TOR kinase pathway and 14-3-3 proteins regulate glucose-induced expression of HXT1, a yeast low-affinity glucose transporter.

Expression of HXT1, a gene encoding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae low-affinity glucose transporter, is regulated by glucose availability, being activated in the presence of glucose and inhibited when the levels of the sugar are scarce. In this study we show that 14-3-3 proteins are involved in the regulation of the expression of HXT1 by glucose. We also demonstrate that 14-3-3 proteins, in complex with Reg1, a regulatory subunit of Glc7 protein phosphatase, interact physically with Grr1 (a component of the SCF-Grr1 ubiquitination complex), a key player in the process of HXT1 induction by glucose.

Liquid water-ice I phase diagrams under high pressure: sodium chloride and sucrose models for food systems.

The knowledge of high pressure and low temperature phase diagrams of aqueous systems is required in fields such as food sciences, biology, cryo-microscopy and geology, to reduce processing costs, improve treatments results or advance in physical phenomena understanding. The phase transition curve between liquid water and ice I for sucrose and sodium chloride solutions has been obtained for concentrations ranging from 16% to 36% and from 1.63% to 16.

[Mutational analysis of the muscle segment homeobox gene 1 (MSX1) in Chilean patients with cleft lip/palate].

Background: Mutations of the MSX1 gene may contribute to non-syndromic forms of cleft lip and/or cleft palate.

Aim: To search for mutations of MSX1 coding regions, including one highly conserved non-coding region in the single intron, among Chilean patients with cleft lip/palate.

Patients And Methods: We studied 45 patients with cleft lip/palate and their parents.

Severe persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia due to a de novo glucokinase mutation.

Glucokinase (GK) is a glycolytic key enzyme that functions as a glucose sensor in the pancreatic beta-cell, where it governs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Heterozygous inactivating mutations in the glucokinase gene (GCK) cause a mild form of diabetes (maturity-onset diabetes of the young [MODY]2), and activating mutations have been associated with a mild form of familial hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. We describe the first case of severe persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia due to a "de novo" mutation in GCK (Y214C).

Pegylated interferon-alpha2a kinetics during experimental haemodialysis: impact of permeability and pore size of dialysers.

Background: Therapeutics in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) has to consider potential drug clearance during the dialysis procedure. Pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-alpha), a middle-size protein drug active against viral hepatitis, allows convenient once-weekly dosing due to prolonged plasma half-life.

Aim: To investigate the impact of permeability and dialyser pore size on PEG-IFN-alpha blood levels during experimental HD.

Analysis of dioxins and furans in environmental samples by GC-ion-trap MS/MS.

The work aims to characterise PCDDs/Fs in environmental matrices by high resolution gas chromatography coupled to low resolution quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometry (GC-QITMS/MS). In particular, the study was mainly focused in different environmental samples such as sewage sludge, soils, and sediments and in combustion residues as fly ashes. Previous experiences have already detected and quantified PCDDs/PCDFs in all matrices studied.

Modeling NDT piezoelectric ultrasonic transmitters.

Ultrasonic NDT applications are frequently based on the spike excitation of piezoelectric transducers by means of efficient pulsers which usually include a power switching device (e.g. SCR or MOS-FET) and some rectifier components.

Expression of the HXT1 low affinity glucose transporter requires the coordinated activities of the HOG and glucose signalling pathways.

Expression of the HXT1 gene, which encodes a low affinity glucose transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is regulated positively in response to glucose by the general glucose induction pathway, involving the Snf3/Rgt2 membrane glucose sensors, the SCF-Grr1 ubiquitination complex and the Rgt1 transcription factor. In this study we show that, in addition to the glucose signaling pathway, regulation of HXT1 expression also requires the HOG pathway. Deletion of components in the glucose signaling pathway or in the HOG pathway results in impaired HXT1 expression.

Ice VI freezing of meat: supercooling and ultrastructural studies.

While "classical" freezing (to ice I) is disruptive to the microstructure of meat, freezing to ice VI has been found to preserve it. Ice VI freeze-substitution microscopy showed no traces of structural alteration on muscle fibres compared with the extensive damage caused by ice I freezing. The different signs of the freezing volume changes associated with these two ice phases is the most likely explanation for the above effects.

Laforin, the dual-phosphatase responsible for Lafora disease, interacts with R5 (PTG), a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase-1 that enhances glycogen accumulation.

Progressive myoclonus epilepsy of Lafora type (LD, MIM 254780) is a fatal autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the presence of progressive neurological deterioration, myoclonus, epilepsy and polyglucosan intracellular inclusion bodies, called Lafora bodies. Lafora bodies resemble glycogen with reduced branching, suggesting an alteration in glycogen metabolism. Linkage analysis and homozygosity mapping localized EPM2A, a major gene for LD, to chromosome 6q24.

Glucose and type 2A protein phosphatase regulate the interaction between catalytic and regulatory subunits of AMP-activated protein kinase.

We have expressed in yeast the different subunits of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and, by using the two-hybrid system, we have found a glucose-regulated interaction between alpha 2 catalytic and gamma 1 regulatory subunits. This regulation was not affected by known regulators of the corresponding yeast orthologue, the SNF1 complex, such as Reg1 or Hxk2, but it was affected by deletion of regulatory subunits of yeast type 2A protein phosphatase (PP2A) complex. We have also found that Tpd3 and PR65 alpha, the corresponding yeast and mammalian A subunits of PP2A, interacted with AMPK alpha 2 both in yeast and mammals, respectively.

Molecular characterization of Ypi1, a novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae type 1 protein phosphatase inhibitor.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae open reading frame YFR003c encodes a small (155-amino acid) hydrophilic protein that we identified as a novel, heat-stable inhibitor of type 1 protein phosphatase (Ypi1). Ypi1 interacts physically in vitro with both Glc7 and Ppz1 phosphatase catalytic subunits, as shown by pull-down assays. Ypi1 inhibits Glc7 but appears to be less effective toward Ppz1 phosphatase activity under the conditions tested.

Resonance-assisted intramolecular chalcogen-chalcogen interactions?

High-level B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p) density functional calculations have been carried out for a series of saturated chalcogenoaldehydes: CH(X)-CH(2)-CH(2)YH (X, Y=O, S, Se, Te). Our results indicate that in CH(X)-CH(2)-CH(2)YH (X=Y=O, S, Se) the X-H..

Cyclization triggered by deprotonation: the gas-phase acidity of 1,8-chalcogen-bridged naphthalenes.

High-level density functional theory computations have been used to estimate the gas-phase (intrinsic) acidities of the complete series of 1,8-chalcogen-bridged naphthalene derivatives. The existence of a chalcogen-chalcogen bond in chalcogen-bridged naphthalene derivatives plays a crucial role in the intrinsic acidity of the system. For 1,8-naphthalenedilylbis(oxy), where this bond does not exist, the para C-H group is the most acidic site, whereas for the remaining compounds, deprotonation of the ortho CH groups is the most favorable process.

Long-term effects of a maintenance program after supervised or self-monitored training programs in patients with COPD.

The evaluation of a 13-month maintenance program (MP) for 39 severe COPD patients with FEV(1)%pred 44(7)% who, as result of two different 8-week leg exercise training (LET) programs, one supervised at the hospital (group S; n = 20) and the other self-monitored (SM; n = 19), had achieved different levels of exercise tolerance. After LET, patients in group S had a higher maximal oxygen uptake and endurance time than patients in the SM group [ O(2)max 1.43(0.

Beare-Stevenson syndrome: Two South American patients with FGFR2 analysis.

We report two patients with Beare-Stevenson syndrome. This syndrome presents craniosynostosis with or without clover-leaf skull, craniofacial anomalies, cutis gyrata, acanthosis nigricans, prominent umbilical stump, furrowed palms and soles, genital and anal anomalies. Both female newborn patients presented at birth with craniofacial anomalies, variable cutis gyrata in forehead and preauricular regions, prominent umbilical stump and anogenital anomalies.

DNA mixtures in forensic casework: a 4-year retrospective study.

Occasionally interpretation guidelines from validation studies are difficult to apply to real forensic casework, especially in the case of mixed samples. Exogenous contamination, an unknown number of contributors or unbalanced proportion of each one in the sample and a varied degree of degradation of the biological materials, contribute to the difficulties in the interpretation of sample profiles. In this paper we have reviewed all the mixed genetic STR profiles encountered in our laboratory over 4 years (1997-2000) and evaluated the problems in the interpretation of the results.

Fatal lipoid pneumonia due to bronco-aspiration of isoparaffin after ingestion of an organophosphate insecticide.

A 66-year-old-male patient with a history of depression voluntarily ingested around 400 ml of an insecticide composed of 5% methylparathion, 75% isoparaffin, 8% etoxylated oleic acid, 4% 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, 6% naphtha, 1% 1,3,5- trimethylbenzene, 0.4% propylbenzene and 0.3% xylene.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae 14-3-3 proteins Bmh1 and Bmh2 participate in the process of catabolite inactivation of maltose permease.

In this study we show that Reg1, the regulatory subunit of the Reg1/Glc7 protein phosphatase (PP1) complex, interacts physically with the two yeast members of the 14-3-3 protein family, Bmh1 and Bmh2. By using different fragments of the Reg1 protein we mapped the interaction domain at the N-terminal part of the protein. We also show that Reg1 and yeast 14-3-3 proteins participate actively in the regulation of the glucose-induced degradation of maltose permease (Mal61).

[Evaluation of osteodystrophy parameters in a pre-dialysis unit].

A cross-sectional study was developed with 100 of the first-time pre-dialysis patients visiting the Princesa University Hospital's Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease (ACKD) unit, with the aim of analysing various parameters of osteodystrophy at this time. Parameters evaluated were: age, gender, renal function, osteodystrophy serum parameters, comorbidity index (ICED) and the patients' origin to establish correlations between these parameters. Mean iPTH levels were higher irrespective of the patients' origin, and were significantly higher in men than in women, the former also having poorer renal function and higher comorbidity score.

New mutations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that partially relieve both glucose and galactose repression activate the protein kinase Snf1.

We isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae two mutants, esc1-1 and ESC3-1, in which genes FBP1, ICL1 or GDH2 were partially derepressed during growth in glucose or galactose. The isolation was done starting with a triple mutant pyc1 pyc2 mth1 unable to grow in glucose-ammonium medium and selecting for mutants able to grow in the non-permissive medium. HXT1 and HXT2 which encode glucose transporters were expressed at high glucose concentrations in both esc1-1 and ESC3-1 mutants, while derepression of invertase at low glucose concentrations was impaired.

Snf1 protein kinase: a key player in the response to cellular stress in yeast.

Sucrose non-fermenting 1 (Snf1) protein kinase, a yeast homologue of mammalian AMP-activated protein kinase, plays a main role in transcriptional activation and repression of gene expression. In addition, Snf1 kinase has a broad role in the cellular response to several forms of stress, such as nutrient limitation, salt stress and heat shock.

[The cost of type 2 diabetes in Spain: the CODE-2 study].

Objective: To estimate the cost of providing health care to patients with type 2 diabetes, by differentiating costs of the disease, costs of complications, and other unrelated health costs.

Methods: Data on resource use were retrospectively collected from medical records and personal interviews in 29 primary health care centers in Spain. Patients were randomly selected from each center's diabetes registry.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis: pulmonary and abdominal findings with pathologic correlation.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease characterized by pulmonary cysts at computed tomography (CT) and proliferation of abnormal smooth muscle cells at lung biopsy. Almost all patients are female, and all have pulmonary cysts at high-resolution CT. Although the presence of cysts may be suggested at conventional CT or chest radiography, high-resolution CT is superior for cyst detection and is essential for diagnosis.

The role of chalcogen-chalcogen interactions in the intrinsic basicity acidity of beta-chalcogenovinyl(thio)aldehydes HC([double bond]X)[bond]CH[double bond]CH[bond]CYH.

The intrinsic acidity and basicity of a series of beta-chalcogenovinyl(thio)aldehydes HC([double bond]X)[bond]CH[double bond]CH[bond]CYH (X=O, S; Y=Se, Te) were investigated by B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p) density functional and G2(MP2) calculations on geometries optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level for neutral molecules and at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d) level for anions. The results showed that selenovinylaldehyde and selenovinylthioaldehyde should behave as Se bases in the gas phase, because the most stable neutral conformer is stabilized by an X[bond]H..