C-Terminally fused affinity Strep-tag II is removed by proteolysis from recombinant human erythropoietin expressed in transgenic tobacco plants.

C -terminally fused Strep -tag II is removed from rhuEPO expressed in tobacco plants. The finding suggests that direct fusion of purification tags at the C -terminus of rhuEPO should be avoided. Asialo-erythropoietin (asialo-EPO), a desialylated form of EPO, is a potent tissue-protective agent.

Crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis polyketide synthase 11 (PKS11) reveals intermediates in the synthesis of methyl-branched alkylpyrones.

PKS11 is one of three type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) identified in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although many PKSs in M. tuberculosis have been implicated in producing complex cell wall glycolipids, the biological function of PKS11 is unknown.

The abyssomicin C family as in vitro inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The antimycobacterial efficacy of the abyssomicin C family of natural products, in addition to a key synthetic intermediate, has been investigated given their reported inhibition of Bacillus subtilis p-aminobenzoate biosynthesis. The naturally occurring (-)-abyssomicin C and its atropisomer were found to exhibit low micromolar growth inhibition against the relatively fast-growing and non-virulent Mycobacterium smegmatis and the vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis BCG, while their antipodes were slightly less active. (-)-abyssomicin C and its atropisomer were particularly efficacious against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, exhibiting MIC values of 3.

Maize beta-glucosidase-aggregating factor is a polyspecific jacalin-related chimeric lectin, and its lectin domain is responsible for beta-glucosidase aggregation.

In certain maize genotypes, called "null," beta-glucosidase does not enter gels and therefore cannot be detected on zymograms after electrophoresis. Such genotypes were originally thought to be homozygous for a null allele at the glu1 gene and thus devoid of enzyme. We have shown that a beta-glucosidase-aggregating factor (BGAF) is responsible for the "null" phenotype.

Functional genomic analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana glycoside hydrolase family 1.

In plants, Glycoside Hydrolase (GH) Family 1 beta -glycosidases are believed to play important roles in many diverse processes including chemical defense against herbivory, lignification, hydrolysis of cell wall-derived oligosaccharides during germination, and control of active phytohormone levels. Completion of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome sequencing project has enabled us, for the first time, to determine the total number of Family 1 members in a higher plant. Reiterative database searches revealed a multigene family of 48 members that includes eight probable pseudogenes.