Developmental exposure to phytoestrogens found in soy: New findings and clinical implications.

Exposure to naturally derived estrogen receptor activators, such as the phytoestrogen genistein, can occur at physiologically relevant concentrations in the human diet. Soy-based infant formulas are of particular concern because infants consuming these products have serum genistein levels almost 20 times greater than those seen in vegetarian adults. Comparable exposures in animal studies have adverse physiologic effects.

Developmentally Programmed Tankyrase Activity Upregulates β-Catenin and Licenses Progression of Embryonic Genome Activation.

Embryonic genome activation (EGA) is orchestrated by an intrinsic developmental program initiated during oocyte maturation with translation of stored maternal mRNAs. Here, we show that tankyrase, a poly(ADP-ribosyl) polymerase that regulates β-catenin levels, undergoes programmed translation during oocyte maturation and serves an essential role in mouse EGA. Newly translated TNKS triggers proteasomal degradation of axin, reducing targeted destruction of β-catenin and promoting β-catenin-mediated transcription of target genes, including Myc.

Determinants of the regulation of Helicobacter pylori adhesins include repeat sequences in both promoter and coding regions as well as the two-component system ArsRS.

Purpose: We investigated the transcription of adhesin-encoding genes sabA, hopZ and labA in Helicobacter pylori strain J99. Each possesses a repeating homopolymeric nucleotide tract within their promoter regions, and sabA and hopZ possess repeats within their 5' coding regions.

Methodology: We altered the repeat lengths associated with the adhesin genes and quantified mRNA levels by real-time quantitative PCR.