Publications

selenium bioaccessibility assessment in selenized yeast after "in vitro" gastrointestinal digestion using two-dimensional chromatography and mass spectrometry.	in order to investigate the potentially bioavailable selenium-containing compounds in the selenized yeast candidate reference material seas 6, a two-dimensional (size exclusion-reversed phase) chromatography approach has been worked out. electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (esi q-tof ms) was then used for off-line identification of low molecular weigh selenocompounds generated during the gastrointestinal digestion. selenomethionine (semet) was the major compound identified in the gastrointesti ...	2006	16480727
jab1 is a specificity factor for e2f1-induced apoptosis.	the members of the e2f family of transcription factors are key regulators of genes involved in cell cycle progression, cell fate determination, dna damage repair, and apoptosis. many cell-based experiments suggest that e2f1 is a stronger inducer of apoptosis than the other e2fs. our previous work identified the e2f1 marked box and flanking region as critical for the specificity in e2f1 apoptosis induction. we have now used a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify proteins that bind the e2f1 marked ...	2006	16481464
a molecular dynamics approach to the structural characterization of amyloid aggregation.	a novel computational approach to the structural analysis of ordered beta-aggregation is presented and validated on three known amyloidogenic polypeptides. the strategy is based on the decomposition of the sequence into overlapping stretches and equilibrium implicit solvent molecular dynamics (md) simulations of an oligomeric system for each stretch. the structural stability of the in-register parallel aggregates sampled in the implicit solvent runs is further evaluated using explicit water simu ...	2006	16483608
a prospero-related homeodomain protein is a novel co-regulator of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha that regulates the cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase gene.	prox1, an early specific marker for developing liver and pancreas in foregut endoderm has recently been shown to interact with alpha-fetoprotein transcription factor and repress cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (cyp7a1) gene transcription. using a yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that prox1 strongly and specifically interacted with hepatocyte nuclear factor (hnf)4alpha, an important transactivator of the human cyp7a1 gene in bile acid synthesis and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck) gene in ...	2006	16488887
a selective block of nuclear actin export stabilizes the giant nuclei of xenopus oocytes.	actin is a major cytoskeletal element and is normally kept cytoplasmic by exportin 6 (exp6)-driven nuclear export. here, we show that exp6 recognizes actin features that are conserved from yeast to human. surprisingly however, microinjected actin was not exported from xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei, unless exp6 was co-injected, indicating that the pathway is inactive in this cell type. indeed, exp6 is undetectable in oocytes, but is synthesized from meiotic maturation onwards, which explains how a ...	2006	16489345
construction of a protease-deficient strain set for the fission yeast schizosaccharomyces pombe, useful for effective production of protease-sensitive heterologous proteins.	one of the major problems hindering effective production and purification of heterologous proteins from the fission yeast schizosaccharomyces pombe is proteolytic degradation of the recombinant gene products by host-specific proteases. as an initial solution to this problem, we constructed a protease-deficient disruptant set by respective disruption of 52 sz. pombe protease genes. functional screening of the resultant set was performed by observing secretory production of a proteolytically sensi ...	2006	16491466
molecular cloning and characterization of a novel 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate transporter, papst2.	sulfation is an important posttranslational modification associated with a variety of molecules. it requires the involvement of the high energy form of the universal sulfate donor, 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (paps). recently, we identified a paps transporter gene in both humans and drosophila. although human colonic epithelial tissues express many sulfated glycoconjugates, papst1 expression in the colon is trace. in the present study, we identified a novel human paps transporter gene ...	2006	16492677
comparative structural biology of the genome: nano-scale imaging of single nucleus from different kingdoms reveals the common physicochemical property of chromatin with a 40 nm structural unit.	genome function is closely linked to the higher-order chromatin structures. to reveal a structural basis for the interphase chromatin organization, the 'on-substrate' lysis procedure was applied to nuclei isolated from human hela cells, chicken erythrocyte cells and yeast schizosaccharomyces pombe, which possessed different intrinsic properties of the genomes such as histone composition and inter-nucleosomal distance. the isolated nuclei on a coverslip were successively treated with a detergent ...	2006	16495343
ribonucleic acid polymerase ii binding subunit 3 (rpb3), a potential nuclear target of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3.	igf-binding protein (igfbp)-3 has intrinsic antiproliferative and proapoptotic functions that are independent of igf binding and may involve nuclear localization. we determined that exogenous igfbp-3 rapidly translocates to myoblast nuclei and that a 22-residue peptide containing the metal binding domain (mbd) and nuclear localization sequence (nls) can similarly direct chimeric gfp into myoblast nuclei. furthermore, a non-igf-binding igfbp-3 mutant inhibited myoblast proliferation without stimu ...	2006	16455777
redox-regulated cochaperone activity of the human dnaj homolog hdj2.	the human dnaj homolog hdj2 is a cochaperone containing a cysteine-rich zinc finger domain. we identified a specific interaction of hdj2 with the cellular redox enzyme thioredoxin using a yeast two-hybrid assay and a coimmunoprecipitation assay, thereby investigating how the redox environment of the cell regulates hdj2 function. in reconstitution experiments with hsc70, we found that treatment with h2o2 caused the oxidative inactivation of hdj2 cochaperone activity. hdj2 inactivation paralleled ...	2006	16458196
trp channels in c. elegans.	the trp (transient receptor potential) superfamily of cation channels is present in all eukaryotes, from yeast to mammals. many trp channels have been studied in the nematode caenorhabditis elegans, revealing novel biological functions, regulatory modes, and mechanisms of localization. c. elegans trpv channels function in olfaction, mechanosensation, osmosensation, and activity-dependent gene regulation. their activity is regulated by g protein signaling and polyunsaturated fatty acids. c. elega ...	2006	16460289
scanning mutagenesis studies reveal multiple distinct regions within the human protein kinase c alpha regulatory domain important for phorbol ester-dependent activation of the enzyme.	while phorbol ester-binding sites within protein kinase c alpha (pkcalpha) have been identified and characterized utilizing fragments of the enzyme, it remains unclear whether additional regions within the enzyme may play an important role in its ability to be activated by phorbol ester. to examine this hypothesis, we generated 20 glutathione-s-transferase-tagged, v1-deficient, human pkcalpha holoenzyme constructs in which tandem six or 12 amino acid residue stretches along the full regulatory d ...	2006	16460753
construction and complementation of in-frame deletions of the essential escherichia coli thymidylate kinase gene.	this work reports the construction of escherichia coli in-frame deletion strains of tmk, which encodes thymidylate kinase, tmk. the tmk gene is located at the third position of a putative five-gene operon at 24.9 min on the e. coli chromosome, which comprises the genes pabc, yceg, tmk, holb, and ycfh. to avoid potential polar effects on downstream genes of the operon, as well as recombination with plasmid-encoded tmk, the tmk gene was replaced by the kanamycin resistance gene kka1, encoding amin ...	2006	16461678
in vivo functional assay of a recombinant aquaporin in pichia pastoris.	the water channel protein pvtip3;1 (alpha-tip) is a member of the major intrinsic protein (mip) membrane channel family. we overexpressed this eukaryotic aquaporin in the methylotrophic yeast pichia pastoris, and immunogold labeling of cellular cryosections showed that the protein accumulated in the plasma membrane, as well as vacuolar and other intracellular membranes. we then developed an in vivo functional assay for water channel activity that measures the change in optical absorbance of sphe ...	2006	16461705
long inverted repeats in eukaryotic genomes: recombinogenic motifs determine genomic plasticity.	inverted repeats are unstable motifs in a genome, having a causal relation to fragment rearrangements and recombination events. we have investigated long inverted repeats (lir) of > 30 bp in length in eukaryotic genomes to assess their contribution to genome stability. an algorithm was first designed for searching for lirs with < 2 kb internal spacers and >85% identity (degree of homology between repeat copies of a lir). there are much fewer lirs in yeast, fruitfly, pufferfish and chicken than i ...	2006	16466723
the effects of oral cardax (disodium disuccinate astaxanthin) on multiple independent oxidative stress markers in a mouse peritoneal inflammation model: influence on 5-lipoxygenase in vitro and in vivo.	disodium disuccinate astaxanthin ('rac'-dast; cardax) is a water-dispersible c40 carotenoid derivative under development for oral and parenteral administration for cardioprotection of the at-risk ischemic cardiovascular patient. in experimental infarction models in animals (rats, rabbits, and dogs), significant myocardial salvage has been obtained, up to 100% at the appropriate dose in dogs. the documented mechanism of action in vitro includes direct scavenging of biologically produced superoxid ...	2006	16466747
high expression of human carboxypeptidase m in pichia pastoris: purification and partial characterization.	carboxypeptidase m (cpm) is an extracellular glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol-anchored membrane glycoprotein, which removes the c-terminal basic residues, lysine and arginine, from peptides and proteins at neutral ph. cpm plays an important role in the control of peptide hormones and growth factor activity on the cell surface. the present study was carried out to clone and express human cpm in the yeast pichia pastoris in order to evaluate the importance of this enzyme in physiological and patholog ...	2006	16470308
formin proteins: purification and measurement of effects on actin assembly.	we describe methods for expressing and isolating formin proteins from a wide range of species and comparing quantitatively their effects on actin assembly. we first developed these procedures for purification of s. cerevisiae formins bni1 and bnr1 but have extended them to mammalian formins, including mouse mdia1 and mdia2 and human daam1. thus, the approach we describe should be universally applicable to the purification and analysis of formins from any eukaryote. formins expressed in yeast rat ...	2006	16472660
characterization of an arabidopsis inositol 1,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate 2-kinase (atipk1).	the metabolic pathway(s) by which plants synthesize insp6 (inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate) remains largely undefined [shears (1998) biochim. biophys. acta 1436, 49-67], while the identities of the genes that encode enzymes catalysing individual steps in these pathways are, with the notable exception of myo-inositol phosphate synthase and zmipk [shi, wang, wu, hazebroek, meeley and ertl (2003) plant physiol. 131, 507-515], unidentified. a yeast enzyme, scipk1, catalyses the synthesis of in ...	2006	16223361
recent advances in the research and development of human defensins.	human defensins are a family of cationic antimicrobial peptides with molecular weights of 4-5 kda, containing a conserved six disulphide-linked cysteine motif. during the last two decades a series of endogenous alpha- and beta-human defensins were discovered. they exhibit a broad range of antimicrobial properties and are thought to be ideal therapeutic agents because of their potential ability to circumvent the problems of acquired resistance often observed with other antimicrobial therapies. be ...	2006	16226346
osteoclasts direct bystander killing of cancer cells in vitro.	cytosine deaminase (cd) catalyzes the deamination of 5-fluorocytosine (5fc) to produce the highly toxic chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5fu). a unique feature of the cd/5fc enzyme/prodrug system is its ability to kill adjacent cells via bystander killing. bystander killing of cancer cells can be mediated by non-cancerous accessory cells transduced with the cd gene; one type of non-cancerous accessory cell found in primary bone cancer and breast cancer metastases to bone is the osteoclast. ...	2006	16139579
identification and characterization of novel igfbp5 interacting protein: evidence igfbp5-ip is a potential regulator of osteoblast cell proliferation.	insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (igfbp5) is a multifunctional protein, which acts not only as a traditional binding protein, but also functions as a growth factor independent of igfs to stimulate bone formation. it has been predicted that the intrinsic growth factor action of igfbp5 involves binding of igfbp5 to a putative receptor to induce downstream signaling pathways and/or nuclear translocation of igfbp5 to influence transcription of genes involved in osteoblast cell proliferat ...	2006	16269403
a direct interaction between the n terminus of adenylyl cyclase ac8 and the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2a.	although protein scaffolding complexes compartmentalize protein kinase a (pka) and phosphodiesterases to optimize camp signaling, adenylyl cyclases, the sources of camp, have been implicated in very few direct protein interactions. the n termini of adenylyl cyclases are highly divergent, which hints at isoform-specific interactions. indeed, the ca(2+)-sensitive adenylyl cyclase 8 (ac8) contains a ca(2+)/calmodulin binding site on the n terminus that is essential for stimulation of activity by th ...	2006	16258073
targeted induction of apoptosis by chimeric granzyme b fusion proteins carrying antibody and growth factor domains for cell recognition.	the serine protease granzyme b (grb) of cytotoxic lymphocytes efficiently induces apoptosis by direct activation of caspases and cleavage of central caspase substrates. we employed human grb as an effector function in chimeric fusion proteins that also contain the egfr ligand tgfalpha or an erbb2-specific single-chain antibody fragment (scfv) for selective targeting to tumor cells. grb-tgfalpha (grb-t) and grb-scfv(frp5) (grb-5) molecules expressed in the yeast pichia pastoris were bifunctional, ...	2006	16179940
sirtuin 1 (sirt1) sequence variation is not associated with exceptional human longevity.	the sir2/sirt1 gene has been demonstrated as regulating lifespan in many model organisms, including yeast, caenorhabditis elegans and rodents. these findings render the human homologue, sirt1, a very plausible candidate as a modifier of human life expectancy. we therefore sought to investigate whether common allelic variation in the sirt1 gene was associated with human longevity. five single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps), distributed across the entire gene, including the promoter region, were ...	2006	16257164
causes of oncogenic chromosomal translocation.	non-random chromosomal translocations are frequently associated with a variety of cancers, particularly hematologic malignancies and childhood sarcomas. in addition to their diagnostic utility, chromosomal translocations are increasingly being used in the clinic to guide therapeutic decisions. however, the mechanisms that cause these translocations remain poorly understood. illegitimate v(d)j recombination, class switch recombination, homologous recombination, non-homologous end-joining and geno ...	2006	16257470
the homologous putative gtpases grn1p from fission yeast and the human gnl3l are required for growth and play a role in processing of nucleolar pre-rrna.	grn1p from fission yeast and gnl3l from human cells, two putative gtpases from the novel hsr1_mmr1 gtp-binding protein subfamily with circularly permuted g-motifs play a critical role in maintaining normal cell growth. deletion of grn1 resulted in a severe growth defect, a marked reduction in mature rrna species with a concomitant accumulation of the 35s pre-rrna transcript, and failure to export the ribosomal protein rpl25a from the nucleolus. deleting any of the grn1p g-domain motifs resulted ...	2006	16251348
interactions between ehd proteins and rab11-fip2: a role for ehd3 in early endosomal transport.	eps15 homology domain (ehd) 1 enables membrane recycling by controlling the exit of internalized molecules from the endocytic recycling compartment (erc) en route to the plasma membrane, similar to the role described for rab11. however, no physical or functional connection between rab11 and ehd-family proteins has been demonstrated yet, and the mode by which they coordinate their regulatory activity remains unknown. here, we demonstrate that ehd1 and ehd3 (the closest ehd1 paralog), bind to the ...	2006	16251358
isolation and characterization of a transcriptional cofactor and its novel isoform that bind the deoxyribonucleic acid-binding domain of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma.	using the dna-binding domain (dbd) and hinge region of human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (ppar)-gamma as bait in yeast two-hybrid screen, we isolated partial cdna identical with that of the c terminal of kiaa1769. kiaa1769 encodes a 2080-amino acid protein (molecular mass, 231 kda) that was recently identified to interact with pparalpha and termed pparalpha-interacting cofactor 285 (here referred to as ppargamma-dbd-interacting protein 1 (pdip1)-alpha). pdip1 mrna was expressed in ...	2006	16239304
mutation p732l in human dna topoisomerase iibeta abolishes dna cleavage in the presence of calcium and confers drug resistance.	the anti cancer drug methyl n-(4'-(9-acridinylamino)-3-methoxy-phenyl) methane sulfonamide (mamsa) targets human dna topoisomerase iibeta. we report here the first selection with mamsa of resistant human topoisomerase iibeta. random mutagenesis of human dna topoisomerase iibeta cdna, followed by selection in yeast for resistance to mamsa, identified betap732l. this mutant was 10-fold less sensitive to mamsa and cross-resistant to other chemotherapeutic agents such as etoposide, ellipticine, meth ...	2006	16239602
hpr6 (heme-1 domain protein) regulates the susceptibility of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs.	cancer cells have varying levels of susceptibility to chemotherapeutic agents, and the proteins that direct drug susceptibility are promising targets for intervention in cancer. hpr6 (heme-1 domain protein)/pgrmc1 (progesterone receptor membrane component 1) is overexpressed in tumors, and hpr6 is the human homolog of a budding yeast damage resistance gene called dap1p. cells lacking dap1p are damage-sensitive, and we have found that inhibition of hpr6 expression by rna inhibition (rnai) increas ...	2006	16234411
a novel arf-binding protein (lzap) alters arf regulation of hdm2.	the tumour suppressor arf (alternative reading frame) is encoded by the ink4a (inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 4)/arf locus, which is frequently altered in human tumours. arf binds mdm2 (murine double minute 2) and releases p53 from inhibition by mdm2, resulting in stabilization, accumulation and activation of p53. recently, arf has been found to associate with other proteins, but, to date, little is known about arf-associated proteins that are implicated in post-translational regulation of ...	2006	16173922
cloning, distribution and up-regulation of the teleost fish mhc class ii alpha suggests a role for granulocytes as antigen-presenting cells.	the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) class ii alpha chain gene of the teleost fish gilthead seabream (sparus aurata), spau-daa, has been characterized. we cloned, sequenced and studied its polymorphism, before evaluating its expression in resting seabream leucocytes, tissues and tumor cells as well as in primed leucocytes. a complete allele was obtained by overlapping sequence fragments obtained by rt-pcr. the full-length spau-daa*101 comprises 1840 bp with a 5'-utr region of 84 bp, an orf ...	2006	16168483
aggregates of ultrafine particles impair phagocytosis of microorganisms by human alveolar macrophages.	we investigated whether exposure of alveolar macrophages to aggregates of ultrafine carbon particles affected subsequent phagocytosis of microorganisms. human alveolar macrophages were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage and exposed to aggregates of ultrafine carbon particles or diesel exhaust particles (dep) for 20 h before measurements of phagocytosis. the particle loads were estimated to be comparable to those of air pollution exposure with established health effects in humans. phagocytotic ac ...	2006	16171796
striatal neuronal apoptosis is preferentially enhanced by nmda receptor activation in yac transgenic mouse model of huntington disease.	huntington disease (hd), caused by expansion >35 of a polyglutamine tract in huntingtin, results in degeneration of striatal medium spiny neurons (msns). previous studies demonstrated mitochondrial dysfunction, altered intracellular calcium release, and enhanced nmdar-mediated current and apoptosis in cellular and mouse models of hd. here, we exposed cultured msns from yac transgenic mice, expressing full-length human huntingtin with 18, 72, or 128 repeats, to a variety of apoptosis-inducing com ...	2006	16165367
controlled gene activation and inactivation in the mouse.	the emergence of techniques that allow fine manipulation of gene expression in the mouse have changed the way biomedically relevant processes are studied, as they allow their analysis in the living animal. in addition, this has opened the possibility to generate animal models for several human diseases, which are useful both for understanding the disease' s physiopathological mechanisms and for the eventual evaluation of novel therapeutic approaches. many of the gene manipulation systems current ...	2006	16146733
sumo-1 modification of centrosomal protein hninein promotes hninein nuclear localization.	a centrosomal-associated protein, ninein is a microtubules minus end capping, centrosome position, and anchoring protein, but the underlying structure and physiological functions are still unknown. to identify the molecules that regulate the function of human ninein in centrosome, we performed yeast two-hybrid screen and isolated the sumo-conjugating e2 enzyme, ubc9, and sumoylation enhancing enzymes, including pias1 and piasxalpha, as binding partners of hninein. these interactions as well as t ...	2006	16154161
investigation of cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and estrogenic effects of the flame retardants tris-(2-chloroethyl)-phosphate (tcep) and tris-(2-chloropropyl)-phosphate (tcpp) in vitro.	the organophosphorus esters tris-(2-chloroethyl)-phosphate (tcep) and tris-(2-chloropropyl)-phosphate (tcpp) have been widely used as flame retardants and fire preventing agents, e.g. in polyurethane foams. we investigated the cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and estrogenic potentials of tcep and tcpp, using different in vitro models. cytotoxic effects were evaluated by neutral red uptake and genotoxicity with the alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay), both in v79 (hamster fibro ...	2006	16154716
transcriptional targets of hepatocyte growth factor signaling and ki-ras oncogene activation in colorectal cancer.	both ki-ras mutation and hepatocyte growth factor (hgf) receptor met overexpression occur at high frequency in colon cancer. this study investigates the transcriptional changes induced by ki-ras oncogene and hgf/met signaling activation in colon cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. the model system used in these studies included the dld-1 colon cancer cell line with a mutated ki-ras allele, and the dko-4 cell line generated from dld-1, with its mutant ki-ras allele inactivated by targeted dis ...	2006	16158056
fission yeast dss1 associates with the proteasome and is required for efficient ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis.	human dss1 associates with brca2, a tumour suppressor protein required for efficient recombinational dna repair, but the biochemical function of dss1 is not known. orthologues of dss1 are found in organisms such as budding yeast and fission yeast that do not have brca2-related proteins, indicating that dss1 has a physiological role independent of brca2. the dss1 orthologue in saccharomyces cerevisiae has been shown to associate with the 26 s proteasome and, in the present paper, we report that i ...	2006	16149916
development of a recombinant yeast assay to detect ah-receptor ligands.	endocrine systems of humans and animals are disturbed by dioxin-like compounds, which are ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr). it is important to determine the accumulation of dioxin-like compounds in the environment for maintenance of human health. in this study, we developed a new method for screening ligands of the ahr using a yeast hybrid system. reporter genes constructed by the insertion of dioxin response elements were integrated into his and lacz yeast genomes. then yeast was ...	2006	20021027
novel function of human adam15 disintegrin-like domain and its derivatives in platelet aggregation.	a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (adam) proteins are a family of multifunctional proteins containing disintegrin and metalloproteinase domains that perform both adhesive and proteolytic functions in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. adam15 is unique among these proteins in having an arg-gly-asp (rgd) motif in its disintegrin-like domain. this motif is known to interact with the integrin alphaiibbeta3 on platelets.	2007	16797059
differential effects of rgs proteins on g alpha(q) and g alpha(11) activity.	heterotrimeric g proteins play a pivotal role in gpcr signalling; they link receptors to intracellular effectors and their inactivation by rgs proteins is a key factor in resetting the pathway following stimulation. the precise gpcr:g protein:rgs combination determines the nature and duration of the response. investigating the activity of particular combinations is difficult in cells which contain multiples of each component. we have therefore utilised a previously characterised yeast system to ...	2007	16843638
pp2a-bgamma subunit and kcnq2 k+ channels in bipolar disorder.	many bipolar affective disorder (bd) susceptibility loci have been identified but the molecular mechanisms responsible for the disease remain to be elucidated. in the locus 4p16, several candidate genes were identified but none of them was definitively shown to be associated with bd. in this region, the ppp2r2c gene encodes the bgamma-regulatory subunit of the protein phosphatase 2a (pp2a-bgamma). first, we identified, in two different populations, single nucleotide polymorphisms and risk haplot ...	2007	16733521
improved yields of full-length functional human fgf1 can be achieved using the methylotrophic yeast pichia pastoris.	we have produced human fibroblast growth factor 1 (hfgf1) in the methylotrophic yeast pichia pastoris in order to obtain the large amounts of active protein required for subsequent functional and structural characterization. four constructs were made to examine both intracellular and secreted expression, with variations in the location of the his6 tag at either end of the peptide. hfgf1 could be produced from all four constructs in shake flasks, but production was optimized by growing only the h ...	2007	17134911
peroxisomedb: a database for the peroxisomal proteome, functional genomics and disease.	peroxisomes are essential organelles of eukaryotic origin, ubiquitously distributed in cells and organisms, playing key roles in lipid and antioxidant metabolism. loss or malfunction of peroxisomes causes more than 20 fatal inherited conditions. we have created a peroxisomal database (http://www.peroxisomedb.org) that includes the complete peroxisomal proteome of homo sapiens and saccharomyces cerevisiae, by gathering, updating and integrating the available genetic and functional information on ...	2007	17135190
cytoskeletal structures, ultrastructural characteristics and the capsule of the basidiomycetous yeast cryptococcus laurentii.	the cytoskeleton, capsule and cell ultrastructure were studied during the cell cycle of cryptococcus laurentii. in an encapsulated strain, cytoplasmic microtubules and a mitotic spindle were detected. mitosis was preceded by migration of the nucleus into the bud. f-actin failed to be visualised by rhodamine-phalloidin (rhph) in encapsulated cells and therefore an acapsular strain was used. the following actin structures were found: actin dots, actin cables and cytokinetic ring. ultrastructural s ...	2007	17136567
interaction of the ca2+-sensing receptor with the inwardly rectifying potassium channels kir4.1 and kir4.2 results in inhibition of channel function.	the ca(2+)-sensing receptor (car), a g protein-coupled receptor, is expressed in many epithelial tissues including the parathyroid glands, kidney, and gi tract. although its role in regulating pth levels and ca(2+) metabolism are best characterized, it may also regulate salt and water transport in the kidney as demonstrated by recent reports showing association of potent gain-of-function mutations in the car with a bartter-like, salt-wasting phenotype. to determine whether this receptor interact ...	2007	17122384
the nucleolar protein surf-6 is essential for viability in mouse nih/3t3 cells.	surf-6 is a bona fide nucleolar protein comprising an evolutionary conserved family that extends from human to yeast. the expression of the mammalian surf-6 has been recently found to be regulated during the cell cycle. in order to determine the importance of surf-6 in mammalian cells, we applied the tet-on system to regulate conditionally, in response to tetracycline, the expression of an antisense rna (asrna) that targets surf-6 mrna in mouse nih/3t3 cells. induced surf-6 asrna caused an effec ...	2007	17086444
a simple model system for age-dependent dna damage and cancer.	aging is the major risk factor for many human cancers. however, the mechanisms responsible for the effect of aging on tumor incidence are poorly understood, in part because few model systems are available to study age-dependent genomic instability. furthermore, the role of dna mutations in "normal aging" and "life span extension" is unclear. our laboratory has developed a novel method to study aging in yeast based on the survival of non-dividing populations (chronological life span). two major p ...	2007	17118426
internalization and molecular interactions of human cd21 receptor.	the human cd21 is a receptor for cleavage fragments of the third complement component and for epstein-barr virus. previous mutational studies showed that the cytoplasmic domain of cd21 is absolutely required for internalization of either ligand. with the exception of cd19, cd81, leu-13 and cd35 that can form a complex with cd21 at the cell surface, no other partner that interacts with the hcd21 transmembrane or the cytoplasmic domain was identified. we investigated the internalization capacity o ...	2007	17118449
the subcellular localisation of trypanosome rrp6 and its association with the exosome.	the exosome, a complex of 3'-exoribonucleases and associated proteins, is involved in the degradation of eukaryotic mrnas in the cytoplasm, and has rna processing and quality control functions in the nucleus. in yeast, the nuclear exosome differs from the cytoplasmic one in that it contains an additional non-essential component, rrp6p. in contrast, a small proportion of human rrp6 has been shown to localise to the cytoplasm as well. when we purified the trypanosoma brucei exosome from cytosolic ...	2007	17118470
esldb: eukaryotic subcellular localization database.	eukaryotic subcellular localization database collects the annotations of subcellular localization of eukaryotic proteomes. so far five proteomes have been processed and stored: homo sapiens, mus musculus, caenorhabditis elegans, saccharomyces cerevisiae and arabidopsis thaliana. for each sequence, the database lists localization obtained adopting three different approaches: (i) experimentally determined (when available); (ii) homology-based (when possible); and (iii) predicted. the latter is com ...	2007	17108361
conditional stimulation of type v and vi adenylyl cyclases by g protein betagamma subunits.	in a yeast two-hybrid screen of mouse brain cdna library, using the n-terminal region of human type v adenylyl cyclase (hacv) as bait, we identified g protein beta2 subunit as an interacting partner. additional yeast two-hybrid assays showed that the gbeta(1) subunit also interacts with the n-terminal segments of hacv and human type vi adenylyl cyclase (hacvi). in vitro adenylyl cyclase (ac) activity assays using membranes of sf9 cells expressing hacv or hacvi showed that gbetagamma subunits enh ...	2007	17110384
irreversible inhibition of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by the coenzyme a conjugate of ketoprofen: a key to oxidative stress induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs?	oxidative damage by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsaids) has been considered relevant to the occurrence of gastro-intestinal side-effects. in the case of chiral arylpropionate derivatives like ketoprofen (kpf), this mechanism has been evidenced for the r-enantiomer, especially when chiral inversion was observed, and lets us suppose the involvement of coa conjugates. glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (g6pd) is the crucial enzyme to regenerate the gsh pool and maintain the intracellular ...	2007	17094951
2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2h)-furanone (dmhf); antimicrobial compound with cell cycle arrest in nosocomial pathogens.	2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2h)-furanone (dmhf), an aroma compound found in a number of fruits and foods, has shown various biological properties in animal models, but its antimicrobial effect remains poorly understood. the current study investigated the antimicrobial effect of dmhf using human pathogenic microorganisms including clinically isolated antibiotics-resistant strains. the results indicated that dmhf exhibited broad spectrum antimicrobial activities in an energy-dependent manner without ...	2007	17097685
ubiquitin receptor proteins hhr23a and hplic2 interact.	ubiquitin receptor proteins play an important role in delivering ubiquitylated protein substrates to the proteasome for degradation. hhr23a and hplic2 are two such ubiquitin receptors that contain ubiquitin-like (ubl) domains, which interact with the proteasome, and ubiquitin-associated (uba) domains, which interact with ubiquitin. depending on their abundance ubl/uba family members can either promote or inhibit the degradation of other proteins, which suggests their participation in the deliver ...	2007	17098253
the amino-conserved domain of human cytomegalovirus ul80a proteins is required for key interactions during early stages of capsid formation and virus production.	assembly of many spherical virus capsids is guided by an internal scaffolding protein or group of proteins that are often cleaved and eliminated in connection with maturation and incorporation of the genome. in cytomegalovirus there are at least two proteins that contribute to this scaffolding function; one is the maturational protease precursor (pul80a), and the other is the assembly protein precursor (pul80.5) encoded by a shorter genetic element within ul80a. yeast gal4 two-hybrid assays esta ...	2007	17079329
the jmjn and jmjc domains of the yeast zinc finger protein gis1 interact with 19 proteins involved in transcription, sumoylation and dna repair.	the jumonji domain is a highly conserved bipartite domain made up of two subdomains, jmjn and jmjc, which is found in many eukaryotic transcription factors. the jmjc domain was recently shown to possess the histone demethylase activity. here we show that the jmjn and jmjc domains of the yeast zinc finger protein gis1 interact in a two-hybrid system with 19 yeast proteins that include the recq helicase sgs1, the silencing factors esc1 and sir4, the uri-type prefoldin bud27 and the pias type sumo ...	2007	17043893
purification and properties of glutathione reductase from liver of the anoxia-tolerant turtle, trachemys scripta elegans.	glutathione reductase (gr) is a homodimeric flavoprotein that catalyzes the reduction of oxidized glutathione (gssg) using nadph as a cofactor. the enzyme is a major component of cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative injury. in this study, gr was purified from the liver of the anoxia-tolerant turtle, trachemys scripta elegans. the overall fold purifications were 13.3- and 12.1-fold with final specific activities of 5.5 and 1.44 u/mg of protein for control and anoxic turtle gr, respective ...	2007	17075686
hpv-18 e7 conjugates to c-myc and mediates its transcriptional activity.	several reports in the literature have indicated that the e6 not only elevates the level of c-myc level but that the protein also associates with the myc complex and activates myc-responsive genes. there would seem to be a mechanism by which this oncogene can modulate cell proliferation and differentiation. furthermore, an increase in c-myc levels has also observed during ectopic expression of hpv e7 alone. using the yeast two-hybrid system, we further found that the c-myc interacts and forms a ...	2007	17070091
securin induces genetic instability in colorectal cancer by inhibiting double-stranded dna repair activity.	genetic instability (gi) is a hallmark feature of tumor development. securin, also known as pituitary tumor transforming gene (pttg), is a mitotic checkpoint protein which is highly expressed in numerous cancers, is associated with tumor invasiveness, and induces gi in thyroid cells. we used fluorescence inter-simple sequence repeat pcr to assess gi caused primarily by dna breakage events in 19 colorectal tumors. gi values ranged significantly, with dukes' stage c&d colorectal tumors exhibiting ...	2007	17071631
impact of transcriptional properties on essentiality and evolutionary rate.	we characterized general transcriptional activity and variability of eukaryotic genes from global expression profiles of human, mouse, rat, fly, plants, and yeast. the variability shows a higher degree of divergence between distant species, implying that it is more closely related to phenotypic evolution, than the activity. more specifically, we show that transcriptional variability should be a true indicator of evolutionary rate. if we rule out the effect of translational selection, which seems ...	2007	17057246
theoretical study of interactions between muscle aldolase and f-actin: insight into different species.	interactions of the glycolytic enzyme, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (aldolase), with f-actin may be one mechanism for the colocalization of glycolytic enzymes. examination of these interactions in different animal species tests this hypothesis by observing whether binding sites are conserved across species. brownian dynamics (bd) simulations provide descriptions of such protein-protein interactions with the muscle isoforms of zebra fish and human aldolase. the results are compared with pre ...	2007	17039493
chemical genomic profiling for identifying intracellular targets of toxicants producing parkinson's disease.	the yeast deletion collection includes approximately 4700 strains deleted for both copies of every nonessential gene. this collection is a powerful resource for identifying the cellular pathways that functionally interact with drugs. in the present study, the complete pool of approximately 4700 barcoded homozygous deletion strains of saccharomyces cerevisiae were surveyed to identify genes/pathways interacting with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (mpp(+)) and n,n-dimethyl-4-4-bipiridinium (paraquat) ...	2007	17043098
recombinant expression of human cathelicidin (hcap18/ll-37) in pichia pastoris.	the constitutive expression of human cathelicidin ll-37 antimicrobial peptide was achieved using the methylotrophic yeast, pichia pastoris. an ll-37 cdna clone was amplified by pcr using human fetal cdna library as template. the 111 bp fragment encoding mature ll-37 gene was subcloned into pgapz-e, an episomal form of the pgapzb vector incorporating pars1. it was then transformed into the p. pastoris x-33 strain for intracellular expression. a small peptide with a molecular mass of about 5 kda w ...	2007	17028774
rev1 enhances cag.ctg repeat stability in saccharomyces cerevisiae.	trinucleotide repeats (tnrs) frequently expand in certain human genetic diseases, often with devastating pathological consequences. tnr expansions require the addition of new dna; accordingly, molecular models suggest aberrant dna replication or error-prone repair synthesis as the sources of most instability. some proteins are currently known that either promote or inhibit tnr mutability. to identify additional proteins that help protect cells against tnr instability, yeast mutants were isolated ...	2007	16979389
inactive full-length p53 mutants lacking dominant wild-type p53 inhibition highlight loss of heterozygosity as an important aspect of p53 status in human cancers.	over 1000 different mutants of the tumor suppressor protein p53 with one amino acid change in the core domain have been reported in human cancers. in mouse knock-in models, two frequent mutants displayed loss of wild-type (wt) p53 function, inhibition of wt p53 and wt p53-independent gain of function. the remaining mutants have been systematically characterized for loss of wt p53 function, but not other phenotypes. we report the concomitant assessment of loss of function and interference with wt ...	2007	16861262
occurrence of estrogenic effects in sewage and industrial wastewaters in beijing, china.	estrogenic potencies of the effluents or water samples from wastewater treatment plants (wwtps), industries and hospitals and some receiving rivers in beijing city were estimated by using a human estrogen receptor recombinant yeast assay. estrogenic activity of industrial wastewaters was found to range from 0.1 to 13.3 ng eeq/l and decreased to the range of 0.03-1.6 ng eeq/l after treatment. estrogenic activity in wwtp influent ranged from 0.3 to 1.7 ng eeq/l and decreased to the range of 0.05-0 ...	2007	16872730
human rps19, the gene mutated in diamond-blackfan anemia, encodes a ribosomal protein required for the maturation of 40s ribosomal subunits.	diamond-blackfan anemia (dba) typically presents with red blood cell aplasia that usually manifests in the first year of life. the only gene currently known to be mutated in dba encodes ribosomal protein s19 (rps19). previous studies have shown that the yeast rps19 protein is required for a specific step in the maturation of 40s ribosomal subunits. our objective here was to determine whether the human rps19 protein functions at a similar step in 40s subunit maturation. studies where rps19 expres ...	2007	16990592
estrogenic activity associated with organochlorine compounds in fish extracts from european mountain lakes.	fish muscle extracts from ten european mountain lakes were analyzed for organochlorine compounds (ocs) and estrogenic activity, the latter by a recombinant yeast assay based on the human estrogen receptor. seventy percent of the samples showed estrogenic activity above detection limits and a subset of five samples showed estrogenic activities, equivalent to more than 10,000 pg/g of estradiol. these highly estrogenic samples occurred in two lakes, velké hinçovo in the tatra mountains and redon in ...	2007	16997436
prion and nonprion amyloids: a comparison inspired by the yeast sup35 protein.	yeast prion determinants are related to polymerization of some proteins into amyloid-like fibers. the [psi(+)] determinant reflects polymerization of the sup35 protein. fragmentation of prion polymers by the hsp104 chaperone represents a key step of the prion replication cycle. the frequency of fragmentation varies depending on the structure of the prion polymers and defines variation in the prion phenotypes, e.g., the suppressor strength of [psi(+)] and stability of its inheritance. besides [ps ...	2007	19164899
accentuate the negative: proteome comparisons using the negative proteome database.	the availability of complete genome sequence information for diverse organisms including model genetic organisms has ushered in a new era of protein sequence comparisons making it possible to search for commonalities among entire proteomes using the basic local alignment search tool (blast). although the identification and analysis of proteins shared by humans and model organisms has proven an invaluable tool to understanding gene function, the sets of proteins unique to a given model organism's ...	2007	18820470
mining a yeast library for brain endothelial cell-binding antibodies.	we describe the use of yeast surface display for the identification of antibodies that bind the plasma membranes of living cells. yeast panning with a nonimmune human single-chain antibody library identified 34 unique lead antibodies that bind (k(d) = 82 +/- 15 nm) and in some cases internalize into rat brain endothelial cells. in addition, we used a new yeast display immunoprecipitation procedure for initial characterization of the cognate antigens.	2007	17206151
a 40.7 kda rpp30/rpp1 homologue is a protein subunit of dictyostelium discoideum rnase p holoenzyme.	rnase p is an essential and ubiquitous endonuclease that mediates the maturation of the 5' ends of all precursor trna molecules. the holoenzyme from dictyostelium discoideum possesses rna and protein subunits essential for activity, but the exact composition of the ribonucleoprotein complex is still under investigation. bioinformatic analysis of d. discoideum genome identified seven open reading frames encoding candidate rnase p protein subunits. the gene named drpp30 encodes a protein with a pr ...	2007	17207566
identification and characterization of putative tumor suppressor ngb, a gtp-binding protein that interacts with the neurofibromatosis 2 protein.	mutations of the neurofibromatosis 2 (nf2) tumor suppressor gene have frequently been detected not only in schwannomas and other central nervous system tumors of nf2 patients but also in their sporadic counterparts and malignant tumors unrelated to the nf2 syndrome such as malignant mesothelioma, indicating a broader role for the nf2 gene in human tumorigenesis. however, the mechanisms by which the nf2 product, merlin or schwannomin, is regulated and controls cell proliferation remain elusive. h ...	2007	17210637
the effect of genetic background on the function of saccharomyces cerevisiae mlh1 alleles that correspond to hnpcc missense mutations.	germline mutations in the dna mismatch repair (mmr) gene mlh1 are associated with a large percentage of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancers. there are approximately 250 known human mutations in mlh1. of these, one-third are missense variants that are often difficult to characterize with regards to pathogenicity. we analysed 28 alleles of baker's yeast mlh1 that correspond to non-truncating human mutant alleles listed in online hnpcc databases, 13 of which had not been previously studied ...	2007	17210669
cloning and characterization of the ribosomal protein l3 (rpl3) gene family from triticum aestivum.	plant pathogenic fungi of the genus fusarium can cause severe diseases on small grain cereals and maize. the contamination of harvested grain with fusarium mycotoxins is a threat to human and animal health. in wheat production of the toxin deoxynivalenol (don), which inhibits eukaryotic protein biosynthesis, is a virulence factor of fusarium, and resistance against don is considered to be part of fusarium resistance. previously, single amino acid changes in rpl3 (ribosomal protein l3) conferring ...	2007	17216491
a systems approach to measuring the binding energy landscapes of transcription factors.	a major goal of systems biology is to predict the function of biological networks. although network topologies have been successfully determined in many cases, the quantitative parameters governing these networks generally have not. measuring affinities of molecular interactions in high-throughput format remains problematic, especially for transient and low-affinity interactions. we describe a high-throughput microfluidic platform that measures such properties on the basis of mechanical trapping ...	2007	17218526
a general amphipathic alpha-helical motif for sensing membrane curvature.	the golgi-associated protein arfgap1 has an unusual membrane-adsorbing amphipathic alpha-helix: its polar face is weakly charged, containing mainly serine and threonine residues. we show that this feature explains the specificity of arfgap1 for curved versus flat lipid membranes. we built an algorithm to identify other potential amphipathic alpha-helices rich in serine and threonine residues in protein databases. among the identified sequences, we show that three act as membrane curvature sensor ...	2007	17220896
relationship between mrna stability and length: an old question with a new twist.	the half-life of individual mrna plays a central role in controlling the level of gene expression. however, the determinants of mrna stability have not yet been well defined. most previous studies suggest that mrna length does not affect its stability. here, we show significant negative correlations between mrna length and stability in human and escherichia coli, but not in saccharomyces cerevisiae or bacillus subtilis. this finding suggests the possibility that endonucleolytic attacks by rna en ...	2007	17221301
atx1-like chaperones and their cognate p-type atpases: copper-binding and transfer.	copper is an essential yet toxic metal ion. to satisfy cellular requirements, while, at the same time, minimizing toxicity, complex systems of copper trafficking have evolved in all cell types. the best conserved and most widely distributed of these involve atx1-like chaperones and p(1b)-type atpase transporters. here, we discuss current understanding of how these chaperones bind cu(i) and transfer it to the atx1-like n-terminal domains of their cognate transporter.	2007	17225061
breast cancer-associated gene 3 (bca3) is a novel rac1-interacting protein.	bca3 was identified in a yeast two-hybrid screen as a novel rac1-interacting partner in osteoclasts. bca3 binds directly to rac and, in vivo, binds gtp-rac but not gdp-rac. perinuclear co-localization of bca3 and rac1 is observed in csf-1-treated osteoclasts. overexpression of bca3 attenuates csf-1-induced cell spreading. we conclude that bca3 regulates csf-1-dependent rac activation.	2007	17227220
some highlights of research on aging with invertebrates, 2006-2007.	the invertebrate model organisms continue to be engines of discovery in aging research. recent work with drosophila stem cells has thrown light on their human equivalents, and on the role of stem cells and their niches in the decline in fecundity with age. inspired by observations of aging in bacteria and yeast, a new theoretical study has revealed evolutionary forces that could favour asymmetry in the distribution of damaged cell constituents at division, and hence pave the way for the evolutio ...	2007	17725687
the dna polymerase gamma y955c disease variant associated with peo and parkinsonism mediates the incorporation and translesion synthesis opposite 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine.	mitochondrial dna is replicated and repaired by dna polymerase gamma (pol gamma), encoded by the polg gene. the y955c substitution in polg leads to autosomal dominant progressive external ophthalmoplegia (peo) with other severe phenotypes. peo patients with this mutation can further develop parkinsonism or premature ovarian failure. mouse and yeast models with this mutation show enhanced amounts of oxidative lesions and increased mtdna damage. in dna pol gamma, tyr955 plays a critical role in ca ...	2007	17725985
the checkpoint saccharomyces cerevisiae rad9 protein contains a tandem tudor domain that recognizes dna.	dna damage checkpoints are signal transduction pathways that are activated after genotoxic insults to protect genomic integrity. at the site of dna damage, 'mediator' proteins are in charge of recruiting 'signal transducers' to molecules 'sensing' the damage. budding yeast rad9, fission yeast crb2 and metazoan 53bp1 are presented as mediators involved in the activation of checkpoint kinases. here we show that, despite low sequence conservation, rad9 exhibits a tandem tudor domain structurally cl ...	2007	17726056
wide-scale analysis of human functional transcription factor binding reveals a strong bias towards the transcription start site.	transcription factors (tf) regulate expression by binding to specific dna sequences. a binding event is functional when it affects gene expression. functionality of a binding site is reflected in conservation of the binding sequence during evolution and in over represented binding in gene groups with coherent biological functions. functionality is governed by several parameters such as the tf-dna binding strength, distance of the binding site from the transcription start site (tss), dna packing, ...	2007	17726537
ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic control of sumo conjugates.	posttranslational protein modification with small ubiquitin-related modifier (sumo) is an important regulatory mechanism implicated in many cellular processes, including several of biomedical relevance. we report that inhibition of the proteasome leads to accumulation of proteins that are simultaneously conjugated to both sumo and ubiquitin in yeast and in human cells. a similar accumulation of such conjugates was detected in saccharomyces cerevisiae ubc4 ubc5 cells as well as in mutants lacking ...	2007	17728242
effect of suramin on the human pathogen candida albicans: implications on the fungal development and virulence.	candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that is of growing medical importance because it causes superficial, mucosal and systemic infections in susceptible individuals. here, the effect of suramin, a polysulfonated naphthylurea derivative, on c. albicans development and virulence was evaluated. firstly, it was demonstrated that suramin (500 microm) arrested its growth, showing a fungicidal action dependent on cell number. suramin treatment caused profound changes in the yeast ultrastructur ...	2007	17760875
sumo-targeted ubiquitin ligases in genome stability.	we identify the sumo-targeted ubiquitin ligase (stubl) family of proteins and propose that stubls selectively ubiquitinate sumoylated proteins and proteins that contain sumo-like domains (slds). stubl recruitment to sumoylated/sld proteins is mediated by tandem sumo interaction motifs (sims) within the stubls n-terminus. stubl-mediated ubiquitination maintains sumoylation pathway homeostasis by promoting target protein desumoylation and/or degradation. thus, stubls establish a novel mode of comm ...	2007	17762865
identification and functional characterization of ask/dbf4, a novel cell survival gene in cutaneous melanoma with prognostic relevance.	malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive and invasive metastatic tumors derived from melanocytes that have undergone malignant transformation by acquisition of genetic and epigenetic alterations. oligonucleotide microarray-based screening of distinct stages in the tumor progression model of cutaneous melanoma identified ask/dbf4, as a novel determinant for melanoma development. quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction-based confirmation of ask/dbf4 on a series of benign nevi, dys ...	2007	17768177
the morphogenetic regulator czf1p is a dna-binding protein that regulates white opaque switching in candida albicans.	czf1p has been demonstrated to regulate the switch between the yeast-cell morphology and filamentous morphologies of the human fungal pathogen candida albicans. the predicted amino acid sequence of czf1p contains a zinc-cluster motif similar to the dna-binding domains of proteins such as saccharomyces cerevisiae gal4p, suggesting that czf1p is a dna-binding protein. czf1p also demonstrates genetic interaction and a two-hybrid interaction with a second regulator of c. albicans cellular morphology ...	2007	17768232
mrna trafficking in fungi.	fungal growth depends on active transport of macromolecules along the actin and/or microtubule cytoskeleton. thereby, molecular cargo such as proteins, lipids, and mrnas is targeted to defined subcellular regions. active transport and localisation of mrnas mediate localised translation so that protein synthesis occurs where protein function is required. in saccharomyces cerevisiae, actomyosin-dependent mrna trafficking participates in polar growth, asymmetric cell division, targeting of membrane ...	2007	17768642
mutation in mouse hei10, an e3 ubiquitin ligase, disrupts meiotic crossing over.	crossing over during meiotic prophase i is required for sexual reproduction in mice and contributes to genome-wide genetic diversity. here we report on the characterization of an n-ethyl-n-nitrosourea-induced, recessive allele called mei4, which causes sterility in both sexes owing to meiotic defects. in mutant spermatocytes, chromosomes fail to congress properly at the metaphase plate, leading to arrest and apoptosis before the first meiotic division. mutant oocytes have a similar chromosomal p ...	2007	17784788
the u3 small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein component imp4p is a telomeric dna-binding protein.	imp4p is a component of u3 snornp (small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein) involved in the maturation of 18s rrna. we have shown that imp4p interacts with cdc13p, a single-stranded telomere-binding protein involved in telomere maintenance. to understand the role of imp4p in telomeres, we purified recombinant imp4p protein and tested its binding activity towards telomeric dna using electrophoretic mobility-shift assays. our results showed that imp4p bound specifically to single-stranded telomeric dna ...	2007	17803460
enzymatic and hemolytic activities of candida dubliniensis strains.	candida dubliniensis is an opportunistic yeast that has been recovered from several body sites in many populations; it is most often recovered from the oral cavities of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. although extensive studies on epidemiology and phylogeny of c. dubliniensis have been performed, little is known about virulence factors such as exoenzymatic and hemolytic activities. in this study we compared proteinase, hyaluronidase, chondroitin sulphatase and hemolytic activitie ...	2007	17823746
generation of a prophylactic melanoma vaccine using whole recombinant yeast expressing mart-1.	malignant melanoma is a potentially deadly form of skin cancer and people at high-risk of developing melanoma will benefit from effective preventive intervention. yeast can be used as an efficient vehicle of antigen loading and immunostimulation. saccharomyces cerevisiae is not pathogenic to humans and can be easily engineered to express specific antigens. in this study, we have developed a melanoma vaccine using a yeast-based platform expressing a full-length melanocyte/melanoma protein to inve ...	2007	17845213
purification and antimicrobial activity studies of the n-terminal fragment of ubiquitin from human amniotic fluid.	a 4.3-kda antimicrobial peptide was isolated from human amniotic fluid by dialysis, ultrafiltration, and c18 reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. this peptide, which we named amniotic fluid peptide-1 (afp-1), possessed antimicrobial activity but lacked hemolytic activity. in addition, afp-1 potently inhibited the growth of a variety of bacteria (escherichia coli, salmonella typhimurium, listeria monocytogenes and staphylococcus aureus), filamentous fungi (botrytis cinerea, aspe ...	2007	17669700
functional interactions between the forkhead transcription factor foxk1 and the mads-box protein srf.	the combinatorial control of gene expression by the association of members of different families of transcription factors is a common theme in eukaryotic transcriptional control. the mads-box transcription factors srf and mcm1 represent paradigms for such regulation through their interaction with numerous partner proteins. for example, in saccharomyces cerevisiae, mcm1 interacts with the forkhead transcription factor fkh2. here, we identify a novel interaction between srf and the forkhead transc ...	2007	17670796
highly efficient gene delivery for bladder cancers by intravesically administered replication-competent retroviral vectors.	in an attempt to improve viral delivery of potentially therapeutic genes via an intravesical route, we have recently developed murine leukemia virus-based replication-competent retrovirus (rcr) vectors.	2007	17671137