Molecular Biology
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This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory. This is page number 2.
Monoallelic gene expression and mammalian evolution
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Monoallelic gene expression has played a significant role in the evolution of mammals enabling the expansion of a vast repertoire of olfactory receptor types and providing increased sensitivity and diversity. Monoallelic expression of immune receptor genes has also increased diversity for antigen recognition, while the same mechanism that marks a single allele for preferential rearrangement also provides a distinguishing feature for directing hypermutations. Random monoallelic expression of the X chromosome is necessary to balance gene dosage across sexes. In marsupials only the maternal X chromosome is expressed, while in...
Source: BioEssays - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Barry Keverne Tags: Review articles Source Type: journals
Thalidomide-induced limb defects: resolving a 50-year-old puzzleEmail this article to a colleague.
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Despite the recent discovery that thalidomide causes limb defects by targeting highly angiogenic, immature blood vessels, several challenges still remain and new ones have arisen. These include understanding the drug's species specificity, determining molecular target(s) in the endothelial cell, shedding light on the molecular basis of phocomelia and producing a form of the drug that is clinically effective without having side effects. Now that the trigger of thalidomide-induced teratogenesis has been uncovered, a framework is proposed, incorporating and uniting previous models of thalidomide action, explaining how thalido...
Source: BioEssays - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Neil Vargesson Tags: Challenges Source Type: journals
Thinking in continua: beyond the "adaptive radiation" metaphorEmail this article to a colleague.
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"Adaptive radiation" is an evocative metaphor for explosive evolutionary divergence, which for over 100 years has given a powerful heuristic to countless scientists working on all types of organisms at all phylogenetic levels. However, success has come at the price of making "adaptive radiation" so vague that it can no longer reflect the detailed results yielded by powerful new phylogeny-based techniques that quantify continuous adaptive radiation variables such as speciation rate, phylogenetic tree shape, and morphological diversity. Attempts to shoehorn the results of these techniques into categorical "adaptive radiation...
Source: BioEssays - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Mark E. Olson, Alfonso Arroyo-Santos Tags: Problems and paradigms Source Type: journals
Transcription-blocking DNA damage in aging: a mechanism for hormesisEmail this article to a colleague.
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Recent evidence from studies on DNA repair systems that are implicated in accelerated aging syndromes, have revealed a mechanism through which low levels of persistent damage might exert beneficial effects for both cancer prevention and longevity assurance. Beneficial effects of adaptive responses to low doses of insults that in higher concentrations show adverse effects are generally referred to as hormesis. There are numerous examples of hormetic effects ranging from mild stresses of irradiation to heat stress, hypergravity, pro-oxidants, or food restriction. Although the notion of hormesis is supported by many observati...
Source: BioEssays - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Björn Schumacher Tags: Problems and paradigms Source Type: journals
The Dictionary of Genomics, Transcriptomics, and ProteomicsEmail this article to a colleague.
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No Abstract.
Source: BioEssays - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro Tags: Book review Source Type: journals
Nature of methods in science: technology driven science versus science driven technologyEmail this article to a colleague.
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No Abstract.
Source: BioEssays - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Tags: Correspondence Source Type: journals
Coming next month:Email this article to a colleague.
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No Abstract.
Source: BioEssays - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Tags: Forthcoming Articles Source Type: journals
Abstracts from the Proceedings of the XXVII National Conference of CytometryEmail this article to a colleague.
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No abstract.
Source: Cytometry Part A - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: journals
1,1[prime or minute]-Binaphthyl-based imidazolium chemosensors for highly selective recognition of tryptophan in aqueous solutionsEmail this article to a colleague.
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Li Yang, Song Qin, Xiaoyu Su, Fei Yang, Jingsong You, Changwei Hu, Rugang Xie, Jingbo Lan
(Paper from Org. Biomol. Chem.)
Li Yang, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b908540h
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Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Li YangSong Qin Xiaoyu Su Fei Yang Jingsong You Changwei Hu Rugang Xie Jingbo Lan Source Type: journals
DASMiner: discovering and integrating data from DAS sourcesEmail this article to a colleague.
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Conclusions:
The support of the DAS protocol allows that hundreds of molecular biology databases to be treated as a federated, online collection of resources. DASMiner enables full exploration of these resources, and can be used to deploy applications and create integrated views of biological systems using the information deposited in DAS repositories.
Source: BMC Systems Biology - Latest articles - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Diogo VeigaHelena DeusCaner AkdemirAna Tereza VasconcelosJonas Almeida Source Type: journals
Identification of an exonic splicing silencer in exon 6A of the human VEGF geneEmail this article to a colleague.
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Conclusion:
This work establishes the identity of cis sequences that regulate alternative VEGFsplicing and dictate the relative expression levels of VEGF isoforms.
Source: BMC Molecular Biology - Latest articles - November 17, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Rui WangRonald CrystalNeil Hackett Source Type: journals
Linear model for fast background subtraction in oligonucleotide microarraysEmail this article to a colleague.
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Conclusions:
The algorithm has been tested on 360 GeneChips from publicly available data of recent expression experiments. The algorithm is fast and accurate. Strong correlations between the fitted values for different experiments as well as between the free-energy parameters and their counterparts in aqueous solution indicate that our model captures a significant part of the underlying physical chemistry.
Source: Algorithms for Molecular Biology - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: K Myriam KrollGerard BarkemaEnrico Carlon Source Type: journals
Genetic evidence for a role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mph1 in recombinational DNA repair under replicative stressEmail this article to a colleague.
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We describe a synthetic growth defect of an mph1 deletion if combined with an srs2 deletion that can result - depending on the genetic background - in synthetic lethality. The lethality is suppressed by mutations in homologous recombination (rad51, rad52, rad55, rad57) and in the DNA damage checkpoint (rad9, rad24, rad17). Importantly, rad54 and mph1, epistatic for damage sensitivity, are subadditive for spontaneous mutator phenotype. Therefore, Mph1 could be placed at the Rad51-mediated strand invasion process, with a function distinct from Rad54. Moreover, siz1 mutation is viable with mph1 and additive for DNA damage sen...
Source: Yeast - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Evandro Rocco Panico, Christopher Ede, Michael Schildmann, Kirsten Anke Schürer, Wilfried Kramer Source Type: journals
Random network behaviour of protein structuresEmail this article to a colleague.
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K. V. Brinda, Saraswathi Vishveshwara, Smitha Vishveshwara
(Paper from Mol. BioSyst.)
K. V. Brinda, Mol. BioSyst., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b903019k
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Source: RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: K. V. BrindaSaraswathi Vishveshwara Smitha Vishveshwara Source Type: journals
Expansion of the mycobacterial "PUPylome"Email this article to a colleague.
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Jeramie Watrous, Kristin Burns, Wei-Ting Liu, Anand Patel, Vivian Hook, Vineet Bafna, Clifton E. Barry 3rd, Steve Bark, Pieter C. Dorrestein
(Paper from Mol. BioSyst.)
Jeramie Watrous, Mol. BioSyst., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b916104j
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Source: RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Jeramie WatrousKristin Burns Wei-Ting Liu Anand Patel Vivian Hook Vineet Bafna Clifton E. Barry 3rd Steve Bark Pieter C. Dorrestein Source Type: journals
Synthesis and room temperature photo-induced electron transfer in biologically active bis(terpyridine)ruthenium(ii)-cytochrome c bioconjugates and the effect of solvents on the bioconjugation of cytochrome cEmail this article to a colleague.
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Joshua R. Peterson, Trevor A. Smith, Pall Thordarson
(Paper from Org. Biomol. Chem.)
Joshua R. Peterson, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b919289a
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Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Joshua R. PetersonTrevor A. Smith Pall Thordarson Source Type: journals
Epimeric and amino disaccharide analogs as probes of an [small alpha]-(1[rightward arrow]6)-mannosyltransferase involved in mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan biosynthesisEmail this article to a colleague.
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Pui Hang Tam, Todd L. Lowary
(Paper from Org. Biomol. Chem.)
Pui Hang Tam, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b916580k
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Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Pui Hang TamTodd L. Lowary Source Type: journals
Water-solubilised BF2-chelated tetraarylazadipyrromethenesEmail this article to a colleague.
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Mariusz Tasior, Julie Murtagh, Daniel O. Frimannsson, Shane O. McDonnell, Donal F. O'Shea
(Communication from Org. Biomol. Chem.)
Mariusz Tasior, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b919546g
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Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Mariusz TasiorJulie Murtagh Daniel O. Frimannsson Shane O. McDonnell Donal F. O'Shea Source Type: journals
Impregnated copper on magnetite: an efficient and green catalyst for the multicomponent preparation of propargylamines under solvent free conditionsEmail this article to a colleague.
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Maria J. Aliaga, Diego J. Ramon, Miguel Yus
(Communication from Org. Biomol. Chem.)
Maria J. Aliaga, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b917923b
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Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Maria J. AliagaDiego J. Ramon Miguel Yus Source Type: journals
Ribosomal protein L10 is encoded in the mitochondrial genome of many land plants and green algaeEmail this article to a colleague.
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Conclusions:
Despite the fact that there are now over 20 mitochondrial genome sequences for land plants and green algae, this gene has remained unidentified and largely undetected until now because of the unlikely coincidence that most of the earlier sequences were from the few lineages that lack the intact gene. These results illustrate the power of comparative sequencing to identify novel genomic features.
Source: BMC Evolutionary Biology - Latest articles - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Jeffrey MowerLinda Bonen Source Type: journals
Splitting statistical potentials into meaningful scoring functions: Testing the prediction of near-native structures from decoy conformations.Email this article to a colleague.
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Conclusions:
We have introduced a method to split knowledge-based potentials and to solve the problem of defining a reference state. The new scores have detected near-native structures as accurately as state-of-art methods and have been successful to identify wrongly modeled regions of many near-native conformations.
Source: BMC Structural Biology - Latest articles - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Patrick AloyBaldo Oliva Source Type: journals
Network analysis of the transcriptional pattern of young and old cells of Escherichia coli during lag phaseEmail this article to a colleague.
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Conclusion:
Network analysis revealed very different transcriptional activities during the lag period in old and young cells. Rejuvenation seems to take place during exponential growth by replicative dilution of old cellular components.
Source: BMC Systems Biology - Latest articles - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Carmen PinMatthew RolfeMarina Munoz-CuevasJay HintonMichael PeckNicholas WaltonJozsef Baranyi Source Type: journals
p53-based Anti-cancer Therapies: an Empty Promise?Email this article to a colleague.
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Since its discovery in 1979, p53 has become the focus of intensive cancer-based research in laboratories around the world. The p53 protein mediates critical cellular functions including the response to genotoxic stress, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis, and has been shown to be mutated in a large proportion of human cancers. These observations led many to speculate that targeting the p53 pathway would result in the development of successful anti-cancer treatments. In spite of this, 30 years later, p53 has yet to fulfill this promise. However, new insights into small molecule combination therapies, microRNA re...
Source: Current Issues in Molecular Biology - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Desilet N, Campbell TN, Choy FY Tags: Curr Issues Mol Biol Source Type: journals
Linear model for fast background subtraction in oligonucleotide microarrays.Email this article to a colleague.
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CONCLUSIONS: The algorithm has been tested on 360 GeneChips from publicly available data of recent expression experiments. The algorithm is fast and accurate. Strong correlations between the fitted values for different experiments as well as between the free-energy parameters and their counterparts in aqueous solution indicate that our model captures a significant part of the underlying physical chemistry.
PMID: 19917117 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Algorithms for Molecular Biology : AMB - November 16, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kroll KM, Barkema GT, Carlon E Tags: Algorithms Mol Biol Source Type: journals
Connective tissue growth factor is induced in bleomycin-induced skin scleroderma.Email this article to a colleague.
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In this report, we use an antibody recognizing CCN2 to assess the cell types in mouse dermis which express CCN2 in the bleomycin model of skin scleroderma. Control (PBS injected) and fibrotic (bleomycin-injected) dermis was examined for CCN2, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) (to detect myofibroblasts), and NG2 (to detect pericytes) expression. Consistent with previously published data, CCN2 expression was largely absent in the dermis of control mice. However, upon exposure to bleomycin, CCN2 was observed in the dermis. Cells that expressed CCN2 were alpha-SMA-expressing myofibroblasts. Approximately 85% of myofibrobla...
Source: Journal of Cell Communication and Signaling - November 15, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Liu S, Taghavi R, Leask A Tags: J Cell Commun Signal Source Type: journals
WNT5A mutations in patients with autosomal dominant Robinow syndromeEmail this article to a colleague.
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Robinow syndrome is a skeletal dysplasia with both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance patterns. It is characterized by short stature, limb shortening, genital hypoplasia, and craniofacial abnormalities. The etiology of dominant Robinow syndrome is unknown; however, the phenotypically more severe autosomal recessive form of Robinow syndrome has been associated with mutations in the orphan tyrosine kinase receptor, ROR2, which has recently been identified as a putative WNT5A receptor. Here, we show that two different missense mutations in WNT5A, which result in amino acid substitutions of highly conserved...
Source: Developmental Dynamics - November 14, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Anthony D. Person, Soraya Beiraghi, Christine M. Sieben, Spencer Hermanson, Ann N. Neumann, Mara E. Robu, J. Robert Schleiffarth, Charles J. Billington Jr, Hans van Bokhoven, Jeannette M. Hoogeboom, Juliana F. Mazzeu, Anna Petryk, Lisa A. Schimmenti, Han Source Type: journals
Statins enhance peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α activity to regulate energy metabolismEmail this article to a colleague.
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In this study, we found that statins reduced the active form of Akt and enhanced
PGC-1α activity. Specifically, statins failed to activate an S571A mutant of PGC-1α. The activation of PGC-1α by statins selectively
enhanced the expression of energy metabolizing enzymes and regulators including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor
α, acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1A, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4. Importantly, a constitutively
active form of Akt partially reduced the statin-enhanced gene expression. Our study thus provides a plausible mechanistic
explanation for the hypolipidemic effe...
Source: Journal of Molecular Medicine - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Tags: Journal of Molecular Medicine Source Type: journals
Total synthesis of LeA-LacNAc pentasaccharide as a ligand for Clostridium difficile toxin AEmail this article to a colleague.
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Ping Zhang, Kenneth Ng, Chang-Chun Ling
(Paper from Org. Biomol. Chem.)
Ping Zhang, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/b914193f
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Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ping ZhangKenneth Ng Chang-Chun Ling Source Type: journals
DG-AMMOS: A New tool to generate 3D conformation of small molecules using Distance Geometry and Automated Molecular Mechanics Optimization for in silico Screening.Email this article to a colleague.
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Conclusions:
DG-AMMOS provides fast, automated and reliable access to the generation of 3D conformation of small molecules and facilitates the preparation of a compound collection prior to high-throughput virtual screening computations. The validation of DG-AMMOS on several different datasets proves that generated structures are generally of equal quality or sometimes better than structures obtained by other tested methods.
Source: BMC Chemical Biology - Latest articles - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: David LagorceTania PenchevaBruno VilloutreixMaria Miteva Source Type: journals
The sterol carrier protein 2/3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase (SCPx) is involved in cholesterol uptake in the midgut of Spodoptera litura: gene cloning, expression, localization and functional analysesEmail this article to a colleague.
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Conclusion:
Spatial and temporal expression pattern of this SlSCPx gene during the larval developmental stages of S. litura showed its specific association with the midgut at the feeding stage. Over-expression of this gene increased cholesterol uptake and interference of its transcript decreased cholesterol uptake and delayed the larval to pupal metamorphosis. All of these results taken together suggest that this midgut-specific SlSCPx gene is important for cholesterol uptake and normal development in S. litura.
Source: BMC Molecular Biology - Latest articles - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Xing-Rong GuoSi-Chun ZhengLin LiuQi-Li Feng Source Type: journals
Pachymic acid inhibits cell growth and modulates arachidonic acid metabolism in nonsmall cell lung cancer A549 cellsEmail this article to a colleague.
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In this study, we examined the effect of PA on the proliferation of human nonsmall cell lung cancer A549 cells. Furthermore, we investigated the influences of nontoxic levels of PA on AA metabolism. Additionally, the cellular events and signal transduction pathways influenced by PA were also examined. Our results showed that PA (1) inhibited anchorage-dependent and -independent A549 growth in a concentration-dependent manner, (2) induced apoptosis and disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential in A549 cells, and at nonlethal levels, (3) decreased IL-1[beta]-induced activation of cPLA2 and COX-2, (4) suppressed IL-1[beta]-i...
Source: Molecular Carcinogenesis - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Hui Ling, Xiaobin Jia, Yaochun Zhang, Leslie A. Gapter, Yin-shan Lim, Rajesh Agarwal, Ka-yun Ng Source Type: journals
Visualization of myelination in GFP-transgenic zebrafishEmail this article to a colleague.
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The insulation of axons in the vertebrate nervous system by myelin is essential for efficient axonal conduction. Myelination disruption and remyelination failure can cause human diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and hereditary myelin diseases. However, despite progress in understanding myelination regulation, many important questions remain unanswered. To investigate the mechanisms underlying myelination in vivo, we generated transgenic zebrafish expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under the control of the mbp promoter. This transgenic fish displayed faithful EGFP expression in oligodendrocytes and Schw...
Source: Developmental Dynamics - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Seung-Hyun Jung, Suhyun Kim, Ah-Young Chung, Hyun-Taek Kim, Ju-Hoon So, Jaeho Ryu, Hae-Chul Park, Cheol-Hee Kim Source Type: journals
A migratory role for EphrinB ligands in avian epicardial mesothelial cellsEmail this article to a colleague.
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Little is known about the molecules that mediate the attachment of proepicardial cells to the heart. Ephrins are cell surface ligands for Eph tyrosine kinase receptors, molecules known to play a role in cell adhesion and migration. Here, we detected EphrinB ligands in proepicardial and epicardial mesothelial cells (EMCs) using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, immunolocalization, and EphB-Fc binding. Aggregated EphB-Fc fragments clustered ephrinB1 ligands on living EMCs indicating that they are cell surface expressed. In vitro assays demonstrated that ephrinB ligands participate in EMC migrat...
Source: Developmental Dynamics - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Sonia M. Wengerhoff, Amy R. Weiss, Kathryn L. Dwyer, Robert W. Dettman Source Type: journals
Sinusoid development and morphogenesis may be stimulated by VEGF-Flk-1 signaling during fetal mouse liver developmentEmail this article to a colleague.
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Early morphogenesis of hepatic sinusoids was histochemically and experimentally analyzed, and the importance of VEGF-Flk-1 signaling in the vascular development was examined during murine liver organogenesis. FITC-gelatin injection experiments into young murine fetuses demonstrated that all primitive sinusoidal structures were confluent with portal and central veins, suggesting that hepatic vessel development may occur via angiogenesis. At 12.5-14.5 days of gestation, VEGF receptors designated Flk-1, especially their mature form, were highly expressed in endothelial cells of primitive sinusoidal structures and highly phosp...
Source: Developmental Dynamics - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Yoshinori Sugiyama, Yurie Takabe, Takashi Nakakura, Shigeyasu Tanaka, Toru Koike, Nobuyoshi Shiojiri Source Type: journals
Fusion of uniluminal vascular spheroids: A model for assembly of blood vesselsEmail this article to a colleague.
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We evaluated the self-assembly properties of uniluminal vascular spheroids having outer layers of vascular smooth muscle cells and a contiguous inner layer of endothelial cells lining a central lumen. We showed that while pairs of uniluminal vascular spheroids suspended in culture medium fused to form a larger diameter spheroidal structure, spheroids in collagen hydrogels formed elongated structures. These findings highlight the potential use of uniluminal vascular spheroids as modules to engineer blood vessels. We also demonstrate that uniluminal vascular spheroid fusion conforms to models describing the coalescence of li...
Source: Developmental Dynamics - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Paul A. Fleming, W. Scott Argraves, Carmine Gentile, Adrian Neagu, Gabor Forgacs, Christopher J. Drake Source Type: journals
Dynamic regulation of glutamate decarboxylase 67 gene expression by alternative promoters and splicing during rat testis maturation.Email this article to a colleague.
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Glutamate decarboxylase produces GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in adult mammalian brain. Two homologous forms of GAD encoded by separate genes have been identified in mammalian brain, with molecular weight of 67 kDa (GAD67) and 65 kDa (GAD65). Here, we studied the transcriptional regulation of GAD67. Three transcript variants (GAD67A, GAD67B, and GAD67C) transcribed from distinct categories of transcriptional start sites were identified. RT-PCR revealed these transcripts have distinct tissues distributions. Though GAD67A and GAD67B were co-expressed in brain and many nonneural tissues, in heart, only GAD67...
Source: Molecular Biology Reports - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Liu H, Zhang Y, Li S, Yan Y, Li Y Tags: Mol Biol Rep Source Type: journals
Spontaneous Mirror Symmetry Breaking in the Aldol Reaction and its Potential Relevance in Prebiotic Chemistry.Email this article to a colleague.
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The origin of the single chirality of most biomolecules is still a great puzzle. Carbohydrates could form in the formose reaction, which is proposed to be autocatalytic and contains aldol reaction steps. Based on our earlier observation of organoautocatalysis and spontaneous enantioenrichment in absence of deliberate chiral influences in the aldol reaction of acetone and p-nitrobenzaldehyde we suggest that a similar effect might be present also in the aldol reactions involved in gluconeogenesis. Herein we show that reactant precipitation observed in our earlier reported experiments does not affect the asymmetric autoca...
Source: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Mauksch M, Wei S, Freund M, Zamfir A, Tsogoeva SB Tags: Orig Life Evol Biosph Source Type: journals
Imitating Prebiotic Homochirality on Earth.Email this article to a colleague.
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We show how the amino acids needed on prebiotic earth in their homochiral L form can be produced by a reaction of L-alpha-methyl amino acids-that have been identified in the Murchison meteorite-with alpha-keto acids under credible prebiotic conditions. When they are simply heated together they perform a process of decarboxylative transamination but with almost no chiral transfer, and that in the wrong direction, producing D-amino acids from the L-alpha-methyl amino acids. With copper ion a square planar complex with two of the reaction intermediates is formed, and now there is the desired L to L transformation, produci...
Source: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Breslow R, Levine M, Cheng ZL Tags: Orig Life Evol Biosph Source Type: journals
Homochirality in Life: Two Equal Runners, One Tripped.Email this article to a colleague.
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Strong arguments can be found in the literature addressed to the question of the origin of homochirality in life, supporting the hypothesis that primordial life could have evolved in both homochiral forms and that early on when life was still rarely found, random events led to the survival of only one of these living mirror images. This proposal is an alternative to the generally accepted view that small enantiomeric excesses of biologically important molecules were amplified to homochirality prior to life's origin. Acceptance of the possibility of "two equal runners" leads to the importance of research investigations ...
Source: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Green MM, Jain V Tags: Orig Life Evol Biosph Source Type: journals
Homochirality and the Need for Energy.Email this article to a colleague.
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The mechanisms for explaining how a stable asymmetric chemical system can be formed from a symmetric chemical system, in the absence of any asymmetric influence other than statistical fluctuations, have been developed during the last decades, focusing on the non-linear kinetic aspects. Besides the absolute necessity of self-amplification processes, the importance of energetic aspects is often underestimated. Going down to the most fundamental aspects, the distinction between a single object-that can be intrinsically asymmetric-and a collection of objects-whose racemic state is the more stable one-must be emphasized. A ...
Source: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Plasson R, Brandenburg A Tags: Orig Life Evol Biosph Source Type: journals
Asymmetric Autocatalysis Induced by Chiral Crystals of Achiral Tetraphenylethylenes.Email this article to a colleague.
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The achiral hydrocarbon tetraphenylethylene crystallizes in enantiomorphous forms (chiral space group: P2(1)) to afford right- and left-handed hemihedral crystals, which can be recognized by solid-state circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis. Chiral organic crystals of tetraphenylethylene mediated enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde to give, in conjunction with asymmetric autocatalysis with amplification of chirality, almost enantiomerically pure (S)- and (R)-5-pyrimidyl alkanols whose absolute configurations were controlled efficiently by the crystalline chirality of the tetrap...
Source: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kawasaki T, Nakaoda M, Kaito N, Sasagawa T, Soai K Tags: Orig Life Evol Biosph Source Type: journals
Amplification of Chirality at Solid Surfaces.Email this article to a colleague.
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Symmetry-breaking phenomena in two-dimensional crystallization at surfaces are reviewed and the potential impact to chiral amplification in three-dimensional systems in connection with the origin of homochirality in the biomolecular world is discussed. Adsorption of prochiral molecules leads to two-dimensional conglomerates, i.e., on a local scale spontaneously to homochiral crystal structures. Small enantiomeric excess or chiral impurities in this environment install homochirality on a global scale, that is, on the entire surface.
PMID: 19911299 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ernst KH Tags: Orig Life Evol Biosph Source Type: journals
Dual Role of Hydrophobic Racemic Thioesters of alpha-Amino Acids in the Generation of Isotactic Peptides and Co-peptides in Water; Implications for the Origin of Homochirality.Email this article to a colleague.
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Thioesters of alpha-amino acids are considered as plausible monomers for the generation of the primeval peptides. DL-Leucine-thioethyl esters (LeuSEt), where the L-enantiomer was tagged with deuterium atoms, undergo polycondensation in water or in bicarbonate or imidazole buffer solutions to yield mainly heterochiral (atactic) peptides and diketopiperazine, as analyzed by MALDI-TOF and ESI mass-spectrometry. In variance, when polymerization of DL(d(10))-Leu, first activated with N,N'-carbonyldiimidazole, then initiated with ethanethiol or with DL(d(3))-LeuSEt yielded a library of peptides up to 30 detectable residues w...
Source: Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Illos RA, Clodic G, Bolbach G, Weissbuch I, Lahav M Tags: Orig Life Evol Biosph Source Type: journals
PPARgamma ligands inhibit telomerase activity and hTERT expression through modulation of the Myc/Mad/Max network, in colon cancer cells.Email this article to a colleague.
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In this study, we demonstrated that 15d-PG J2 and rosiglitazone (an endogenous and synthetic PPARgamma ligand, respectively) inhibited hTERT expression and telomerase activity in CaCo-2 colon cancer cells. Moreover, both ligands inhibited c-Myc protein expression and its E-box DNA binding activity. Additionally, Mad1 protein expression and its E-box DNA binding activity were strongly increased by 15d-PG J2 and, to a lesser extent, by rosiglitazone. Sp1 transcription factor expression and its GC-box DNA binding activity were not affected by both PPARgamma ligands. Results obtained by transient transfection of CaCo-2 cells w...
Source: J Cell Mol Med - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Toaldo C, Pizzimenti S, Cerbone A, Pettazzoni P, Menegatti E, Daniela B, Minelli R, Giglioni B, Dianzani MU, Ferretti C, Barrera G Tags: J Cell Mol Med Source Type: journals
The CMT4B disease-causing proteins MTMR2 and MTMR13/SBF2 regulate AKT signaling.Email this article to a colleague.
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Abstract Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4B is caused by mutations in the genes encoding either the lipid phosphatase Myotubularin-Related-Protein-2 (MTMR2) or its regulatory binding partner MTMR13/SBF2. Mtmr2 dephosphorylates PI-3-P and PI-3,5-P2 to form phosphatidylinositol and PI-5-P, respectively, while Mtmr13/Sbf2 is an enzymatically inactive member of the myotubularin protein family. We have found altered levels of the critical signaling protein AKT in mouse mutants for Mtmr2 and Mtmr13/Sbf2. Thus, we analyzed the influence of Mtmr2 and Mtmr13/Sbf2 on signaling processes. We found that overexpression of Mtmr2 pr...
Source: J Cell Mol Med - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Berger P, Tersar K, Ballmer-Hofer K, Suter U Tags: J Cell Mol Med Source Type: journals
Bone marrow-derived cells can acquire cardiac stem cells properties in damaged heart.Email this article to a colleague.
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ABSTRACT Experimental data suggest that cell-based therapies may be useful for cardiac regeneration following ischaemic heart disease. Bone marrow (BM) cells have been reported to contribute to tissue repair after myocardial infarction (MI) by a variety of humoral and cellular mechanisms. However, there is no direct evidence, so far, that BM cells can generate Cardiac Stem Cells (CSCs). To investigate whether BM cells contribute to repopulate the Kit+ CSCs pool, we transplanted BM cells from transgenic mice, expressing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) under the control of Kit regulatory elements, into wild type irradiat...
Source: J Cell Mol Med - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Barile L, Cerisoli F, Frati G, Gaetani R, Chimenti I, Forte E, Cassinelli L, Spinardi L, Altomare C, Kizana E, Giacomello A, Messina E, Ottolenghi S, Magli MC Tags: J Cell Mol Med Source Type: journals
Human ribosomal protein S13 promotes gastric cancer growth through downregulating p27(Kip1).Email this article to a colleague.
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Abstract Our previous works revealed that human ribosomal protein S13 (RPS13) was upregulated in multidrug-resistant gastric cancer cells and overexpression of RPS13 could protect gastric cancer cells from drug-induced apoptosis. The present study was designed to explore the role of RPS13 in tumorigenesis and development of gastric cancer. The expression of RPS13 in gastric cancer tissues and normal gastric mucosa was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis. It was found RPS13 was expressed at a higher level in gastric cancer tissues than that in normal gastric mucosa. RPS13 was then genetic...
Source: J Cell Mol Med - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Guo X, Shi Y, Gou Y, Li J, Han S, Zhang Y, Huo J, Ning X, Sun L, Chen Y, Sun S, Fan D Tags: J Cell Mol Med Source Type: journals
Functionalized self-assembling peptide hydrogel enhance maintenance of hepatocyte activity in vitro.Email this article to a colleague.
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ABSTRACT There is a major challenge in maintaining functional hepatocytes in vivo as these cells rapidly lose their metabolic properties in culture. In this work we have developed a bioengineered platform that replaces the use of the collagen I -in the traditional culture sandwich technique- by a defined extracellular matrix analog, the self-assembling peptide hydrogel RAD16-I functionalized with biologically active motifs. Thus, after examining side by side the two culture systems we have found that in both cases hepatocytes acquired similar parenchymal morphology, presence of functional bile canaliculi structures, CY...
Source: J Cell Mol Med - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Genové E, Schmitmeier S, Sala A, Borrós S, Bader A, Griffith LG, Semino CE Tags: J Cell Mol Med Source Type: journals
Structural and functional studies on Ycf12 (Psb30) and PsbZ deletion mutants from a thermophilic cyanobacterium.Email this article to a colleague.
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Ycf12 (Psb30) and PsbZ are two low-molecular weight subunits of photosystem II (PSII), with one and two trans-membrane helices, respectively. In order to study the functions of these two subunits from a structural point of view, we constructed deletion mutants lacking either Ycf12 or PsbZ from Thermosynechococcus elongatus, and purified, crystallized and analyzed the structure of PSII dimer from the two mutants. Our results showed that Ycf12 is located in the periphery of PSII, close to PsbK, PsbZ and PsbJ, and corresponded to the unassigned helix X1 reported previously, in agreement with the recent structure at 2.9 A ...
Source: Mol Biol Cell - November 13, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Takasaka K, Iwai M, Umena Y, Kawakami K, Ohmori Y, Ikeuchi M, Takahashi Y, Kamiya N, Shen JR Tags: Biochim Biophys Acta Source Type: journals
Ankyrin regulates K(ATP) channel membrane trafficking and gating in excitable cells.Email this article to a colleague.
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K(ATP) channels play critical roles in many cellular functions by coupling cell metabolic status to electrical activity. First discovered in cardiomyocytes,(1) K(ATP) channels (comprised of Kir6.x and SUR subunits) have since been found in many other tissues, including pancreatic beta cells, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, brain, pituitary and kidney. By linking cellular metabolic state with membrane potential, K(ATP) channels are able to regulate a number of cellular functions such as hormone secretion, vascular tone and excitability. Specifically, a reduction in metabolism causes a decrease in the ATP:ADP ratio, open...
Source: Channels - November 12, 2009 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kline CF, Hund TJ, Mohler PJ Tags: Channels (Austin) Source Type: journals
