A genome-wide scan for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 155 German sib-pairs.

Three groups have previously performed genome scans in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); linkage to chromosome 5p13 was detected in all of the respective studies. In the current study, we performed a whole-genome scan with 102 German families with two or more offspring who currently fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Including subsequent fine mapping on chromosome 5p, a total of 523 markers were genotyped.

Hydrophobins: the protein-amphiphiles of filamentous fungi.

Hydrophobins are surface active proteins produced by filamentous fungi. They have a role in fungal growth as structural components and in the interaction of fungi with their environment. They have, for example, been found to be important for aerial growth, and for the attachment of fungi to solid supports.

The vacuolar DHHC-CRD protein Pfa3p is a protein acyltransferase for Vac8p.

Palmitoylation of the vacuolar membrane protein Vac8p is essential for vacuole fusion in yeast (Veit, M., R. Laage, L.

Vesicular transport and apotransferrin in intestinal iron absorption, as shown in the Caco-2 cell model.

The potential roles of vesicular transport and apotransferrin (entering from the blood) in intestinal Fe absorption were investigated using Caco-2 cell monolayers with tight junctions in bicameral chambers as a model. As shown previously, addition of 39 microM apotransferrin (apoTf) to the basolateral fluid during absorption studies markedly stimulated overall transport of 1 microM (59)Fe from the apical to the basal chamber and stimulated its basolateral release from prelabeled cells, implicating endo- and exocytosis. Rates of transport more than doubled.

Transmission disequilibrium of polymorphic variants in the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 gene in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder in childhood with substantial heritability. Pharmacological and molecular genetic studies as well as characterization of animal models have implicated serotonergic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of ADHD. Here, we investigated the effect of polymorphic variants in the gene of the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2), the rate-limiting enzyme of serotonin (5-HT) synthesis in the brain, in children and adolescents with ADHD.

Identification of immunodominant autoantigens in rat autoimmune orchitis.

Infection and inflammation of the genital tract are amongst the leading causes of male infertility. Experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) in the rat serves as a model for the investigation of inflammatory testicular impairment. In this study, experiments were conducted to identify the molecules that are responsible for eliciting the autoimmune attack on the testis.

DHHC9 and GCP16 constitute a human protein fatty acyltransferase with specificity for H- and N-Ras.

Covalent lipid modifications mediate the membrane attachment and biological activity of Ras proteins. All Ras isoforms are farnesylated and carboxyl-methylated at the terminal cysteine; H-Ras and N-Ras are further modified by palmitoylation. Yeast Ras is palmitoylated by the DHHC cysteine-rich domain-containing protein Erf2 in a complex with Erf4.

Palmitoylation regulates plasma membrane-nuclear shuttling of R7BP, a novel membrane anchor for the RGS7 family.

The RGS7 (R7) family of RGS proteins bound to the divergent Gbeta subunit Gbeta5 is a crucial regulator of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling in the visual and nervous systems. Here, we identify R7BP, a novel neuronally expressed protein that binds R7-Gbeta5 complexes and shuttles them between the plasma membrane and nucleus. Regional expression of R7BP, Gbeta5, and R7 isoforms in brain is highly coincident.

Prospective dosing of warfarin based on cytochrome P-450 2C9 genotype.

Cytochrome P-450 2C9 (CYP2C9) polymorphisms (CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3) reduce the clearance of warfarin, increase the risk of bleeding, and prolong the time to stable dosing. Whether prospective use of a retrospectively developed algorithm that incorporates CYP2C9 genotype and nongenetic factors can ameliorate the propensity to bleeding and delay in achieving a stable warfarin dose is unknown. We initiated warfarin therapy in 48 orthopedic patients tailored to the following variables: CYP2C9 genotype, age, weight, height, gender, race, and use of simvastatin or amiodarone.

Sports pharmacology and ergogenic aids.

Primary care physicians working with athletes need to ask about drug or supplement use. A basic knowledge of ergogenic substances may help to establish rapport with athletes using these agents. Physicians should be aware that doses used by athletes are far in excess of the ones reported by the literature, and that new substances are constantly being introduced.

Proteolytic extraction of salmon oil and PUFA concentration by lipases.

Commercial proteases (Alcalase, Neutrase, and Flavourzyme) were tested for their ability to release the oil content of marine by-products (salmon heads). The amount of oil (17%) obtained after 2 hours was close to that obtained by the chemical extraction method (20%). Lipolysis of the oil was carried out with Novozym SP398 to obtain a mixture of free fatty acids and acylglycerols (24 hours 45% hydrolysis).

[Evaluation of a group for parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)].

Objective: The curriculum of a group for parents of children with ADHD and its evaluation by the participants are presented.

Method: A questionnaire was sent to the participants and answered anonymously.

Results: With a response rate of 59 %, mainly positive ratings were obtained.

[Analysis of comorbid psychiatric disorders in child and adolescent psychiatry using the standardised basic documentation].

A slightly modified version of the basic documentation of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Associations is used to record in a standardised way important characteristics of the patients consulting clinics in Munich and Regensburg. The focus of the instrument is on the diagnostic classification of the symptoms according to the multiaxial classification scheme. The data of 5166 patients were analysed for frequency and type of combined psychiatric disorder.

Cell envelope analysis of insensitive, susceptible or resistant strains of Leuconostoc and Weissella genus to Leuconostoc mesenteroides FR 52 bacteriocins.

Mesenterocins 52A and 52B belong to class II of lactic acid bacteria bacteriocins. To study susceptibility, insensitivity and resistance to these mesenterocins, four wild-type bacterial strains and four resistant strains, all from Leuconostoc or Weissella genus, were compared. Several cell envelope features were investigated: susceptibilities to antibiotics and to lysozyme, cell morphology and membrane phospholipids contents.

Laccase from Melanocarpus albomyces binds effectively to cellulose.

A laccase from the thermophilic fungus Melanocarpus albomyces was shown to bind to softwood and pure microcrystalline cellulose. The binding isotherm fitted well the Langmuir type one-site binding model. The adsorption parameters indicated that M.

Mutation screen of the brain derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF): identification of several genetic variants and association studies in patients with obesity, eating disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Several lines of evidence indicate an involvement of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in body weight regulation and activity: heterozygous Bdnf knockout mice (Bdnf(+/-)) are hyperphagic, obese, and hyperactive; furthermore, central infusion of BDNF leads to severe, dose-dependent appetite suppression and weight loss in rats. We searched for the role of BDNF variants in obesity, eating disorders, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A mutation screen (SSCP and DHPLC) of the translated region of BDNF in 183 extremely obese children and adolescents and 187 underweight students was performed.

Efficient purification of recombinant proteins using hydrophobins as tags in surfactant-based two-phase systems.

In this work we describe the new concept of using fungal hydrophobins as efficient tags for purification of recombinant fusion proteins by aqueous two-phase separation. Hydrophobins are a group of small surface-active proteins produced by filamentous fungi. Some characteristics of hydrophobins are that they are relatively small (approximately 100 amino acids), they contain eight disulfide-forming Cys residues in a conserved pattern, and they self-assemble on interfaces.

Secretion of sterols and the NPC2 protein from primary astrocytes.

Astrocytes secrete cholesterol in lipoprotein particles. Here we show that primary murine embryonic astrocytes secrete endogenously synthesized cholesterol but also the cholesterol precursors desmosterol and lathosterol. In astrocyte membranes, desmosterol and cholesterol were the predominant sterols.

The RGS14 GoLoco domain discriminates among Galphai isoforms.

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) modulate G protein activity by functioning as GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) for alpha-subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins. RGS14 regulates G protein nucleotide exchange and hydrolysis by acting as a GAP through its RGS domain and as a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (GDI) through its GoLoco motif. RGS14 exerts GDI activity on Galphai1, but not Galphao.

Reciprocal signaling between the transcriptional co-factor Eya2 and specific members of the Galphai family.

As part of a program to elucidate signaling processes controlled by the heterotrimeric G protein Galphaz, a human fetal brain cDNA library was screened for proteins that specifically interact with the activated form of Galphaz. One of the most-encountered molecules in this screen was Eya2, a member of the Eyes absent family of proteins. Mammalian Eya proteins are predominantly cytosolic proteins that are known to interact with members of the Sine oculis (Six) family of homeodomain transcription factors.

Atomic force microscopy study of cellulose surface interaction controlled by cellulose binding domains.

Colloidal probe microscopy has been used to study the interaction between model cellulose surfaces and the role of cellulose binding domain (CBD), peptides specifically binding to cellulose, in interfacial interaction of cellulose surfaces modified with CBDs. The interaction between pure cellulose surfaces in aqueous electrolyte solution is dominated by double layer repulsive forces with the range and magnitude of the net force dependent on electrolyte concentration. AFM imaging reveals agglomeration of CBD adsorbed on cellulose surface.