UFMylation promotes orthoflavivirus infectious particle production.

Post-translational modifications play crucial roles in viral infections, yet many potential modifications remain unexplored in orthoflavivirus biology. Here we demonstrate that the UFMylation system, a post-translational modification system that catalyzes the transfer of UFM1 onto proteins, promotes infection by multiple orthoflaviviruses including dengue virus, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and yellow fever virus. We found that depletion of the UFMylation E3 ligase complex proteins UFL1 and UFBP1, as well as other UFMylation machinery components (UBA5, UFC1, and UFM1), significantly reduces infectious virion production for orthoflaviviruses but not the hepacivirus, hepatitis C.

The Perception of Preparedness in Undergraduate Nursing Students During COVID-19.

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of preparedness in nursing students who transitioned to online and virtual learning platforms brought about by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Design: Descriptive, correlational, nonexperimental research design.

Method: Data collection was attained through Facebook groups using the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey and questions about comfort in nursing skills and multiple patient assignments.

Quantitative evaluation of latent fingermarks with novel enhancement and illumination.

A variety of suspended silica and metal nanoparticles have been used over the last 20 years to enhance latent fingermarks. This study quantitatively evaluates enhancement of natural and sebum-enriched fingermarks from three adult subjects acquired with a consistent applied force on glass with a fingermark press using suspended commercially available polystyrene (PS) particles. Images of the enhanced fingermarks acquired with total internal reflection (TIR), or standard overhead white light (WL), illumination are compared with fingermarks enhanced with conventional methods including cyanoacrylate fuming.

Tradeoffs for a viral mutant with enhanced replication speed.

RNA viruses exist as genetically heterogeneous populations due to high mutation rates, and many of these mutations reduce fitness and/or replication speed. However, it is unknown whether mutations can increase replication speed of a virus already well adapted to replication in cultured cells. By sequentially passaging coxsackievirus B3 in cultured cells and collecting the very earliest progeny, we selected for increased replication speed.

A Novel Corn-Expressed Phytase Improves Daily Weight Gain, Protein Efficiency Ratio and Nutrients Digestibility and Alters Fecal Microbiota in Pigs Fed with Very Low Protein Diets.

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a novel corn-expressed phytase (CEP) on growth, nutrients digestibility, bone characteristics and fecal microbiota of pigs fed with very low-protein, -calcium (Ca) and -phosphorous (P) diets. Forty-eight barrows were subjected to 6 groups for 4 weeks: positive control-adequate protein (PC), negative control-reduced protein (NC), NC + low-dose CEP, i.e.

Rapid Dissemination and Monopolization of Viral Populations in Mice Revealed Using a Panel of Barcoded Viruses.

The gastrointestinal tract presents a formidable barrier for pathogens to initiate infection. Despite this barrier, enteroviruses, including coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), successfully penetrate the intestine to initiate infection and spread systemically prior to shedding in stool. However, the effect of the gastrointestinal barrier on CVB3 population dynamics is relatively unexplored, and the selective pressures acting on CVB3 in the intestine are not well characterized.

Effects of feeding corn-expressed phytase on the live performance, bone characteristics, and phosphorus digestibility of nursery pigs.

A 41-d feeding trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of a corn-expressed phytase (GZ; GraINzyme, Agrivida Inc., Woburn, MA) on the live performance, bone characteristics, and P digestibility of nursery pigs fed a reduced P diet. Weaned piglets (21 ± 3 d; n = 324) were acclimated on a common diet for 7 d (phase 1) before randomization into 54 single-sex pens (5 gilt and 4 barrow pens per treatment) containing 6 pigs (6.

Elements of a portable radiation detector calibration program.

The Department of Environmental Health & Safety at San Diego State University (SDSU) calibrates portable radiation detectors as a service to the university's research community. SDSU's calibration program was developed and implemented based on selected recommendations provided by the American National Standards Institute and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. This paper outlines the elements of the calibration program including, technical references and the rationale for program development.

Radiotherapy, toxicity and dosimetry of copper-64-TETA-octreotide in tumor-bearing rats.

Unlabelled: The efficacy of 64Cu [T1/2 = 12.7 hr; beta+ (0.655 MeV; 19%); beta- (0.

Identification of the soluble in vivo metabolites of indium-111-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-D-Phe1-octreotide.

Indium-111-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic Acid-D-phenylalanine-octreotide ([111]In-DTPA-octreotide) is a cyclic eight amino acid somatostatin analogue which is approved for gamma scintigraphy of neuroendocrine tumors. To address the factors that contribute to liver and kidney retention of this radiopharmaceutical, its metabolism was evaluated in normal and tumor-bearing rats. The soluble fractions from nontarget (liver and kidney) and target (tumor, pancreas, adrenals) organ homogenates were analyzed out to 21 h postinjection, and urine was analyzed out to 12 h postinjection.

Functions encoded by pyrrolnitrin biosynthetic genes from Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Pyrrolnitrin is a secondary metabolite derived from tryptophan and has strong antifungal activity. Recently we described four genes, prnABCD, from Pseudomonas fluorescens that encode the biosynthesis of pyrrolnitrin. In the work presented here, we describe the function of each prn gene product.

A dominant mutant receptor from Arabidopsis confers ethylene insensitivity in heterologous plants.

Ethylene (C2H4) is a gaseous hormone that affects many aspects of plant growth and development. Ethylene perception requires specific receptors and a signal transduction pathway to coordinate downstream responses. The etr1-1 gene of Arabidopsis encodes a mutated receptor that confers dominant ethylene insensitivity.

A phosphonate monoester hydrolase from Burkholderia caryophilli PG2982 is useful as a conditional lethal gene in plants.

A bacterial phosphonate monoester hydrolase was evaluated in plants as a conditional lethal gene useful for cell ablation and negative selection. Glyphosate is a potent herbicide whereas its phosphonate monoester derivative, glyceryl glyphosate, is approximately 50-fold less active. A phosphonate monoesterase gene (pehA) encoding an enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphonate esters including glyceryl glyphosate to glyphosate and glycerol was cloned from the glyphosate metabolizing bacterium, Burkholderia caryophilli PG2982.

An ethylene-inducible component of signal transduction encoded by never-ripe.

The ripening-impaired tomato mutant Never-ripe (Nr) is insensitive to the plant hormone ethylene. The gene that cosegregates with the Nr locus encodes a protein with homology to the Arabidopsis ethylene receptor ETR1 but is lacking the response regulator domain found in ETR1 and related prokaryotic two-component signal transducers. A single amino acid change in the sensor domain confers ethylene insensitivity when expressed in transgenic tomato plants.

The ethylene response mediator ETR1 from Arabidopsis forms a disulfide-linked dimer.

Mutations in the ETR1 gene of the higher plant Arabidopsis confer insensitivity to ethylene, indicating a role for the gene product in ethylene signal perception and transduction. The ETR1 gene product has an amino-terminal hydrophobic domain and a carboxyl-terminal domain showing homology to the two-component signal transduction proteins of bacteria. We report here that in both its native Arabidopsis and when transgenically expressed in yeast, the ETR1 protein is isolated from membranes as a dimer of 147 kDa.

The tomato Never-ripe locus regulates ethylene-inducible gene expression and is linked to a homolog of the Arabidopsis ETR1 gene.

Fruit ripening represents a complex system of genetic and hormonal regulation of eukaryotic development unique to plants. We are using tomato ripening mutants as tools to elucidate genetic components of ripening regulation and have recently demonstrated that the Never-ripe (Nr) mutant is insensitive to the plant growth regulator ethylene (M.B.

Identification of mRNAs with enhanced expression in ripening strawberry fruit using polymerase chain reaction differential display.

Fruit ripening is a complex developmental process that involves specific changes in gene expression and cellular metabolism. In climateric fruits these events are coordinated by the gaseous hormone ethylene, which is synthesized autocatalytically in the early stages of ripening. Nonclimacteric fruits do not synthesize or respond to ethylene in this manner, yet undergo many of the same physiological and biochemical changes associated with the production of a ripe fruit.

The cis-acting gibberellin response complex in high pI alpha-amylase gene promoters. Requirement of a coupling element for high-level transcription.

In cereal alpha-amylase gene promoters the cis-acting gibberellin response element (GARE) is required for increased transcription in the presence of gibberellin. In low-isoelectric point (pI) alpha-amylase gene promoters a second type of cis element, termed a coupling element, must also be present in a specific position near the GARE; otherwise, the level of transcription in the presence of gibberellin is only a few percent of maximum. The coupling element may help determine where and when in development high-level, hormonally regulated transcription will occur.

The never ripe mutation blocks ethylene perception in tomato.

Seedlings of tomato fruit ripening mutants were screened for their ability to respond to ethylene. Ethylene induced the triple response in etiolated hypocotyls of all tomato ripening mutants tested except for one, Never ripe (Nr). Our results indicated that the lack of ripening in this mutant is caused by ethylene insensitivity.

Gibberellin treatment stimulates nuclear factor binding to the gibberellin response complex in a barley alpha-amylase promoter.

The promoters of a majority of cereal alpha-amylase genes contain three highly conserved sequences (gibberellin response element, box I, and pyrimidine box). Recent studies have demonstrated the functional importance of four regions that either coincide with or are immediately proximal to these three conserved elements as well as an upstream Opaque-2 binding sequence. In this study, we describe the characterization of nuclear protein factors from barley aleurone layers whose binding activity toward gibberellin response complex sequences from the barley low-pl alpha-amylase gene (Amy32b) promoter is stimulated by gibberellin A3 (GA3) treatment.

A gibberellin response complex in cereal alpha-amylase gene promoters.

The Amy32b gene is a representative member of a closely related family of alpha-amylase genes expressed under hormonal control in aleurone layers of barley grains. Transcription of this gene is induced by gibberellin (GA) and suppressed by abscisic acid. In this study, we functionally defined the promoter elements of the Amy32b gene that govern the developmental and hormonal control of its expression in aleurone.

Slender barley: A constitutive gibberellin-response mutant.

In barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Herta), slender (sln1) is a single-locus recessive mutation which causes a plant to appear as if it had been grown in sturating concentrations of gibberellin (GA).