Whole-Genome Sequence of the Novel Temperate Bacteriophage Tyrion, Isolated from the Gut of the Formosan Subterranean Termite.

We sequenced the genome of the novel bacteriophage Tyrion isolated from termite gut. The bacteriophage is temperate in nature and belongs to the family. Many predicted bacteriophage genes showed similarity to prophage regions of the genomes of bacteria.

Whole-Genome Sequence of the Novel Bacteriophage Arya with an Integrase Pseudogene, Isolated from the Gut of the Formosan Subterranean Termite.

We isolated and sequenced the novel bacteriophage Arya from termite gut. The genome showed synteny to lytic bacteriophage genomes; however, the genome encodes a truncated, putatively nonfunctional integrase pseudogene. Lysogeny-related genes were previously observed in certain lytic phages, but their role and evolution remain unclear.

BINDING SITE ANALYSIS OF THE NR4A NUCLEAR RECEPTOR NHR-6 DURING DEVELOPMENT.

Members of the NR4A subfamily of nuclear receptors make up a highly conserved, functionally diverse group of transcription factors implicated in a multitude of cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, metabolism and DNA repair. The gene which encodes the sole NR4A nuclear receptor homolog, has a critical role in organogenesis and regulates the development of the spermatheca organ system. Our previous work revealed that is required for spermatheca cell divisions in late L3 and early L4 and spermatheca cell differentiation during the mid L4 stage.

Astaxanthin and Docosahexaenoic Acid Reverse the Toxicity of the Maxi-K (BK) Channel Antagonist Mycotoxin Penitrem A.

Penitrem A (PA) is a food mycotoxin produced by several terrestrial and few marine species. PA is a potent tremorgen through selective antagonism of the calcium-dependent potassium BK (Maxi-K) channels. Discovery of natural products that can prevent the toxic effects of PA is important for food safety.

Complete Genome Sequence of Citrobacter Phage CVT22 Isolated from the Gut of the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki.

The complete genome of bacteriophage CVT22 infecting Citrobacter sp. strain TM1552 is reported here. Both the bacteriophage and Citrobacter sp.

Comparative genomics of Cluster O mycobacteriophages.

Mycobacteriophages--viruses of mycobacterial hosts--are genetically diverse but morphologically are all classified in the Caudovirales with double-stranded DNA and tails. We describe here a group of five closely related mycobacteriophages--Corndog, Catdawg, Dylan, Firecracker, and YungJamal--designated as Cluster O with long flexible tails but with unusual prolate capsids. Proteomic analysis of phage Corndog particles, Catdawg particles, and Corndog-infected cells confirms expression of half of the predicted gene products and indicates a non-canonical mechanism for translation of the Corndog tape measure protein.

The C. elegans NR4A nuclear receptor gene nhr-6 promotes cell cycle progression in the spermatheca lineage.

Background: NR4A nuclear receptors are a conserved, functionally diverse group of nuclear receptors that regulate multiple cellular processes including proliferation and differentiation. The gene nhr-6 encodes the sole Caenorhabditis elegans NR4A nuclear receptor homolog with an essential role in reproduction by regulating morphogenesis of the spermatheca, a somatic gonad organ involved in ovulation and fertilization.

Results: Here, we identify the spermatheca cell lineage defects that occur in nhr-6 mutants.

A web-based restriction endonuclease tool for mycobacteriophage cluster prediction.

A recent explosion in the amount of genomic data has revealed a large genetic diversity in the bacteriophages that infect Mycobacterium smegmatis. In an effort to assess the novelty of newly described mycobacteriophage isolates and provide a preliminary determination of their probable cluster assignment prior to full genome sequencing, we have developed a systematic approach that relies on restriction endonuclease analysis. We demonstrate that a web-based tool, the Phage Enzyme Tool (or PET), is capable of rapidly facilitating this analysis and exhibits reliability in the putative placement of mycobacteriophages into specific clusters of previously sequenced phages.

A broadly implementable research course in phage discovery and genomics for first-year undergraduate students.

Unlabelled: Engaging large numbers of undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery is desirable but difficult to achieve. We have developed a general model in which faculty and teaching assistants from diverse academic institutions are trained to teach a research course for first-year undergraduate students focused on bacteriophage discovery and genomics. The course is situated within a broader scientific context aimed at understanding viral diversity, such that faculty and students are collaborators with established researchers in the field.

Bioguided discovery and pharmacophore modeling of the mycotoxic indole diterpene alkaloids penitrems as breast cancer proliferation, migration, and invasion inhibitors.

Marine-derived fungi have proven to be important sources of bioactive natural organohalides. The genus is recognized as a rich source of chemically diverse bioactive secondary metabolites. This study reports the fermentation, isolation and identification of a marine-derived species.

Indole diterpene alkaloids as novel inhibitors of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in breast cancer cells.

Penitrems are indole diterpene alkaloids best known for their BK channel inhibition and tremorgenic effects in mammals. In a previous study, penitrems A-F (1-5), their biosynthetic precursors, paspaline (6) and emindole SB (7), and two brominated penitrem analogs 8 and 9 demonstrated promising in vitro antiproliferative, antimigratory, and anti-invasive effects in the MTT (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), wound-healing, and Cultrex BME cell invasion (MDA-MB-231) assays, respectively. The study herein reports the novel ability of penitrem A to suppress total β-catenin levels in MDA-MB-231 mammary cancer cells.

C. elegans nuclear receptor NHR-6 functionally interacts with the jun-1 transcription factor during spermatheca development.

The NR4A nuclear receptor NHR-6 is an essential regulator of spermatheca organogenesis in C. elegans. In this study, we perform a focused, RNAi-based screen to identify modifiers of partial nhr-6 loss of function.

The C. elegans gene pan-1 encodes novel transmembrane and cytoplasmic leucine-rich repeat proteins and promotes molting and the larva to adult transition.

Background: Extracellular leucine-rich repeat (eLRR) proteins are a highly diverse superfamily of membrane-associated or secreted proteins. In the membrane-associated eLRR proteins, the leucine-rich repeat motifs interact with the extracellular matrix and other ligands. Characterizing their functions in animal model systems is key to deciphering their activities in various developmental processes.

A functional NR4A nuclear receptor DNA-binding domain is required for organ development in Caenorhabditis elegans.

NR4A nuclear receptors are a diverse group of orphan nuclear receptors with critical roles in regulating cell proliferation and cell differentiation. The ortholog of the NR4A nuclear receptor in Caenorhabditis elegans, NHR-6, also has a role in cell proliferation and cell differentiation during organogenesis of the spermatheca. Here we show that NHR-6 is able to bind the canonical NR4A monomer response element and can transactivate from this site in mammalian HEK293 cells.

Resistant starch, fermented resistant starch, and short-chain fatty acids reduce intestinal fat deposition in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Obesity is a growing global public health dilemma. The objective of this project is to develop and validate a screening mechanism for bioactive compounds that may reduce body fat and promote health. Resistant starch (RS) reduces body fat in rodents.

Molecular evidence for a functional ecdysone signaling system in Brugia malayi.

Background: Filarial nematodes, including Brugia malayi, the causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, undergo molting in both arthropod and mammalian hosts to complete their life cycles. An understanding of how these parasites cross developmental checkpoints may reveal potential targets for intervention. Pharmacological evidence suggests that ecdysteroids play a role in parasitic nematode molting and fertility although their specific function remains unknown.

The genome of the nematode Pristionchus pacificus encodes putative homologs of RXR/Usp and EcR.

Ecdysteroid signaling is an important regulator of arthropod development and reproduction. However, the role of ecdysteroid signaling in another Ecdysozoan animal, the nematode, remains unclear. We report here the identification, cloning, and temporal expression of genes encoding putative homologs of the two nuclear receptor components of the ecdysone receptor, RXR/Usp (NR2B) and EcR (NR1H), in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus.

The Caenorhabditis elegans NR4A nuclear receptor is required for spermatheca morphogenesis.

The gene nhr-6 encodes the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of the NR4A nuclear receptor. We determined the biological functions of NHR-6 through the isolation and characterization of a deletion allele of nhr-6, lg6001. We demonstrate that nhr-6 has an essential role in the development of the C.

Explosive lineage-specific expansion of the orphan nuclear receptor HNF4 in nematodes.

The nuclear receptor superfamily expanded in at least two episodes: one early in metazoan evolution, the second within the vertebrate lineage. An exception to this pattern is the genome of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which encodes more than 270 nuclear receptors, most of them highly divergent. We generated 128 cDNA sequences for 76 C.

Expression and function of conserved nuclear receptor genes in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes 284 nuclear receptor (NR) genes. Among these 284 NR genes are 15 genes conserved among the Metazoa. Here, we analyze the expression and function of eight heretofore uncharacterized conserved C.