Homocysteine and Glaucoma.

Elevated levels of homocysteine (Hcy), a non-proteinogenic amino acid, may lead to a host of manifestations across the biological systems, particularly the nervous system. Defects in Hcy metabolism have been associated with many neurodegenerative diseases including glaucoma, i.e.

The essential role of Dnmt1 in in the large milkweed bug .

Given the importance of DNA methylation in protection of the genome against transposable elements and transcriptional regulation in other taxonomic groups, the diversity in both levels and patterns of DNA methylation in the insects raises questions about its function and evolution. We show that the maintenance DNA methyltransferase, DNMT1, affects meiosis and is essential to fertility in milkweed bugs, , while DNA methylation is not required in somatic cells. Our results support the hypothesis that is required for the transition of germ cells to gametes in and that this function is conserved in male and female gametogenesis.

Factors affecting the outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal fusion.

Aims: Tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) fusion is used to treat a variety of conditions affecting the ankle and subtalar joint, including osteoarthritis (OA), Charcot arthropathy, avascular necrosis (AVN) of the talus, failed total ankle arthroplasty, and severe deformity. The prevalence of postoperative complications remains high due to the complexity of hindfoot disease seen in these patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between preoperative conditions and postoperative complications in order to predict the outcome following primary TTC fusion.

Efficiency and fidelity of T3 DNA ligase in ligase-catalysed oligonucleotide polymerisations.

Ligase-catalyzed oligonucleotide polymerisations (LOOPER) can readily generate libraries of diversely-modified nucleic acid polymers, which can be subjected to iterative rounds of in vitro selection to evolve functional activity. While there exist several different DNA ligases, T4 DNA ligase has most often been used for the process. Recently, T3 DNA ligase was shown to be effective in LOOPER; however, little is known about the fidelity and efficiency of this enzyme in LOOPER.