Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase is required to establish a functional cytochrome bf complex.

Arabidopsis uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPP) is an essential enzyme and plants lacking this enzyme are strongly compromised in chloroplast function. Our analysis of UPP amiRNA mutants has confirmed that this vital function is crucial to establish a fully functional photosynthesis as the RIESKE iron sulfur protein (PetC) is almost absent, leading to a block in photosynthetic electron transport. Interestingly, this function appears to be unrelated to nucleotide homeostasis since nucleotide levels were not altered in the studied mutants.

Nucleotide Imbalance, Provoked by Downregulation of Aspartate Transcarbamoylase Impairs Cold Acclimation in Arabidopsis.

Aspartate transcarbamoylase () catalyzes the first committed step in pyrimidine de novo synthesis. As shown before, mutants with 80% reduced transcript and protein levels exhibit reduced levels of pyrimidine metabolites and thus nucleotide limitation and imbalance. Consequently, reduced photosynthetic capacity and growth, accompanied by massive transcriptional changes, were observed.

A regulated switch of chick neurofascin isoforms modulates ligand recognition and neurite extension.

Neural cell adhesion molecule neurofascin regulates the induction of neurite outgrowth, the establishment of synaptic connectivity and myelination. Neurofascin isoforms are generated by spatially and temporally controlled alternative splicing. Isoform NF166 is predominantly expressed in dorsal root ganglia from embryonal day 5 (E5) to E8, and a further neurofascin isoform NF185 appears at E9.

Homophilic interactions of chick neurofascin in trans are important for neurite induction.

Neurofascin is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily involved in axon extension and fasciculation. Here we apply adenoviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression in primary neurons, PC12-NIH/3T3 co-cultures in combination with Luminex assays, to demonstrate homophilic interactions of neurofascin for neurite outgrowth. An adenoviral vector was constructed for the expression of shRNA in primary tectal cells that inhibits gene expression similar to short interfering RNA.

Overview of the pharmacological properties, pharmacokinetics and animal safety assessment of lornoxicam.

Lornoxicam is a new, highly potent antirheumatic agent which is an oxicam derivative. Although highly potent as a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, the compound does not cause inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase and does not appear to shunt arachidonic acid through this cascade. This powerful inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase has manifested itself as highly potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in animal studies and also prevented the bone destruction which normally occurs in the adjuvant polyarthritic rat.