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Initial Characterization (initial + characterization)
Selected AbstractsIsolation and Initial Characterization of 132 -Hydroxychlorophyll a Induced by Cyclohexanedione Derivatives in Tobacco Cell Suspension CulturesPHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Jing-Ming Wang ABSTRACT This paper reports that a new photobleaching compound, 2-(2-chloro-5-propoxycarbonylphenyl)aminomethylidene-5,5-dimethyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione (RWH-21), stimulates accumulation of 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a in cultured tobacco cells. This was shown based on isolation of 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a from pigment extracts of cultured tobacco cells by diode-array HPLC and subsequent fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry analysis. 132 -Hydroxychlorophyll a rapidly accumulates in tobacco cells both in the light and dark in the presence of RWH-21 (50 ,M). Analysis of 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a formation in tobacco cells indicates that 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a is rapidly accumulated within 20 h incubation time both in the dark and light. Although the amount of 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a is continuously increased in the dark, the amount of 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a decreased remarkably in the light after 20 h incubation. Analysis of 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a formation and lipid peroxidation by determination malondialdehyde in tobacco cells suggests that RWH-21-induced 132 -hydroxychlorophyll a has the potential to cause a photodynamic action in cultured tobacco cells. [source] The Blasticidin S Biosynthesis Gene Cluster from Streptomyces griseochromogenes: Sequence Analysis, Organization, and Initial CharacterizationCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 9 2003Martha C. Cone Abstract Blasticidin S is a potent antifungal and cytotoxic peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic from Streptomyces griseochromogenes. The mixed biosynthesis of the compound is evident from the three distinct structural components: a cytosine base, an amino deoxyglucuronic acid, and N -methyl , -arginine. The blasticidin S biosynthesis gene cluster was cloned from S. griseochromogenes and the pathway heterologously expressed in S. lividans from a cosmid harboring a 36.7-kb fragment of S. griseochromogenes DNA. The complete DNA sequence of this insert has now been determined and evidence suggests a contiguous 20-kb section defines the blasticidin S biosynthesis cluster. The predicted functions of several open reading frames are consistent with the expected biochemistry and include an arginine 2,3-aminomutase, a cytosylglucuronic acid synthase, and a guanidino N -methyltransferase. Insight into other steps in the assembly of blasticidin S was evident from sequence homology with proteins of known function and heterologous expression of fragments of the cluster. Additionally, the gene that directs the production of free cytosine, blsM, was subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Characterization of BlsM revealed that cytidine monophosphate serves as the precursor to cytosine. [source] Cre-mediated recombination in cell lineages that express the progesterone receptorGENESIS: THE JOURNAL OF GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2005Selma M. Soyal Abstract Using gene-targeting methods, a progesterone receptor Cre knockin (PR-Cre) mouse was generated in which Cre recombinase was inserted into exon 1 of the PR gene. The insertion positions the Cre gene downstream (and under the specific control) of the endogenous PR promoter. As for heterozygotes for the progesterone receptor knockout (PRKO) mutation, mice heterozygous for the Cre knockin insertion are phenotypically indistinguishable from wildtype. Crossing the PR-Cre with the ROSA26R reporter revealed that Cre excision activity is restricted to cells that express PR in progesterone-responsive tissues such as the uterus, ovary, oviduct, pituitary gland, and mammary gland. Initial characterization of the PR-Cre mouse underscores the utility of this model to precisely ablate floxed target genes specifically in cell lineages that express the PR. In the wider context of female reproductive tissue ontology, this model will be indispensable in tracing the developmental fate of cell lineages that descend from PR positive progenitors. genesis 41:58,66, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Isolation and characterization of posteriorly restricted genes in the zebrafish gastrulaDEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS, Issue 4 2001Charles G. Sagerström Abstract In order to understand anteroposterior axis formation in vertebrates, we have used subtractive hybridization to clone genes expressed posteriorly in the zebrafish gastrula-stage embryo. Here we report the initial characterization of eight clones isolated from this screen. We find that all eight genes are expressed in posteriorly restricted domains, suggesting that they are involved in regulating posterior development during zebrafish embryogenesis. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cloning of Xenopus orthologs of Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase and initial characterization of XEco2FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 24 2008Masatoshi Takagi Sister chromatid cohesion is important for the correct alignment and segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Although the cohesin complex has been shown to play a physical role in holding sister chromatids together, its loading onto chromatin is not sufficient for the establishment of sister chromatid cohesion. The activity of the cohesin complex must be turned on by Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase at the replication forks as the result of a specific mechanism. To dissect this mechanism in the well established in vitro system based on the use of Xenopus egg extracts, we cloned two Xenopus orthologs of Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase, XEco1 and XEco2. Both proteins share a domain structure with known members of Ctf7/Eco1 family proteins. Moreover, biochemical analysis showed that XEco2 exhibited acetyltransferase activity. We raised a specific antibody against XEco2 and used it to further characterize XEco2. In tissue culture cells, XEco2 gradually accumulated in nuclei through the S phase. In nuclei formed in egg extract, XEco2 was loaded into the chromatin at a constant level in a manner sensitive to geminin, an inhibitor of the pre-replication complex assembly, but insensitive to aphidicolin, an inhibitor of DNA polymerases. In both systems, no specific localization was observed during mitosis. In XEco2-depleted egg extracts, DNA replication occurred with normal kinetics and efficiency, and the condensation and sister chromatid cohesion of subsequently formed mitotic chromosomes was unaffected. These observations will serve as a platform for elucidating the molecular function of Ctf7/Eco1 acetyltransferase in the establishment of sister chromatid cohesion in future studies, in which XEco1 and XEco2 should be dissected in parallel. [source] A New Regeneration System for Oxidized Nicotinamide CofactorsADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 9 2009Seda Aksu Abstract A novel regeneration system for oxidized nicotinamide cofactors (NAD+ and NADP+) is presented. By combining 2,2,-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS)-catalyzed oxidation of NAD(P)H with laccase-catalyzed utilization of molecular oxygen as terminal oxidant, a simple chemo-enzymatic NAD(P)+ regeneration method is achieved. Thus, the advantages of both worlds, chemical oxidation of reduced nicotinamide cofactors and laccase-catalyzed utilization of oxygen from air are combined in a simple and generally applicable new approach for biooxidation catalysis. This new application of the well-known laccase-mediator system (LMS) is successfully used to promote alcohol dehydrogenase-catalyzed oxidation reactions of primary and secondary alcohols. Already under non-optimized conditions, high turnover numbers of >300 and >16000 were obtained for the nicotinamide cofactor and ABTS, respectively. In this communication, we present the proof-of-principle and initial characterization of the proposed new regeneration system. [source] Purification and initial characterization of a novel protein with factor Xa activity from Lonomia obliqua caterpillar spiculesJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 3 2005S. Lilla Abstract A novel protein with factor Xa-like activity was isolated from Lonomia obliqua caterpillar spicules by gel filtration chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The protein had a mass of 20745.7 Da, as determined by mass spectrometry, and contained four Cys residues. Enzymatic hydrolysis followed by de novo sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the primary structure of the protein and the cysteine residues linked by disulfide bridges. The positions of 24 sequenced tryptic peptides, including the N-terminal, were deduced by comparison with a homologous protein from the superfamily Bombycoidea. Approximately 90% of the primary structure of the active protein was determined. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in synaptic plasticity, learning and memoryJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2006Marco Angelo Abstract Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a serine/threonine kinase with a multitude of functions. Although Cdk5 is widely expressed, it has been studied most extensively in neurons. Since its initial characterization, the fundamental contribution of Cdk5 to an impressive range of neuronal processes has become clear. These phenomena include neural development, dopaminergic function and neurodegeneration. Data from different fields have recently converged to provide evidence for the participation of Cdk5 in synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. In this review, we consider recent data implicating Cdk5 in molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity. We relate these findings to its emerging role in learning and memory. Particular attention is paid to the activation of Cdk5 by p25, which enhances hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory, and suggests formation of p25 as a physiological process regulating synaptic plasticity and memory. [source] Herbicidal cyanoacrylates with antimicrotubule mechanism of actionPEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 11 2005Stefan Tresch Abstract The herbicidal mode of action of the new synthetic cyanoacrylates ethyl (2Z)-3-amino-2-cyano-4-ethylhex-2-enoate (CA1) and its isopropyl ester derivative CA2 was investigated. For initial characterization, a series of bioassays was used indicating a mode of action similar to that of mitotic disrupter herbicides such as the dinitroaniline pendimethalin. Cytochemical fluorescence studies including monoclonal antibodies against polymerized and depolymerized tubulin and a cellulose-binding domain of a bacterial cellulase conjugated to a fluorescent dye were applied to elucidate effects on cell division processes including mitosis and microtubule and cell wall formation in maize roots. When seedlings were root treated with 10 µM of CA1 or CA2, cell division activity in meristematic root tip cells decreased within 4 h. The chromosomes proceeded to a condensed state of prometaphase, but were unable to progress further in the mitotic cycle. The compounds caused a complete loss of microtubular structures, including preprophase, spindle, phragmoplast and cortical microtubules. Concomitantly, in the cytoplasm, an increase in labelling of free tubulin was observed. This suggests that the herbicides disrupt polymerization and microtubule stability, whereas tubulin synthesis or degradation appeared not to be affected. In addition, cellulose labelling in cell walls of root tip cells was not influenced. The effects of CA1 and CA2 were comparable with those caused by pendimethalin. In transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing a green fluorescent protein-microtubule-associated protein4 fusion protein, labelled arrays of cortical microtubules in living epidermal cells of hypocotyls collapsed within 160 min after exposure to 10 µM CA1 or pendimethalin. Moreover, a dinitroaniline-resistant biotype of goosegrass (Eleusine indica (L) Gaertn) with a point mutation in ,-tubulin showed cross-resistance against CA1 and CA2. The results strongly indicate that the cyanoacrylates are a new chemical class of herbicide which possess the same antimicrotubule mechanism of action as dinitroanilines, probably including interaction with the same binding site in ,-tubulin. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry [source] | |||||||||||||