Reported transgenerational responses to in are not robust.

Here we report our attempt to replicate reports of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in . Published results from multiple laboratories show that adults and their F1 embryos exposed to the pathogen show pathogen aversion behavior and a pathogen exposure-dependent increase in reporter gene expression. However, results from one group show persistence of the aversion behavior and elevated expression in the F2, F3, and F4 generations.

Mapping reduced introgression loci to the X chromosome of the hybridizing field crickets, Gryllus firmus and G. pennsylvanicus.

The genomic architecture of barriers to gene exchange during the speciation process is poorly understood. The genomic islands model suggests that loci associated with barriers to gene exchange prevent introgression of nearby genomic regions via linkage disequilibrium. But few analyses of the actual genomic location of non-introgressing loci in closely related species exist.

Intracellular location of cysteine transport activity correlates with productive processing of antigen disulfide.

Activation of CD4+ T cells requires processing of exogenous protein antigens by antigen-presenting cells (APC). A macrophage hybridoma and B cell lymphoma were comparable in their ability to process hen egg lysozyme (HEL), which involves reduction of its disulfide bonds. The intracellular levels of cysteine and glutathione, major physiological thiols, based on protein content were similar within these cell lines.

Assessing Clinical Utility of Hepatitis C Virus Quantitative RT-PCR Data: Implications for Identification of Responders Among alpha-Interferon-treated Patients.

Background: Detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in serum or plasma is currently the best means of identifying active HCV infection. In this study, we assessed the clinical utility of the HCV Amplicor Monitor (Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Branchburg, NJ) quantitative assay for monitoring viral burden and its implications for identifying responders among alpha-interferon-treated patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods and Results: Precision and linearity were determined on aliquots of a pooled control serum.

delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol modulates antigen processing by macrophages.

delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure suppresses multiple immunological functions of macrophages. The ability of macrophages exposed to THC to process and present soluble protein antigens was investigated by the stimulation of antigen-specific helper T cell hybridomas to secrete interleukin-2. The T cell response to hen egg lysozyme was dramatically reduced after a 24-hr pretreatment of a macrophage hybridoma with THC.