Autoinducer-2 detection among commensal oral streptococci is dependent on pH and boric acid.

Autoinducer-2, considered a universal signaling molecule, is produced by many species of bacteria; including oral strains. Structurally, autoinducer-2 can exist bound to boron (borated autoinducer-2). Functionally, autoinducer-2 has been linked to important bacterial processes such as virulence and biofilm formation.

A novel role for the Rho-associated kinase, ROCK, in IL-1-stimulated intestinal epithelial cell responses.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) play a role in mucosal inflammation by producing pro-inflammatory chemokines that may initiate or amplify local responses. IL-1 is a potent activator of IEC and its receptor localizes to focal adhesions. Since the Rho-associated kinase, ROCK, also localizes to focal adhesions, we examined the role of ROCK in IL-1-induced chemokine responses in IEC cell lines.

Proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiling during diapause entrance in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis.

Diapause is an alternate developmental pathway that is regulated by the neuroendocrine system in insects. To date, much of the information that has been published regarding the possible molecular events associated with diapause have been at the level of transcription. However, since transcription and translation are not linked in eukaryotic systems, a proteomics approach may represent a better tool to identify the gene products that regulate this period of developmental arrest.

Effect of the alpha3beta1 integrin on the IL-1 stimulated activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in CACO-2 cells.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) are capable of responding to IL-1 stimulation by producing a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Recently, we have found that binding of the alpha3beta1 integrin may have a regulatory effect on IL-1 responses and intracellular signaling by suppressing cytokine secretion, mRNA expression and the downstream intracellular signaling events from IKK to NF-kappaB activation. In this study, we extend these findings by showing that treatment of the Caco-2 epithelial cells with a cross-linking anti-alpha3 integrin antibody resulted in a suppression in the levels of IL-1 induced AP-1 binding activity in nuclear extracts.

The effects of chemical and heat maceration techniques on the recovery of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from bone.

Forensic anthropologists use a number of maceration techniques to facilitate skeletal analysis of personal identity and trauma, but they may unwittingly eliminate valuable DNA evidence in the process. This study evaluated the effect of 10 maceration methods on gross bone structure and the preservation of DNA in ribs of 12 pigs (Sus scrofa). A scoring system was applied to evaluate the ease of maceration and resulting bone quality while DNA purity was quantified by optical densitometry analysis, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of three mitochondrial and three nuclear loci.

Localization of NADPH oxidase subunits in neonatal sympathetic neurons.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger programmed cell death in neonatal sympathetic neurons that have been deprived of nerve growth factor (NGF), however, the source of these oxygen intermediates has not been established. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), the intracellular distribution of the subunits of the ROS-generating enzyme NADPH oxidase was examined in sympathetic neurons of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG). Optical sectioning using LSCM showed that gp91-phox and p22-phox co-localize in neurons at the cell membrane, while the p47-phox and p67-phox subunits are found uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm of neurons maintained in the presence of NGF.

Stress-induced increases in hypothalamic IL-1: a systematic analysis of multiple stressor paradigms.

Exposure to stressors such as footshock, tailshock, and immobilization have been shown to induce hypothalamic IL-1 production, while other stressors such as restraint, maternal separation, social isolation, and predator exposure have no effect on hypothalamic IL-1 levels. This disparity of findings has led to considerable controversy regarding the ability of stressors to induce hypothalamic IL-1 expression. Thus, the goal of the following experiments was to examine hypothalamic IL-1 responses in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats following exposure to a diverse set of stressors.