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All eukaryotes share a common nuclear infrastructure, in which DNA is packaged into nucleosomal chromatin. Its functional states, in particular the accessibility of the chromatin fiber to trans-acting factors, are determined by two classes of evolutionarily conserved enzymes, i.e. histone modifying enzymes and ATP-driven nucleosome remodeling machines. Browsing the annotated human genome database,...
We screened the recently established draft genome of the early chordate Ciona intestinalis for genes encoding cytoplasmic intermediate filament (IF) proteins. The draft of the tunicate/urochordate genome contains only the five genes (IF-A, IF-B, IF-C, IF-D and IF-F) previously established by cDNA cloning. Three of these IF proteins (IF-D, IF-C, IF-A) were shown to be orthologs of vertebrate IF subfamilies...
Myb domain proteins contain a conserved DNA-binding domain composed of one to four conserved repeat motifs. In animals, Myb proteins are encoded by a small gene family and commonly contain three repeat motifs (R1R2R3); whereas, plant Myb proteins are encoded by a very large and diverse gene family in which a motif containing two repeats (R2R3) is the most common. In contrast to the conservation in...
Although the molecular regulation of diapause remains largely unknown, there is an accumulation of data suggesting the involvement of heat-shock proteins in the expression of diapause or dormancy. However, Goto et al. [J. Insect Physiol. 44 (1998) 1009] reported that Drosophila triauraria does not express Hsp70 transcripts at normal temperatures, regardless of the diapause state. Here, we investigated...
The regulation of transcription of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a complex event of significant pathological relevance, which recapitulates general concepts of cellular transcription with some peculiarities. The viral promoter is embedded in a chromatin structure that exerts powerful repression on transcription; activation of gene expression relies on the combined activity of a series...
Sequences of 777 bp of mtDNA-ND5 locus were determined in order to shed light on the molecular systematics and evolution of the ''Apollo'' butterflies. Examined were nearly all of about 50 species of the genus Parnassius, together with seven species of the allied genera in the subfamily Parnassiinae (Papilionidae). The NJ and the MP phylogenetic trees show that the ''Apollos'' constitute a monophyletic...
Some MX proteins are known to confer a specific resistance against a panel of single-stranded RNA viruses. Many diseases due to such viruses are known to affect cattle worldwide, raising the possibility that the identification of an antiviral isoform of a bovine MX protein would allow the implementation of genetic selection programs aimed at improving innate resistance of cattle. With this potential...
Protein synthesis elongation factor 2 (eEF2) catalyzes the translocation of the peptidyl-tRNA from the A site to the P site of the ribosome. Most organisms encode a single EF2 protein and its activity is regulated by phosphorylation. We have identified a family of genes in Tetrahymena thermophila that encode proteins homologous to eEF2, yet are expressed only during sexual reproduction. These genes...
The phylogenetic position of the tribe Cychrini within the subfamily Carabinae (the family Carabidae) was estimated by comparing the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene and the nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The phylogenetic trees suggest that the Cychrini would most probably be the oldest line within the Carabinae. Phylogenetic trees were constructed...
A full-length cDNA sequence coding for Echinococcus granulosus thioredoxin peroxidase (EgTPx) was isolated from a sheep strain protoscolex cDNA library by immunoscreening using a pool of sera from mice infected with oncospheres. EgTPx expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST) exhibited significant thiol-dependent peroxidase activity that protected plasmid DNA from damage by...
The ectopic expression of the entire SEL1L cDNA significantly reduces the proliferate activity and aggressive behavior of the human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7. However, the mechanism responsible for this biological effect remains unclear. A study was initiated to define those regions within SEL1L conferring such antiproliferative properties. Here we report that the region between amino acid...
The serotonin receptor 1B gene (htr1B) has been suggested to be implicated in mental disorders in both humans and other species. We have isolated a canine bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone containing htr1B, revealed the coding and surrounding DNA sequence of canine htr1B and designed primer sets for genomic sequencing of the gene. A mutation scan in 10 dogs revealed five single nucleotide...
Pathogenesis and transmission of the prion disorders (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, TSEs) are mediated by a modified isoform of the prion protein (PrP). Prion protein gene (PRNP) alleles associated with relative susceptibility to TSE have been identified in sheep, humans and possibly elk. Comparable data have not been derived for mule deer, a species susceptible to the TSE chronic wasting...
We describe herein the cloning of a group of syntaxins in Limulus that are associated with the plasma membrane. Initially, multiple degenerate oligonucleotide primers (DOP) and probes were designed from sequences of known plasma membrane associated syntaxins. Combined experiments using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), colony hybridization and reverse dot blot yielded three...
Mutations in the ATRX gene cause a severe X-linked mental retardation syndrome that is frequently associated with α thalassemia (ATR-X syndrome). The previously characterized ATRX protein (~280 kDa) contains both a Plant homeodomain (PHD)-like zinc finger motif as well as an ATPase domain of the SNF2 family. These motifs suggest that ATRX may function as a regulator of gene expression, probably by...
Myo-inositol (inositol) monophosphatase (IMP), an enzyme which catalyzes the synthesis of free inositol from various inositol monophosphates, is encoded by a small multigene family in many organisms. The tomato IMP gene family encodes three IMP isoforms with identical in vitro biochemical properties. To determine the role of each tomato LeIMP gene in plant growth, we isolated the genomic DNA copies...
Messengers RNA (mRNA) are thought to be export from the nucleus as ribonucleoprotein complexes (mRNP), whose exact protein composition remains not completely determined. The Gle2/RAE1 protein, a highly conserved member of the WD40 repeat protein family, was first shown to be involved in mRNA export. More recently, a role in the cell cycle was also suggested. To get new insights into the functions...
The lack of functionally disrupting mutations of BRCA1 in sporadic breast tumours has suggested that other mechanisms, including dysregulation of gene expression, might be important in tumour development. We have analysed the control of expression of murine Brca1 and the adjacent gene, Nbr1, which lie head-to-head and are separated by less than 300 bp. Our results show that the expression of these...
Seven putative protease inhibitor (PPI) cDNAs, representing four protein families, were isolated from a grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf. Cv. Marsh) immature fruit flavedo cDNA library. Cloned open reading frames encoded proteins with similarity to, and protein signatures for: legume Kuntiz inhibitors (lkiL-1, lkiL-2, lkiL-3), potato trypsin inhibitor I (ptiIL-1), serpins (serpL-1), cystatins (cystL-1),...
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