Clinical management of patients with genetic obesity during COVID-19 pandemic: position paper of the ESE Growth & Genetic Obesity COVID-19 Study Group and Rare Endo-ERN main thematic group on Growth and Obesity.

This article aims to provide guidance on prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in patients with genetic obesity. Key principals of the management of patients with genetic obesity during COVID-19 pandemic for patients that have contracted COVID-19 are to be aware of: possible adrenal insufficiency (e.g.

A modified method for PCR-directed gene synthesis from large number of overlapping oligodeoxyribonucleotides.

Here we report an improved, reproducible, simple, rapid, and cost-effective PCR-based DNA synthesis method using short (25-40 bp) overlapping oligodeoxyribonucleotides (oligos). The method involves two steps; (1) assembly of multiple/overlapping oligos by PCR to generate the template DNA and (2) amplification of the template DNA sequence with the two outermost oligos as primers. We have tested this method by synthesizing approximately 35 genes ranging in size between 300 bp and 1700 bp and G+C content from moderate (30%) to high (65%).

Anxiolytic-like activity of the non-selective galanin receptor agonist, galnon.

Galanin's influence on monoaminergic neurotransmission, together with its discrete CNS distribution in corticolimbic brain areas, points to a potential role for this neuropeptide in mediating anxiety- and depression-like responses. To evaluate this hypothesis, the non-selective galanin receptor agonist, galnon, was tested in multiple preclinical models of anxiolytic- and antidepressive-like activity. Acute administration of galnon (0.

Yeast-based screening for inhibitors of RGS proteins.

This article provides information on two screening platforms for the identification of regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) protein modulators. Utilization of the yeast pheromone response pathway enabled the creation of a functional screen for RGS4 modulators. The RGSZ1-focused screen employs advances in yeast two-hybrid screening technologies and targets the protein-protein interface of the RGS domain/Galpha interaction.

A dual luciferase multiplexed high-throughput screening platform for protein-protein interactions.

To study the biology of regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins and to facilitate the identification of small molecule modulators of RGS proteins, the authors recently developed an advanced yeast 2-hybrid (YTH) assay format for GalphaZ and RGS-Z1. Moreover, they describe the development of a multiplexed luciferase-based assay that has been successfully adapted to screen large numbers of small molecule modulators of protein-protein interactions. They generated and evaluated 2 different luciferase reporter gene systems for YTH interactions, a Gal4 responsive firefly luciferase reporter gene and a Gal4 responsive Renilla luciferase reporter gene.