The zinc finger repressor, ZBP-89, binds to the silencer element of the human vimentin gene and complexes with the transcriptional activator, Sp1

Vimentin is a component of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton belonging to the family of intermediate filament proteins. It exhibits a complex pattern of tissue- and development-specific expression. It is also a marker of the metastatic potential of many tumor cells. Previously, the human vimentin promoter was shown to contain several regions for the binding of positive and negative acting regulatory factors. Until now, the silencer element, which shuts down vimentin synthesis in selected tissues during development, was not precisely localized; nor was its binding protein known. In vivo DMS footprinting by ligation-mediated PCR delineated the position of guanine residues important to vimentin expression. Transient transfection assays in HeLa cells of various vimentin 5'-end promoter sequences and mutants thereof precisely defined two regulatory elements, a negative element and an adjoining positive acting element. Band shift assays, UV cross-linking, and Southwestern blot analysis confirm that the silencer element specifically binds a protein. Several lines of evidence show that ZBP-89, a zinc finger, Kruppel-like repressor protein is vimentin's silencer element binding factor. Co-immunoprecipitation and DNA affinity chromatography prove that Sp1 heterodimerizes with ZBP-89 when bound to the silencer element to yield a DNA-protein complex whose mobility is indistinguishable from that displayed by HeLa nuclear extract in band shift assays.     

Length of the peptide chain influences the immunomodulatory activity of peptides related to p53 protein.

We have shown that the thymopoietin-like octapeptides derived from DNA-binding domain of p53 protein and of its mutated forms differ in their immunomodulatory properties. A strong increase of immunostimulative activity was observed for GMNRSPIL (mutated protein) in comparison with GMNRRPIL (wild-type of p53 protein) peptide. Here the elongated sequences of respective protein fragments were synthesized and investigated by plaque forming cells and delayed type hypersensitivity tests. The change of immunomodulatory activity toward immunosuppression was observed: NSSC(Acm)MGGMNRRPILTIITLE (1, wild-type) was inactive in both tests, and the C(Acm)MGGMNRSPILTIITLE (II) and YMC(Acm)NSSC(Acm)MGGMNRSPILTIITLE (III) (mutated p53 protein fragments) peptides produced immunosuppression in plaque forming cells as well as in delayed type hypersensitivity tests.     

Meeting Report: GBIF hackathon-workshop on Darwin Core and sample data (22-24 May 2013)

The workshop-hackathon was convened by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) at its secretariat in Copenhagen over 22-24 May 2013 with additional support from several projects (RCN4GSC, EAGER, VertNet, BiSciCol, GGBN, and Micro B3). It assembled a team of experts to address the challenge of adapting the Darwin Core standard for a wide variety of sample data. Topics addressed in the workshop included 1) a review of outstanding issues in the Darwin Core standard, 2) issues relating to publishing of biodiversity data through Darwin Core Archives, 3) use of Darwin Core Archives for publishing sample and monitoring data, 4) the case for modifying the Darwin Core Text Guide specification to support many-to-many relations, and 5) the generalization of the Darwin Core Archive to a “Biodiversity Data Archive”. A wide variety of use cases were assembled and discussed in order to inform further developments.     

Activity of arylamidases in serum during normal pregnancy.

Activity of arylamidases toward 6 beta-naphthylamides of L-amino acids was studied in the blood serum from 110 healthy women between the 6th and 36th weeks of pregnancy. A regular increase in the enzymatic activity was demonstrated toward all substrates under examination, particularly in the presence of alanyl-, leucyl- and lysyl-beta-naphthylamides, most pronounced in the last trimester of gestation. A correlation between oxytocinase and arylamidases activity was demonstrated, suggesting a possibility of using the enzymatic measurement as a diagnostic test in the normal course of pregnancy.     

Community Next Steps for Making Globally Unique Identifiers Work for Biocollections Data

Biodiversity data is being digitized and made available online at a rapidly increasing rate but current practices typically do not preserve linkages between these data, which impedes interoperation, provenance tracking, and assembly of larger datasets. For data associated with biocollections, the biodiversity community has long recognized that an essential part of establishing and preserving linkages is to apply globally unique identifiers at the point when data are generated in the field and to persist these identifiers downstream, but this is seldom implemented in practice. There has neither been coalescence towards one single identifier solution (as in some other domains), nor even a set of recommended best practices and standards to support multiple identifier schemes sharing consistent responses. In order to further progress towards a broader community consensus, a group of biocollections and informatics experts assembled in Stockholm in October 2014 to discuss community next steps to overcome current roadblocks. The workshop participants divided into four groups focusing on: identifier practice in current field biocollections; identifier application for legacy biocollections; identifiers as applied to biodiversity data records as they are published and made available in semantically marked-up publications; and cross-cutting identifier solutions that bridge across these domains. The main outcome was consensus on key issues, including recognition of differences between legacy and new biocollections processes, the need for identifier metadata profiles that can report information on identifier persistence missions, and the unambiguous indication of the type of object associated with the identifier. Current identifier characteristics are also summarized, and an overview of available schemes and practices is provided.     

Blackmania gen. nov. and the related genus Acaudella (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Aphidinae)

The aphid genus Blackmania gen. nov. is described. In the genus, B. eastopi sp. nov. associated with Polygonum equisetiforme (Polygonaceae) from Israel and Cyprus is described and illustrated. Morphologically, the new genus is similar to the genus Acaudella in respect to the lack of a cauda. Acaudella puchovi, associated with Atraphaxis caucasica (=A. buxifolia) and A. spinosa (Polygonaceae) from Uzbekistan and Israel, is re‐described and the apterous viviparous female is figured for the first time. The lectotype and paralectotypes of A. puchovi are also designated. An identification key to known species of the tribe Macrosiphini without cauda is provided. The morphological separation of B. eastopi gen. nov., sp. nov. from A. puchovi is visualized using principal component analysis.     

Occurrence of the aacA4 gene among multidrug resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from bronchial secretions obtained from the Intensive Therapy Unit at University Hospital in Bialystok, Poland

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the aacA4 gene in a population of multidrug resistant strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from bronchial secretions obtained from the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU). Twelve MDR isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility and the presence of the aacA4 gene. In this study, 58.3% of the strains contained (6')-Ib' aminoglycoside acetyltransferase gene. All of the studied strains (aacA4-positive and aacA4-negative) were susceptible only to colistine (100%). Among other antibiotics, the lowest resistance rates were those shown against ceftazidime (14.3% to 20%) and imipenem (28.6% to 40%). Our studies frequently revealed the presence of the aacA4 gene as a factor responsible for resistance; it is probable that other mechanisms of resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics also occurred.