Vulnerability to somatic symptoms of depression during interferon-alpha therapy for hepatitis C: a 16-week prospective study.

Objective: This study evaluated the distinctive clinical and biological manifestations of depressive symptom subtypes (i.e., cognitive-affective and somatic) in Veterans with hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) before and during interferon-alpha (IFN) based antiviral therapy.

Analysis of small molecule ligands targeting the HIV-1 matrix protein-RNA binding site.

The matrix domain (MA) of the HIV-1 precursor Gag (PrGag) protein directs PrGag proteins to assembly sites at the plasma membrane by virtue of its affinity to the phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P(2)). MA also binds to RNA at a site that overlaps its PI(4,5)P(2) site, suggesting that RNA binding may protect MA from associating with inappropriate cellular membranes prior to PrGag delivery to the PM. Based on this, we have developed an assay in which small molecule competitors to MA-RNA binding can be characterized, with the assumption that such compounds might interfere with essential MA functions and help elucidate additional features of MA binding.

HIV-1 matrix protein binding to RNA.

The matrix (MA) domain of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) precursor Gag (PrGag) protein plays multiple roles in the viral replication cycle. One essential role is to target PrGag proteins to their lipid raft-associated phosphatidylinositol-(4,5)-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P(2)] assembly sites at the plasma membranes of infected cells. In addition to this role, several reports have implicated nucleic acid binding properties to retroviral MAs.

Second-site compensatory mutations of HIV-1 capsid mutations.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) capsid (CA) protein assembles into a hexameric lattice that forms the mature virus core. Contacts between the CA N-terminal domain (NTD) of one monomer and the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the adjacent monomer are important for the assembly of this core. In this study, we have examined the effects of mutations in the NTD region associated with this interaction.

The Agrobacterium rhizogenes GALLS gene encodes two secreted proteins required for genetic transformation of plants.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rhizogenes are related pathogens that cause crown gall and hairy root diseases, which result from integration and expression of bacterial genes in the plant genome. Single-stranded DNA (T strands) and virulence proteins are translocated into plant cells by a type IV secretion system. VirD2 nicks a specific DNA sequence, attaches to the 5' end, and pilots the DNA into plant cells.