Phospholipase A2 receptor-negative membranous nephropathy presenting as a rare renal manifestation of IgG4-related disease.

IgG4-related disease is a fibroinflammatory condition characterized by dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells affecting multiple organs. Though the most common renal manifestation of IgG4-related disease is tubulointerstitial nephritis, it can rarely present as secondary membranous nephropathy. We present a case of a 75-year-old male with phospholipase A2 receptor-negative membranous nephropathy as an atypical manifestation of IgG4-related disease.

An Adaptable Platform for Directed Evolution in Human Cells.

The discovery and optimization of biomolecules that reliably function in metazoan cells is imperative for both the study of basic biology and the treatment of disease. We describe the development, characterization, and proof-of-concept application of a platform for directed evolution of diverse biomolecules of interest (BOIs) directly in human cells. The platform relies on a custom-designed adenovirus variant lacking multiple genes, including the essential DNA polymerase and protease genes, features that allow us to evolve BOIs encoded by genes as large as 7 kb while attaining the mutation rates and enforcing the selection pressure required for successful directed evolution.

A cysteine-based molecular code informs collagen C-propeptide assembly.

Fundamental questions regarding collagen biosynthesis, especially with respect to the molecular origins of homotrimeric versus heterotrimeric assembly, remain unanswered. Here, we demonstrate that the presence or absence of a single cysteine in type-I collagen's C-propeptide domain is a key factor governing the ability of a given collagen polypeptide to stably homotrimerize. We also identify a critical role for Ca in non-covalent collagen C-propeptide trimerization, thereby priming the protein for disulfide-mediated covalent immortalization.

Structure of supporting elements in the dorsal fin of percid fishes.

The dorsal fin is one of the most varied swimming structures in Acanthomorpha, the spiny-finned fishes. This fin can be present as a single contiguous structure supported by bony spines and soft lepidotrichia, or it may be divided into an anterior, spiny dorsal fin and a posterior, soft dorsal fin. The freshwater fish family Percidae exhibits especially great variation in dorsal fin spacing, including fishes with separated fins of varying gap length and fishes with contiguous fins.