Delayed cognitive processing and treatment status quo bias in early-stage multiple sclerosis.

Background: The evolving therapeutic landscape requires more participation of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in treatment decisions. The aim of this study was to assess the association between patient's self-perception, cognitive impairment and behavioral factors in treatment choices in a cohort of patients at an early stage of RRMS.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, non-interventional study including adult patients with a diagnosis of RRMS, a disease duration ≤18 months and receiving care at one of the 21 participating MS centers from across Spain.

Long-term prognosis communication preferences in early-stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults with major consequences for their future lives. Improving communication strategies on prognosis may help patients deal with the disease and adjust their long-term life goals. However, there is limited information on patients' preferences of long-term prognosis (LTP) communication and associated factors.

A Walk in the Park: The Influence of Urban Parks and Community Violence on Physical Activity in Chelsea, MA.

Proximity to a park does not necessarily imply access or use, and the social environment may positively or negatively influence the positive intentions of the built environment. To investigate parks, park use and physical activity, and their associations with exposure to community violence, we interviewed residents (n = 354) of a densely populated urban community. Our findings indicate that proximity to any park is not associated with physical activity.

Isolation and expression of enolase gene in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici is a fungus responsible for the tomato disease known as fusariosis.

Rho-kinase in sea urchin eggs and embryos.

The activation of sea urchin eggs at fertilization provides an ideal system for studying the molecular events involved in cellular activation. Rho GTPases, which are key signaling enzymes in eukaryotes, are involved in sustaining the activation of sea urchin eggs; however, their downstream effectors have not yet been characterized. In somatic cells, RhoA regulates a serine/threonine kinase known as Rho-kinase (ROCK).

Concordance and interaction of guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDI) with RhoA in oogenesis and early development of the sea urchin.

Rho GTPases are Ras-related GTPases that regulate a variety of cellular processes. In the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, RhoA in the oocyte associates with the membrane of the cortical granules and directs their movement from the cytoplasm to the cell cortex during maturation to an egg. RhoA also plays an important role regulating the Na(+) -H(+) exchanger activity, which determines the internal pH of the cell during the first minutes of embryogenesis.

Rho1 and other GTP-binding proteins are associated with vesicles carrying glucose oxidase activity from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.

In eucaryotic cells, the delivery of a secreted protein to the plasma membrane via vesicles must include transport, recognition, and fusion events. Proteins exposed on the cytoplasmic face of the secretory vesicles play a role in these events; these include the GTP-binding proteins, which are crucial components in this process. Fractions enriched with vesicles carrying glucose oxidase (GOX) activity from Fusarium oxysporum f.

Engineering and directed evolution of a Ca2+ binding site A-deficient AprE mutant reveal an essential contribution of the loop Leu75-Leu82 to enzyme activity.

An aprE mutant from B. subtilis 168 lacking the connecting loop Leu(75)-Leu(82) which is predicted to encode a Ca(2+) binding site was constructed. Expression of the mutant gene (aprEDeltaLeu(75)-Leu(82)) produced B.

Small GTP-binding proteins are associated with chitosomes and vesicles carrying glucose oxidase from Mucor circinelloides.

Fractions enriched with chitosomes and vesicles carrying glucose oxidase (GOX) activity from the dimorphic zygomycete Mucor circinelloides were obtained using two successive sucrose gradients, the first a linear-log and the second an isopycnic gradient. Using an [alpha-(32)P]GTP-binding assay, we detected the association of small GTP-binding proteins (21 and 17 kDa) with both types of vesicles. In addition, by ADP-ribosylation with C3 exotoxin, and Western blot analysis with specific antibodies, we identified the small GTPases RhoA (Rho1p) and Rab8, and a 17 kDa protein, with pI values of 6.

Rho-kinase (ROCK) in sea urchin sperm: its role in regulating the intracellular pH during the acrosome reaction.

Sperm must undergo the acrosome reaction (AR) in order to fertilize the egg. In sea urchins, this reaction is triggered by the egg jelly (EJ) which, upon binding to its sperm receptor, induces increases in the ion permeability of the plasma membrane and changes in protein phosphorylation. Here, we demonstrated that the sperm expresses ROCK (approximately 135kDa), which is a serine/threonine protein kinase.

Differential expression of Rho1GTPase and Rho3GTPase during isotropic and polarized growth of Mucor circinelloides.

Evidence has been obtained that indicates the presence of small 22 kDa GTP-binding Rho proteins through ADP-ribosylation by Clostridium botulinum C3 exotoxin in Mucor circinelloides. Rho protein was detected at all stages of growth studied. During polarized growth, both under aerobic conditions and during the yeast-mycelia transition, the radiolabeling of the [32P]ADP-ribosylated protein increased when tube formation occurred and decreased as the hyphae branched.

Rho, Rho-kinase, and the actin cytoskeleton regulate the Na+ -H+ exchanger in sea urchin eggs.

At fertilization, the sea urchin egg undergoes an internal pH (pHi) increase mediated by a Na+ -H+ exchanger. We used antibodies against the mammalian antiporters NHE1 and NHE3 to characterize this exchanger. In unfertilized eggs, only anti-NHE3 cross-reacted specifically with a protein of 81-kDa, which localized to the plasma membrane and cortical granules.

Molecular characterization of a G protein alpha-subunit-encoding gene from Mucor circinelloides.

Genes encoding the Galpha subunit were cloned from Mucor circinelloides, a zygomycete dimorphic fungus. There are at least four genes that encode for Galpha subunits, gpa1, gpa2, gpa3, and gpa4. The genes gpa1 and gpa3 were isolated and characterized, and their predicted products showed 36%-67% identity with Galpha subunits from diverse fungi.

A Rho-signaling pathway mediates cortical granule translocation in the sea urchin oocyte.

Cortical granules are secretory vesicles of the egg that play a fundamental role in preventing polyspermy at fertilization. In the sea urchin egg, they localize directly beneath the plasma membrane forming a compact monolayer and, upon fertilization, undergo a Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis. Cortical granules form during early oogenesis and, during maturation, translocate from the cytosol to the oocyte cortex in a microfilament-mediated process.

A Rho GTPase controls the rate of protein synthesis in the sea urchin egg.

Fertilization of the sea urchin egg triggers a Ca(2+)-dependent cortical granule exocytosis and cytoskeletal reorganization, both of which are accompanied by an accelerated protein synthesis. The signaling mechanisms leading to these events are not completely understood. The possible role of Rho GTPases in sea urchin egg activation was studied using the Clostridium botulinum C3 exotoxin, which specifically ADP-ribosylates Rho proteins and inactivates them.

Mastoparan induces Ca2+-independent cortical granule exocytosis in sea urchin eggs.

In most species, cortical granule exocytosis is characteristic of egg activation by sperm. It is a Ca(2+)-mediated event which results in elevation of the vitelline coat to block permanently the polyspermy at fertilization. We examined the effect of mastoparan, an activator of G-proteins, on the sea urchin egg activation.

The GTP-binding protein RhoA localizes to the cortical granules of Strongylocentrotus purpuratas sea urchin egg and is secreted during fertilization.

The sea urchin egg has thousands of secretory vesicles known as cortical granules. Upon fertilization, these vesicles undergo a Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. G-protein-linked mechanisms may take place during the egg activation.

The small GTP-binding protein Rho is expressed differentially during spore germination of Phycomyces blakesleeanus.

Evidence has been obtained for the presence of the small 22 kDa GTP-binding Rho protein in dormant spores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Immunoblotting with a polyclonal antibody against RhoA revealed a soluble and membrane-associated 22 kDa protein. When [32P]ADP-ribosylated by Clostridium botulinum C3 exotoxin the protein had a pI of 5.

Subcellular localization of the GTP-binding protein Rho in the sea urchin sperm.

The Rho proteins are small G-proteins that belong to the Ras superfamily and play an essential role in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. They are characteristically ADP-ribosylated by the exoenzyme C3 from Clostridium botulinum. Sea urchin sperm contain multiple small G proteins (28-24 kDa) whose identity and function are unknown.

Molecular characterisation of a fungal mono(ADP-ribosyl)transferase.

A soluble arginine-specific mono(ADP-ribosyl)transferase was detected in dormant spores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Soluble proteins incubated with [32P]NAD revealed, after a two dimensional electrophoretic separation, three major ADP-ribosylated substrates with molecular weights of 38, 37, and 36 kDa and pI values of 6.9, 8.

The GTP-binding protein G alpha s is present in dormant spores and expressed differentially during spore germination of the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus.

A DNA sequence homologous to a G alpha s DNA probe, and the corresponding G alpha s protein (stimulatory alpha-subunit of GTP-binding protein) were detected in Phycomyces blakesleeanus. The protein was demonstrated in membrane fractions of dormant spores of this fungus using three different experimental approaches. Photoaffinity-labelling experiments with [alpha-32P]GTP of the membrane fraction revealed two bands, of 56 and 32 kDa.

The acrosome reaction in digitonin-permeabilized sea urchin sperm in the absence of the natural inducer.

In many species, the acrosome reaction of sperm is an obligatory step in fertilization. Increases in [Ca2+]i and pHi, activation of adenylyl cyclase and inositol trisphosphate generation accompany the egg jelly-induced acrosome reaction of sea urchin sperm. The signaling mechanisms involved are unknown.

Multiple GTP-binding proteins in sea urchin sperm: Evidence for Gs and small G-proteins.

Sea urchin sperm plasma membranes isolated from heads and flagella were used to examine the presence of Gs (stimulatory guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein) and small G-proteins. Flagellar plasma membranes incubated with [ P]NAD and cholera toxin (CTX) displayed radiolabeling in a protein of 48 kDa, which was reactive by immunoblotting with a specific antibody against mammalian Gs. CTX-catalyzed [ P]ADP-ribosylation in conjunction with immunoprecipitation with anti-Gs, followed by electrophoresis and autoradiography, revealed one band of 48 kDa.