Evolution of the ATP-binding-cassette transmembrane transporters of vertebrates

The ATP-binding-cassette transmembrane transporters (ABC transporters) known from vertebrates belong to four major subfamilies: (1) the P- glycoproteins (Pgp); (2) the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulators (CFTR); (3) the Tap proteins encoded with the major histocompatibility complex of mammals; and (4) the peroxisomal membrane proteins. Both Pgp and CFTR have a structure suggesting a past internal gene duplication; a phylogenetic analysis indicated that these duplications occurred independently, while an independent tandem gene duplication occurred in the case of the Tap family. Both the Pgp and Tap proteins show evidence of relationship to bacterial ABC transporters lacking internal duplication, and both are significantly more closely related to the HlyB and MsbA families of transporters from purple bacteria than they are to ABC transporters from nonpurple bacteria. The simplest hypothesis to explain this observation is that eukaryotic Pgp and Tap genes are descended from a mitochondrial gene or genes that were subsequently translocated to the nuclear genome. The Pgp genes of eukaryotes are characterized by a remarkable degree of convergent evolution between the ATP-binding cassettes of their N- terminal and C-terminal halves, whereas no such convergence is seen between the two halves of CFTR genes or between the duplicated Tap genes. Exon 13 of the CFTR gene, which encodes a putative regulatory domain not found in other ABC transporters apart from CFTR, showed high levels of both synonymous and nonsynonymous difference in comparisons among different mammalian species, suggesting that this region is a mutational hot spot.      

Evidence for the presence of β-lactamase inStreptomyces glaucescens and its inhibition by sodium clavulanate

Streptomyces glaucescens is shown to possess -lactamase activity which is inhibitable by clavulanate. This is important in regard to its use as a cloning host for enzymes of \-lactam biosynthesis.     

Three-Dimensional Trabecular Alignment Model

The Shear-slip Mesh Update Method (SSMUM) is being used in flow simulations involving large but regular displacements of one or more boundaries of the computational domain. We follow up the earlier discussion of the method with notes on practical implementation aspects. In order to establish a benchmark problem for this class of flow problems, we define and report results from a two-dimensional viscous flow around a rotating stirrer in a square chamber. The application potential of the method is demonstrated in the context of biomedical design problem, as we perform an analysis of blood flow in a centrifugal left ventricular assist device, or blood pump, which involves a rotating impeller in a non-axisymmetric housing.     

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR RESEARCH ETHICS WORKSHOPS FOR COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST

To help ensure the ethical conduct of research, many have recommended educational efforts in research ethics to investigators and members of research ethics committees (RECs). One type of education activity involves multi‐day workshops in research ethics. To be effective, such workshops should contain the appropriate content and teaching techniques geared towards the learning styles of the targeted audiences. To ensure consistency in content and quality, we describe the development of a curriculum guide, core competencies and associated learning objectives and activities to help educators organize research ethics workshops in their respective institutions. The curriculum guide is divided into modular units to enable planners to develop workshops of different lengths and choose content materials that match the needs, abilities, and prior experiences of the target audiences. The content material in the curriculum guide is relevant for audiences in the Middle East, because individuals from the Middle East who participated in a Certificate Program in research ethics selected and developed the training materials (e.g., articles, powerpoint slides, case studies, protocols). Also, many of the activities incorporate active‐learning methods, consisting of group work activities analyzing case studies and reviewing protocols. The development of such a workshop training curriculum guide represents a sustainable educational resource to enhance research ethics capacity in the Middle East.     

Phospholipase C negatively regulates tyrosine phosphorylation of EGF receptor in A-431 cells

It is known that EGF induces tyrosine phosphorylation and internalization of the EGF receptor in A-431 cells. U73122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C, induces tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor and its association with phospholipase C still in nonstimulated cells. In U73122 treated cells EGF exerted no effect on these processes. Receptor-mediated endocytosis was not observed in A-431 cells treated with U73122. The reorganization of actin cytoskeleton was detected in U73122 cells.     

EGF receptor degrades via the proteasome-dependent pathway in A-431 cells

It is known that a lot of cell receptors degrade by ubiquitine-proteasome pathway. Here we show that degradation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is proteasome-dependent. Treatment of A-431 cells with lactacystine, an inhibitor of proteolytic activities of 26S proteasomes, induces accumulation of the receptor in cells. Incubation of cell lysates with isolated 26S proteasomes leads to diminishing EGF receptor in these cells. Active (tyrosine phosphorylated) EGF receptor is a target of proteolysis by proteasomes.     

Effect of EGF on the intracellular distribution of heat-shock proteins in A431 cells

The intracellular distribution of hsp70 and hdj1 was studied using immunofluorescent method. In nonstimulated cells hsp70 and hdj1 were observed in the cytoplasm of A431 cells. When 100 ng/ml EGF was added for 15 min, both hsp70 and hdj1 were accumulated in the nuclei. Later on (up to 1 h) hsp70 was exported from the nuclei to be observed mainly in the cytoplasm, whereas hdj1 remained in the nuclei. In cells exposed to tyrphostin AG1478, this inhibitor of tyrosine kinase activity of EGF receptor prevented EGF-dependent accumulation of hsp70 and hdj1 in the nuclei. U73122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C activity, induced tyrosine phosphorylation of EGF receptor without EGF stimulation. In cells treated with U73122, both hsp70 and hdj1 were detected in the nuclei of non-stimulated cells. It is concluded that the intracellular distribution of heat shock proteins in A431 cells depends on tyrosine kinase activity of EGF receptor. Here we report for the first time the influence of EGF on the intracellular redistribution of heat shock proteins.     

Phylogenetic tests of the hypothesis of block duplication of homologous genes on human chromosomes 6, 9, and 1

There are 10 gene families that have members on both human chromosome 6 (6p21.3, the location of the human major histocompatibility complex [MHC]) and human chromosome 9 (mostly 9q33-34). Six of these families also have members on mouse chromosome 17 (the mouse MHC chromosome) and mouse chromosome 2. In addition, four of these families have members on human chromosome 1 (1q21-25 and 1p13), and two of these have members on mouse chromosome 1. One hypothesis to explain these patterns is that members of the 10 gene families of human chromosomes 6 and 9 were duplicated simultaneously as a result of polyploidization or duplication of a chromosome segment ("block duplication"). A subsequent block duplication has been proposed to account for the presence of representatives of four of these families on human chromosome 1. Phylogenetic analyses of the 9 gene families for which data were available decisively rejected the hypothesis of block duplication as an overall explanation of these patterns. Three to five of the genes on human chromosomes 6 and 9 probably duplicated simultaneously early in vertebrate history, prior to the divergence of jawed and jawless vertebrates, and shortly after that, all four of the genes on chromosomes 1 and 9 probably duplicated as a block. However, the other genes duplicated at different times scattered over at least 1.6 billion years. Since the occurrence of these clusters of related genes cannot be explained by block duplication, one alternative explanation is that they cluster together because of shared functional characteristics relating to expression patterns.