The Case for DUF1220 Domain Dosage as a Primary Contributor to Anthropoid Brain Expansion

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Jonathon eKeeney

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Here we present the hypothesis that increasing copy number (dosage of sequences encoding DUF1220 protein domains is a major contributor to the evolutionary increase in brain size, neuron number and cognitive capacity that is associated with the primate order. We further propose that this relationship is restricted to the anthropoid sub-order of primates, with DUF1220 copy number markedly increasing in monkeys, further in apes, and most extremely in humans where the greatest number of copies (~272 haploid copies is found. We show that this increase closely parallels the increase in brain size and neuron number that has occurred among anthropoid primate species. We also provide evidence linking DUF1220 copy number to brain size within the human species, both in normal populations and in individuals associated with brain size pathologies (1q21-associated microcephaly and macrocephaly. While we believe these and other findings presented here strongly suggest increase in DUF1220 copy number is a key contributor to anthropoid brain expansion, the data currently available rely on correlative measures that, though considerable, do not yet provide direct evidence for a causal connection. Nevertheless, we believe the evidence presented is sufficient to provide the basis for a testable model which proposes that DUF1220 protein domain dosage increase is a main contributor to the increase in brain size and neuron number found among the anthropoid primate species and that is at its most extreme in human.

DUF6 Materials Use Roadmap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haire, M.J.

2002-09-04

The U.S. government has {approx}500,000 metric tons (MT) of surplus depleted uranium (DU) in various chemical forms stored at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites across the United States. This DU, most of which is DU hexafluoride (DUF{sub 6}) resulting from uranium enrichment operations, is the largest amount of nuclear material in DOE's inventory. On July 6, 1999, DOE issued the ''Final Plan for the Conversion of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride as required by Public Law 105-204'', in which DOE committed to develop a ''Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Materials Use Roadmap'' in order to establish a strategy for the products resulting from conversion of DUF{sub 6} to a stable form. This report meets the commitment in the Final Plan by providing a comprehensive roadmap that DOE will use to guide any future research and development activities for the materials associated with its DUF{sub 6} inventory. The Roadmap supports the decision presented in the ''Record of Decision for Long-Term Management and Use of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride'', namely to begin conversion of the DUF{sub 6} inventory as soon as possible, either to uranium oxide, uranium metal, or a combination of both, while allowing for future uses of as much of this inventory as possible. In particular, the Roadmap is intended to explore potential uses for the DUF{sub 6} conversion products and to identify areas where further development work is needed. It focuses on potential governmental uses of DUF{sub 6} conversion products but also incorporates limited analysis of using the products in the private sector. The Roadmap builds on the analyses summarized in the recent ''Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Alternative Strategies for the Long-Term Management and Use of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride''. It also addresses other surplus DU, primarily in the form of DU trioxide and DU tetrafluoride. The DU

CHAOTIC DUFFING TYPE OSCILLATOR WITH INERTIAL DAMPING

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tamaševicius, Arunas; Mykolaitis, Gytis; Kirvaitis, Raimundas

2009-01-01

A novel Duffing-Holmes type autonomous chaotic oscillator is described. In comparison with the well-known non-autonomous Duffing-Holmes circuit it lacks the external periodic drive, but includes two extra linear feedback sub-circuits, namely a direct positive feedback loop, and an inertial negati...... feedback loop. SPICE simulation and hardware experimental results are presented....

Novel Hyperbolic Homoclinic Solutions of the Helmholtz-Duffing Oscillators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang-Yang Chen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The exact and explicit homoclinic solution of the undamped Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator is derived by a presented hyperbolic function balance procedure. The homoclinic solution of the self-excited Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator can also be obtained by an extended hyperbolic perturbation method. The application of the present homoclinic solutions to the chaos prediction of the nonautonomous Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator is performed. Effectiveness and advantage of the present solutions are shown by comparisons.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus BM5 protein regulates progeny virus production and viral gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kokusho, Ryuhei; Koh, Yoshikazu; Fujimoto, Masaru; Shimada, Toru; Katsuma, Susumu

2016-01-01

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) orf5 (Bm5) is a core gene of lepidopteran baculoviruses and encodes the protein with the conserved amino acid residues (DUF3627) in its C-terminus. Here, we found that Bm5 disruption resulted in lower titers of budded viruses and fewer numbers of occlusion bodies (OBs) in B. mori cultured cells and larvae, although viral genome replication was not affected. Bm5 disruption also caused aberrant expression of various viral genes at the very late stage of infection. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that BM5 localized to the nuclear membrane. We also found that DUF3627 is important for OB production, transcriptional regulation of viral genes, and subcellular localization of BM5. Compared with wild-type BmNPV infection, larval death was delayed when B. mori larvae were infected with Bm5 mutants. These results suggest that BM5 is involved in progeny virus production and regulation of viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. -- Highlights: •The role of BmNPV BM5 protein was examined in B. mori cultured cells and larvae. •BM5 contributes to efficient production of budded viruses and occlusion bodies. •BM5 regulates viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. •BM5 dominantly localizes to the nuclear membrane. •Bm5 mutant showed v-cath down-regulation and resulting delay of larval death.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus BM5 protein regulates progeny virus production and viral gene expression

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kokusho, Ryuhei, E-mail: kokusho@ss.ab.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Koh, Yoshikazu; Fujimoto, Masaru; Shimada, Toru; Katsuma, Susumu, E-mail: katsuma@ss.ab.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2016-11-15

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) orf5 (Bm5) is a core gene of lepidopteran baculoviruses and encodes the protein with the conserved amino acid residues (DUF3627) in its C-terminus. Here, we found that Bm5 disruption resulted in lower titers of budded viruses and fewer numbers of occlusion bodies (OBs) in B. mori cultured cells and larvae, although viral genome replication was not affected. Bm5 disruption also caused aberrant expression of various viral genes at the very late stage of infection. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that BM5 localized to the nuclear membrane. We also found that DUF3627 is important for OB production, transcriptional regulation of viral genes, and subcellular localization of BM5. Compared with wild-type BmNPV infection, larval death was delayed when B. mori larvae were infected with Bm5 mutants. These results suggest that BM5 is involved in progeny virus production and regulation of viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. -- Highlights: •The role of BmNPV BM5 protein was examined in B. mori cultured cells and larvae. •BM5 contributes to efficient production of budded viruses and occlusion bodies. •BM5 regulates viral gene expression at the very late stage of infection. •BM5 dominantly localizes to the nuclear membrane. •Bm5 mutant showed v-cath down-regulation and resulting delay of larval death.

Tool Wear Detection Based on Duffing-Holmes Oscillator

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Wanqing Song

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The cutting sound in the audible range includes plenty of tool wear information. The sound is sampled by the acoustic emission (AE sensor as a short-time sequence, then worn wear can be detected by the Duffing-Holmes oscillator. A novel engineering method is proposed for determining the chaotic threshold of the Duffing-Holmes oscillator. First, a rough threshold value is calculated by local Lyapunov exponents with a step size 0.1. Second, the exact threshold value is calculated by the Duffing-Holmes system in terms of the law of the golden section. The advantage of the method is low computation cost. The feasibility for tool condition detection is demonstrated by the 27 kinds of cutting conditions with sharp tool and worn tool in turning experiments. The 54 group data sampled as noisy are embedded into the Duffing-Holmes oscillator, respectively. Finally, one chaotic threshold is determined conveniently which can distinguish between worn tool or sharp tool.

Resilient protein co-expression network in male orbitofrontal cortex layer 2/3 during human aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Pabba, Mohan; Scifo, Enzo; Kapadia, Fenika; Nikolova, Yuliya S; Ma, Tianzhou; Mechawar, Naguib; Tseng, George C; Sibille, Etienne

2017-10-01

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is vulnerable to normal and pathologic aging. Currently, layer resolution large-scale proteomic studies describing "normal" age-related alterations at OFC are not available. Here, we performed a large-scale exploratory high-throughput mass spectrometry-based protein analysis on OFC layer 2/3 from 15 "young" (15-43 years) and 18 "old" (62-88 years) human male subjects. We detected 4193 proteins and identified 127 differentially expressed (DE) proteins (p-value ≤0.05; effect size >20%), including 65 up- and 62 downregulated proteins (e.g., GFAP, CALB1). Using a previously described categorization of biological aging based on somatic tissues, that is, peripheral "hallmarks of aging," and considering overlap in protein function, we show the highest representation of altered cell-cell communication (54%), deregulated nutrient sensing (39%), and loss of proteostasis (35%) in the set of OFC layer 2/3 DE proteins. DE proteins also showed a significant association with several neurologic disorders; for example, Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Notably, despite age-related changes in individual protein levels, protein co-expression modules were remarkably conserved across age groups, suggesting robust functional homeostasis. Collectively, these results provide biological insight into aging and associated homeostatic mechanisms that maintain normal brain function with advancing age. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Duffing oscillator with damping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johannessen, Kim

2015-01-01

An analytical solution to the differential equation describing the Duffing oscillator with damping is presented. The damping term of the differential equation and the initial conditions satisfy an algebraic equation, and thus the solution is specific for this type of damping. The nonlinear term...... of the differential equation is allowed to be considerable compared to the linear term. The solution is expressed in terms of the Jacobi elliptic functions by including a parameter-dependent elliptic modulus. The analytical solution is compared to the numerical solution, and the agreement is found to be very good....... It is established that the period of oscillation is shorter compared to that of a linearized model but increasing with time and asymptotically approaching the period of oscillation of the linear damped model. An explicit expression for the period of oscillation has been derived, and it is found to be very accurate....

On complex periodic motions and bifurcations in a periodically forced, damped, hardening Duffing oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Yu; Luo, Albert C.J.

2015-01-01

In this paper, analytically predicted are complex periodic motions in the periodically forced, damped, hardening Duffing oscillator through discrete implicit maps of the corresponding differential equations. Bifurcation trees of periodic motions to chaos in such a hardening Duffing oscillator are obtained. The stability and bifurcation analysis of periodic motion in the bifurcation trees is carried out by eigenvalue analysis. The solutions of all discrete nodes of periodic motions are computed by the mapping structures of discrete implicit mapping. The frequency-amplitude characteristics of periodic motions are computed that are based on the discrete Fourier series. Thus, the bifurcation trees of periodic motions are also presented through frequency-amplitude curves. Finally, based on the analytical predictions, the initial conditions of periodic motions are selected, and numerical simulations of periodic motions are carried out for comparison of numerical and analytical predictions. The harmonic amplitude spectrums are also given for the approximate analytical expressions of periodic motions, which can also be used for comparison with experimental measurement. This study will give a better understanding of complex periodic motions in the hardening Duffing oscillator.

Analytical solution of strongly nonlinear Duffing oscillators

OpenAIRE

El-Naggar, A.M.; Ismail, G.M.

2016-01-01

In this paper, a new perturbation technique is employed to solve strongly nonlinear Duffing oscillators, in which a new parameter α=α(ε)α=α(ε) is defined such that the value of α is always small regardless of the magnitude of the original parameter εε. Therefore, the strongly nonlinear Duffing oscillators with large parameter ε are transformed into a small parameter system with respect to αα. Approximate solution obtained by the present method is compared with the solution of energy balance m...

High MRPS23 expression contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation and indicates poor survival outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pu, Meng; Wang, Jianlin; Huang, Qike; Zhao, Ge; Xia, Congcong; Shang, Runze; Zhang, Zhuochao; Bian, Zhenyuan; Yang, Xishegn; Tao, Kaishan

2017-07-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most prevalent neoplasms and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 is encoded by a nuclear gene and participates in mitochondrial protein translation. Mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 overexpression has been found in many types of cancer. In this study, we explored mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression in primary hepatocellular carcinoma tissues compared with matched adjacent non-tumoral liver tissues using mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 messenger RNA and protein levels collected from public databases and clinical samples. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the relationship between mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 and various clinicopathological features. The results indicated that mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 was significantly overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma. High mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression was correlated with the tumor size and tumor-metastasis-node stage. Moreover, patients with high mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression levels presented poorer survival rates. Mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 was an independent prognostic factor for survival, especially at the early stage of hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, the downregulation of mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 decreased the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, we verified for the first time that mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 expression was upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma. High mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 levels can predict poor clinical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma, and this protein plays a key role in tumor proliferation. Therefore, mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 may be a potential therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lazarus1, a DUF300 Protein, Contributes to Programmed Cell Death Associated with Arabidopsis acd11 and the Hypersensitive Response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malinovsky, F.G.; Brodersen, P.; Fiil, B.K.

2010-01-01

) mutant exhibits HR-like accelerated cell death, and cell death execution in acd11 shares genetic requirements for HR execution triggered by one subclass of R proteins. Methodology/Principal Findings: To identify genes required for this PCD pathway, we conducted a genetic screen for suppressors of acd11......Background: Programmed cell death (PCD) is a necessary part of the life of multi-cellular organisms. A type of plant PCD is the defensive hypersensitive response (HR) elicited via recognition of a pathogen by host resistance (R) proteins. The lethal, recessive accelerated cell death 11 (acd11......, here called lazarus (laz) mutants. In addition to known suppressors of R protein-mediated HR, we isolated 13 novel complementation groups of dominant and recessive laz mutants. Here we describe laz1, which encodes a protein with a domain of unknown function (DUF300), and demonstrate that LAZ1...

Analytical solution for Van der Pol-Duffing oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimiaeifar, A.; Saidi, A.R.; Bagheri, G.H.; Rahimpour, M.; Domairry, D.G.

2009-01-01

In this paper, the problem of single-well, double-well and double-hump Van der Pol-Duffing oscillator is studied. Governing equation is solved analytically using a new kind of analytic technique for nonlinear problems namely the 'Homotopy Analysis Method' (HAM), for the first time. Present solution gives an expression which can be used in wide range of time for all domain of response. Comparisons of the obtained solutions with numerical results show that this method is effective and convenient for solving this problem. This method is a capable tool for solving this kind of nonlinear problems.

Structure-preserving algorithms for the Duffing equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gang Tieqiang; Mei Fengxiang; Xie Jiafang

2008-01-01

In this paper, the dissipative and the forced terms of the Duffing equation are considered as the perturbations of nonlinear Hamiltonian equations and the perturbational effect is indicated by parameter ε. Firstly, based on the gradient-Hamiltonian decomposition theory of vector fields, by using splitting methods, this paper constructs structure-preserving algorithms (SPAs) for the Duffing equation. Then, according to the Liouville formula, it proves that the Jacobian matrix determinants of the SPAs are equal to that of the exact flow of the Duffing equation. However, considering the explicit Runge–Kutta methods, this paper finds that there is an error term of order p+1 for the Jacobian matrix determinants. The volume evolution law of a given region in phase space is discussed for different algorithms, respectively. As a result, the sum of Lyapunov exponents is exactly invariable for the SPAs proposed in this paper. Finally, through numerical experiments, relative norm errors and absolute energy errors of phase trajectories of the SPAs and the Heun method (a second-order Runge–Kutta method) are compared. Computational results illustrate that the SPAs are evidently better than the Heun method when ε is small or equal to zero. (general)

Implication of two-coupled differential Van der Pol Duffing oscillator in weak signal detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Hanghang; Xu Xuemei; Yang Bingchu; Yin Linzi

2016-01-01

The principle of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator for state transition and for determining critical value is described, which has been studied to indicate that the application of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator in weak signal detection is feasible. On the basis of this principle, an improved two-coupled differential Van der Pol Duffing oscillator is proposed which can identify signals under any frequency and ameliorate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The analytical methods of the proposed model and the construction of the proposed oscillator are introduced in detail. Numerical experiments on the properties of the proposed oscillator compared with those of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator are carried out. Our numerical simulations have confirmed the analytical treatment. The results demonstrate that this novel oscillator has better detection performance than the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator. (author)

Implication of Two-Coupled Differential Van der Pol Duffing Oscillator in Weak Signal Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Hang-hang; Xu, Xue-mei; Yang, Bing-chu; Yin, Lin-zi

2016-04-01

The principle of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator for state transition and for determining critical value is described, which has been studied to indicate that the application of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator in weak signal detection is feasible. On the basis of this principle, an improved two-coupled differential Van der Pol Duffing oscillator is proposed which can identify signals under any frequency and ameliorate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The analytical methods of the proposed model and the construction of the proposed oscillator are introduced in detail. Numerical experiments on the properties of the proposed oscillator compared with those of the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator are carried out. Our numerical simulations have confirmed the analytical treatment. The results demonstrate that this novel oscillator has better detection performance than the Van der Pol Duffing oscillator.

Direct Optimal Control of Duffing Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Oz, Hayrani; Ramsey, John K.

2002-01-01

The "direct control method" is a novel concept that is an attractive alternative and competitor to the differential-equation-based methods. The direct method is equally well applicable to nonlinear, linear, time-varying, and time-invariant systems. For all such systems, the method yields explicit closed-form control laws based on minimization of a quadratic control performance measure. We present an application of the direct method to the dynamics and optimal control of the Duffing system where the control performance measure is not restricted to a quadratic form and hence may include a quartic energy term. The results we present in this report also constitute further generalizations of our earlier work in "direct optimal control methodology." The approach is demonstrated for the optimal control of the Duffing equation with a softening nonlinear stiffness.

Symmetry-breaking analysis for the general Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Hongjun; Seoane, Jesus M.; Sanjuan, Miguel A.F.

2007-01-01

The symmetry breaking phenomenon for a general Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator as a function of a symmetric parameter in the nonlinear force is investigated. Different values of this parameter convert the general oscillator into either the Helmholtz or the Duffing oscillator. Due to the variation of the symmetric parameter, the phase space patterns of the unperturbed Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator will cause a huge difference between the left-hand homoclinic orbit and the right-hand one. In particular, the area of the left-hand homoclinic orbits is a strictly monotonously decreasing function, while the area of the right-hand homoclinic orbit varies only in a very small range. There exist distinct local supercritical and subcritical saddle-node bifurcations at two different centers. The left-hand and the right-hand existing regions of the harmonic solutions of the Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator created by the left-hand and the right-hand saddle-node bifurcation curves will lead to different transition in the amplitude-frequency plane. There exists also a critical frequency which has the effect that the left-hand homoclinic bifurcation value is equal to the right-hand homoclinic bifurcation value. And, if the amplitude coefficient of the Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator is used as the control parameter, and it is larger than the same left-hand and right-hand homoclinic bifurcation, then the global stability of the system will be destroyed at a lowest cost. Besides this critical frequency, the left-hand and the right-hand homoclinic bifurcations are not only unequal, but also their effects for the system's stability are different. Among them, the effect resulting from the small homoclinic bifurcation for the system's stability is local and negligible, while the effect from the large homoclinic bifurcation is global but this is accomplished at a quite larger cost

Weak wide-band signal detection method based on small-scale periodic state of Duffing oscillator

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jian; Yan, Xiao-peng; Li, Ping; Hao, Xin-hong

2018-03-01

The conventional Duffing oscillator weak signal detection method, which is based on a strong reference signal, has inherent deficiencies. To address these issues, the characteristics of the Duffing oscillatorʼs phase trajectory in a small-scale periodic state are analyzed by introducing the theory of stopping oscillation system. Based on this approach, a novel Duffing oscillator weak wide-band signal detection method is proposed. In this novel method, the reference signal is discarded, and the to-be-detected signal is directly used as a driving force. By calculating the cosine function of a phase space angle, a single Duffing oscillator can be used for weak wide-band signal detection instead of an array of uncoupled Duffing oscillators. Simulation results indicate that, compared with the conventional Duffing oscillator detection method, this approach performs better in frequency detection intervals, and reduces the signal-to-noise ratio detection threshold, while improving the real-time performance of the system. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61673066).

Analytical solution of strongly nonlinear Duffing oscillators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M. El-Naggar

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new perturbation technique is employed to solve strongly nonlinear Duffing oscillators, in which a new parameter α=α(ε is defined such that the value of α is always small regardless of the magnitude of the original parameter ε. Therefore, the strongly nonlinear Duffing oscillators with large parameter ε are transformed into a small parameter system with respect to α. Approximate solution obtained by the present method is compared with the solution of energy balance method, homotopy perturbation method, global error minimization method and lastly numerical solution. We observe from the results that this method is very simple, easy to apply, and gives a very good accuracy not only for small parameter εbut also for large values of ε.

Robust tracking control of uncertain Duffing-Holmes control systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Y.-J.

2009-01-01

In this paper, the notion of virtual stabilizability for dynamical systems is introduced and the virtual stabilizability of uncertain Duffing-Holmes control systems is investigated. Based on the time-domain approach with differential inequality, a tracking control is proposed such that the states of uncertain Duffing-Holmes control system track the desired trajectories with any pre-specified exponential decay rate and convergence radius. Moreover, we present an algorithm to find such a tracking control. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the use of the main results.

PIST regulates the intracellular trafficking and plasma membrane expression of Cadherin 23

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oshima Kazuo

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The atypical cadherin protein cadherin 23 (CDH23 is crucial for proper function of retinal photoreceptors and inner ear hair cells. As we obtain more and more information about the specific roles of cadherin 23 in photoreceptors and hair cells, the regulatory mechanisms responsible for the transport of this protein to the plasma membrane are largely unknown. Results PIST, a Golgi-associated, PDZ domain-containing protein, interacted with cadherin 23 via the PDZ domain of PIST and the C-terminal PDZ domain-binding interface (PBI of cadherin 23. By binding to cadherin 23, PIST retained cadherin 23 in the trans-Golgi network of cultured cells. The retention was released when either of the two known cadherin 23-binding proteins MAGI-1 and harmonin was co-expressed. Similar to MAGI-1 and harmonin, PIST was detected in mouse inner ear sensory hair cells. Conclusions PIST binds cadherin 23 via its PDZ domain and retains cadherin 23 in trans-Golgi network. MAGI-1 and harmonin can compete with PIST for binding cadherin 23 and release cadherin 23 from PIST's retention. Our finding suggests that PIST, MAGI-1 and harmonin collaborate in intracellular trafficking of cadherin 23 and regulate the plasma membrane expression of cadherin 23.

DUF1220 copy number is linearly associated with increased cognitive function as measured by total IQ and mathematical aptitude scores

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jonathon M.; Searles, Veronica B.; Anderson, Nathan; Keeney, Jonathon; Raznahan, Armin; Horwood, L. John; Fergusson, David M.; Kennedy, Martin A.; Giedd, Jay

2014-01-01

DUF1220 protein domains exhibit the greatest human lineage-specific copy number expansion of any protein-coding sequence in the genome, and variation in DUF1220 copy number has been linked to both brain size in humans and brain evolution among primates. Given these findings, we examined associations between DUF1220 subtypes CON1 and CON2 and cognitive aptitude. We identified a linear association between CON2 copy number and cognitive function in two independent populations of European descent. In North American males, an increase in CON2 copy number corresponded with an increase in WISC IQ (R2 = 0.13, p = 0.02), which may be driven by males aged 6–11 (R2 = 0.42, p = 0.003). We utilized ddPCR in a subset as a confirmatory measurement. This group had 26–33 copies of CON2 with a mean of 29, and each copy increase of CON2 was associated with a 3.3-point increase in WISC IQ (R2 = 0.22, p = 0.045). In individuals from New Zealand, an increase in CON2 copy number was associated with an increase in math aptitude ability (R2 = 0.10 p = 0.018). These were not confounded by brain size. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report a replicated association between copy number of a gene coding sequence and cognitive aptitude. Remarkably, dosage variations involving DUF1220 sequences have now been linked to human brain expansion, autism severity and cognitive aptitude, suggesting that such processes may be genetically and mechanistically inter-related. The findings presented here warrant expanded investigations in larger, well-characterized cohorts. PMID:25287832

High-intensity discharge lamp and Duffing oscillator—Similarities and differences

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, Bernd; Schwieger, Joerg; Stein, Ulrich; Hallerberg, Sarah; Wolff, Marcus

2017-12-01

The processes inside the arc tube of high-intensity discharge lamps are investigated using finite element simulations. The behavior of the gas mixture inside the arc tube is governed by differential equations describing mass, energy, and charge conservation, as well as the Helmholtz equation for the acoustic pressure and the Reynolds equations for the flow driven by buoyancy and Reynolds stresses. The model is highly nonlinear and requires a recursion procedure to account for the impact of acoustic streaming on the temperature and other fields. The investigations reveal the presence of a hysteresis and the corresponding jump phenomenon, quite similar to a Duffing oscillator. The similarities and, in particular, the differences of the nonlinear behavior of the high-intensity discharge lamp to that of a Duffing oscillator are discussed. For large amplitudes, the high-intensity discharge lamp exhibits a stiffening effect in contrast to the Duffing oscillator. It is speculated on how the stiffening might affect hysteresis suppression.

Regular and chaotic behaviors of plasma oscillations modeled by a modified Duffing equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enjieu Kadji, H.G.; Chabi Orou, J.B.; Woafo, P.; Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste

2005-07-01

The regular and chaotic behavior of plasma oscillations governed by a modified Duffing equation is studied. The plasma oscillations are described by a nonlinear differential equation of the form x + w 0 2 x + βx 2 + αx 3 = 0 which is similar to a Duffing equation. By focusing on the quadratic term, which is mainly the term modifying the Duffing equation, the harmonic balance method and the fourth order Runge-Kutta algorithm are used to derive regular and chaotic motions respectively. A strong chaotic behavior exhibited by the system in that event when the system is subjected to an external periodic forcing oscillation is reported as β varies. (author)

Numerical solution of the controlled Duffing oscillator by semi-orthogonal spline wavelets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakestani, M; Razzaghi, M; Dehghan, M

2006-01-01

This paper presents a numerical method for solving the controlled Duffing oscillator. The method can be extended to nonlinear calculus of variations and optimal control problems. The method is based upon compactly supported linear semi-orthogonal B-spline wavelets. The differential and integral expressions which arise in the system dynamics, the performance index and the boundary conditions are converted into some algebraic equations which can be solved for the unknown coefficients. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique

Chaos and routes to chaos in coupled Duffing oscillators with multiple degrees of freedom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Musielak, D.E.; Musielak, Z.E.; Benner, J.W.

2005-01-01

New results are reported on the routes to chaos in increasingly complex Duffing oscillator systems, which are formed by coupling several oscillators, thereby increasing the number of degrees of freedom. Other forms of increasing system complexity through distributed excitation, different forcing function phasing, different excitation frequency ratios, and higher order coupling are also studied. Changes in the quantitative aspects of the chaotic regions and in the routes to chaos of complex Duffing systems are investigated by performing numerical simulations. It is shown that the number of chaotic regions in these systems is significantly reduced when compared to the original Duffing system, and that crisis replaces period doubling as the dominant route to chaos when the number of degrees of freedom is increased. A new discovered phenomenon is that chaos emerges in the symmetrically and asymmetrically coupled Duffing oscillators only after the quasi-periodic torus breaks down through a 3-periodic and 2-periodic window, respectively

An explicit approximate solution to the Duffing-harmonic oscillator by a cubication method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belendez, A.; Mendez, D.I.; Fernandez, E.; Marini, S.; Pascual, I.

2009-01-01

The nonlinear oscillations of a Duffing-harmonic oscillator are investigated by an approximated method based on the 'cubication' of the initial nonlinear differential equation. In this cubication method the restoring force is expanded in Chebyshev polynomials and the original nonlinear differential equation is approximated by a Duffing equation in which the coefficients for the linear and cubic terms depend on the initial amplitude, A. The replacement of the original nonlinear equation by an approximate Duffing equation allows us to obtain explicit approximate formulas for the frequency and the solution as a function of the complete elliptic integral of the first kind and the Jacobi elliptic function, respectively. These explicit formulas are valid for all values of the initial amplitude and we conclude this cubication method works very well for the whole range of initial amplitudes. Excellent agreement of the approximate frequencies and periodic solutions with the exact ones is demonstrated and discussed and the relative error for the approximate frequency is as low as 0.071%. Unlike other approximate methods applied to this oscillator, which are not capable to reproduce exactly the behaviour of the approximate frequency when A tends to zero, the cubication method used in this Letter predicts exactly the behaviour of the approximate frequency not only when A tends to infinity, but also when A tends to zero. Finally, a closed-form expression for the approximate frequency is obtained in terms of elementary functions. To do this, the relationship between the complete elliptic integral of the first kind and the arithmetic-geometric mean as well as Legendre's formula to approximately obtain this mean are used.

Location identification of closed crack based on Duffing oscillator transient transition

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiaofeng; Bo, Lin; Liu, Yaolu; Zhao, Youxuan; Zhang, Jun; Deng, Mingxi; Hu, Ning

2018-02-01

The existence of a closed micro-crack in plates can be detected by using the nonlinear harmonic characteristics of the Lamb wave. However, its location identification is difficult. By considering the transient nonlinear Lamb under the noise interference, we proposed a location identification method for the closed crack based on the quantitative measurement of Duffing oscillator transient transfer in the phase space. The sliding short-time window was used to create a window truncation of to-be-detected signal. And then, the periodic extension processing for transient nonlinear Lamb wave was performed to ensure that the Duffing oscillator has adequate response time to reach a steady state. The transient autocorrelation method was used to reduce the occurrence of missed harmonic detection due to the random variable phase of nonlinear Lamb wave. Moreover, to overcome the deficiency in the quantitative analysis of Duffing system state by phase trajectory diagram and eliminate the misjudgment caused by harmonic frequency component contained in broadband noise, logic operation method of oscillator state transition function based on circular zone partition was adopted to establish the mapping relation between the oscillator transition state and the nonlinear harmonic time domain information. Final state transition discriminant function of Duffing oscillator was used as basis for identifying the reflected and transmitted harmonics from the crack. Chirplet time-frequency analysis was conducted to identify the mode of generated harmonics and determine the propagation speed. Through these steps, accurate position identification of the closed crack was achieved.

Dynamical response of Mathieu–Duffing oscillator with fractional-order delayed feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Shao-Fang; Shen, Yong-Jun; Yang, Shao-Pu; Wang, Jun

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The analytical solution for Mathieu–Duffing oscillator with fractional-order delayed feedback is obtained. • The fractional-order delayed feedback has both the functions of delayed velocity feedback and delayed displacement feedback. • The special effects of time delay on nonzero periodic solutions are analyzed in detail. • The effects of the fractional-order parameters on system response are characterized. - Abstract: In this paper, the dynamical response of Mathieu–Duffing oscillator under fractional-order delayed feedback is investigated. At first, the approximate analytical solution and the amplitude-frequency equation are obtained based on the averaging method. The equivalent stiffness coefficient and equivalent damping coefficient are defined by the feedback coefficient, fractional order and time delay et al. The effects of feedback coefficient, fractional order and time delay on these two equivalent parameters are analyzed. It is found that the fractional-order delayed feedback has not only the function of delayed velocity feedback, but also the function of delayed displacement feedback. Then, the comparison of the amplitude-frequency curves obtained by the analytical and numerical solutions verifies the correctness and satisfactory precision of the approximate analytical solution. The effects of the parameters in the fractional-order delayed feedback on the complex dynamical behaviors of Mathieu–Duffing oscillator are studied. It could be found that fractional-order delayed feedback has important influences on the dynamical behavior of Mathieu–Duffing oscillator, and the results are very helpful to design, analyze or control in vibration engineering.

Heteroclinic Bifurcation Behaviors of a Duffing Oscillator with Delayed Feedback

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Fang Wen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The heteroclinic bifurcation and chaos of a Duffing oscillator with forcing excitation under both delayed displacement feedback and delayed velocity feedback are studied by Melnikov method. The Melnikov function is analytically established to detect the necessary conditions for generating chaos. Through the analysis of the analytical necessary conditions, we find that the influences of the delayed displacement feedback and delayed velocity feedback are separable. Then the influences of the displacement and velocity feedback parameters on heteroclinic bifurcation and threshold value of chaotic motion are investigated individually. In order to verify the correctness of the analytical conditions, the Duffing oscillator is also investigated by numerical iterative method. The bifurcation curves and the largest Lyapunov exponents are provided and compared. From the analysis of the numerical simulation results, it could be found that two types of period-doubling bifurcations occur in the Duffing oscillator, so that there are two paths leading to the chaos in this oscillator. The typical dynamical responses, including time histories, phase portraits, and Poincare maps, are all carried out to verify the conclusions. The results reveal some new phenomena, which is useful to design or control this kind of system.

Higher-Order Approximation of Cubic-Quintic Duffing Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ganji, S. S.; Barari, Amin; Babazadeh, H.

2011-01-01

We apply an Artificial Parameter Lindstedt-Poincaré Method (APL-PM) to find improved approximate solutions for strongly nonlinear Duffing oscillations with cubic-quintic nonlinear restoring force. This approach yields simple linear algebraic equations instead of nonlinear algebraic equations...

Monlinear fish-scale metamaterial via coupled duffing oscillators

OpenAIRE

Kochetov, Bogdan; Tuz, Vladimir; Mladyonov, Pavel; Prosvirnin, Sergey; Kochetova, Lyudmila

2012-01-01

The dynamic system of two coupled Duffing oscillators is considered in order to predict the optical response of the nonlinear planar fish-scale metamaterial. The direct numerical calculation of meta material response confirms the correctness of the proposed model

On the algebraic reconstruction of the Duffing's mechanical system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilar-Ibanez, Carlos; Sanchez H, Jorge; Suarez C, Miguel S.; Martinez C, Juan

2008-01-01

The identification of the unknown parameters of the Duffing's mechanical system, based on an algebraic approach, is presented. This approach is fast, accurate, and simple to numerically implement. Also, the method, combined with a suitable invariant filter, can became robust against high frequency output measurement noises. Our method uses the availability of one measurable output and produces an exact formula for the unknown parameters, which may be realized in terms of iterated convolutions. First, we show that the Duffing's system parameters are linearly identifiable with respect to the position variable, then we obtain a linear system where the unknowns are the unavailable parameters. Suitable algebraic operations on the output differential equations makes the identification schema independent of the unavailable initial conditions of the underlying nonlinear dynamical system

Cloning and expression of gene encoding P23 protein from Cryptosporidium parvum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinh Thi Bich Lan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We cloned the cp23 gene coding P23 (glycoprotein from Cryptosporidium parvum isolated from Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. The coding region of cp23 gene from C. parvum is 99% similar with cp23 gene deposited in NCBI (accession number: U34390. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis showed that the cp23 gene in E. coli BL21 StarTM (DE3 produced polypeptides with molecular weights of approximately 37, 40 and 49 kDa. These molecules may be non-glycosylated or glycosylated P23 fusion polypeptides. Recombinant P23 protein purified by GST (glutathione S-transferase affinity chromatography can be used as an antigen for C. parvum antibody production as well as to develop diagnostic kit for C. parvum.

Interaction of Tim23 with Tim50 Is essential for protein translocation by the mitochondrial TIM23 complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Gevorkyan-Airapetov, Lada; Zohary, Keren; Popov-Celeketic, Dusan; Mapa, Koyeli; Hell, Kai; Neupert, Walter; Azem, Abdussalam; Mokranjac, Dejana

2009-02-20

The TIM23 complex is the major translocase of the mitochondrial inner membrane responsible for the import of essentially all matrix proteins and a number of inner membrane proteins. Tim23 and Tim50, two essential proteins of the complex, expose conserved domains into the intermembrane space that interact with each other. Here, we describe in vitro reconstitution of this interaction using recombinantly expressed and purified intermembrane space domains of Tim50 and Tim23. We established two independent methods, chemical cross-linking and surface plasmon resonance, to track their interaction. In addition, we identified mutations in Tim23 that abolish its interaction with Tim50 in vitro. These mutations also destabilized the interaction between the two proteins in vivo, leading to defective import of preproteins via the TIM23 complex and to cell death at higher temperatures. This is the first study to describe the reconstitution of the Tim50-Tim23 interaction in vitro and to identify specific residues of Tim23 that are vital for the interaction with Tim50.

cDNA Cloning, Overexpression, Purification and Pharmacologic Evaluation for Anticancer Activity of Ribosomal Protein L23A Gene (RPL23A from the Giant Panda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Si-Nan Zhang

2012-02-01

Full Text Available RPL23A gene encodes a ribosomal protein that is a component of the 60S subunit. The protein belongs to the L23P family of ribosomal proteins, which is located in the cytoplasm. The purpose of this paper was to explore the structure and anti-cancer function of ribosomal protein L23A (RPL23A gene of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca. The cDNA of RPL23A was cloned successfully from the Giant Panda using RT-PCR technology. We constructed a recombinant expression vector containing RPL23A cDNA and over-expressed it in Escherichia coli using pET28a plasmids. The expression product obtained was purified by using Ni chelating affinity chromatography. Recombinant protein of RPL23A obtained from the experiment acted on Hep-2 cells and human HepG-2 cells, then the growth inhibitory effect of these cells was observed by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl]-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay. The result indicated that the length of the fragment cloned is 506 bp, and it contains an open-reading frame (ORF of 471 bp encoding 156 amino acids. Primary structure analysis revealed that the molecular weight of the putative RPL23A protein is 17.719 kDa with a theoretical pI 11.16. The molecular weight of the recombinant protein RPL23A is 21.265 kDa with a theoretical pI 10.57. The RPL23A gene can be really expressed in E. coli and the RPL23A protein, fusioned with the N-terminally His-tagged protein, gave rise to the accumulation of an expected 22 KDa polypeptide. The data showed that the recombinant protein RPL23A had a time- and dose-dependency on the cell growth inhibition rate. The data also indicated that the effect at low concentrations was better than at high concentrations on Hep-2 cells, and that the concentration of 0.185 μg/mL had the best rate of growth inhibition of 36.31%. All results of the experiment revealed that the recombinant protein RPL23A exhibited anti-cancer function on the Hep-2 cells. The study provides a scientific basis and aids

Transient chaos in a globally coupled system of nearly conservative Hamiltonian Duffing oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabarathinam, S.; Thamilmaran, K.

2015-01-01

Highlights: •We have examined transient chaos in globally coupled oscillators. •We analyze transient chaos using new techniques. •We give experimental confirmation of transient chaos. -- Abstract: In this work, transient chaos in a ring and globally coupled system of nearly conservative Hamiltonian Duffing oscillators is reported. The networks are formed by coupling of three, four and six Duffing oscillators. The nearly conservative Hamiltonian nature of the coupled system is proved by stability analysis. The transient phenomenon is confirmed through various numerical investigations such as recurrence analysis, 0–1 test and Finite Time Lyapunov Exponents. Further, the effect of damping and the average transient lifetime of three, four and six coupled schemes for randomly generated initial conditions have been analyzed. The experimental confirmation of transient chaos in an illustrative system of three ringly coupled Duffing oscillators is also presented

Effect of various periodic forces on Duffing oscillator

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Bifurcations and chaos in the ubiquitous Duffing oscillator equation with different external periodic forces are studied numerically. The external periodic forces considered are sine wave, square wave, rectified sine wave, symmetric saw-tooth wave, asymmetric saw-tooth wave, rectangular wave with amplitude-dependent ...

Chaos control in duffing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ruiqi; Deng Jin; Jing Zhujun

2006-01-01

Analytical and numerical results concerning the inhibition of chaos in Duffing's equation with two weak forcing excitations are presented. We theoretically give parameter-space regions by using Melnikov's function, where chaotic states can be suppressed. The intervals of initial phase difference between the two excitations for which chaotic dynamics can be eliminated are given. Meanwhile, the influence of the phase difference on Lyapunov exponents for different frequencies is investigated. Numerical simulation results show the consistence with the theoretical analysis and the chaotic motions can be controlled to period-motions by adjusting parameter of suppressing excitation

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Sensor IRE1α Enhances IL-23 Expression by Human Dendritic Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saioa Márquez

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs exposed to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs undergo bioenergetic changes that influence the immune response. We found that stimulation with PAMPs enhanced glycolysis in DCs, whereas oxidative phosphorylation remained unaltered. Glucose starvation and the hexokinase inhibitor 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG modulated cytokine expression in stimulated DCs. Strikingly, IL23A was markedly induced upon 2-DG treatment, but not during glucose deprivation. Since 2-DG can also rapidly inhibit protein N-glycosylation, we postulated that this compound could induce IL-23 in DCs via activation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress response. Indeed, stimulation of DCs with PAMPs in the presence of 2-DG robustly activated inositol-requiring protein 1α (IRE1α signaling and to a lesser extent the PERK arm of the unfolded protein response. Additional ER stressors such as tunicamycin and thapsigargin also promoted IL-23 expression by PAMP-stimulated DCs. Pharmacological, biochemical, and genetic analyses using conditional knockout mice revealed that IL-23 induction in ER stressed DCs stimulated with PAMPs was IRE1α/X-box binding protein 1-dependent upon zymosan stimulation. Interestingly, we further evidenced PERK-mediated and CAAT/enhancer-binding protein β-dependent trans-activation of IL23A upon lipopolysaccharide treatment. Our findings uncover that the ER stress response can potently modulate cytokine expression in PAMP-stimulated human DCs.

Strange attractors and synchronization dynamics of coupled Van der Pol-Duffing oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamapi, R.; Filatrella, G.

2006-07-01

We consider in this paper the dynamics and synchronization of coupled chaotic Van der Pol-Duffing systems. The stability of the synchronization process between two coupled autonomous Van der Pol model is first analyzed analytically and numerically, before following the problem of synchronizing chaos both on the same and different chaotic orbits of two coupled Van der Pol-Duffing systems. The stability boundaries of the synchronization process are derived and the effects of the amplitude of the periodic perturbation of the coupling parameter on these boundaries are analyzed. The results are provided on the stability map in the (q, K) plane. (author)

Ectodomain of plasmodesmata-localized protein 5 in Arabidopsis: expression, purification, crystallization and crystallographic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaocui; Zhu, Peiyan; Qu, Shanshan; Zhao, Jie; Singh, Prashant K; Wang, Wei

2017-09-01

Plasmodesmata-localized protein 5 (PDLP5) is a cysteine-rich receptor-like protein which is localized on the plasmodesmata of Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpression of PDLP5 can reduce the permeability of the plasmodesmata and further affect the cell-to-cell movement of viruses and macromolecules in plants. The ectodomain of PDLP5 contains two DUF26 domains; however, the function of these domains is still unknown. Here, the ectodomain of PDLP5 from Arabidopsis was cloned and overexpressed using an insect expression system and was then purified and crystallized. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 1.90 Å resolution and were indexed in space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 41.9, b = 48.1, c = 62.2 Å, α = 97.3, β = 103.1, γ = 99.7°. Analysis of the crystal content indicated that there are two molecules in the asymmetric unit, with a Matthews coefficient of 2.51 Å 3  Da -1 and a solvent content of 50.97%.

Evaluation of DUF6-G-Q-STU-001 (ALARA analysis supporting approval of authorized limits)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranek, N. L.; Croff, A. G.; Cheng, J.-J.; Gillette, J. L.; Avci, H. I.

2004-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Uranium Disposition Services, LLC (UDS) to proceed with disposition of the inventory of depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF 6 ) for which DOE has management responsibility. To accomplish this task, UDS will construct and operate facilities at two DOE-owned sites, one near Paducah, Kentucky, and another near Portsmouth, Ohio, to convert DUF 6 to uranium oxide (principally U 3 O 8 ). The off-gas treatment system for the conversion process will produce aqueous hydrogen fluoride (AqHF), also known as hydrofluoric acid, and a relatively small amount of calcium fluoride (CaF 2 ), each containing some residual radioactive material. As part of its contractual charge, UDS must identify and implement a disposition for all three products generated by the DUF 6 conversion facilities: uranium oxide, AqHF, and CaF 2 . The UDS DUF 6 Conversion Product Management Plan (DUF 6 -UDS-PLN-004, September 2003) concludes that a viable commercial market exists for AqHF, which, if not sold, would have to be neutralized, producing a relatively large quantity of additional CaF 2 . Although CaF 2 has very limited market potential, there is some possibility that it also could be sold. If these potential markets could be developed, DOE would save the costs of neutralizing AqHF and/or disposing of the CaF 2 neutralization product. Accordingly, UDS has decided to seek approval from DOE for unrestricted release of both AqHF and CaF 2 that would be generated if AqHF could not be sold or if sales were interrupted. If AqHF were sold, the relatively small quantity of CaF 2 still being generated by the DUF 6 conversion process off-gas treatment system would most likely be disposed of as waste. The main product of conversion, depleted uranium oxide, will be reused to the extent possible or disposed of as waste, if no practical reuse option is found

Immunohistochemical expression of latent membrane protein 1 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: Archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded NPC biopsies were evaluated in 23 Moroccan patients for the presence of LMP1 and p53 using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: No LMP1 expression was observed whereas 8 of 23 cases (34. 7%) had detectable p53 protein in the nuclei of tumor cells.

A new analytical approximation to the Duffing-harmonic oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fesanghary, M.; Pirbodaghi, T.; Asghari, M.; Sojoudi, H.

2009-01-01

In this paper, a novel analytical approximation to the nonlinear Duffing-harmonic oscillator is presented. The variational iteration method (VIM) is used to obtain some accurate analytical results for frequency. The accuracy of the results is excellent in the whole range of oscillation amplitude variations.

Hermite Functional Link Neural Network for Solving the Van der Pol-Duffing Oscillator Equation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mall, Susmita; Chakraverty, S

2016-08-01

Hermite polynomial-based functional link artificial neural network (FLANN) is proposed here to solve the Van der Pol-Duffing oscillator equation. A single-layer hermite neural network (HeNN) model is used, where a hidden layer is replaced by expansion block of input pattern using Hermite orthogonal polynomials. A feedforward neural network model with the unsupervised error backpropagation principle is used for modifying the network parameters and minimizing the computed error function. The Van der Pol-Duffing and Duffing oscillator equations may not be solved exactly. Here, approximate solutions of these types of equations have been obtained by applying the HeNN model for the first time. Three mathematical example problems and two real-life application problems of Van der Pol-Duffing oscillator equation, extracting the features of early mechanical failure signal and weak signal detection problems, are solved using the proposed HeNN method. HeNN approximate solutions have been compared with results obtained by the well known Runge-Kutta method. Computed results are depicted in term of graphs. After training the HeNN model, we may use it as a black box to get numerical results at any arbitrary point in the domain. Thus, the proposed HeNN method is efficient. The results reveal that this method is reliable and can be applied to other nonlinear problems too.

Analogue Electrical Circuit for Simulation of the Duffing-Holmes Equation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tamaseviciute, E.; Tamasevicius, A.; Mykolaitis, G.

2008-01-01

An extremely simple second order analogue electrical circuit for simulating the two-well Duffing-Holmes mathematical oscillator is described. Numerical results and analogue electrical simulations are illustrated with the snapshots of chaotic waveforms, phase portraits (Lissajous figures...

Complex dynamics analysis of impulsively coupled Duffing oscillators with ring structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Hai-Bo; Zhang Li-Ping; Yu Jian-Jiang

2015-01-01

Impulsively coupled systems are high-dimensional non-smooth systems that can exhibit rich and complex dynamics. This paper studies the complex dynamics of a non-smooth system which is unidirectionally impulsively coupled by three Duffing oscillators in a ring structure. By constructing a proper Poincaré map of the non-smooth system, an analytical expression of the Jacobian matrix of Poincaré map is given. Two-parameter Hopf bifurcation sets are obtained by combining the shooting method and the Runge–Kutta method. When the period is fixed and the coupling strength changes, the system undergoes stable, periodic, quasi-periodic, and hyper-chaotic solutions, etc. Floquet theory is used to study the stability of the periodic solutions of the system and their bifurcations. (paper)

Protein (Cyanobacteria): 505001956 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available protein of unknown function DUF1818 Gloeocapsa sp. PCC 7428 MERVVKSGTGWRVGWNPHAAKYQALIGTDDWAIELTSAEFYDFCRLAVQLTEAIAQISQELMDEEKISCEAESDLVWMEVTGYPHAYSLHFILHTGRGVEGTWTPQAVPHLIQAVQMIQVF

Differential expression patterns of metastasis suppressor proteins in basal cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Bozdogan, Onder; Yulug, Isik G; Vargel, Ibrahim; Cavusoglu, Tarik; Karabulut, Ayse A; Karahan, Gurbet; Sayar, Nilufer

2015-08-01

Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are common malignant skin tumors. Despite having a significant invasion capacity, they metastasize only rarely. Our aim in this study was to detect the expression patterns of the NM23-H1, NDRG1, E-cadherin, RHOGDI2, CD82/KAI1, MKK4, and AKAP12 metastasis suppressor proteins in BCCs. A total of 96 BCC and 10 normal skin samples were included for the immunohistochemical study. Eleven frozen BCC samples were also studied by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect the gene expression profile. NM23-H1 was strongly and diffusely expressed in all types of BCC. Significant cytoplasmic expression of NDRG1 and E-cadherin was also detected. However, AKAP12 and CD82/KAI1 expression was significantly decreased. The expressions of the other proteins were somewhere between the two extremes. Similarly, qRT-PCR analysis showed down-regulation of AKAP12 and up-regulation of NM23-H1 and NDRG1 in BCC. Morphologically aggressive BCCs showed significantly higher cytoplasmic NDRG1 expression scores and lower CD82/KAI1 scores than non-aggressive BCCs. The relatively preserved levels of NM23-H1, NDRG1, and E-cadherin proteins may have a positive effect on the non-metastasizing features of these tumors. © 2014 The International Society of Dermatology.

HHR23A, a human homolog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad23, regulates xeroderma pigmentosum C protein and is required for nucleotide excision repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, Hui-Chuan; Hsieh, Yi-Hsuan; Huang, Yu-Hsin; Shen, Fan-Ching; Tsai, Han-Ni; Tsai, Jui-He; Lai, Yu-Ting; Wang, Yu-Ting; Chuang, Woei-Jer; Huang, Wenya

2005-01-01

HHR23A and hHR23B are the human homologs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad23. hHR23B is associated with the nucleotide excision repair (NER) factor xeroderma pigmentosum C (XPC) protein and is required for global genome repair. The function of hHR23A is not yet clear. In this study, the potential function of the hHR23A protein was investigated using RNA interference techniques. The hHR23A knock-down (KD) construct diminished the RNA level of hHR23A protein by approximately 60%, and it did not interfere with expression of the hHR23B gene. Based on Southwestern immunoblot and host-cell reactivation assays, hHR23A KD cells were found to be deficient in DNA repair activity against the DNA damage caused by UVC irradiation. In these hHR23A KD cells, the XPC gene was not normally induced by UVC irradiation, indicating that the hHR23A protein is involved in NER through regulation of the DNA damage recognition protein XPC. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that hHR23A was associated with a small portion of hHR23B and the majority of p53 protein, indicating that hHR23A regulates the function of XPC by its association with the NER activator p53

On periodic solutions to second-order Duffing type equations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lomtatidze, Alexander; Šremr, Jiří

2018-01-01

Roč. 40, April (2018), s. 215-242 ISSN 1468-1218 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : periodic solution * Duffing type equation * positive solution Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Applied mathematics Impact factor: 1.659, year: 2016 http://www. science direct.com/ science /article/pii/S1468121817301335?via%3Dihub

Nonlinear resonance in Duffing oscillator with fixed and integrative ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2012-03-02

Mar 2, 2012 ... Abstract. We study the nonlinear resonance, one of the fundamental phenomena in nonlinear oscillators, in a damped and periodically-driven Duffing oscillator with two types of time-delayed feedbacks, namely, fixed and integrative. Particularly, we analyse the effect of the time-delay parameter α and the ...

Fault Diagnosis of Broken Rotor Bars in Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor of Hoister Based on Duffing Oscillator and Multifractal Dimension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhike Zhao

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper is to propose a novel fault diagnosis method for broken rotor bars in squirrel-cage induction motor of hoister, which is based on duffing oscillator and multifractal dimension. Firstly, based on the analysis of the structure and performance of modified duffing oscillator, the end of transitional slope from chaotic area to large-scale cycle area is selected as the optimal critical threshold of duffing oscillator by bifurcation diagrams and Lyapunov exponent. Secondly, the phase transformation duffing oscillator from chaos to intermittent chaos is sensitive to the signals, whose frequency difference is quite weak from the reference signal. The spectrums of the largest Lyapunov exponents and bifurcation diagrams of the duffing oscillator are utilized to analyze the variance in different parameters of frequency. Finally, this paper is to analyze the characteristics of both single fractal (box-counting dimension and multifractal and make a comparison between them. Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis is applied to detect extra frequency component of current signal. Experimental results reveal that the method is effective for early detection of broken rotor bars in squirrel-cage induction motor of hoister.

Intragenic suppressor of Osiaa23 revealed a conserved tryptophan residue crucial for protein-protein interactions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Ni

Full Text Available The Auxin/Indole-3-Acetic Acid (Aux/IAA and Auxin Response Factor (ARF are two important families that play key roles in auxin signal transduction. Both of the families contain a similar carboxyl-terminal domain (Domain III/IV that facilitates interactions between these two families. In spite of the importance of protein-protein interactions among these transcription factors, the mechanisms involved in these interactions are largely unknown. In this study, we isolated six intragenic suppressors of an auxin insensitive mutant, Osiaa23. Among these suppressors, Osiaa23-R5 successfully rescued all the defects of the mutant. Sequence analysis revealed that an amino acid substitution occurred in the Tryptophan (W residue in Domain IV of Osiaa23. Yeast two-hybrid experiments showed that the mutation in Domain IV prevents the protein-protein interactions between Osiaa23 and OsARFs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the W residue is conserved in both OsIAAs and OsARFs. Next, we performed site-specific amino acid substitutions within Domain IV of OsARFs, and the conserved W in Domain IV was exchanged by Serine (S. The mutated OsARF(WSs can be released from the inhibition of Osiaa23 and maintain the transcriptional activities. Expression of OsARF(WSs in Osiaa23 mutant rescued different defects of the mutant. Our results suggest a previously unknown importance of Domain IV in both families and provide an indirect way to investigate functions of OsARFs.

Structures of the first representatives of Pfam family PF06684 (DUF1185) reveal a novel variant of the Bacillus chorismate mutase fold and suggest a role in amino-acid metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakolitsa, Constantina; Kumar, Abhinav; Jin, Kevin K.; McMullan, Daniel; Krishna, S. Sri; Miller, Mitchell D.; Abdubek, Polat; Acosta, Claire; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Burra, Prasad; Carlton, Dennis; Chen, Connie; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Clayton, Thomas; Das, Debanu; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Elias, Ylva; Ellrott, Kyle; Ernst, Dustin; Farr, Carol L.; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C.; Grzechnik, Anna; Grzechnik, Slawomir K.; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Johnson, Hope A.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Marciano, David; Morse, Andrew T.; Murphy, Kevin D.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Nopakun, Amanda; Okach, Linda; Paulsen, Jessica; Puckett, Christina; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Sefcovic, Natasha; Tien, Henry J.; Trame, Christine B.; Trout, Christina V.; Bedem, Henry van den; Weekes, Dana; White, Aprilfawn; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Elsliger, Marc-Andre; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.

2010-01-01

Structures of the first representatives of PF06684 (DUF1185) reveal a Bacillus chorismate mutase-like fold with a potential role in amino-acid synthesis. The crystal structures of BB2672 and SPO0826 were determined to resolutions of 1.7 and 2.1 Å by single-wavelength anomalous dispersion and multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion, respectively, using the semi-automated high-throughput pipeline of the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) as part of the NIGMS Protein Structure Initiative (PSI). These proteins are the first structural representatives of the PF06684 (DUF1185) Pfam family. Structural analysis revealed that both structures adopt a variant of the Bacillus chorismate mutase fold (BCM). The biological unit of both proteins is a hexamer and analysis of homologs indicates that the oligomer interface residues are highly conserved. The conformation of the critical regions for oligomerization appears to be dependent on pH or salt concentration, suggesting that this protein might be subject to environmental regulation. Structural similarities to BCM and genome-context analysis suggest a function in amino-acid synthesis

Structure-guided functional characterization of DUF1460 reveals a highly specific NlpC/P60 amidase family.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qingping; Mengin-Lecreulx, Dominique; Patin, Delphine; Grant, Joanna C; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Knuth, Mark W; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A; Elsliger, Marc-André; Deacon, Ashley M; Wilson, Ian A

2014-12-02

GlcNAc-1,6-anhydro-MurNAc-tetrapeptide is a major peptidoglycan degradation intermediate and a cytotoxin. It is generated by lytic transglycosylases and further degraded and recycled by various enzymes. We have identified and characterized a highly specific N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase (AmiA) from Bacteroides uniformis, a member of the DUF1460 protein family, that hydrolyzes GlcNAc-1,6-anhydro-MurNAc-peptide into disaccharide and stem peptide. The high-resolution apo structure at 1.15 Å resolution shows that AmiA is related to NlpC/P60 γ-D-Glu-meso-diaminopimelic acid amidases and shares a common catalytic core and cysteine peptidase-like active site. AmiA has evolved structural adaptations that reconfigure the substrate recognition site. The preferred substrates for AmiA were predicted in silico based on structural and bioinformatics data, and subsequently were characterized experimentally. Further crystal structures of AmiA in complexes with GlcNAc-1,6-anhydro-MurNAc and GlcNAc have enabled us to elucidate substrate recognition and specificity. DUF1460 is highly conserved in structure and defines another amidase family. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slackline dynamics and the Helmholtz-Duffing oscillator

Science.gov (United States)

Athanasiadis, Panos J.

2018-01-01

Slacklining is a new, rapidly expanding sport, and understanding its physics is paramount for maximizing fun and safety. Yet, compared to other sports, very little has been published so far on slackline dynamics. The equations of motion describing a slackline are fundamentally nonlinear, and assuming linear elasticity, they lead to a form of the Duffing equation. Following this approach, characteristic examples of slackline motion are simulated, including trickline bouncing, leash falls and longline surfing. The time-dependent solutions of the differential equations describing the system are acquired by numerical integration. A simple form of energy dissipation (linear drag) is added in some cases. It is recognized in this study that geometric nonlinearity is a fundamental aspect characterizing the dynamics of slacklines. Sports, and particularly slackline, is an excellent way of engaging young people with physics. A slackline is a simple yet insightful example of a nonlinear oscillator. It is very easy to model in the laboratory, as well as to rig and try on a university campus. For instructive purposes, its behaviour can be explored by numerically integrating the respective equations of motion. A form of the Duffing equation emerges naturally in the analysis and provides a powerful introduction to nonlinear dynamics. The material is suitable for graduate students and undergraduates with a background in classical mechanics and differential equations.

Nucleophosmin/B23 is a proliferate shuttle protein associated with nuclear matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Jing-Ping; Chew, Eng Ching; Liew, Choong-Tsek; Chan, John Y H; Jin, Mei-Lin; Ding, Ming-Xiao; Fai, Yam Hin; Li, H K Richard; Liang, Xiao-Man; Wu, Qiu-Liang

2003-12-15

It has become obvious that a better understanding and potential elucidation of the nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 involving in functional interrelationship between nuclear organization and gene expression. In present study, protein B23 expression were investigated in the regenerative hepatocytes at different periods (at days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7) during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy on the rats with immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Another experiment was done with immunolabeling methods and two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis for identification of B23 in the regenerating hepatocytes and HepG2 cells (hepatoblastoma cell line) after sequential extraction with detergents, nuclease, and salt. The results showed that its expression in the hepatocytes had a locative move and quantitative change during the process of liver regeneration post-operation. Its immunochemical localization in the hepatocytes during the process showed that it moved from nucleoli of the hepatocytes in the stationary stage to nucleoplasm, cytoplasm, mitotic spindles, and mitotic chromosomes of the hepatocytes in the regenerating livers. It was quantitatively increased progressively to peak level at day 3 post-operation and declined gradually to normal level at day 7. It was detected in nuclear matrix protein (NMP) composition extracted from the regenerating hepatocytes and HepG2 cells and identified with isoelectric point (pI) value of 5.1 and molecular weight of 40 kDa. These results indicated that B23 was a proliferate shuttle protein involving in cell cycle and cell proliferation associated with nuclear matrix. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Partly Duffing Oscillator Stochastic Resonance Method and Its Application on Mechanical Fault Diagnosis

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Jian Dang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Due to the fact that the slight fault signals in early failure of mechanical system are usually submerged in heavy background noise, it is unfeasible to extract the weak fault feature via the traditional vibration analysis. Stochastic resonance (SR, as a method of utilizing noise to amplify weak signals in nonlinear dynamical systems, can detect weak signals overwhelmed in the noise. However, based on the analysis of the impact of noise intensity on SR effect, it is concluded that the detection results are dramatically limited by the noise intensity of measured signals, especially for incipient fault feature of mechanical system with poor working environment. Therefore, this paper proposes a partly Duffing oscillator SR method to extract the fault feature of mechanical system. In this method, to locate the appearance of weak fault feature and decrease noise intensity, the permutation entropy index is constructed to select the measured signals for the input of Duffing oscillator system. Then, according to the regulation of system parameters, a reasonable match between the selected signals and Duffing oscillator model is achieved to produce a SR phenomenon and realize the fault diagnosis of mechanical system. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a better effect on the fault diagnosis of mechanical system.

The SNARE protein SNAP23 and the SNARE-interacting protein Munc18c in human skeletal muscle are implicated in insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boström, Pontus; Andersson, Linda; Vind, Birgitte

2010-01-01

/cytosolic compartment in the patients with the type 2 diabetes. Expression of the SNARE-interacting protein Munc18c was higher in skeletal muscle from patients with type 2 diabetes. Studies in L6 cells showed that Munc18c promoted the expression of SNAP23. CONCLUSIONS: We have translated our previous in vitro results......OBJECTIVE: Our previous studies suggest that the SNARE protein synaptosomal-associated protein of 23 kDa (SNAP23) is involved in the link between increased lipid levels and insulin resistance in cardiomyocytes. The objective was to determine whether SNAP23 may also be involved in the known...... association between lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle and insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes in humans, as well as to identify a potential regulator of SNAP23. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We analyzed skeletal muscle biopsies from patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy, insulin-sensitive control...

Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2 specifically induces expression of the B-cell activation antigen CD23

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, F.; Gregory, C.D.; Rowe, M.; Rickinson, A.B.; Wang, D.; Birkenbach, M.; Kikutani, H.; Kishimoto, T.; Kieff, E.

1987-01-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of EBV-negative Burkitt lymphoma (BL) cells includes some changes similar to those seen in normal B lymphocytes that have been growth transformed by EBV. The role of individual EBV genes in this process was evaluated by introducing each of the viral genes that are normally expressed in EBV growth-transformed and latently infected lymphoblasts into an EBV-negative BL cell line, using recombinant retrovirus-mediated transfer. Clones of cells were derived that stably express the EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1), EBNA-2, EBNA-3, EBNA-leader protein, or EBV latent membrane protein (LMP). These were compared with control clones infected with the retrovirus vector. All 10 clones converted to EBNA-2 expression differed from control clones or clones expressing other EBV proteins by growth in tight clumps and by markedly increased expression of one particular surface marker of B-cell activation, CD23. Other activation antigens were unaffected by EBNA-2 expression, as were markers already expressed on the parent BL cell line. The results indicate that EBNA-2 is a specific direct or indirect trans-activator of CD23. This establishes a link between an EBV gene and cell gene expression. Since CD23 has been implicated in the transduction of B-cell growth signals, its specific induction by EBNA-2 could be important in EBV induction of B-lymphocyte transformation

B23/nucleophosmin interacts with bovine immunodeficiency virus Rev protein and facilitates viral replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Passos-Castilho, Ana Maria; Marchand, Claude; Archambault, Denis

2018-02-01

The bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) Rev shuttling protein contains nuclear/nucleolar localization signals and nuclear import/export mechanisms that are novel among lentivirus Rev proteins. Several viral proteins localize to the nucleolus, which may play a role in processes that are essential to the outcome of viral replication. Although BIV Rev localizes to the nucleoli of transfected/infected cells and colocalizes with one of its major proteins, nucleophosmin (NPM1, also known as B23), the role of the nucleolus and B23 in BIV replication remains to be determined. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that BIV Rev interacts with nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 in cells. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology, we show that depletion of B23 expression inhibits virus production by BIV-infected cells, indicating that B23 plays an important role in BIV replication. The interaction between Rev and B23 may represent a potential new target for the development of antiviral drugs against lentiviruses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The structure of BVU2987 from Bacteroides vulgatus reveals a superfamily of bacterial periplasmic proteins with possible inhibitory function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Debanu; Finn, Robert D.; Carlton, Dennis; Miller, Mitchell D.; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Chen, Connie; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Chiu, Michelle; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Ellrott, Kyle; Ernst, Dustin; Farr, Carol L.; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C.; Grzechnik, Anna; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Krishna, S. Sri; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; McMullan, Daniel; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Nopakun, Amanda; Okach, Linda; Puckett, Christina; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Sefcovic, Natasha; Tien, Henry J.; Trame, Christine B.; Bedem, Henry van den; Weekes, Dana; Wooten, Tiffany; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Elsliger, Marc-André; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.

2010-01-01

The crystal structure of the BVU2987 gene product from B. vulgatus (UniProt A6L4L1) reveals that members of the new Pfam family PF11396 (domain of unknown function; DUF2874) are similar to β-lactamase inhibitor protein and YpmB. Proteins that contain the DUF2874 domain constitute a new Pfam family PF11396. Members of this family have predominantly been identified in microbes found in the human gut and oral cavity. The crystal structure of one member of this family, BVU2987 from Bacteroides vulgatus, has been determined, revealing a β-lactamase inhibitor protein-like structure with a tandem repeat of domains. Sequence analysis and structural comparisons reveal that BVU2987 and other DUF2874 proteins are related to β-lactamase inhibitor protein, PepSY and SmpA-OmlA proteins and hence are likely to function as inhibitory proteins

Relationship of Abortion and the Expression of Indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase (IDO) in Villus and Syncytiotrophoblasts

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2005-01-01

Objective To study the relationship of abortion and the expression of indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase (IDO) in villus and syncytiotrophoblast in vitro.Methods RT-PCR was applied to analyze the mRNA transcription of IDO in villus of normal pregnancy and inevitable abortion and JAR cells as well. Immunohistochemistry was applied to analyze the expression of IDO protein in villus. Western blot was applied to determinate the expression of IDO protein on cultured syncytiotrophoblast. Highperformance liquid chromatography was applied to determinate whether there was kynurenine in cell culture medium of syncytiotrophoblast.Results The expression of IDO mRNA and protein in villus of inevitable abortion was lower than that of normal pregnancy; IDO mRNA did not express in JAR cells. IDO protein expressed on cultured syncytiotrophoblast, and there was kynurenine in cell culture medium of syncytiotrophoblast.Conclusion Appropriate expression of IDO in villus is necessary for maintenance of normal pregnancy and an active IDO protein expresses in syncytiotrophoblast.

Correlations between RNA and protein expression profiles in 23 human cell lines

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Pontén Fredrik

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Central Dogma of biology holds, in famously simplified terms, that DNA makes RNA makes proteins, but there is considerable uncertainty regarding the general, genome-wide correlation between levels of RNA and corresponding proteins. Therefore, to assess degrees of this correlation we compared the RNA profiles (determined using both cDNA- and oligo-based microarrays and protein profiles (determined immunohistochemically in tissue microarrays of 1066 gene products in 23 human cell lines. Results A high mean correlation coefficient (0.52 was obtained from the pairwise comparison of RNA levels determined by the two platforms. Significant correlations, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.445, between protein and RNA levels were also obtained for a third of the specific gene products. However, the correlation coefficients between levels of RNA and protein products of specific genes varied widely, and the mean correlations between the protein and corresponding RNA levels determined using the cDNA- and oligo-based microarrays were 0.25 and 0.20, respectively. Conclusion Significant correlations were found in one third of the examined RNA species and corresponding proteins. These results suggest that RNA profiling might provide indirect support to antibodies' specificity, since whenever a evident correlation between the RNA and protein profiles exists, this can sustain that the antibodies used in the immunoassay recognized their cognate antigens.

Monotonous property of non-oscillations of the damped Duffing's equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Zhaosheng

2006-01-01

In this paper, we give a qualitative study to the damped Duffing's equation by means of the qualitative theory of planar systems. Under certain parametric conditions, the monotonous property of the bounded non-oscillations is obtained. Explicit exact solutions are obtained by a direct method and application of this approach to a reaction-diffusion equation is presented

Protein (Cyanobacteria): 438962 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available YP_007108482.1 1117:25386 1150:6507 63132:985 1173025:985 Protein of unknown function DUF2605 Geit...lerinema sp. PCC 7407 MFSSDLPEPDLLKTVLLPLLEDFQYWFGRSRSLLESEEITFLSQDQQADLLARVCQAQQEVMAAQALFNATDGQVGVETAALMPWHQLVTECWQVGMRLRTEKSRS ...

Protein (Cyanobacteria): 343318 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available YP_007108232.1 1117:12067 1150:5751 63132:801 1173025:801 protein of unknown function DUF520 Geit...lerinema sp. PCC 7407 MASTYSFDIVSDFDRQELVNAIDQTTREIGTRYDLKDTKTTLELGEDEITVNTDSEFTLTAVHTILQTKAAK

Stochastic chaos in a Duffing oscillator and its control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Cunli; Lei Youming; Fang Tong

2006-01-01

Stochastic chaos discussed here means a kind of chaotic responses in a Duffing oscillator with bounded random parameters under harmonic excitations. A system with random parameters is usually called a stochastic system. The modifier 'stochastic' here implies dependent on some random parameter. As the system itself is stochastic, so is the response, even under harmonic excitations alone. In this paper stochastic chaos and its control are verified by the top Lyapunov exponent of the system. A non-feedback control strategy is adopted here by adding an adjustable noisy phase to the harmonic excitation, so that the control can be realized by adjusting the noise level. It is found that by this control strategy stochastic chaos can be tamed down to the small neighborhood of a periodic trajectory or an equilibrium state. In the analysis the stochastic Duffing oscillator is first transformed into an equivalent deterministic nonlinear system by the Gegenbauer polynomial approximation, so that the problem of controlling stochastic chaos can be reduced into the problem of controlling deterministic chaos in the equivalent system. Then the top Lyapunov exponent of the equivalent system is obtained by Wolf's method to examine the chaotic behavior of the response. Numerical simulations show that the random phase control strategy is an effective way to control stochastic chaos

Generation and Evolution of Chaos in Double-Well Duffing Oscillator under Parametrical Excitation

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Ying Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The generation and evolution of chaotic motion in double-well Duffing oscillator under harmonic parametrical excitation are investigated. Firstly, the complex dynamical behaviors are studied by applying multibifurcation diagram and Poincaré sections. Secondly, by means of Melnikov’s approach, the threshold value of parameter μ for generation of chaotic behavior in Smale horseshoe sense is calculated. By the numerical simulation, it is obvious that as μ exceeds this threshold value, the behavior of Duffing oscillator is still steady-state periodic but the transient motion is chaotic; until the top Lyapunov exponent turns to positive, the motion of system turns to permanent chaos. Therefore, in order to gain an insight into the evolution of chaotic behavior after μ passing the threshold value, the transient motion, basin of attraction, and basin boundary are also investigated.

Effects of phase lag on the information rate of a bistable Duffing oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, Edmon; Balachandran, Balakumar

2015-01-01

To utilize noise for systems, which are transmitting or receiving information, the information rate is a necessary metric to consider. The phase lag, which is the difference between the sender (applied forcing) and receiver (the oscillator) phases, has a significant effect on the information rate. However, this phase lag is a nonlinear function of the noise level. Here, the effects of phase lag on the information rate for a Duffing oscillator are examined and comparative discussions are made with phase lag from linear response theory. The phase lag is shown to be an important variable in calculating the information rate. - Highlights: • Simulations and Fokker–Planck analysis for Duffing oscillator response are performed. • The phase lag is found to be a nonlinear function of the noise level. • The phase lag is shown to be important for calculating the information rate metric

Effects of phase lag on the information rate of a bistable Duffing oscillator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perkins, Edmon, E-mail: edmon@umd.edu; Balachandran, Balakumar, E-mail: balab@umd.edu

2015-02-06

To utilize noise for systems, which are transmitting or receiving information, the information rate is a necessary metric to consider. The phase lag, which is the difference between the sender (applied forcing) and receiver (the oscillator) phases, has a significant effect on the information rate. However, this phase lag is a nonlinear function of the noise level. Here, the effects of phase lag on the information rate for a Duffing oscillator are examined and comparative discussions are made with phase lag from linear response theory. The phase lag is shown to be an important variable in calculating the information rate. - Highlights: • Simulations and Fokker–Planck analysis for Duffing oscillator response are performed. • The phase lag is found to be a nonlinear function of the noise level. • The phase lag is shown to be important for calculating the information rate metric.

Steady-state mechanical squeezing and ground-state cooling of a Duffing anharmonic oscillator in an optomechanical cavity assisted by a nonlinear medium

Science.gov (United States)

Momeni, F.; Naderi, M. H.

2018-05-01

In this paper, we study theoretically a hybrid optomechanical system consisting of a degenerate optical parametric amplifier inside a driven optical cavity with a moving end mirror which is modeled as a stiffening Duffing-like anharmonic quantum mechanical oscillator. By providing analytical expressions for the critical values of the system parameters corresponding to the emergence of the multistability behavior in the steady-state response of the system, we show that the stiffening mechanical Duffing anharmonicity reduces the width of the multistability region while the optical parametric nonlinearity can be exploited to drive the system toward the multistability region. We also show that for appropriate values of the mechanical anharmonicity strength the steady-state mechanical squeezing and the ground-state cooling of the mechanical resonator can be achieved. Moreover, we find that the presence of the nonlinear gain medium can lead to the improvement of the mechanical anharmonicity-induced cooling of the mechanical motion, as well as to the mechanical squeezing beyond the standard quantum limit of 3 dB.

Reduced expression of exocytotic proteins caused by anti-cholinesterase pesticides in Brachionus calyciflorus (Rotifera: Monogononta

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IA Pérez-Legaspi

Full Text Available AbstractThe organophosphate and carbamate pesticides methyl-parathion and carbaryl have a common action mechanism: they inhibit acetylcholinesterase enzyme by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses. However, they can alter the expression of exocytotic membrane proteins (SNARE, by modifying release of neurotransmitters and other substances. This study evaluated the adverse effects of the pesticides methyl-parathion and carbaryl on expression of SNARE proteins: Syntaxin-1, Syntaxin-4 and SNAP-23 in freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Protein expression of these three proteins was analyzed before and after exposure to these two pesticides by Western Blot. The expression of Syntaxin-1, Syntaxin-4 and SNAP-23 proteins in B. calyciflorussignificantly decreases with increasing concentration of either pesticides. This suggests that organophosphates and carbamates have adverse effects on expression of membrane proteins of exocytosis by altering the recognition, docking and fusion of presynaptic and vesicular membranes involved in exocytosis of neurotransmitters. Our results demonstrate that the neurotoxic effect of anticholinesterase pesticides influences the interaction of syntaxins and SNAP-25 and the proper assembly of the SNARE complex.

Calcium affecting protein expression in longan under simulated acid rain stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Tengfei; Li, Yongyu; Ma, Cuilan; Qiu, Dongliang

2015-08-01

Longan (Dimocarpus longana Lour. cv. Wulongling) of uniform one-aged seedlings grown in pots were selected to study specific proteins expressed in leaves under simulated acid rain (SiAR) stress and exogenous Ca(2+) regulation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results showed that there was a protein band specifically expressed under SiAR of pH 2.5 stress for 15 days with its molecular weight of about 23 kD. A 17 kD protein band specifically expressed after SiAR stress 5 days. Compared with pH 2.5, the pH 3.5 of SiAR made a less influence to protein expression. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) results showed that six new specific proteins including C4 (20.2 kD pI 6.0), F (24 kD pI 6.35), B3 (22.3 kD pI 6.35), B4 (23.5 kD pI 6.5), C5 (21.8 kD pI 5.6), and C6 (20.2 kD pI 5.6) specifically expressed. C4 always expressed during SiAR stress. F expressed under the stress of pH 2.5 for 15 days and expressed in all pH SiAR stress for 20 days. The expression of proteins including B3, C5, and C6 was related to pH value and stress intensity of SiAR. The expression of B4 resulted from synergistic effects of SiAR and Ca. The expression of G1 (Mr 19.3 kD, pI 4.5), G2 (Mr 17.8 kD, pI 4.65), G3 (Mr 16.6 kD, pI 4.6), and G4 (Mr 14.7 kD, pI 4.4) enhanced under the treatment of 5 mM ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and 2 mM chlorpromazine (CPZ). These proteins showed antagonistic effects and might be relative to the Ca-calmodulin (Ca-CaM) system of longan in response to SiAR stress.

Complex dynamics in Duffing-Van der Pol equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Zhujun; Yang, Zhiyan; Jiang Tao

2006-01-01

Duffing-Van der Pol equation with fifth nonlinear-restoring force and two external forcing terms is investigated. The threshold values of existence of chaotic motion are obtained under the periodic perturbation. By second-order averaging method and Melnikov method, we prove the criterion of existence of chaos in averaged system under quasi-periodic perturbation for ω 2 nω 1 + εσ, n = 1, 3, 5, and cannot prove the criterion of existence of chaos in second-order averaged system under quasi-periodic perturbation for ω 2 = nω 1 + εσ, n = 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, where σ is not rational to ω 1 , but can show the occurrence of chaos in original system by numerical simulation. Numerical simulations including heteroclinic and homoclinic bifurcation surfaces, bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponent, phase portraits and Poincare map, not only show the consistence with the theoretical analysis but also exhibit the more new complex dynamical behaviors. We show that cascades of interlocking period-doubling and reverse period-doubling bifurcations from period-2 to -4 and -6 orbits, interleaving occurrence of chaotic behaviors and quasi-periodic orbits, transient chaos with a great abundance of period windows, symmetry-breaking of periodic orbits in chaotic regions, onset of chaos which occurs more than one, chaos suddenly disappearing to period orbits, interior crisis, strange non-chaotic attractor, non-attracting chaotic set and nice chaotic attractors. Our results show many dynamical behaviors and some of them are strictly departure from the behaviors of Duffing-Van der Pol equation with a cubic nonlinear-restoring force and one external forcing

Production of soluble mammalian proteins in Escherichia coli: identification of protein features that correlate with successful expression

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Perera Rajika L

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the search for generic expression strategies for mammalian protein families several bacterial expression vectors were examined for their ability to promote high yields of soluble protein. Proteins studied included cell surface receptors (Ephrins and Eph receptors, CD44, kinases (EGFR-cytoplasmic domain, CDK2 and 4, proteases (MMP1, CASP2, signal transduction proteins (GRB2, RAF1, HRAS and transcription factors (GATA2, Fli1, Trp53, Mdm2, JUN, FOS, MAD, MAX. Over 400 experiments were performed where expression of 30 full-length proteins and protein domains were evaluated with 6 different N-terminal and 8 C-terminal fusion partners. Expression of an additional set of 95 mammalian proteins was also performed to test the conclusions of this study. Results Several protein features correlated with soluble protein expression yield including molecular weight and the number of contiguous hydrophobic residues and low complexity regions. There was no relationship between successful expression and protein pI, grand average of hydropathicity (GRAVY, or sub-cellular location. Only small globular cytoplasmic proteins with an average molecular weight of 23 kDa did not require a solubility enhancing tag for high level soluble expression. Thioredoxin (Trx and maltose binding protein (MBP were the best N-terminal protein fusions to promote soluble expression, but MBP was most effective as a C-terminal fusion. 63 of 95 mammalian proteins expressed at soluble levels of greater than 1 mg/l as N-terminal H10-MBP fusions and those that failed possessed, on average, a higher molecular weight and greater number of contiguous hydrophobic amino acids and low complexity regions. Conclusions By analysis of the protein features identified here, this study will help predict which mammalian proteins and domains can be successfully expressed in E. coli as soluble product and also which are best targeted for a eukaryotic expression system. In some cases

Expression of Fgf23 in activated dendritic cells and macrophages in response to immunological stimuli in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Masuda, Yuki; Ohta, Hiroya; Morita, Yumiko; Nakayama, Yoshiaki; Miyake, Ayumi; Itoh, Nobuyuki; Konishi, Morichika

2015-01-01

Fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) are polypeptide growth factors with diverse biological activities. While several studies have revealed that Fgf23 plays important roles in the regulation of phosphate and vitamin D metabolism, the additional physiological roles of Fgf23 remain unclear. Although it is believed that osteoblasts/osteocytes are the main sources of Fgf23, we previously found that Fgf23 mRNA is also expressed in the mouse thymus, suggesting that it might be involved in the immune system. In this study we examined the potential roles of Fgf23 in immunological responses. Mouse serum Fgf23 levels were significantly increased following inoculation with Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus or intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide. We also identified activated dendritic cells and macrophages that potentially contributed to increased serum Fgf23 levels. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling was essential for the induction of Fgf23 expression in dendritic cells in response to immunological stimuli. Moreover, we examined the effects of recombinant Fgf23 protein on immune cells in vitro. Fgfr1c, a potential receptor for Fgf23, was abundantly expressed in macrophages, suggesting that Fgf23 might be involved in signal transduction in these cells. Our data suggest that Fgf23 potentially increases the number in macrophages and induces expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a proinflammatory cytokine. Collectively, these data suggest that Fgf23 might be intimately involved in inflammatory processes.

Prognostic significance of miR-23b in combination with P-gp, MRP and LRP/MVP expression in non-small cell lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Janikova, M; Zizkova, V; Skarda, J; Kharaishvili, G; Radova, L; Kolar, Z

2016-01-01

Recently, miR-23b has emerged as a promising new cancer biomarker but its role in lung cancer has not been established yet. Patients still do not respond well to available treatments, probably due to expression of multidrug resistance (MDR) proteins, such as P-gp, MRP and LRP/MVP. The aim of this study was to determine the role of miR-23b in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relationship to the patient outcome together with MDR transporter proteins. We immunohistochemically evaluated expression of P-gp, MRP and LRP/MVP and quantified the relative levels of miR-23b in 62 NSCLC patients´ samples. The prognostic significance of miR-23b and MDR proteins was tested by Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analysis. Our results showed that miR-23b is mostly downregulated in NSCLC samples (57/62) and that its upregulation in tumors is connected with longer progression-free survival (PFS; P = 0.065) and overall survival (OS; P = 0.048). The Cox proportional hazard model revealed that the risk of death or relapse in NSCLC patients with miR-23b downregulation increases together with LRP/MVP expression and both risks decrease with miR-23b upregulation (HRPFS = 4.342, PPFS = 0.022; HROS = 4.408, POS = 0.015). Our findings indicate that miR-23b, especially in combination with LRP/MVP expression, might serve as a suitable prognostic biomarker for NSCLC patients.

Stochastic Effects for the Reaction-Duffing Equation with Wick-Type Product

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Jin Hyuk Choi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We construct new explicit solutions of the Wick-type stochastic reaction-Duffing equation arising from mathematical physics with the help of the white noise theory and the system technique. Based on these exact solutions, we also discuss the influences of stochastic effects for dynamical behaviors according to functions h1(t, h2(t, and Brownian motion B(t which are the solitary wave group velocities.

Application of the Laplace-Borel transformation to the representation of analytical solutions of Duffing's equation

Science.gov (United States)

Truong, K. V.; Unal, Aynur; Tobak, M.

1989-01-01

Various features of the solutions of Duffing's equation are described using a representation of the solutions in the Laplace-Borel transform domain. An application of this technique is illustrated for the symmetry-breaking bifurcation of a hard spring.

Perturbation Solutions of the Quintic Duffing Equation with Strong Nonlinearities

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Mehmet Pakdemirli

Full Text Available The quintic Duffing equation with strong nonlinearities is considered. Perturbation solutions are constructed using two different techniques: The classical multiple scales method (MS and the newly developed multiple scales Lindstedt Poincare method (MSLP. The validity criteria for admissible solutions are derived. Both approximate solutions are contrasted with the numerical solutions. It is found that MSLP provides compatible solution with the numerical solution for strong nonlinearities whereas MS solution fail to produce physically acceptable solution for large perturbation parameters.

Evaluation of the Autoparametric Pendulum Vibration Absorber for a Duffing System

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Benjamın Vazquez-Gonzalez

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In this work we study the frequency and dynamic response of a damped Duffing system attached to a parametrically excited pendulum vibration absorber. The multiple scales method is applied to get the autoparametric resonance conditions and the results are compared with a similar application of a pendulum absorber for a linear primary system. The approximate frequency analysis reveals that the nonlinear dynamics of the externally excited system are suppressed by the pendulum absorber and, under this condition, the primary Duffing system yields a time response almost equivalent to that obtained for a linear primary system, although the absorber frequency response is drastically modified and affected by the cubic stiffness, thus modifying the jumps defined by the fixed points. In the absorber frequency response can be appreciated a good absorption capability for certain ranges of nonlinear stiffness and the internal coupling is maintained by the existing damping between the pendulum and the primary system. Moreover, the stability of the coupled system is also affected by some extra fixed points introduced by the cubic stiffness, which is illustrated with several amplitude-force responses. Some numerical simulations of the approximate frequency responses and dynamic behavior are performed to show the steady-state and transient responses.

Renal expression of FGF23 in progressive renal disease of diabetes and the effect of ACE inhibitor.

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Cristina Zanchi

Full Text Available Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23 is a phosphaturic hormone mainly produced by bone that acts in the kidney through FGF receptors and Klotho. Here we investigated whether the kidney was an additional source of FGF23 during renal disease using a model of type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Renal expression of FGF23 and Klotho was assessed in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF and control lean rats at 2, 4, 6, 8 months of age. To evaluate whether the renoprotective effect of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE inhibitor in this model was associated with changes in FGF23 and Klotho, ZDF rats received ramipril from 4, when proteinuric, to 8 months of age. FGF23 mRNA was not detectable in the kidney of lean rats, nor of ZDF rats at 2 months of age. FGF23 became measurable in the kidney of diabetic rats at 4 months and significantly increased thereafter. FGF23 protein localized in proximal and distal tubules. Renal Klotho mRNA and protein decreased during time in ZDF rats. As renal disease progressed, serum phosphate levels increased in parallel with decline of fractional phosphorus excretion. Ramipril limited proteinuria and renal injury, attenuated renal FGF23 upregulation and ameliorated Klotho expression. Ramipril normalized serum phosphate levels and tended to increase fractional phosphorus excretion. These data indicate that during progressive renal disease the kidney is a site of FGF23 production which is limited by ACE inhibition. Interfering pharmacologically with the delicate balance of FGF23 and phosphorus in diabetes may have implications in clinics.

Expression profiling of Ribosomal Protein gene family in dehydration stress responses and characterization of transgenic rice plants overexpressing RPL23A for water-use efficiency and tolerance to drought and salt stresses

Science.gov (United States)

Moin, Mazahar; Bakshi, Achala; Madhav, M. S.; Kirti, P. B.

2017-11-01

Our previous findings on the screening of a large-pool of activation tagged rice plants grown under limited water conditions revealed the activation of Ribosomal Protein Large (RPL) subunit genes, RPL6 and RPL23A in two mutants that exhibited high water-use efficiency (WUE) with the genes getting activated by the integrated 4x enhancers (Moin et al., 2016a). In continuation of these findings, we have comprehensively characterized the Ribosomal Protein (RP) gene family including both small (RPS) and large (RPL) subunits, which have been identified to be encoded by at least 70 representative genes; RP-genes exist as multiple expressed copies with high nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarity. The differential expression of all the representative genes in rice was performed under limited water and drought conditions at progressive time intervals in the present study. More than 50% of the RP genes were upregulated in both shoot and root tissues. Some of them exhibited an overlap in the upregulation under both the treatments indicating that they might have a common role in inducing tolerance under limited water and drought conditions. Among the genes that became significantly upregulated in both the tissues and under both the treatments are RPL6, 7, 23A, 24 and 31 and RPS4, 10 and 18a. To further validate the role of RP genes in WUE and inducing tolerance to other stresses, we have raised transgenic plants overexpressing RPL23A in rice. The high expression lines of RPL23A exhibited low Δ13C, increased quantum efficiency along with suitable growth and yield parameters with respect to negative control under the conditions of limited water availability. The constitutive expression of RPL23A was also associated with transcriptional upregulation of many other RPL and RPS genes. The seedlings of RPL23A high expression lines also showed a significant increase in fresh weight, root length, proline and chlorophyll contents under simulated drought and salt stresses. Taken

Altered Osteocyte-Specific Protein Expression in Bone after Childhood Solid Organ Transplantation.

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Pereira, Renata C; Valta, Helena; Tumber, Navdeep; Salusky, Isidro B; Jalanko, Hannu; Mäkitie, Outi; Wesseling Perry, Katherine

2015-01-01

Bone fragility is common post solid organ transplantation but little is known about bone pathology on a tissue level. Abnormal osteocytic protein expression has been linked to compromised bone health in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and immunosuppressant medications may impact osteocyte function. Transiliac bone biopsies were obtained from 22 pediatric solid organ allograft recipients (average age 15.6 years) an average of 6.3 ± 1.2 years after transplantation and from 12 pediatric pre-dialysis CKD patients (average age 13.2 years). Histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry for FGF23, DMP1, sclerostin, and osteopontin were performed on all biopsies. FGF23 and sclerostin were increased in transplant recipients relative to non-transplant CKD, regardless of the type of allograft received and despite, in the case of liver and heart recipients, a higher GFR. Bone DMP1 expression was higher in liver or heart than in kidney recipients, concomitant with higher serum phosphate values. Osteopontin expression was higher in CKD than in transplant recipients (pBone FGF23 and sclerostin correlated directly (r = 0.38, pbone FGF23 expression and osteoid thickness correlated inversely (r = - 0.46, ptransplantation is associated with increased FGF23 and sclerostin expression. The contribution of these findings to compromised bone health post transplantation warrants further evaluation.

Evolved Escherichia coli strains for amplified, functional expression of membrane proteins.

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Gul, Nadia; Linares, Daniel M; Ho, Franz Y; Poolman, Bert

2014-01-09

The major barrier to the physical characterization and structure determination of membrane proteins is low protein yield and/or low functionality in recombinant expression. The enteric bacterium Escherichia coli is the most widely employed organism for producing recombinant proteins. Beside several advantages of this expression host, one major drawback is that the protein of interest does not always adopt its native conformation and may end up in large insoluble aggregates. We describe a robust strategy to increase the likelihood of overexpressing membrane proteins in a functional state. The method involves fusion in tandem of green fluorescent protein and the erythromycin resistance protein (23S ribosomal RNA adenine N-6 methyltransferase, ErmC) to the C-terminus of a target membrane protein. The fluorescence of green fluorescent protein is used to report the folding state of the target protein, whereas ErmC is used to select for increased expression. By gradually increasing the erythromycin concentration of the medium and testing different membrane protein targets, we obtained a number of evolved strains of which four (NG2, NG3, NG5 and NG6) were characterized and their genome was fully sequenced. Strikingly, each of the strains carried a mutation in the hns gene, whose product is involved in genome organization and transcriptional silencing. The degree of expression of (membrane) proteins correlates with the severity of the hns mutation, but cells in which hns was deleted showed an intermediate expression performance. We propose that (partial) removal of the transcriptional silencing mechanism changes the levels of proteins essential for the functional overexpression of membrane proteins. © 2013.

Application of He’s Energy Balance Method to Duffing-Harmonic Oscillators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Momeni, M.; Jamshidi, j.; Barari, Amin

2011-01-01

In this article, He's energy balance method is applied for calculating angular frequencies of nonlinear Duffing oscillators. This method offers a promising approach by constructing a Hamiltonian for the nonlinear oscillator. We illustrate that the energy balance is very effective and convenient...... and does not require linearization or small perturbation. Contrary to the conventional methods, in energy balance, only one iteration leads to high accuracy of the solutions. It is predicted that the energy balance method finds wide applications in engineering problems....

Clinical significance of altered nm23-H1, EGFR, RB and p53 expression in bilharzial bladder cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khaled, Hussein M; Bahnassy, Abeer A; Raafat, Amira A; Zekri, Abdel-Rahman N; Madboul, Maha S; Mokhtar, Nadia M

2009-01-01

Clinical characterization of bladder carcinomas is still inadequate using the standard clinico-pathological prognostic markers. We assessed the correlation between nm23-H1, Rb, EGFR and p53 in relation to the clinical outcome of patients with muscle invasive bilharzial bladder cancer (MI-BBC). nm23-H1, Rb, EGFR and p53 expression was assessed in 59 MI-BBC patients using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription (RT-PCR) and was correlated to the standard clinico-pathological prognostic factors, patient's outcome and the overall survival (OS) rate. Overexpression of EGFR and p53 proteins was detected in 66.1% and 35.6%; respectively. Loss of nm23-H1and Rb proteins was detected in 42.4% and 57.6%; respectively. Increased EGFR and loss of nm23-H1 RNA were detected in 61.5% and 36.5%; respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between p53 and EGFR overexpression (p < 0.0001), nm23 loss (protein and RNA), lymph node status (p < 0.0001); between the incidence of local recurrence and EGFR RNA overexpression (p= 0.003) as well as between the incidence of metastasis and altered Rb expression (p = 0.026), p53 overexpression (p < 0.0001) and mutation (p = 0.04). Advanced disease stage correlated significantly with increased EGFR (protein and RNA) (p = 0.003 & 0.01), reduced nm23-H1 RNA (p = 0.02), altered Rb (p = 0.023), and p53 overexpression (p = 0.004). OS rates correlated significantly, in univariate analysis, with p53 overexpression (p = 0.011), increased EGFR (protein and RNA, p = 0.034&0.031), nm23-H1 RNA loss (p = 0.021) and aberrations of ≥ 2 genes. However, multivariate analysis showed that only high EGFR overexpression, metastatic recurrence, high tumor grade and the combination of ≥ 2 affected markers were independent prognostic factors. nm23-H1, EGFR and p53 could be used as prognostic biomarkers in MI-BBC patients. In addition to the standard pathological prognostic factors, a combination of these markers (≥ 2) has

Over-expression of 60s ribosomal L23a is associated with cellular proliferation in SAG resistant clinical isolates of Leishmania donovani.

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Sanchita Das

Full Text Available Sodium antimony gluconate (SAG unresponsiveness of Leishmania donovani (Ld had effectively compromised the chemotherapeutic potential of SAG. 60s ribosomal L23a (60sRL23a, identified as one of the over-expressed protein in different resistant strains of L.donovani as observed with differential proteomics studies indicates towards its possible involvement in SAG resistance in L.donovani. In the present study 60sRL23a has been characterized for its probable association with SAG resistance mechanism.The expression profile of 60s ribosomal L23a (60sRL23a was checked in different SAG resistant as well as sensitive strains of L.donovani clinical isolates by real-time PCR and western blotting and was found to be up-regulated in resistant strains. Ld60sRL23a was cloned, expressed in E.coli system and purified for raising antibody in swiss mice and was observed to have cytosolic localization in L.donovani. 60sRL23a was further over-expressed in sensitive strain of L.donovani to check its sensitivity profile against SAG (Sb V and III and was found to be altered towards the resistant mode.This study reports for the first time that the over expression of 60sRL23a in SAG sensitive parasite decreases the sensitivity of the parasite towards SAG, miltefosine and paramomycin. Growth curve of the tranfectants further indicated the proliferative potential of 60sRL23a assisting the parasite survival and reaffirming the extra ribosomal role of 60sRL23a. The study thus indicates towards the role of the protein in lowering and redistributing the drug pressure by increased proliferation of parasites and warrants further longitudinal study to understand the underlying mechanism.

Expression of claudin-11, -23 in different gastric tissues and its relationship with the risk and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Youzhu; Jing, Jingjing; Sun, Liping; Gong, Yuehua; Chen, Moye; Wang, Zeyang; Sun, Mingjun; Yuan, Yuan

2017-01-01

Claudins play an important role in regulating the permeability of epithelial and endothelial cells and in the maintenance of cell polarity. We aimed to investigate expression of claudin-11, -23 in different gastric tissues and its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis of gastric cancer. We compared their expression levels in the paired cancerous tissues versus those in the adjacent noncancerous tissues by real-time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the expression of claudin-11, -23 was greatly increased in paracancerous gastric tissue compared with cancerous tissue. We also compared their expression levels of tissues from gastric cancer, superficial gastritis, and atrophic gastritis by immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that the expression of claudin-11 and 23 was significantly higher in superficial gastritis than that in atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer. The expression of claudin-23 was significantly lower in atrophic gastritis than that in gastric cancer, but no obviously difference was observed for claudin-11. As for analysis of clinicopathologic parameters of gastric cancer, logistic multiple regression indicated that claudin-11 was significantly associated with sex, smoking, alcohol, H. pylori infection and Borrmann classification while claudin-23 was significantly associated with vessel cancer embolus. Cox multivariate survival analysis indicated that gastric cancer patients with negative claudin-23 expression had significantly longer overall survival. In conclusion, the expression of claudin-11, -23 was remarkably downregulated in gastric cancer. Abnormal expression of these proteins was significantly correlated with some clinicopathologic parameters. In particular, claudin-23 positive expression was associated with poor prognostic outcomes of gastric cancer patients and may therefore serve as an independent prognosticator of patient survival.

Association of protein C23 with rapidly labeled nucleolar RNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrera, A.H.; Olson, M.O.

1986-01-01

The association of nucleolar phosphoprotein C23 with preribosomal ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particles was examined in Novikoff hepatoma nucleoli. RNA was labeled with [ 3 H]uridine for various times in cell suspensions, and RNP particles were extracted from isolated nucleoli and fractionated by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The majority of protein C23 cosedimented with fractions containing rapidly labeled RNA (RL fraction). To determine whether there was a direct association of RNA with protein C23, the RL fraction was exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light (254 nm) for short periods of time. After 2 min of exposure there was a 50% decrease in C23 as measured by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analyses, with no significant further decrease at longer times. When UV-treated fractions were subjected to phenol/chloroform extractions, as much as 30% of the labeled RNA was found in the phenol (protein) layer, indicating that RNA became cross-linked to protein. Similarly, there was an increase in protein C23 extracted into the water layer after irradiation. By SDS-PAGE analyses the cross-linked species migrated more slowly than protein C23, appearing as a smear detected either by [ 3 H]uridine radioactivity or by anti-C23 antibody. With anti-C23 antibodies, up to 25% of the labeled RNA was precipitated from the RL fraction. Dot-blot hybridizations, using cloned rDNA fragments as probes, indicated that the RNA in the RL fraction and the immunoprecipitated RNA contained sequences from 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA

Keratin23 (KRT23) knockdown decreases proliferation and affects the DNA damage response of colon cancer cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birkenkamp-Demtröder, Karin; Hahn, Stephan; Mansilla, Francisco

2013-01-01

correlated with absent expression, while increased KRT23 expression in tumor samples correlated with promoter hypomethylation, as confirmed by bisulfite sequencing. Demethylation induced KRT23 expression in vitro. Expression profiling of shRNA mediated stable KRT23 knockdown in colon cancer cell lines showed...... response, mainly molecules of the double strand break repair homologous recombination pathway. KRT23 knockdown decreased the transcript and protein expression of key molecules as e.g. MRE11A, E2F1, RAD51 and BRCA1. Knockdown of KRT23 rendered colon cancer cells more sensitive to irradiation and reduced......Keratin 23 (KRT23) is strongly expressed in colon adenocarcinomas but absent in normal colon mucosa. Array based methylation profiling of 40 colon samples showed that the promoter of KRT23 was methylated in normal colon mucosa, while hypomethylated in most adenocarcinomas. Promoter methylation...

Randomly transitional phenomena in the system governed by Duffing's equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, Yoshisuke.

1978-06-01

This paper deals with turbulent or chaotic phenomena which occur in the system governed by Duffing's equation, a special type of 2-dimensional periodic systems. By using analog and digital computers, experiments are undertaken with special reference to the changes of attractors and of average power spectra of the random processes under the variation of the system parameters. On the basis of the experimental results, an outline of the random process is made clear. The results obtained in this paper will be applied to the phenomena of the same kind which occur in 3-dimensional autonomous systems. (author)

Chaos crisis in coupled Duffing's systems with initial phase difference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bi Qinsheng

2007-01-01

The dynamics of coupled Duffing's oscillators with initial phase difference is investigated in this Letter. For the averaged equations, different equilibrium points can be observed, the number of which may vary with the parameters. The stable equilibrium points, corresponding to the periodic motion of the original coupled oscillators, may coexist with different patterns of dynamics, including chaos. Furthermore, two different chaotic attractors associated with different attracting basin coexist for certain parameter conditions, which may interact with each other to form an enlarged chaotic attractor. Several new dynamical phenomena such as boundary chaos crises have been predicted as the initial phase difference varies

Pulmonary heat shock protein expression after exposure to a metabolically activated Clara cell toxicant: relationship to protein adduct formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Kurt J.; Cruikshank, Michael K.; Plopper, Charles G.

2003-01-01

Heat shock proteins/stress proteins (Hsps) participate in regulation of protein synthesis and degradation and serve as general cytoprotectants, yet their role in lethal Clara cell injury is not clear. To define the pattern of Hsp expression in acute lethal Clara cell injury, mice were treated with the Clara cell-specific toxicant naphthalene (NA), and patterns of expression compared to electrophilic protein adduction and previously established organellar degradation and gluathione (GSH) depletion. In sites of lethal injury (distal bronchiole), prior to organellar degradation (1 h post-NA), protein adduction is detectable and ubiquitin, Hsp 25, Hsp 72, and heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1) are increased. Maximal Hsp expression, protein adduction, and GSH depletion occur simultaneous (by 2-3 h) with early organelle disruption. Hsp expression is higher later (6-24 h), only in exfoliating cells. In airway sites (proximal bronchiole) with nonlethal Clara cell injury elevation of Hsp 25, 72, and HO-1 expression follows significant GSH depletion (greater than 50% 2 h post-NA). This data build upon our previous studies and we conclude that (1) in lethal (terminal bronchiole) and nonlethal (proximal bronchiole) Clara cell injury, Hsp induction is associated with the loss of GSH and increased protein adduction, and (2) in these same sites, organelle disruption is not a prerequisite for Hsp induction

Complex dynamics in three-well duffing system with two external forcings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Zhujun; Huang Jicai; Deng Jin

2007-01-01

Three-well duffing system with two external forcing terms is investigated. The criterion of existence of chaos under the periodic perturbation is given by using Melnikov's method. By using second-order averaging method and Melnikov's method we proved the criterion of existence of chaos in averaged systems under quasi-periodic perturbation for ω 2 = nω 1 + εν, n = 1, 3, 5, and cannot prove the criterion of existence of chaos in second-order averaged system under quasi-periodic perturbation for ω 2 = nω 1 + εν, n = 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, where ν is not rational to ω 1 , but can show the occurrence of chaos in original system by numerical simulation. Numerical simulations including heteroclinic and homoclinic bifurcation surfaces, bifurcation diagrams, maximum Lyapunov exponents and Poincare map are given to illustrate the theoretical analysis, and to expose the more new complex dynamical behaviors. We show that cascades of period-doubling bifurcations from period-one to four orbits, cascades of interlocking period-doubling bifurcations from period-two orbits of two sets, from quasi-periodicity leading to chaos, onset of chaos which occurs more than one, interleaving occurrences of chaotic behavior and invariant torus, transient chaos with complex period windows and interior crisis, chaos converting to torus, different kind of chaotic attractors. Our results shows that the dynamical behaviors are different from the dynamics of duffing equation with two-well and two external forcings

Ginsenoside-Rg{sub 1} induces angiogenesis by the inverse regulation of MET tyrosine kinase receptor expression through miR-23a

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwok, Hoi-Hin [Dr. Gilbert Hung Ginseng Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR (China); Chan, Lai-Sheung [Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR (China); Poon, Po-Ying [Dr. Gilbert Hung Ginseng Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR (China); Yue, Patrick Ying-Kit [Dr. Gilbert Hung Ginseng Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR (China); Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR (China); Wong, Ricky Ngok-Shun, E-mail: rnswong@hkbu.edu.hk [Dr. Gilbert Hung Ginseng Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR (China); Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR (China)

2015-09-15

Therapeutic angiogenesis has been implicated in ischemic diseases and wound healing. Ginsenoside-Rg{sub 1} (Rg{sub 1}), one of the most abundant active components of ginseng, has been demonstrated as an angiogenesis-stimulating compound in different models. There is increasing evidence implicating microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of non-coding RNAs, as important regulators of angiogenesis, but the role of microRNAs in Rg{sub 1}-induced angiogenesis has not been fully explored. In this report, we found that stimulating endothelial cells with Rg{sub 1} could reduce miR-23a expression. In silico experiments predicted hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET), a well-established mediator of angiogenesis, as the target of miR-23a. Transfection of the miR-23a precursor or inhibitor oligonucleotides validated the inverse relationship of miR-23a and MET expression. Luciferase reporter assays further confirmed the interaction between miR-23a and the MET mRNA 3′-UTR. Intriguingly, ginsenoside-Rg{sub 1} was found to increase MET protein expression in a time-dependent manner. We further demonstrated that ginsenoside-Rg{sub 1}-induced angiogenic activities were indeed mediated through the down-regulation of miR-23a and subsequent up-regulation of MET protein expression, as confirmed by gain- and loss-of-function angiogenic experiments. In summary, our results demonstrated that ginsenoside-Rg{sub 1} could induce angiogenesis by the inverse regulation of MET tyrosine kinase receptor expression through miR-23a. This study has broadened our understanding of the non-genomic effects of ginsenoside-Rg{sub 1,} and provided molecular evidence that warrant further development of natural compound as novel angiogenesis-promoting therapy. - Highlights: • Therapeutic angiogenesis has been implicated in ischemic diseases and wound healing. • Ginsenoside-Rg{sub 1} (Rg{sub 1}) has been demonstrated as an angiogenesis-stimulating compound. • We found that Rg{sub 1} induces angiogenesis by

Increased IL-10 mRNA and IL-23 mRNA expression in multiple sclerosis: interferon-beta treatment increases IL-10 mRNA expression while reducing IL-23 mRNA expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krakauer, M.; Sorensen, P.; Khademi, M.

2008-01-01

volunteers served to confirm initial findings. mRNA was analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: We found elevated expression of interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-10 in untreated MS patients. IFN-beta therapy increased IL-10 and decreased IL-23 expression independently...... of the regulatory cytokine IL-10. The elevated IL-23 mRNA levels in MS patients are noteworthy in view of the newly discovered IL-23-driven Th17 T-cell subset, which is crucial in animal models of MS. Since IFN-beta therapy resulted in decreased IL-23 mRNA levels, the Th17 axis could be another target of IFN...

Demodulation of acoustic telemetry binary phase shift keying signal based on high-order Duffing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Bing-Nan; Liu Chong-Xin; Ni Jun-Kang; Zhao Liang

2016-01-01

In order to grasp the downhole situation immediately, logging while drilling (LWD) technology is adopted. One of the LWD technologies, called acoustic telemetry, can be successfully applied to modern drilling. It is critical for acoustic telemetry technology that the signal is successfully transmitted to the ground. In this paper, binary phase shift keying (BPSK) is used to modulate carrier waves for the transmission and a new BPSK demodulation scheme based on Duffing chaos is investigated. Firstly, a high-order system is given in order to enhance the signal detection capability and it is realized through building a virtual circuit using an electronic workbench (EWB). Secondly, a new BPSK demodulation scheme is proposed based on the intermittent chaos phenomena of the new Duffing system. Finally, a system variable crossing zero-point equidistance method is proposed to obtain the phase difference between the system and the BPSK signal. Then it is determined that the digital signal transmitted from the bottom of the well is ‘0’ or ‘1’. The simulation results show that the demodulation method is feasible. (paper)

A 23-kDa protein as a substrate for protein kinase C in bovine neutrophils. Purification and partial characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stasia, M.J.; Dianoux, A.C.; Vignais, P.V.

1989-01-01

In 32 P i -loaded bovine neutrophils stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), radioactivity was preferentially incorporated into a protein of low molecular mass, suggesting a PKC-dependent phosphorylation. This protein, termed 23-kDa protein, was predominantly localized in the cytosol. The apparent molecular mass of the purified protein range between 20 and 23 kDa. In the absence of mercaptoethanol, a dimer accumulated. Homogeneity of the 23-kDa protein was verified by 2D-PAGE analysis. Gel isoelectric focusing (IEF) of the purified 23-kDa protein followed by Coomassie blue staining allowed the visualization of our discrete protein bands with isoelectric points ranging between pH 6.3 and 6.7. Phosphorylation of the 23-kDa protein by [γ- 32 P]ATP in the presence of bovine neutrophil PKC supplemented with Ca 2+ , phosphatidylserine, and diacylglycerol or with PMA occurred on serine and required the presence of mercaptoethanol. IEF of the 32 P-labeled 23-kDa protein followed by autoradiography revealed for discrete bands with distinct isoelectric points similar to those of the bands stained by Coomassie blue after IEF on nonlabeled 23-kDa protein. The bands of the 23-kDa protein resolved by IEF and transfered to nitrocellulose showed ability to bind [ 35 S]GTP-γ-S. The immunoreactivity of antibodies raised in rabbits against the bovine neutrophil 23-kDa protein was demonstrated on immunoblots after SDS-PAGE. The 23-kDa protein differed also from several other proteins of similar molecular mass that have been identified in neutrophils, namely, calmodulin, the small subunit of the low-potential cytochrome b, and a low molecular weight protein which is ADP-ribosylated by the botulinum toxin

Periodic Solutions of the Duffing Harmonic Oscillator by He's Energy Balance Method

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A. M. El-Naggar

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Duffing harmonic oscillator is a common model for nonlinear phenomena in science and engineering. This paper presents He´s Energy Balance Method (EBM for solving nonlinear differential equations. Two strong nonlinear cases have been studied analytically. Analytical results of the EBM are compared with the solutions obtained by using He´s Frequency Amplitude Formulation (FAF and numerical solutions using Runge-Kutta method. The results show the presented method is potentially to solve high nonlinear oscillator equations.

EVALUATION OF THE PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF nm23 GENE EXPRESSION IN BREAST CANCER

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

刘红; 毛慧生; 傅西林; 方志沂; 冯玉梅; 范宇; 李树玲

2002-01-01

Objective: To investigate the expression of nm23 gene and evaluate its prognostic value in breast cancer. Methods: nm23 expressions were detected in 101 breast cancer patients (group 1) by immunohistochemistry. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to measure expressions of nm23 gene in another 68 patients with breast cancer (group 2). Results: nm23 gene expression in group 1 was inversely associated with distant metastasis and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). In 44 patients with negative lymph node, 9 cases progressed to distant metastasis, 7 of them (77.8%) showed low expression of nm23 gene (P<0.05). In 57 patients with positive lymph node, 24 our of 29 patients who had no distant metastasis (82.8%) expressed nm23 gene at high level (P<0.05). Meanwhile, there were 6 patients with distant metastasis in the group 2, all of thenm expressed nm23 gene mRNA at low level. Conclusion: The results showed that nm23 gene might play an independent role in predicting prognosis of breast cancer.

Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate enhances nm23 gene expression in murine melanocytes but not in syngeneic B16-BL6 melanoma variants.

Science.gov (United States)

Huijzer, J C; McFarland, M; Niles, R M; Meadows, G G

1996-03-01

The nm23 gene has been described as a potential metastasis suppressor gene in certain rodent and human tumors. We previously demonstrated that tyrosine and phenylalanine restriction suppresses metastatic heterogeneity of B16-BL6 murine melanoma and selects for tumor variants with decreased metastatic potential. In this study, we investigated nm23 expression in the highly metastatic B16-BL6 (ND) melanoma, its nutritionally derived poorly metastatic (LT) variant, and the syngeneic non-tumorigenic Mel-ab melanocytes. No differences in nm23 expression were observed between ND and LT cells, and nm23 expression varied between different isolates. Previously, we showed that metastatic potential of 1-ND cells decreases and is not altered in 1-LT cells after prolonged in vitro cell passage; however, nm23 expression is equivalently increased by 2-fold. In 2-ND and 2-LT cells, expression of nm23 is not different at higher in vitro cell passage. Expression of nm23 decreased about 2-fold when phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was removed from Mel-ab cells, which induces these cells to become quiescent. Although membrane-associated protein kinase C (PKC) activity decreased after prolonged PMA treatment in all cells, neither nm23 expression nor proliferation of ND and LT cells was affected by PMA. These data indicate that nm23 expression is related to proliferative activity rather than to the suppression of metastatic potential.

Identification and function of leucine-rich repeat flightless-I-interacting protein 2 (LRRFIP2 in Litopenaeus vannamei.

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Shuang Zhang

Full Text Available Leucine-rich repeat flightless-I-interacting protein 2 (LRRFIP2 is a myeloid differentiation factor 88-interacting protein with a positive regulatory function in toll-like receptor signaling. In this study, seven LRRFIP2 protein variants (LvLRRFIP2A-G were identified in Litopenaeus vannamei. All the seven LvLRRFIP2 protein variants encode proteins with a DUF2051 domain. LvLRRFIP2s were upregulated in hemocytes after challenged with lipopolysaccharide, poly I:C, CpG-ODN2006, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV. Dual-luciferase reporter assays in Drosophila Schneider 2 cells revealed that LvLRRFIP2 activates the promoters of Drosophila and shrimp AMP genes. The knockdown of LvLRRFIP2 by RNA interference resulted in higher cumulative mortality of L. vannamei upon V. parahaemolyticus but not S. aureus and WSSV infections. The expression of L. vannamei AMP genes were reduced by dsLvLRRFIP2 interference. These results indicate that LvLRRFIP2 has an important function in antibacterials via the regulation of AMP gene expression.

Structure of the first representative of Pfam family PF04016 (DUF364) reveals enolase and Rossmann-like folds that combine to form a unique active site with a possible role in heavy-metal chelation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Mitchell D.; Aravind, L.; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Rife, Christopher L.; Carlton, Dennis; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C.; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Krishna, S. Sri; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; McMullan, Daniel; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Okach, Linda; Reyes, Ron; Bedem, Henry van den; Weekes, Dana; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Elsliger, Marc-André; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.

2010-01-01

The crystal structure of the first representative of DUF364 family reveals a combination of enolase N-terminal-like and C-terminal Rossmann-like folds. Analysis of the interdomain cleft combined with sequence and genome context conservation among homologs, suggests a unique catalytic site likely involved in the synthesis of a flavin or pterin derivative. The crystal structure of Dhaf4260 from Desulfitobacterium hafniense DCB-2 was determined by single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) to a resolution of 2.01 Å using the semi-automated high-throughput pipeline of the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) as part of the NIGMS Protein Structure Initiative (PSI). This protein structure is the first representative of the PF04016 (DUF364) Pfam family and reveals a novel combination of two well known domains (an enolase N-terminal-like fold followed by a Rossmann-like domain). Structural and bioinformatic analyses reveal partial similarities to Rossmann-like methyltransferases, with residues from the enolase-like fold combining to form a unique active site that is likely to be involved in the condensation or hydrolysis of molecules implicated in the synthesis of flavins, pterins or other siderophores. The genome context of Dhaf4260 and homologs additionally supports a role in heavy-metal chelation

Synapse associated protein 102 (SAP102 binds the C-terminal part of the scaffolding protein neurobeachin.

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Juliane Lauks

Full Text Available Neurobeachin (Nbea is a multidomain scaffold protein abundant in the brain, where it is highly expressed during development. Nbea-null mice have severe defects in neuromuscular synaptic transmission resulting in lethal paralysis of the newborns. Recently, it became clear that Nbea is important also for the functioning of central synapses, where it is suggested to play a role in trafficking membrane proteins to both, the pre- and post-synaptic sites. So far, only few binding partners of Nbea have been found and the precise mechanism of their trafficking remains unclear. Here, we used mass spectrometry to identify SAP102, a MAGUK protein implicated in trafficking of the ionotropic glutamate AMPA- and NMDA-type receptors during synaptogenesis, as a novel Nbea interacting protein in mouse brain. Experiments in heterologous cells confirmed this interaction and revealed that SAP102 binds to the C-terminal part of Nbea that contains the DUF, PH, BEACH and WD40 domains. Furthermore, we discovered that introducing a mutation in Nbea's PH domain, which disrupts its interaction with the BEACH domain, abolishes this binding, thereby creating an excellent starting point to further investigate Nbea-SAP102 function in the central nervous system.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-expressing leukemic dendritic cells impair a leukemia-specific immune response by inducing potent T regulatory cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Curti, Antonio; Trabanelli, Sara; Onofri, Chiara; Aluigi, Michela; Salvestrini, Valentina; Ocadlikova, Darina; Evangelisti, Cecilia; Rutella, Sergio; De Cristofaro, Raimondo; Ottaviani, Emanuela; Baccarani, Michele; Lemoli, Roberto M

2010-12-01

The immunoregulatory enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, which catalyzes the conversion of tryptophan into kynurenine, is expressed in a significant subset of patients with acute myeloid leukemia, resulting in the inhibition of T-cell proliferation and the induction of regulatory T cells. Acute myeloid leukemia cells can be differentiated into dendritic cells, which have increased immunogenicity and have been proposed as vaccines against leukemia. Leukemic dendritic cells were generated from acute myeloid leukemia cells and used as stimulators in functional assays, including the induction of regulatory T cells. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression in leukemic dendritic cells was evaluated at molecular, protein and enzymatic levels. We demonstrate that, after differentiation into dendritic cells, both indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-negative and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-positive acute myeloid leukemia samples show induction and up-regulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase gene and protein, respectively. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-positive acute myeloid leukemia dendritic cells catabolize tryptophan into kynurenine metabolite and inhibit T-cell proliferation through an indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-dependent mechanism. Moreover, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-positive leukemic dendritic cells increase the number of allogeneic and autologous CD4(+)CD25(+) Foxp3(+) T cells and this effect is completely abrogated by the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-inhibitor, 1-methyl tryptophan. Purified CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells obtained from co-culture with indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-positive leukemic dendritic cells act as regulatory T cells as they inhibit naive T-cell proliferation and impair the complete maturation of normal dendritic cells. Importantly, leukemic dendritic cell-induced regulatory T cells are capable of in vitro suppression of a leukemia-specific T cell-mediated immune response, directed against the leukemia-associated antigen, Wilms' tumor protein. These data identify

Parametric estimation of the Duffing system by using a modified gradient algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilar-Ibanez, Carlos; Sanchez Herrera, Jorge; Garrido-Moctezuma, Ruben

2008-01-01

The Letter presents a strategy for recovering the unknown parameters of the Duffing oscillator using a measurable output signal. The suggested approach employs the construction of an integral parametrization of one auxiliary output. It is calculated by measuring the difference between the output and its respective delay output. First we estimate the auxiliary output, followed by the application of a modified gradient algorithm, then we adjust the gains of the proposed linear estimator, until this error converges to zero. The convergence of the proposed scheme is shown using Lyapunov method

An efficient tag derived from the common epitope of tospoviral NSs proteins for monitoring recombinant proteins expressed in both bacterial and plant systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Hao-Wen; Chen, Kuan-Chun; Raja, Joseph A J; Li, Jian-Xian; Yeh, Shyi-Dong

2013-04-15

NSscon (23 aa), a common epitope in the gene silencing suppressor NSs proteins of the members of the Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) serogroup, was previously identified. In this investigation, we expressed different green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused deletions of NSscon in bacteria and reacted with NSscon monoclonal antibody (MAb). Our results indicated that the core 9 amino acids, "(109)KFTMHNQIF(117)", denoted as "nss", retain the reactivity of NSscon. In bacterial pET system, four different recombinant proteins labeled with nss, either at N- or C-extremes, were readily detectable without position effects, with sensitivity superior to that for the polyhistidine-tag. When the nss-tagged Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) helper component-protease (HC-Pro) and WSMoV nucleocapsid protein were transiently expressed by agroinfiltration in tobacco, they were readily detectable and the tag's possible efficacy for gene silencing suppression was not noticed. Co-immunoprecipitation of nss-tagged and non-tagged proteins expressed from bacteria confirmed the interaction of potyviral HC-Pro and coat protein. Thus, we conclude that this novel nss sequence is highly valuable for tagging recombinant proteins in both bacterial and plant expression systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keratin23 (KRT23 knockdown decreases proliferation and affects the DNA damage response of colon cancer cells.

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Karin Birkenkamp-Demtröder

Full Text Available Keratin 23 (KRT23 is strongly expressed in colon adenocarcinomas but absent in normal colon mucosa. Array based methylation profiling of 40 colon samples showed that the promoter of KRT23 was methylated in normal colon mucosa, while hypomethylated in most adenocarcinomas. Promoter methylation correlated with absent expression, while increased KRT23 expression in tumor samples correlated with promoter hypomethylation, as confirmed by bisulfite sequencing. Demethylation induced KRT23 expression in vitro. Expression profiling of shRNA mediated stable KRT23 knockdown in colon cancer cell lines showed that KRT23 depletion affected molecules of the cell cycle and DNA replication, recombination and repair. In vitro analyses confirmed that KRT23 depletion significantly decreased the cellular proliferation of SW948 and LS1034 cells and markedly decreased the expression of genes involved in DNA damage response, mainly molecules of the double strand break repair homologous recombination pathway. KRT23 knockdown decreased the transcript and protein expression of key molecules as e.g. MRE11A, E2F1, RAD51 and BRCA1. Knockdown of KRT23 rendered colon cancer cells more sensitive to irradiation and reduced proliferation of the KRT23 depleted cells compared to irradiated control cells.

DNA-repair protein hHR23a alters its protein structure upon binding proteasomal subunit S5a

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Walters, Kylie J.; Lech, Patrycja J.; Goh, Amanda M.; Wang, Qinghua; Howley, Peter M.

2003-01-01

The Rad23 family of proteins, including the human homologs hHR23a and hHR23b, stimulates nucleotide excision repair and has been shown to provide a novel link between proteasome-mediated protein degradation and DNA repair. In this work, we illustrate how the proteasomal subunit S5a regulates hHR23a protein structure. By using NMR spectroscopy, we have elucidated the structure and dynamic properties of the 40-kDa hHR23a protein and show it to contain four structured domains connected by flexible linker regions. In addition, we reveal that these domains interact in an intramolecular fashion, and by using residual dipolar coupling data in combination with chemical shift perturbation analysis, we present the hHR23a structure. By itself, hHR23a adopts a closed conformation defined by the interaction of an N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain with two ubiquitin-associated domains. Interestingly, binding of the proteasomal subunit S5a disrupts the hHR23a interdomain interactions and thereby causes it to adopt an opened conformation. PMID:14557549

Structure of the first representative of Pfam family PF09410 (DUF2006) reveals a structural signature of the calycin superfamily that suggests a role in lipid metabolism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Skerra, Arne; Lomize, Andrei; Carlton, Dennis; Miller, Mitchell D.; Krishna, S. Sri; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C.; Grzechnik, Slawomir K.; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; McMullan, Daniel; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Okach, Linda; Paulsen, Jessica; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; van den Bedem, Henry; Weekes, Dana; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Elsliger, Marc-Andre; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A. (SLAC); (Michigan); (TU Munchen)

2015-10-15

The first structural representative of the domain of unknown function DUF2006 family, also known as Pfam family PF09410, comprises a lipocalin-like fold with domain duplication. The finding of the calycin signature in the N-terminal domain, combined with remote sequence similarity to two other protein families (PF07143 and PF08622) implicated in isoprenoid metabolism and the oxidative stress response, support an involvement in lipid metabolism. Clusters of conserved residues that interact with ligand mimetics suggest that the binding and regulation sites map to the N-terminal domain and to the interdomain interface, respectively.

Frequency of p53 Gene Mutation and Protein Expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ara, N.; Atique, M.; Ahmed, S.; Bukhari, S. G. A.

2014-01-01

Objective: To determine the frequency of p53 gene mutation and protein expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) and to establish correlation between the two. Study Design: Analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: Histopathology Department and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, from May 2010 to May 2011. Methodology: Thirty diagnosed cases of OSCC were selected by consecutive sampling. Seventeen were retrieved from the record files of the AFIP, and 13 fresh/frozen sections were selected from patients reporting to the Oral Surgery Department, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry (AFID). Gene p53 mutation was analyzed in all the cases using PCRSSCP analysis. DNA was extracted from the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections and fresh/frozen sections. DNA thus extracted was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The amplified products were denatured and finally analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Gene mutation was detected as electrophoretic mobility shift. The immunohistochemical marker p53 was applied to the same 30 cases and overexpression of protein p53 was recorded. Results: Immunohistochemical expression of marker p53 was positive in 67% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 48.7 - 80.9) of the cases. Mutations of the p53 gene were detected in 23% (95% CI 11.5 - 41.2) of the OSCC. No statistically significant correlation was found between p53 gene mutation and protein p53 expression (rs = - 0.057, p = 0.765). Conclusion: A substantial number of patients have p53 gene mutation (23%) and protein p53 expression (67%) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). (author)

ERG protein expression over time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Kasper Drimer; Brasso, Klaus; Thomsen, Frederik Birkebæk

2015-01-01

AIMS: We evaluated the consistency in ERG protein expression from diagnostic specimens through rebiopsies to radical prostatectomies in patients with clinically localised prostate cancer to investigate the validity of ERG status in biopsies. METHODS: ERG expression was assessed by immunohistochem......AIMS: We evaluated the consistency in ERG protein expression from diagnostic specimens through rebiopsies to radical prostatectomies in patients with clinically localised prostate cancer to investigate the validity of ERG status in biopsies. METHODS: ERG expression was assessed...

Small systems of Duffing oscillators and the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou system An examination of the possible reasons for the unusual stability of localized nonlinear excitations in these systems

Science.gov (United States)

Kashyap, Rahul; Westley, Alexandra; Sen, Surajit

The Duffing oscillator, a nonlinear oscillator with a potential energy with both quadratic and cubic terms, is known to show highly chaotic solutions in certain regions of its parameter space. Here, we examine the behaviors of small chains of harmonically and anharmonically coupled Duffing oscillators and show that these chains exhibit localized nonlinear excitations (LNEs) similar to the ones seen in the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou (FPUT) system. These LNEs demonstrate properties such as long-time energy localization, high periodicity, and slow energy leaking which rapidly accelerates upon frequency matching with the adjacent particles all of which have been observed in the FPUT system. Furthermore, by examining bifurcation diagrams, we will show that many qualitative properties of this system during the transition from weakly to strongly nonlinear behavior depend directly upon the frequencies associated with the individual Duffing oscillators.

Expression and Purification of Z Protein from Junín Virus

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S. E. Goñi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Arenaviridae comprises 23 recognized virus species with a bipartite ssRNA genome and an ambisense coding strategy. The virions are enveloped and include nonequimolar amounts of each genomic RNA species, designated L and S, coding for four ORFs (N, GPC, L, and Z. The arenavirus Junín (JUNV is the etiological agent of Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever, an acute disease with high mortality rate. It has been proposed that Z is the functional counterpart of the matrix proteins found in other negative-stranded enveloped RNA viruses. Here we report the optimized expression of a synthetic gene of Z protein, using three expression systems (two bacterial and a baculoviral one. One of these recombinant proteins was used to generate antibodies. A bioinformatic analysis was made where Z was subdivided into three domains. The data presented contributes methodologies for Z recombinant production and provides the basis for the development of new experiments to test its function.

Motion of a Rigid Rod Rocking Back and Forth Cubic-Quintic Duffing Oscillators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ganji, S. S.; Barari, Amin; Karimpour, S.

2012-01-01

In this work, we implemented the first-order approximation of the Iteration Perturbation Method (IPM) for approximating the behavior of a rigid rod rocking back and forth on a circular surface without slipping as well as Cubic-Quintic Duffing Oscillators. Comparing the results with the exact...... solution, has led us to significant consequences. The results reveal that the IPM is very effective, simple and convenient to systems of nonlinear equations. It is predicted that IPM can be utilized as a widely applicable approach in engineering....

Klotho expression in long bones regulates FGF23 production during renal failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaludjerovic, Jovana; Komaba, Hirotaka; Sato, Tadatoshi; Erben, Reinhold G; Baron, Roland; Olauson, Hannes; Larsson, Tobias E; Lanske, Beate

2017-05-01

Circulating levels of bone-derived fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) increase early during acute and chronic kidney disease and are associated with adverse outcomes. Membrane-bound Klotho acts as a permissive coreceptor for FGF23, and its expression was recently found in osteoblasts/osteocytes. We hypothesized that Klotho in bone cells is part of an autocrine feedback loop that regulates FGF23 expression during renal failure. Thus, we induced renal failure in mice with targeted deletion of Klotho in long bones. Uremic wild-type ( KL fl/fl ) and knockout ( Prx1-Cre;KL fl/fl ) mice both responded with reduced body weight, kidney atrophy, hyperphosphatemia, and increased bone turnover. Importantly, long bones of Prx1-Cre;KL fl/fl mice but not their axial skeleton failed to increase FGF23 expression as observed in uremic KL fl/fl mice. Consequently, Prx1-Cre;KL fl/fl mice had significantly lower serum FGF23 and parathyroid hormone levels, and higher renal 1-α-hydroxylase expression, serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and calcium levels than KL fl/fl mice. These results were confirmed in two independent models of renal failure, adenine diet induced and 5/6 nephrectomy. Moreover, FGF23-treated bone cells required Klotho to increase FGF23 mRNA and ERK phosphorylation. In summary, our novel findings show that Klotho in bone is crucial for inducing FGF23 production upon renal failure. We propose the presence of an autocrine feedback loop in which Klotho senses the need for FGF23.-Kaludjerovic, J., Komaba, H., Sato, T., Erben, R. G., Baron, R., Olauson, H., Larsson, T. E., Lanske, B. Klotho expression in long bones regulates FGF23 production during renal failure. © FASEB.

Stability Analysis of Periodic Orbits in a Class of Duffing-Like Piecewise Linear Vibrators

KAUST Repository

El Aroudi, A.

2014-09-01

In this paper, we study the dynamical behavior of a Duffing-like piecewise linear (PWL) springmass-damper system for vibration-based energy harvesting applications. First, we present a continuous time single degree of freedom PWL dynamical model of the system. From this PWL model, numerical simulations are carried out by computing frequency response and bifurcation diagram under a deterministic harmonic excitation for different sets of system parameter values. Stability analysis is performed using Floquet theory combined with Fillipov method.

Stability Analysis of Periodic Orbits in a Class of Duffing-Like Piecewise Linear Vibrators

KAUST Repository

El Aroudi, A.; Benadero, L.; Ouakad, H.; Younis, Mohammad I.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we study the dynamical behavior of a Duffing-like piecewise linear (PWL) springmass-damper system for vibration-based energy harvesting applications. First, we present a continuous time single degree of freedom PWL dynamical model of the system. From this PWL model, numerical simulations are carried out by computing frequency response and bifurcation diagram under a deterministic harmonic excitation for different sets of system parameter values. Stability analysis is performed using Floquet theory combined with Fillipov method.

Bcl-2 protein expression is associated with p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts in breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsutsui, Shinichi; Yasuda, Kazuhiro; Suzuki, Kosuke; Takeuchi, Hideya; Nishizaki, Takashi; Higashi, Hidefumi; Era, Shoichi

2006-01-01

Recent experimental studies have shown that Bcl-2, which has been established as a key player in the control of apoptosis, plays a role in regulating the cell cycle and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Bcl-2 and p27 protein expression, p53 protein expression and the proliferation activity as defined by the MIB-1 counts. The prognostic implication of Bcl-2 protein expression in relation to p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts for breast cancer was also evaluated. The immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 protein was evaluated in a series of 249 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast, in which p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts had been determined previously. The Bcl-2 protein expression was found to be decreased in 105 (42%) cases. A decreased Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly correlated with a nuclear grade of III, a negative estrogen receptor, a decreased p27 protein expression, a positive p53 protein expression, positive MIB-1 counts and a positive HER2 protein expression. The incidence of a nuclear grade of III and positive MIB-1 counts increased as the number of abnormal findings of Bcl-2, p27 and p53 protein expressions increased. A univariate analysis indicated a decreased Bcl-2 protein expression to be significantly (p = 0.0089) associated with a worse disease free survival (DFS), while a multivariate analysis indicated the lymph node status and MIB-1 counts to be independently significant prognostic factors for the DFS. The Bcl-2 protein expression has a close correlation with p27 and p53 protein expressions and the proliferation activity determined by MIB-1 counts in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The prognostic value of Bcl-2 as well as p27 and p53 protein expressions was dependent on the proliferation activity in breast cancer

Bcl-2 protein expression is associated with p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts in breast cancer

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Nishizaki Takashi

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent experimental studies have shown that Bcl-2, which has been established as a key player in the control of apoptosis, plays a role in regulating the cell cycle and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Bcl-2 and p27 protein expression, p53 protein expression and the proliferation activity as defined by the MIB-1 counts. The prognostic implication of Bcl-2 protein expression in relation to p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts for breast cancer was also evaluated. Methods The immunohistochemical expression of Bcl-2 protein was evaluated in a series of 249 invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast, in which p27 and p53 protein expressions and MIB-1 counts had been determined previously. Results The Bcl-2 protein expression was found to be decreased in 105 (42% cases. A decreased Bcl-2 protein expression was significantly correlated with a nuclear grade of III, a negative estrogen receptor, a decreased p27 protein expression, a positive p53 protein expression, positive MIB-1 counts and a positive HER2 protein expression. The incidence of a nuclear grade of III and positive MIB-1 counts increased as the number of abnormal findings of Bcl-2, p27 and p53 protein expressions increased. A univariate analysis indicated a decreased Bcl-2 protein expression to be significantly (p = 0.0089 associated with a worse disease free survival (DFS, while a multivariate analysis indicated the lymph node status and MIB-1 counts to be independently significant prognostic factors for the DFS. Conclusion The Bcl-2 protein expression has a close correlation with p27 and p53 protein expressions and the proliferation activity determined by MIB-1 counts in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. The prognostic value of Bcl-2 as well as p27 and p53 protein expressions was dependent on the proliferation activity in breast cancer.

Chloroplast RNA-Binding Protein RBD1 Promotes Chilling Tolerance through 23S rRNA Processing in Arabidopsis.

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Shuai Wang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Plants have varying abilities to tolerate chilling (low but not freezing temperatures, and it is largely unknown how plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana achieve chilling tolerance. Here, we describe a genome-wide screen for genes important for chilling tolerance by their putative knockout mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana. Out of 11,000 T-DNA insertion mutant lines representing half of the genome, 54 lines associated with disruption of 49 genes had a drastic chilling sensitive phenotype. Sixteen of these genes encode proteins with chloroplast localization, suggesting a critical role of chloroplast function in chilling tolerance. Study of one of these proteins RBD1 with an RNA binding domain further reveals the importance of chloroplast translation in chilling tolerance. RBD1 is expressed in the green tissues and is localized in the chloroplast nucleoid. It binds directly to 23S rRNA and the binding is stronger under chilling than at normal growth temperatures. The rbd1 mutants are defective in generating mature 23S rRNAs and deficient in chloroplast protein synthesis especially under chilling conditions. Together, our study identifies RBD1 as a regulator of 23S rRNA processing and reveals the importance of chloroplast function especially protein translation in chilling tolerance.

Ablation of the Galnt3 gene leads to low-circulating intact fibroblast growth factor 23 (Fgf23) concentrations and hyperphosphatemia despite increased Fgf23 expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa, Shoji; Sorenson, Andrea H; Austin, Anthony M; Mackenzie, Donald S; Fritz, Timothy A; Moh, Akira; Hui, Siu L; Econs, Michael J

2009-06-01

Familial tumoral calcinosis is characterized by ectopic calcifications and hyperphosphatemia. The disease is caused by inactivating mutations in fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), Klotho (KL), and uridine diphosphate-N-acetyl-alpha-D-galactosamine:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 3 (GALNT3). In vitro studies indicate that GALNT3 O-glycosylates a phosphaturic hormone, FGF23, and prevents its proteolytic processing, thereby allowing secretion of intact FGF23. In this study we generated mice lacking the Galnt3 gene, which developed hyperphosphatemia without apparent calcifications. In response to hyperphosphatemia, Galnt3-deficient mice had markedly increased Fgf23 expression in bone. However, compared with wild-type and heterozygous littermates, homozygous mice had only about half of circulating intact Fgf23 levels and higher levels of C-terminal Fgf23 fragments in bone. Galnt3-deficient mice also exhibited an inappropriately normal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D level and decreased alkaline phosphatase activity. Furthermore, renal expression of sodium-phosphate cotransporters and Kl were elevated in Galnt3-deficient mice. Interestingly, there were sex-specific phenotypes; only Galnt3-deficient males showed growth retardation, infertility, and significantly increased bone mineral density. In summary, ablation of Galnt3 impaired secretion of intact Fgf23, leading to decreased circulating Fgf23 and hyperphosphatemia, despite increased Fgf23 expression. Our findings indicate that Galnt3-deficient mice have a biochemical phenotype of tumoral calcinosis and provide in vivo evidence that Galnt3 plays an essential role in proper secretion of Fgf23 in mice.

Re-partitioning of Cu and Zn isotopes by modified protein expression

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Ragnarsdottir K Vala

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Cu and Zn have naturally occurring non radioactive isotopes, and their isotopic systematics in a biological context are poorly understood. In this study we used double focussing mass spectroscopy to determine the ratios for these isotopes for the first time in mouse brain. The Cu and Zn isotope ratios for four strains of wild-type mice showed no significant difference (δ65Cu -0.12 to -0.78 permil; δ66Zn -0.23 to -0.48 permil. We also looked at how altering the expression of a single copper binding protein, the prion protein (PrP, alters the isotope ratios. Both knockout and overexpression of PrP had no significant effect on the ratio of Cu isotopes. Mice brains expressing mutant PrP lacking the known metal binding domain have δ65Cu isotope values of on average 0.57 permil higher than wild-type mouse brains. This implies that loss of the copper binding domain of PrP increases the level of 65Cu in the brain. δ66Zn isotope values of the transgenic mouse brains are enriched for 66Zn to the wild-type mouse brains. Here we show for the first time that the expression of a single protein can alter the partitioning of metal isotopes in mouse brains. The results imply that the expression of the prion protein can alter cellular Cu isotope content.

An ice-binding and tandem beta-sandwich domain-containing protein in Shewanella frigidimarina is a potential new type of ice adhesin.

Science.gov (United States)

Vance, Tyler D R; Graham, Laurie A; Davies, Peter L

2018-04-01

Out of the dozen different ice-binding protein (IBP) structures known, the DUF3494 domain is the most widespread, having been passed many times between prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms by horizontal gene transfer. This ~25-kDa β-solenoid domain with an adjacent parallel α-helix is most commonly associated with an N-terminal secretory signal peptide. However, examples of the DUF3494 domain preceded by tandem Bacterial Immunoglobulin-like (BIg) domains are sometimes found, though uncharacterized. Here, we present one such protein (SfIBP_1) from the Antarctic bacterium Shewanella frigidimarina. We have confirmed and characterized the ice-binding activity of its ice-binding domain using thermal hysteresis measurements, fluorescent ice plane affinity analysis, and ice recrystallization inhibition assays. X-ray crystallography was used to solve the structure of the SfIBP_1 ice-binding domain, to further characterize its ice-binding surface and unique method of stabilizing or 'capping' the ends of the solenoid structure. The latter is formed from the interaction of two loops mediated by a combination of tandem prolines and electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, given their domain architecture and membrane association, we propose that these BIg-containing DUF3494 IBPs serve as ice-binding adhesion proteins that are capable of adsorbing their host bacterium onto ice. Submitted new structure to the Protein Data Bank (PDB: 6BG8). © 2018 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Expression analyses of the genes harbored by the type 2 diabetes and pediatric BMI associated locus on 10q23

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Zhao Jianhua

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is evidence that one of the key type 2 diabetes (T2D loci identified by GWAS exerts its influence early on in life through its impact on pediatric BMI. This locus on 10q23 harbors three genes, encoding hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX, insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE and kinesin family member 11 (KIF11, respectively. Methods We analyzed the impact of adipogeneis on the mRNA and protein expression levels of these genes in the human adipocyte Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS cell line in order to investigate which could be the culprit gene(s in this region of linkage disequilibrium. Results Following activation of differentiation with a PPARγ ligand, we observed ~20% decrease in IDE, ~40% decrease in HHEX and in excess of 80% decrease in KIF11 mRNA levels when comparing the adipocyte and pre-adipocyte states. We also observed decreases in KIF11 and IDE protein levels, but conversely we observed a dramatic increase in HHEX protein levels. Subsequent time course experiments revealed some marked changes in expression as early as three hours after activation of differentiation. Conclusion Our data suggest that the expression of all three genes at this locus are impacted during SGBS adipogenesis and provides insights in to the possible mechanisms of how the genes at this 10q23 locus could influence both adipocyte differentiation and susceptibility to T2D through insulin resistance.

CLONING, EXPRESSION, PURIFICATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF A NOVEL GLCNAC METABOLIC PROTEIN, GIG2 (DUF1479 FROM PATHOGENIC FUNGUS CANDIDA ALBICANS

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Priya Rani1

2017-06-01

Full Text Available N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc, an alternative sugar, is emerging as an important molecule having a multifarious role in Candida albicans including a major role in signaling. GlcNAc Inducible Gene 2, GIG2 is one of the highly upregulated genes in GlcNAc grown cells in C. albicans. Our earlier studies show the involvement of Gig2 in the formation of N-acetylneuraminic (NANA acid from GlcNAc-6-phosphate through an understudied route. The crystal structure of Gig2 would help us in determining the exact reaction that this enzyme catalyzes. Here the cloning, expression, purification and crystallization of this protein are reported along with preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis at 2.4Å resolution. The crystal belonged to P21 space group, with unit cell parameters a=59.59, b= 54.43, c= 73.29Å; α = 90°, β = 102.7° and γ = 90°. The structure was solved using PDB ID 2CSG as a template which has only 27% identity. Molecular replacement yielded a solution with LLG score of 87. The structure is currently under further refinement

Cooperation of TOM and TIM23 complexes during translocation of proteins into mitochondria.

Science.gov (United States)

Waegemann, Karin; Popov-Čeleketić, Dušan; Neupert, Walter; Azem, Abdussalam; Mokranjac, Dejana

2015-03-13

Translocation of the majority of mitochondrial proteins from the cytosol into mitochondria requires the cooperation of TOM and TIM23 complexes in the outer and inner mitochondrial membranes. The molecular mechanisms underlying this cooperation remain largely unknown. Here, we present biochemical and genetic evidence that at least two contacts from the side of the TIM23 complex play an important role in TOM-TIM23 cooperation in vivo. Tim50, likely through its very C-terminal segment, interacts with Tom22. This interaction is stimulated by translocating proteins and is independent of any other TOM-TIM23 contact known so far. Furthermore, the exposure of Tim23 on the mitochondrial surface depends not only on its interaction with Tim50 but also on the dynamics of the TOM complex. Destabilization of the individual contacts reduces the efficiency of import of proteins into mitochondria and destabilization of both contacts simultaneously is not tolerated by yeast cells. We conclude that an intricate and coordinated network of protein-protein interactions involving primarily Tim50 and also Tim23 is required for efficient translocation of proteins across both mitochondrial membranes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability Analysis of Periodic Orbits in a Class of Duffing-Like Piecewise Linear Vibrators

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El Aroudi A.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we study the dynamical behavior of a Duffing-like piecewise linear (PWL springmass-damper system for vibration-based energy harvesting applications. First, we present a continuous time single degree of freedom PWL dynamical model of the system. From this PWL model, numerical simulations are carried out by computing frequency response and bifurcation diagram under a deterministic harmonic excitation for different sets of system parameter values. Stability analysis is performed using Floquet theory combined with Fillipov method.

Research Upregulation of CD23 (FcεRII Expression in Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells (huASMC in Response to IL-4, GM-CSF, and IL-4/GM-CSF

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lew D Betty

2005-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Airway smooth muscle cells play a key role in remodeling that contributes to airway hyperreactivity. Airway smooth muscle remodeling includes hypertrophy and hyperplasia. It has been previously shown that the expression of CD23 on ASMC in rabbits can be induced by the IgE component of the atopic serum. We examined if other components of atopic serum are capable of inducing CD23 expression independent of IgE. Methods Serum starved huASMC were stimulated with either IL-4, GM-CSF, IL-13, IL-5, PGD2, LTD4, tryptase or a combination of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 each with GM-CSF for a period of 24 h. CD23 expression was analyzed by flow cytometry, western blot, and indirect immunofluorescence. Results The CD23 protein expression was upregulated in huASMC in response to IL-4, GM-CSF, and IL-4/GM-CSF. The percentage of cells with increased fluorescence intensity above the control was 25.1 ± 4.2% (IL-4, 15.6 ± 2.7% (GM-CSF and 32.9 ± 13.9% (IL-4/GMCSF combination(n = 3. The protein content of IL-4/GMCSF stimulated cells was significantly elevated. Expression of CD23 in response to IL-4, GM-CSF, IL-4/GM-CSF was accompanied by changes in cell morphology including depolymerization of isoactin fibers, cell spreading, and membrane ruffling. Western blot revealed abundant expression of the IL-4Rα and a low level expression of IL-2Rγc in huASMC. Stimulation with IL-4 resulted in the phosphorylation of STAT-6 and an increase in the expression of the IL-2Rγc. Conclusion CD23 on huASMC is upregulated by IL-4, GM-CSF, and IL-4/GM-CSF. The expression of CD23 is accompanied by an increase in cell volume and an increase in protein content per cell, suggesting hypertrophy. Upregulation of CD23 by IL-4/GM-CSF results in phenotypic changes in huASMC that could play a role in cell migration or a change in the synthetic function of the cells. Upregulation of CD23 in huASMC by IL-4 and GM-CSF can contribute to changes in huASMC and may provide an avenue

A family of metal-dependent phosphatases implicated in metabolite damage-control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Lili; Khusnutdinova, Anna; Nocek, Boguslaw; Brown, Greg; Xu, Xiaohui; Cui, Hong; Petit, Pierre; Flick, Robert; Zallot, Rémi; Balmant, Kelly; Ziemak, Michael J.; Shanklin, John; de Crécy-Lagard, Valérie; Fiehn, Oliver; Gregory, Jesse F.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Savchenko, Alexei; Yakunin, Alexander F.; Hanson, Andrew D.

2016-06-20

DUF89 family proteins occur widely in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, but their functions are unknown. Here we define three DUF89 subfamilies (I, II, and III), with subfamily II being split into stand-alone proteins and proteins fused to pantothenate kinase (PanK). We demonstrated that DUF89 proteins have metal-dependent phosphatase activity against reactive phosphoesters or their damaged forms, notably sugar phosphates (subfamilies II and III), phosphopantetheine and its S-sulfonate or sulfonate (subfamily II-PanK fusions), and nucleotides (subfamily I). Genetic and comparative genomic data strongly associated DUF89 genes with phosphoester metabolism. The crystal structure of the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) subfamily III protein YMR027W revealed a novel phosphatase active site with fructose 6-phosphate and Mg2+ bound near conserved signature residues Asp254 and Asn255 that are critical for activity. These findings indicate that DUF89 proteins are previously unrecognized hydrolases whose characteristic in vivo function is to limit potentially harmful buildups of normal or damaged phosphometabolites.

The extracellular protein factor Epf from Streptococcus pyogenes is a cell surface adhesin that binds to cells through an N-terminal domain containing a carbohydrate-binding module.

Science.gov (United States)

Linke, Christian; Siemens, Nikolai; Oehmcke, Sonja; Radjainia, Mazdak; Law, Ruby H P; Whisstock, James C; Baker, Edward N; Kreikemeyer, Bernd

2012-11-02

Streptococcus pyogenes is an exclusively human pathogen. Streptococcal attachment to and entry into epithelial cells is a prerequisite for a successful infection of the human host and requires adhesins. Here, we demonstrate that the multidomain protein Epf from S. pyogenes serotype M49 is a streptococcal adhesin. An epf-deficient mutant showed significantly decreased adhesion to and internalization into human keratinocytes. Cell adhesion is mediated by the N-terminal domain of Epf (EpfN) and increased by the human plasma protein plasminogen. The crystal structure of EpfN, solved at 1.6 Å resolution, shows that it consists of two subdomains: a carbohydrate-binding module and a fibronectin type III domain. Both fold types commonly participate in ligand receptor and protein-protein interactions. EpfN is followed by 18 repeats of a domain classified as DUF1542 (domain of unknown function 1542) and a C-terminal cell wall sorting signal. The DUF1542 repeats are not involved in adhesion, but biophysical studies show they are predominantly α-helical and form a fiber-like stalk of tandem DUF1542 domains. Epf thus conforms with the widespread family of adhesins known as MSCRAMMs (microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules), in which a cell wall-attached stalk enables long range interactions via its adhesive N-terminal domain.

Effect of crude oil petroleum hydrocarbons on protein expression of the prawn Macrobrachium borellii.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasquevich, M Y; Dreon, M S; Gutierrez Rivera, J N; Vázquez Boucard, C; Heras, H

2013-05-01

Hydrocarbon pollution is a major environmental threat to ecosystems in marine and freshwater environments, but its toxicological effect on aquatic organisms remains little studied. A proteomic approach was used to analyze the effect of a freshwater oil spill on the prawn Macrobrachium borellii. To this aim, proteins were extracted from midgut gland (hepatopancreas) of male and female prawns exposed 7 days to a sublethal concentration (0.6 ppm) of water-soluble fraction of crude oil (WSF). Exposure to WSF induced responses at the protein expression level. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) revealed 10 protein spots that were differentially expressed by WSF exposure. Seven proteins were identified using MS/MS and de novo sequencing. Nm23 oncoprotein, arginine methyltransferase, fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase and glutathione S-transferase were down-regulated, whereas two glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase isoforms and a lipocalin-like crustacyanin (CTC) were up-regulated after WSF exposure. CTC mRNA levels were further analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR showing an increased expression after WSF exposure. The proteins identified are involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, detoxification, transport of hydrophobic molecules and cellular homeostasis among others. These results provide evidence for better understanding the toxic mechanisms of hydrocarbons. Moreover, some of these differentially expressed proteins would be employed as potential novel biomarkers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Read-through transcript from NM23-H1 into the neighboring NM23-H2 gene encodes a novel protein, NM23-LV

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valentijn, Linda J.; Koster, Jan; Versteeg, Rogier

2006-01-01

NM23-H1 and NM23-H2 are neighboring genes on chromosome 17q. They encode nucleoside diphosphate kinases that have additional roles in signal transduction, transcription, and apoptosis. NM23-H1 expression is a strong marker for prognosis and metastatic behavior in many tumor types. A new

Nonlinear response of a forced van der Pol-Duffing oscillator at non-resonant bifurcations of codimension two

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, J.C.; Zhang, N.

2009-01-01

Non-resonant bifurcations of codimension two may appear in the controlled van der Pol-Duffing oscillator when two critical time delays corresponding to a double Hopf bifurcation have the same value. With the aid of centre manifold theorem and the method of multiple scales, the non-resonant response and two types of primary resonances of the forced van der Pol-Duffing oscillator at non-resonant bifurcations of codimension two are investigated by studying the possible solutions and their stability of the four-dimensional ordinary differential equations on the centre manifold. It is shown that the non-resonant response of the forced oscillator may exhibit quasi-periodic motions on a two- or three-dimensional (2D or 3D) torus. The primary resonant responses admit single and mixed solutions and may exhibit periodic motions or quasi-periodic motions on a 2D torus. Illustrative examples are presented to interpret the dynamics of the controlled system in terms of two dummy unfolding parameters and exemplify the periodic and quasi-periodic motions. The analytical predictions are found to be in good agreement with the results of numerical integration of the original delay differential equation.

Structure of the first representative of Pfam family PF09410 (DUF2006) reveals a structural signature of the calycin superfamily that suggests a role in lipid metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Skerra, Arne; Lomize, Andrei; Carlton, Dennis; Miller, Mitchell D.; Krishna, S. Sri; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grant, Joanna C.; Grzechnik, Slawomir K.; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; McMullan, Daniel; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Okach, Linda; Paulsen, Jessica; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Bedem, Henry van den; Weekes, Dana; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Elsliger, Marc-André; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.

2009-01-01

NE1406, the first structural representative of PF09410, reveals a lipocalin-like fold with features that suggest involvement in lipid metabolism. In addition, NE1406 provides potential structural templates for two other protein families (PF07143 and PF08622). The first structural representative of the domain of unknown function DUF2006 family, also known as Pfam family PF09410, comprises a lipocalin-like fold with domain duplication. The finding of the calycin signature in the N-terminal domain, combined with remote sequence similarity to two other protein families (PF07143 and PF08622) implicated in isoprenoid metabolism and the oxidative stress response, support an involvement in lipid metabolism. Clusters of conserved residues that interact with ligand mimetics suggest that the binding and regulation sites map to the N-terminal domain and to the interdomain interface, respectively

WWOX protein expression varies among ovarian carcinoma histotypes and correlates with less favorable outcome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunez, María I; Mills, Gordon B; Aldaz, C Marcelo; Rosen, Daniel G; Ludes-Meyers, John H; Abba, Martín C; Kil, Hyunsuk; Page, Robert; Klein-Szanto, Andres JP; Godwin, Andrew K; Liu, Jinsong

2005-01-01

The putative tumor suppressor WWOX gene spans the common chromosomal fragile site 16D (FRA16D) at chromosome area 16q23.3-24.1. This region is a frequent target for loss of heterozygosity and chromosomal rearrangement in ovarian, breast, hepatocellular, prostate carcinomas and other neoplasias. The goal of these studies was to evaluate WWOX protein expression levels in ovarian carcinomas to determine if they correlated with clinico-pathological parameters, thus providing additional support for WWOX functioning as a tumor suppressor. We performed WWOX protein expression analyses by means of immunobloting and immunohistochemistry on normal ovaries and specific human ovarian carcinoma Tissue Microarrays (n = 444). Univariate analysis of clinical-pathological parameters based on WWOX staining was determined by χ 2 test with Yates' correction. The basic significance level was fixed at p < 0.05. Immunoblotting analysis from normal ovarian samples demonstrated consistently strong WWOX expression while 37% ovarian carcinomas showed reduced or undetectable WWOX protein expression levels. The immunohistochemistry of normal human ovarian tissue sections confirmed strong WWOX expression in ovarian surface epithelial cells and in epithelial inclusion cysts within the cortex. Out of 444 ovarian carcinoma samples analyzed 30% of tumors showed lack of or barely detectable WWOX expression. The remaining ovarian carcinomas (70%) stained moderately to strongly positive for this protein. The two histotypes showing significant loss of WWOX expression were of the Mucinous (70%) and Clear Cell (42%) types. Reduced WWOX expression demonstrated a significant association with clinical Stage IV (FIGO) (p = 0.007), negative Progesterone Receptor (PR) status (p = 0.008) and shorter overall survival (p = 0.03). These data indicate that WWOX protein expression is highly variable among ovarian carcinoma histotypes. It was also observed that subsets of ovarian tumors demonstrated loss of

The predictive nature of transcript expression levels on protein expression in adult human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauernfeind, Amy L; Babbitt, Courtney C

2017-04-24

Next generation sequencing methods are the gold standard for evaluating expression of the transcriptome. When determining the biological implications of such studies, the assumption is often made that transcript expression levels correspond to protein levels in a meaningful way. However, the strength of the overall correlation between transcript and protein expression is inconsistent, particularly in brain samples. Following high-throughput transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) and proteomic (liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry) analyses of adult human brain samples, we compared the correlation in the expression of transcripts and proteins that support various biological processes, molecular functions, and that are located in different areas of the cell. Although most categories of transcripts have extremely weak predictive value for the expression of their associated proteins (R 2 values of < 10%), transcripts coding for protein kinases and membrane-associated proteins, including those that are part of receptors or ion transporters, are among those that are most predictive of downstream protein expression levels. The predictive value of transcript expression for corresponding proteins is variable in human brain samples, reflecting the complex regulation of protein expression. However, we found that transcriptomic analyses are appropriate for assessing the expression levels of certain classes of proteins, including those that modify proteins, such as kinases and phosphatases, regulate metabolic and synaptic activity, or are associated with a cellular membrane. These findings can be used to guide the interpretation of gene expression results from primate brain samples.

Overexpression of AtGRDP2, a novel glycine-rich domain protein, accelerates plant growth and improves stress tolerance

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Maria Azucena Ortega-Amaro

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Proteins with glycine-rich signatures have been reported in a wide variety of organisms including plants, mammalians, fungi, and bacteria. Plant glycine-rich protein genes exhibit developmental and tissue-specific expression patterns. Herein, we present the characterization of the AtGRDP2 gene using Arabidopsis null and knockdown mutants and, Arabidopsis and lettuce over-expression lines. AtGRDP2 encodes a short glycine-rich domain protein, containing a DUF1399 domain and a putative RNA recognition motif. AtGRDP2 transcript is mainly expressed in Arabidopsis floral organs, and its deregulation in Arabidopsis Atgrdp2 mutants and 35S::AtGRDP2 over-expression lines produces alterations in development. The 35S::AtGRDP2 over-expression lines grow faster than the WT, while the Atgrdp2 mutants have a delay in growth and development. The over-expression lines accumulate higher levels of indole-3-acetic acid and, have alterations in the expression pattern of ARF6, ARF8 and miR167 regulators of floral development and auxin signaling. Under salt stress conditions, 35S::AtGRDP2 over-expression lines displayed higher tolerance and increased expression of stress marker genes. Likewise, transgenic lettuce plants over-expressing the AtGRDP2 gene manifest increased growth rate and early flowering time. Our data reveal an important role for AtGRDP2 in Arabidopsis development and stress response, and suggest a connection between AtGRDP2 and auxin signaling.

Expression of IL-23/Th17-related cytokines in basal cell carcinoma and in the response to medical treatments.

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Cristina Pellegrini

Full Text Available Several immune-related markers have been implicated in basal cell carcinoma (BCC pathogenesis. The BCC inflammatory infiltrate is dominated by Th2 cytokines, suggesting a specific state of immunosuppression. In contrast, regressing BCC are characterized by a Th1 immune response with IFN-γ promoting a tumor suppressive activity. IL-23/Th17-related cytokines, as interleukin (IL-17, IL-23 and IL-22, play a significant role in cutaneous inflammatory diseases, but their involvement in skin carcinogenesis is controversial and is poorly investigated in BCC. In this study we investigated the expression of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-22 cytokines in BCC at the protein and mRNA level and their modulation during imiquimod (IMQ treatment or photodynamic therapy (PDT. IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-22 levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative Real Time PCR in 41 histopathologically-proven BCCs (28 superficial and 13 nodular from 39 patients. All BCC samples were analyzed at baseline and 19 of 41 also during medical treatment (9 with IMQ 5% cream and 10 with MAL-PDT. Association between cytokines expression and clinico-pathological variables was evaluated. Higher levels of IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-22 were found in BCCs, mainly in the peritumoral infiltrate, compared to normal skin, with the expression being correlated to the severity of the inflammatory infiltrate. IFN-γ production was higher in superficial BCCs compared to nodular BCCs, while IL-17 was increased in nodular BCCs. A significant correlation was found between IFN-γ and IL-17 expression with both cytokines expressed by CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. An increase of all cytokines occurred during the inflammatory phase induced by IMQ and at the early time point of PDT treatment, with significant evidence for IFN-γ, IL-23, and IL-22. Our results confirm the role of IFN-γ and support the involvement of IL-23/Th17-related cytokines in BCC pathogenesis and in the inflammatory response

Complex dynamics in Duffing system with two external forcings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jing Zhujun; Wang Ruiqi

2005-01-01

Duffing's equation with two external forcing terms have been discussed. The threshold values of chaotic motion under the periodic and quasi-periodic perturbations are obtained by using second-order averaging method and Melnikov's method. Numerical simulations not only show the consistence with the theoretical analysis but also exhibit the interesting bifurcation diagrams and the more new complex dynamical behaviors, including period-n (n=2,3,6,8) orbits, cascades of period-doubling and reverse period doubling bifurcations, quasi-periodic orbit, period windows, bubble from period-one to period-two, onset of chaos, hopping behavior of chaos, transient chaos, chaotic attractors and strange non-chaotic attractor, crisis which depends on the frequencies, amplitudes and damping. In particular, the second frequency plays a very important role for dynamics of the system, and the system can leave chaotic region to periodic motions by adjusting some parameter which can be considered as an control strategy of chaos. The computation of Lyapunov exponents confirm the dynamical behaviors

Efficient protein production method for NMR using soluble protein tags with cold shock expression vector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Kokoro; Kojima, Chojiro

2010-01-01

The E. coli protein expression system is one of the most useful methods employed for NMR sample preparation. However, the production of some recombinant proteins in E. coli is often hampered by difficulties such as low expression level and low solubility. To address these problems, a modified cold-shock expression system containing a glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag, the pCold-GST system, was investigated. The pCold-GST system successfully expressed 9 out of 10 proteins that otherwise could not be expressed using a conventional E. coli expression system. Here, we applied the pCold-GST system to 84 proteins and 78 proteins were successfully expressed in the soluble fraction. Three other cold-shock expression systems containing a maltose binding protein tag (pCold-MBP), protein G B1 domain tag (pCold-GB1) or thioredoxin tag (pCold-Trx) were also developed to improve the yield. Additionally, we show that a C-terminal proline tag, which is invisible in 1 H- 15 N HSQC spectra, inhibits protein degradation and increases the final yield of unstable proteins. The purified proteins were amenable to NMR analyses. These data suggest that pCold expression systems combined with soluble protein tags can be utilized to improve the expression and purification of various proteins for NMR analysis.

Recognition determinants for proteins and antibiotics within 23S rRNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Douthwaite, Stephen Roger; Voldborg, Bjørn Gunnar Rude; Hansen, Lykke Haastrup

1995-01-01

Ribosomal RNAs fold into phylogenetically conserved secondary and tertiary structures that determine their function in protein synthesis. We have investigated Escherichia coli 23S rRNA to identify structural elements that interact with antibiotic and protein ligands. Using a combination of molecu......Ribosomal RNAs fold into phylogenetically conserved secondary and tertiary structures that determine their function in protein synthesis. We have investigated Escherichia coli 23S rRNA to identify structural elements that interact with antibiotic and protein ligands. Using a combination......-proteins L10.(L12)4 and L11 and is inhibited by interaction with the antibiotic thiostrepton. The peptidyltransferase center within domain V is inhibited by macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B antibiotics, which interact with the rRNA around nucleotide A2058. Drug resistance is conferred by mutations...

Antiperiodic Solutions for a Kind of Nonlinear Duffing Equations with a Deviating Argument and Time-Varying Delay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changjin Xu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with a kind of nonlinear Duffing equation with a deviating argument and time-varying delay. By using differential inequality techniques, some very verifiable criteria on the existence and exponential stability of antiperiodic solutions for the equation are obtained. Our results are new and complementary to previously known results. An example is given to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of our main results.

The Extracellular Protein Factor Epf from Streptococcus pyogenes Is a Cell Surface Adhesin That Binds to Cells through an N-terminal Domain Containing a Carbohydrate-binding Module*

Science.gov (United States)

Linke, Christian; Siemens, Nikolai; Oehmcke, Sonja; Radjainia, Mazdak; Law, Ruby H. P.; Whisstock, James C.; Baker, Edward N.; Kreikemeyer, Bernd

2012-01-01

Streptococcus pyogenes is an exclusively human pathogen. Streptococcal attachment to and entry into epithelial cells is a prerequisite for a successful infection of the human host and requires adhesins. Here, we demonstrate that the multidomain protein Epf from S. pyogenes serotype M49 is a streptococcal adhesin. An epf-deficient mutant showed significantly decreased adhesion to and internalization into human keratinocytes. Cell adhesion is mediated by the N-terminal domain of Epf (EpfN) and increased by the human plasma protein plasminogen. The crystal structure of EpfN, solved at 1.6 Å resolution, shows that it consists of two subdomains: a carbohydrate-binding module and a fibronectin type III domain. Both fold types commonly participate in ligand receptor and protein-protein interactions. EpfN is followed by 18 repeats of a domain classified as DUF1542 (domain of unknown function 1542) and a C-terminal cell wall sorting signal. The DUF1542 repeats are not involved in adhesion, but biophysical studies show they are predominantly α-helical and form a fiber-like stalk of tandem DUF1542 domains. Epf thus conforms with the widespread family of adhesins known as MSCRAMMs (microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules), in which a cell wall-attached stalk enables long range interactions via its adhesive N-terminal domain. PMID:22977243

Differentially expressed proteins on postoperative 3

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jialili Ainuer

2011-04-01

Full Text Available 【Abstract】Objectives: Surgical repair of Achilles tendon (AT rupture should immediately be followed by active tendon mobilization. The optimal time as to when the mobilization should begin is important yet controversial. Early kinesitherapy leads to reduced rehabilitation period. However, an insight into the detailed mechanism of this process has not been gained. Proteomic technique can be used to separate and purify the proteins by differential expression profile which is related to the function of different proteins, but research in the area of proteomic analysis of AT 3 days after repair has not been studied so far. Methods: Forty-seven New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into 3 groups. Group A (immobilization group, n=16 received postoperative cast immobilization; Group B (early motion group, n=16 received early active motion treatments immediately following the repair of AT rupture from tenotomy. Another 15 rabbits served as control group (Group C. The AT samples were prepared 3 days following the microsurgery. The proteins were separated employing twodimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE. PDQuest software version 8.0 was used to identify differentially expressed proteins, followed by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF and tandem mass spectrum analysis, using the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI protein database retrieval and then for bioinformatics analysis. Results: A mean of 446.33, 436.33 and 462.67 protein spots on Achilles tendon samples of 13 rabbits in Group A, 14 rabbits in Group B and 13 rabbits in Group C were successfully detected in the 2D-PAGE. There were 40, 36 and 79 unique proteins in Groups A, B and C respectively. Some differentially expressed proteins were enzyme with the gel, matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS. We successfully identified 9 and 11 different proteins in Groups A and B, such as GAPDH, phosphoglycerate kinase 1

Expression, Delivery and Function of Insecticidal Proteins Expressed by Recombinant Baculoviruses

Science.gov (United States)

Kroemer, Jeremy A.; Bonning, Bryony C.; Harrison, Robert L.

2015-01-01

Since the development of methods for inserting and expressing genes in baculoviruses, a line of research has focused on developing recombinant baculoviruses that express insecticidal peptides and proteins. These recombinant viruses have been engineered with the goal of improving their pesticidal potential by shortening the time required for infection to kill or incapacitate insect pests and reducing the quantity of crop damage as a consequence. A wide variety of neurotoxic peptides, proteins that regulate insect physiology, degradative enzymes, and other potentially insecticidal proteins have been evaluated for their capacity to reduce the survival time of baculovirus-infected lepidopteran host larvae. Researchers have investigated the factors involved in the efficient expression and delivery of baculovirus-encoded insecticidal peptides and proteins, with much effort dedicated to identifying ideal promoters for driving transcription and signal peptides that mediate secretion of the expressed target protein. Other factors, particularly translational efficiency of transcripts derived from recombinant insecticidal genes and post-translational folding and processing of insecticidal proteins, remain relatively unexplored. The discovery of RNA interference as a gene-specific regulation mechanism offers a new approach for improvement of baculovirus biopesticidal efficacy through genetic modification. PMID:25609310

Efficient protein production method for NMR using soluble protein tags with cold shock expression vector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayashi, Kokoro [Fujifilm Corporation, Analysis Technology Center (Japan); Kojima, Chojiro, E-mail: kojima@protein.osaka-u.ac.j [Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Graduate School of Biological Sciences (Japan)

2010-11-15

The E. coli protein expression system is one of the most useful methods employed for NMR sample preparation. However, the production of some recombinant proteins in E. coli is often hampered by difficulties such as low expression level and low solubility. To address these problems, a modified cold-shock expression system containing a glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag, the pCold-GST system, was investigated. The pCold-GST system successfully expressed 9 out of 10 proteins that otherwise could not be expressed using a conventional E. coli expression system. Here, we applied the pCold-GST system to 84 proteins and 78 proteins were successfully expressed in the soluble fraction. Three other cold-shock expression systems containing a maltose binding protein tag (pCold-MBP), protein G B1 domain tag (pCold-GB1) or thioredoxin tag (pCold-Trx) were also developed to improve the yield. Additionally, we show that a C-terminal proline tag, which is invisible in {sup 1}H-{sup 15}N HSQC spectra, inhibits protein degradation and increases the final yield of unstable proteins. The purified proteins were amenable to NMR analyses. These data suggest that pCold expression systems combined with soluble protein tags can be utilized to improve the expression and purification of various proteins for NMR analysis.

Stochastic resonance induced by the novel random transitions of two-dimensional weak damping bistable duffing oscillator and bifurcation of moment equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Guangjun; Xu Jianxue; Wang Jue; Yue Zhifeng; Zou Hailin

2009-01-01

In this paper stochastic resonance induced by the novel random transitions of two-dimensional weak damping bistable Duffing oscillator is analyzed by moment method. This kind of novel transition refers to the one among three potential well on two sides of bifurcation point of original system at the presence of internal noise. Several conclusions are drawn. First, the semi-analytical result of stochastic resonance induced by the novel random transitions of two-dimensional weak damping bistable Duffing oscillator can be obtained, and the semi-analytical result is qualitatively compatible with the one of Monte Carlo simulation. Second, a bifurcation of double-branch fixed point curves occurs in the moment equations with noise intensity as their bifurcation parameter. Third, the bifurcation of moment equations corresponds to stochastic resonance of original system. Finally, the mechanism of stochastic resonance is presented from another viewpoint through analyzing the energy transfer induced by the bifurcation of moment equation.

Escherichia coli Protein Expression System for Acetylcholine Binding Proteins (AChBPs.

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Nikita Abraham

Full Text Available Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR are ligand gated ion channels, identified as therapeutic targets for a range of human diseases. Drug design for nAChR related disorders is increasingly using structure-based approaches. Many of these structural insights for therapeutic lead development have been obtained from co-crystal structures of nAChR agonists and antagonists with the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP. AChBP is a water soluble, structural and functional homolog of the extracellular, ligand-binding domain of nAChRs. Currently, AChBPs are recombinantly expressed in eukaryotic expression systems for structural and biophysical studies. Here, we report the establishment of an Escherichia coli (E. coli expression system that significantly reduces the cost and time of production compared to the existing expression systems. E. coli can efficiently express unglycosylated AChBP for crystallography and makes the expression of isotopically labelled forms feasible for NMR. We used a pHUE vector containing an N-terminal His-tagged ubiquitin fusion protein to facilitate AChBP expression in the soluble fractions, and thus avoid the need to recover protein from inclusion bodies. The purified protein yield obtained from the E. coli expression system is comparable to that obtained from existing AChBP expression systems. E. coli expressed AChBP bound nAChR agonists and antagonists with affinities matching those previously reported. Thus, the E. coli expression system significantly simplifies the expression and purification of functional AChBP for structural and biophysical studies.

Alteration of protein expression pattern of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from soluble to cell-associated isoform during tumourigenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cressey, Ratchada; Wattananupong, Onusa; Lertprasertsuke, Nirush; Vinitketkumnuen, Usanee

2005-01-01

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent mitogen for endothelial cells, and its expression has been correlated with increased tumour angiogenesis. Although numerous publications dealing with the measurement of circulating VEGF for diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring have been published, the relationship between the production of tissue VEGF and its concentration in blood is still unclear. The aims of this study were to determine: 1) The expression pattern of VEGF isoforms at the protein level in colorectal and lung adenocarcinoma in comparison to the pattern in corresponding adjacent normal tissues 2) The relationship between the expression pattern of VEGF and total level of circulating VEGF in the blood to clarify whether the results of measuring circulating VEGF can be used to predict VEGF expression in tumour tissues. Ninety-four tissue samples were obtained from patients, 76 colorectal tumour tissues and 18 lung tumour tissues. VEGF protein expression pattern and total circulating VEGF were examined using western blot and capture ELISA, respectively. Three major protein bands were predominately detected in tumour samples with an apparent molecular mass under reducing conditions of 18, 23 and 26 kDa. The 18 kDa VEGF protein was expressed equally in both normal and colorectal tumour tissues and predominately expressed in normal tissues of lung, whereas the 23 and 26 kDa protein was only detected at higher levels in tumour tissues. The 18, 23 and 26 kDa proteins are believed to represent the VEGF 121 , the VEGF 165 and the VEGF 189 , respectively. There was a significant correlation of the expression of VEGF 165 with a smaller tumour size maximum diameter <5 cm (p < 0.05), and there was a significant correlation of VEGF 189 with advanced clinical stage of colorectal tumours. The measurement of total circulating VEGF in serum revealed that cancer patients significantly (p < 0.001) possessed a higher level of circulating VEGF (1081 ± 652 pg/ml in

Expression Pattern of G-Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor in Myometrium of Uteri with and without Adenomyosis

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Jin-Jiao Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To compare the expression of G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER in the junctional zone and outer myometrium of the proliferative and secretory phases of women with and without adenomyosis. Methods. A total of 76 women were included in this study, 42 with adenomyosis (proliferative phase, n=23; secretory phases, n=19 and 34 controls (proliferative phase, n=16; secretory phases, n=18. Protein and total RNA were extracted from the junctional zone (JZ and outer myometrium (OM. GPER protein and mRNA expression levels were evaluated by the use of western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR. Results. The expression of GPER protein and mRNA in women with adenomyosis was significantly higher than that of control subjects, both in the junctional zone and in the outer myometrium and both in the proliferative and in the secretory phases. Conclusion. The significant and consistent increase in GPER expression in adenomyosis compared with control subjects, regardless of whether it was in the proliferative or secretory phases and regardless of whether it was in the JZ or OM, suggests that GPER plays an important role in the pathogenesis of the adenomyosis.

HHR23B, a human RAD23 homolog, stimulates XPC protein in nucleotide excision repair in vitro.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

K. Sugasawa (Kaoru); C. Masutani (Chikahide); A. Uchida; T. Maekawa; P.J. van der Spek (Peter); D. Bootsma (Dirk); J.H.J. Hoeijmakers (Jan); F. Hanaoka (Fumio)

1996-01-01

textabstractA protein complex which specifically complements defects of XP-C cell extracts in vitro was previously purified to near homogeneity from HeLa cells. The complex consists of two tightly associated proteins: the XPC gene product and HHR23B, one of two human homologs of the Saccharomyces

Differentially expressed and survival-related proteins of lung adenocarcinoma with bone metastasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Mengdi; Sun, Yi; Sun, Jing; Wang, Zhiyu; Zhou, Yiyi; Yao, Guangyu; Gu, Yifeng; Zhang, Huizhen; Zhao, Hui

2018-04-01

Despite recent advances in targeted and immune-based therapies, the poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) with bone metastasis (BM) remains a challenge. First, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to identify proteins that were differentially expressed in LUAD with BM, and then matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was used to identify these proteins. Second, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to identify mutations in these differentially expressed proteins and Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM Plotter) was used to generate survival curves for the analyzed cases. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to check the expression of proteins in 28 patients with BM and nine patients with LUAD. Lastly, the results were analyzed with respect to clinical features and patient's follow-up. We identified a number of matched proteins from 2-DE. High expression of enolase 1 (ENO1) (HR = 1.67, logrank P = 1.9E-05), ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P2 (RPLP2) (HR = 1.77, logrank P = 2.9e-06), and NME/NM23 nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2 (NME1-NME2) (HR = 2.65, logrank P = 3.9E-15) was all significantly associated with poor survival (P < 0.05). Further, ENO1 was upregulated (P = 0.0004) and calcyphosine (CAPS1) was downregulated (P = 5.34E-07) in TCGA LUAD RNA-seq expression data. IHC revealed that prominent ENO1 staining (OR = 7.5, P = 0.034) and low levels of CAPS1 (OR = 0.01, P < 0.0001) staining were associated with BM incidence. Finally, we found that LUAD patients with high expression of ENO1 and RPLP2 had worse overall survival. This is the first instance where the genes ENO1, RPLP2, NME1-NME2 and CAPS1 were associated with disease severity and progression in LUAD patients with BM. Thus, with this study, we have identified potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for this disease. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Water deficit modulates gene expression in growing zones of soybean seedlings. Analysis of differentially expressed cDNAs, a new beta-tubulin gene, and expression of genes encoding cell wall proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E

1991-10-01

Transfer of soybean seedlings to low-water-potential vermiculite (psi w = -0.3 MPa) results in a reversible decrease in hypocotyl growth and modulation of several polysomal mRNAs (Plant Physiol 92: 205-214). We report here the isolation of two cDNA clones (pGE16 and pGE95) which correspond to genes whose mRNA levels are increased, and one cDNA clone (pGE23) which corresponds to a gene whose mRNA level is decreased in the hypocotyl zone of cell elongation by water deficit. In well-watered seedlings mRNAs hybridizing to pGE16 and pGE95 are most abundant in mature regions of the seedling, but in water-deficient seedlings mRNA levels are reduced in mature regions and enhanced in elongating regions. RNA corresponding to soybean proline-rich protein 1 (sbPRP1) shows a similar tissue distribution and response to water deficit. In contrast, in well-watered seedlings, the gene corresponding to pGE23 was highly expressed in the hypocotyl and root growing zones. Transfer of seedlings to low-water-potential vermiculite caused a rapid decrease in mRNA hybridizing to pGE23. Sequence analysis revealed that pGE23 has high homology with beta-tubulin. Water deficit also reduced the level of mRNA hybridizing to JCW1, an auxin-modulated gene, although with different kinetics. Furthermore, mRNA encoding actin, glycine-rich proteins (GRPs), and hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) were down-regulated in the hypocotyl zone of elongation of seedlings exposed to water deficit. No effect of water deficit was observed on the expression of chalcone synthase. Decreased expression of beta-tubulin, actin, JCW1, HRGP and GRP and increased expression of sbPRP1, pGE95 and pGE16 in the hypocotyl zone of cell elongation could participate in the reversible growth inhibition observed in water-deficient soybean seedlings.

Several genes encoding ribosomal proteins are over-expressed in prostate-cancer cell lines: confirmation of L7a and L37 over-expression in prostate-cancer tissue samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaarala, M H; Porvari, K S; Kyllönen, A P; Mustonen, M V; Lukkarinen, O; Vihko, P T

1998-09-25

A cDNA library specific for mRNA over-expressed in prostate cancer was generated by subtractive hybridization of transcripts originating from prostatic hyperplasia and cancer tissues. cDNA encoding ribosomal proteins L4, L5, L7a, L23a, L30, L37, S14 and S18 was found to be present among 100 analyzed clones. Levels of ribosomal mRNA were significantly higher at least in one of the prostate-cancer cell lines, LNCaP, DU-145 and PC-3, than in hyperplastic tissue, as determined by slot-blot hybridization. Furthermore, L23a- and S14-transcript levels were significantly elevated in PC-3 cells as compared with those in the normal prostate epithelial cell line PrEC. Generally, dramatic changes in the mRNA content of the ribosomal proteins were not detected, the most evident over-expression being that of L37 mRNA, which was 3.4 times more abundant in LNCaP cells than in hyperplastic prostate tissue. The over-expression of L7a and L37 mRNA was confirmed in prostate-cancer tissue samples by in situ hybridization. Elevated cancer-related expression of L4 and L30 has not been reported, but levels of the other ribosomal proteins are known to be increased in several types of cancers. These results therefore suggest that prostate cancer is comparable with other types of cancers, in that a larger pool of some ribosomal proteins is gained during the transformation process, by an unknown mechanism.

FGF23 modulates the effects of erythropoietin on gene expression in renal epithelial cells

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Yashiro M

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Mitsuru Yashiro,1 Masaki Ohya,1 Toru Mima,1 Yumi Ueda,2 Yuri Nakashima,1 Kazuki Kawakami,1 Yohei Ishizawa,2 Shuto Yamamoto,1 Sou Kobayashi,1 Takurou Yano,1 Yusuke Tanaka,1 Kouji Okuda,1 Tomohiro Sonou,1 Tomohiro Shoshihara,1 Yuko Iwashita,1 Yu Iwashita,1 Kouichi Tatsuta,1 Ryo Matoba,2 Shigeo Negi,1 Takashi Shigematsu1 1Department of Nephrology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan; 2DNA Chip Research Inc., Minato, Japan Background: FGF23 plays an important role in calcium–phosphorus metabolism. Other roles of FGF23 have recently been reported, such as commitment to myocardium enlargement and immunological roles in the spleen. In this study, we aimed to identify the roles of FGF23 in the kidneys other than calcium–phosphorus metabolism. Methods: DNA microarrays and bioinformatics tools were used to analyze gene expression in mIMCD3 mouse renal tubule cells following treatment with FGF23, erythropoietin and/or an inhibitor of ERK. Results: Three protein-coding genes were upregulated and 12 were downregulated in response to FGF23. Following bioinformatics analysis of these genes, PPARγ and STAT3 were identified as candidate transcript factors for mediating their upregulation, and STAT1 as a candidate for mediating their downregulation. Because STAT1 and STAT3 also mediate erythropoietin signaling, we investigated whether FGF23 and erythropoietin might show interactive effects in these cells. Of the 15 genes regulated by FGF23, 11 were upregulated by erythropoietin; 10 of these were downregulated following cotreatment with FGF23. Inhibition of ERK, an intracellular mediator of FGF23, reversed the effects of FGF23. However, FGF23 did not influence STAT1 phosphorylation, suggesting that it impinges on erythropoietin signaling through other mechanisms. Conclusion: Our results suggest cross talk between erythropoietin and FGF23 signaling in the regulation of renal epithelial cells. Keywords: FGF23, STAT1, PPARγ, DNA microarray

Hypothyroidism coordinately and transiently affects myelin protein gene expression in most rat brain regions during postnatal development.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibarrola, N; Rodríguez-Peña, A

1997-03-28

To assess the role of thyroid hormone on myelin gene expression, we have studied the effect of hypothyroidism on the mRNA steady state levels for the major myelin protein genes: myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and 2':3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) in different rat brain regions, during the first postnatal month. We found that hypothyroidism reduces the levels of every myelin protein transcript, with striking differences between the different brain regions. Thus, in the more caudal regions, the effect of hypothyroidism was extremely modest, being only evident at the earlier stages of myelination. In contrast, in the striatum and the cerebral cortex the important decrease in the myelin protein transcripts is maintained beyond the first postnatal month. Therefore, thyroid hormone modulates in a synchronous fashion the expression of the myelin genes and the length of its effect depends on the brain region. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism leads to an increase of the major myelin protein transcripts above control values. Finally, lack of thyroid hormone does not change the expression of the oligodendrocyte progenitor-specific gene, the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha.

Synaptotagmin-7 is an asynchronous calcium sensor for synaptic transmission in neurons expressing SNAP-23.

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Jens P Weber

Full Text Available Synchronization of neurotransmitter release with the presynaptic action potential is essential for maintaining fidelity of information transfer in the central nervous system. However, synchronous release is frequently accompanied by an asynchronous release component that builds up during repetitive stimulation, and can even play a dominant role in some synapses. Here, we show that substitution of SNAP-23 for SNAP-25 in mouse autaptic glutamatergic hippocampal neurons results in asynchronous release and a higher frequency of spontaneous release events (mEPSCs. Use of neurons from double-knock-out (SNAP-25, synaptotagmin-7 mice in combination with viral transduction showed that SNAP-23-driven release is triggered by endogenous synaptotagmin-7. In the absence of synaptotagmin-7 release became even more asynchronous, and the spontaneous release rate increased even more, indicating that synaptotagmin-7 acts to synchronize release and suppress spontaneous release. However, compared to synaptotagmin-1, synaptotagmin-7 is a both leaky and asynchronous calcium sensor. In the presence of SNAP-25, consequences of the elimination of synaptotagmin-7 were small or absent, indicating that the protein pairs SNAP-25/synaptotagmin-1 and SNAP-23/synaptotagmin-7 might act as mutually exclusive calcium sensors. Expression of fusion proteins between pHluorin (pH-sensitive GFP and synaptotagmin-1 or -7 showed that vesicles that fuse using the SNAP-23/synaptotagmin-7 combination contained synaptotagmin-1, while synaptotagmin-7 barely displayed activity-dependent trafficking between vesicle and plasma membrane, implying that it acts as a plasma membrane calcium sensor. Overall, these findings support the idea of alternative syt∶SNARE combinations driving release with different kinetics and fidelity.

Existence and Analytic Approximation of Solutions of Duffing Type Nonlinear Integro-Differential Equation with Integral Boundary Conditions

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Alsaedi Ahmed

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A generalized quasilinearization technique is developed to obtain a sequence of approximate solutions converging monotonically and quadratically to a unique solution of a boundary value problem involving Duffing type nonlinear integro-differential equation with integral boundary conditions. The convergence of order for the sequence of iterates is also established. It is found that the work presented in this paper not only produces new results but also yields several old results in certain limits.

Recombinant Expression Screening of P. aeruginosa Bacterial Inner Membrane Proteins

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Jeffery Constance J

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Transmembrane proteins (TM proteins make up 25% of all proteins and play key roles in many diseases and normal physiological processes. However, much less is known about their structures and molecular mechanisms than for soluble proteins. Problems in expression, solubilization, purification, and crystallization cause bottlenecks in the characterization of TM proteins. This project addressed the need for improved methods for obtaining sufficient amounts of TM proteins for determining their structures and molecular mechanisms. Results Plasmid clones were obtained that encode eighty-seven transmembrane proteins with varying physical characteristics, for example, the number of predicted transmembrane helices, molecular weight, and grand average hydrophobicity (GRAVY. All the target proteins were from P. aeruginosa, a gram negative bacterial opportunistic pathogen that causes serious lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis. The relative expression levels of the transmembrane proteins were measured under several culture growth conditions. The use of E. coli strains, a T7 promoter, and a 6-histidine C-terminal affinity tag resulted in the expression of 61 out of 87 test proteins (70%. In this study, proteins with a higher grand average hydrophobicity and more transmembrane helices were expressed less well than less hydrophobic proteins with fewer transmembrane helices. Conclusions In this study, factors related to overall hydrophobicity and the number of predicted transmembrane helices correlated with the relative expression levels of the target proteins. Identifying physical characteristics that correlate with protein expression might aid in selecting the "low hanging fruit", or proteins that can be expressed to sufficient levels using an E. coli expression system. The use of other expression strategies or host species might be needed for sufficient levels of expression of transmembrane proteins with other physical

The dichotomous pattern of IL-12r and IL-23R expression elucidates the role of IL-12 and IL-23 in inflammation.

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Gaëlle Chognard

Full Text Available IL-12 and IL-23 cytokines respectively drive Th1 and Th17 type responses. Yet, little is known regarding the biology of these receptors. As the IL-12 and IL-23 receptors share a common subunit, it has been assumed that these receptors are co-expressed. Surprisingly, we find that the expression of each of these receptors is restricted to specific cell types, in both mouse and human. Indeed, although IL-12Rβ2 is expressed by NK cells and a subset of γδ T cells, the expression of IL-23R is restricted to specific T cell subsets, a small number of B cells and innate lymphoid cells. By exploiting an IL-12- and IL-23-dependent mouse model of innate inflammation, we demonstrate an intricate interplay between IL-12Rβ2 NK cells and IL-23R innate lymphoid cells with respectively dominant roles in the regulation of systemic versus local inflammatory responses. Together, these findings support an unforeseen lineage-specific dichotomy in the in vivo role of both the IL-12 and IL-23 pathways in pathological inflammatory states, which may allow more accurate dissection of the roles of these receptors in chronic inflammatory diseases in humans.

Predictable tuning of protein expression in bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonde, Mads; Pedersen, Margit; Klausen, Michael Schantz

2016-01-01

We comprehensively assessed the contribution of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence to protein expression and used the data to develop EMOPEC (Empirical Model and Oligos for Protein Expression Changes; http://emopec.biosustain.dtu.dk). EMOPEC is a free tool that makes it possible to modulate the expressi...

[Clinic significance of nm23, collage IV and PCNA expression in non-small cell lung cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Q; Ma, L; Jing, S; Xu, Y; Geng, D

2001-12-20

To study the significance of nm23, collagen IV and PCNA expressions in non-small cell lung cancer. Expressions of the nm23, collagen IV and PCNA in 84 cases of non-small cell lung cancer were examined with SP immunohistochemical technique. Of the 84 cases, there were squamous cell carcinoma 42, adenocarcinoma 42, stage I 27, stage II 24, stage III 24, and stage IV 9. Statistical analysis was performed with Chi-Square test. Expressions of the nm23, collagen IV and PCNA in 84 cases of non-small cell lung cancer were 60. 7% ( 51/ 84) , 75. 0% ( 63/ 84) and 53. 6% ( 45/ 84) respectively. There was negative correlation between the lymph node metastasis and the expressions of nm23 and collagen IV in squamous cell carcinoma, and the expressions of collagen IV and PCNA were associated with tumor differentiation. No correlation was found between TNM stage and expressions of nm23, collagen IV and PCNA. The results indicate that nm23, collagen IV and PCNA participate the modulation of metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer and that they may be used to evaluate the potential of metastasis.

Higher-order approximate solutions to the relativistic and Duffing-harmonic oscillators by modified He's homotopy methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belendez, A; Pascual, C; Fernandez, E; Neipp, C; Belendez, T

2008-01-01

A modified He's homotopy perturbation method is used to calculate higher-order analytical approximate solutions to the relativistic and Duffing-harmonic oscillators. The He's homotopy perturbation method is modified by truncating the infinite series corresponding to the first-order approximate solution before introducing this solution in the second-order linear differential equation, and so on. We find this modified homotopy perturbation method works very well for the whole range of initial amplitudes, and the excellent agreement of the approximate frequencies and periodic solutions with the exact ones has been demonstrated and discussed. The approximate formulae obtained show excellent agreement with the exact solutions, and are valid for small as well as large amplitudes of oscillation, including the limiting cases of amplitude approaching zero and infinity. For the relativistic oscillator, only one iteration leads to high accuracy of the solutions with a maximal relative error for the approximate frequency of less than 1.6% for small and large values of oscillation amplitude, while this relative error is 0.65% for two iterations with two harmonics and as low as 0.18% when three harmonics are considered in the second approximation. For the Duffing-harmonic oscillator the relative error is as low as 0.078% when the second approximation is considered. Comparison of the result obtained using this method with those obtained by the harmonic balance methods reveals that the former is very effective and convenient

Protein Expression Analyses at the Single Cell Level

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Masae Ohno

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The central dogma of molecular biology explains how genetic information is converted into its end product, proteins, which are responsible for the phenotypic state of the cell. Along with the protein type, the phenotypic state depends on the protein copy number. Therefore, quantification of the protein expression in a single cell is critical for quantitative characterization of the phenotypic states. Protein expression is typically a dynamic and stochastic phenomenon that cannot be well described by standard experimental methods. As an alternative, fluorescence imaging is being explored for the study of protein expression, because of its high sensitivity and high throughput. Here we review key recent progresses in fluorescence imaging-based methods and discuss their application to proteome analysis at the single cell level.

The Study of a Nonlinear Duffing – Type Oscillator Driven by Two Voltage Sources

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J. O. Maaita

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In the present work, a detailed study of a nonlinear electrical oscillator with damping and external excitation is presented. The system under study consists of a Duffing-type circuit driven by two sinusoidal voltage sources having different frequencies. The dynamical behavior of the proposed system is investigated numerically, by solving the system of state equations and simulating its behavior as a circuit using MultiSim. The tools of the theoretical approach are the bifurcation diagrams, the Poincaré sections, the phase portraits, and the maximum Lyapunov exponent. The numerical investigation showed that the system has rich complex dynamics including phenomena such as quasiperiodicity, 3-tori, and chaos.

Lactobacillus casei BL23 Produces Microvesicles Carrying Proteins That Have Been Associated with Its Probiotic Effect

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A. Paula Domínguez Rubio

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Archaea, bacteria, and eukarya secrete membrane microvesicles (MVs as a mechanism for intercellular communication. We report the isolation and characterization of MVs from the probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei BL23. MVs were characterized using analytical high performance techniques, DLS, AFM and TEM. Similar to what has been described for other Gram-positive bacteria, MVs were on the nanometric size range (30–50 nm. MVs carried cytoplasmic components such as DNA, RNA and proteins. Using a proteomic approach (LC-MS, we identified a total of 103 proteins; 13 exclusively present in the MVs. The MVs content included cell envelope associated and secretory proteins, heat and cold shock proteins, several metabolic enzymes, proteases, structural components of the ribosome, membrane transporters, cell wall-associated hydrolases and phage related proteins. In particular, we identified proteins described as mediators of Lactobacillus’ probiotic effects such as p40, p75 and the product of LCABL_31160, annotated as an adhesion protein. The presence of these proteins suggests a role for the MVs in the bacteria-gastrointestinal cells interface. The expression and further encapsulation of proteins into MVs of GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe bacteria could represent a scientific novelty, with applications in food, nutraceuticals and clinical therapies.

Differential Protein Expression Profiles in Glaucomatous Trabecular Meshwork: An Evaluation Study on a Small Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Micera, Alessandra; Quaranta, Luciano; Esposito, Graziana; Floriani, Irene; Pocobelli, Augusto; Saccà, Sergio Claudio; Riva, Ivano; Manni, Gianluca; Oddone, Francesco

2016-02-01

Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is a progressive optic neuropathy characterized by impaired aqueous outflow and extensive remodeling in the trabecular meshwork (TM). The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the expression patterns of selected proteins belonging to the tissue remodeling, inflammation and growth factor pathways in ex vivo glaucomatous and post-mortem TMs using protein-array analysis. TM specimens were collected from 63 white subjects, including 40 patients with glaucoma and 23 controls. Forty POAG TMs were collected at the time of surgery and 23 post-mortem specimens were from non-glaucomatous donor sclerocorneal tissues. Protein profiles were evaluated using a chip-based array consisting of 60 literature-selected antibodies. A different expression of some factors was observed in POAG TMs with respect to post-mortem specimens, either in abundance (interleukin [IL]10, IL6, IL5, IL7, IL12, IL3, macrophage inflammatory protein [MIP]1δ/α, vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], transforming growth factor beta 1 [TGFβ1], soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I [sTNFRI]) or in scarcity (IL16, IL18, intercellular adhesion molecule 3 [ICAM3], matrix metalloproteinase-7 [MMP7], tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 [TIMP1]). MMP2, MMP7, TGFβ1, and VEGF expressions were confirmed by Western blot, zymography, and polymerase chain reaction. No difference in protein profile expression was detected between glaucomatous subtypes. The analysis of this small TM population highlighted some proteins linked to POAG, some previously reported and others of new detection (IL7, MIPs, sTNFαRI). A larger POAG population is required to select promising disease-associated biomarker candidates. This study was partially supported by the Fondazione Roma, the Italian Ministry of Health and the "National 5xMille 2010 tax donation to IRCCS-G.B. Bietti Foundation".

Expression and purification of recombinant truncated human keratinocyte growth factor-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Lin; Ma Jisheng; Liu Xiaoju; Wang Xiaojie; Li Xiaokun; Gong Shouliang; Wang Huiyan; Tian Haishan

2010-01-01

Objective: To construct the genetic engineering bacteria highly expressing 23 amino acids human keratinocyte growth factor-1 (rhKGF1 dest23 ) missing N terminal, and provide experimental data for development of new drug for treatment of oral mucositis after radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Methods: PCR was used to synthese 23 amino acids rhKGF1 dest23 missing N terminal and sumo gene fragments, and construct four kinds of recombinant prokaryotic expression vectors: pET22b-rhKGF1 dest23 , pET22b-sumo-rhKGF1 dest23 , pET3c-rhKGF1 dest23 and pET3c-sumo-rhKGF1 dest23 , then they were transformed into prokaryotic expression host bacteria: Rosetta (DE3) plysS, BL21 (DE3), BL21 (DE3) Star plysS, origima(DE3) and BL21AI, the best expression combination of plasmid and host strain of rhKGF1 dest23 protein was screened and purified by CM ion-exchange and heparin affinity chromatography and identified with Western blotting. Results: pET22b-rhKGF1 dest23 plasmid and the BL21AI host bacteria was the best combination of expression, after induced by IPTG and arabinose, the majority of recombinant protein was expressed in soluble form, accounting for about 12% of the total bacterial proteins. Its purity reached to more than 95% of the protein after two steps chromatography, then conformed with Western blotting. Conclusion: Human genetic engineering bacteria of KGF1 dest23 is successfully constructed and induced by IPTG and arabinose, then after CM weak cation exchange and heparin affinity chromatography, the purified rhKGF1 dest23 protein is obtained. (authors)

Odorant responses of olfactory sensory neurons expressing the odorant receptor MOR23: a patch clamp analysis in gene-targeted mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Grosmaitre, Xavier; Vassalli, Anne; Mombaerts, Peter; Shepherd, Gordon M; Ma, Minghong

2006-02-07

A glomerulus in the mammalian olfactory bulb receives axonal inputs from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that express the same odorant receptor (OR). Glomeruli are generally thought to represent functional units of olfactory coding, but there are no data on the electrophysiological properties of OSNs that express the same endogenous OR. Here, using patch clamp recordings in an intact epithelial preparation, we directly measured the transduction currents and receptor potentials from the dendritic knobs of mouse OSNs that express the odorant receptor MOR23 along with the green fluorescent protein. All of the 53 cells examined responded to lyral, a known ligand for MOR23. There were profound differences in response kinetics, particularly in the deactivation phase. The cells were very sensitive to lyral, with some cells responding to as little as 10 nM. The dynamic range was unexpectedly broad, with threshold and saturation in individual cells often covering three log units of lyral concentration. The potential causes and biological significance of this cellular heterogeneity are discussed. Patch clamp recording from OSNs that express a defined OR provides a powerful approach to investigate the sensory inputs to individual glomeruli.

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-LAFR-01-1946 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-LAFR-01-1946 ref|YP_001479516.1| protein of unknown function DUF1097 [Serratia proteam...aculans 568] gb|ABV42388.1| protein of unknown function DUF1097 [Serratia proteamaculans 568] YP_001479516.1 0.059 29% ...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-LAFR-01-0167 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-LAFR-01-0167 ref|YP_001479516.1| protein of unknown function DUF1097 [Serratia proteam...aculans 568] gb|ABV42388.1| protein of unknown function DUF1097 [Serratia proteamaculans 568] YP_001479516.1 0.27 31% ...

Differential Protein Expressions in Virus-Infected and Uninfected Trichomonas vaginalis.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Ding; Pengtao, Gong; Ju, Yang; Jianhua, Li; He, Li; Guocai, Zhang; Xichen, Zhang

2017-04-01

Protozoan viruses may influence the function and pathogenicity of the protozoa. Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan that could contain a double stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, T. vaginalis virus (TVV). However, there are few reports on the properties of the virus. To further determine variations in protein expression of T. vaginalis , we detected 2 strains of T. vaginalis ; the virus-infected (V + ) and uninfected (V - ) isolates to examine differentially expressed proteins upon TVV infection. Using a stable isotope N-terminal labeling strategy (iTRAQ) on soluble fractions to analyze proteomes, we identified 293 proteins, of which 50 were altered in V + compared with V - isolates. The results showed that the expression of 29 proteins was increased, and 21 proteins decreased in V + isolates. These differentially expressed proteins can be classified into 4 categories: ribosomal proteins, metabolic enzymes, heat shock proteins, and putative uncharacterized proteins. Quantitative PCR was used to detect 4 metabolic processes proteins: glycogen phosphorylase, malate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase, and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, which were differentially expressed in V + and V - isolates. Our findings suggest that mRNA levels of these genes were consistent with protein expression levels. This study was the first which analyzed protein expression variations upon TVV infection. These observations will provide a basis for future studies concerning the possible roles of these proteins in host-parasite interactions.

Stability and dynamics of a controlled van der Pol-Duffing oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, J.C.; Hansen, C.H.

2006-01-01

The trivial equilibrium of a van der Pol-Duffing oscillator under a linear-plus-nonlinear feedback control may change its stability either via a single or via a double Hopf bifurcation if the time delay involved in the feedback reaches certain values. It is found that the trivial equilibrium may lose its stability via a subcritical or supercritical Hopf bifurcation and regain its stability via a reverse subcritical or supercritical Hopf bifurcation as the time delay increases. A stable limit cycle appears after a supercritical Hopf bifurcation occurs and disappears through a reverse supercritical Hopf bifurcation. The interaction of the weakly periodic excitation and the stable bifurcating solution is investigated for the forced system under primary resonance conditions. It is shown that the forced periodic response may lose its stability via a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation. Analytical results are validated by a comparison with those of direct numerical integration

Expression of multidrug resistance proteins in retinoblastoma

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Swati Shukla

2017-11-01

Full Text Available AIM: To elucidate the mechanism of multidrug resistance in retinoblastoma, and to acquire more insights into in vivo drug resistance. METHODS: Three anticancer drug resistant Y79 human RB cells were generated against vincristine, etoposide or carboplatin, which are used for conventional chemotherapy in RB. Primary cultures from enucleated eyes after chemotherapy (PCNC were also prepared. Their chemosensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents (vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin were measured using MTT assay. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of p53, Bcl-2 and various multidrug resistant proteins in retinoblastoma cells. RESULTS: Following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs, PCNC showed less sensitivity to drugs. No significant changes observed in the p53 expression, whereas Bcl-2 expression was found to be increased in the drug resistant cells as well as in PCNC. Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp was observed in drug resistant Y79 cells; however there was no significant change in the expression of P-gp found between primary cultures of primarily enucleated eyes and PCNC. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mrp-1 expression was found to be elevated in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. No significant change in the expression of lung resistance associated protein (Lrp was observed in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that multidrug resistant proteins are intrinsically present in retinoblastoma which causes treatment failure in managing retinoblastoma with chemotherapy.

Expression of multidrug resistance proteins in retinoblastoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Swati; Srivastava, Arpna; Kumar, Sunil; Singh, Usha; Goswami, Sandeep; Chawla, Bhavna; Bajaj, Mandeep Singh; Kashyap, Seema; Kaur, Jasbir

2017-01-01

To elucidate the mechanism of multidrug resistance in retinoblastoma, and to acquire more insights into in vivo drug resistance. Three anticancer drug resistant Y79 human RB cells were generated against vincristine, etoposide or carboplatin, which are used for conventional chemotherapy in RB. Primary cultures from enucleated eyes after chemotherapy (PCNC) were also prepared. Their chemosensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents (vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin) were measured using MTT assay. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of p53, Bcl-2 and various multidrug resistant proteins in retinoblastoma cells. Following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs, PCNC showed less sensitivity to drugs. No significant changes observed in the p53 expression, whereas Bcl-2 expression was found to be increased in the drug resistant cells as well as in PCNC. Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was observed in drug resistant Y79 cells; however there was no significant change in the expression of P-gp found between primary cultures of primarily enucleated eyes and PCNC. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mrp-1) expression was found to be elevated in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. No significant change in the expression of lung resistance associated protein (Lrp) was observed in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. Our results suggest that multidrug resistant proteins are intrinsically present in retinoblastoma which causes treatment failure in managing retinoblastoma with chemotherapy.

Expression of multidrug resistance proteins in retinoblastoma

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Swati; Srivastava, Arpna; Kumar, Sunil; Singh, Usha; Goswami, Sandeep; Chawla, Bhavna; Bajaj, Mandeep Singh; Kashyap, Seema; Kaur, Jasbir

2017-01-01

AIM To elucidate the mechanism of multidrug resistance in retinoblastoma, and to acquire more insights into in vivo drug resistance. METHODS Three anticancer drug resistant Y79 human RB cells were generated against vincristine, etoposide or carboplatin, which are used for conventional chemotherapy in RB. Primary cultures from enucleated eyes after chemotherapy (PCNC) were also prepared. Their chemosensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents (vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin) were measured using MTT assay. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression of p53, Bcl-2 and various multidrug resistant proteins in retinoblastoma cells. RESULTS Following exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs, PCNC showed less sensitivity to drugs. No significant changes observed in the p53 expression, whereas Bcl-2 expression was found to be increased in the drug resistant cells as well as in PCNC. Increased expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was observed in drug resistant Y79 cells; however there was no significant change in the expression of P-gp found between primary cultures of primarily enucleated eyes and PCNC. Multidrug resistance protein 1 (Mrp-1) expression was found to be elevated in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. No significant change in the expression of lung resistance associated protein (Lrp) was observed in the drug resistant Y79 cells as well as in PCNC. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that multidrug resistant proteins are intrinsically present in retinoblastoma which causes treatment failure in managing retinoblastoma with chemotherapy. PMID:29181307

Nucleic acid programmable protein array a just-in-time multiplexed protein expression and purification platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Ji; LaBaer, Joshua

2011-01-01

Systematic study of proteins requires the availability of thousands of proteins in functional format. However, traditional recombinant protein expression and purification methods have many drawbacks for such study at the proteome level. We have developed an innovative in situ protein expression and capture system, namely NAPPA (nucleic acid programmable protein array), where C-terminal tagged proteins are expressed using an in vitro expression system and efficiently captured/purified by antitag antibodies coprinted at each spot. The NAPPA technology presented in this chapter enable researchers to produce and display fresh proteins just in time in a multiplexed high-throughput fashion and utilize them for various downstream biochemical researches of interest. This platform could revolutionize the field of functional proteomics with it ability to produce thousands of spatially separated proteins in high density with narrow dynamic rand of protein concentrations, reproducibly and functionally. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

TRPM4 protein expression in prostate cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Kasper Drimer; Soldini, Davide; Jung, Maria

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily M, member 4 (TRPM4) messenger RNA (mRNA) has been shown to be upregulated in prostate cancer (PCa) and might be a new promising tissue biomarker. We evaluated TRPM4 protein expression and correlated the expression level.......79-2.62; p = 0.01-0.03 for the two observers) when compared to patients with a lower staining intensity. CONCLUSIONS: TRPM4 protein expression is widely expressed in benign and cancerous prostate tissue, with highest staining intensities found in PCa. Overexpression of TRPM4 in PCa (combination of high...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-TBEL-01-2511 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-TBEL-01-2511 ref|ZP_02017536.1| protein of unknown function DUF81 [Methylobacterium extorque...ns PA1] gb|EDN55224.1| protein of unknown function DUF81 [Methylobacterium extorquens PA1] ZP_02017536.1 0.060 27% ...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-MDOM-02-0389 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-MDOM-02-0389 ref|ZP_00516333.1| Protein of unknown function DUF6 [Crocosphaera watson...ii WH 8501] gb|EAM50587.1| Protein of unknown function DUF6 [Crocosphaera watsonii WH 8501] ZP_00516333.1 0.17 28% ...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-MDOM-05-0122 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-MDOM-05-0122 ref|ZP_00516333.1| Protein of unknown function DUF6 [Crocosphaera watson...ii WH 8501] gb|EAM50587.1| Protein of unknown function DUF6 [Crocosphaera watsonii WH 8501] ZP_00516333.1 0.34 32% ...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-OANA-01-0840 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-OANA-01-0840 ref|YP_605770.1| protein of unknown function DUF422 [Deinococcus geothermal...is DSM 11300] gb|ABF46601.1| protein of unknown function DUF422 [Deinococcus geothermalis DSM 11300] YP_605770.1 3.6 34% ...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-AGAM-01-0097 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-AGAM-01-0097 ref|YP_001433581.1| protein of unknown function DUF296 [Roseiflex...us castenholzii DSM 13941] gb|ABU59563.1| protein of unknown function DUF296 [Roseiflexus castenholzii DSM 13941] YP_001433581.1 0.11 35% ...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-AGAM-07-0002 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-AGAM-07-0002 ref|YP_001477899.1| protein of unknown function DUF340 membrane [Serratia proteam...aculans 568] gb|ABV40771.1| protein of unknown function DUF340 membrane [Serratia proteamaculans 568] YP_001477899.1 4e-67 53% ...

NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-LAFR-01-0684 [SEVENS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available CBRC-LAFR-01-0684 ref|YP_605770.1| protein of unknown function DUF422 [Deinococcus geothermal...is DSM 11300] gb|ABF46601.1| protein of unknown function DUF422 [Deinococcus geothermalis DSM 11300] YP_605770.1 3.2 25% ...

Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNA coding for rat nucleolar protein C23

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghaffari, S.H.; Olson, M.O.J.

1986-01-01

Using synthetic oligonucleotides as primers and probes, the authors have isolated and sequenced cDNA clones encoding protein C23, a putative nucleolus organizer protein. Poly(A + ) RNA was isolated from rat Novikoff hepatoma cells and enriched in C23 mRNA by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. Two deoxyoligonuleotides, a 48- and a 27-mer, were synthesized on the basis of amino acid sequence from the C-terminal half of protein C23 and cDNA sequence data from CHO cell protein. The 48-mer was used a primer for synthesis of cDNA which was then inserted into plasmid pUC9. Transformed bacterial colonies were screened by hybridization with 32 P labeled 27-mer. Two clones among 5000 gave a strong positive signal. Plasmid DNAs from these clones were purified and characterized by blotting and nucleotide sequence analysis. The length of C23 mRNA was estimated to be 3200 bases in a northern blot analysis. The sequence of a 267 b.p. insert shows high homology with the CHO cDNA with only 9 nucleotide differences and an identical amino acid sequence. These studies indicate that this region of the protein is highly conserved

Andrographolide inhibits hypoxia-induced HIF-1α-driven endothelin 1 secretion by activating Nrf2/HO-1 and promoting the expression of prolyl hydroxylases 2/3 in human endothelial cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Hung-Chih; Su, Shih-Li; Lu, Chia-Yang; Lin, Ai-Hsuan; Lin, Wan-Chun; Liu, Chin-San; Yang, Ya-Chen; Wang, Hsiu-Miao; Lii, Chong-Kuei; Chen, Haw-Wen

2017-03-01

Andrographolide, the main bioactive component of the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata, has been shown to possess potent anti-inflammatory activity. Endothelin 1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor peptide produced by vascular endothelial cells, displays proinflammatory property. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), the regulatory member of the transcription factor heterodimer HIF-1α/β, is one of the most important molecules that responds to hypoxia. Changes in cellular HIF-1α protein level are the result of altered gene transcription and protein stability, with the latter being dependent on prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs). In this study, inhibition of pro-inflammatory ET-1 expression and changes of HIF-1α gene transcription and protein stability under hypoxia by andrographolide in EA.hy926 endothelial-like cells were investigated. Hypoxic conditions were created using the hypoxia-mimetic agent CoCl 2. We found that hypoxia stimulated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the expression of HIF-1α mRNA and protein, and the expression and secretion of ET-1. These effects, however, were attenuated by co-exposure to andrographolide, bilirubin, and RuCO. Silencing Nrf2 and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) reversed the inhibitory effects of andrographolide on hypxoia-induced HIF-1α mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, andrographolide increased the expression of prolyl hydroxylases (PHD) 2/3, which hydroxylate HIF-1α and promotes HIF-1α proteasome degradation, with an increase in HIF-1α hydroxylation was noted under hypoxia. Inhibition of p38 MAPK abrogated the hypoxia-induced increases in HIF-1α mRNA and protein expression as well as ET-1 mRNA expression and secretion. Taken together, these results suggest that andrographolide suppresses hypoxia-induced pro-inflammatory ET-1 expression by activating Nrf2/HO-1, inhibiting p38 MAPK signaling, and promoting PHD2/3 expression. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 918-930, 2017. © 2016 Wiley

Parts Characterization for Tunable Protein Expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klausen, Michael Schantz; Sommer, Morten Otto Alexander

2018-01-01

Flow-seq combines flexible genome engineering methods with flow cytometry-based cell sorting and deep DNA sequencing to enable comprehensive interrogation of genotype to phenotype relationships. One application is to study the effect of specific regulatory elements on protein expression. Construc......Flow-seq combines flexible genome engineering methods with flow cytometry-based cell sorting and deep DNA sequencing to enable comprehensive interrogation of genotype to phenotype relationships. One application is to study the effect of specific regulatory elements on protein expression...

Differential Protein Expression in Congenital and Acquired Cholesteatomas.

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Seung-Ho Shin

Full Text Available Congenital cholesteatomas are epithelial lesions that present as an epithelial pearl behind an intact eardrum. Congenital and acquired cholesteatomas progress quite differently from each other and progress patterns can provide clues about the unique origin and pathogenesis of the abnormality. However, the exact pathogenic mechanisms by which cholesteatomas develop remain unknown. In this study, key proteins that directly affect cholesteatoma pathogenesis are investigated with proteomics and immunohistochemistry. Congenital cholesteatoma matrices and retroauricular skin were harvested during surgery in 4 patients diagnosed with a congenital cholesteatoma. Tissue was also harvested from the retraction pocket in an additional 2 patients during middle ear surgery. We performed 2-dimensional (2D electrophoresis to detect and analyze spots that are expressed only in congenital cholesteatoma and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS to separate proteins by molecular weight. Protein expression was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. The image analysis of 2D electrophoresis showed that 4 congenital cholesteatoma samples had very similar protein expression patterns and that 127 spots were exclusively expressed in congenital cholesteatomas. Of these 127 spots, 10 major spots revealed the presence of titin, forkhead transcription activator homolog (FKH 5-3, plectin 1, keratin 10, and leucine zipper protein 5 by MALDI-TOF/MS analysis. Immunohistochemical staining showed that FKH 5-3 and titin were expressed in congenital cholesteatoma matrices, but not in acquired cholesteatomas. Our study shows that protein expression patterns are completely different in congenital cholesteatomas, acquired cholesteatomas, and skin. Moreover, non-epithelial proteins, including FKH 5-3 and titin, were unexpectedly expressed in congenital cholesteatoma tissue. Our data indicates that congenital cholesteatoma origins

Evolution, diversification and expression of KNOX proteins in plants

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Jie eGao

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The KNOX (KNOTTED1-like homeobox transcription factors play a pivotal role in leaf and meristem development. The majority of these proteins are characterized by the KNOX1, KNOX2, ELK and homeobox domains whereas the proteins of the KNATM family contain only the KNOX domains. We carried out an extensive inventory of these proteins and here report on a total of 394 KNOX proteins from 48 species. The land plant proteins fall into two classes (I and II as previously shown where the class I family seems to be most closely related to the green algae homologs. The KNATM proteins are restricted to Eudicots and some species have multiple paralogs of this protein. Certain plants are characterized by a significant increase in the number of KNOX paralogs; one example is Glycine max. Through the analysis of public gene expression data we show that the class II proteins of this plant have a relatively broad expression specificity as compared to class I proteins, consistent with previous studies of other plants. In G. max, class I protein are mainly distributed in axis tissues and KNATM paralogs are overall poorly expressed; highest expression is in the early plumular axis. Overall, analysis of gene expression in G. max demonstrates clearly that the expansion in gene number is associated with functional diversification.

Expression, purification, characterization and subcellular localization of the goose parvovirus rep1 protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zongyan; Li, Chuanfeng; Peng, Gaojing; Liu, Guangqing

2013-07-01

The goose parvovirus (GPV) Rep1 protein is both essential for viral replication and a potential target for GPV diagnosis, but its protein characterization and intracellular localization is not clear. We constructed a recombinant plasmid, pET28a/GPV-Rep1, and expressed the Rep1 gene in BL21 (DE3) Escherichia coli. A protein approximately 75 kDa in size was obtained from lysates of E. coli cells expressing the recombinant plasmid. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that after induction with 0.6 mM isopropyl β-D-thiogalactosidase (IPTG) at 30°C for 5 h, the Rep1 protein was highly overexpressed. Two methods used to purify proteins, a salinity-gradient elution and Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, were performed. The amount of Rep1 protein obtained by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography was 41.23 mg, while 119.9 mg of Rep1 protein was obtained by a salinity-gradient elution from a 1 L E. coli BL21 (DE3) culture. An immunogenicity analysis showed that the protein could significantly elicit a specific antibody response in immunized goslings compared to control groups. Antibody titers peaked to 1:5120 (optical density (OD) 450 = 3.9) on day 28 after immunization but had mean titers of 1:10,240 (OD450 = 4.2) in gosling groups immunized with a commercially available GPV-attenuated vaccine strain. Experiments examining subcellular localization showed that the Rep1 protein appeared to associate predominantly with the nuclear membrane, especially during later times of infection. This work provides a basis for biochemical and structural studies on the GPV Rep1 protein.

Electron Microscopic, Genetic and Protein Expression Analyses of Helicobacter acinonychis Strains from a Bengal Tiger

Science.gov (United States)

Tegtmeyer, Nicole; Rivas Traverso, Francisco; Rohde, Manfred; Oyarzabal, Omar A.; Lehn, Norbert; Schneider-Brachert, Wulf; Ferrero, Richard L.; Fox, James G.; Berg, Douglas E.; Backert, Steffen

2013-01-01

Colonization by Helicobacter species is commonly noted in many mammals. These infections often remain unrecognized, but can cause severe health complications or more subtle host immune perturbations. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative novel Helicobacter spp. from Bengal tigers in Thailand. Morphological investigation (Gram-staining and electron microscopy) and genetic studies (16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, flagellin, urease and prophage gene analyses, RAPD DNA fingerprinting and restriction fragment polymorphisms) as well as Western blotting were used to characterize the isolated Helicobacters. Electron microscopy revealed spiral-shaped bacteria, which varied in length (2.5–6 µm) and contained up to four monopolar sheathed flagella. The 16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, sequencing and protein expression analyses identified novel H. acinonychis isolates closely related to H. pylori. These Asian isolates are genetically very similar to H. acinonychis strains of other big cats (cheetahs, lions, lion-tiger hybrid and other tigers) from North America and Europe, which is remarkable in the context of the great genetic diversity among worldwide H. pylori strains. We also found by immunoblotting that the Bengal tiger isolates express UreaseA/B, flagellin, BabA adhesin, neutrophil-activating protein NapA, HtrA protease, γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase GGT, Slt lytic transglycosylase and two DNA transfer relaxase orthologs that were known from H. pylori, but not the cag pathogenicity island, nor CagA, VacA, SabA, DupA or OipA proteins. These results give fresh insights into H. acinonychis genetics and the expression of potential pathogenicity-associated factors and their possible pathophysiological relevance in related gastric infections. PMID:23940723

Electron microscopic, genetic and protein expression analyses of Helicobacter acinonychis strains from a Bengal tiger.

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Nicole Tegtmeyer

Full Text Available Colonization by Helicobacter species is commonly noted in many mammals. These infections often remain unrecognized, but can cause severe health complications or more subtle host immune perturbations. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative novel Helicobacter spp. from Bengal tigers in Thailand. Morphological investigation (Gram-staining and electron microscopy and genetic studies (16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, flagellin, urease and prophage gene analyses, RAPD DNA fingerprinting and restriction fragment polymorphisms as well as Western blotting were used to characterize the isolated Helicobacters. Electron microscopy revealed spiral-shaped bacteria, which varied in length (2.5-6 µm and contained up to four monopolar sheathed flagella. The 16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, sequencing and protein expression analyses identified novel H. acinonychis isolates closely related to H. pylori. These Asian isolates are genetically very similar to H. acinonychis strains of other big cats (cheetahs, lions, lion-tiger hybrid and other tigers from North America and Europe, which is remarkable in the context of the great genetic diversity among worldwide H. pylori strains. We also found by immunoblotting that the Bengal tiger isolates express UreaseA/B, flagellin, BabA adhesin, neutrophil-activating protein NapA, HtrA protease, γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase GGT, Slt lytic transglycosylase and two DNA transfer relaxase orthologs that were known from H. pylori, but not the cag pathogenicity island, nor CagA, VacA, SabA, DupA or OipA proteins. These results give fresh insights into H. acinonychis genetics and the expression of potential pathogenicity-associated factors and their possible pathophysiological relevance in related gastric infections.

Electron microscopic, genetic and protein expression analyses of Helicobacter acinonychis strains from a Bengal tiger.

Science.gov (United States)

Tegtmeyer, Nicole; Rivas Traverso, Francisco; Rohde, Manfred; Oyarzabal, Omar A; Lehn, Norbert; Schneider-Brachert, Wulf; Ferrero, Richard L; Fox, James G; Berg, Douglas E; Backert, Steffen

2013-01-01

Colonization by Helicobacter species is commonly noted in many mammals. These infections often remain unrecognized, but can cause severe health complications or more subtle host immune perturbations. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative novel Helicobacter spp. from Bengal tigers in Thailand. Morphological investigation (Gram-staining and electron microscopy) and genetic studies (16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, flagellin, urease and prophage gene analyses, RAPD DNA fingerprinting and restriction fragment polymorphisms) as well as Western blotting were used to characterize the isolated Helicobacters. Electron microscopy revealed spiral-shaped bacteria, which varied in length (2.5-6 µm) and contained up to four monopolar sheathed flagella. The 16SrRNA, 23SrRNA, sequencing and protein expression analyses identified novel H. acinonychis isolates closely related to H. pylori. These Asian isolates are genetically very similar to H. acinonychis strains of other big cats (cheetahs, lions, lion-tiger hybrid and other tigers) from North America and Europe, which is remarkable in the context of the great genetic diversity among worldwide H. pylori strains. We also found by immunoblotting that the Bengal tiger isolates express UreaseA/B, flagellin, BabA adhesin, neutrophil-activating protein NapA, HtrA protease, γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase GGT, Slt lytic transglycosylase and two DNA transfer relaxase orthologs that were known from H. pylori, but not the cag pathogenicity island, nor CagA, VacA, SabA, DupA or OipA proteins. These results give fresh insights into H. acinonychis genetics and the expression of potential pathogenicity-associated factors and their possible pathophysiological relevance in related gastric infections.

The nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 targets Newcastle disease virus matrix protein to the nucleoli and facilitates viral replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jian; Xu, Haixu; Zhu, Jie; Li, Qunhui; He, Liang; Liu, Huimou; Hu, Shunlin; Liu, Xiufan

2014-03-01

The cellular nucleolar proteins are reported to facilitate the replication cycles of some human and animal viruses by interaction with viral proteins. In this study, a nucleolar phosphoprotein B23 was identified to interact with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) matrix (M) protein. We found that NDV M protein accumulated in the nucleolus by binding B23 early in infection, but resulted in the redistribution of B23 from the nucleoli to the nucleoplasm later in infection. In vitro binding studies utilizing deletion mutants indicated that amino acids 30-60 of M and amino acids 188-245 of B23 were required for binding. Furthermore, knockdown of B23 by siRNA or overexpression of B23 or M-binding B23-derived polypeptides remarkably reduced cytopathic effect and inhibited NDV replication. Collectively, we show that B23 facilitates NDV replication by targeting M to the nucleolus, demonstrating for the first time a direct role for nucleolar protein B23 in a paramyxovirus replication process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The homeobox protein CEH-23 mediates prolonged longevity in response to impaired mitochondrial electron transport chain in C. elegans.

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Ludivine Walter

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Recent findings indicate that perturbations of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (METC can cause extended longevity in evolutionarily diverse organisms. To uncover the molecular basis of how altered METC increases lifespan in C. elegans, we performed an RNAi screen and revealed that three predicted transcription factors are specifically required for the extended longevity of mitochondrial mutants. In particular, we demonstrated that the nuclear homeobox protein CEH-23 uniquely mediates the longevity but not the slow development, reduced brood size, or resistance to oxidative stress associated with mitochondrial mutations. Furthermore, we showed that ceh-23 expression levels are responsive to altered METC, and enforced overexpression of ceh-23 is sufficient to extend lifespan in wild-type background. Our data point to mitochondria-to-nucleus communications to be key for longevity determination and highlight CEH-23 as a novel longevity factor capable of responding to mitochondrial perturbations. These findings provide a new paradigm for how mitochondria impact aging and age-dependent diseases.

Rab23 is a flagellar protein in Trypanosoma brucei

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Field Mark C

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rab small GTPases are important mediators of membrane transport, and orthologues frequently retain similar locations and functions, even between highly divergent taxa. In metazoan organisms Rab23 is an important negative regulator of Sonic hedgehog signaling and is crucial for correct development and differentiation of cellular lineages by virtue of an involvement in ciliary recycling. Previously, we reported that Trypanosoma brucei Rab23 localized to the nuclear envelope 1, which is clearly inconsistent with the mammalian location and function. As T. brucei is unicellular the potential that Rab23 has no role in cell signaling was possible. Here we sought to further investigate the role(s of Rab23 in T. brucei to determine if Rab23 was an example of a Rab protein with divergent function in distinct taxa. Methods/major findings The taxonomic distribution of Rab23 was examined and compared with the presence of flagella/cilia in representative taxa. Despite evidence for considerable secondary loss, we found a clear correlation between a conventional flagellar structure and the presence of a Rab23 orthologue in the genome. By epitope-tagging, Rab23 was localized and found to be present at the flagellum throughout the cell cycle. However, RNAi knockdown did not result in a flagellar defect, suggesting that Rab23 is not required for construction or maintenance of the flagellum. Conclusions The location of Rab23 at the flagellum is conserved between mammals and trypanosomes and the Rab23 gene is restricted to flagellated organisms. These data may suggest the presence of a Rab23-mediated signaling mechanism in trypanosomes.

Noise-induced chaos and basin erosion in softening Duffing oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gan Chunbiao

2005-01-01

It is common for many dynamical systems to have two or more attractors coexist and in such cases the basin boundary is fractal. The purpose of this paper is to study the noise-induced chaos and discuss the effect of noises on erosion of safe basin in the softening Duffing oscillator. The Melnikov approach is used to obtain the necessary condition for the rising of chaos, and the largest Lyapunov exponent is computed to identify the chaotic nature of the sample time series from the system. According to the Melnikov condition, the safe basins are simulated for both the deterministic and the stochastic cases of the system. It is shown that the external Gaussian white noise excitation is robust for inducing the chaos, while the external bounded noise is weak. Moreover, the erosion of the safe basin can be aggravated by both the Gaussian white and the bounded noise excitations, and fractal boundary can appear when the system is only excited by the random processes, which means noise-induced chaotic response is induced

The proteome response to amyloid protein expression in vivo.

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Ricardo A Gomes

Full Text Available Protein misfolding disorders such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and transthyretin amyloidosis are characterized by the formation of protein amyloid deposits. Although the nature and location of the aggregated proteins varies between different diseases, they all share similar molecular pathways of protein unfolding, aggregation and amyloid deposition. Most effects of these proteins are likely to occur at the proteome level, a virtually unexplored reality. To investigate the effects of an amyloid protein expression on the cellular proteome, we created a yeast expression system using human transthyretin (TTR as a model amyloidogenic protein. We used Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a living test tube, to express native TTR (non-amyloidogenic and the amyloidogenic TTR variant L55P, the later forming aggregates when expressed in yeast. Differential proteome changes were quantitatively analyzed by 2D-differential in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE. We show that the expression of the amyloidogenic TTR-L55P causes a metabolic shift towards energy production, increased superoxide dismutase expression as well as of several molecular chaperones involved in protein refolding. Among these chaperones, members of the HSP70 family and the peptidyl-prolyl-cis-trans isomerase (PPIase were identified. The latter is highly relevant considering that it was previously found to be a TTR interacting partner in the plasma of ATTR patients but not in healthy or asymptomatic subjects. The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO expression is also increased. Our findings suggest that refolding and degradation pathways are activated, causing an increased demand of energetic resources, thus the metabolic shift. Additionally, oxidative stress appears to be a consequence of the amyloidogenic process, posing an enhanced threat to cell survival.

Ligand Binding Domain Protein in Tetracycline-Inducible Expression

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To investigate tetracycline-inducible expression system for producing clinically usable, highquality liver X receptor ligand-binding domain recombinant protein. Methods: In this study, we have expressed and purified the recombinant liver X receptor β-ligand binding domain proteins in E. coli using a tetracycline ...

[Expression of c-jun protein after experimental rat brain concussion].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feng; Li, Yong-hong

2010-02-01

To observe e-jun protein expression after rat brain concussion and explore the forensic pathologic markers following brain concussion. Fifty-five rats were randomly divided into brain concussion group and control group. The expression of c-jun protein was observed by immunohistochemistry. There were weak positive expression of c-jun protein in control group. In brain concussion group, however, some neutrons showed positive expression of c-jun protein at 15 min after brain concussion, and reach to the peak at 3 h after brain concussion. The research results suggest that detection of c-jun protein could be a marker to determine brain concussion and estimate injury time after brain concussion.

Recombinant protein production data after expression in the bacterium Escherichia coli

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J. Enrique Cantu-Bustos

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Fusion proteins have become essential for the expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. The metal-binding protein CusF has shown several features that make it an attractive fusion protein and affinity tag: "Expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli tagged with the metal-binding protein CusF" (Cantu-Bustos et al., 2016 [1]. Here we present accompanying data from protein expression experiments; we tested different protein tags, temperatures, expression times, cellular compartments, and concentrations of inducer in order to obtain soluble protein and low formation of inclusion bodies. Additionally, we present data from the purification of the green fluorescent protein (GFP tagged with CusF, using Ag(I metal affinity chromatography.

Horseshoes chaos and stability of a delayed van der Pol-Duffing oscillator under a bounded double well potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwuimy, C.A. Kitio; Woafo, P.

2009-06-01

In this paper a van der Pol-Duffing oscillator with a bounded double well potential and a delayed (positive and negative) position and velocity feedback is considered. Attention is focussed on the effects of time delay on stability, escape motion and horseshoes chaos. Using Forde and Nelson's theorem, harmonic balance and Melnikov criterion for chaos, the boundary conditions for such phenomena are derived. It appears that, time delay can be used as simple switch to avoid and/or create complex behavior of the model. (author)

Crystal structures of MW1337R and lin2004: Representatives of a novel protein family that adopt a four-helical bundle fold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kozbial, Piotr; Xu, Qingping; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; McMullan, Daniel; Krishna, S. Sri; Miller, Mitchell D.; Abdubek, Polat; Acosta, Claire; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Carlton, Dennis; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc; Duan, Lian; Elias, Ylva; Elsliger, Marc-André; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grzechnik, Slawomir K.; Hale, Joanna; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Koesema, Eric; Kumar, Abhinav; Marciano, David; Morse, Andrew T.; Murphy, Kevin D.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Okach, Linda; Oommachen, Silvya; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Spraggon, Glen; Trout, Christina V.; ban den Bedem, Henry; Weekes, Dana; White, Aprilfawn; Wolf, Guenter; Zubieta, Chloe; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A. (Scripps); (SSRL); (JCSG); (UCSD); (Burnham)

2009-08-28

To extend the structural coverage of proteins with unknown functions, we targeted a novel protein family (Pfam accession number PF08807, DUF1798) for which we proposed and determined the structures of two representative members. The MW1337R gene of Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Rosenbach (Wood 46) encodes a protein with a molecular weight of 13.8 kDa (residues 1-116) and a calculated isoelectric point of 5.15. The lin2004 gene of the nonspore-forming bacterium Listeria innocua Clip11262 encodes a protein with a molecular weight of 14.6 kDa (residues 1-121) and a calculated isoelectric point of 5.45. MW1337R and lin2004, as well as their homologs, which, so far, have been found only in Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Listeria, and related genera (Geobacillus, Exiguobacterium, and Oceanobacillus), have unknown functions and are annotated as hypothetical proteins. The genomic contexts of MW1337R and lin2004 are similar and conserved in related species. In prokaryotic genomes, most often, functionally interacting proteins are coded by genes, which are colocated in conserved operons. Proteins from the same operon as MW1337R and lin2004 either have unknown functions (i.e., belong to DUF1273, Pfam accession number PF06908) or are similar to ypsB from Bacillus subtilis. The function of ypsB is unclear, although it has a strong similarity to the N-terminal region of DivIVA, which was characterized as a bifunctional protein with distinct roles during vegetative growth and sporulation. In addition, members of the DUF1273 family display distant sequence similarity with the DprA/Smf protein, which acts downstream of the DNA uptake machinery, possibly in conjunction with RecA. The RecA activities in Bacillus subtilis are modulated by RecU Holliday-junction resolvase. In all analyzed cases, the gene coding for RecU is in the vicinity of MW1337R, lin2004, or their orthologs, but on a different operon located in the complementary DNA strand. Here, we report the crystal structures

Effects of immunosuppressive treatment on protein expression in rat kidney

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Kędzierska K

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Karolina Kędzierska,1 Katarzyna Sporniak-Tutak,2 Krzysztof Sindrewicz,2 Joanna Bober,3 Leszek Domański,1 Mirosław Parafiniuk,4 Elżbieta Urasińska,5 Andrzej Ciechanowicz,6 Maciej Domański,1 Tomasz Smektała,2 Marek Masiuk,5 Wiesław Skrzypczak,6 Małgorzata Ożgo,6 Joanna Kabat-Koperska,1 Kazimierz Ciechanowski1 1Department of Nephrology, Transplantology, and Internal Medicine, 2Department of Dental Surgery, 3Department of Medical Chemistry, 4Department of Forensic Medicine, 5Department of Pathomorphology, Pomeranian Medical University, 6Department of Physiology, Cytobiology, and Proteomics, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland Abstract: The structural proteins of renal tubular epithelial cells may become a target for the toxic metabolites of immunosuppressants. These metabolites can modify the properties of the proteins, thereby affecting cell function, which is a possible explanation for the mechanism of immunosuppressive agents' toxicity. In our study, we evaluated the effect of two immunosuppressive strategies on protein expression in the kidneys of Wistar rats. Fragments of the rat kidneys were homogenized after cooling in liquid nitrogen and then dissolved in lysis buffer. The protein concentration in the samples was determined using a protein assay kit, and the proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The obtained gels were then stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue, and their images were analyzed to evaluate differences in protein expression. Identification of selected proteins was then performed using mass spectrometry. We found that the immunosuppressive drugs used in popular regimens induce a series of changes in protein expression in target organs. The expression of proteins involved in drug, glucose, amino acid, and lipid metabolism was pronounced. However, to a lesser extent, we also observed changes in nuclear, structural, and transport proteins' synthesis. Very slight differences

Proteomic analysis identifies differentially expressed proteins after red propolis treatment in Hep-2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Frozza, Caroline Olivieri da Silva; Ribeiro, Tanara da Silva; Gambato, Gabriela; Menti, Caroline; Moura, Sidnei; Pinto, Paulo Marcos; Staats, Charley Christian; Padilha, Francine Ferreira; Begnini, Karine Rech; de Leon, Priscila Marques Moura; Borsuk, Sibele; Savegnago, Lucielli; Dellagostin, Odir; Collares, Tiago; Seixas, Fabiana Kömmling; Henriques, João Antonio Pêgas; Roesch-Ely, Mariana

2014-01-01

Here we investigated alterations in the protein profile of Hep-2 treated with red propolis using two-dimensional electrophoresis associated to mass spectrometry and apoptotic rates of cells treated with and without red propolis extracts through TUNEL and Annexin-V assays. A total of 325 spots were manually excised from the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and 177 proteins were identified using LC-MS-MS. Among all proteins identified that presented differential expression, most were down-regulated in presence of red propolis extract at a concentration of 120 μg/mL (IC50): GRP78, PRDX2, LDHB, VIM and TUBA1A. Only two up-regulated proteins were identified in this study in the non-cytotoxic (6 μg/mL) red propolis treated group: RPLP0 and RAD23B. TUNEL staining assay showed a markedly increase in the mid- to late-stage apoptosis of Hep-2 cells induced by red propolis at concentrations of 60 and 120 μg/mL when compared with non-treated cells. The increase of late apoptosis was confirmed by in situ Annexin-V analysis in which red propolis extract induced late apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. The differences in tumor cell protein profiles warrant further investigations including isolation of major bioactive compounds of red propolis in different cell lines using proteomics and molecular tests to validate the protein expression here observed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced green fluorescent protein is a nearly ideal long-term expression tracer for hematopoietic stem cells, whereas DsRed-express fluorescent protein is not.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Wen; Evans, Barbara-Graham; Yao, Jing; Cooper, Scott; Cornetta, Kenneth; Ballas, Christopher B; Hangoc, Giao; Broxmeyer, Hal E

2007-03-01

Validated gene transfer and expression tracers are essential for elucidating functions of mammalian genes. Here, we have determined the suitability and unintended side effects of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and DsRed-Express fluorescent protein as expression tracers in long-term hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Retrovirally transduced mouse bone marrow cells expressing either EGFP or DsRed-Express in single or mixed dual-color cell populations were clearly discerned by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. The results from in vivo competitive repopulation assays demonstrated that EGFP-expressing HSCs were maintained nearly throughout the lifespan of the transplanted mice and retained long-term multilineage repopulating potential. All mice assessed at 15 months post-transplantation were EGFP positive, and, on average, 24% total peripheral white blood cells expressed EGFP. Most EGFP-expressing recipient mice lived at least 22 months. In contrast, Discosoma sp. red fluorescent protein (DsRed)-expressing donor cells dramatically declined in transplant-recipient mice over time, particularly in the competitive setting, in which mixed EGFP- and DsRed-expressing cells were cotransplanted. Moreover, under in vitro culture condition favoring preservation of HSCs, purified EGFP-expressing cells grew robustly, whereas DsRed-expressing cells did not. Therefore, EGFP has no detectable deteriorative effects on HSCs, and is nearly an ideal long-term expression tracer for hematopoietic cells; however, DsRed-Express fluorescent protein is not suitable for these cells.

Phase Portraits of the Autonomous Duffing Single-Degree-of-Freedom Oscillator with Coulomb Dry Friction

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Nikola Jakšić

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents phase portraits of the autonomous Duffing single-degree-of-freedom system with Coulomb dry friction in its δ-γ-ε parameter space. The considered nonlinearities of the cubic stiffness (ε and Coulomb dry friction (γ are widely used throughout the literature. It has been shown that there can be more than one sticking region in the phase plane. It has also been shown that an equilibrium point occurs at the critical combinations of values of the parameters γ and ε which gives rise to zero eigenvalue of the linearised system. The unstable limit cycle may appear in the case of negative viscous damping (δ; δ<0.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis HspX/EsxS Fusion Protein: Gene Cloning, Protein Expression, and Purification in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Khademi, Farzad; Yousefi-Avarvand, Arshid; Derakhshan, Mohammad; Meshkat, Zahra; Tafaghodi, Mohsen; Ghazvini, Kiarash; Aryan, Ehsan; Sankian, Mojtaba

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to clone, express, and purify a novel multidomain fusion protein of Micobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in a prokaryotic system. An hspX/esxS gene construct was synthesized and ligated into a pGH plasmid, E. coli TOP10 cells were transformed, and the vector was purified. The vector containing the construct and pET-21b (+) plasmid were digested with the same enzymes and the construct was ligated into pET-21b (+). The accuracy of cloning was confirmed by colony PCR and sequencing. E. coli BL21 cells were transformed with the pET-21b (+)/hspX/esxS expression vector and protein expression was evaluated. Finally, the expressed fusion protein was purified on a Ni-IDA column and verified by SDS-PAGE and western blotting. The hspX/esxS gene construct was inserted into pET-21b (+) and recombinant protein expression was induced with IPTG in E. coli BL21 cells. Various concentrations of IPTG were tested to determine the optimum concentration for expression induction. The recombinant protein was expressed in insoluble inclusion bodies. Three molar guanidine HCl was used to solubilize the insoluble protein. An HspX/EsxS Mtb fusion protein was expressed in E. coli and the recombinant protein was purified. After immunological analysis, the HspX/EsxS fusion protein might be an anti-tuberculosis vaccine candidate in future clinical trial studies.

Sialotranscriptomics of Rhipicephalus zambeziensis reveals intricate expression profiles of secretory proteins and suggests tight temporal transcriptional regulation during blood-feeding.

Science.gov (United States)

de Castro, Minique Hilda; de Klerk, Daniel; Pienaar, Ronel; Rees, D Jasper G; Mans, Ben J

2017-08-10

Ticks secrete a diverse mixture of secretory proteins into the host to evade its immune response and facilitate blood-feeding, making secretory proteins attractive targets for the production of recombinant anti-tick vaccines. The largely neglected tick species, Rhipicephalus zambeziensis, is an efficient vector of Theileria parva in southern Africa but its available sequence information is limited. Next generation sequencing has advanced sequence availability for ticks in recent years and has assisted the characterisation of secretory proteins. This study focused on the de novo assembly and annotation of the salivary gland transcriptome of R. zambeziensis and the temporal expression of secretory protein transcripts in female and male ticks, before the onset of feeding and during early and late feeding. The sialotranscriptome of R. zambeziensis yielded 23,631 transcripts from which 13,584 non-redundant proteins were predicted. Eighty-six percent of these contained a predicted start and stop codon and were estimated to be putatively full-length proteins. A fifth (2569) of the predicted proteins were annotated as putative secretory proteins and explained 52% of the expression in the transcriptome. Expression analyses revealed that 2832 transcripts were differentially expressed among feeding time points and 1209 between the tick sexes. The expression analyses further indicated that 57% of the annotated secretory protein transcripts were differentially expressed. Dynamic expression profiles of secretory protein transcripts were observed during feeding of female ticks. Whereby a number of transcripts were upregulated during early feeding, presumably for feeding site establishment and then during late feeding, 52% of these were downregulated, indicating that transcripts were required at specific feeding stages. This suggested that secretory proteins are under stringent transcriptional regulation that fine-tunes their expression in salivary glands during feeding. No open

Overexpression of pucC improves the heterologous protein expression level in a Rhodobacter sphaeroides expression system.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, L; Chen, G; Ding, G; Zhao, Z; Dong, T; Hu, Z

2015-04-27

The Rhodobacter sphaeroides system has been used to express membrane proteins. However, its low yield has substantially limited its application. In order to promote the protein expression capability of this system, the pucC gene, which plays a crucial role in assembling the R. sphaeroides light-harvesting 2 complex (LH2), was overexpressed. To build a pucC overexpression strain, a pucC overexpression vector was constructed and transformed into R. sphaeroides CQU68. The overexpression efficiency was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. A well-used reporter β-glucuronidase (GUS) was fusion-expressed with LH2 to evaluate the heterologous protein expression level. As a result, the cell culture and protein in the pucC overexpression strain showed much higher typical spectral absorption peaks at 800 and 850 nm compared with the non-overexpression strain, suggesting a higher expression level of LH2-GUS fusion protein in the pucC overexpression strain. This result was further confirmed by Western blot, which also showed a much higher level of heterologous protein expression in the pucC overexpression strain. We further compared GUS activity in pucC overexpression and non-overexpression strains, the results of which showed that GUS activity in the pucC overexpression strain was approximately ten-fold that in the non-overexpression strain. These results demonstrate that overexpressed pucC can promote heterologous protein expression levels in R. sphaeroides.

α-Klotho expression determines nitric oxide synthesis in response to FGF-23 in human aortic endothelial cells.

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Chih-Ping Chung

Full Text Available Endothelial cells (ECs express fibroblast growth factor (FGF receptors and are metabolically active after treatment with FGF-23. It is not known if this effect is α-Klotho independent or mediated by humoral or endogenous endothelial α-Klotho. In the present study, we aimed to characterize EC α-Klotho expression within the human vascular tree and to investigate the potential role of α-Klotho in determining FGF-23 mediated EC regulation. Human tissue and ECs from various organs were used for immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Primary cultures of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs were used to generate in vitro cell models. We found endogenous α-Klotho expression in ECs from various organs except in microvascular ECs from human brain. Furthermore, FGF-23 stimulated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS expression, nitric oxide (NO production, and cell proliferation in HAECs. Interestingly, these effects were not observed in our HBMEC model in vitro. High phosphate treatment and endothelial α-Klotho knockdown mitigated FGF-23 mediated eNOS induction, NO production, and cell proliferation in HAECs. Rescue treatment with soluble α-Klotho did not reverse endothelial FGF-23 resistance caused by reduced or absent α-Klotho expression in HAECs. These novel observations provide evidence for differential α-Klotho functional expression in the human endothelium and its presence may play a role in determining the response to FGF-23 in the vascular tree. α-Klotho was not detected in cerebral microvascular ECs and its absence may render these cells nonresponsive to FGF-23.

Complement inhibitory proteins expression in placentas of thrombophilic women Complement inhibitory proteins expression in placentas of thrombophilic women

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Przemysław Krzysztof Wirstlein

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Factors controlling complement activation appear to exert a protective effect on pregnancy. This is
particularly important in women with thrombophilia. The aim of this study was to determine the transcript and
protein levels of complement decay-accelerating factor (DAF and membrane cofactor protein (MCP in the
placentas of women with acquired and inherited thrombophilia. Also, we assessed immunohistochemistry staining
of inhibitors of the complement cascade, DAF and MCP proteins, in the placentas of thrombophilic women.
Placentas were collected from eight women with inherited thrombophilia and ten with acquired thrombophilia.
The levels of DAF and MCP transcripts were evaluated by qPCR, the protein level was evaluated by Western
blot. We observed a higher transcript (p < 0.05 and protein (p < 0.001 levels of DAF and MCP in the placentas
of thrombophilic women than in the control group. DAF and MCP were localized on villous syncytiotrophoblast
membranes, but the assessment of staining in all groups did not differ. The observed higher expression level of
proteins that control activation of complement control proteins is only seemingly contradictory to the changes
observed for example in the antiphospholipid syndrome. However, given the hitherto known biochemical changes
associated with thrombophilia, a mechanism in which increased expression of DAF and MCP in the placentas is
an effect of proinflammatory cytokines, which accompanies thrombophilia, is probable.Factors controlling complement activation appear to exert a protective effect on pregnancy. This is
particularly important in women with thrombophilia. The aim of this study was to determine the transcript and
protein levels of complement decay-accelerating factor (DAF and membrane cofactor protein (MCP in the
placentas of women with acquired and inherited thrombophilia. Also, we assessed immunohistochemistry

Control of chaos in a three-well duffing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Jianping; Jing Zhujun

2009-01-01

Analytical and numerical results concerning control of chaos in a three-well duffing system with two external excitations are given by using the Melnikov methods proposed by Chacon et al. [Chacon R. General results on chaos suppression for biharmonically driven dissipative systems. Phys Lett A 1999;257:293-300, Chacon R, Palmero F, Balibrea F. Taming chaos in a driven Josephson Junction. Int J Bifurc Chaos 2001;11(7):1897-909, Chacon R. Role of ultrasubharmonic resonances in taming chaos by weak harmonic perturbations. Europhys Lett 2001;54(2):148C153]. We theoretically give the parameter-space region and intervals of initial phase difference for primary and subharmonic resonance and the necessary condition for the superharmonic and supersubharmonic resonance, where homoclinic chaos or heteroclinic chaos can be suppressed. Numerical simulations show the consistency and difference with theoretical analysis and the chaotic behavior can be converted to periodic orbits by adjusting amplitude and phase-difference of inhibiting excitation. Moreover, we consider the influence of parametric frequency on maximum Lyapunov exponent (LE) for different phase-differences, and give the distribution of maximum Lyapunov exponents in parameter-plane, which indicates the regions of non-chaotic states (non-positive LE) and chaotic states (positive LE).

A Note on the Solutions of the Van der Pol and Duffing Equations Using a Linearisation Method

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Sandile S. Motsa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We present a novel application of the successive linearisation method to the classical Van der Pol and Duffing oscillator equations. By recasting the governing equations as nonlinear eigenvalue problems we obtain accurate values of the frequency and amplitude. We demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to obtain the limit cycle and bifurcation diagrams of the governing equations. Comparison with exact and other results in the literature shows that the method is accurate and effective in finding solutions of nonlinear equations with oscillatory solutions, nonlinear eigenvalue problems, and other nonlinear problems with bifurcations.

XA23 is an executor R protein and confers broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chunlian; Zhang, Xiaoping; Fan, Yinglun; Gao, Ying; Zhu, Qinlong; Zheng, Chongke; Qin, Tengfei; Li, Yanqiang; Che, Jinying; Zhang, Mingwei; Yang, Bing; Liu, Yaoguang; Zhao, Kaijun

2014-11-09

The majority of plant disease resistance (R) genes encode proteins that share common structural features. However, the transcription activator-like effector (TALE) associated executor type R genes show no considerable sequence homology to any known R genes. We adopted a map-based cloning approach and TALE-based technology to isolate and characterize Xa23, a new executor R gene derived from the wild rice (Oryza rufipogon) that confers an extremely broad spectrum of resistance to bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Xa23 encodes a 113-amino acid protein that shares 50% identity to the known executor R protein XA10. The predicted transmembrane helices in XA23 also overlap with those of XA10. Unlike Xa10, however, Xa23 transcription is specifically activated by AvrXa23, a TALE present in all examined Xoo field isolates. Moreover, the susceptible xa23 allele has an identical open reading frame of Xa23, but differs in promoter region by lacking the TALE binding-element (EBE) for AvrXa23. XA23 can trigger strong hypersensitive response in rice, tobacco and tomato. Our results provide the first evidence that plant genomes have an executor R gene family in which members execute their function and spectrum of disease resistance by recognizing the cognate TALEs in pathogen. © The Author 2014. Published by the Molecular Plant Shanghai Editorial Office in association with Oxford University Press on behalf of CSPB and IPPE, SIBS, CAS.

AR-v7 protein expression is regulated by protein kinase and phosphatase

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yinan; Xie, Ning; Gleave, Martin E.; Rennie, Paul S.; Dong, Xuesen

2015-01-01

Failure of androgen-targeted therapy and progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are often attributed to sustained expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and its major splice variant, AR-v7. Although the new generation of anti-androgens such as enzalutamide effectively inhibits AR activity, accumulating pre-clinical and clinical evidence indicates that AR-v7 remains constitutively active in driving CRPC progression. However, molecular mechanisms which control AR-v7 protein expression remain unclear. We apply multiple prostate cancer cell models to demonstrate that enzalutamide induces differential activation of protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) and Akt kinase depending on the gene context of cancer cells. The balance between PP-1 and Akt activation governs AR phosphorylation status and activation of the Mdm2 ubiquitin ligase. Mdm2 recognizes phosphorylated serine 213 of AR-v7, and induces AR-v7 ubiquitination and protein degradation. These findings highlight the decisive roles of PP-1 and Akt for AR-v7 protein expression and activities when AR is functionally blocked. PMID:26378044

Expression, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of C-reactive protein from zebrafish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Rong; Qi, Jianxun; Yao, Shugang; Pan, Xiaocheng; Gao, Feng; Xia, Chun

2011-01-01

Crystals of native and selenomethionine-substituted C-reactive protein from zebrafish diffracted to 2.3 and 1.7 Å resolution, respectively, and belonged to space group R3 with one molecule per asymmetric unit. The Matthews coefficient was calculated to be 3.28 Å 3 Da −1 . C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase protein that is found in blood, the concentration of which in plasma rises rapidly in response to inflammation. It functions as a pattern-recognition molecule, recognizing dead cells and various pathogenic agents and eliminating them by utilizing the classical complement pathway and activating macrophages. CRP is phylogenetically highly conserved in invertebrates and mammals. To date, information on the CRP gene has been reported from numerous species of animals, but little is known about the structure of CRP from species other than humans. In order to solve the structure of CRP from bony fish, the CRP gene from zebrafiah (Danio rerio) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The zebrafish CRP (Dare-CRP) was then purified and crystallized. The crystal diffracted to 2.3 Å resolution and belonged to space group R3, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 114.7, c = 61.0 Å. The Matthews coefficient and solvent content were calculated to be 3.28 Å 3 Da −1 and 62.55%, respectively. Determination of the zebrafish CRP structure should be helpful in investigating the evolution of CRPs in the innate immune system

Genome-wide screens for expressed hypothetical proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Claus Desler; Durhuus, Jon Ambæk; Rasmussen, Lene Juel

2012-01-01

A hypothetical protein (HP) is defined as a protein that is predicted to be expressed from an open reading frame, but for which there is no experimental evidence of translation. HPs constitute a substantial fraction of proteomes of human as well as of other organisms. With the general belief that...... that the majority of HPs are the product of pseudogenes, it is essential to have a tool with the ability of pinpointing the minority of HPs with a high probability of being expressed....

Characterization and Oral Delivery of Proinsulin-Transferrin Fusion Protein Expressed Using ExpressTec

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Yu-Sheng Chen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Proinsulin-transferrin fusion protein (ProINS-Tf has been designed and successfully expressed from the mammalian HEK293 cells (HEK-ProINS-Tf. It was found that HEK-ProINS-Tf could be converted into an activated form in the liver. Furthermore, HEK-ProINS-Tf was demonstrated as an extra-long acting insulin analogue with liver-specific insulin action in streptozotocin (STZ-induced type 1 diabetic mice. However, due to the low production yield from transfected HEK293 cells, there are other interesting features, including the oral bioavailability, which have not been fully explored and characterized. To improve the protein production yield, an alternative protein expression system, ExpressTec using transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L., was used. The intact and active rice-derived ProINS-Tf (ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf was successfully expressed from the transgenic rice expression system. Our results suggested that, although the insulin-like bioactivity of ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf was slightly lower in vitro, its potency of in vivo blood glucose control was considerably stronger than that of HEK-ProINS-Tf. The oral delivery studies in type 1 diabetic mice demonstrated a prolonged control of blood glucose to near-normal levels after oral administration of ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf. Results in this report suggest that ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf is a promising insulin analog with advantages including low cost, prolonged and liver targeting effects, and most importantly, oral bioactivity.

Expression of transforming growth factor beta 1-related signaling proteins in irradiated vessels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Preidl, Raimund H.M.; Moebius, Patrick; Weber, Manuel; Neukam, Friedrich W.; Schlegel, Andreas; Wehrhan, Falk [University of Erlangen- Nuernberg, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erlangen (Germany); University of Erlangen- Nuernberg, Erlangen (Germany); Amann, Kerstin [University of Erlangen- Nuernberg, Erlangen (Germany)

2014-12-09

Microvascular free tissue transfer is a standard method in head and neck reconstructive surgery. However, previous radiotherapy of the operative region is associated with an increased incidence in postoperative flap-related complications and complete flap loss. As transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) 1 and galectin-3 are well known markers in the context of fibrosis and lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein 1 (LOX-1) supports vascular atherosclerosis, the aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of TGF-β1 and related markers as well as LOX-1 in irradiated vessels. To evaluate the expression of galectin-3, Smad 2/3, TGF-β1, and LOX-1, 20 irradiated and 20 nonirradiated arterial vessels were used for immunohistochemical staining. We semiquantitatively assessed the ratio of stained cells/total number of cells (labeling index). Expression of galectin-3, Smad 2/3, and TGF-β1 was significantly increased in previously irradiated vessels compared with nonirradiated controls. Furthermore, LOX-1 was expressed significantly higher in irradiated compared with nonirradiated vessels. Fibrosis-related proteins like galectin-3, Smad 2/3, and TGF-β1 are upregulated after radiotherapy and support histopathological changes leading to vasculopathy of the irradiated vessels. Furthermore, postoperative complications in irradiated patients can be explained by increased endothelial dysfunction caused by LOX-1 in previously irradiated patients. Consequently, not only TGF-β1 but also galectin-3inhibitors may decrease complications after microsurgical tissue transfer. (orig.) [German] Der freie mikrovaskulaere Gewebetransfer gilt heute als fester Standard in der rekonstruktiven Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie. Es zeigte sich jedoch, dass im Falle einer stattgehabten Bestrahlung im Operationsgebiet mit einer erhoehten Rate an transplantatbezogenen Komplikationen gerechnet werden muss. Sowohl TGF-β1 als auch Galektin-3 sind bekannte Mediatoren in Bezug auf die Fibroseentstehung

SHuffle, a novel Escherichia coli protein expression strain capable of correctly folding disulfide bonded proteins in its cytoplasm

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Lobstein Julie

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Production of correctly disulfide bonded proteins to high yields remains a challenge. Recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli is the popular choice, especially within the research community. While there is an ever growing demand for new expression strains, few strains are dedicated to post-translational modifications, such as disulfide bond formation. Thus, new protein expression strains must be engineered and the parameters involved in producing disulfide bonded proteins must be understood. Results We have engineered a new E. coli protein expression strain named SHuffle, dedicated to producing correctly disulfide bonded active proteins to high yields within its cytoplasm. This strain is based on the trxB gor suppressor strain SMG96 where its cytoplasmic reductive pathways have been diminished, allowing for the formation of disulfide bonds in the cytoplasm. We have further engineered a major improvement by integrating into its chromosome a signal sequenceless disulfide bond isomerase, DsbC. We probed the redox state of DsbC in the oxidizing cytoplasm and evaluated its role in assisting the formation of correctly folded multi-disulfide bonded proteins. We optimized protein expression conditions, varying temperature, induction conditions, strain background and the co-expression of various helper proteins. We found that temperature has the biggest impact on improving yields and that the E. coli B strain background of this strain was superior to the K12 version. We also discovered that auto-expression of substrate target proteins using this strain resulted in higher yields of active pure protein. Finally, we found that co-expression of mutant thioredoxins and PDI homologs improved yields of various substrate proteins. Conclusions This work is the first extensive characterization of the trxB gor suppressor strain. The results presented should help researchers design the appropriate protein expression conditions using

Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Changed the Protein Expressions and Activities of Drug-Metabolising Enzymes in the Liver of Male Rats

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Salah A. Sheweita

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Erectile dysfunction (ED is a major health problem and is mainly associated with the persistent inability of men to maintain sufficient erection for satisfactory sexual performance. Millions of men are using sildenafil, vardenafil, and/or tadalafil for ED treatment. Cytochrome P450s (CYPs play a central role in the metabolism of a wide range of xenobiotics as well as endogenous compounds. Susceptibility of individuals to the adverse effects of different drugs is mainly dependent on the expression of CYPs proteins. Therefore, changes in activities of phase I drug-metabolising enzymes [arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH, dimethylnitrosamine N-demethylase (DMN-dI, 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylase (ECOD, and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase ((EROD] and the protein expression of different CYPs isozymes (CYP1A2, CYP2E1, CYP2B1/2, CYP3A4, CYP2C23, and CYP2C6 were determined after treatment of male rats with either low or high doses of sildenafil (Viagra, tadalafil (Cialis, and/or vardenafil (Levitra for 3 weeks. The present study showed that low doses of tadalafil and vardenafil increased DMN-dI activity by 32 and 23%, respectively. On the other hand, high doses of tadalafil, vardenafil, and sildenafil decreased such activity by 50, 56, and 52%, respectively. In addition, low doses of tadalafil and vardenafil induced the protein expression of CYP2E1. On the other hand, high doses of either tadalafil or sildenafil were more potent inhibitors to CYP2E1 expression than vardenafil. Moreover, low doses of both vardenafil and sildenafil markedly increased AHH activity by 162 and 247%, respectively, whereas high doses of tadalafil, vardenafil, and sildenafil inhibited such activity by 36, 49, and 57% and inhibited the EROD activity by 39, 49, and 33%, respectively. Low and high doses of tadalafil, vardenafil, and sildenafil inhibited the activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase as well as its protein expression. In addition, such drugs inhibited the expression of CYP

Protein expression analysis of inflammation-related colon carcinogenesis

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Yasui Yumiko

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC development. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in protein expression between CRC and the surrounding nontumorous colonic tissues in the mice that received azoxymethane (AOM and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS using a proteomic analysis. Materials and Methods: Male ICR mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of AOM (10 mg/kg body weight, followed by 2% (w/v DSS in their drinking water for seven days, starting one week after the AOM injection. Colonic adenocarcinoma developed after 20 weeks and a proteomics analysis based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and ultraflex TOF/TOF mass spectrometry was conducted in the cancerous and nontumorous tissue specimens. Results: The proteomic analysis revealed 21 differentially expressed proteins in the cancerous tissues in comparison to the nontumorous tissues. There were five markedly increased proteins (beta-tropomyosin, tropomyosin 1 alpha isoform b, S100 calcium binding protein A9, and an unknown protein and 16 markedly decreased proteins (Car1 proteins, selenium-binding protein 1, HMG-CoA synthase, thioredoxin 1, 1 Cys peroxiredoxin protein 2, Fcgbp protein, Cytochrome c oxidase, subunit Va, ETHE1 protein, and 7 unknown proteins. Conclusions: There were 21 differentially expressed proteins in the cancerous tissues of the mice that received AOM and DSS. Their functions include metabolism, the antioxidant system, oxidative stress, mucin production, and inflammation. These findings may provide new insights into the mechanisms of inflammation-related colon carcinogenesis and the establishment of novel therapies and preventative strategies to treat carcinogenesis in the inflamed colon.

Depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) management system--a decision tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasper, J.R.; Sutter, R.J.; Avci, H.I.

1995-01-01

The Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF 6 ) Management System (DMS) is being developed as a decision tool to provide cost and risk data for evaluation of short-and long-term management strategies for depleted uranium. It can be used to assist decision makers on a programmatic or site-specific level. Currently, the DMS allows evaluation of near-term cylinder management strategies such as storage yard improvements, cylinder restocking, and reconditioning. The DMS has been designed to provide the user with maximum flexibility for modifying data and impact factors (e.g., unit costs and risk factors). Sensitivity analysis can be performed on all key parameters such as cylinder corrosion rate, inspection frequency, and impact factors. Analysis may be conducted on a system-wide, site, or yard basis. The costs and risks from different scenarios may be compared in graphic or tabular format. Ongoing development of the DMS will allow similar evaluation of long-term management strategies such as conversion to other chemical forms. The DMS is a Microsoft Windows 3.1 based, stand-alone computer application. It can be operated on a 486 or faster computer with VGA, 4 MB of RAM, and 10 MB of disk space

Activation of p44/42 in Human Natural Killer Cells Decreases Cell-surface Protein Expression: Relationship to Tributyltin-induced alterations of protein expression

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Dudimah, Fred D.; Abraha, Abraham; Wang, Xiaofei; Whalen, Margaret M.

2010-01-01

Tributyltin (TBT) activates the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), p44/42 in human natural killer (NK) cells. TBT also reduces NK cytotoxic function and decreases the expression of several NK-cell proteins. To understand the role that p44/42 activation plays in TBT-induced loss of NK cell function, we have investigated how selective activation of p44/42 by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) affects NK cells. Previously we showed that PMA caused losses of lytic function similar to those seen with TBT exposures. Here we examined activation of p44/42 in the regulation of NK-cell protein expression and how this regulation may explain the protein expression changes seen with TBT exposures. NK cells exposed to PMA were examined for levels of cell-surface proteins, granzyme mRNA, and perforin mRNA expression. The expression of CD11a, CD16, CD18, and CD56 were reduced, perforin mRNA levels were unchanged and granzyme mRNA levels were increased. To verify that activation of p44/42 was responsible for the alterations seen in CD11a, CD16, CD18, and CD56 with PMA, NK cells were treated with the p44/42 pathway inhibitor (PD98059) prior to PMA exposures. In the presence of PD98059, PMA caused no decreases in the expression of the cell-surface proteins. Results of these studies indicate that the activation of p44/42 may lead to the loss of NK cell cytotoxic function by decreasing the expression of CD11a, CD16, CD18, and CD56. Further, activation of p44/42 appears to be at least in part responsible for the TBT-induced decreases in expression of CD16, CD18, and CD56. PMID:20883105

Cloning, Expression and Purification of the Recombinant HIV-1 Tat-Nef Fusion Protein in Prokaryotic Expression System

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Somayeh Kadkhodayan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Nef is one of the HIV-1 critical proteins, because it is essential for viral replication and AIDS disease progression and induction of immune response against it can partially inhibit viral infection. Moreover, a domain of the HIV-1 Trans-Activator of Transcription (Tat, 48-60 aa could act as a cell penetrating peptide (CPP. In current study, cloning and expression of Tat-Nef fusion protein was performed in E. coli for the first time. The protein expression was confirmed by western blot analysis and was purified using reverse staining method. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, primarily, cloning of Tat-Nef fusion gene was done in pGEX6p2 expression vector. Then, the expression of Tat-Nef recombinat protein in E.coli BL21 (DE3 strain was performed by using IPTG inducer. The protein expression was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and western blotting using anti-Nef monoclonal antibody. Then, the recombinant fusion protein was purified from gel using reverse staining method. Results: The results of PCR analysis and enzyme digestion showed a clear band of ~ 726 bp in agarose gel indicating the correct Tat-Nef fusion cloning in pGEX6p2 prokaryotic expression vector. In addition, a 54 kDa band of Tat-Nef on SDS-PAGE revealed Tat-Nef protein expression that western blot analysis using anti-Nef monoclonal antibody confirmed it. Conclusion: The purified Tat-Nef recombinant fusion protein will be used as an antigen for protein vaccine design against HIV infection.

The structure of the first representative of Pfam family PF09836 reveals a two-domain organization and suggests involvement in transcriptional regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Debanu; Grishin, Nick V.; Kumar, Abhinav; Carlton, Dennis; Bakolitsa, Constantina; Miller, Mitchell D.; Abdubek, Polat; Astakhova, Tamara; Axelrod, Herbert L.; Burra, Prasad; Chen, Connie; Chiu, Hsiu-Ju; Chiu, Michelle; Clayton, Thomas; Deller, Marc C.; Duan, Lian; Ellrott, Kyle; Ernst, Dustin; Farr, Carol L.; Feuerhelm, Julie; Grzechnik, Anna; Grzechnik, Slawomir K.; Grant, Joanna C.; Han, Gye Won; Jaroszewski, Lukasz; Jin, Kevin K.; Johnson, Hope A.; Klock, Heath E.; Knuth, Mark W.; Kozbial, Piotr; Krishna, S. Sri; Marciano, David; McMullan, Daniel; Morse, Andrew T.; Nigoghossian, Edward; Nopakun, Amanda; Okach, Linda; Oommachen, Silvya; Paulsen, Jessica; Puckett, Christina; Reyes, Ron; Rife, Christopher L.; Sefcovic, Natasha; Tien, Henry J.; Trame, Christine B.; Bedem, Henry van den; Weekes, Dana; Wooten, Tiffany; Xu, Qingping; Hodgson, Keith O.; Wooley, John; Elsliger, Marc-André; Deacon, Ashley M.; Godzik, Adam; Lesley, Scott A.; Wilson, Ian A.

2009-01-01

The crystal structure of the NGO1945 gene product from N. gonorrhoeae (UniProt Q5F5IO) reveals that the N-terminal domain assigned as a domain of unknown function (DUF2063) is likely to bind DNA and that the protein may be involved in transcriptional regulation. Proteins with the DUF2063 domain constitute a new Pfam family, PF09836. The crystal structure of a member of this family, NGO1945 from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has been determined and reveals that the N-terminal DUF2063 domain is likely to be a DNA-binding domain. In conjunction with the rest of the protein, NGO1945 is likely to be involved in transcriptional regulation, which is consistent with genomic neighborhood analysis. Of the 216 currently known proteins that contain a DUF2063 domain, the most significant sequence homologs of NGO1945 (∼40–99% sequence identity) are from various Neisseria and Haemophilus species. As these are important human pathogens, NGO1945 represents an interesting candidate for further exploration via biochemical studies and possible therapeutic intervention

Nucleotide, cytogenetic and expression impact of the human chromosome 8p23.1 inversion polymorphism.

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Bosch, Nina; Morell, Marta; Ponsa, Immaculada; Mercader, Josep Maria; Armengol, Lluís; Estivill, Xavier

2009-12-14

The human chromosome 8p23.1 region contains a 3.8-4.5 Mb segment which can be found in different orientations (defined as genomic inversion) among individuals. The identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tightly linked to the genomic orientation of a given region should be useful to indirectly evaluate the genotypes of large genomic orientations in the individuals. We have identified 16 SNPs, which are in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the 8p23.1 inversion as detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The variability of the 8p23.1 orientation in 150 HapMap samples was predicted using this set of SNPs and was verified by FISH in a subset of samples. Four genes (NEIL2, MSRA, CTSB and BLK) were found differentially expressed (pinversion occurred. Moreover, an impact of 8p23.1 inversion on gene expression levels cannot be ruled out, since four genes from this region have statistically significant different expression levels depending on the inversion status. FISH results in lymphoblastoid cell lines suggest the presence of mosaicism regarding the 8p23.1 inversion.

Robust expression of a bioactive mammalian protein in chlamydomonas chloroplast

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Mayfield, Stephen P.

2010-03-16

Methods and compositions are disclosed to engineer chloroplast comprising heterologous mammalian genes via a direct replacement of chloroplast Photosystem II (PSII) reaction center protein coding regions to achieve expression of recombinant protein above 5% of total protein. When algae is used, algal expressed protein is produced predominantly as a soluble protein where the functional activity of the peptide is intact. As the host algae is edible, production of biologics in this organism for oral delivery or proteins/peptides, especially gut active proteins, without purification is disclosed.

Expression of nm23-H1 gene product in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its association with vessel invasion and survival

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomita, Masaki; Ayabe, Takanori; Matsuzaki, Yasunori; Edagawa, Masao; Maeda, Masayuki; Shimizu, Tetsuya; Hara, Masaki; Onitsuka, Toshio

2001-01-01

We assessed the nm23-H1 gene product expression and its relationship with lymphatic and blood vessel invasion in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 45 patients who were treated surgically were used in this study. Pathologists graded lymphatic and blood vessel invasion in each of the tissue samples. Expression of nm23-Hl gene product was determined using a specific monoclonal antibody. Expression of nm23-H1 gene product was present in 17 (37.8%) cases. We found an inverse correlation between nm23-H1 gene product expression and lymphatic vessel invasion, whereas no correlation between nm23-H1 gene product expression and blood vessel invasion. Overall survival rate was not different between nm23-H1 gene product positive and negative patients (p = 0.21). However, reduced expression of nm23-H1 gene product was associated with shorter overall survival in patients with involved lymph nodes (p < 0.05), but not in patients without involved lymph nodes (p = 0.87). In patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, there appears to be an inverse relationship between nm23-H1 gene product expression and lymphatic vessel invasion. Furthermore, nm23-H1 gene product expression might be a prognostic marker in patients with involved lymph nodes. Our data does not demonstrate any correlation between nm23-H1 gene product expression and blood vessel invasion

Expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants

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Vierstra, Richard D.; Walker, Joseph M.

2002-01-01

A method is disclosed for the production of multiple proteins in transgenic plants. A DNA construct for introduction into plants includes a provision to express a fusion protein of two proteins of interest joined by a linking domain including plant ubiquitin. When the fusion protein is produced in the cells of a transgenic plant transformed with the DNA construction, native enzymes present in plant cells cleave the fusion protein to release both proteins of interest into the cells of the transgenic plant. Since the proteins are produced from the same fusion protein, the initial quantities of the proteins in the cells of the plant are approximately equal.

Nogo-B regulates migration and contraction of airway smooth muscle cells by decreasing ARPC 2/3 and increasing MYL-9 expression

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Cai Zailong

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Abnormal proliferation, apoptosis, migration and contraction of airway smooth muscle (ASM cells in airway remodeling in asthma are basically excessive repair responses to a network of inflammatory mediators such as PDGF, but the mechanisms of such responses remain unclear. Nogo-B, a member of the reticulum family 4(RTN4, is known to play a key role in arteriogenesis and tissue repair. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of Nogo-B in airway smooth muscle abnormalities. Methods A mouse model of chronic asthma was established by repeated OVA inhalation and subjected to Nogo-B expression analysis using immunohistochemistry and Western Blotting. Then, primary human bronchial smooth muscle cells (HBSMCs were cultured in vitro and a siRNA interference was performed to knockdown the expression of Nogo-B in the cells. The effects of Nogo-B inhibition on PDGF-induced HBSMCs proliferation, migration and contraction were evaluated. Finally, a proteomic analysis was conducted to unveil the underlying mechanisms responsible for the function of Nogo-B. Results Total Nogo-B expression was approximately 3.08-fold lower in chronic asthmatic mice compared to naïve mice, which was obvious in the smooth muscle layer of the airways. Interference of Nogo-B expression by siRNA resulted nearly 96% reduction in mRNA in cultured HBSMCs. In addition, knockdown of Nogo-B using specific siRNA significantly decreased PDGF-induced migration of HBSMCs by 2.3-fold, and increased the cellular contraction by 16% compared to negative controls, but had limited effects on PDGF-induced proliferation. Furthermore, using proteomic analysis, we demonstrate that the expression of actin related protein 2/3 complex subunit 5 (ARPC 2/3 decreased and, myosin regulatory light chain 9 isoform a (MYL-9 increased after Nogo-B knockdown. Conclusions These data define a novel role for Nogo-B in airway remodeling in chronic asthma. Endogenous Nogo-B, which may exert

High-level transient expression of recombinant protein in lettuce.

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Joh, Lawrence D; Wroblewski, Tadeusz; Ewing, Nicholas N; VanderGheynst, Jean S

2005-09-30

Transient expression following agroinfiltration of plant tissue was investigated as a system for producing recombinant protein. As a model system, Agrobacterium tumefaciens containing the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene was vacuum infiltrated into lettuce leaf disks. Infiltration with a suspension of 10(9) colony forming units/mL followed by incubation for 72 h at 22 degrees C in continuous darkness produced a maximum of 0.16% GUS protein based on dry tissue or 1.1% GUS protein based on total soluble protein. This compares favorably to expression levels for commercially manufactured GUS protein from transgenic corn seeds. A. tumefaciens culture medium pH between 5.6 and 7.0 and surfactant concentrations lettuce to produce GUS protein more rapidly, but final levels did not exceed the GUS production in leaves incubated in continuous darkness after 72 h at 22 degrees C. The kinetics of GUS expression during incubation in continuous light and dark were represented well using a logistic model, with rate constants of 0.30 and 0.29/h, respectively. To semi-quantitatively measure the GUS expression in large numbers of leaf disks, a photometric enhancement of the standard histochemical staining method was developed. A linear relationship with an R2 value of 0.90 was determined between log10 (% leaf darkness) versus log10 (GUS activity). Although variability in expression level was observed, agroinfiltration appears to be a promising technology that could potentially be scaled up to produce high-value recombinant proteins in planta. Copyright 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Multiplexed expression and screening for recombinant protein production in mammalian cells

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McCafferty John

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A variety of approaches to understanding protein structure and function require production of recombinant protein. Mammalian based expression systems have advantages over bacterial systems for certain classes of protein but can be slower and more laborious. Thus the availability of a simple system for production and rapid screening of constructs or conditions for mammalian expression would be of great benefit. To this end we have coupled an efficient recombinant protein production system based on transient transfection in HEK-293 EBNA1 (HEK-293E suspension cells with a dot blot method allowing pre-screening of proteins expressed in cells in a high throughput manner. Results A nested PCR approach was used to clone 21 extracellular domains of mouse receptors as CD4 fusions within a mammalian GATEWAY expression vector system. Following transient transfection, HEK-293E cells grown in 2 ml cultures in 24-deep well blocks showed similar growth kinetics, viability and recombinant protein expression profiles, to those grown in 50 ml shake flask cultures as judged by western blotting. Following optimisation, fluorescent dot blot analysis of transfection supernatants was shown to be a rapid method for analysing protein expression yielding similar results as western blot analysis. Addition of urea enhanced the binding of glycoproteins to a nitrocellulose membrane. A good correlation was observed between the results of a plate based small scale transient transfection dot blot pre-screen and successful purification of proteins expressed at the 50 ml scale. Conclusion The combination of small scale multi-well plate culture and dot blotting described here will allow the multiplex analysis of different mammalian expression experiments enabling a faster identification of high yield expression constructs or conditions prior to large scale protein production. The methods for parallel GATEWAY cloning and expression of multiple constructs in cell

Trichohyalin-like 1 protein, a member of fused S100 proteins, is expressed in normal and pathologic human skin

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Yamakoshi, Takako [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Makino, Teruhiko, E-mail: tmakino@med.u-toyama.ac.jp [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Ur Rehman, Mati; Yoshihisa, Yoko [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Sugimori, Michiya [Department of Integrative Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan); Shimizu, Tadamichi, E-mail: shimizut@med.u-toyama.ac.jp [Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194 (Japan)

2013-03-01

Highlights: ► Trichohyalin-like 1 protein is a member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. ► Specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein were generated. ► TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. ► TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in tumor nests of BCC and SCC. ► The expression of TCHHL1 proteins increased in epidermis of psoriasis vulgaris. - Abstract: Trichohyalin-like 1 (TCHHL1) protein is a novel member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. The deduced amino acid sequence of TCHHL1 contains an EF-hand domain in the N-terminus, one trans-membrane domain and a nuclear localization signal. We generated specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein and examined the expression of TCHHL1 proteins in normal and pathological human skin. An immunohistochemical study showed that TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. In addition, signals of TCHHL1 proteins were observed around the nuclei of cultured growing keratinocytes. Accordingly, TCHHL1 mRNA has been detected in normal skin and cultured growing keratinocytes. Furthermore, TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in the peripheral areas of tumor nests in basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. A dramatic increase in the number of Ki67 positive cells was observed in TCHHL1-expressing areas. The expression of TCHHL1 proteins also increased in non-cancerous hyperproliferative epidermal tissues such as those of psoriasis vulgaris and lichen planus. These findings highlight the possibility that TCHHL1 proteins are expressed in growing keratinocytes of the epidermis and might be associated with the proliferation of keratinocytes.

Trichohyalin-like 1 protein, a member of fused S100 proteins, is expressed in normal and pathologic human skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakoshi, Takako; Makino, Teruhiko; Ur Rehman, Mati; Yoshihisa, Yoko; Sugimori, Michiya; Shimizu, Tadamichi

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Trichohyalin-like 1 protein is a member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. ► Specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein were generated. ► TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. ► TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in tumor nests of BCC and SCC. ► The expression of TCHHL1 proteins increased in epidermis of psoriasis vulgaris. - Abstract: Trichohyalin-like 1 (TCHHL1) protein is a novel member of the fused-type S100 protein gene family. The deduced amino acid sequence of TCHHL1 contains an EF-hand domain in the N-terminus, one trans-membrane domain and a nuclear localization signal. We generated specific antibodies against the C-terminus of the TCHHL1 protein and examined the expression of TCHHL1 proteins in normal and pathological human skin. An immunohistochemical study showed that TCHHL1 proteins were expressed in the basal layer of the normal epidermis. In addition, signals of TCHHL1 proteins were observed around the nuclei of cultured growing keratinocytes. Accordingly, TCHHL1 mRNA has been detected in normal skin and cultured growing keratinocytes. Furthermore, TCHHL1 proteins were strongly expressed in the peripheral areas of tumor nests in basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. A dramatic increase in the number of Ki67 positive cells was observed in TCHHL1-expressing areas. The expression of TCHHL1 proteins also increased in non-cancerous hyperproliferative epidermal tissues such as those of psoriasis vulgaris and lichen planus. These findings highlight the possibility that TCHHL1 proteins are expressed in growing keratinocytes of the epidermis and might be associated with the proliferation of keratinocytes

Expression of RNA virus proteins by RNA polymerase II dependent expression plasmids is hindered at multiple steps

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Überla Klaus

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Proteins of human and animal viruses are frequently expressed from RNA polymerase II dependent expression cassettes to study protein function and to develop gene-based vaccines. Initial attempts to express the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV and the F protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV by eukaryotic promoters revealed restrictions at several steps of gene expression. Results Insertion of an intron flanked by exonic sequences 5'-terminal to the open reading frames (ORF of VSV-G and RSV-F led to detectable cytoplasmic mRNA levels of both genes. While the exonic sequences were sufficient to stabilise the VSV-G mRNA, cytoplasmic mRNA levels of RSV-F were dependent on the presence of a functional intron. Cytoplasmic VSV-G mRNA levels led to readily detectable levels of VSV-G protein, whereas RSV-F protein expression remained undetectable. However, RSV-F expression was observed after mutating two of four consensus sites for polyadenylation present in the RSV-F ORF. Expression levels could be further enhanced by codon optimisation. Conclusion Insufficient cytoplasmic mRNA levels and premature polyadenylation prevent expression of RSV-F by RNA polymerase II dependent expression plasmids. Since RSV replicates in the cytoplasm, the presence of premature polyadenylation sites and elements leading to nuclear instability should not interfere with RSV-F expression during virus replication. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the destabilisation of the RSV-F and VSV-G mRNAs and the different requirements for their rescue by insertion of an intron remain to be defined.

New phenotypes generated by the G57R mutation of BUD23 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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Lin, Jyun-Liang; Yu, Hui-Chia; Chao, Ju-Lan; Wang, Chung; Cheng, Ming-Yuan

2012-12-01

BUD23 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes for a class I methyltransferase, and deletion of the gene results in slow growth and random budding phenotypes. Herein, two BUD23 mutants defective in methyltransferase activity were generated to investigate whether the phenotypes of the null mutant might be correlated with a loss in enzymatic activity. Expression at the physiological level of both D77A and G57R mutants was able to rescue the phenotypes of the bud23-null mutant. The result implied that the methyltransferase activity of the protein was not necessary for supporting normal growth and bud site selection of the cells. High-level expression of Bud23 (G57R), but not Bud23 or Bud23 (D77A), in BUD23 deletion cells failed to complement these phenotypes. However, just like Bud23, Bud23 (G57R) was localized in a DAPI-poor region in the nucleus. Distinct behaviour in Bud23 (G57R) could not be originated from a mislocalization of the protein. Over-expression of Bud23 (G57R) in null cells also produced changes in actin organization and additional septin mutant-like phenotypes. Therefore, the absence of Bud23, Bud23 (G57R) at a high level might affect the cell division of yeast cells through an as yet unidentified mechanism. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Variation of ATM protein expression in response to irradiation of lymphocytes in lung cancer patients and controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lou Jianlin; He Jiliang; Jin Lifen; Zheng Wei; Chen Zhijian; Chen Shijie; Xu Shijie

2006-01-01

The aim of this research work was to study the cellular response to ionizing radiation (IR) and its relationship with the ATM protein expression levels in lung cancer patients. Heparinized blood samples were collected from 22 controls and 22 lung cancer patients. Each sample was divided into two parts: non-irradiated sample and irradiated sample, which was exposed to 3 Gy X-ray. The spontaneous and IR-induced genetic damage in both lung cancer patients and controls was measured with comet assay and micronucleus (MN) assay, and the ATM protein expression levels of non-irradiated samples in lung cancer patients and controls were detected by Western blotting. The results indicated that the baseline values of average mean tail moment (MTM) and micronucleus rate (MNR) in lung cancer patients were 0.86 and 11.41 per mille , respectively, which was significantly higher than those (0.64 and 6.77 per mille ) of controls (P < 0.05 for MTM, P < 0.01 for MNR). The IR-induced average MTM and MNR in lung cancer patients were 1.23 and 77.64 per mille , respectively, which was also significantly higher than those (0.71 and 66.05 per mille ) of controls (P < 0.05 for MTM, P < 0.01 for MNR). The results of Western blotting showed that the ATM protein expression levels in lung cancer patients and controls were 0.64 and 1.71, respectively, and there was significant (P < 0.01) difference between lung cancer patients and controls. In present investigation, it was found that the genetic instability measured with comet assay and MN assay in lung cancer patients were significantly higher than those in controls, on the contrary, ATM protein expression level in lung cancer patients were significantly lower than that in controls. However, no good correlation was found either between ATM protein expression and IR-induced MTM or between ATM protein expression and IR-induced MNR in lung cancer patients

The analysis of solutions behaviour of Van der Pol Duffing equation describing local brain hemodynamics

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Cherevko, A. A.; Bord, E. E.; Khe, A. K.; Panarin, V. A.; Orlov, K. J.

2017-10-01

This article proposes the generalized model of Van der Pol — Duffing equation for describing the relaxation oscillations in local brain hemodynamics. This equation connects the velocity and pressure of blood flow in cerebral vessels. The equation is individual for each patient, since the coefficients are unique. Each set of coefficients is built based on clinical data obtained during neurosurgical operation in Siberian Federal Biomedical Research Center named after Academician E. N. Meshalkin. The equation has solutions of different structure defined by the coefficients and right side. We investigate the equations for different patients considering peculiarities of their vessel systems. The properties of approximate analytical solutions are studied. Amplitude-frequency and phase-frequency characteristics are built for the small-dimensional solution approximations.

Arabidopsis mRNA polyadenylation machinery: comprehensive analysis of protein-protein interactions and gene expression profiling

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Mo Min

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The polyadenylation of mRNA is one of the critical processing steps during expression of almost all eukaryotic genes. It is tightly integrated with transcription, particularly its termination, as well as other RNA processing events, i.e. capping and splicing. The poly(A tail protects the mRNA from unregulated degradation, and it is required for nuclear export and translation initiation. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that the polyadenylation process is also involved in the regulation of gene expression. The polyadenylation process requires two components, the cis-elements on the mRNA and a group of protein factors that recognize the cis-elements and produce the poly(A tail. Here we report a comprehensive pairwise protein-protein interaction mapping and gene expression profiling of the mRNA polyadenylation protein machinery in Arabidopsis. Results By protein sequence homology search using human and yeast polyadenylation factors, we identified 28 proteins that may be components of Arabidopsis polyadenylation machinery. To elucidate the protein network and their functions, we first tested their protein-protein interaction profiles. Out of 320 pair-wise protein-protein interaction assays done using the yeast two-hybrid system, 56 (~17% showed positive interactions. 15 of these interactions were further tested, and all were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and/or in vitro co-purification. These interactions organize into three distinct hubs involving the Arabidopsis polyadenylation factors. These hubs are centered around AtCPSF100, AtCLPS, and AtFIPS. The first two are similar to complexes seen in mammals, while the third one stands out as unique to plants. When comparing the gene expression profiles extracted from publicly available microarray datasets, some of the polyadenylation related genes showed tissue-specific expression, suggestive of potential different polyadenylation complex configurations. Conclusion An

High-level expression of soluble recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli using an HE-maltotriose-binding protein fusion tag.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yingqian; Guo, Wanying; Su, Bingqian; Guo, Yujie; Wang, Jiang; Chu, Beibei; Yang, Guoyu

2018-02-01

Recombinant proteins are commonly expressed in prokaryotic expression systems for large-scale production. The use of genetically engineered affinity and solubility enhancing fusion proteins has increased greatly in recent years, and there now exists a considerable repertoire of these that can be used to enhance the expression, stability, solubility, folding, and purification of their fusion partner. Here, a modified histidine tag (HE) used as an affinity tag was employed together with a truncated maltotriose-binding protein (MBP; consisting of residues 59-433) from Pyrococcus furiosus as a solubility enhancing tag accompanying a tobacco etch virus protease-recognition site for protein expression and purification in Escherichia coli. Various proteins tagged at the N-terminus with HE-MBP(Pyr) were expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) cells to determine expression and solubility relative to those tagged with His6-MBP or His6-MBP(Pyr). Furthermore, four HE-MBP(Pyr)-fused proteins were purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography to assess the affinity of HE with immobilized Ni 2+ . Our results showed that HE-MBP(Pyr) represents an attractive fusion protein allowing high levels of soluble expression and purification of recombinant protein in E. coli. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A fractionation method to identify qauntitative changes in protein expression mediated by IGF-1 on the proteome of murine C2C12 myoblasts

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Friedmann Theodore

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Although much is known about signal transduction downstream of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1, relatively little is known about the global changes in protein expression induced by this hormone. In this study, the acute effects of IGF-1 on the proteome of murine C2C12 cells were examined. Cells were treated with IGF-1 for up to 24 hours, lysed, and fractionated into cytosolic, nuclear, and insoluble portions. Proteins from the cytosolic fraction were further separated using a new batch ion-exchange chromatography method to reduce sample complexity, followed by two-dimensional (2D electrophoresis, and identification of selected proteins by mass spectrometry. PDQuest software was utilized to identify and catalogue temporal changes in protein expression during IGF-1 stimulation. In response to IGF-1 stimulation, expression of 23 proteins increased at least three-fold and expression of 17 proteins decreased at least three-fold compared with control un-stimulated C2C12 cells. Changes in expression of selected proteins from each group, including Rho-GDI, cofillin, RAD50, enolase, IκB kinase b (IκBKb and Hsp70 were confirmed by Western blotting. Additionally, the position of 136 'landmark' proteins whose expression levels and physicochemical properties did not change appreciably or consistently during IGF-1 treatment were mapped and identified. This characterization of large-scale changes in protein expression in response to growth factor stimulation of C2C12 cells will further help to establish a comprehensive understanding of the networks and pathways involved in the action of IGF-1.

Frame-Insensitive Expression Cloning of Fluorescent Protein from Scolionema suvaense

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Yuki Horiuchi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Expression cloning from cDNA is an important technique for acquiring genes encoding novel fluorescent proteins. However, the probability of in-frame cDNA insertion following the first start codon of the vector is normally only 1/3, which is a cause of low cloning efficiency. To overcome this issue, we developed a new expression plasmid vector, pRSET-TriEX, in which transcriptional slippage was induced by introducing a DNA sequence of (dT14 next to the first start codon of pRSET. The effectiveness of frame-insensitive cloning was validated by inserting the gene encoding eGFP with all three possible frames to the vector. After transformation with one of these plasmids, E. coli cells expressed eGFP with no significant difference in the expression level. The pRSET-TriEX vector was then used for expression cloning of a novel fluorescent protein from Scolionema suvaense. We screened 3658 E. coli colonies transformed with pRSET-TriEX containing Scolionema suvaense cDNA, and found one colony expressing a novel green fluorescent protein, ScSuFP. The highest score in protein sequence similarity was 42% with the chain c of multi-domain green fluorescent protein like protein “ember” from Anthoathecata sp. Variations in the N- and/or C-terminal sequence of ScSuFP compared to other fluorescent proteins indicate that the expression cloning, rather than the sequence similarity-based methods, was crucial for acquiring the gene encoding ScSuFP. The absorption maximum was at 498 nm, with an extinction efficiency of 1.17 × 105 M−1·cm−1. The emission maximum was at 511 nm and the fluorescence quantum yield was determined to be 0.6. Pseudo-native gel electrophoresis showed that the protein forms obligatory homodimers.

Inducible indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 and programmed death ligand 1 expression as the potency marker for mesenchymal stromal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Qingdong; Li, Yun; Shpiruk, Tanner; Bhagwat, Swaroop; Wall, Donna A

2018-05-01

Establishment of a potency assay in the manufacturing of clinical-grade mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has been a challenge due to issues of relevance to function, timeline and variability of responder cells. In this study, we attempted to develop a potency assay for MSCs. Clinical-grade bone marrow-derived MSCs were manufactured. The phenotype and immunosuppressive functions of the MSCs were evaluated based on the International Society for Cellular Therapy guidelines. Resting MSCs licensed by interferon (IFN)-γ exposure overnight were evaluated for changes in immune suppression and immune-relevant proteins. The relationship of immune-relevant protein expression with immunosuppression of MSCs was analyzed. MSC supressed third-party T-lymphocyte proliferation with high inter-donor and inter-test variability. The suppression of T-lymphocyte proliferation by IFN-γ-licensed MSCs correlated with that by resting MSCs. Many cellular proteins were up-regulated after IFN-γ exposure, including indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO-1), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and bone marrow stromal antigen 2 (BST-2). The expression levels of IDO-1 and PD-L1 on licensed MSCs, not VCAM-1, ICAM-1 or BST-2 on licensed MSCs, correlated with MSC suppression of third-party T-cell proliferation. A flow cytometry-based assay of MSCs post-IFN-γ exposure measuring expression of intracellular protein IDO-1 and cell surface protein PD-L1 captures two mechanisms of suppression and offers the potential of a relevant, rapid assay for MSC-mediated immune suppression that would fit with the manufacturing process. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parametrically Excited Oscillations of Second-Order Functional Differential Equations and Application to Duffing Equations with Time Delay Feedback

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Mervan Pašić

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We study oscillatory behaviour of a large class of second-order functional differential equations with three freedom real nonnegative parameters. According to a new oscillation criterion, we show that if at least one of these three parameters is large enough, then the main equation must be oscillatory. As an application, we study a class of Duffing type quasilinear equations with nonlinear time delayed feedback and their oscillations excited by the control gain parameter or amplitude of forcing term. Finally, some open questions and comments are given for the purpose of further study on this topic.

Effect of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) on Akt protein expression is more effective in head and neck cancer cell lineages that retain PTEN protein expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Pontes, Flávia Sirotheau C; Pontes, Hélder A R; de Souza, Lucas L; de Jesus, Adriana S; Joaquim, Andrea M C; Miyahara, Ligia A N; Fonseca, Felipe P; Pinto Junior, Décio S

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of Akt, PTEN, Mdm2 and p53 proteins in three different head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines (HN6, HN19 and HN30), all of them treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), an inhibitor of Hsp90 protein. Immunofluorescence and western blot were performed in order to analyze the location and quantification, respectively, of proteins under the action 17-AAG and EGF. Treatment with EGF resulted in increased levels of Akt, PTEN and p53 in all cell lineages. The expression of Mdm2 was constant in HN30 and HN6 lineages, while in HN19 showed slightly decreased expression. Under the action 17-AAG, in HN6 and HN19, the expression of PTEN and p53 proteins was suppressed, while Akt and Mdm2 expression was reduced. Finally, in the HN30 cell lineage were absolute absence of expression of Akt, Mdm2 and p53 and decreased expression of PTEN. These data allow us to speculate on the particular utility of 17-AAG for HNSCC treatment through the inhibition of Akt protein expression, especially in the cases that retain the expression of PTEN protein. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Synchronizing modified van der Pol-Duffing oscillators with offset terms using observer design: application to secure communications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fodjouong, G J; Fotsin, H B; Woafo, P

2007-01-01

This study addresses the adaptive synchronization of the modified van der Pol-Duffing (MVDPD) oscillator with offset terms. From our investigations of the system dynamics, we obtain that the system presents a chaotic behaviour at weak values of the offset parameters. Routh-Hurwitz criteria are used to study the asymptotic stability of the steady states. An adaptive observer design method is applied to achieve synchronization of two identical MVDPD oscillators with offset. Numerical simulations are given to validate the proposed synchronization approach. Moreover, as an application, the proposed scheme is applied to secure communication. Also, simulation results verify the proposed scheme's success in the communication application

High-throughput Cloning and Expression of Integral Membrane Proteins in Escherichia coli

Science.gov (United States)

Bruni, Renato

2014-01-01

Recently, several structural genomics centers have been established and a remarkable number of three-dimensional structures of soluble proteins have been solved. For membrane proteins, the number of structures solved has been significantly trailing those for their soluble counterparts, not least because over-expression and purification of membrane proteins is a much more arduous process. By using high throughput technologies, a large number of membrane protein targets can be screened simultaneously and a greater number of expression and purification conditions can be employed, leading to a higher probability of successfully determining the structure of membrane proteins. This unit describes the cloning, expression and screening of membrane proteins using high throughput methodologies developed in our laboratory. Basic Protocol 1 deals with the cloning of inserts into expression vectors by ligation-independent cloning. Basic Protocol 2 describes the expression and purification of the target proteins on a miniscale. Lastly, for the targets that express at the miniscale, basic protocols 3 and 4 outline the methods employed for the expression and purification of targets at the midi-scale, as well as a procedure for detergent screening and identification of detergent(s) in which the target protein is stable. PMID:24510647

A New Strain Collection for Improved Expression of Outer Membrane Proteins

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Ina Meuskens

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Almost all integral membrane proteins found in the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria belong to the transmembrane β-barrel family. These proteins are not only important for nutrient uptake and homeostasis, but are also involved in such processes as adhesion, protein secretion, biofilm formation, and virulence. As surface exposed molecules, outer membrane β-barrel proteins are also potential drug and vaccine targets. High production levels of heterologously expressed proteins are desirable for biochemical and especially structural studies, but over-expression and subsequent purification of membrane proteins, including outer membrane proteins, can be challenging. Here, we present a set of deletion mutants derived from E. coli BL21(DE3 designed for the over-expression of recombinant outer membrane proteins. These strains harbor deletions of four genes encoding abundant β-barrel proteins in the outer membrane (OmpA, OmpC, OmpF, and LamB, both single and in all combinations of double, triple, and quadruple knock-outs. The sequences encoding these outer membrane proteins were deleted completely, leaving only a minimal scar sequence, thus preventing the possibility of genetic reversion. Expression tests in the quadruple mutant strain with four test proteins, including a small outer membrane β-barrel protein and variants thereof as well as two virulence-related autotransporters, showed significantly improved expression and better quality of the produced proteins over the parent strain. Differences in growth behavior and aggregation in the presence of high salt were observed, but these phenomena did not negatively influence the expression in the quadruple mutant strain when handled as we recommend. The strains produced in this study can be used for outer membrane protein production and purification, but are also uniquely useful for labeling experiments for biophysical measurements in the native membrane environment.

Impact of High-Level Expression of Heterologous Protein on Lactococcus lactis Host.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mina; Jin, Yerin; An, Hyun-Joo; Kim, Jaehan

2017-07-28

The impact of overproduction of a heterologous protein on the metabolic system of host Lactococcus lactis was investigated. The protein expression profiles of L. lactis IL1403 containing two near-identical plasmids that expressed high- and low-level of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) were examined via shotgun proteomics. Analysis of the two strains via high-throughput LC-MS/MS proteomics identified the expression of 294 proteins. The relative amount of each protein in the proteome of both strains was determined by label-free quantification using the spectral counting method. Although expression level of most proteins were similar, several significant alterations in metabolic network were identified in the high GFP-producing strain. These changes include alterations in the pyruvate fermentation pathway, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and de novo synthesis pathway for pyrimidine RNA. Expression of enzymes for the synthesis of dTDP-rhamnose and N -acetylglucosamine from glucose was suppressed in the high GFP strain. In addition, enzymes involved in the amino acid synthesis or interconversion pathway were downregulated. The most noticeable changes in the high GFP-producing strain were a 3.4-fold increase in the expression of stress response and chaperone proteins and increase of caseinolytic peptidase family proteins. Characterization of these host expression changes witnessed during overexpression of GFP was might suggested the metabolic requirements and networks that may limit protein expression, and will aid in the future development of lactococcal hosts to produce more heterologous protein.

Fos and jun proteins are specifically expressed during differentiation of human keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehic, Denis; Bakiri, Latifa; Ghannadan, Minoo; Wagner, Erwin F; Tschachler, Erwin

2005-01-01

Activator protein 1 (AP-1) proteins play key roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. In this study we investigated the expression of Fos and Jun proteins in different models of terminal differentiation of human keratinocytes and in skin from psoriasis patients. All Jun and Fos proteins, with the exception of FosB, were efficiently expressed in keratinocytes in monolayer cultures. In contrast, in normal epidermis as well as in organotypic epidermal cultures, the expression pattern of AP-1 proteins was dependent on the differentiation stage. Fos proteins were readily detected in nuclei of keratinocytes of basal and suprabasal layers. JunB and JunD were expressed in all layers of normal epidermis. Interestingly, expression of c-Jun started suprabasally, then disappeared and became detectable again in distinct cells of the outermost granular layer directly at the transition zone to the stratum corneum. In psoriatic epidermis, c-Jun expression was prominent in both hyperproliferating basal and suprabasal keratinocytes, whereas c-Fos expression was unchanged. These data indicate that AP-1 proteins are expressed in a highly specific manner during terminal differentiation of keratinocytes and that the enhanced expression of c-Jun in basal and suprabasal keratinocytes might contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Downregulation of ATM Gene and Protein Expression in Canine Mammary Tumors.

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Raposo-Ferreira, T M M; Bueno, R C; Terra, E M; Avante, M L; Tinucci-Costa, M; Carvalho, M; Cassali, G D; Linde, S D; Rogatto, S R; Laufer-Amorim, R

2016-11-01

The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene encodes a protein associated with DNA damage repair and maintenance of genomic integrity. In women, ATM transcript and protein downregulation have been reported in sporadic breast carcinomas, and the absence of ATM protein expression has been associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate ATM gene and protein expression in canine mammary tumors and their association with clinical outcome. ATM gene and protein expression was evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively, in normal mammary gland samples (n = 10), benign mammary tumors (n = 11), nonmetastatic mammary carcinomas (n = 19), and metastatic mammary carcinomas (n = 11). Lower ATM transcript levels were detected in benign mammary tumors and carcinomas compared with normal mammary glands (P = .011). Similarly, lower ATM protein expression was observed in benign tumors (P = .0003), nonmetastatic mammary carcinomas (P ATM gene or protein levels were detected among benign tumors and nonmetastatic and metastatic mammary carcinomas (P > .05). The levels of ATM gene or protein expression were not significantly associated with clinical and pathological features or with survival. Similar to human breast cancer, the data in this study suggest that ATM gene and protein downregulation is involved in canine mammary gland tumorigenesis. © The Author(s) 2016.

Adenosine Receptors Differentially Regulate the Expression of Regulators of G-Protein Signalling (RGS 2, 3 and 4 in Astrocyte-Like Cells.

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Till Nicolas Eusemann

Full Text Available The "regulators of g-protein signalling" (RGS comprise a large family of proteins that limit by virtue of their GTPase accelerating protein domain the signal transduction of G-protein coupled receptors. RGS proteins have been implicated in various neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, drug abuse, depression and anxiety and aggressive behaviour. Since conditions associated with a large increase of adenosine in the brain such as seizures or ischemia were reported to modify the expression of some RGS proteins we hypothesized that adenosine might regulate RGS expression in neural cells. We measured the expression of RGS-2,-3, and -4 in both transformed glia cells (human U373 MG astrocytoma cells and in primary rat astrocyte cultures stimulated with adenosine agonists. Expression of RGS-2 mRNA as well as RGS2 protein was increased up to 30-fold by adenosine agonists in astrocytes. The order of potency of agonists and the blockade by the adenosine A2B-antagonist MRS1706 indicated that this effect was largely mediated by adenosine A2B receptors. However, a smaller effect was observed due to activation of adenosine A2A receptors. In astrocytoma cells adenosine agonists elicited an increase in RGS-2 expression solely mediated by A2B receptors. Expression of RGS-3 was inhibited by adenosine agonists in both astrocytoma cells and astrocytes. However while this effect was mediated by A2B receptors in astrocytoma cells it was mediated by A2A receptors in astrocytes as assessed by the order of potency of agonists and selective blockade by the specific antagonists MRS1706 and ZM241385 respectively. RGS-4 expression was inhibited in astrocytoma cells but enhanced in astrocytes by adenosine agonists.

Characterization of a DUF820 family protein Alr3200 of the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-10-14

Oct 14, 2016 ... Supplementary materials pertaining to this article are available on the ... paper deals with the characterization of Alr3200 protein .... Studies are currently underway to ... 2002) methods also matched well with the predicted.

The primary structures of ribosomal proteins L16, L23 and L33 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatakeyama, T; Hatakeyama, T; Kimura, M

1988-11-21

The complete amino acid sequences of ribosomal proteins L16, L23 and L33 from the archaebacterium Halobacterium marismortui were determined. The sequences were established by manual sequencing of peptides produced with several proteases as well as by cleavage with dilute HCl. Proteins L16, L23 and L33 consist of 119, 154 and 69 amino acid residues, and their molecular masses are 13,538, 16,812 and 7620 Da, respectively. The comparison of their sequences with those of ribosomal proteins from other organisms revealed that L23 and L33 are related to eubacterial ribosomal proteins from Escherichia coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus, while protein L16 was found to be homologous to a eukaryotic ribosomal protein from yeast. These results provide information about the special phylogenetic position of archaebacteria.

Transient Expression and Cellular Localization of Recombinant Proteins in Cultured Insect Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabrick, Jeffrey A; Hull, J Joe

2017-04-20

Heterologous protein expression systems are used for the production of recombinant proteins, the interpretation of cellular trafficking/localization, and the determination of the biochemical function of proteins at the sub-organismal level. Although baculovirus expression systems are increasingly used for protein production in numerous biotechnological, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications, nonlytic systems that do not involve viral infection have clear benefits but are often overlooked and underutilized. Here, we describe a method for generating nonlytic expression vectors and transient recombinant protein expression. This protocol allows for the efficient cellular localization of recombinant proteins and can be used to rapidly discern protein trafficking within the cell. We show the expression of four recombinant proteins in a commercially available insect cell line, including two aquaporin proteins from the insect Bemisia tabaci, as well as subcellular marker proteins specific for the cell plasma membrane and for intracellular lysosomes. All recombinant proteins were produced as chimeras with fluorescent protein markers at their carboxyl termini, which allows for the direct detection of the recombinant proteins. The double transfection of cells with plasmids harboring constructs for the genes of interest and a known subcellular marker allows for live cell imaging and improved validation of cellular protein localization.

Use of a protein engineering strategy to overcome limitations in the production of "Difficult to Express" recombinant proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Hirra; Fisher, David I; Abbott, W Mark; Roth, Robert G; Dickson, Alan J

2017-10-01

Certain recombinant proteins are deemed "difficult to express" in mammalian expression systems requiring significant cell and/or process engineering to abrogate expression bottlenecks. With increasing demand for the production of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells, low protein yields can have significant consequences for industrial processes. To investigate the molecular mechanisms that restrict expression of recombinant proteins, naturally secreted model proteins were analyzed from the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) protein family. In particular, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 were subjected to detailed study. TIMP proteins share significant sequence homology (∼50% identity and ∼70% similarity in amino acid sequence). However, they show marked differences in secretion in mammalian expression systems despite this extensive sequence homology. Using these two proteins as models, this study characterized the molecular mechanisms responsible for poor recombinant protein production. Our results reveal that both TIMP-2 and TIMP-3 are detectable at mRNA and protein level within the cell but only TIMP-2 is secreted effectively into the extracellular medium. Analysis of protein localization and the nature of intracellular protein suggest TIMP-3 is severely limited in its post-translational processing. To overcome this challenge, modification of the TIMP-3 sequence to include a furin protease-cleavable pro-sequence resulted in secretion of the modified TIMP-3 protein, however, incomplete processing was observed. Based on the TIMP-3 data, the protein engineering approach was optimized and successfully applied in combination with cell engineering, the overexpression of furin, to another member of the TIMP protein family (the poorly expressed TIMP-4). Use of the described protein engineering strategy resulted in successful secretion of poorly (TIMP-4) and non-secreted (TIMP-3) targets, and presents a novel strategy to enhance the production of "difficult" recombinant

Protein (Cyanobacteria): 172241 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available GLGRAAINPGIIFSDADNVIPDLVWASTERLAILLDEAGHLTAAPELIVEVLSPGADNHRRDRDLKLRLYSVRGVQEYWVVNWQLQQIEVYRREQASLRLIATLLSNDELTSPLLPGFSCSVAQIFA ... ...wn function DUF820 Microcoleus vaginatus FGP-2 MNQTISDKVRWTTADLELLPDNGDRYEIIDGELFMTRAPHWGHQEACGNIYLELKTWSRAS

Hypoxic-induced stress protein expression in rat cardiac myocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, G.; Geoghegan, T.E.

1986-01-01

Mammalian stress proteins can be induced in cells and tissues exposed to a variety of conditions including hyperthermia and diminished O 2 supply. The authors have previously shown that the expression of three stress proteins (71, 85, and 95 kDa) was induced in cardiac tissue from mice exposed to hypoxic conditions. The expression of mRNAs coding for the 85 and 95 kDa proteins increase with time of exposure to hypoxia, while the mRNA coding for the 71 kDa protein is transiently induced. The authors extended these studies to investigate the expression of stress proteins in isolated rat cardiac myocytes. Freshly prepared myocytes were exposed to control, hypoxic, anoxic, or heat-shock environments for up to 16 h. The proteins were then labeled for 6 hours with [ 35 S]methionine. Analysis of the solubilized proteins by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography showed that there was a 6-fold increase in synthesis of the 85 kDa protein upon exposure to hypoxia but not heat-shock conditions. The 71 kDa protein was present at high levels in both control and treated myocyte protein preparations, and presumably had been induced during the isolation procedure. Total RNA isolated from intact rat heart and isolated myocytes was compared by cell-free translation analysis and showed induction of RNAs coding for several stress proteins in the myocyte preparation. The induced proteins at 85 and 95 kDa have molecular weights similar to reported cell stress and/or glucose-regulated proteins

Protein expression of Myt272-3 recombinant clone and in silico ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To investigate the expression of Myt272-3 recombinant protein and also to predict a possible protein vaccine candidate against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods: Myt272-3 protein was expressed in pET30a+-Myt272-3 clone. The purity of the protein was determined using Dynabeads® His-Tag Isolation ...

Human Cementum Protein 1 induces expression of bone and cementum proteins by human gingival fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carmona-Rodriguez, Bruno; Alvarez-Perez, Marco Antonio; Narayanan, A. Sampath; Zeichner-David, Margarita; Reyes-Gasga, Jose; Molina-Guarneros, Juan; Garcia-Hernandez, Ana Lilia; Suarez-Franco, Jose Luis; Chavarria, Ivet Gil; Villarreal-Ramirez, Eduardo; Arzate, Higinio

2007-01-01

We recently presented evidence showing that a human cementoblastoma-derived protein, named Cementum Protein 1 (CEMP1) may play a role as a local regulator of cementoblast differentiation and cementum-matrix mineralization. This protein was shown to be expressed by cementoblasts and progenitor cells localized in the periodontal ligament. In this study we demonstrate that transfection of CEMP1 into human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) induces mineralization and expression of bone and cementum-matrix proteins. The transfected HGF cells had higher alkaline phosphatase activity and proliferation rate and they expressed genes for alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, osteocalcin, osteopontin, the transcription factor Runx2/Cbfa1, and cementum attachment protein (CAP). They also produced biological-type hydroxyapatite. These findings indicate that the CEMP1 might participate in differentiation and mineralization of nonosteogenic cells, and that it might have a potential function in cementum and bone formation

Cloning and expression of Tenebrio molitor antifreeze protein in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Chang-Wu; Zhang, Yi-Zheng

2009-03-01

A novel antifreeze protein cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR from the larva of the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor. The coding fragment of 339 bp encodes a protein of 112 amino acid residues and was fused to the expression vectors pET32a and pTWIN1. The resulted expression plasmids were transformed into Escherischia coli strains BL21 (DE3), ER2566, and Origami B (DE3), respectively. Several strategies were used for expression of the highly disulfide-bonded beta-helix-contained protein with the activity of antifreeze in different expression systems. A protocol for production of refolded and active T. molitor antifreeze protein in bacteria was obtained.

Expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 and its clinical significance in kidney cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Si, Tong; Yang, Guosheng; Qiu, Xiaofu; Luo, Youhua; Liu, Baichuan; Wang, Bingwei

2015-01-01

To investigate the expression and clinical significance of TRAP1 (tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1) in kidney cancer. TRAP1 expression was detected in kidney cancer and normal kidney tissues by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC), respectively. Then, the correlation of TRAP1 expression with clinicopathological characters and patients' prognosis was evaluated in kidney cancer. IHC results revealed that the high-expression rates of TRAP1 in kidney cancer tissues and normal kidney tissues were 51.3% (41/80), 23.3% (7/30), and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.01). Also, TRAP1 mRNA level in kidney cancer was found to be significantly greater compared with those in normal kidney by qRT-PCR. In addition, TRAP1 expression in kidney cancer significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (Pkidney cancer and correlates with patients prognosis, which may be served as a potential marker for the diagnosis and treatment of kidney cancer.

C-reactive protein inhibits survivin expression via Akt/mTOR pathway downregulation by PTEN expression in cardiac myocytes.

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Beom Seob Lee

Full Text Available C-reactive protein (CRP is one of the most important biomarkers for arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have shown that CRP affects cell cycle and inflammatory process in cardiac myocytes. Survivin is also involved in cardiac myocytes replication and apoptosis. Reduction of survivin expression is associated with less favorable cardiac remodeling in animal models. However, the effect of CRP on survivin expression and its cellular mechanism has not yet been studied. We demonstrated that treatment of CRP resulted in a significant decrease of survivin protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner in cardiac myocytes. The upstream signaling proteins of survivin, such as Akt, mTOR and p70S6K, were also downregulated by CRP treatment. In addition, CRP increased the protein and mRNA levels of PTEN. The siRNA transfection or specific inhibitor treatment for PTEN restored the CRP-induced downregulation of Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway and survivin protein expression. Moreover, pretreatment with a specific p53 inhibitor decreased the CRP-induced PTEN expression. ERK-specific inhibitor also blocked the p53 phosphorylation and PTEN expression induced by CRP. Our study provides a novel insight into CRP-induced downregulation of survivin protein expression in cardiac myocytes through mechanisms that involved in downregulation of Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway by expression of PTEN.

Neisseria meningitidis rifampicin resistant strains: analysis of protein differentially expressed

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Schininà Maria

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several mutations have been described as responsible for rifampicin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis. However, the intriguing question on why these strains are so rare remains open. The aim of this study was to investigate the protein content and to identify differential expression in specific proteins in two rifampicin resistant and one susceptible meningococci using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE combined with mass spectrometry. Results In our experimental conditions, able to resolve soluble proteins with an isoelectric point between 4 and 7, twenty-three proteins have been found differentially expressed in the two resistant strains compared to the susceptible. Some of them, involved in the main metabolic pathways, showed an increased expression, mainly in the catabolism of pyruvate and in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. A decreased expression of proteins belonging to gene regulation and to those involved in the folding of polypeptides has also been observed. 2-DE analysis showed the presence of four proteins displaying a shift in their isoelectric point in both resistant strains, confirmed by the presence of amino acid changes in the sequence analysis, absent in the susceptible. Conclusions The analysis of differentially expressed proteins suggests that an intricate series of events occurs in N. meningitidis rifampicin resistant strains and the results here reported may be considered a starting point in understanding their decreased invasion capacity. In fact, they support the hypothesis that the presence of more than one protein differentially expressed, having a role in the metabolism of the meningococcus, influences its ability to infect and to spread in the population. Different reports have described and discussed how a drug resistant pathogen shows a high biological cost for survival and that may also explain why, for some pathogens, the rate of resistant organisms is relatively low considering the

Smad2/3 Upregulates the Expression of Vimentin and Affects Its Distribution in DBP-Exposed Sertoli Cells

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Xi Zhang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sertoli cells (SCs in the testes provide physical and nutritional support to germ cells. The vimentin cytoskeleton in SCs is disrupted by dibutyl phthalate (DBP, which leads to SCs dysfunction. In a previous study, we found that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα influenced the distribution of vimentin by affecting its phosphorylation in DBP-exposed SCs. In the present study, we investigated the role of Smad2/3 in regulating the expression of vimentin in DBP-exposed SCs. We hypothesized that Smad2/3 affects the distribution of vimentin by regulating its expression and that there is cross talk between Smad2/3 and PPARα. The real-time PCR and ChIP-qPCR results showed that SB431542 (an inhibitor of Smad2/3 could significantly attenuate the expression of vimentin induced by DBP in SCs. Phosphorylated and soluble vimentin were both downregulated by SB431542 pretreatment. WY14643 (an agonist of PPARα pretreatment stimulated, while GW6471 (an antagonist of PPARα inhibited, the activity of Smad2/3; SB431542 pretreatment also inhibited the activity of PPARα, but it did not rescue the DBP-induced collapse in vimentin. Our results suggest that, in addition to promoting the phosphorylation of vimentin, DBP also stimulates the expression of vimentin by activating Smad2/3 in SCs and thereby induces irregular vimentin distribution.

Protein (Cyanobacteria): 26322 [PGDBj - Ortholog DB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available n of unknown function DUF1830 Calothrix sp. PCC 6303 MAQILDSLPPEQSGKILCCYVNATSKIQVARITNIPNWYFERVVFPGQRLAFEAPRAAHLEIHTGMMASAILSDNIPCDRLVISEPSDPEPETNSTTEDENTCKNTIAPSIDNSTGDTPKNFKIAGLV ...

Arabidopsis rad23-4 gene is required for pollen development under ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a highly conserved DNA repair pathway for correcting DNA lesions that cause distortion of the double helical structure. The protein heterodimer Rad23 is involved in recognition and binding to such lesions. Here, we showed that rad23-4 (AT5g38470) was expressed in the roots, mature ...

Rhythmic expression of DEC2 protein in vitro and in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Fuyuki; Muragaki, Yasuteru; Kawamoto, Takeshi; Fujimoto, Katsumi; Kato, Yukio; Zhang, Yanping

2016-06-01

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor DEC2 (bHLHE41/Sharp1) is one of the clock genes that show a circadian rhythm in various tissues. DEC2 regulates differentiation, sleep length, tumor cell invasion and apoptosis. Although studies have been conducted on the rhythmic expression of DEC2 mRNA in various tissues, the precise molecular mechanism of DEC2 expression is poorly understood. In the present study, we examined whether DEC2 protein had a rhythmic expression. Western blot analysis for DEC2 protein revealed a rhythmic expression in mouse liver, lung and muscle and in MCF-7 and U2OS cells. In addition, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity (phosphorylation of AMPK) in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) exhibited a rhythmic expression under the condition of medium change or glucose-depleted medium. However, the rhythmic expression of DEC2 in MEF gradually decreased in time under these conditions. The medium change affected the levels of DEC2 protein and phosphorylation of AMPK. In addition, the levels of DEC2 protein showed a rhythmic expression in vivo and in MCF-7 and U2OS cells. The results showed that the phosphorylation of AMPK immunoreactivity was strongly detected in the liver and lung of DEC2 knockout mice compared with that of wild-type mice. These results may provide new insights into rhythmic expression and the regulation between DEC2 protein and AMPK activity.

Induction of Ski Protein Expression upon Luteinization in Rat Granulosa Cells

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Hyun Kim

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Ski protein is implicated in proliferation/differentiation in a variety of cells. We had previously reported that Ski protein is present in granulosa cells of atretic follicles, but not in preovulatory follicles, suggesting that Ski has a role in apoptosis of granulosa cells. The alternative fate of granulosa cells other than apoptosis is to differentiate to luteal cells; however, it is unknown whether Ski is expressed and has a role in granulosa cells undergoing luteinization. Thus, the aim of the present study was to locate Ski protein in the rat ovary during luteinizationto predict the possible role of Ski. In order to examine the expression pattern of Ski protein along with the progress of luteinization, follicular growth was induced by administration of equine chorionic gonadtropin to immature female rats, and luteinization was induced by human chorionic gonadtropin treatment to mimic luteinizing hormone (LH surge. While no Ski-positive granulosa cells were present in preovulatory follicle, Ski protein expression was induced in response to LH surge, and was maintained after the formation of the corpus luteum (CL. Though Ski protein is absent in granulosa cells of preovulatory follicle, its mRNA (c-Ski was expressed and the level was unchanged even after LH surge. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Ski protein expression is induced in granulosa cells upon luteinization, and suggests that its expression is regulated post-transcriptionally.

EXPRESSION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF ERK PROTEIN IN HUMAN BREAST CARCINOMA

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张秀梅; 李柏林; 宋敏; 宋继谒

2004-01-01

Objective: To investigate the expression of ERK and p-ERK protein in human breast cancer and their corresponding tissue, to assess the significance of ERK signal pathway in tumorigenesis and progression of breast carcinoma. Methods: 40 breast cancer cases were used in S-P immunohistochemistry technique and Western Blot study. Results: The expression of ERK1, ERK2, and p- ERK protein levels increased remarkably in breast cancer tissues in comparison to normal tissues (P<0.01). The expression was upregulated by 1.32-, 1.53-and 4.27-fold, respectively. The overexpressions of ERK1, ERK2, and p- ERK proteins were obviously correlated with clinical stage of breast cancer. Protein levels of ERK and p-ERK were higher in stage III patients than in stage I and stage II patients (P<0.05). These proteins were strongly related with axillary lymph node metastasis of breast cancer, but not correlated with histopathological type and status of ER and PR of breast cancer. Expression of ERK1, and ERK2, protein showed a positive linear correlation. Conclusion: ERK signal transduction pathway is a key factor during human breast tumorigenesis and breast cancer progression.

Genome engineering for improved recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli.

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Mahalik, Shubhashree; Sharma, Ashish K; Mukherjee, Krishna J

2014-12-19

A metabolic engineering perspective which views recombinant protein expression as a multistep pathway allows us to move beyond vector design and identify the downstream rate limiting steps in expression. In E.coli these are typically at the translational level and the supply of precursors in the form of energy, amino acids and nucleotides. Further recombinant protein production triggers a global cellular stress response which feedback inhibits both growth and product formation. Countering this requires a system level analysis followed by a rational host cell engineering to sustain expression for longer time periods. Another strategy to increase protein yields could be to divert the metabolic flux away from biomass formation and towards recombinant protein production. This would require a growth stoppage mechanism which does not affect the metabolic activity of the cell or the transcriptional or translational efficiencies. Finally cells have to be designed for efficient export to prevent buildup of proteins inside the cytoplasm and also simplify downstream processing. The rational and the high throughput strategies that can be used for the construction of such improved host cell platforms for recombinant protein expression is the focus of this review.

Expression of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase in mature granule cells of the adult mouse dentate gyrus

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Ohira, Koji

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract New granule cells are continuously generated in the dentate gyrus of the adult hippocampus. During granule cell maturation, the mechanisms that differentiate new cells not only describe the degree of cell differentiation, but also crucially regulate the progression of cell differentiation. Here, we describe a gene, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO, whose expression distinguishes stem cells from more differentiated cells among the granule cells of the adult mouse dentate gyrus. The use of markers for proliferation, neural progenitors, and immature and mature granule cells indicated that TDO was expressed in mature cells and in some immature cells. In mice heterozygous for the alpha-isoform of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, in which dentate gyrus granule cells fail to mature normally, TDO immunoreactivity was substantially downregulated in the dentate gyrus granule cells. Moreover, a 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling experiment revealed that new neurons began to express TDO between 2 and 4 wk after the neurons were generated, when the axons and dendrites of the granule cells developed and synaptogenesis occurred. These findings indicate that TDO might be required at a late-stage of granule cell development, such as during axonal and dendritic growth, synaptogenesis and its maturation.

Optimised 'on demand' protein arraying from DNA by cell free expression with the 'DNA to Protein Array' (DAPA) technology.

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Schmidt, Ronny; Cook, Elizabeth A; Kastelic, Damjana; Taussig, Michael J; Stoevesandt, Oda

2013-08-02

We have previously described a protein arraying process based on cell free expression from DNA template arrays (DNA Array to Protein Array, DAPA). Here, we have investigated the influence of different array support coatings (Ni-NTA, Epoxy, 3D-Epoxy and Polyethylene glycol methacrylate (PEGMA)). Their optimal combination yields an increased amount of detected protein and an optimised spot morphology on the resulting protein array compared to the previously published protocol. The specificity of protein capture was improved using a tag-specific capture antibody on a protein repellent surface coating. The conditions for protein expression were optimised to yield the maximum amount of protein or the best detection results using specific monoclonal antibodies or a scaffold binder against the expressed targets. The optimised DAPA system was able to increase by threefold the expression of a representative model protein while conserving recognition by a specific antibody. The amount of expressed protein in DAPA was comparable to those of classically spotted protein arrays. Reaction conditions can be tailored to suit the application of interest. DAPA represents a cost effective, easy and convenient way of producing protein arrays on demand. The reported work is expected to facilitate the application of DAPA for personalized medicine and screening purposes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Eukaryotic Expression and Immunogenic Research of Recombination Ebola Virus Membrane Protein Gp-Fc].

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Zhang, Xiaoguang; Yang, Ren; Wang, Jiao; Wang, Xuan; Hou, Mieling; An, Lina; Zhu, Ying; Cao, Yuxi; Zeng, Yi

2016-01-01

We used 293 cells to express the recombinant membrane protein of the Ebola virus. Then, the immunogenicity of the recombinant protein was studied by immunized BALB/c mice. According to the codon use frequency of humans, the gene encoding the extracellular domain of the Ebola virus membrane protein was optimized, synthesized, and inserted into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pXG-Fc to construct the human IgG Fc and Ebola GP fusion protein expression plasmid pXG-modGP-Fc. To achieve expression, the fusion protein expression vector was transfected into high-density 293 cells using transient transfection technology. The recombinant protein was purified by protein A affinity chromatography. BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified fusion protein, and serum antibody titers evaluated by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Purification and analyses of the protein revealed that the eukaryotic expression vector could express the recombinant protein GP-Fc effectively, and that the recombinant protein in the supernatant of the cell culture was present as a dimer. After immunization with the purified recombinant protein, a high titer of antigen-specific IgG could be detected in the serum of immunized mice by indirect ELISA, showing that the recombinant protein had good immunogenicity. These data suggest that we obtained a recombinant protein with good immunogenicity. Our study is the basis for development of a vaccine against the Ebola virus and for screening of monoclonal antibodies.

A Generic Protocol for Intracellular Expression of Recombinant Proteins in Bacillus subtilis.

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Phan, Trang; Huynh, Phuong; Truong, Tuom; Nguyen, Hoang

2017-01-01

Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) is a potential and attractive host for the production of recombinant proteins. Different expression systems for B. subtilis have been developed recently, and various target proteins have been recombinantly synthesized and purified using this host. In this chapter, we introduce a generic protocol to express a recombinant protein in B. subtilis. It includes protocols for (1) using our typical expression vector (plasmid pHT254) to introduce a target gene, (2) transformation of the target vector into B. subtilis, and (3) evaluation of the actual expression of a recombinant protein.

Expression of membrane-associated proteins within single emulsion cell facsimiles.

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Chanasakulniyom, Mayuree; Martino, Chiara; Paterson, David; Horsfall, Louise; Rosser, Susan; Cooper, Jonathan M

2012-07-07

MreB is a structural membrane-associated protein which is one of the key components of the bacterial cytoskeleton. Although it plays an important role in shape maintenance of rod-like bacteria, the understanding of its mechanism of action is still not fully understood. This study shows how segmented flow and microdroplet technology can be used as a new tool for biological in vitro investigation of this protein. In this paper, we demonstrate cell-free expression in a single emulsion system to express red fluorescence protein (RFP) and MreB linked RFP (MreB-RFP). We follow the aggregation and localisation of the fusion protein MreB-RFP in this artificial cell-like environment. The expression of MreB-RFP in single emulsion droplets leads to the formation of micrometer-scale protein patches distributed at the water/oil interface.

Proteomic analysis of membrane microdomain-associated proteins in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder reveals alterations in LAMP, STXBP1 and BASP1 protein expression.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Behan, A T

2009-06-01

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlpfc) is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD) and, within this region, abnormalities in glutamatergic neurotransmission and synaptic function have been described. Proteins associated with these functions are enriched in membrane microdomains (MM). In the current study, we used two complementary proteomic methods, two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by reverse phase-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (RP-LC-MS\\/MS) (gel separation liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GeLC-MS\\/MS)) to assess protein expression in MM in pooled samples of dlpfc from SCZ, BPD and control cases (n=10 per group) from the Stanley Foundation Brain series. We identified 16 proteins altered in one\\/both disorders using proteomic methods. We selected three proteins with roles in synaptic function (syntaxin-binding protein 1 (STXBP1), brain abundant membrane-attached signal protein 1 (BASP1) and limbic system-associated membrane protein (LAMP)) for validation by western blotting. This revealed significantly increased expression of these proteins in SCZ (STXBP1 (24% difference; P<0.001), BASP1 (40% difference; P<0.05) and LAMP (22% difference; P<0.01)) and BPD (STXBP1 (31% difference; P<0.001), BASP1 (23% difference; P<0.01) and LAMP (20% difference; P<0.01)) in the Stanley brain series (n=20 per group). Further validation in dlpfc from the Harvard brain subseries (n=10 per group) confirmed increased protein expression in SCZ of STXBP1 (18% difference; P<0.0001), BASP1 (14% difference; P<0.0001) but not LAMP (20% difference; P=0.14). No significant differences in STXBP1, BASP1 or LAMP protein expression in BPD dlpfc were observed. This study, through proteomic assessments of MM in dlpfc and validation in two brain series, strongly implicates LAMP, STXBP1 and BASP1 in SCZ and supports

Connecting protein and mRNA burst distributions for stochastic models of gene expression

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elgart, Vlad; Jia, Tao; Fenley, Andrew T; Kulkarni, Rahul

2011-01-01

The intrinsic stochasticity of gene expression can lead to large variability in protein levels for genetically identical cells. Such variability in protein levels can arise from infrequent synthesis of mRNAs which in turn give rise to bursts of protein expression. Protein expression occurring in bursts has indeed been observed experimentally and recent studies have also found evidence for transcriptional bursting, i.e. production of mRNAs in bursts. Given that there are distinct experimental techniques for quantifying the noise at different stages of gene expression, it is of interest to derive analytical results connecting experimental observations at different levels. In this work, we consider stochastic models of gene expression for which mRNA and protein production occurs in independent bursts. For such models, we derive analytical expressions connecting protein and mRNA burst distributions which show how the functional form of the mRNA burst distribution can be inferred from the protein burst distribution. Additionally, if gene expression is repressed such that observed protein bursts arise only from single mRNAs, we show how observations of protein burst distributions (repressed and unrepressed) can be used to completely determine the mRNA burst distribution. Assuming independent contributions from individual bursts, we derive analytical expressions connecting means and variances for burst and steady-state protein distributions. Finally, we validate our general analytical results by considering a specific reaction scheme involving regulation of protein bursts by small RNAs. For a range of parameters, we derive analytical expressions for regulated protein distributions that are validated using stochastic simulations. The analytical results obtained in this work can thus serve as useful inputs for a broad range of studies focusing on stochasticity in gene expression

Parasitization by Scleroderma guani influences protein expression in Tenebrio molitor pupae.

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Zhu, Jia-Ying; Wu, Guo-Xing; Ze, Sang-Zi; Stanley, David W; Yang, Bin

2014-07-01

Ectoparasitoid wasps deposit their eggs onto the surface and inject venom into their hosts. Venoms are chemically complex and they exert substantial impact on hosts, including permanent or temporary paralysis and developmental arrest. These visible venom effects are due to changes in expression of genes encoding physiologically relevant proteins. While the influence of parasitization on gene expression in several lepidopterans has been reported, the molecular details of parasitoid/beetle relationships remain mostly unknown. This shortcoming led us to pose the hypothesis that envenomation by the ectoparasitic ant-like bethylid wasp Scleroderma guani leads to changes in protein expression in the yellow mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor. We tested our hypothesis by comparing the proteomes of non-parasitized and parasitized host pupae using iTRAQ-based proteomics. We identified 41 proteins that were differentially expressed (32↑- and 9↓-regulated) in parasitized pupae. We assigned these proteins to functional categories, including immunity, stress and detoxification, energy metabolism, development, cytoskeleton, signaling and others. We recorded parallel changes in mRNA levels and protein abundance in 14 selected proteins following parasitization. Our findings support our hypothesis by documenting changes in protein expression in parasitized hosts. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of the stress-inducible transcription factor SsNAC23 in sugarcane plants

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Renata Fava Ditt

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Stresses such as cold and drought can impair plant yield and induce a highly complex array of responses. Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. is cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas and is considered a cold-sensitive plant. We previously showed that cold stress induces the expression of several genes in in vitro sugarcane plantlets. Here we characterize one of those genes, SsNAC23, a member of the NAC family of plant-specific transcription factors, which are induced by low temperature and other stresses in several plant species. The expression of SsNAC23 was induced in sugarcane plants exposed to low temperatures (4ºC. With the aim of further understanding the regulatory network in response to stress, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to identify sugarcane proteins that interact with SsNAC23. Using SsNAC23 as bait, we screened a cDNA expression library of sugarcane plants submitted to 4ºC for 48 h. Several interacting partners were identified, including stress-related proteins, increasing our knowledge on how sugarcane plants respond to cold stress. One of these interacting partners, a thioredoxin h1, offers insights into the regulation of SsNAC23 activity.

Major vault protein/lung resistance-related protein (MVP/LRP) expression in nervous system tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Tsutomu; Hankins, Gerald R; Helm, Gregory A

2002-01-01

Lung resistance-related protein (LRP) was identified as the major vault protein (MVP), the main component of multimeric vault particles. It functions as a transport-associated protein that can be associated with multidrug resistance. In previous studies, expression of MVP/LRP has been documented in tumors of various types. In general, good correlations have been reported for expression of MVP/LRP and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy and poor prognosis. MVP/LRP expression has been documented in glioblastomas, but its expression in nervous system tumors in general has not been well characterized. Immunohistochemistry using anti-human MVP/LRP antibody (LRP-56) was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue from 69 primary central nervous system tumors. Expression of MVP/LRP was observed in 81.2% (56/69) of primary nervous system tumors, including astrocytomas (11/13), oligodendrogliomas (1/2), oligoastrocytomas (5/5), ependymoma (1/1), meningiomas (35/45), schwannomas (2/2), and neurofibroma (1/1). Various degrees and distributions of immunoreactivity to MVP/ LRP were observed. Neither the presence nor the degree of immunoreactivity to MVP/LRP showed any correlation with either tumor grade or the presence of brain invasion.

Transcript and protein expression profile of PF11_0394, a Plasmodium falciparum protein expressed in salivary gland sporozoites

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Schlarman Maggie S

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a significant problem around the world today, thus there is still a need for new control methods to be developed. Because the sporozoite displays dual infectivity for both the mosquito salivary glands and vertebrate host tissue, it is a good target for vaccine development. Methods The P. falciparum gene, PF11_0394, was chosen as a candidate for study due to its potential role in the invasion of host tissues. This gene, which was selected using a data mining approach from PlasmoDB, is expressed both at the transcriptional and protein levels in sporozoites and likely encodes a putative surface protein. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and green fluorescent protein (GFP-trafficking studies, a transcript and protein expression profile of PF11_0394 was determined. Results The PF11_0394 protein has orthologs in other Plasmodium species and Apicomplexans, but none outside of the group Apicomplexa. PF11_0394 transcript was found to be present during both the sporozoite and erythrocytic stages of the parasite life cycle, but no transcript was detected during axenic exoerythrocytic stages. Despite the presence of transcript throughout several life cycle stages, the PF11_0394 protein was only detected in salivary gland sporozoites. Conclusions PF11_0394 appears to be a protein uniquely detected in salivary gland sporozoites. Even though a specific function of PF11_0394 has not been determined in P. falciparum biology, it could be another candidate for a new vaccine.

Novel leukocyte protein, Trojan, differentially expressed during thymocyte development.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrov, Petar; Motobu, Maki; Salmi, Jussi; Uchida, Tatsuya; Vainio, Olli

2010-04-01

"Trojan" is a novel cell surface protein, discovered from chicken embryonic thymocytes on the purpose to identify molecules involved in T cell differentiation. The molecule is predicted as a type I transmembrane protein having a Sushi and two fibronectin type III domains and a pair of intracellular phosphorylation sites. Its transcript expression is specific for lymphoid tissues and the presence of the protein on the surface of recirculating lymphocytes and macrophages was confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis. In thymus, about half of the double negative (CD4(-) CD8(-)) and CD8 single positive and the majority of CD4 single positive cells express Trojan with a relatively high intensity. However, only a minority of the double positive (CD4(+) CD8(+)) cells are positive for Trojan. This expression pattern, similar to that of some proteins with anti-apoptotic and function, like IL-7Ralpha, makes Trojan an attractive candidate of having an anti-apoptotic role. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bcl-2 Protein Expression in Egyptian Acute Myeloid Leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shakankiry, N.; El-Sayed, Gh.M.M.; El-Maghraby, Sh.; Moneer, M.M.

2009-01-01

Objective: The primary cause of treatment failure in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the emergence of both resistant disease and early relapse. The bcl-2 gene encodes a 26-kDa protein that promotes cell survival by blocking programmed cell death (apoptosis). In the present study, bcl-2 protein expression was evaluated in newly diagnosed AML patients and correlated with the induction of remission and overall survival (OS), in an attempt to define patients who might benefit from modified therapeutic strategies. Patients and methods: Pretreatment cellular bcl-2 protein expression was measured in bone marrow samples obtained from 68 patients of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and 10 healthy controls by western blotting. Results: The mean bcl-2 protein expression was significantly higher in patients (0.68610.592) compared to controls (0.313±0.016) (p=0.002). The overall survival for patients with mean bcl-2 expression of less, and more than or equal to 0.315, was 67% and 56%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups 0»=0.86). Conclusion: Even though we did not observe a significant difference in overall survival between patients with high and low levels of bcl-2, modulation of this protein might still be considered as an option for enhancing the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy.

Soluble expression of recombinant proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Hans; Mortensen, Kim

2005-01-01

Pure, soluble and functional proteins are of high demand in modern biotechnology. Natural protein sources rarely meet the requirements for quantity, ease of isolation or price and hence recombinant technology is often the method of choice. Recombinant cell factories are constantly employed...... molecular tools available. In spite of all these qualities, expression of recombinant proteins with E. coli as the host often results in insoluble and/or nonfunctional proteins. Here we review new approaches to overcome these obstacles by strategies that focus on either controlled expression of target...... for the production of protein preparations bound for downstream purification and processing. Eschericia coli is a frequently used host, since it facilitates protein expression by its relative simplicity, its inexpensive and fast high density cultivation, the well known genetics and the large number of compatible...

Marker Protein Expression Combined With Expression Heterogeneity is a Powerful Indicator of Malignancy in Acral Lentiginous Melanomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Cintra Lopes Carapeto, Fernando; Neves Comodo, Andréia; Germano, Andressa; Pereira Guimarães, Daiane; Barcelos, Denise; Fernandes, Mariana; Landman, Gilles

2017-02-01

Samples of acral lentiginous melanomas (ALMs) were obtained from the Department of Pathology at Escola Paulista de Medicina-Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil. Demographic, clinical, and follow-up data were obtained from the charts of Hospital São Paulo. From 2 tissue microarrays containing 60 nevi and quadruplicate samples of ≥1.0-mm of 49 ALM, sections were stained to evaluate SCF, KIT, BRAF, CYCLIND1, MYC, and PTEN immunohistochemical protein expression. Nevi and ALM from 2006 to 2010 were reviewed and collected. All specimens were in the vertical growth phase, and histopathological parameters indicated that tumors were at an advanced stage at diagnosis. Average tumor thickness was 6.95 mm, 63% were ulcerated, average mitotic index was 5 mitotic cells per mm, and 43% were at Clark's level V. Compared with nevi, the χ test showed that ALM significantly correlated with SCF protein expression (P = 0.001) and expression heterogeneity (P < 0.000). Similar findings were observed for KIT (P = 0.005, P = 0.003, respectively), MYC (P < 0.000, P < 0.000), and PTEN (P = 0.005, P < 0.000). Malignancy did not correlate with BRAF and CYCLIN D1 expression (P = 0.053 and P = 0.259, respectively), but it did significantly correlate with their heterogeneous expression (P < 0.000, P = 0.024, respectively). Combined protein expression had an odds ratio of greater malignancy when BRAF and MYC were positive and/or heterogeneously expressed (OR of 78 and 95, respectively). We show that marker protein expression, when combined with heterogeneous expression as shown by immunohistochemistry, is a powerful indicator of malignancy in ALMs, especially, when protein pairs are combined.

Keratin 23, a novel DPC4/Smad4 target gene which binds 14-3-3ε

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liffers, Sven-T; Schwarte-Waldhoff, Irmgard; Meyer, Helmut E; Stühler, Kai; Hahn, Stephan A; Maghnouj, Abdelouahid; Munding, Johanna B; Jackstadt, René; Herbrand, Ulrike; Schulenborg, Thomas; Marcus, Katrin; Klein-Scory, Susanne; Schmiegel, Wolff

2011-01-01

Inactivating mutations of SMAD4 are frequent in metastatic colorectal carcinomas. In previous analyses, we were able to show that restoration of Smad4 expression in Smad4-deficient SW480 human colon carcinoma cells was adequate to suppress tumorigenicity and invasive potential, whereas in vitro cell growth was not affected. Using this cellular model system, we searched for new Smad4 targets comparing nuclear subproteomes derived from Smad4 re-expressing and Smad4 negative SW480 cells. High resolution two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis was applied to identify novel Smad4 targets in the nuclear subproteome of Smad4 re-expressing SW480 cells. The identified candidate protein Keratin 23 was further characterized by tandem affinity purification. Immunoprecipitation, subfractionation and immunolocalization studies in combination with RNAi were used to validate the Keratin 23-14-3-3ε interaction. We identified keratins 8 and 18, heat shock proteins 60 and 70, plectin 1, as well as 14-3-3ε and γ as novel proteins present in the KRT23-interacting complex. Co-immunoprecipitation and subfractionation analyses as well as immunolocalization studies in our Smad4-SW480 model cells provided further evidence that KRT23 associates with 14-3-3ε and that Smad4 dependent KRT23 up-regulation induces a shift of the 14-3-3ε protein from a nuclear to a cytoplasmic localization. Based on our findings we propose a new regulatory circuitry involving Smad4 dependent up-regulation of KRT23 (directly or indirectly) which in turn modulates the interaction between KRT23 and 14-3-3ε leading to a cytoplasmic sequestration of 14-3-3ε. This cytoplasmic KRT23-14-3-3 interaction may alter the functional status of the well described 14-3-3 scaffold protein, known to regulate key cellular processes, such as signal transduction, cell cycle control, and apoptosis and may thus be a previously unappreciated facet of the Smad4 tumor suppressive circuitry

Exploiting translational coupling for the selection of cells producing toxic recombinant proteins from expression vectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Tagliavia, Marcello; Cuttitta, Angela

2016-01-01

High rates of plasmid instability are associated with the use of some expression vectors in Escherichia coli, resulting in the loss of recombinant protein expression. This is due to sequence alterations in vector promoter elements caused by the background expression of the cloned gene, which leads to the selection of fast-growing, plasmid-containing cells that do not express the target protein. This phenomenon, which is worsened when expressing toxic proteins, results in preparations containing very little or no recombinant protein, or even in clone loss; however, no methods to prevent loss of recombinant protein expression are currently available. We have exploited the phenomenon of translational coupling, a mechanism of prokaryotic gene expression regulation, in order to select cells containing plasmids still able to express recombinant proteins. Here we designed an expression vector in which the cloned gene and selection marker are co-expressed. Our approach allowed for the selection of the recombinant protein-expressing cells and proved effective even for clones encoding toxic proteins.

Heterogeneity of proteins expressed by Brazilian Sporothrix schenckii isolates.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Geisa Ferreira; Do Amaral, Cristiane Candida; Sasaki, Alexandre; Godoy, Patrício Martinez; De Camargo, Zoilo Pires

2009-12-01

The profiles of proteins present in the exoantigens of Brazilian Sporothrix schenckii isolates were studied and compared by electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Thirteen isolates from five different regions of Brazil (1,000 to 2,000 km apart) and ten from a more limited region (200 to 400 km apart within the state of São Paulo) were cultured in Sabouraud, M199 and minimum (MM) media. Qualitative and quantitative differences in the expression of proteins, which varied according to the medium and the isolate, were observed. Fractions with the same MW but varying in intensity were detected, as well as fractions present in 1 isolate but absent in others. Dendrograms were constructed and isolates grouped based on the fractions obtained, irrespective of the intensity. The results showed that Brazilian S. schenckii isolates express different protein profiles, a feature also present in isolates from a more restricted region. The exoantigens were found to have a maximum of 15 protein fractions, ranging in MW from 19-220 KDaltons depending on the medium used for the cultures. These data show the great heterogeneity of Brazilian S. schenckii protein expression.

Large-scale analysis of protein expression changes in human keratinocytes immortalized by human papilloma virus type 16 E6 and E7 oncogenes

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Arnouk Hilal

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Infection with high-risk type human papilloma viruses (HPVs is associated with cervical carcinomas and with a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Viral E6 and E7 oncogenes cooperate to achieve cell immortalization by a mechanism that is not yet fully understood. Here, human keratinocytes were immortalized by long-term expression of HPV type 16 E6 or E7 oncoproteins, or both. Proteomic profiling was used to compare expression levels for 741 discrete protein features. Results Six replicate measurements were performed for each group using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE. The median within-group coefficient of variation was 19–21%. Significance of between-group differences was tested based on Significance Analysis of Microarray and fold change. Expression of 170 (23% of the protein features changed significantly in immortalized cells compared to primary keratinocytes. Most of these changes were qualitatively similar in cells immortalized by E6, E7, or E6/7 expression, indicating convergence on a common phenotype, but fifteen proteins (~2% were outliers in this regulatory pattern. Ten demonstrated opposite regulation in E6- and E7-expressing cells, including the cell cycle regulator p16INK4a; the carbohydrate binding protein Galectin-7; two differentially migrating forms of the intermediate filament protein Cytokeratin-7; HSPA1A (Hsp70-1; and five unidentified proteins. Five others had a pattern of expression that suggested cooperativity between the co-expressed oncoproteins. Two of these were identified as forms of the small heat shock protein HSPB1 (Hsp27. Conclusion This large-scale analysis provides a framework for understanding the cooperation between E6 and E7 oncoproteins in HPV-driven carcinogenesis.

Cooperative working of bacterial chromosome replication proteins generated by a reconstituted protein expression system

Science.gov (United States)

Fujiwara, Kei; Katayama, Tsutomu; Nomura, Shin-ichiro M.

2013-01-01

Replication of all living cells relies on the multirounds flow of the central dogma. Especially, expression of DNA replication proteins is a key step to circulate the processes of the central dogma. Here we achieved the entire sequential transcription–translation–replication process by autonomous expression of chromosomal DNA replication machineries from a reconstituted transcription–translation system (PURE system). We found that low temperature is essential to express a complex protein, DNA polymerase III, in a single tube using the PURE system. Addition of the 13 genes, encoding initiator, DNA helicase, helicase loader, RNA primase and DNA polymerase III to the PURE system gave rise to a DNA replication system by a coupling manner. An artificial genetic circuit demonstrated that the DNA produced as a result of the replication is able to provide genetic information for proteins, indicating the in vitro central dogma can sequentially undergo two rounds. PMID:23737447

RRE-dependent HIV-1 Env RNA effects on Gag protein expression, assembly and release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López, Claudia S.; Sloan, Rachel; Cylinder, Isabel; Kozak, Susan L.; Kabat, David; Barklis, Eric

2014-01-01

The HIV-1 Gag proteins are translated from the full-length HIV-1 viral RNA (vRNA), whereas the envelope (Env) protein is translated from incompletely spliced Env mRNAs. Nuclear export of vRNAs and Env mRNAs is mediated by the Rev accessory protein which binds to the rev-responsive element (RRE) present on these RNAs. Evidence has shown there is a direct or indirect interaction between the Gag protein, and the cytoplasmic tail (CT) of the Env protein. Our current work shows that env gene expression impacts HIV-1 Gag expression and function in two ways. At the protein level, full-length Env expression altered Gag protein expression, while Env CT-deletion proteins did not. At the RNA level, RRE-containing Env mRNA expression reduced Gag expression, processing, and virus particle release from cells. Our results support models in which Gag is influenced by the Env CT, and Env mRNAs compete with vRNAs for nuclear export. - Highlights: • At the protein level, full-length HIV-1 Env alters Gag protein expression. • HIV-1 Env RNA expression reduces Gag levels and virus release. • Env RNA effects on Gag are dependent on the RRE. • RRE-containing Env RNAs compete with vRNAs for nuclear export

Cloning, expression, purification and characterization of Leishmania tropica PDI-2 protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Dina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In Leishmania species, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI is an essential enzyme that catalyzes thiol-disulfide interchange. The present work describes the isolation, cloning, sequencing and expression of the pdI-2 gene. Initially, the gene was amplified from L. tropica genomic DNA by PCR using specific primers before cloning into the expression vector pET-15b. The construct pET/pdI-2 was transformed into BL21(DE3 cells and induced for the protein expression. SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis showed that the expressed protein is about 51 kDa. Cloned gene sequence analysis revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence showed significant homology with those of several parasites PDIs. Finally, recombinant protein was purified with a metal-chelating affinity column. The putative protein was confirmed as a thiol - disulfide oxidoreductase by detecting its activity in an oxidoreductase assay. Assay result of assay suggested that the PDI-2 protein is required for both oxidation and reduction of disulfide bonds in vitro. Antibodies reactive with this 51 kDa protein were detected by Western blot analysis in sera from human infected with L. tropica. This work describes for the first time the enzymatic activity of recombinant L. tropica PDI-2 protein and suggests a role for this protein as an antigen for the detection of leishmaniasis infection.

Expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli tagged with the metal-binding protein CusF.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantu-Bustos, J Enrique; Vargas-Cortez, Teresa; Morones-Ramirez, Jose Ruben; Balderas-Renteria, Isaias; Galbraith, David W; McEvoy, Megan M; Zarate, Xristo

2016-05-01

Production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli has been improved considerably through the use of fusion proteins, because they increase protein solubility and facilitate purification via affinity chromatography. In this article, we propose the use of CusF as a new fusion partner for expression and purification of recombinant proteins in E. coli. Using a cell-free protein expression system, based on the E. coli S30 extract, Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was expressed with a series of different N-terminal tags, immobilized on self-assembled protein microarrays, and its fluorescence quantified. GFP tagged with CusF showed the highest fluorescence intensity, and this was greater than the intensities from corresponding GFP constructs that contained MBP or GST tags. Analysis of protein production in vivo showed that CusF produces large amounts of soluble protein with low levels of inclusion bodies. Furthermore, fusion proteins can be exported to the cellular periplasm, if CusF contains the signal sequence. Taking advantage of its ability to bind copper ions, recombinant proteins can be purified with readily available IMAC resins charged with this metal ion, producing pure proteins after purification and tag removal. We therefore recommend the use of CusF as a viable alternative to MBP or GST as a fusion protein/affinity tag for the production of soluble recombinant proteins in E. coli. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Myocardin-related transcription factor regulates Nox4 protein expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rozycki, Matthew; Bialik, Janne Folke; Speight, Pam

2016-01-01

translocation of MRTF. Because the Nox4 promoter harbors a serum response factor/MRTF cis-element (CC(A/T)6GG box), we asked if MRTF (and thus cytoskeleton organization) could regulate Nox4 expression. We show that Nox4 protein is robustly induced in kidney tubular cells exclusively by combined application...... TGFβ/contact disruption-provoked Nox4 protein and mRNA expression, Nox4 promoter activation, and reactive oxygen species production. Mutation of the CC(A/T)6GG box eliminates the synergistic activation of the Nox4 promoter. Jasplakinolide-induced actin polymerization synergizes with TGFβ to facilitate...... MRTF-dependent Nox4 mRNA expression/promoter activation. Moreover, MRTF inhibition prevents Nox4 expression during TGFβ-induced fibroblast-myofibroblast transition as well. Although necessary, MRTF is insufficient; Nox4 expression also requires TGFβ-activated Smad3 and TAZ/YAP, two contact...

Ginger Extract Reduces the Expression of IL-17 and IL-23 in the Sera and Central Nervous System of EAE Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafarzadeh, Abdollah; Azizi, Sayyed-Vahab; Nemati, Maryam; Khoramdel-Azad, Hossain; Shamsizadeh, Ali; Ayoobi, Fatemeh; Taghipour, Zahra; Hassan, Zuhair Mohammad

2015-12-01

IL-17/IL-23 axis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases such as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and multiple sclerosis (MS). The immunomodulatory properties of ginger are reported in previous studies. To evaluate the effects of ginger extract on the expression of IL-17 and IL-23 in a model of EAE. EAE was induced in C57BL/6 mice by immunization with myelin oligodendroglial glycoprotein and then treated with PBS or ginger extracts, from day +3 to +30. At day 31, mice were scarificed and the expression of IL-17 and IL-23 mRNA in spinal cord were determined by using real time-PCR. The serum levels of cytokines were measured by ELISA. The mRNA expression of IL-17, IL-23 P19 and IL-23 P40 in CNS and serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 were significantly higher in PBS-treated EAE mice than non-EAE group (pginger-treated EAE mice the mRNA expression of IL-17, P19 and P40 in CNS and serum IL-23 levels were significantly decreased as compared to PBS-treated EAE mice (pginger-treated EAE group had significantly lower expression of IL-17, P19 and P40 in CNS and lower serum IL-17 and IL-23 levels than PBS-treated EAE group (pGinger extract reduces the expression of IL-17 and IL-23 in EAE mice. The therapeutic potential of ginger for treatment of MS could be considered in further studies.

Fragile X mental retardation protein expression in Alzheimer’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abigail J Renoux

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The FMR1 protein product, FMRP, is an mRNA binding protein associated with translational inhibition of target transcripts. One FMRP target is the amyloid precursor protein (APP mRNA, and APP levels are elevated in Fmr1 KO mice. Given that elevated APP protein expression can elicit Alzheimer’s disease (AD in patients and model systems, we evaluated whether FMRP expression might be altered in Alzheimer’s autopsy brain samples and mouse models compared to controls. In a double transgenic mouse model of AD (APP/PS1, we found no difference in FMRP expression in aged AD model mice compared to littermate controls. FMRP expression was also similar in AD and control patient frontal cortex and cerebellum samples. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS is an age related neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded CGG repeats in the 5’UTR of the FMR1 gene. Patients experience cognitive impairment and dementia in addition to motor symptoms. In parallel studies, we measured FMRP expression in cortex and cerebellum from three FXTAS patients and found reduced expression compared to both controls and Alzheimer’s patient brains, consistent with animal models. We also find increased APP levels in cerebellar, but not cortical, samples of FXTAS patients compared to controls. Taken together, these data suggest that a decrease in FMRP expression is unlikely to be a primary contributor to Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.

Improved means and methods for expressing recombinant proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poolman, Berend; Martinez Linares, Daniel; Gul, Nadia

2014-01-01

The invention relates to the field of genetic engineering and the production of recombinant proteins in microbial host cells. Provided is a method for enhanced expression of a recombinant protein of interest in a microbial host cell, comprising providing a microbial host cell wherein the function of

Early Changes in Costameric and Mitochondrial Protein Expression with Unloading Are Muscle Specific

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Flück

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We hypothesised that load-sensitive expression of costameric proteins, which hold the sarcomere in place and position the mitochondria, contributes to the early adaptations of antigravity muscle to unloading and would depend on muscle fibre composition and chymotrypsin activity of the proteasome. Biopsies were obtained from vastus lateralis (VL and soleus (SOL muscles of eight men before and after 3 days of unilateral lower limb suspension (ULLS and subjected to fibre typing and measures for costameric (FAK and FRNK, mitochondrial (NDUFA9, SDHA, UQCRC1, UCP3, and ATP5A1, and MHCI protein and RNA content. Mean cross-sectional area (MCSA of types I and II muscle fibres in VL and type I fibres in SOL demonstrated a trend for a reduction after ULLS (0.05≤P<0.10. FAK phosphorylation at tyrosine 397 showed a 20% reduction in VL muscle (P=0.029. SOL muscle demonstrated a specific reduction in UCP3 content (-23%; P = 0.012. Muscle-specific effects of ULLS were identified for linear relationships between measured proteins, chymotrypsin activity and fibre MCSA. The molecular modifications in costamere turnover and energy homoeostasis identify that aspects of atrophy and fibre transformation are detectable at the protein level in weight-bearing muscles within 3 days of unloading.

Early Changes in Costameric and Mitochondrial Protein Expression with Unloading Are Muscle Specific

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ruowei; Linnehan, Richard M.; Castells, Josiane; Tesch, Per; Gustafsson, Thomas

2014-01-01

We hypothesised that load-sensitive expression of costameric proteins, which hold the sarcomere in place and position the mitochondria, contributes to the early adaptations of antigravity muscle to unloading and would depend on muscle fibre composition and chymotrypsin activity of the proteasome. Biopsies were obtained from vastus lateralis (VL) and soleus (SOL) muscles of eight men before and after 3 days of unilateral lower limb suspension (ULLS) and subjected to fibre typing and measures for costameric (FAK and FRNK), mitochondrial (NDUFA9, SDHA, UQCRC1, UCP3, and ATP5A1), and MHCI protein and RNA content. Mean cross-sectional area (MCSA) of types I and II muscle fibres in VL and type I fibres in SOL demonstrated a trend for a reduction after ULLS (0.05 ≤ P < 0.10). FAK phosphorylation at tyrosine 397 showed a 20% reduction in VL muscle (P = 0.029). SOL muscle demonstrated a specific reduction in UCP3 content (−23%; P = 0.012). Muscle-specific effects of ULLS were identified for linear relationships between measured proteins, chymotrypsin activity and fibre MCSA. The molecular modifications in costamere turnover and energy homoeostasis identify that aspects of atrophy and fibre transformation are detectable at the protein level in weight-bearing muscles within 3 days of unloading. PMID:25313365

In vivo extracellular matrix protein expression by human periodontal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ONOS

2010-08-23

Aug 23, 2010 ... Extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) are described as molecular regulators of these events. ..... zation and adhesive interaction of cells (Yamada, 1983). .... periodontal ligament fibroblasts after simulation of orthodontic force.

In vitro protein expression: an emerging alternative to cell-based approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Mingyue

2011-04-30

Protein expression remains a bottleneck in the production of proteins. Owing to several advantages, cell-free translation is emerging as an alternative to cell-based methods for the generation of proteins. Recent advances have led to many novel applications of cell-free systems in biotechnology, proteomics and fundamental biological research. This special issue of New Biotechnology describes recent advances in cell-free protein expression systems and their applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Machine learning in computational biology to accelerate high-throughput protein expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Sastry, Anand; Monk, Jonathan; Tegel, Hanna; Uhlen, Mathias; Palsson, Bernhard O; Rockberg, Johan; Brunk, Elizabeth

2017-08-15

The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) enables the simultaneous characterization of thousands of proteins across various tissues to pinpoint their spatial location in the human body. This has been achieved through transcriptomics and high-throughput immunohistochemistry-based approaches, where over 40 000 unique human protein fragments have been expressed in E. coli. These datasets enable quantitative tracking of entire cellular proteomes and present new avenues for understanding molecular-level properties influencing expression and solubility. Combining computational biology and machine learning identifies protein properties that hinder the HPA high-throughput antibody production pipeline. We predict protein expression and solubility with accuracies of 70% and 80%, respectively, based on a subset of key properties (aromaticity, hydropathy and isoelectric point). We guide the selection of protein fragments based on these characteristics to optimize high-throughput experimentation. We present the machine learning workflow as a series of IPython notebooks hosted on GitHub (https://github.com/SBRG/Protein_ML). The workflow can be used as a template for analysis of further expression and solubility datasets. ebrunk@ucsd.edu or johanr@biotech.kth.se. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Ethylene-induced senescence-related gene expression requires protein synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawton, K.A.; Raghothama, K.G.; Woodson, W.R.

1990-01-01

We have investigated the effects of inhibiting protein synthesis on the ethylene-induced expression of 3 carnation senescence-related genes, pSR5, pSR8, and pSR12. Treatment of preclimacteric carnation petal discs with 1μg/ml of cycloheximide, a cytoplasmic protein synthesis inhibitor, for 3h inhibited protein synthesis by >80% as quantitated by the incorporation of [35S]methionine into protein. Pre-treatment of petal discs with cycloheximide prevented ethylene-induced SR transcript accumulation. Cycloheximide treatment of petal discs held in air did not result in increased levels of SR mRNA. These results indicate that ethylene does not interact with pre-formed factors but rather that the activation of SR gene expression by ethylene is mediated by labile protein factor(s) synthesized on cytoplasmic ribosomes. Experiments are currently underway to determine if cycloheximide exerts its effect at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level

Identification of differentially expressed proteins in response to Pb ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In response to Pb, a total of 76 proteins, out of the 95 differentially expressed proteins, were subjected to MALDI-TOF-MS Of these, 46 identities were identified by PMF and 19 identities were identified by microsequencing. Basic metabolisms such as photosynthesis, photorespiration and protein biosynthesis in C. roseus ...

The effect of HCV Core protein on the expression of miR-150

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sayad Khanizadeh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background : Hepatitis C virus (HCV is considered as one of the major pathogenic agents of chronic liver diseases. Previous studies have shown that HCV proteins can interaction with gene regulatory networks such as microRNAs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HCV core protein on the expression of miR-150 in a cell culture model. Materials and Methods: Plasmids expressing full HCV core protein was transfected into Huh7 cell lines while a GFP expressing plasmid employed as negative control. Subsequently, total RNA extracted and Real-Time PCR performed to measure the expression level of miR-150 expression. Moreover, trypan blue exclusion assay was performed to investigate the effect of core protein on cell viability. Results: The gene expression analysis of miR-150 in Huh7 cells showed that endogenous HCV core protein could significantly down regulation of miR-150 when compared to GFP control plasmid and normal cells (P<0.01. Beside, core protein induced no significant proliferative or cytotoxic effects on hepatic cells as determined by trypan blue exclusion assay (P<0.05. Conclusion: Our study suggests that HCV core protein can led to down regulation of miR-150 expression. This data revealed that HCV protein interactions with cell regulatory machinery may contribute to pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases.

Optimization of translation profiles enhances protein expression and solubility.

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Anne-Katrin Hess

Full Text Available mRNA is translated with a non-uniform speed that actively coordinates co-translational folding of protein domains. Using structure-based homology we identified the structural domains in epoxide hydrolases (EHs and introduced slow-translating codons to delineate the translation of single domains. These changes in translation speed dramatically improved the solubility of two EHs of metagenomic origin in Escherichia coli. Conversely, the importance of transient attenuation for the folding, and consequently solubility, of EH was evidenced with a member of the EH family from Agrobacterium radiobacter, which partitions in the soluble fraction when expressed in E. coli. Synonymous substitutions of codons shaping the slow-transiting regions to fast-translating codons render this protein insoluble. Furthermore, we show that low protein yield can be enhanced by decreasing the free folding energy of the initial 5'-coding region, which can disrupt mRNA secondary structure and enhance ribosomal loading. This study provides direct experimental evidence that mRNA is not a mere messenger for translation of codons into amino acids but bears an additional layer of information for folding, solubility and expression level of the encoded protein. Furthermore, it provides a general frame on how to modulate and fine-tune gene expression of a target protein.

Evolved Lactococcus lactis Strains for Enhanced Expression of Recombinant Membrane Proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martinez Linares, Daniel; Geertsma, Eric R.; Poolman, Bert

2010-01-01

The production of complex multidomain (membrane) proteins is a major hurdle in structural genomics and a generic approach for optimizing membrane protein expression is still lacking. We have devised a selection method to isolate mutant strains with improved functional expression of recombinant

Developmental expression of Drosophila Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome family proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Mesa, Evelyn; Abreu-Blanco, Maria Teresa; Rosales-Nieves, Alicia E.; Parkhurst, Susan M.

2012-01-01

Background Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WASP) family proteins participate in many cellular processes involving rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton. To the date, four WASP subfamily members have been described in Drosophila: Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy. Wash, WASp, and SCAR are essential during early Drosophila development where they function in orchestrating cytoplasmic events including membrane-cytoskeleton interactions. A mutant for Whamy has not yet been reported. Results We generated monoclonal antibodies that are specific to Drosophila Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy, and use these to describe their spatial and temporal localization patterns. Consistent with the importance of WASP family proteins in flies, we find that Wash, WASp, SCAR, and Whamy are dynamically expressed throughout oogenesis and embryogenesis. For example, we find that Wash accumulates at the oocyte cortex. WASp is highly expressed in the PNS, while SCAR is the most abundantly expressed in the CNS. Whamy exhibits an asymmetric subcellular localization that overlaps with mitochondria and is highly expressed in muscle. Conclusion All four WASP family members show specific expression patterns, some of which reflect their previously known roles and others revealing new potential functions. The monoclonal antibodies developed offer valuable new tools to investigate how WASP family proteins regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics. PMID:22275148

Unintended changes in protein expression revealed by proteomic analysis of seeds from transgenic pea expressing a bean alpha-amylase inhibitor gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hancai; Bodulovic, Greg; Hall, Prudence J; Moore, Andy; Higgins, Thomas J V; Djordjevic, Michael A; Rolfe, Barry G

2009-09-01

Seeds of genetically modified (GM) peas (Pisum sativum L.) expressing the gene for alpha-amylase inhibitor-1 (alphaAI1) from the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Tendergreen) exhibit resistance to the pea weevil (Bruchus pisorum). A proteomic analysis was carried out to compare seeds from GM pea lines expressing the bean alphaAI1 protein and the corresponding alphaAI1-free segregating lines and non-GM parental line to identify unintended alterations to the proteome of GM peas due to the introduction of the gene for alphaAI1. Proteomic analysis showed that in addition to the presence of alphaAI1, 33 other proteins were differentially accumulated in the alphaAI1-expressing GM lines compared with their non-GM parental line and these were grouped into five expression classes. Among these 33 proteins, only three were found to be associated with the expression of alphaAI1 in the GM pea lines. The accumulation of the remaining 30 proteins appears to be associated with Agrobacterium-mediated transformation events. Sixteen proteins were identified after MALDI-TOF-TOF analysis. About 56% of the identified proteins with altered accumulation in the GM pea were storage proteins including legumin, vicilin or convicilin, phaseolin, cupin and valosin-containing protein. Two proteins were uniquely expressed in the alphaAI1-expressing GM lines and one new protein was present in both the alphaAI1-expressing GM lines and their alphaAI1-free segregating lines, suggesting that both transgenesis and transformation events led to demonstrable changes in the proteomes of the GM lines tested.

Variation in Protein Intake Induces Variation in Spider Silk Expression

Science.gov (United States)

Blamires, Sean J.; Wu, Chun-Lin; Tso, I-Min

2012-01-01

Background It is energetically expensive to synthesize certain amino acids. The proteins (spidroins) of spider major ampullate (MA) silk, MaSp1 and MaSp2, differ in amino acid composition. Glutamine and proline are prevalent in MaSp2 and are expensive to synthesize. Since most orb web spiders express high proline silk they might preferentially attain the amino acids needed for silk from food and shift toward expressing more MaSp1 in their MA silk when starved. Methodology/Principal Findings We fed three spiders; Argiope aetherea, Cyrtophora moluccensis and Leucauge blanda, high protein, low protein or no protein solutions. A. aetherea and L. blanda MA silks are high in proline, while C. moluccesnsis MA silks are low in proline. After 10 days of feeding we determined the amino acid compositions and mechanical properties of each species' MA silk and compared them between species and treatments with pre-treatment samples, accounting for ancestry. We found that the proline and glutamine of A. aetherea and L. blanda silks were affected by protein intake; significantly decreasing under the low and no protein intake treatments. Glutmaine composition in C. moluccensis silk was likewise affected by protein intake. However, the composition of proline in their MA silk was not significantly affected by protein intake. Conclusions Our results suggest that protein limitation induces a shift toward different silk proteins with lower glutamine and/or proline content. Contradictions to the MaSp model lie in the findings that C. moluccensis MA silks did not experience a significant reduction in proline and A. aetherea did not experience a significant reduction in serine on low/no protein. The mechanical properties of the silks could not be explained by a MaSp1 expressional shift. Factors other than MaSp expression, such as the expression of spidroin-like orthologues, may impact on silk amino acid composition and spinning and glandular processes may impact mechanics. PMID:22363691

Cloning and expression of antiviral/ribosome-inactivating protein ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Madhu urs

2007-12-16

Dec 16, 2007 ... 2.3 In vitro expression of cDNA and western blotting. To amplify only the .... When the optical density of the culture was measured at 600 nm every 45 .... plants showed resistance against tomato mosaic virus and cucumber ...

Hippocampal expression of a virus-derived protein impairs memory in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bétourné, Alexandre; Szelechowski, Marion; Thouard, Anne; Abrial, Erika; Jean, Arnaud; Zaidi, Falek; Foret, Charlotte; Bonnaud, Emilie M; Charlier, Caroline M; Suberbielle, Elsa; Malnou, Cécile E; Granon, Sylvie; Rampon, Claire; Gonzalez-Dunia, Daniel

2018-02-13

The analysis of the biology of neurotropic viruses, notably of their interference with cellular signaling, provides a useful tool to get further insight into the role of specific pathways in the control of behavioral functions. Here, we exploited the natural property of a viral protein identified as a major effector of behavioral disorders during infection. We used the phosphoprotein (P) of Borna disease virus, which acts as a decoy substrate for protein kinase C (PKC) when expressed in neurons and disrupts synaptic plasticity. By a lentiviral-based strategy, we directed the singled-out expression of P in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and we examined its impact on mouse behavior. Mice expressing the P protein displayed increased anxiety and impaired long-term memory in contextual and spatial memory tasks. Interestingly, these effects were dependent on P protein phosphorylation by PKC, as expression of a mutant form of P devoid of its PKC phosphorylation sites had no effect on these behaviors. We also revealed features of behavioral impairment induced by P protein expression but that were independent of its phosphorylation by PKC. Altogether, our findings provide insight into the behavioral correlates of viral infection, as well as into the impact of virus-mediated alterations of the PKC pathway on behavioral functions.

BAX protein expression and clinical outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Y T; Lee, S; Niloff, E; Weisman, C; Strobel, T; Cannistra, S A

1998-08-01

Expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BAX sensitizes ovarian cancer cell lines to paclitaxel in vitro by enhancing the pathway of programmed cell death. The present study was performed to determine the relationship between BAX expression and clinical outcome in 45 patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer. BAX protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and its relationship with clinical outcome was determined. Assessment of BAX mRNA transcript levels and mutational analysis of the BAX coding region were also performed. BAX protein was expressed at high levels (defined as > or = 50% of tumor cells positive) in tumor tissue from 60% of newly diagnosed patients. All patients whose tumors expressed high levels of BAX achieved a complete response (CR) to first-line chemotherapy that contained paclitaxel plus a platinum analogue, compared with 57% of patients in the low-BAX group (P = .036). After a median follow-up of 1.9 years, the median disease-free survival (DFS) of patients in the high-BAX group has not been reached, compared with a median DFS of 1.1 years for low-BAX expressors (P = .0061). BAX retained independent prognostic significance in multivariate analysis when corrected for stage and histology. BAX mRNA transcripts were easily detected in samples with low BAX protein expression, and no BAX mutations were identified. The correlation between high BAX levels and improved clinical outcome suggests that an intact apoptotic pathway is an important determinant of chemoresponsiveness in ovarian cancer patients who receive paclitaxel.

Screening of genetic parameters for soluble protein expression in Escherichia coli

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vernet, Erik; Kotzsch, Alexander; Voldborg, Bjørn

2011-01-01

Soluble expression of proteins in a relevant form for functional and structural investigations still often remains a challenge. Although many biochemical factors are known to affect solubility, a thorough investigation of yield-limiting factors is normally not feasible in high-throughput efforts....... Here we present a screening strategy for expression of biomedically relevant proteins in Escherichia coli using a panel of six different genetic variations. These include engineered strains for rare codon supplementation, increased disulfide bond formation in the cytoplasm and novel vectors...... for secretion to the periplasm or culture medium. Combining these variants with expression construct truncations design, we report on parallel cloning and expression of more than 300 constructs representing 24 selected proteins; including full-length variants of human growth factors, interleukins and growth...

Temporal protein expression pattern in intracellular signalling ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Supplementary figure 1. Protein expression dynamics observed in Experiment, Synchronous and. Asynchronous simulation. .... molecular basis for T cell suppression by IL-10: CD28-asso- ciated IL-10 receptor inhibits CD28 tyrosine ...

Changes in HSP gene and protein expression in natural scrapie with brain damage

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Heat shock proteins (Hsp) perform cytoprotective functions such as apoptosis regulation and inflammatory response control. These proteins can also be secreted to the extracellular medium, acting as inflammatory mediators, and their chaperone activity permits correct folding of proteins and avoids the aggregation of anomalous isoforms. Several studies have proposed the implication of Hsp in prion diseases. We analysed the gene expression and protein distribution of different members of the Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 families in the central nervous system of sheep naturally infected with scrapie. Different expression profiles were observed in the areas analysed. Whereas changes in transcript levels were not observed in the cerebellum or medulla oblongata, a significant decrease in HSP27 and HSP90 was detected in the prefrontal cortex. In contrast, HSP73 was over-expressed in diencephalons of scrapie animals. Western blotting did not reveal significant differences in Hsp90 and Hsp70 protein expression between scrapie and control animals. Expression rates identified by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting were compared with the extent of classical scrapie lesions using stepwise regression. Changes in Hsp gene and protein expression were associated with prion protein deposition, gliosis and spongiosis rather than with apoptosis. Finally, immunohistochemistry revealed intense Hsp70 and Hsp90 immunolabelling in Purkinje cells of scrapie sheep. In contrast, controls displayed little or no staining in these cells. The observed differences in gene expression and protein distribution suggest that the heat shock proteins analysed play a role in the natural form of the disease. PMID:21314976

Changes in HSP gene and protein expression in natural scrapie with brain damage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serrano Carmen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Heat shock proteins (Hsp perform cytoprotective functions such as apoptosis regulation and inflammatory response control. These proteins can also be secreted to the extracellular medium, acting as inflammatory mediators, and their chaperone activity permits correct folding of proteins and avoids the aggregation of anomalous isoforms. Several studies have proposed the implication of Hsp in prion diseases. We analysed the gene expression and protein distribution of different members of the Hsp27, Hsp70, and Hsp90 families in the central nervous system of sheep naturally infected with scrapie. Different expression profiles were observed in the areas analysed. Whereas changes in transcript levels were not observed in the cerebellum or medulla oblongata, a significant decrease in HSP27 and HSP90 was detected in the prefrontal cortex. In contrast, HSP73 was over-expressed in diencephalons of scrapie animals. Western blotting did not reveal significant differences in Hsp90 and Hsp70 protein expression between scrapie and control animals. Expression rates identified by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting were compared with the extent of classical scrapie lesions using stepwise regression. Changes in Hsp gene and protein expression were associated with prion protein deposition, gliosis and spongiosis rather than with apoptosis. Finally, immunohistochemistry revealed intense Hsp70 and Hsp90 immunolabelling in Purkinje cells of scrapie sheep. In contrast, controls displayed little or no staining in these cells. The observed differences in gene expression and protein distribution suggest that the heat shock proteins analysed play a role in the natural form of the disease.

nm23 regulates decidualization through the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathways in mice and humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xue; Fu, Li-Juan; Liu, Xue-Qing; Hu, Zhuo-Ying; Jiang, Yu; Gao, Ru-Fei; Feng, Qian; Lan, Xi; Geng, Yan-Qing; Chen, Xue-Mei; He, Jun-Lin; Wang, Ying-Xiong; Ding, Yu-Bin

2016-10-01

Does nm23 have functional significance in decidualization in mice and humans? nm23 affects decidualization via the phosphoinositide 3 kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K-Akt-mTOR) signaling pathways in mouse endometrial stromal cells (ESCs; mESCs) and human ESCs. The function of nm23 in suppressing metastasis has been demonstrated in a variety of cancer types. nm23 also participates in the control of DNA replication and cell proliferation and differentiation. We first analyzed the expression profile of nm23 in mice during early pregnancy (n = 6/group), pseudopregnancy (n = 6/group) and artificial decidualization (n = 6/group) and in humans during the menstrual cycle phases and the first trimester. We then used primary cultured mESCs and a human ESC line, T-HESC, to explore the hormonal regulation of nm23 and the roles of nm23 in in vitro decidualization, and as a possible mediator of downstream PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathways. We evaluated the dynamic expression of nm23 in mice and humans using immunohistochemistry, western blot and real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). Regulation of nm23 by steroid hormones was investigated in isolated primary mESCs and T-HESCs by western blot. The effect of nm23 knockdown (using siRNA) on ESC proliferation was analyzed by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine staining (EdU) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein (PCNA) expression. The influence of nm23 expression on the differentiation of ESCs was determined by RT-qPCR using the mouse differentiation markers decidual/trophoblast PRL-related protein (dtprp, also named prl8a2) and prolactin family 3 subfamily c member 1 (prl3c1) and the human differentiation markers insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) and prolactin (PRL). The effects of nm23 siRNA (si-nm23) and the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 on the downstream effects of nm23 on the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway were estimated by western blot. NM23-M1 was specifically expressed in the decidual zone

Combined protein construct and synthetic gene engineering for heterologous protein expression and crystallization using Gene Composer

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Walchli John

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background With the goal of improving yield and success rates of heterologous protein production for structural studies we have developed the database and algorithm software package Gene Composer. This freely available electronic tool facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their engineered synthetic gene sequences, as detailed in the accompanying manuscript. Results In this report, we compare heterologous protein expression levels from native sequences to that of codon engineered synthetic gene constructs designed by Gene Composer. A test set of proteins including a human kinase (P38α, viral polymerase (HCV NS5B, and bacterial structural protein (FtsZ were expressed in both E. coli and a cell-free wheat germ translation system. We also compare the protein expression levels in E. coli for a set of 11 different proteins with greatly varied G:C content and codon bias. Conclusion The results consistently demonstrate that protein yields from codon engineered Gene Composer designs are as good as or better than those achieved from the synonymous native genes. Moreover, structure guided N- and C-terminal deletion constructs designed with the aid of Gene Composer can lead to greater success in gene to structure work as exemplified by the X-ray crystallographic structure determination of FtsZ from Bacillus subtilis. These results validate the Gene Composer algorithms, and suggest that using a combination of synthetic gene and protein construct engineering tools can improve the economics of gene to structure research.

Cloning, Expression and Purification of the Recombinant HIV-1 Tat-Nef Fusion Protein in Prokaryotic Expression System

OpenAIRE

Somayeh Kadkhodayan; Shiva Irani; Seyed Mehdi Sadat; Fatemeh Fotouhi; Azam Bolhassani

2016-01-01

Abstract Background: Nef is one of the HIV-1 critical proteins, because it is essential for viral replication and AIDS disease progression and induction of immune response against it can partially inhibit viral infection. Moreover, a domain of the HIV-1 Trans-Activator of Transcription (Tat, 48-60 aa) could act as a cell penetrating peptide (CPP). In current study, cloning and expression of Tat-Nef fusion protein was performed in E. coli for the first time. The protein expression was confi...

An inducible expression system for high-level expression of recombinant proteins in slow growing mycobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Leotta, Lisa; Spratt, Joanne M; Kong, Carlyn U; Triccas, James A

2015-09-01

A novel protein expression vector utilising the inducible hspX promoter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was constructed and evaluated in this study. High-level induction of three mycobacterial antigens, comprising up to 9% of bacterial sonicate, was demonstrated in recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG when grown under low-oxygen tension, which serves to enhance hspX promoter activity. Recombinant proteins were efficiently purified from bacterial lysates in a soluble form by virtue of a C-terminal 6-histidine tag. Purification of the immunodominant M. tuberculosis Ag85B antigen using this system resulted in a recombinant protein that stimulated significant IFN-γ release from Ag85B-reactive T cells generated after vaccination of mice with an Ag85B-expressing vaccine. Further, the M. tuberculosis L-alanine dehydrogenase (Ald) protein purified from recombinant BCG displayed strong enzymatic activity in recombinant form. This study demonstrated that high levels of native-like recombinant mycobacterial proteins can be produced in mycobacterial hosts, and this may aid the analysis of mycobacterial protein function and the development of new treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Expression profiling analysis: Uncoupling protein 2 deficiency improves hepatic glucose, lipid profiles and insulin sensitivity in high-fat diet-fed mice by modulating expression of genes in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Mei-Cen; Yu, Ping; Sun, Qi; Li, Yu-Xiu

2016-03-01

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), which was an important mitochondrial inner membrane protein associated with glucose and lipid metabolism, widely expresses in all kinds of tissues including hepatocytes. The present study aimed to explore the impact of UCP2 deficiency on glucose and lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity and its effect on the liver-associated signaling pathway by expression profiling analysis. Four-week-old male UCP2-/- mice and UCP2+/+ mice were randomly assigned to four groups: UCP2-/- on a high-fat diet, UCP2-/- on a normal chow diet, UCP2+/+ on a high-fat diet and UCP2+/+ on a normal chow diet. The differentially expressed genes in the four groups on the 16th week were identified by Affymetrix gene array. The results of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance showed that blood glucose and β-cell function were improved in the UCP2-/- group on high-fat diet. Enhanced insulin sensitivity was observed in the UCP2-/- group. The differentially expressed genes were mapped to 23 pathways (P high-fat diet. The upregulation of genes in the PPAR signaling pathway could explain our finding that UCP2 deficiency ameliorated insulin sensitivity. The manipulation of UCP2 protein expression could represent a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Stable Plastid Transformation for High-Level Recombinant Protein Expression: Promises and Challenges

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Meili Gao

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Plants are a promising expression system for the production of recombinant proteins. However, low protein productivity remains a major obstacle that limits extensive commercialization of whole plant and plant cell bioproduction platform. Plastid genetic engineering offers several advantages, including high levels of transgenic expression, transgenic containment via maternal inheritance, and multigene expression in a single transformation event. In recent years, the development of optimized expression strategies has given a huge boost to the exploitation of plastids in molecular farming. The driving forces behind the high expression level of plastid bioreactors include codon optimization, promoters and UTRs, genotypic modifications, endogenous enhancer and regulatory elements, posttranslational modification, and proteolysis. Exciting progress of the high expression level has been made with the plastid-based production of two particularly important classes of pharmaceuticals: vaccine antigens, therapeutic proteins, and antibiotics and enzymes. Approaches to overcome and solve the associated challenges of this culture system that include low transformation frequencies, the formation of inclusion bodies, and purification of recombinant proteins will also be discussed.

The p150 subunit of CAF-1 causes association of SUMO2/3 with the DNA replication foci

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uwada, Junsuke; Tanaka, Niina; Yamaguchi, Yutaro; Uchimura, Yasuhiro; Shibahara, Kei-ichi; Nakao, Mitsuyoshi; Saitoh, Hisato

2010-01-01

The small ubiquitin-related modifier 2/3 (SUMO2/3) can be post-translationally conjugated to a wide variety of proteins constituting chromatin, the platform for genetic and epigenetic regulation. Nevertheless, it is unclear how SUMO2/3 and SUMO2/3-modified proteins are delivered to the chromatin fibers. Here we report that the largest subunit of chromatin assembly factor 1 (CAF-1), human p150, interacts directly and preferentially with SUMO2/3. Amino acid residue of 98-105 in p150 is essential and sufficient for SUMO2/3 interaction. p150-SUMO2/3 interaction coincided with regions that replicate chromatin fibers, because accumulation of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) were detected at foci co-localized with both p150 and SUMO2/3 during the S-phase in a cell line expressing epitope-tagged p150. Although inhibition of SUMO2/3 expression had only a small effect on p150 deposition on the replication sites, depletion of p150 led to delocalization of SUMO2/3 from the replication foci. Furthermore, p150 mutants deficient in SUMO2/3 interaction, caused a major reduction of SUMO2/3 at the replication foci. Thus, our findings suggest an expanded role of p150 as a SUMO2/3-interacting factor, and raise the intriguing possibility that p150 plays a role in promoting delivery of SUMO2/3 or SUMO2/3-modified proteins (or both) on chromatin fibers during replication.

Exercise alters myostatin protein expression in sedentary and exercised streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassi, Daniela; Bueno, Patricia de Godoy; Nonaka, Keico Okino; Selistre-Araujo, Heloisa Sobreiro; Leal, Angela Merice de Oliveira

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of exercise on the pattern of muscle myostatin (MSTN) protein expression in two important metabolic disorders, i.e., obesity and diabetes mellitus. MSTN, is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. We evaluated the effect of exercise on MSTN protein expression in diabetes mellitus and high fat diet-induced obesity. MSTN protein expression in gastrocnemius muscle was analyzed by Western Blot. P sedentary or exercised obese animals. Diabetes reduced gastrocnemius muscle weight in sedentary animals. However, gastrocnemius muscle weight increased in diabetic exercised animals. Both the precursor and processed forms of muscle MSTN protein were significantly higher in sedentary diabetic rats than in control rats. The precursor form was significantly lower in diabetic exercised animals than in diabetic sedentary animals. However, the processed form did not change. These results demonstrate that exercise can modulate the muscle expression of MSTN protein in diabetic rats and suggest that MSTN may be involved in energy homeostasis.

Crystal Structure of VC0702 at 2.0 Angstrom: Conserved Hypothetical Protein from Vibrio Cholerae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni, S.; Forouhar, F.; Bussiere, D.; Robinson, H.; Kennedy, M.

2006-01-01

VC0702, a conserved hypothetical protein of unknown function from Vibrio cholerae, resides in a three-gene operon containing the MbaA gene that encodes for a GGDEF and EAL domain-containing protein which is involved in regulating formation of the extracellular matrix of biofilms in Vibrio cholerae. The VC0702 crystal structure has been determined at 2.0 Angstroms and refined to R work = 22.8% and R free = 26.3%. VC0702 crystallized in an orthorhombic crystal lattice in the C2221 space group with dimensions of a = 66.61 Angstroms, b = 88.118 Angstroms, and c = 118.35 Angstroms with a homodimer in the asymmetric unit. VC0702, which forms a mixed α + β three-layered αβα sandwich, belongs to the Pfam DUF84 and COG1986 families of proteins. Sequence conservation within the DUF84 and COG1986 families was used to identify a conserved patch of surface residues that define a cleft and potential substrate-binding site in VC0702. The three-dimensional structure of VC0702 is similar to that of Mj0226 from Methanococcus janeschii, which has been identified as a novel NTPase that binds NTP in a deep cleft similarly located to the conserved patch of surface residues that define an analogous cleft in VC0702. Collectively, the data suggest that VC0702 may have a biochemical function that involves NTP binding and phosphatase activity of some kind, and is likely involved in regulation of the signaling pathway that controls biofilm formation and maintenance in Vibrio cholerae

The Expression of Genes Encoding Secreted Proteins in Medicago truncatula A17 Inoculated Roots

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LUCIA KUSUMAWATI

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Subtilisin-like serine protease (MtSBT, serine carboxypeptidase (MtSCP, MtN5, non-specific lipid transfer protein (MtnsLTP, early nodulin2-like protein (MtENOD2-like, FAD-binding domain containing protein (MtFAD-BP1, and rhicadhesin receptor protein (MtRHRE1 were among 34 proteins found in the supernatant of M. truncatula 2HA and sickle cell suspension cultures. This study investigated the expression of genes encoding those proteins in roots and developing nodules. Two methods were used: quantitative real time RT-PCR and gene expression analysis (with promoter:GUS fusion in roots. Those proteins are predicted as secreted proteins which is indirectly supported by the findings that promoter:GUS fusions of six of the seven genes encoding secreted proteins were strongly expressed in the vascular bundle of transgenic hairy roots. All six genes have expressed in 14-day old nodule. The expression levels of the selected seven genes were quantified in Sinorhizobium-inoculated and control plants using quantitative real time RT-PCR. In conclusion, among seven genes encoding secreted proteins analyzed, the expression level of only one gene, MtN5, was up-regulated significantly in inoculated root segments compared to controls. The expression of MtSBT1, MtSCP1, MtnsLTP, MtFAD-BP1, MtRHRE1 and MtN5 were higher in root tip than in other tissues examined.

Engineering of kinase-based protein interacting devices: active expression of tyrosine kinase domains

KAUST Repository

Diaz Galicia, Miriam Escarlet

2018-05-01

Protein-protein interactions modulate cellular processes in health and disease. However, tracing weak or rare associations or dissociations of proteins is not a trivial task. Kinases are often regulated through interaction partners and, at the same time, themselves regulate cellular interaction networks. The use of kinase domains for creating a synthetic sensor device that reads low concentration protein-protein interactions and amplifies them to a higher concentration interaction which is then translated into a FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer) signal is here proposed. To this end, DNA constructs for interaction amplification (split kinases), positive controls (intact kinase domains), scaffolding proteins and phosphopeptide - SH2-domain modules for the reading of kinase activity were assembled and expression protocols for fusion proteins containing Lyn, Src, and Fak kinase domains in bacterial and in cell-free systems were optimized. Also, two non-overlapping methods for measuring the kinase activity of these proteins were stablished and, finally, a protein-fragment complementation assay with the split-kinase constructs was tested. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that features such as codon optimization, vector design and expression conditions have an impact on the expression yield and activity of kinase-based proteins. Furthermore, it has been found that the defined PURE cell-free system is insufficient for the active expression of catalytic kinase domains. In contrast, the bacterial co-expression with phosphatases produced active kinase fusion proteins for two out of the three tested Tyrosine kinase domains.

miR-24 and miR-205 expression is dependent on HPV onco-protein expression in keratinocytes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKenna, Declan J., E-mail: dj.mckenna@ulster.ac.uk [Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Co. Derry BT52 1SA (United Kingdom); Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL (United Kingdom); Patel, Daksha, E-mail: d.patel@qub.ac.uk [Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL (United Kingdom); McCance, Dennis J., E-mail: d.mccance@qub.ac.uk [Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL (United Kingdom)

2014-01-05

A screen of microRNA (miRNA) expression following differentiation in human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs) identified changes in several miRNAs, including miR-24 and miR-205. We investigated how expression of Human Papilloma Virus Type-16 (HPV16) onco-proteins E6 and E7 affected expression of miR-24 and miR-205 during proliferation and differentiation of HFKs. We show that the induction of both miR-24 and miR-205 observed during differentiation of HFKs is lost in HFKs expressing E6 and E7. We demonstrate that the effect on miR-205 is due to E7 activity, as miR-205 expression is dependent on pRb expression. Finally, we provide evidence that miR-24 effects in the cell may be due to targeting of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27. In summary, these results indicate that expression of both miR-24 and miR-205 are impacted by E6 and/or E7 expression, which may be one mechanism by which HPV onco-proteins can disrupt the balance between proliferation and differentiation in keratinocytes. - Highlights: • miR-24 and miR-205 are induced during keratinocyte differentiation. • This induction is lost in keratinocytes expressing HPV onco-proteins E6 and E7. • miR-205 is dependent upon pRb expression. • miR-24 targets p27 in cycling keratinocytes.

miR-24 and miR-205 expression is dependent on HPV onco-protein expression in keratinocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenna, Declan J.; Patel, Daksha; McCance, Dennis J.

2014-01-01

A screen of microRNA (miRNA) expression following differentiation in human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs) identified changes in several miRNAs, including miR-24 and miR-205. We investigated how expression of Human Papilloma Virus Type-16 (HPV16) onco-proteins E6 and E7 affected expression of miR-24 and miR-205 during proliferation and differentiation of HFKs. We show that the induction of both miR-24 and miR-205 observed during differentiation of HFKs is lost in HFKs expressing E6 and E7. We demonstrate that the effect on miR-205 is due to E7 activity, as miR-205 expression is dependent on pRb expression. Finally, we provide evidence that miR-24 effects in the cell may be due to targeting of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27. In summary, these results indicate that expression of both miR-24 and miR-205 are impacted by E6 and/or E7 expression, which may be one mechanism by which HPV onco-proteins can disrupt the balance between proliferation and differentiation in keratinocytes. - Highlights: • miR-24 and miR-205 are induced during keratinocyte differentiation. • This induction is lost in keratinocytes expressing HPV onco-proteins E6 and E7. • miR-205 is dependent upon pRb expression. • miR-24 targets p27 in cycling keratinocytes