Effect of a dedicated oral care program on periodontal status of medically compromised patients at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Dental Clinic.

Medically compromised patients attending the dental clinic at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute have considerable gingival inflammation and breath odor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of toothbrushing on the periodontal status of these patients and to determine if there were any additional benefit in combining brushing with an application of an antibiotic rinse. During the first 7 days of the study, the teeth of 11 participants were brushed twice a day by a dental hygienist using a soft-bristle suction toothbrush without toothpaste.

Native chromatin immunoprecipitation.

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a technique widely used for determining the genomic location of modified histones and other chromatin-associated factors. Here we describe the methodology we have used in our laboratory for the immunoprecipitation of chromatin isolated from cells in the absence of crosslinking. Chromatin released from nuclei by micrococcal nuclease digestion is centrifuged through sucrose gradients to allow selection of mono- or dinucleosomes.

Myb induced myeloid protein 1 (Mim-1) is an acetyltransferase.

We have screened protein extracts from chicken blood cells for acetyltransferases. An in gel acetyltransferase assay revealed that a 32 kDa protein, which is more prevalent in whole blood when compared with erythrocyte cells, possessed an auto-acetylation activity. This protein was purified by a series of chromatographic steps, sequenced by Edman degradation and subsequently identified as Myb induced myeloid protein (Mim-1).

Multiple histone acetyltransferases are associated with a chicken erythrocyte chromatin fraction enriched in active genes.

We have examined salt-soluble chromatin released by micrococcal nuclease from a 15-day-old chicken embryo erythrocyte nuclei for histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activities. This chromatin is enriched in transcriptionally active sequences from within the active beta-globin locus and contains elevated levels of acetylated core histones. HAT activities present in this fraction target histones H4, H3, and H2A when the chromatin itself is used as the substrate.