Structural basis for the intracellular regulation of ferritin degradation.

The interaction between nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) and the iron storage protein ferritin is a crucial component of cellular iron homeostasis. The binding of NCOA4 to the FTH1 subunits of ferritin initiates ferritinophagy-a ferritin-specific autophagic pathway leading to the release of the iron stored inside ferritin. The dysregulation of NCOA4 is associated with several diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, highlighting the NCOA4-ferritin interface as a prime target for drug development.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms and Zn transport by ZIP11 shape functional phenotypes of HeLa cells.

Zinc (Zn) is a vital micronutrient with essential roles in biological processes like enzyme function, gene expression, and cell signaling. Disruptions in the cellular regulation of Zn2+ ions often lead to pathological states. Mammalian Zn transporters, such as ZIP11, play a key role in homeostasis of this ion.

Minimally invasive biomarkers in human and non-human primate evolutionary biology: Tools for understanding variation and adaptation.

Background: The use of minimally invasive biomarkers (MIBs - physiological biomarkers obtained from minimally invasive sample types) has expanded rapidly in science and medicine over the past several decades. The MIB approach is a methodological strength in the field of human and non-human primate evolutionary biology (HEB). Among humans and our closest relatives, MIBs provide unique opportunities to document phenotypic variation and to operationalize evolutionary hypotheses.

-Induced Rash and Mucositis in a Previously Healthy Man: A Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature.

We describe a case of a 33-year-old-male with induced rash and mucositis and review the literature on this newly described syndrome.

Use of multiplex allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (MAS-PCR) to detect multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Panama.

The frequency of individual genetic mutations conferring drug resistance (DR) to Mycobacterium tuberculosis has not been studied previously in Central America, the place of origin of many immigrants to the United States. The current gold standard for detecting multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST), which is resource-intensive and slow, leading to increased MDR-TB transmission in the community. We evaluated multiplex allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (MAS-PCR) as a rapid molecular tool to detect MDR-TB in Panama.

Determinants of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis clusters, California, USA, 2004-2007.

Laboratory and epidemiologic evidence suggests that pathogen-specific factors may affect multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) transmission and pathogenesis. To identify demographic and clinical characteristics of MDR TB case clustering and to estimate the effect of specific isoniazid resistance-conferring mutations and strain lineage on genotypic clustering, we conducted a population-based cohort study of all MDR TB cases reported in California from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2007. Of 8,899 incident culture-positive cases for which drug susceptibility information was available, 141 (2%) were MDR.

Influence of M. tuberculosis lineage variability within a clinical trial for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Recent studies suggest that M. tuberculosis lineage and host genetics interact to impact how active tuberculosis presents clinically. We determined the phylogenetic lineages of M.

Novel hot spot of IS6110 insertion in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

We describe a hot spot for the insertion of IS6110 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis located in the area of region of difference 724 (RD724). Because RD724 defines sublineage 724 of M. tuberculosis, caution must be exercised when screening for RD724, as different polymorphisms can be observed in this region.

Comparison of restriction fragment length polymorphism with the polymorphic guanine-cytosine-rich sequence and spoligotyping for differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates with five or fewer copies of IS6110.

The use of IS6110 as a marker for molecular epidemiological studies is limited when a Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolate has five or fewer copies of IS6110. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with a highly polymorphic GC-rich repetitive sequence located in the plasmid pTBN12 (PGRS RFLP) and spoligotyping (based on the polymorphism of the DR region) are two frequently used secondary typing methods. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of these two methods in a population-based study in San Francisco.