Transcript Profiles Differentiate Cold Acclimation-Induced Processes in a Summer and Winter Biotype of Camelina

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Camelina (Camelina sativa L. Crantz) is a short-season oilseed crop of the Brassicaceae family that consists of both summer and winter annual biotypes. Winter...     

Topological analysis of the complex formed between neurokinin A and the NK2 tachykinin receptor

Neurokinin A stimulates physiological responses in the peripheral and central nervous systems upon interacting primarily with the tachykinin NK2 receptor (NK2R). In this study, the structure of NKA bound to the NK2R is characterised by use of fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Four fluorescent NKA analogues with Texas red introduced at amino acid positions 1, 4, 7 and 10 were prepared. When bound to a NK2R carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein at the N-terminus, all peptides reduce green fluorescent protein fluorescence from 10% to 50% due to energy transfer. The derived donor-acceptor distances are 46, 55, 59 and 69 A for the fluorophore linked to positions 1-10, respectively. The monotonic increase in distance clearly indicates that the peptide adopts an extended structure when bound to its receptor. The present data are used, in combination with rhodopsin structure, fluorescence studies, photoaffinity labelling and site-directed mutagenesis data to design a computer model of the NKA-NK2R complex. We propose that the N-terminus of NKA is exposed and accessible to the extracellular medium. Subsequent amino acids of the NKA peptide become progressively more buried residues up to approximately one-third of the transmembrane-spanning domain.     

Genome wide association (GWA) study for early onset extreme obesity supports the role of fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) variants

Background

Obesity is a major health problem. Although heritability is substantial, genetic mechanisms predisposing to obesity are not very well understood. We have performed a genome wide association study (GWA) for early onset (extreme) obesity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

a) GWA (Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 5.0 comprising 440,794 single nucleotide polymorphisms) for early onset extreme obesity based on 487 extremely obese young German individuals and 442 healthy lean German controls; b) confirmatory analyses on 644 independent families with at least one obese offspring and both parents. We aimed to identify and subsequently confirm the 15 SNPs (minor allele frequency ≥10%) with the lowest p-values of the GWA by four genetic models: additive, recessive, dominant and allelic. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FTO (fat mass and obesity associated gene) within one linkage disequilibrium (LD) block including the GWA SNP rendering the lowest p-value (rs1121980; log-additive model: nominal p = 1.13×10⁻⁷, corrected p = 0.0494; odds ratio (OR)_CT 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22–2.27; OR_TT 2.76, 95% CI 1.88–4.03) belonged to the 15 SNPs showing the strongest evidence for association with obesity. For confirmation we genotyped 11 of these in the 644 independent families (of the six FTO SNPs we chose only two representing the LD bock). For both FTO SNPs the initial association was confirmed (both Bonferroni corrected p<0.01). However, none of the nine non-FTO SNPs revealed significant transmission disequilibrium.

Conclusions/Significance

Our GWA for extreme early onset obesity substantiates that variation in FTO strongly contributes to early onset obesity. This is a further proof of concept for GWA to detect genes relevant for highly complex phenotypes. We concurrently show that nine additional SNPs with initially low p-values in the GWA were not confirmed in our family study, thus suggesting that of the best 15 SNPs in the GWA only the FTO SNPs represent true positive findings.     

Ribosomal DNA Intergenic Spacer of the Swimming Crab, Charybdis japonica

We have determined the full sequence of the ribosomal DNA intergenic spacer (IGS) of the swimming crab, Charybdis japonica, by long PCR for the first time in crustacean decapods. The IGS is 5376 bp long and contains two nonrepetitive regions separated by one long repetitive region, which is composed mainly of four subrepeats (subrepeats I, II, III, and IV). Subrepeat I contains nine copies of a 60-bp repeat unit, in which two similar repeat types (60 bp-a and 60 bp-b) occur alternatively. Subrepeat II consists of nine successive repeat units with a consensus sequence length of 142 bp. Subrepeat III consists of seven copies of another 60-bp repeat unit (60 bp-c) whose sequence is complementary to that of subrepeat I. Immediately downstream of subrepeat III is subrepeat IV, consisting of three copies of a 391-bp repeat unit. Based on comparative analysis among the subrepeats and repeat units, a possible evolutionary process responsible for the formation of the repetitive region is inferred, which involves the duplication of a 60-bp subrepeat unit (60 bp-c) as a prototype. Received: 13 April 1999 / Accepted: 2 August 1999     

Differential expression of phospholipases D1 and D2 in mouse tissues

The differential expression of phospholipase D (PLD) isozymes, which include PLD1 and PLD2, was examined in various murine tissues, including the cerebrum, cerebellum, heart, lung, liver, spleen, stomach, pancreas, ileum, colon, adrenal gland, kidneys, testes, ovaries, and uterus. In Western blot analysis, only PLD1 was detected in the heart and ovary, while only PLD2 was detected in the pancreas and ileum. Both PLD1 and PLD2 were strongly expressed in the cerebrum, cerebellum, and lung, and both were also expressed in the liver, spleen, stomach, colon, kidney, testes, and uterus. Immunohistochemistry showed intense PLD immunostaining in the cerebrum, cerebellum, lungs, intestines, and testis, and weak PLD immunostaining in the liver, kidneys, spleen, and heart. These findings suggest that PLD1 and PLD2 are differentially expressed in the various organs of mice, and that each PLD isozyme plays a distinct role in each organ.     

A semimechanistic mathematical model for growth of Rhizopus oligosporus in a model solid-state fermentation system

A Semimechanistic mathematical model is developed which describes the growth of Rhizopus oligosporus in a model solid-state fermentation system. Equations are presented for the release of glucoamylase, the diffusion of glucoamylase, the hydrolysis of starch, the generation and diffusion of glucose, and the uptake of glucose and conversion into new biomass. Good agreement of the model with the experimental data was obtained only after the glucoamylase diffusivity and the maximum specific glucose uptake rate were altered from their originally determined values. The model recognizes the distributed nature of the solid-state fermentation and therefore is able to predict the concentration profiles of the system components within the substrate. The model provides an insight into the possible rate-limiting steps in solid-state fermentation-the generation of glucose within the substrate and the resulting availability of glucose at the surface.     

Effects of C10‐ and C12‐chain length alkyl analogs of monochamol on attraction of longhorn pine sawyer Monochamus saltuarius (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The aggregation pheromone of Monochamus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) beetles, 2‐(undecyloxy) ethanol (hereafter referred to as monochamol), has gained considerable attention because of its usefulness in monitoring and population control of pine sawyer beetles. The hydroxyether structural motif is conserved in pheromones of the subfamily Lamiinae of the Cerambycidae. In this study, we investigated the effects of C10‐ and C12‐chain length alkyl analogs of monochamol, 2‐(decyloxy) ethanol and 2‐(dodecyloxy) ethanol, on attracting M. saltuairus in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk‐do, Korea. The C10 and C12 analogs attracted M. saltuarius when used in combination with α‐pinene and ethanol, but the responses of these alkyl chain analogs were lower than those of monochamol. Furthermore, the addition of either C10 or C12 analog to the use of monochamol with α‐pinene and ethanol had no effect on attraction of M. saltuarius, indicating high sensitivity of M. saltuarius to monochanol. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that chemical communication within a Monochamus species depends not only on monochamol, but also on other semiochemicals.