Evidence that sprouty 2 is necessary for sarcoma formation by H-Ras oncogene-transformed human fibroblasts.

Sprouty 2 (Spry2) acts as an inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in various cellular contexts. Interestingly, Spry2 also prevents the c-Cbl-induced degradation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We compared human fibroblasts malignantly transformed by overexpression of H-Ras(V12) oncogene to their nontransformed parental cells and found that the malignant cells express a high level of Spry2.

Magnetic anisotropy variations and nonequilibrium tunneling in a cobalt nanoparticle.

We present detailed measurements of the discrete electron-tunneling level spectrum within nanometer-scale cobalt particles as a function of magnetic field and gate voltage, in this way probing individual quantum many-body eigenstates inside ferromagnetic samples. Variations among the observed levels indicate that different quantum states within one particle are subject to different magnetic anisotropy energies. Gate-voltage studies demonstrate that the low-energy tunneling spectrum is affected dramatically by the presence of nonequilibrium spin excitations.

Components of the Arabidopsis C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element binding factor cold-response pathway are conserved in Brassica napus and other plant species.

Many plants increase in freezing tolerance in response to low, nonfreezing temperatures, a phenomenon known as cold acclimation. Cold acclimation in Arabidopsis involves rapid cold-induced expression of the C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element binding factor (CBF) transcriptional activators followed by expression of CBF-targeted genes that increase freezing tolerance. Here, we present evidence for a CBF cold-response pathway in Brassica napus.

Induction of apoptosis by mistletoe lectin I and its subunits. No evidence for cytotoxic effects caused by isolated A- and B-chains.

Type II ribosome inactivating proteins (RIP II) are generally known to induce apoptosis in human cells by the inhibition of protein biosynthesis. Recent data from mistletoe RIP II proteins (eg. mistletoe lectin I; ML1) suggest an additional mode of apoptosis induction through the binding of their lectin part to certain cell surface receptors as is known for some human galectins.

The predominant protein in peroxisomal cores of sunflower cotyledons is a catalase that differs in primary structure from the catalase in the peroxisomal matrix.

This paper describes a biochemical study on the protein composition of crystalline inclusions (cores) from plant peroxisomes. By SDS/PAGE and immunoblotting, a catalase of 59 kDa was identified as the predominant protein component in purified cores from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cotyledons.