Histone N-terminal tails interfere with nucleosome traversal by RNA polymerase II.

We determined the effect of the N-terminal histone tails on nucleosome traversal by yeast and human RNA polymerase II (pol II). Removal of H2A/H2B tails, H3/H4 tails, or all tails increased complete traversal of the nucleosome by human pol II, although the increase varied considerably depending on the template and on which tails were removed. Human pol II achieved >80% traversal of one nucleosomal template lacking the H2A/H2B tails, but even in those reactions, the transcript elongation rate was lower than the rate on pure DNA templates.

Effects of the Dads for Life intervention on interparental conflict and coparenting in the two years after divorce.

The ability of parents to forge harmonious coparenting relationships following divorce is an important predictor of their children's long-term well-being. However, there is no convincing evidence that this relationship can be modified through intervention. A preventive intervention that we developed, Dads for Life (DFL), which targeted noncustodial parents as participants, has previously been shown in a randomized field trial to favorably impact child well-being.

Abortive initiation is increased only for the weakest members of a set of down mutants of the adenovirus 2 major late promoter.

We have shown that accurate initiation of productive RNA synthesis in vitro at the adenovirus 2 major late promoter is accompanied by abortive initiation of very short transcripts (Luse, D. S., and Jacob, G.

Failure to detect surfactant protein-specific antibodies in sera of premature infants treated with survanta, a modified bovine surfactant.

Serum from premature infants enrolled in either single-dose or multidose surfactant replacement studies with bovine lung-based exogenous surfactant (Survanta) were analyzed for antibodies reactive with mixtures of bovine surfactant proteins SP-B and SP-C. Sera from 404 premature infants enrolled in single-dose studies and 1024 premature infants enrolled in multidose studies were analyzed, representing a total of 987 samples and 2743 serum samples, respectively. The sera were obtained from treated and control infants at the time of treatment and 1 week, 4 weeks, and 6 months thereafter.

Electron microscopy of the intestine of the African lungfish, Protopterus aethiopicus.

Electron microscopic observations are reported on the intestine of the African lungfish, Protopterus aethiopicus. The lungfish has a spiral valve rather than a true stomach. Segments of mucosa from this area reveal, by transmission microscopy, that most cells have distinct striated borders with parallel microvilli.