Characterization of two CTR-like protein kinases in Rosa hybrida and their expression during flower senescence and in response to ethylene

The expression of two CTR-gene homologues was investigated during flower senescence in two Rosa hybrida cultivars. A fragment of a gene for a protein kinase, termed RhCTR1 (GenBank Acc. No. AF271206), was amplified by PCR and used to isolate the corresponding full-length cDNA (Acc. No. AY032953) from a rose petal cDNA library. The protein RhCTR1 has 66% amino acid identity to Arabidopsis CTR1. A fragment of a second CTR homologue, termed RhCTR2 (Acc. No. AY029067) is 69% identical to the corresponding region of RhCTR1. RhCTR1 expression increased during flower senescence, while RhCTR2 was constitutively expressed during flower development. The expression of both RhCTR1 and RhCTR2 was increased in response to exogenous ethylene.     

Evaluation of 17alpha-E-(trifluoromethylphenyl)vinyl estradiols as novel estrogen receptor ligands

As part of our program to develop novel ligands for the estrogen receptor, we synthesized the series of isomeric 17alpha-(trifluoromethyl)phenylvinyl estradiols using our solid-phase organic synthesis methodology. The compounds were evaluated for their relative binding affinity (RBA) using the ERalpha-LBD and in vivo potency using the immature rat uterotrophic growth assay. The ortho-isomer had the highest RBA values, 48-223, and the highest estrogenicity in vivo. The other isomers had significantly lower affinities and were weaker agonists in the uterotrophic assay. The results suggest that introduction of substituents at the 17alpha-position of estradiol is tolerated by the ER-LBD and permit agonist responses in the intact animal, however, the effect is sensitive to the position of groups on the phenyl ring. This study demonstrates that the 17alpha-position of estradiol is a reasonable site for modification but the position and physicochemical properties of such modifications may significantly affect the affinity and efficacy of the ligand.     

Identification of novel Cryptosporidium genotypes from the Czech Republic

Isolates of Cryptosporidium from the Czech Republic were characterized from a variety of different hosts using sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the 18S ribosomal DNA and the heat-shock (HSP-70) gene. Analysis expanded the host range of accepted species and identified several novel genotypes, including horse, Eurasian woodcock, rabbit, and cervid genotypes.     

The reduction in hepatic insulin clearance after oral glucose is not mediated by gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP)

Since the C-peptide/insulin ratio is reduced after oral glucose ingestion, the incretin hormone gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) has been assumed to decrease hepatic insulin extraction. It was the aim of the present study to evaluate the effects of GIP on insulin extraction. Seventy-eight healthy subjects (27 male, 51 female, 43+/-11 years) were subjected to (a). an oral glucose tolerance test and (b). an intravenous injection of 20 pmol GIP/kg body weight, with capillary and venous blood samples collected over 30 min for insulin, C-peptide and GIP (specific immunoassays). Following GIP administration, plasma concentrations of total and intact GIP reached to peak levels of 80+/-7 and 54+/-5 pmol/l, respectively (p<0.0001). The rise in insulin after oral glucose and after intravenous GIP administration significantly exceeded the rise in C-peptide (p<0.0001). Estimating insulin extraction from the total integrated insulin and C-peptide concentrations (AUCs), only the oral glucose load (p<0.0001), but not the intravenous GIP administration (p=0.18) significantly reduced insulin clearance. Therefore, insulin clearance is reduced after an oral glucose load. This effect does not appear to be mediated by GIP.     

Effects of daily activities on ambulatory blood pressure during menstrual cycle in normotensive women

The purpose of this study was to determine whether (1) there is a menstrual phase effect on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), and (2) the effects of physical effort, posture, or moods on BP and HR is mediated by the menstrual phase. Twelve normotensive women, aged between 28 and 50, with normal menstrual cycles were studied. BP was measured at 30- to 60-min intervals during a 24-hr period using an ambulatory BP monitor on Days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of the menstrual cycle. Participants were asked to report their posture, physical effort, and mood (annoyed, tense, and happy) on 5-point Likert-type scales each time the ambulatory BP monitor took measurements. Systolic BP (SBP) was lower on Day 8 of the cycle. Diastolic BP (DBP) and HR were lower on Days 1 and 8. Daytime SBP was affected by the time of the day and posture, but not by moods, whereas daytime DBP was affected by posture and levels of tenseness. The level of physical effort only affected HR, not BP. The average daytime physical and emotional variables had little influence over the average daytime BP. In 1 normotensive women with a normal menstrual cycle, SBP was lower during the follicular phase and DBP and HR were lower during the follicular phase and menstruation even after controlling the effects of other factors. Physical activity or moods had only momentary effects on BP or HR. A cross-validation statistical method used is suggested to study how individuals are affected by various factors. With the use of this method, the inclusion of menstrual phase in the model improved the prediction of SBP for 5 out of the 12 women studied.     

EST-based gene discovery in pig: virtual expression patterns and comparative mapping to human

A molecular understanding of porcine reproduction is of biological interest and economic importance. Our Midwest Consortium has produced cDNA libraries containing the majority of genes expressed in major female reproductive tissues, and we have deposited into public databases 21,499 expressed sequence tag (EST) gene sequences from the 3 end of clones from these libraries. These sequences represent 10,574 different genes, based on sequence comparison among these data, and comparison with existing porcine ESTs and genes indicate as many as 4652 of these EST clusters are novel. In silico analysis identified sequences that are expressed in specific pig tissues or organs and confirmed the broad expression in pig for many genes ubiquitously expressed in human tissues. Furthermore, we have developed computer software to identify sequence similarity of these pig genes with their human counterparts, and to extract the mapping information of these human homologues from genome databases. We demonstrate the utility of this software for comparative mapping by localizing 61 genes on the porcine physical map for Chromosomes (Chrs) 5, 10, and 14. The following Accession numbers were assigned to our deposited sequences: BF701840 – BF704551, BF708383, BF708386 – BF713604, BG322266 – BG322271, BI398567 – BI405235, BQ597354 – BQ605166.