Plasmid Library Construction From Genomic DNA.

Functional genomic approaches have been effective at uncovering the function of uncharacterized genes and identifying new functions for known genes. Often these approaches rely on an in vivo screen or selection to associate genes with a phenotype of interest. These selections and screens are dependent upon the expression of proteins encoded in genomic DNA from an expression vector, such as a plasmid.

The vertical topography of the carotid bifurcation - original study and review.

Purpose: The vertical level of carotid bifurcation (CB) is commonly indicated at the superior margin of the thyroid cartilage. Few studies observed the CB vertical topography. It was aimed at studying the vertical location of the CB as referred to vertebral and anterior cervical landmarks.

Catalytic Mechanism of Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase A.

The oxidation of Met to methionine sulfoxide (MetSO) by oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, or peroxynitrite has profound effects on protein function. This modification can be reversed by methionine sulfoxide reductases (msr). In the context of pathogen infection, the reduction of oxidized proteins gains significance due to microbial oxidative damage generated by the immune system.

Anatomical variants of the retroaortic left renal vein.

Background: Anatomical variants of the left renal vein (LRV), such as the retroaortic (RLRV) and circumaortic (CLRV) course, are of surgical importance. Different morphological and topographical possibilities of the RLRV could occur. It was aimed at documenting the anatomical variables of the RLRV.

The Axial Spin of the Carotid Bifurcation.

(1) Background: Twisted carotid bifurcations (CBs) lead to lateralized external carotid arteries (ECAs). Such variants are usually reported on a case-by-case basis. We aimed to study the anatomical possibilities of the axial spin of CB.

The Carotid-Hyoid Topography Is Variable.

: The carotid bifurcation (CB) is presented in most anatomy textbooks as having a unique location at the upper margin of the thyroid cartilage. Although a number of case reports have provided evidence of the possibility of carotid artery location either lateral or medial to the greater hyoid horn, these reports have not established specific anatomic possibilities and prevalences. : We retrospectively analysed a batch of 147 CT angiograms for 12 types of carotid-hyoid relationships and classified the bilateral combination possibilities of these types.

The selenophosphate synthetase family: A review.

Selenophosphate synthetases use selenium and ATP to synthesize selenophosphate. This is required for biological utilization of selenium, most notably for the synthesis of the non-canonical amino acid selenocysteine (Sec). Therefore, selenophosphate synthetases underlie all functions of selenoproteins, which include redox homeostasis, protein quality control, hormone regulation, metabolism, and many others.

The selenoprotein methionine sulfoxide reductase B1 (MSRB1).

Methionine (Met) can be oxidized to methionine sulfoxide (MetO), which exist as R- and S-diastereomers. Present in all three domains of life, methionine sulfoxide reductases (MSR) are the enzymes that reduce MetO back to Met. Most characterized among them are MSRA and MSRB, which are strictly stereospecific for the S- and R-diastereomers of MetO, respectively.

Aortic Origins of the Celiac Trunk and Superior Mesenteric Artery.

(1) Background. The vertebral level of origin (VLO) of the celiac trunk (CT) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) has been scarcely investigated. (2) Method.

An arc of Bühler variant.

The celiaco-mesenteric anastomoses occur either directly between the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), or between different branches of them. A rarely occurring such anastomosis is the arc of Bühler. A new variant of arc of Bühler was found incidentally during a retrospective study of the computed tomography angiograms of a 62 y.

Hexafurcated coeliac trunks, trifurcated common hepatic artery, and a new variant of the arc of Bühler.

Background: The coeliac trunk (CT) is well-known as trifurcated into the left gastric (LGA), common hepatic (CHA) and splenic (SA) arteries.

Materials And Methods: Scarce reports indicate that the CT could appear quadri-, penta-, hexa-, or even heptafurcated. Reports of CTs with six branches (hexafurcated CT) are few, less than ten.

Rare Anatomic Variation: The Hepatosplenomesentericophrenic Trunk.

The rare anatomic variants of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery include the hepatosplenic, hepatosplenomesenteric (HSMT), celiacomesenteric, hepatomesenteric and gastrosplenic trunks. We report a 72-year-old female patient whose computed tomography angiograms indicated a rare anatomic feature whereby the right inferior phrenic artery was inserted in the origin of an HSMT, thus modifying it into a hepatosplenomesentericophrenic trunk (HSMPT). Above the HSMPT, the insertion of the left inferior phrenic artery in the origin of the left gastric artery determined a left gastrophrenic trunk (GPT).

Quadrifurcation Variants of the Celiac Trunk.

Background: The celiac trunk (CT) commonly trifurcates into the left gastric artery, common hepatic artery (CHA), and splenic artery (SA). The CHA then sends off the proper hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery (GDA). The arcades of the head of the pancreas are celiacomesenteric anastomoses between branches of the GDA and the superior mesenteric artery.

Hepatomesenteric trunk, gastrosplenic trunk, coiled splenic and hepatic arteries, and a variant of Bühler's arc.

The coeliac trunk is normally divided into the left gastric artery (LGA), splenic artery, and common hepatic artery (CHA). The combination between these arteries and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) generates various combinations. We report here such a rare anatomic variant, namely the hepatomesenteric trunk (HMT), combined with a gastrosplenic trunk (GST).

Pentafurcated Celiac Trunk.

Background: Commonly, but not exclusively, the celiac trunk (CT) trifurcates into the left gastric (LGA), common hepatic (CHA) and splenic (SA) arteries. Additional branches of the CT are scarcely reported in the literature. Less than ten reports were found presenting patterns of pentafurcation of the CT (pCT), all being resulted after anatomic dissections.

MICAL1 constrains cardiac stress responses and protects against disease by oxidizing CaMKII.

Oxidant stress can contribute to health and disease. Here we show that invertebrates and vertebrates share a common stereospecific redox pathway that protects against pathological responses to stress, at the cost of reduced physiological performance, by constraining Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity. MICAL1, a methionine monooxygenase thought to exclusively target actin, and MSRB, a methionine reductase, control the stereospecific redox status of M308, a highly conserved residue in the calmodulin-binding (CaM-binding) domain of CaMKII.

An NMR-Based Biosensor to Measure Stereospecific Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase Activities in Vitro and in Vivo*.

Oxidation of protein methionines to methionine-sulfoxides (MetOx) is associated with several age-related diseases. In healthy cells, MetOx is reduced to methionine by two families of conserved methionine sulfoxide reductase enzymes, MSRA and MSRB that specifically target the S- or R-diastereoisomers of methionine-sulfoxides, respectively. To directly interrogate MSRA and MSRB functions in cellular settings, we developed an NMR-based biosensor that we call CarMetOx to simultaneously measure both enzyme activities in single reaction setups.

Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli BE104, an MC4100 Derivative Lacking the Methionine Reductive Pathway.

In this announcement, we present the complete annotated genome sequence of an MC4100 mutant strain, BE104. This strain has several methionine sulfoxide reductase gene deletions, making it ideal for studying enzymes that alter the redox state of methionine.

SIRT6 Is Responsible for More Efficient DNA Double-Strand Break Repair in Long-Lived Species.

DNA repair has been hypothesized to be a longevity determinant, but the evidence for it is based largely on accelerated aging phenotypes of DNA repair mutants. Here, using a panel of 18 rodent species with diverse lifespans, we show that more robust DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair, but not nucleotide excision repair (NER), coevolves with longevity. Evolution of NER, unlike DSB, is shaped primarily by sunlight exposure.

Disulfide Bond Formation in the Periplasm of .

The formation of disulfide bonds is critical to the folding of many extracytoplasmic proteins in all domains of life. With the discovery in the early 1990s that disulfide bond formation is catalyzed by enzymes, the field of oxidative folding of proteins was born. played a central role as a model organism for the elucidation of the disulfide bond-forming machinery.

Kinetic studies reveal a key role of a redox-active glutaredoxin in the evolution of the thiol-redox metabolism of trypanosomatid parasites.

Trypanosomes are flagellated protozoan parasites (kinetoplastids) that have a unique redox metabolism based on the small dithiol trypanothione (T(SH)). Although GSH may still play a biological role in trypanosomatid parasites beyond being a building block of T(SH), most of its functions are replaced by T(SH) in these organisms. Consequently, trypanosomes have several enzymes adapted to using T(SH) instead of GSH, including the glutaredoxins (Grxs).

The lineage-specific, intrinsically disordered N-terminal extension of monothiol glutaredoxin 1 from trypanosomes contains a regulatory region.

Glutaredoxins (Grx) are small proteins conserved throughout all the kingdoms of life that are engaged in a wide variety of biological processes and share a common thioredoxin-fold. Among them, class II Grx are redox-inactive proteins involved in iron-sulfur (FeS) metabolism. They contain a single thiol group in their active site and use low molecular mass thiols such as glutathione as ligand for binding FeS-clusters.

Novel anatomic variation: heptafurcation of the celiac trunk.

We report here anatomic variants which were found during a retrospective study of a male patient, 54 years old, evaluated in computed tomography: heptafurcation of the celiac trunk (CT) and bilateral double renal arteries. The seven branches of the heptafurcated CT were the (1) left and (2) right inferior phrenic arteries, the (3) splenic and (4) left gastric artery, the (5) common hepatic artery, further sending off the (a) proper, continued as left, hepatic artery and (b) the gastroduodenal artery, (6) a replaced right hepatic artery and (7) the dorsal pancreatic artery. To our knowledge, heptafurcation of the CT was not reported previously.