Cajal body formation is regulated by coilin SUMOylation.

Cajal bodies (CBs) are membraneless organelles whose mechanism of formation is still not fully understood. Many proteins contribute to the formation of CBs, including Nopp140 (NOLC1), WRAP53 and coilin. Coilin is modified on multiple different lysine residues by SUMO, the small ubiquitin-like modifier.

Coilin mediates m6A RNA methylation through phosphorylation of METTL3.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression. An important step in miRNA biogenesis occurs when primary miRNAs are bound and cleaved by the microprocessor to generate precursor miRNAs. Regulation at this step is essential and one such regulator includes m6A RNA methylation, an RNA modification found on primary miRNAs that is installed by METTL3 and bound by hnRNPA2B1.

The Cajal body marker protein coilin is SUMOylated and possesses SUMO E3 ligase-like activity.

Cajal bodies (CBs) are subnuclear domains that contribute to the biogenesis of several different classes of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) including small nuclear RNPs. Only some cell types contain abundant CBs, such as neuronal cells and skeletal muscle, but CBs are invariant features of transformed cells. In contrast, coilin, the CB marker protein, is a ubiquitously expressed nuclear protein but the function of coilin in cell types that lack CBs is not well understood.

Coilin as a regulator of NF-kB mediated inflammation in preeclampsia.

The nuclear factor-Kappa B (NF-κB) pathway is a crucial mediator of inflammatory signaling. Aberrant activation of NF-κB is associated with several disorders including preeclampsia (PE). Many regulators of the NF-κB pathway have been identified, including microRNAs (miRNAs).

Coilin enhances phosphorylation and stability of DGCR8 and promotes miRNA biogenesis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22 nt small noncoding RNAs that control gene expression at the posttranscriptional level through translational inhibition and destabilization of their target mRNAs. The biogenesis of miRNAs involves a series of processing steps beginning with cropping of the primary miRNA transcript by the Microprocessor complex, which is composed of Drosha and DGCR8. Here we report a novel regulatory interaction between the Microprocessor components and coilin, the Cajal body (CB) marker protein.

Molecular determinants that govern scaRNA processing by Drosha/DGCR8.

The Cajal body (CB) is a subnuclear domain that participates in the biogenesis of many different types of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs), including small nuclear RNPs (snRNPs), small Cajal body-specific RNPs (scaRNPs) and telomerase. Most scaRNAs, the RNA component of scaRNPs, accumulate in CBs. However, there are three scaRNAs (scaRNA 2, 9, and 17) that are known to be processed into small, nucleolar-enriched fragments.

Synergistic interactions between Cajal bodies and the miRNA processing machinery.

Cajal bodies (CBs) are subnuclear domains involved in the formation of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) including small nuclear RNPs (snRNPs). CBs associate with specific gene loci, which impacts expression and provides a platform for the biogenesis of the nascent transcripts emanating from these genes. Here we report that CBs can associate with the C19MC microRNA (miRNA) gene cluster, which suggests a role for CBs in the biogenesis of animal miRNAs.

Alteration of 28S rRNA 2'--methylation by etoposide correlates with decreased SMN phosphorylation and reduced Drosha levels.

The most common types of modification in human rRNA are pseudouridylation and 2'- ribose methylation. These modifications are performed by small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins (snoRNPs) which contain a guide RNA (snoRNA) that base pairs at specific sites within the rRNA to direct the modification. rRNA modifications can vary, generating ribosome heterogeneity.

Regulation of ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor alpha in sciatic motor neurons following axotomy.

Spinal motor neurons are one of the few classes of neurons capable of regenerating axons following axotomy. Injury-induced expression of neurotrophic factors and corresponding receptors may play an important role in this rare ability. A wide variety of indirect data suggests that ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor alpha may critically contribute to the regeneration of injured spinal motor neurons.

Immunohistochemical localization of netrin-1 in the embryonic chick nervous system.

Netrin-1 has profound in vitro effects on the growth properties of vertebrate embryonic axons. In addition, netrin-1 mRNA is found in the floor plate of the embryonic nervous system, an intermediate target of many axons, including commissural axons that are affected by netrin-1 in vitro. Moreover, genetic studies of netrin-1 homologs in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila implicate these proteins in commissure formation.

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory specimens by strand displacement amplification of DNA.

A total of 294 clinical respiratory specimens, including 75 with culture-positive results, were tested for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by strand displacement amplification (SDA) of DNA. A region of the IS6110 insertion element and an internal control sequence were amplified and then detected by a chemiluminescence assay. Receiver operator-characteristic curves were used to evaluate three methods for declaring specimens positive for M.

Immunohistochemical localization of ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor alpha expression in the rat nervous system.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor alpha (CNTFR alpha) is essential for normal embryonic development and may be involved in postnatal and adult neuronal maintenance. In addition, a rapidly growing body of evidence suggests that CNTFR alpha serves as a site of action for future growth factor therapeutics capable of treating a wide variety of disorders resulting from neuronal loss. We raised two polyclonal, anti-CNTFR alpha antisera against synthetic peptides corresponding to independent regions of rat CNTFR alpha.

The development of a novel immunoassay amplification system and its use in viral detection.

A novel amplification system has been developed for the detection of free or antibody-conjugated alkaline phosphatase. The amplification system provides a 100 fold enhancement in the detection of the enzyme, compared to direct detection with chromogenic substrates. The key to the amplification system is the dephosphorylation of a potent phosphorylated inhibitor, and the visualization of this inhibitor using a second, indicator, reaction.

A highly sensitive immunoassay system involving antibody-coated tubes and liposome-entrapped dye.

In this colorimetric immunoassay for digoxin, large, unilamellar phospholipid vesicles approximately 0.2 micron in diameter are loaded with high concentrations of Sulforhodamine B. Digoxigenin coupled to phosphatidylethanolamine, incorporated into the lipid formulation, confers immunological specificity.

Characterization of three types of chrysotile asbestos after aerosolization.

Jeffrey Mine and Coalinga Mine chrysotile, two asbestos samples prepared for experimental research by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the UICC B chrysotile reference sample have been characterized in the aerosolized state using gravimetric measurements, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray energy spectrometry. These methods revealed (1) a greater "respirable" mass fraction in the Jeffrey and UICC B preparations compared to the Coalinga sample, (2) for fibers greater than 5 microns in length and less than 3 microns in diameter, Jeffrey Mine chrysotile contained a significantly greater fraction of fibers longer than 40 microns in length compared to the UICC B or Coalinga Mine chrysotiles, and (3) Jeffrey and UICC B chrysotile contained no fibers or fiber clusters which exceeded 2 microns in diameter while Coalinga chrysotile contained numerous fibers and fiber clusters which were greater than 2 microns in diameter. The characterization of these chrysotile preparations in the aerosolized state, in particular the Coalinga Mine chrysotile, demonstrated different fiber length and fiber width distributions when compared with previous characterizations of samples that had been dispersed in a liquid medium by ultrasonification.