Looking for organization patterns of highly expressed genes: purine-pyrimidine composition of precursor mRNAs.

We analyzed precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs) of 12 eukaryotic species. In each species, three groups of highly expressed genes, ribosomal proteins, heat shock proteins, and amino-acyl tRNA synthetases, were compared with a control group (randomly selected genes). The purine-pyrimidine (R-Y) composition of pre-mRNAs of the three targeted gene groups proved to differ significantly from the control.

Cloning, expression, and characterization of an alternatively spliced variant of human heparanase.

Heparanase is an endoglycosidase that cleaves heparan sulfate in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and hence participates in ECM degradation and remodeling. Heparanase is involved in fundamental biological processes such as cancer metastasis, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Alternative splicing in the coding region of human heparanase was not reported.

Drosophila flies in "Evolution Canyon" as a model for incipient sympatric speciation.

The genetic basis of population divergence leading to adaptive radiation and speciation is a major unresolved problem of evolutionary biology. Molecular elucidation of "speciation genes" advanced recently, yet it remains without clear identification of the gene complexes participating in reproductive isolation between natural populations, particularly, in sympatry. Genetic divergence was discovered between Drosophila melanogaster populations inhabiting ecologically contrasting, opposite slopes in "Evolution Canyon" (EC), Mt.

Fungal substances as modulators of NF-kappaB activation pathway.

MCF7 breast cancer cell line, carrying a luciferase reporter gene under the control of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB)-responsive promoter, was established and used for the screening of fungal organic extracts for their ability to interfere with the NF-kappaB activation pathway. Twenty-eight crude fungal extracts, out of 242, were found to inhibit NF-kappaB reporter activity by more than 40%. Furthermore, positive extracts were used to evaluate their antiproliferative activity as well as their ability to influence the phosphorylation and degradation levels of IkappaBa.

P53 in blind subterranean mole rats--loss-of-function versus gain-of-function activities on newly cloned Spalax target genes.

A tumor suppressor gene, p53, controls cellular responses to a variety of stress conditions, including DNA damage and hypoxia, leading to growth arrest and/or apoptosis. Recently, we demonstrated that in blind subterranean mole rats, Spalax, a model organism for hypoxia tolerance, the p53 DNA-binding domain contains a specific Arg174Lys amino acid substitution. This substitution reduces the p53 effect on the transcription of apoptosis genes (apaf1, puma, pten and noxa) and enhances it on human cell cycle arrest and p53 stabilization/homeostasis genes (mdm2, pten, p21 and cycG).

Hereditary family signature of facial expression.

Although facial expressions of emotion are universal, individual differences create a facial expression "signature" for each person; but, is there a unique family facial expression signature? Only a few family studies on the heredity of facial expressions have been performed, none of which compared the gestalt of movements in various emotional states; they compared only a few movements in one or two emotional states. No studies, to our knowledge, have compared movements of congenitally blind subjects with their relatives to our knowledge. Using two types of analyses, we show a correlation between movements of congenitally blind subjects with those of their relatives in think-concentrate, sadness, anger, disgust, joy, and surprise and provide evidence for a unique family facial expression signature.

Analysis and validation of genome-specific DNA variations in 5' flanking conserved sequences of wheat low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit gene.

The thirty-three 5' flanking conserved sequences of the known low-molecular-weight subunit (LMW-GS) genes have been divided into eight clusters, which was in agreement with the classification based on the deduced N-terminal protein sequences. The DNA polymorphism between the eight clusters was obtained by sequence alignment, and a total of 34 polymorphic positions were observed in the approximately 200 bp regions, among which 18 polymorphic positions were candidate SNPs. Seven cluster-specific primer sets were designed for seven out of eight clusters containing cluster-specific bases, with which the genomic DNA of the ditelosomic lines of group 1 chromosomes of a wheat variety 'Chinese Spring' was employed to carry out chromosome assignment.

Molecular-genetic biodiversity in a natural population of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae from "Evolution Canyon": microsatellite polymorphism, ploidy and controversial sexual status.

The yeast S. cerevisiae is a central model organism in eukaryotic cell studies and a major component in many food and biotechnological industrial processes. However, the wide knowledge regarding genetics and molecular biology of S.

Ecological-genetic feedback in DNA repair in wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum.

Regulation of genetic variation in natural populations is a problem of primary importance to evolutionary biology. In the reported study, the repair efficiency of double strand DNA breaks was compared in six wild barley accessions from Israeli natural populations of H. spontaneum: three from mesic populations (one from Maalot and two from Mount Meron, Upper Galilee) and three from xeric populations (one from Wadi Quilt in the Judean Desert and two from Sede Boqer, in the northern Negev Desert).

En/Spm-like transposons in Poaceae species: transposase sequence variability and chromosomal distribution.

Belonging to Class II of transposable elements, En/Spm transposons are widespread in a variety of distantly related plant species. Here, we report on the sequence conservation of the transposase region from sequence analyses of En/Spm-like transposons from Poaceae species, namely Zingeria biebersteiniana, Zingeria trichopoda, Triticum monococcum, Triticum urartu, Hordeum spontaneum, and Aegilops speltoides. The transposase region of En/Spm-like transposons was cloned, sequenced, and compared with equivalent regions of Oryza and Arabidopsis from the gene bank database.

Laccase and manganese peroxidase activities of Phellinus robustus and Ganoderma adspersum grown on food industry wastes in submerged fermentation.

Phellinus robustus produced both laccase (700-4,000 U l(-1)) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) (1,000-11,300 U l(-1)) in fermentation of nine food wastes, whereas Ganoderma adspersum produced only laccase (600-34,000 U l(-1)). Glucose provided high laccase and MnP activity of P. robustus but repressed enzyme production by G.

Differential expression profiling of the blind subterranean mole rat Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies: bioprospecting for hypoxia tolerance.

The blind subterranean mole rat of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies, living underground and exposed to fluctuating oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, is an excellent model of hypoxic tolerance. Unique structural and functional adaptations of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems allow these underground mammals to survive at severely reduced oxygen tension. Elucidation of the natural variation and evolutionary changes under hypoxia within this superspecies may have biomedical applications in ischemic syndromes and cancer.

The disease resistance gene Dm3 is infrequent in natural populations of Lactuca serriola due to deletions and frequent gene conversions at the RGC2 locus.

Resistance genes can exhibit heterogeneous patterns of variation. However, there are few data on their frequency and variation in natural populations. We analysed the frequency and variation of the resistance gene Dm3, which confers resistance to Bremia lactucae (downy mildew) in 1033 accessions of Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce) from 49 natural populations.

Ac-like transposons in populations of wild diploid Triticeae species: comparative analysis of chromosomal distribution.

Data are presented on the intra- and interspecific differences/similarities in chromosomal patterns of Ac-like elements (hAT family) in ecologically contrasted populations of three Triticeae species - Aegilops speltoides, Triticum urartu, and Hordeum spontaneum. Application of original computer software made it possible to precisely map transposon clusters and to link them to known chromosomal markers (rDNA sites, centromeres, and heterochromatin regions). From our data we can specify the most visible features of Ac-like elements chromosomal distribution: preferential concentration in chromosomal proximal regions; high percentage of clusters on the border between euchromatin and heterochromatin; complementary chromosomal arrangement towards En/Spm transposons (CACTA); population-specific insertions into centromeres; more differences in total cluster numbers between populations of self-pollinated species than between populations of cross-pollinated species.

Adaptive differentiation of thermotolerance in Drosophila along a microclimatic gradient.

We examined whether a remarkable occurrence - the physiological evolution of two Drosophila melanogaster populations, despite a spatial separation of only 100-400 m, was idiosyncratic and temporary, or persisted over multiple years. We ascertained the high-temperature tolerance of Drosophila descended from populations on the north-facing slope (NFS) and south-facing slope (SFS) of 'Evolution Canyon' (Lower Nahal Oren, Mt Carmel, Israel), which were collected in 1997, 1999, and 2000. Results for these Drosophila uniformly resembled other studies in many respects: an inverse relationship between survival and heat-shock temperature, male-female differences in thermotolerance, and inducible thermotolerance.

Antioxidant activity in Spalax ehrenbergi: a possible adaptation to underground stress.

The blind subterranean mole rat Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies has evolved adaptive strategies to cope with underground stress. Hypoxia is known to stimulate reactive oxygen species generation; however, mechanisms by which Spalax counteracts oxidative damage have not been investigated before. We studied in Spalax the oxidative status of the Harderian gland (HG), an organ which is particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress in many rodents.

Heparanase neutralizes the anticoagulation properties of heparin and low-molecular-weight heparin.

Background: Heparanase is a mammalian endo-D-glucuronidase that cleaves heparan sulfate (HS) in the extracellular matrix and cell surface. It is preferentially expressed by cells of the immune system and tumor cells. Heparanase overexpression in experimental tumor models results in increased angiogenesis and metastasis.

Emmonsiosis of subterranean rodents (Bathyergidae, Spalacidae) in Africa and Israel.

The presence of adiaspores of the fungal genus Emmonsia was examined in the lungs of 85 mole rats representing 3 subterranean genera: blind mole rats (Spalax galili and S. golani) from Israel, Ansell's mole-rats (Cryptomys anselli) from Zambia, and silvery mole-rats (Heliophobius argenteocinereus) from Malawi and Zambia. Emmonsiosis was found in 28% of the blind mole rats, 100% of the Ansell's mole-rats, but in none of the silvery mole-rats.

Effect of copper and manganese ions on activities of laccase and peroxidases in three Pleurotus species grown on agricultural wastes.

Copper (Cu2+) and manganese (Mn2+) ions influenced laccase (Lac) and peroxidase production in Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Pleurotus pulmonarius. In P. eryngii, the optimum Cu2+ concentration for Lac production was 1 mM and for peroxidases 10 mM, and Mn2+ concentration of 5 mM led to peaks of Lac and peroxidase activity.

A MAPK gene from Dead Sea fungus confers stress tolerance to lithium salt and freezing-thawing: Prospects for saline agriculture.

The Dead Sea is one of the most saline lakes on earth ( approximately 340 g/liter salinity) and is approximately 10 times saltier than the oceans. Eurotium herbariorum, a common fungal species, was isolated from its water. EhHOG gene, encoding a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) that plays an essential role in the osmoregulatory pathway in yeast and many other eukaryotes, was isolated from E.

Evolutionary regulation of the blind subterranean mole rat, Spalax, revealed by genome-wide gene expression.

We applied genome-wide gene expression analysis to the evolutionary processes of adaptive speciation of the Israeli blind subterranean mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies. The four Israeli allospecies climatically and adaptively radiated into the cooler, mesic northern domain (N) and warmer, xeric southern domain (S). The kidney and brain mRNAs of two N and two S animals were examined through cross-species hybridizations with two types of Affymetrix arrays (mouse and rat) and muscle mRNA of six N and six S animals with spotted cDNA mouse arrays.

Assortative mating in Drosophila adapted to a microsite ecological gradient.

Elucidating the causes of population divergence, and ultimately speciation, is a central objective of evolutionary biology. A number of previous studies of Drosophila populations from the Nahal Oren canyon (Mt Carmel, Israel) revealed significant interslope differences for a complex of fitness and behavioral traits. Peculiarities in courtship song patterns and nonrandom mating were observed, despite a small interslope distance.

Adaptation and incipient sympatric speciation of Bacillus simplex under microclimatic contrast at "Evolution Canyons" I and II, Israel.

The microevolutionary dynamics of prokaryotes in natural habitats, such as soil, is poorly understood in contrast to our increasing knowledge on their immense diversity. We performed microevolutionary analyses on 945 soil isolates of Bacillus simplex from "Evolution Canyons" I (Carmel, Israel) and II (Galilee, Israel). These canyons represent similar ecological replicates, separated by 40 km, with highly contrasting interslope abiotic and biotic conditions in each (within a distance of only 100-400 m).

Oxygen and carbon dioxide fluctuations in burrows of subterranean blind mole rats indicate tolerance to hypoxic-hypercapnic stresses.

The composition of oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and soil humidity in the underground burrows from three species of the Israeli subterranean mole rat Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies were studied in their natural habitat. Two geographically close populations of each species from contrasting soil types were probed. Maximal CO2 levels (6.