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| | 1. |
2006 Apr 05 |
Relationships between the abnormalities of the male reproductive organs and the accumulation of phenol compounds in the striped field mouse, Apodemus agrarius, inhabiting Korea.
Kim JH, Yoon MH, Ueda Y, Honda K, Min BY
Environ. Pollut. 2006 Dec;144(3):716-25. Epub 2006 Apr 05.
Abstract
The relationships between the abnormalities of the male reproductive organs in striped field mice and the accumulation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals were assessed. Most mice collected at three areas were contaminated with phenol or organotin compounds. Fourteen to 42% of the mice at each area had abnormally shrunken reproductive organs, and some of them were contaminated with high levels of phenol compounds. Moreover, all the shrunken reproductive organs were damaged in the histological structure. The damage was observed also from several mice accumulating a high level of phenol compounds even though they had normally developed reproductive organs, although no damage was found in the mice accumulating a high level of organotin compounds. Collectively, the abnormalities of the reproductive organs in the mice seemed to be related to the accumulation of phenol compounds rather than of organotin compounds.
[Pubmed: 16603289]
| | 2. |
2006 Nov |
Comparative phylogeography of eastern chipmunks and white-footed mice in relation to the individualistic nature of species.
Rowe KC, Heske EJ, Paige KN
Mol. Ecol. 2006 Nov;15(13):4003-20.
Abstract
Palaeoecological studies have demonstrated that ecological communities as a whole did not remain stable throughout the climatic fluctuations of the Quaternary. The result is that long-term associations of species cannot be inferred by contemporary associations in ecological communities. Therefore, the evolutionary significance of any contemporary ecological interactions among species and of the biotic community within which species have evolved also cannot be assumed from contemporary conditions. Comparative phylogeographic data provide a method to identify species within ecological communities that have shared biogeographic histories. We present an example of a long-term association between populations of two mammalian species, eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) and white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), which are commonly associated with deciduous forest habitats. The distribution of mitochondrial DNA variation in T. striatus and P. leucopus from previously glaciated regions of the eastern United States support the hypothesis that, in at least part of their range, genetic lineages of the two species have expanded from similar population sources since the Last Glacial Maximum. In addition, the spatial concordance of genetic lineages of T. striatus and P. leucopus with the oak-savannah forest formations of Wisconsin and Illinois, suggest that populations associated with this community colonized the area in association with a set of arboreal species that comprise their deciduous forest habitat.
[Pubmed: 17054499]
| | 3. |
2006 Sep 12 |
Correlation of metabolism with tissue carbon and nitrogen turnover rate in small mammals.
Macavoy SE, Arneson LS, Bassett E
Oecologia. 2006 Nov;150(2):190-201. Epub 2006 Sep 12.
Abstract
Stable isotopes have proven to be a useful tool for deciphering food webs, examining migration patterns and determining nutrient resource allocation. In order to increase the descriptive power of isotopes, an increasing number of studies are using them to model tissue turnover. However, these studies have, mostly by necessity, been largely limited to laboratory experiments and the demand for an easier method of estimating tissue turnover in the field for a large variety of organisms remains. In this study, we have determined the turnover rate of blood in mice and rats using stable isotope analysis, and compared these rates to the metabolic rates of the animals. Rats (Rattus norvegicus) (n=4) and mice (Mus musculus) (n=4) were switched between isotopically distinct diets, and the rate of change of delta(13)C and delta(15)N in whole blood was determined. Basal metabolic rates (as CO(2) output and O(2) consumption per unit time, normalized for mass) were determined for the rats and mice. Rats, which were an order of magnitude larger and had a slower metabolic rate per unit mass than mice (0.02 vs. 0.14 O(2)/min/g), had a slower blood turnover than mice for (13)C (t (1/2 )=24.8 and 17.3 days, respectively) and (15)N (t (1/2 )=27.7 and 15.4 days, respectively). A positive correlation between metabolic rate and blood isotopic turnover rate was found. These are the only such data for mammals available, but the literature for birds shows that mass and whole-body metabolic rates in birds scale logarithmically with tissue turnover. Interestingly, the mammalian data graph separately from the bird data on a turnover versus metabolic rate plot. Both mice and rat tissue in this study exhibited a slower turnover rate compared to metabolic rate than for birds. These data suggest that metabolic rate may be used to estimate tissue turnover rate when working with organisms in the field, but that a different relationship between tissue turnover and metabolism may exist for different classes of organisms.
[Pubmed: 16967272]
| | 4. |
2006 Jun 14 |
1-Iodo-2methylundecane, a putative estrus-specific urinary chemo-signal of female mouse (Mus musculus).
Achiraman S, Archunan G
Theriogenology. 2006 Nov;66(8):1913-20. Epub 2006 Jun 14.
Abstract
The present study was designed to identify the urinary volatiles across various reproductive stages of female mice in order to detect estrus-specific chemical signal. The urine of adult female mice were extracted with dichloromethane (1:1 ratio, v/v) and analyzed by gas chromatography linked mass-spectrometry (GC-MS). Numerous compounds were identified during estrus cycle of female mice urine. Among these, the compounds, namely, isocroctylhydrazine, 4-methyl-2-heptanone and auzulene were specific to proestrus stage and the compounds, 1-H-cyclopop-e.auzulene, caryophyllene, copanene were specific to estrus stage. However, the compound, 1-iodo-2methyl undecane (1I2MU) was observed both in proestrus and estrus phases and was absent in all other phases. The volatile signal produced at the end of proestrus and the beginning of estrus phase appears to be behaviourally important in the attraction of males. Moreover, the behaviour assay revealed that the compound, 1I2MU, is involved in attracting the male mice. This result concludes that the 1-iodo-2methyl undecane is considered as a putative estrus-specific chemo-signal.
[Pubmed: 16780940]
| | 5. |
2006 Oct 25 |
ProtoBee: Hierarchical classification and annotation of the honey bee proteome.
Kaplan N, Linial M
Genome Res. 2006 Oct 25; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
The recently sequenced genome of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) has produced 10,157 predicted protein sequences, calling for a computational effort to extract biological insights from them. We have applied an unsupervised hierarchical protein-clustering method, which was previously used in the ProtoNet system, to nearly 200,000 proteins consisting of the predicted honey bee proteins, the SWISS-PROT protein database, and the complete set of proteins of the mouse (Mus musculus) and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The hierarchy produced by this method has been entitled ProtoBee. In ProtoBee, the proteins are hierarchically organized into 18,936 separate tree hierarchies, each representing a protein functional family. By using the mouse and Drosophila complete proteomes as reference, we are able to highlight functional groups of putative gene-loss events, putative novel proteins of unique functionality, and bee-specific paralogs. We have studied some of the ProtoBee findings and suggest their biological relevance. Examples include novel opsin genes and intriguing nuclear matches of mitochondrial genes. The organization of bee sequences into functional clusters suggests a natural way of automatically inferring functional annotation. Following this notion, we were able to assign functional annotation to about 70% of the sequences. ProtoBee is available at www.protobee.cs.huji.ac.il.
[Pubmed: 17065614]
| | 6. |
2006 Oct 22 |
Disruption of genetic interaction between two autosomal regions and the X chromosome causes reproductive isolation between mouse strains derived from different subspecies.
Oka A, Aoto T, Totsuka Y, Takahashi R, Ueda M, Mita A, Sakurai-Yamatani N, Yamamoto H, Kuriki S, Takagi N, Moriwaki K, Shiroishi T
Genetics. 2006 Oct 22; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
Reproductive isolation that initiates speciation is likely caused by incompatibility between multiple loci in organisms belonging to genetically diverging populations. Laboratory C57BL/6J mice, which predominantly originated from Mus musculus domesticus, and a MSM/Ms strain derived from Japanese wild mice (M. m. molossinus, genetically close to M. m. musculus) are reproductively isolated. Their F1 hybrids are fertile, but successive intercrosses result in sterility. A consomic strain, C57BL/6J-ChrX(MSM), which carries the X chromosome of MSM/Ms in the C57BL/6J background, shows male sterility, suggesting a genetic incompatibility of the MSM/Ms X chromosome and other C57BL/6J chromosome(s). In this study, we conducted genome-wide linkage analysis and subsequent QTL analysis using the sperm shape anomaly that is the major cause of the sterility of the C57BL/6J-ChrX(MSM) males. These analyses successfully detected significant QTLs on chromosomes 1 and 11 that interact with the X chromosome. The introduction of MSM/Ms chromosomes 1 and 11 into the C57BL/6J-ChrX(MSM) background failed to restore the sperm head shape, but did partially restore fertility. These suggest that this genetic interaction may play a crucial role in the reproductive isolation between the two strains. A detailed analysis of the male sterility by intracytoplasmic sperm injection and zona-free in vitro fertilization demonstrated that the C57BL/6J-ChrX(MSM) spermatozoa have a defect in penetration through the zona pellucida of eggs.
[Pubmed: 17057240]
| | 7. |
2006 Oct 18 |
Rescue of the Mouse DDK Syndrome by Parent-of-Origin Dependent Modifiers.
Ideraabdullah FY, Kim K, Pomp D, Moran JL, Beier D, Pardo-Manuel de Villena F
Biol Reprod. 2006 Oct 18; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
When females of the DDK inbred mouse strain are mated to males of many other strains, 90-100% of the resulting embryos die during early embryonic development. This "DDK syndrome" lethality results from an incompatibility between an ooplasmic DDK factor and a non-DDK paternal gene, both of which map to closely linked loci on chromosome 11. It has been proposed that expression of the gene encoding the ooplasmic factor is subject to allelic exclusion in oocytes. Previous studies demonstrated the existence of recessive modifiers in the C57BL/6 and BALB/c strains that increase lethality. These modifiers are thought to skew the choice of allele undergoing allelic exclusion in the oocytes of heterozygous females. Here, we demonstrate the presence of modifiers in three Mus musculus domesticus wild-derived strains, PERA, PERC, and RBA. These modifiers completely rescue the DDK syndrome lethality. We have mapped the major locus responsible for rescue in PERA and PERC crosses to proximal chromosome 13 and named this locus Rmod1 (Rescue Modifier of the DDK Syndrome 1). Our experiments demonstrate that PERA or PERC alleles at Rmod1 rescue lethality independently of allelic exclusion. In addition, rescue of the lethal phenotype depends on the parental origin of the Rmod1 alleles; transmission through the dam leads to rescue, while transmission through the sire has no effect.
[Pubmed: 17050856]
| | 8. |
2006 Jun 28 |
Light-induced Fos expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the four-striped field mouse, Rhabdomys pumilio: A southern African diurnal rodent.
Schumann DM, Cooper HM, Hofmeyr MD, Bennett NC
Brain Res. Bull. 2006 Oct 16;70(4-6):270-7. Epub 2006 Jun 28.
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that nocturnal and diurnal species of rodents differ in their circadian responses to light including phase shifts and early gene expression. Rhabdomys pumilio, the four-striped field mouse, is diurnal both in nature and in the laboratory. We studied in this species the response of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to light stimuli at different time periods using light-induced expression of Fos as marker of neuronal activity. Fos induction in the SCN was investigated using immunohistochemistry and quantitative image analysis. The animals were exposed to a 15min light pulse with monochromatic green light at different circadian times throughout a 24-h cycle. Animals maintained in constant darkness served as controls. R. pumilio exhibited an endogenous Fos rhythm in the SCN during constant darkness with highest expression during the subjective day at circadian time (CT) 2 and CT10. Photic stimulation resulted in significant Fos induction in the SCN at CT6, CT14, CT18 and CT22, compared to controls kept in constant darkness, with a peak of expression at CT22, i.e. during late subjective night, mainly due to expression in the ventral SCN. In tract tracing experiments based on the use of cholera toxin subunit B, we found that retinal fibres innervate mainly the contralateral ventral SCN. The intergeniculate leaflet received bilateral retinal innervation with overlap between ipsilateral and contralateral fibres. Altogether the data show that the rodent R. pumilio is a unique diurnal model for chronobiological studies.
[Pubmed: 17027762]
| | 9. |
2006 Oct 16 |
Choline acetyltransferase immunoreactive cortical interneurons do not occur in all rodents: A study of the phylogenetic occurrence of this neural characteristic.
Bhagwandin A, Fuxe K, Manger PR
J Chem Neuroanat. 2006 Oct 16; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
The present study was designed to provide results aimed at testing whether the interneurons with choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity (ChAT), probably representing GABA interneurons, found in the cerebral cortex of the rat represent a common feature of the order Rodentia. Initially we verified the presence of ChAT immunoreactive bipolar cell bodies, axons and terminal-like fibres in pigmented (Long-Evans) and non-pigmented (Sprague-Dawley) strains of Rattus norvegicus, confirming that the ChAT polyclonal antibodies (AB144P and AB143, Chemicon; VChAT, Sigma) with the immunohistochemical techniques used provided the same staining as previously described for this species. We then examined pigmented (AKR3) and non-pigmented (C3H) strains of Mus musculus, wild caught striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio), bushveld gerbil (Tatera brantsii), greater canerat (Thryonomys swinderianus) and common molerat (Cryptomys hottentotus). The AB144P antibody revealed cortical interneurons in both strains of M. musculus and in R. pumilio, but not in the other species. In all species/strains cortical ChAT immunoreactive axons and terminal-like fibres were localized with the AB144P antibody. In the non-Rattus species/strains there was no evidence for localization of ChAT immunoreactivity in any cortical cell bodies using the AB143 and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VChAT) antibodies despite extensive localization in axons and terminal-like fibres. It is concluded that bipolar cortical GABA interneurons in certain rodent species may develop ChAT immunoreactivity but not VChAT immunoreactivity making the cholinergic relevance of ChAT in the GABA interneurons uncertain and may exclude these neurons from being part of the traditionally defined cholinergic system.
[Pubmed: 17049807]
| | 10. |
2006 Oct 15 |
Gene Therapy Using Adenovirus-Mediated Full-length Anti-HER-2 Antibody for HER-2 Overexpression Cancers.
Jiang M, Shi W, Zhang Q, Wang X, Guo M, Cui Z, Su C, Yang Q, Li Y, Sham J, Liu X, Wu M, Qian Q
Clin. Cancer Res. 2006 Oct 15;12(20):6179-85.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Therapeutic monoclonal antibody is increasingly applied in many clinical applications, although complicated technologies and high cost still limit their wide applications. To obtain the sustained serum antibody concentration with one single injection and lower the cost of antibody protein therapy, an adenovirus-mediated full-length antibody gene therapy was developed. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Full-length antibody light-chain and heavy-chain sequences were linked with internal ribosome entry site and constructed into adenoviral vector under the control of cytomegalovirus promoter. Antibody expression in vitro and in vivo were tested with ELISA, and its antitumor efficacy was evaluated in SKOV-3-inoculated nude mice. RESULTS: Ad5-TAb-generated anti-HER-2 antibody presented the similar binding specificity with commercial trastuzumab. A single i.v. injection of 2 x 10(9) plaque-forming units of Ad5-TAb per mouse resulted in not only a sustained over 40 mug/mL serum antibody level for at least 4 weeks but also significant tumor elimination in the ovarian cancer SKOV-3-inoculated nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: An in vivo full-length antibody gene delivery system allows continuous production of a full-length antibody at high concentration after a single administration. Bioactive antibody macromolecules can be generated via gene transfer in vivo. All the data suggest that this novel adenovirus-mediated antibody gene delivery can be used for the exploitation of antibodies, without being hampered by the sophisticated antibody manufacture techniques and high cost, and, furthermore, can shorten the duration and reduce the expense of antibody developments.
[Pubmed: 17062695]
| | 11. |
2006 Oct 12 |
Contrasting evolution of expression differences in the testis between species and subspecies of the house mouse.
Voolstra C, Tautz D, Farbrother P, Eichinger L, Harr B
Genome Res. 2006 Oct 12; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
Regulatory changes in genes involved in reproduction are thought to be prime targets for divergence during speciation, since they are expected to play an important role in sexual selection and sexual conflict. We used microarray analysis of RNA from different wild populations of house mouse subspecies (including Mus m. musculus, Mus m. domesticus, and Mus m. castaneus) and from the sister species Mus spretus to test this assumption. A comparison of expression divergence in brain, liver/kidney, and testis shows a major difference in the evolutionary dynamics of testis-related genes. While the comparison between species confirms an excess in divergence in testis genes, we find that all comparisons between subspecies yield only a very small number of genes with significantly different expression levels in the testis. These results suggest that the early phase of the speciation process may not be driven by regulatory changes in genes that are potential targets of sexual selection, and that the divergence in these genes is only established during a later phase of the speciation process.
[Pubmed: 17038563]
| | 12. |
2006 Oct 10 |
Genome-wide analysis of SPAK/OSR1 binding motifs.
Delpire E, Gagnon KB
Physiol Genomics. 2006 Oct 10; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
Based on the alignment of 12 sequences of protein motifs that interact with the kinases SPAK (Ste20 related Proline Alanine rich Kinase) and OSR1 (Oxidaitve Stress Response 1), we performed genome-wide searches of the sequence [S/G/V]RFx[V/I]xx[V/I/T/S]xx, where x represents any amino acid. The "Mus musculus" search resulted in the identification of 131 mouse proteins containing 137 SPAK/OSR1 putative binding motifs. Similar numbers were found for human, zebrafish, fruit fly, and worm. A little more than half of the mouse proteins containing SPAK/OSR1 binding domains (53%) were also identified in the human search, whereas about 17-18% of these common hits were identified in the zebrafish search. The mouse proteins could be divided into two broad categories: 2/3 had an identified function, whereas 1/3 were either predicted or of unknown function. The known proteins were grouped as transport proteins, other membrane proteins, kinases, phosphatases, cytoskeletal, ribosomal, nuclear, enzymes, and others. Analysis of the location of the SPAK/OSR1 binding motif within the protein sequence revealed distribution throughout the entire length, but with preference to the extreme amino- or carboxyl termini for a large number of proteins. Analysis of the amino acid composition of the motifs revealed a preponderance of serine residues at positions 5, 6, 7, and 8. In summary, our new search found and thus confirms the 12 proteins previously shown to interact with the kinases and identifies 119 potential new targets for SPAK and OSR1 in the mouse proteome. Key words: mouse genome, protein-protein interaction, docking site, Ste20 kinases, NCBI search.
[Pubmed: 17032814]
| | 13. |
2006 Oct 3 |
The Structure and Computational Analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protein CitE Suggest a Novel Enzymatic Function.
Goulding CW, Bowers PM, Segelke B, Lekin T, Kim CY, Terwilliger TC, Eisenberg D
J Mol Biol. 2006 Oct 3; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
Fatty acid biosynthesis is essential for the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is an essential precursor in this pathway. We have determined the 3-D crystal structure of M. tuberculosis citrate lyase beta-subunit (CitE), which as annotated should cleave protein bound citryl-CoA to oxaloacetate and a protein-bound CoA derivative. The CitE structure has the (beta/alpha)(8) TIM barrel fold with an additional alpha-helix, and is trimeric. We have determined the ternary complex bound with oxaloacetate and magnesium, revealing some of the conserved residues involved in catalysis. While the bacterial citrate lyase is a complex with three subunits, the M. tuberculosis genome does not contain the alpha and gamma subunits of this complex, implying that M. tuberculosis CitE acts differently from other bacterial CitE proteins. The analysis of gene clusters containing the CitE protein from 168 fully sequenced organisms has led us to identify a grouping of functionally related genes preserved in M. tuberculosis, Rattus norvegicus, Homo sapiens, and Mus musculus. We propose a novel enzymatic function for M. tuberculosis CitE in fatty acid biosynthesis that is analogous to bacterial citrate lyase but producing acetyl-CoA rather than a protein-bound CoA derivative.
[Pubmed: 17064730]
| | 14. |
2006 Oct 1 |
Cracking the egg: molecular dynamics and evolutionary aspects of the transition from the fully grown oocyte to embryo.
Evsikov AV, Graber JH, Brockman JM, Hampl A, Holbrook AE, Singh P, Eppig JJ, Solter D, Knowles BB
Genes Dev. 2006 Oct 1;20(19):2713-27.
Abstract
Fully grown oocytes (FGOs) contain all the necessary transcripts to activate molecular pathways underlying the oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET). To elucidate this critical period of development, an extensive survey of the FGO transcriptome was performed by analyzing 19,000 expressed sequence tags of the Mus musculus FGO cDNA library. Expression of 5400 genes and transposable elements is reported. For a majority of genes expressed in mouse FGOs, homologs transcribed in eggs of Xenopus laevis or Ciona intestinalis were found, pinpointing evolutionary conservation of most regulatory cascades underlying the OET in chordates. A large proportion of identified genes belongs to several gene families with oocyte-restricted expression, a likely result of lineage-specific genomic duplications. Gene loss by mutation and expression in female germline of retrotransposed genes specific to M. musculus is documented. These findings indicate rapid diversification of genes involved in female reproduction. Comparison of the FGO and two-cell embryo transcriptomes demarcated the processes important for oogenesis from those involved in OET and identified novel motifs in maternal mRNAs associated with transcript stability. Discovery of oocyte-specific eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E distinguishes a novel system of translational regulation. These results implicate conserved pathways underlying transition from oogenesis to initiation of development and illustrate how genes acquire and lose reproductive functions during evolution, a potential mechanism for reproductive isolation.
[Pubmed: 17015433]
| | 15. |
2006 Oct |
Regions of high differentiation--worth a check.
Harr B
Genome Res. 2006 Oct;16(10):1193-4.
Abstract
B. Boursot and K. Belkhir in this issue of Genome Research point to an ascertainment bias in my use of SNPs to identify regions of high differentiation between a pair of house mouse subspecies. Here, I discuss additional points to consider and argue that the ultimate test for such regions should be an independent confirmation using unrelated samples. I provide evidence that regions of high differentiation as identified from laboratory strains and potentially biased SNP markers can be confirmed and therefore are worth a deeper investigation.
[Pubmed: 17018518]
| | 16. |
2006 Aug 04 |
IGFL: A secreted family with conserved cysteine residues and similarities to the IGF superfamily.
Emtage P, Vatta P, Arterburn M, Muller MW, Park E, Boyle B, Hazell S, Polizotto R, Funk WD, Tang YT
Genomics. 2006 Oct;88(4):513-20. Epub 2006 Aug 04.
Abstract
We have discovered a family of small secreted proteins in Homo sapiens and Mus musculus. The IGF-like (IGFL) genes encode proteins of approximately 100 amino acids that contain 11 conserved cysteine residues at fixed positions, including two CC motifs. In H. sapiens, the family is composed of four genes and two pseudogenes that are referred as IGFL1 to IGFL4 and IGFL1P1 and IGFL1P2, respectively. Human IGFL genes are clustered together on chromosome 19 within a 35-kb interval. M. musculus has a single IGFL family member that is located on chromosome 7. Further, evolutionary analysis shows a lack of direct orthology between any of the four human members and the mouse gene. This relationship between the mouse and the human family members suggests that the multiple members in the human complement have arisen from recent duplication events that appear limited to the primate lineage. Structural considerations and sequence comparisons would suggest that IGFL proteins are distantly related to the IGF superfamily of growth factors. IGFL mRNAs display specific expression patterns; they are expressed in fetal tissues, breast, and prostate, and in many cancers as well, and this pattern is consistent with that of the IGF family members.
[Pubmed: 16890402]
| | 17. |
2006 Oct |
Phase and period responses of the circadian system of mice (Mus musculus) to light stimuli of different duration.
Comas M, Beersma DG, Spoelstra K, Daan S
J. Biol. Rhythms. 2006 Oct;21(5):362-72.
Abstract
To understand entrainment of circadian systems to different photoperiods in nature, it is important to know the effects of single light pulses of different durations on the free-running system. The authors studied the phase and period responses of laboratory mice (C57BL6J//OlaHsd) to single light pulses of 7 different durations (1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 18 h) given once per 11 days in otherwise constant darkness. Light-pulse duration affected both amplitude and shape of the phase response curve. Nine-hour light pulses yielded the maximal amplitude PRC. As in other systems, the circadian period slightly lengthened following delays and shortened following advances. The authors aimed to understand how different parts of the light signal contribute to the eventual phase shift. When PRCs were plotted using the onset, midpoint, and end of the pulse as a phase reference, they corresponded best with each other when using the mid-pulse. Using a simple phase-only model, the authors explored the possibility that light affects oscillator velocity strongly in the 1st hour and at reduced strength in later hours of the pulse due to photoreceptor adaptation. They fitted models based on the 1-h PRC to the data for all light pulses. The best overall correspondence between PRCs was obtained when the effect of light during all hours after the first was reduced by a factor of 0.22 relative to the 1st hour. For the predicted PRCs, the light action centered on average at 38% of the light pulse. This is close to the reference phase yielding best correspondence at 36% of the pulses. The result is thus compatible with an initial major contribution of the onset of the light pulse followed by a reduced effect of light responsible for the differences between PRCs for different duration pulses. The authors suggest that the mid-pulse is a better phase reference than lights-on to plot and compare PRCs of different light-pulse durations.
[Pubmed: 16998156]
| | 18. |
2006 Fall |
Telomere and TRF2/MTBP localization in respect to satellite DNA during the cell cycle of mouse cell line L929.
Kuznetsova IS, Voronin AP, Podgornaya OI
Rejuvenation Res. 2006 Fall;9(3):391-401.
Abstract
The mouse Mus musculus chromosomes are all acrocentric; each centromere (CEN) is adjacent to a telomere. The aim of the current work is to find out if at least half of the mouse telomeres (Tel) always follow satellite DNA sequences and if membrane telomere binding protein TRF2/MTBP is always in association with the Tel during the cell cycle. FISH, immunoFISH and confocal microscopy were used. During the cell cycle, Tel undergo extensive movement and rearrangement. Most Tel tend to aggregate into large conglomerates in G0/G1. Aggregates colocalize with major satellite (MaSat) and minor satellite (MiSat) to a lesser extent. Tel aggregates are embedded into the MaSat granules at G0/G1. A number of single Tel signals underline the nuclear envelope. In prometaphase, during the metaphase plate formation, half of the Tel, together with CEN, are arranged in a circle and half of the long arms form four clusters. Most of the Tel hybridization signals are colocalized with TRF2/MTBP throughout all stages of the cell cycle, although it is possible to find some telomeres that are not covered with the protein. A prominent shift of TRF2/MTBP signals in respect to the Tel signals is visible in the prophase. The biochemical features of TRF2/MTBP make it possible for the protein to be responsible for Tel clustering.
[Pubmed: 16859480]
| | 19. |
2006 Sep 29 |
INCREASED LEVEL OF POLYPLOIDY1, a Conserved Repressor of CYCLINA2 Transcription, Controls Endoreduplication in Arabidopsis.
Yoshizumi T, Tsumoto Y, Takiguchi T, Nagata N, Yamamoto YY, Kawashima M, Ichikawa T, Nakazawa M, Yamamoto N, Matsui M
Plant Cell. 2006 Sep 29; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
Endoreduplication is a type of cell cycle in which DNA replication continues without cell division. We have isolated several dominant mutants from Arabidopsis thaliana activation tagging lines by flow cytometry. One of the mutants, increased level of polyploidy1-1D (ilp1-1D), showed increased polyploidy in both light- and dark-grown hypocotyls. The corresponding gene of ilp1-1D encodes a protein homologous to the C-terminal region of mammalian GC binding factor. We demonstrate that this protein functions as a transcriptional repressor in vivo. The expression of all members of the CYCLINA2 (CYCA2) family was reduced in an ILP1 overexpressing line, and the mouse (Mus musculus) homolog of ILP1 repressed cyclin A2 expression in mouse NIH3T3 cells. T-DNA insertion mutants of ILP1 showed reduced polyploidy and upregulated all CYCA2 expression. Furthermore, loss of CYCA2;1 expression induces an increase in polyploidy in Arabidopsis. We demonstrate that this protein regulates endoreduplication through control of CYCA2 expression in Arabidopsis.
[Pubmed: 17012601]
| | 20. |
2006 Sep 26 |
Crystal structure of the galectin-9 N-terminal CRD from MUS musculus reveals basic mechanism of carbohydrate recognition.
Nagae M, Nishi N, Murata T, Usui T, Nakamura T, Wakatsuki S, Kato R
J Biol Chem. 2006 Sep 26; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
The galectins are a family of ss-galactoside-binding animal lectins with a conserved carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). They have a high affinity for small ss-galactosides, but binding specificity for complex glycoconjugates varies considerably within the family. The ligand recognition is essential for their proper function, and the structures of several galectins have suggested their mechanism of carbohydrate binding. Galectin-9 has two tandem CRDs with a short linker, and we report the crystal structures of mouse galectin-9 N-terminal CRD (NCRD) in the absence and the presence of four ligand complexes. All structures form the same dimer, which is quite different from the canonical 2-fold symmetric dimer seen for galectin-1 and 2. The ss-galactoside recognition mechanism in the galectin-9 NCRD is highly conserved among other galectins. In the apo form structure, water molecules mimic the ligand hydrogen bonds network. The galectin-9 NCRD can bind both N-acetyllactosamine (Galss1-4GlcNAc) and T-antigen (Galss1-3GalNAc) with the proper location of Arg64. Moreover, the structure of the N-acetyllactosamine dimer (Galss1-4GlcNAcss1-3Galss1-4GlcNAc) complex shows a unique binding mode of galectin-9. Finally, surface plasmon resonance assay showed that the galectin-9 NCRD forms a homophilic dimer not only in the crystal but also in solution.
[Pubmed: 16990264]
| | 21. |
2006 Sep 22 |
Neospora caninum detected in feral rodents.
Jenkins MC, Parker C, Hill D, Pinckney RD, Dyer R, Dubey JP
Vet Parasitol. 2006 Sep 22; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
The role of rodents in the epidemiology of neosporosis was investigated by assaying brain tissue of feral mice (Mus musculus) and rats (Rattus norvegicus) for Neospora caninum. Both mouse and rat brain tissue were extracted for total DNA, and subjected to two different N. caninum-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. A portion of brain tissue from the mice and rats were also assayed for N. caninum in gerbils or gamma-interferon gene knockout (KO) mice. Of the 105 feral mice tested, 10% were positive in the N. caninum-specific PCR assays. Of the 242 rats tested, 30% were positive in both assays. Although mice and rats had N. caninum by PCR testing, clinical signs of N. caninum infection were not observed nor were N. caninum parasites observed in gerbils or KO mice inoculated with the rodent brain tissue.
[Pubmed: 16997474]
| | 22. |
2006 Sep 6 |
Phylogenomics of the genus Mus (Rodentia; Muridae): extensive genome repatterning is not restricted to the house mouse.
Veyrunes F, Dobigny G, Yang F, O'brien PC, Catalan J, Robinson TJ, Britton-Davidian J
Proc Biol Sci. 2006 Sep 6; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
The house mouse (Mus musculus) is universally adopted as the mammalian laboratory model, and it is involved in most studies of large-scale comparative genomics. Paradoxically, this taxon is rarely the index species for evolutionary analyses of genome architecture owing to its highly rearranged karyotype. To unravel the origin and nature of this extensive repatterning genome, we performed a multidirectional chromosome painting study of representative species within the genus Mus. However, the latter includes four extant subgenera (Mus, Coelomys, Nannomys and Pyromys) between which the phylogenetic relationships remain elusive despite the numerous molecular studies. Comparative genomic maps were established using chromosome-specific painting probes of the laboratory mouse and Nannomys minutoides. Hence, by integrating closely related species within Mus, this study allowed us to: (i) unambiguously resolve for the first time the long-standing controversial phylogeny, (ii) trace the evolution of genome organization in the house mouse, (iii) track rearrangements that necessitated new centromere locations, i.e. formation of neocentromere or reactivation of latent centromeres, (iv) reveal an extremely high rate of karyotypic evolution, with a 10- to 30-fold acceleration which was coincidental with subgeneric cladogenesis and (v) highlight genomic areas of interest for high-resolution studies on neocentromere formation and synteny breakpoints.
[Pubmed: 17015352]
| | 23. |
2006 Sep 5 |
Immunocompetence does not correlate with resistance to helminth parasites in house mouse subspecies and their hybrids.
Goüy de Bellocq J, Porcherie A, Moulia C, Morand S
Parasitol Res. 2006 Sep 5; [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
A central point not yet elucidated in immuno-ecological studies is whether the different ways to assess the immune status of individuals are good indicators of parasite resistance of the host. We investigate the relationship between immunocompetence and the resistance/susceptibility phenotype of five strains of two European subspecies of the house mouse and their hybrids derived from natural populations. The assessment of immunocompetence was measured indirectly by the mass of the spleen and directly by the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) test. The resistance of each mouse strain to common helminths was previously determined by the distribution of parasite burdens obtained after experimental infection. We found no relationship between the resistance/susceptibility phenotype of strains and the level of PHA response or the size of the spleen. A significant negative correlation was found between residuals of log spleen mass (controlled for body mass) and PHA response, suggesting that these two components of immune function are not independent measures of defence against parasitism. We discuss the validity of these two techniques of measuring immunocompetence and emphasize the importance of taking into account the complexity of the immune system at structural and functional levels in understanding the component of selection attributable to parasitism in the evolution of immunocompetence.
[Pubmed: 16953444]
| | 24. |
2006 Sep |
A critical role for peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-alpha nuclear receptors in the development of cardiomyocyte degeneration and necrosis.
Pruimboom-Brees I, Haghpassand M, Royer L, Brees D, Aldinger C, Reagan W, Singh J, Kerlin R, Kane C, Bagley S, Hayward C, Loy J, O'Brien P, Francone OL
Am. J. Pathol. 2006 Sep;169(3):750-60.
Abstract
Peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha is a ligand-activated transcriptional factor that regulates genes involved in lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. PPAR-alpha activators, including fibrates, have been used to treat dyslipidemia for several decades. In contrast to their known effects on lipids, the pharmacological consequences of PPAR-alpha activation on cardiac metabolism and function are not well understood. Therefore, we evaluated the role that PPAR-alpha receptors play in the heart. Our studies demonstrate that activation of PPAR-alpha receptors using a selective PPAR-alpha ligand results in cardiomyocyte necrosis in mice. Studies in PPAR-alpha-deficient mice demonstrated that cardiomyocyte necrosis is a consequence of the activation of PPAR-alpha receptors. Cardiac fatty acyl-CoA oxidase mRNA levels increased at doses in which cardiac damage was observed and temporally preceded cardiomyocyte degeneration, suggesting that peroxisomal beta-oxidation correlates with the appearance of microscopic injury and cardiac injury biomarkers. Increased myocardial oxidative stress was evident in mice treated with the PPAR-alpha agonists coinciding with increased peroxisomal biomarkers of fatty acid oxidation. These findings suggest that activation of PPAR-alpha leads to increased cardiac fatty acid oxidation and subsequent accumulation of oxidative stress intermediates resulting in cardiomyocyte necrosis.
[Pubmed: 16936252]
| | 25. |
2006 Jun 03 |
Characterization of the human PAP1 gene and its homologue possible involvement in mouse embryonic development.
Shu KX, Wu LX, Xie YF, Zhao JF, Liang YL, Li B
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2006 Sep 1;52(1):22-30. Epub 2006 Jun 03.
Abstract
We have identified PAP1 gene, a novel member of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IGSF) from U251-pTet-p53 cell line, which carried a wild-type p53 transgene. The gene has been localised to chromosome 16p12-13. Alignment of the predicted protein sequence for Human, Pan troglodytes, Canis, Mus musculus and Gallus gallus revealed it was highly conserved. Its homologue, IGSF6, possible involves in mouse embryonic development. The presence of IGSF6 specific transcript was detected by Northern blot in the RNAs extracted from 11 to 14 day postconception. IGSF6 expression is different in mouse embryos of the different ages. In situ hybridization performed on mice embryos sections showed the differential presence of IGSF6 in developing lung and kidney. This structure and differential expression suggests a function involvement in embryonic development, perhaps involvement in cell proliferation.
[Pubmed: 16837177]
| | 26. |
2005 Dec 22 |
Cadmium and lead concentrations in Skrjabinotaenia lobata (Cestoda: Catenotaeniidae) and in its host, Apodemus sylvaticus (Rodentia: Muridae) in the urban dumping site of Garraf (Spain).
Torres J, Peig J, Eira C, Borrás M
Environ. Pollut. 2006 Sep;143(1):4-8. Epub 2005 Dec 22.
Abstract
The present study evaluates the parasitological model constituted by the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) and its intestinal cestode (Skrjabinotaenia lobata) as a potential bioindicator of Cd and Pb in the urban dumping site of Garraf near the city of Barcelona (Spain) and in Begues (reference site). Tissues and respective S. lobata specimens of 38 wood mice captured in Garraf and Begues were analyzed for Cd and Pb by means of ICP-MS. Higher cadmium levels in S. lobata were found only in respect to the muscular levels of their hosts. Nevertheless, lead levels were 8.5-, 53.2- and 81.4-fold higher in S. lobata than kidney, liver and muscle levels of A. sylvaticus from Garraf, respectively. Thus, the proposed model seems to be a promising bioindicator to evaluate environmental lead exposure in terrestrial habitats. In addition, all available data on lead bioaccumulation by cestode parasites of terrestrial mammals are generally discussed.
[Pubmed: 16376469]
| | 27. |
2006 |
Profiles of Novel Diurnally Regulated Genes in Mouse Hypothalamus: Expression Analysis of the Cysteine And Histidine-Rich Domain-Containing, Zinc-Binding Protein 1, The Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7 and the Gtpase, Ras-Like Family Member 11B
GERSTNER, HEYDEN, LAVAUTE, LANDRY
Neuroscience 2006;139(4):1435-1448.
Abstract
Gene expression profiling of suprachiasmatic nucleus, ventrolateral preoptic area and the lateral hypothalamus was used to identify genes regulated diurnally in the hypothalamus of Mus musculus. The putative transcription regulator, cysteine and histidine-rich domain-containing, zinc binding protein 1, which had not been previously described in brain, was found to cycle diurnally in hypothalamus and forebrain with peak levels of mRNA expression during the dark phase. mRNA for the brain-type fatty acid binding protein 7 was found to change rhythmically in hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic brain regions reaching peak levels early in the light phase suggesting that lipid metabolism is under circadian regulation in astrocytes.
[Pubmed: 16517089]
| | 28. |
2006 Oct 10 |
The development of the larval nervous system, musculature and ciliary bands of Pomatoceros lamarckii (Annelida): heterochrony in polychaetes
McDougall, Chen, Shimeld, Ferrier
Front Zool 2006 Oct 10;3:16. published online before print
Abstract
To understand the evolution of animals it is essential to have taxon sampling across a representative spread of the animal kingdom. With the recent rearrangement of most of the Bilateria into three major clades (Ecdysozoa, Lophotrochozoa and Deuterostomia) it has become clear that the Lophotrochozoa are relatively poorly represented in our knowledge of animal development, compared to the Ecdysozoa and Deuterostomia. We aim to contribute towards redressing this balance with data on the development of the muscular, nervous and ciliary systems of the annelid Pomatoceros lamarckii (Serpulidae). We compare our data with other lophotrochozoans.
[Pubmed: 17032451]
| | 29. |
2006 Oct 6 |
Insights into the evolution of the ErbB receptor family and their ligands from sequence analysis
Stein, Staros
BMC Evol Biol 2006 Oct 6;6:79. published online before print
Abstract
In the time since we presented the first molecular evolutionary study of the ErbB family of receptors and the EGF family of ligands, there has been a dramatic increase in genomic sequences available. We have utilized this greatly expanded data set in this study of the ErbB family of receptors and their ligands.
[Pubmed: 17026767]
| | 30. |
2006 Oct 4 |
Molecular phylogeny of the antiangiogenic and neurotrophic serpin, pigment epithelium derived factor in vertebrates
Xu, Zhang, Barnstable, Tombran-Tink
BMC Genomics 2006 Oct 4;7:248. published online before print
Abstract
Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF), a member of the serpin family, regulates cell proliferation, promotes survival of neurons, and blocks growth of new blood vessels in mammals. Defining the molecular phylogeny of PEDF by bioinformatic analysis is one approach to understanding the link between its gene structure and its function in these biological processes.
[Pubmed: 17020603]
| | 31. |
2006 Oct 3 |
The discovery of endogenous retroviruses
Weiss
Retrovirology 2006 Oct 3;3:67. published online before print
Abstract
When endogenous retroviruses (ERV) were discovered in the late 1960s, the Mendelian inheritance of retroviral genomes by their hosts was an entirely new concept. Indeed Howard M Temin's DNA provirus hypothesis enunciated in 1964 was not generally accepted, and reverse transcriptase was yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, the evidence that we accrued in the pre-molecular era has stood the test of time, and our hypothesis on ERV, which one reviewer described as 'impossible', proved to be correct. Here I recount some of the key observations in birds and mammals that led to the discovery of ERV, and comment on their evolution, cross-species dispersion, and what remains to be elucidated.
[Pubmed: 17018135]
| | 32. |
2006 Oct 3 |
Loss of imprinting at the Dlk1-Gtl2 locus caused by insertional mutagenesis in the Gtl2 5' region
Steshina, Carr, Glick, Yevtodiyenko, Appelbe, Schmidt
BMC Genet 2006 Oct 3;7:44. published online before print
Abstract
The Dlk1 and Gtl2 genes define a region of mouse chromosome 12 that is subject to genomic imprinting, the parental allele-specific expression of a gene. Although imprinted genes play important roles in growth and development, the mechanisms by which imprinting is established and maintained are poorly understood. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs), which carry methylation on only one parental allele, are involved in imprinting control at many loci. The Dlk1-Gtl2 region contains three known DMRs, the Dlk1 DMR in the 3' region of Dlk1, the intergenic DMR 15 kb upstream of Gtl2, and the Gtl2 DMR at the Gtl2 promoter. Three mouse models are analyzed here that provide new information about the regulation of Dlk1-Gtl2 imprinting.
[Pubmed: 17014736]
| | 33. |
2006 Oct 3 |
Evolution and origin of vomeronasal-type odorant receptor gene repertoire in fishes
Hashiguchi, Nishida
BMC Evol Biol 2006 Oct 3;6:76. published online before print
Abstract
In teleost fishes that lack a vomeronasal organ, both main odorant receptors (ORs) and vomeronasal receptors family 2 (V2Rs) are expressed in the olfactory epithelium, and used for perception of water-soluble chemicals. In zebrafish, it is known that both ORs and V2Rs formed multigene families of about a hundred copies. Whereas the contribution of V2Rs in zebrafish to olfaction has been found to be substantially large, the composition and structure of the V2R gene family in other fishes are poorly known, compared with the OR gene family.
[Pubmed: 17014738]
| | 34. |
2006 Oct |
The other pigment cell: specification and development of the pigmented epithelium of the vertebrate eye
Bharti, Nguyen, Skuntz, Bertuzzi, Arnheiter
Pigment Cell Res 2006 Oct;19(5):380-394.
Abstract
Vertebrate retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are derived from the multipotent optic neuroepithelium, develop in close proximity to the retina, and are indispensible for eye organogenesis and vision. Recent advances in our understanding of RPE development provide evidence for how critical signaling factors operating in dorso-ventral and distal-proximal gradients interact with key transcription factors to specify three distinct domains in the budding optic neuroepithelium: the distal future retina, the proximal future optic stalk/optic nerve, and the dorsal future RPE. Concomitantly with domain specification, the eye primordium progresses from a vesicle to a cup, RPE pigmentation extends towards the ventral side, and the future ciliary body and iris form from the margin zone between RPE and retina. While much has been learned about the molecular networks controlling RPE cell specification, key questions concerning the cell proliferative parameters in RPE and the subsequent morphogenetic events still need to be addressed in greater detail.
[Pubmed: 16965267]
| | 35. |
2005 Oct |
MITF and cell proliferation: the role of alternative splice forms
Bismuth, Maric, Arnheiter
Pigment Cell Res 2005 Oct;18(5):349-359.
Abstract
Recent studies show that the melanocyte transcription factor MITF not only activates differentiation genes but also genes involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, suggesting that it provides a link between cell proliferation and differentiation. MITF, however, comes in a variety of splice isoforms with potentially distinct biological activities. In particular, there are two isoforms, (-) and (+) MITF, that differ in six residues located upstream of the DNA binding basic domain and show slight differences in the efficiency with which they bind to target DNA. Using in vitro BrdU incorporation assays and FACS analysis in transiently transfected cells, we show that (+) MITF has a strong inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis while (-) MITF has none or only a mild one. The strong inhibitory activity of (+) MITF is not influenced by a number of mutations that modulate MITF’s transcriptional activities and is independent of the protein’s carboxyl terminus but dependent on its aminoterminus. A further dissection of the molecule points to the importance of an aminoterminal serine, serine-73, which in both isoforms is phosphorylated to comparable degrees. The results suggest that one or several aminoterminal domains cooperate with the alternatively spliced hexapeptide to render MITF anti-proliferative in a way that does not depend on direct E box binding.
[Pubmed: 16162175]
| | 36. |
2006 Sep 29 |
Identification of estrogen-regulated genes by microarray analysis of the uterus of immature rats exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals
Hong, Park, Choi, Leung, Jeung
Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2006 Sep 29;4:49. published online before print
Abstract
Environmental estrogenic compounds which bind to the estrogen receptor (ER) can block or alter endogenous functions of estrogen in reproductive and developmental stages. A microarray technology is a very valuable method for the prediction of hormone-responsive activities in various gene expressions. Thus, we investigated the altered gene expression by estrogen and endocrine disruptors (EDs) using microarray technology in the uterus of immature rats. In this study, the expression levels of only 555 genes (7.42%) among the 7636 genes spotted on microarray chips were enhanced by more than two-fold following treatment with estradiol (E2), suggesting that direct or rapid response to E2 is widespread at the mRNA levels in these genes. In addition, elevated expression levels of the genes (over 2-fold) were observed by diethylstilbestrol (DES; 9.01%), octyl-phenol (OP; 8.81%), nonyl-phenol (NP; 9.51%), bisphenol-A (BPA; 8.26%) or genistein (9.97%) in the uterus of immature rats. The expression levels of representative genes, i.e., calbindin-D9k (CaBP-9k; vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein), oxytocin, adipocyte complement related protein (MW 30 kDa), lactate dehydrogenase A and calcium binding protein A6 (S100a6; calcyclin), were confirmed in these tissues by real-time PCR. In addition, the mRNA levels of these genes by real-time PCR were increased at follicular phase when E2 level was elevated during estrous cycle of adult female rats. In conclusion, these results indicate distinct altered expression of responsive genes following exposure to E2 and estrogenic compounds, and implicate distinct effects of endogenous E2 and environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals in the uterus of immature rats.
[Pubmed: 17010207]
| | 37. |
2005 Mar |
Novel CACNA1S mutation causes autosomal dominant hypokalemic periodic paralysis in a Chinese family
Wang, Liu, Xu, Tang, Liao, Du, Li, Wu, Wang, Liu, Zhang, Zhu, Ren, Ke, Wang, Yang
J Mol Med 2005 Mar;83(3):203-208.
Abstract
Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP) is an autosomal dominant disorder which is characterized by periodic attacks of muscle weakness associated with a decrease in the serum potassium level. The skeletal muscle calcium channel α-subunit gene CACNA1S is a major disease-causing gene for HypoPP, however, only three specific HypoPP-causing mutations, Arg528His, Arg1,239His and Arg1,239Gly, have been identified in CACNA1S to date. In this study, we studied a four-generation Chinese family with HypoPP with 43 living members and 19 affected individuals. Linkage analysis showed that the causative mutation in the family is linked to the CACNA1S gene with a LOD score of 6.7. DNA sequence analysis revealed a heterozygous C to G transition at nucleotide 1,582, resulting in a novel 1,582C→G (Arg528Gly) mutation. The Arg528Gly mutation co-segregated with all affected individuals in the family, and was not present in 200 matched normal controls. The penetrance of the Arg528Gly mutation was complete in male mutation carriers, however, a reduced penetrance of 83% (10/12) was observed in female carriers. No differences were detected for age-at-onset and severity of the disease (frequency of symptomatic attacks per year) between male and female patients. Oral intake of KCl is effective in blocking the symptomatic attacks. This study identifies a novel Arg528Gly mutation in the CACNA1S gene that causes HypoPP in a Chinese family, expands the spectrum of mutations causing HypoPP, and demonstrates a gender difference in the penetrance of the disease.
[Pubmed: 15726306]
| | 38. |
2006 Sep 23 |
Analytical model of peptide mass cluster centres with applications
Wolski, Farrow, Emde, Lehrach, Lalowski, Reinert
Proteome Sci 2006 Sep 23;4:18. published online before print
Abstract
The elemental composition of peptides results in formation of distinct, equidistantly spaced clusters across the mass range. The property of peptide mass clustering is used to calibrate peptide mass lists, to identify and remove non-peptide peaks and for data reduction.
[Pubmed: 16995952]
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