNA. Measurements of the thermal stability of hybrids formed between each cloned actin gene and ..cap alpha..-, ..beta..-, and ..gamma..-actin mRNA demonstrated that only one of the clones is most homologous to sarcomeric actin mRNA, whereas the remaining eight clones are most homologous to cytoplasmic actin mRNA. By the following criteria they show that these nine clones represent nine different actin gene loci rather than different alleles or different parts of a single gene: (i) the restriction enzyme maps of the coding regions are dissimilar; (ii) each clone contains sufficient coding region to encode all or most of an entire actin gene; and (iii) each clone contains sequences homologous to both the 5' and 3' ends of the coding region of a cloned chicken ..beta..-actin cDNA. They conclude, therefore, that the human cytoplasmic actin proteins are ...
Genetic mapping is approached using the techniques of high resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This technology and the results of its application are designed to rapidly generate whole genome as tool box of expressed sequence to speed the identification of human disease genes. The results of this study are intended to dovetail with and to link the results of existing technologies for creating backbone YAC and genetic maps. In the first eight months, this approach generated 60--80% of the expressed sequence map, the remainder expected to be derived through more long-term, labor-intensive, regional chromosomal gene searches or sequencing. The laboratory has made significant progress in the set-up phase, in mapping fetal and adult brain and other cDNAs, in testing a model system for directly linking genetic and physical maps using FISH with small fragments, in setting up a database, and in establishing the validity and throughput of the system.
This report describes the fiscal 1998 result on development of genome informatics technology. As comparative analysis technique of genes, the combination of electrophoresis and PCR was used. For improvement of the throughput and reproducibility of the technique, module- shuffling primers were used, and the multi(96)-arrayed capillary fragment analyzer was devised. The system detecting SNPs rapidly was also developed successfully. As analysis technology of DNA sequence by use of triple- stranded DNA formation, study was made on construction of long cDNA libraries, selective subtraction of specific sequences from libraries, and the basic technology of homologous cloning. Study was also made on each reaction step of IGCR technique for fast analysis, and specifications of a fluorescence transfer monitor. As modeling technique of genetic sequence information, the simulation model was developed for gene expression regulatory networks during muscle differentiation, and ...
This report concerns investigations in the title conducted by 8 groups of National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) during the period of 1998-2000. The groups are for investigation of: Effects of p53 tumor suppressor gene in radiation-induced leukemia, Role of atm-gene in dose rate effect of ionizing radiation, Function of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PK{sub cs}), Functional complementation of radiation-sensitive mutant M10 cell line by human XRCC4 cDNA expression, Role of radiation-induced apoptosis in digital defects in embryonic mice, Functional analysis of S-phase specific novel nuclear protein NP95 by gene targeting, Role of chemokine in T cell development and lymphomagenesis, and establishment of production techniques of gene-modified mice using embryonic stem cells for genetic analysis of radiation-sensitive genes. The groups describe summaries of their studies and published original articles are also given. (N.I.)
Low expression of osmotically responsive genes 2 (LOS2) encodes an enolase (2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolase, EC 4.2.1.11) that converts 2-phospho-D-glycerate (PGA) to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) in the glycolytic pathway in Arabidopsis. Meanwhile, it is a transcriptional activator of cold-responsive gene, negatively controlling the expression of STZ/ZAT10, a zinc finger transcriptional repressor of cold-responsive gene from Arabidopsis. A novel LOS2 gene, designated PtrLOS2 (GenBank accession number GQ144341), was isolated from trifoliate orange [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.]. The PtrLOS2 cDNA is 1 662 bp in length with a 1 338 bp open reading frame (ORF), encoding a deduced 445 amino acid residue protein with a predicted molecular mass of 47.79 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.54. The ded...
The effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) pretreatment (0.5% in the diet for 10 days) on the excretion, tissue distribution and DNA binding of orally administered (/sup 14/C)aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was determined in male Fischer F344 rats. The amount of radioactivity excreted in the urine and feces by 24 hr was higher in BHT-treated rats than in controls. Treatment with BHT enhanced the excretion of water-soluble metabolites in the urine and in the large intestines plus feces at the earlier sampling times. The amount of radioactivity bound to hepatic nuclear DNA was six times less in the BHT-pretreated rats than in controls 6 hr after administration of the isotope. The half-lives of (/sup 14/C)DNA in the rat liver were 30 and 46 hr for control and BHT-pretreated rats, respectively. These results indicate that BHT pretreatment may protect the animal from the carcinogenic effects of AFB1 by enhancing the detoxification and excretion of the mycotoxin.
We report the isolation of cDNA clones for the mouse {alpha}7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit (gene symbol Acra7), the only nicotinic receptor subunit known to bind a-bungarotoxin in mammalian brain. This gene may have relevance to nicotine sensitivity and to some electrophysiologic findings in schizophrenia. The mouse {alpha}7 subunit gene encodes a protein of 502 amino acids with substantial identity to the rat (99.6%), human (92.8%), and chicken (87.5%) amino acid sequences. The {alpha}7 gene was mapped to mouse chromosome 7 near the p locus with the following gene order from proximal to distal: Myod1-3.5 {+-}1.7 cM-Gas2-0.9 cM {+-} 0.9 cM-D7Mit70-1.8 {+-} 1.2 cM- Acra7-4.4 {+-}1.0 cM-Hras1-ps11/Igf1r/Snrp2a. The human gene was confirmed to map to the homologous region of human chromosome 15q13-q14. 26 refs., 3 figs.
The authors have previously identified a small-cell lung cancer cell line (NCI-H209) that expresses an aberrant, underphosphorylated form of the retinoblastoma protein RB1. Molecular analysis of RB1 mRNA from this cell line revealed a single point mutation within exon 21 that resulted in a nonconservative amino acid substitution (cysteine to phenylalanine) at codon 706. Stable expression of this mutant RB1 cDNA in a human cell line lacking endogenous RB1 demonstrated that this amino acid change was sufficient to inhibit phosphorylation. In addition, this cysteine-to-phenylalanine substitution also resulted in loss of RB1 binding to the simian virus 40 large tumor and adenovirus E1A transforming proteins. These results confirm the importance of exon 21 coding sequences and suggest that the cysteine residue at codon 706 may play a role in achieving a specific protein conformation essential for protein-protein interactions.
There is a well-known story about the blind man examining the elephant: the part of the elephant examined determines his perception of the whole beast. Perhaps bioinformatics--the shotgun marriage between biology and mathematics, computer science, and engineering--is like an elephant that occupies a large chair in the scientific living room. Given the demand for and shortage of researchers with the computer skills to handle large volumes of biological data, where exactly does the bioinformatics elephant sit? There are probably many biologists who feel that a major product of this bioinformatics elephant is large piles of waste material. If you have tried to plow through Web sites and software packages in search of a specific tool for analyzing and collating large amounts of research data, you may well feel the same way. But there has been progress with major initiatives to develop more computing power, educate biologists about computers, increase funding, and set standards. For our ...
Conventional eddy current bobbin probes are known to be ineffectual in detecting circumferential cracks in tubing. Multi-pancake and/or rotating pancake probes are required to detect circumferential cracks. It has recently been demonstrated in CANDU steam generator tubes, with deformation, ferromagnetic deposits, and copper deposits, that multi-channel probes with transmit-receive (T/R) coils are superior to those using surface impedance coils. Unlike rotating probes, the design of a new probe denoted as C3 permits fast, single-scan inspection of a full-length tube at inspection speeds comparable to conventional bobbin probes. Since 1992, the probe has been used routinely for steam generator in-service inspection at 4 CANDU plants. Defective tubes have been plugged and the units returned to service, and they continue to operate without leaks. This paper describes the basic features of T/R surface probes. Two-dimensional voltage diagrams showing computer-derived ...
Conventional eddy current bobbin probes are known to be ineffectual in detecting circumferential cracks in tubing. Multi-pancake and/or rotating pancake probes are required to detect circumferential cracks. It has recently been demonstrated in CANDU steam generator tubes, with deformation, ferromagnetic deposits, and copper deposits, that multi-channel probes with transmit-receive (T/R) coils are superior to those using surface impedance coils. Unlike rotating probes, the design of a new probe denoted as C3 permits fast, single-scan inspection of a full-length tube at inspection speeds comparable to conventional bobbin probes. Since 1992, the probe has been used routinely for steam generator in-service inspection at 4 CANDU plants. Defective tubes have been plugged and the units returned to service, and they continue to operate without leaks. This paper describes the basic features of T/R surface probes. Two-dimensional voltage diagrams showing computer-derived ...
Transients induced in nuclear power plants from many sources result in one or more fluid conditions changing with time. Fluid conditions of pressure, inlet temperature, inlet flow, or even system power many change separately or in conjunction with each other. The result of the condition change may be one which induces departure from nucleate boiling. An experimental investigation of transient which were intended to achieve Critical Heat Flux was performed at the Heat Transfer Research Facility of Columbia University for Siemens Nuclear Power Corporation. The transients were set up to include broad ranges of flow and pressure conditions near the operating range of pressurized water reactors. Transient events were dominated by varying single conditions and measuring the response of the system and of the rod thermocouples. Because of coupling effects within the test loop, secondary conditions would also vary. In order to perform controlled tests which achieved the desired result, CHF ...
Neurodegeneration observed in Alzheimer disease (AD) is believed to be related to the toxicity from reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in the brain by the amyloid-{beta} (A{beta}) protein bound primarily to copper ions. The evidence for an oxidative stress role of A{beta}-Cu redox chemistry is still incomplete. Details of the copper binding site in A{beta} may be critical to the etiology of AD. Here we present the structure determined by combining x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory analysis of A{beta} peptides complexed with Cu{sup 2+} in solution under a range of buffer conditions. Phosphate-buffered saline buffer salt (NaCl) concentration does not affect the high-affinity copper binding mode but alters the second coordination sphere. The XAS spectra for truncated and full-length A{beta}-Cu{sup 2+} peptides are similar. The novel distorted six-coordinated (3N3O) geometry around copper in the A{beta}-Cu{sup 2+} complexes include ...
The functional interaction between the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma} (PPAR{gamma}) and its coactivator PGC-1{alpha} is crucial for the normal physiology of PPAR{gamma} and its pharmacological response to antidiabetic treatment with rosiglitazone. Here we report the crystal structure of the PPAR{gamma} ligand-binding domain bound to rosiglitazone and to a large PGC-1{alpha} fragment that contains two LXXLL-related motifs. The structure reveals critical contacts mediated through the first LXXLL motif of PGC-1{alpha} and the PPAR{gamma} coactivator binding site. Through a combination of biochemical and structural studies, we demonstrate that the first LXXLL motif is the most potent among all nuclear receptor coactivator motifs tested, and only this motif of the two LXXLL-related motifs in PGC-1{alpha} is capable of binding to PPAR{gamma}. Our studies reveal that the strong interaction of PGC-1{alpha} and PPAR{gamma} is mediated through both hydrophobic and specific ...
The steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1, also known as NR5A1) is a transcription factor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. Whereas most of the members of this family have been extensively characterized, the therapeutic potential and pharmacology of SF-1 still remains elusive. Described here is the identification and characterization of selective inhibitory chemical probes of SF-1 by a rational ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) strategy. A set of 64,908 compounds from the National Institute of Health's Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository was screened in a transactivation cell-based assay employing a chimeric SF-1 construct. Two analogous isoquinolinones, ethyl 2-[2-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-7-ylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate (SID7969543) and ethyl 2-[2-[2-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylmethylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate and (SID7970631), were identified as potent submicromolar inhibitors, yielding IC(50) values of 760 and ...
In steel production lines such as pickling lines, cold rolling mills and coil processing lines, the needs for on-line continuous measurement of surface quality and property of products and on-line inspection of surface defects have become strong. This is because user requirements for the surface quality of various products have become severer than before and besides, expectations are running high on the side of manufacturers for higher speeds of production lines and higher quality by the adoption of automatic inspection. As for the measurement of surface quality, continuous measurements along the fulllength of a steel strip are required in order to overcome problems derived from off-line, batch measurements that cannot satisfy user's demands for quality assurance. As for surface defects detection, various kinds of methods have been practically applied to production lines. However, it is the matter of fact that performances of these ...
A new generation of transmit-receive single-pass probes, denoted as C6 or X probe, was field tested during the Gentilly II, 2000 steam generator tube inspection. This probe has a performance equivalent to rotating probes and can be used for tubesheet and full-length inspection at an inspection speed equivalent to that of bobbin probes. Existing C3 transmit-receive probes have been demonstrated to be effective in detecting circumferential cracks. The C5 probe can detect both circumferential and axial cracks and volumetric defects but cannot discriminate between them. The C6 probe expands on the capabilities of both probes in a single probe head. It can simultaneously detect and discriminate between circumferential and axial cracks to satisfy different plugging criteria. It has excellent coverage, good defect detectability, and improved sizing and characterization. Probe data is displayed in C-scan format so that the amount of data to be analyzed is similar to ...
By catalyzing the rate-limiting step in adipose tissue lipolysis, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is an important regulator of energy homeostasis. The role and importance of HSL in tissues other than adipose are poorly understood. We report here the cloning and expression of a testicular isoform, designated HSL{sub tes}. Due to an addition of amino acids at the NH{sub 2}-termini, rat and human HSL{sub tes} consist of 1068 and 1076 amino acids, respectively, compared to the 768 and 775 amino acids, respectively, of the adipocyte isoform (HSL{sub adi}). A novel exon of 1.2 kb, encoding the human testis-specific amino acids, was isolated and mapped to the HSL gene, 16 kb upstream of the exons encoding HSL{sub adi}. The transcribed mRNA of 3.9 kb was specifically expressed in testis. No significant similarity with other known proteins was found for the testis-specific sequence. The amino acid composition differs from the HSL{sub adi} sequence, with a notable hydrophilic character and a high ...
High molecular weight DNA from pleroceroid larvae of the tapeworm Spirometra mansonoides was purified from isolated nuclei by conventional techniques. The DNA so isolated has a melting temperature (Tm) of 87 degrees C and a guanine plus cytosine (G/C) content of 44%. 5-Methyl cytosine could not be detected in plerocercoid DNA by HPLC analysis of DNA hydrolysates, by radiolabeling 5'-termini of MspI digests with polynucleotide kinase, or by comparing restriction patterns generated by MspI and HpaII. Renaturation kinetics demonstrated that the genome of S. mansonoides contains repetitive as well as single copy sequences and has a genome size estimated at approx. 1.6 X 10(9) bp. Hybridization was carried out between plerocercoid DNA and cDNAs for human beta-actin, alpha-tubulin and growth hormone (hGH). Rationale for this analysis was based on known homologies among actin and tubulin genes in numerous species and on apparent similarities between hGH and a plerocercoid growth factor that ...
Nucleotide sequence analysis of a genomic clone from an Ashkenazic Jewish patient with type 1 Gaucher disease revealed a single-base mutation (adenosine to guanosine transition) in exon 9 of the glucocerebrosidase gene. This change results in the amino acid substitution of serine for asparagine. Transient expression studies following oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis of the normal cDNA confirmed that the mutation results in loss of glucocerebrosidase activity. Allele-specific hybridization with oligonucleotide probes demonstrated that this mutation was found exclusively in type 1 phenotype. None of the 6 type 2 patients, 11 type 3 patients, or 12 normal controls had this allele. In contrast, 15 of 24 type 1 patients had one allele with this mutation, and 3 others were homozygous for the mutation. Furthermore, some of the Ashkenazic Jewish type 1 patients had only one allele with this mutation, suggesting that even in this population there is allelic ...
The DNA sequence motif ATTTGCAT (octamer) or its inverse complement has been identified as an evolutionarily conserved element in the promoter region of immunoglobulin genes. Two major DNA-binding proteins that bind in a sequence-specific manner to the octamer DNA sequence have been identified in mammalian species--a ubiquitously expressed protein (Oct-1) and a lymphoid-specific protein (Oct-2). During characterization of the promoter region of the chicken immunoglobulin light chain gene, the authors identified two homologous octamer-binding proteins in chicken B cells. when the cloning of the human gene for Oct-2 revealed it to be a member of a distinct family of homeobox genes, they sought to determine if the human Oct-2 cDNA could be used to identify homologous chicken homeobox genes. Using a human Oct-2 homeobox-specific DNA probe, they were able to identify 6-10 homeobox-containing genes in the chicken genome, demonstrating that the Oct-2-related subfamily of ...
The large aggregating proteoglycan aggrecan is a major structural component of the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage. Recent cDNA cloning of the human aggrecan gene (AGC1) reveals a core protein of at least 2316 amino acids characterized by several distinct structural domains. Two globular domains, termed G1 and G2, are present at the amino terminus of the molecule and a third, termed G3, is present at the carboxy terminus. The G1 domain is homologous in structure to the cartilage link protein and accounts for the aggregating potential of aggrecan through its ability to interact with hyaluronic acid. The aggrecan gene is known to consist of 15 exons, with each exon encoding a distinct functional region of the mature protein. However, while the link protein gene is known to reside on chromosome 5 in the human, the location of the aggrecan gene is currently undetermined in any species. The probe (pAGG2) for the aggrecan gene was mapped on chromosome band ...
Completing a SAR study, a series of (RS)-6-substituted-7- or 9-(1,2,3,5-tetrahydro-4,1-benzoxazepine-3-yl)-7H or 9H-purines was previously prepared. The most potent antiproliferative agent against the MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell line that belongs to the benzoxazepine O,N-acetalic family is (RS)-9-[1-(9H-fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl)-1,2,3,5-tetrahydro-4,1-benzo xazepine-3-yl]-6-chloro-9H-purine (16, IC50 = 0.67 +- 0.18 mM), whilst (RS)-7-{2-(N-hydroxymethylphenyl)-2-nitrobenzenesulfonamido]-1-methoxye thyl}-6-chloro-7H-purine (37) shows the lowest IC50 value between the family of acyclic O,N-acetals (IC50 = 3.25 +- 0.23 mM). Moreover, 16 showed the better in vitro Therapeutic Index in breast cell lines (3.19), whilst 37 was found to be 3.69-fold more active against HT-29 human colon cancer ce...
Glycyrrhiza glabra root is one of the common traditional Chinese medicines and used as flavoring and sweetening agents for tobaccos, chewing gums, candies, toothpaste and beverages. While glycyrrhizin is one of the main components in the extract of G. glabra root and has been characterized, the other components have not been well characterized. The mechanism of growth activation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells, including the activation of Erk1/2 and Akt, and the transcriptional regulation of estrogen-responsive genes, was examined by means of sulforhodamine B, luciferase reporter gene, real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting assays after the induction of the cells with the extract of G. glabra root. The extract has similar activity to that induced by 17beta-estradiol (E(2)), although glycyrrhizin did not show such an activity. Moreover, the estrogen receptor alpha-dependent neurite outgrowth induced by the extract was similar to that by E(2), whereas glycyrrhizin had no effect. Furthermore, ...
We have previously shown that avian reovirus (ARV) #sigma#A and #sigma#NS proteins possess dsRNA and ssRNA binding activity and suggested that there are two epitopes on #sigma#A (I and II) and three epitopes (A, B, and C) on #sigma#NS. To further define the location of epitopes on #sigma#A and #sigma#NS proteins and to further elucidate the biological functions of these epitopes by using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) 62, 1F9, H1E1, and 4A123 against the ARV S1133 strain, the full-length and deletion fragments of S2 and S4 genes of ARV generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were cloned into pET32 expression vectors and the fusion proteins were overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 strain. Epitope mapping using MAbs and E. coli-expressed deletion fragments of #sigma#A and #sigma#NS of the ARV S1133 strain, synthetic peptides, and the cross reactivity of MAbs to heterologous ARV strains demonstrated that epitope II on #sigma#A was located at amino acid residues ...