Light-dependent and asynchronous replication of cyanobacterial multi-copy chromosomes

While bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis harbour a single circular chromosome, some freshwater cyanobacteria have multiple chromosomes p er cell. The detailed mechanism(s) of cyanobacterialreplication remains unclear. To elucidate the replication origin (ori ), form and synchrony of the multi-copy genome in freshwater cyanobacteria Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 we constructed strain S. 7942TK that can incorporate 5-bromo-2'- deoxyuridine (BrdU) into genomic DNA and analysed its de novo DNA synthesis. The uptake of BrdU was blocked under dark and resumed after transfer of the culture to light conditions. Mapping analysis of nascent DNA fragments using a next-generation sequencer indicated that replication starts bidirectionally from a single ori, which locates in the upstream region of the dnaN gene. Quantitative analysis of BrdU-labelled DNA and whole-genome sequence analysis indicated that the peak timing of replication precedes that of cell division and that replication is initiated asynchronously not only among cell populations but also among the multi-copy chromosomes. Our findings suggest that replication initiation is regulated less stringently in S. 7942 than in E. coli and B. subtilis.     

The coiled-coil protein shrub controls neuronal morphogenesis in Drosophila

The diversity of neuronal cells, especially in the size and shape of their dendritic and axonal arborizations, is a striking feature of the mature nervous system. Dendritic branching is a complex process, and the underlying signaling mechanisms remain to be further defined at the mechanistic level. Here we report the identification of shrub mutations that increased dendritic branching. Single-cell clones of shrub mutant dendritic arborization (DA) sensory neurons in Drosophila larvae showed ectopic dendritic and axonal branching, indicating a cell-autonomous function for shrub in neuronal morphogenesis. shrub encodes an evolutionarily conserved coiled-coil protein homologous to the yeast protein Snf7, a key component in the ESCRT-III (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) complex that is involved in the formation of endosomal compartments known as multivesicular bodies (MVBs). We found that mouse orthologs could substitute for Shrub in mutant Drosophila embryos and that loss of Shrub function caused abnormal distribution of several early or late endosomal markers in DA sensory neurons. Our findings demonstrate that the novel coiled-coil protein Shrub functions in the endosomal pathway and plays an essential role in neuronal morphogenesis.     

Androsterone. The structure by force-field calculations.

The structure of androsterone was calculated by the force-field (molecular mechanics) method. Plots of the calculated structure are compared with those of the X-ray structure, and found to have all of the atoms in the same positions to within 0.1 A. The regular Dreiding model structure differs substantially from these calculated and experimental structures, atomic positions being up to 0.9 A removed from where they should be.     

Morphological differentiation of the embryonic peripheral neurons in Drosophila

Summary The stereotyped segmental and dorso-ventral organization of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of Drosophila embryos allows the identification of all the neurons in the body wall. Distinct classes of neurons are distinguishable according to their location, the targets they innervate, the particular shape of their dendrites and their cell size. Those neurons innervating external sensory structures (es) and chordotonal organs (ch) have single dendrites and have been previously described (Ghysen et al. 1986; Dambly-Chaudiere and Ghysen 1986; Campos-Ortega and Hartenstein 1985). We describe here the identity and morphological features of three other classes of neurons in the body segments which have multiple dendrites (md neurons): 1) neurons that give rise to elaborate dendritic arborisations (da neurons); 2) neurons that have bipolar dendrites (bd neurons); 3) neurons that arborize around particular tracheal branches (td neurons). The thoracic hemisegment (T2 and T3) contains 13 da, one bd, one td, 21 es and four ch neurons; the abdominal hemisegment (A1 to A7) contains 14 da, three bd, three td, 15 es and eight ch neurons. The arrangement of the segmented peripheral neurons is highly invariant and provides a favorable assay system for the genetic analysis of neurodevelopment.     

Omnibus Two-Sample Test Procedures with Randomly Censored Data

Versions of the KOLMOGOROV -SMIRNOV , KUIPER , and cRAMéR -VON MISES statistics are introduced for the problem of comparing the underlying survival distributions of two populations when observations are subject to random censorship, and a two-sided alternative is of interest. These statistics are shown to have readily amenable asymptotic distributions; furthermore, the statistics reduce to their classical counterparts in the absence of censorship. Data pertaining to a cancer chemotherapy experiment are examined with these statistics.     

Analysis of incomplete multivariate data from repeated measurement experiments

This paper analyses two sets of data that consist of repeated measurements with missing data. The missing observations always occur at the end of the series of repeated measurements. The score test for multivariate normal data is used to compare treatment groups; if the original data are not multivariate normal they are replaced by expected normal scores.     

A simple bioassay for abscisic acid using cucumber hypocotyls

A simple bioassay based on the inhibition by abscisic acid (ABA) of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L., cv. National Pickling) hypocotyl elongation was developed. Sections of 3-day-old dark-grown cucumber hypocotyl taken from 0–5 mm immediately below the cotyledon were used for the assay. A dark incubation period of 20 h was followed by an exposure to light for 24 h. Under these conditions, the inhibition of hypocotyl elongation is proportional to the abscisic acid applied. The minimum detectable level of abscisic acid was 10^–9 M, and the range of linear response to abscisic acid was between 10^–7 and 10^–3 M. This assay is 10 times more sensitive than the cucumber cotyledon greening bioassay for abscisic acid.