An Investigation of the Potential Antifungal Properties of CNC-2 in .

responds to infections by upregulating specific antimicrobial peptides. The caenacin-2 () gene is consistently upregulated in by infection with the filamentous fungus , but there have been no direct studies of the CNC-2 peptide's in vivo or in vitro role in defending the nematode against this pathogen. We compared infection of wild-type and knockout nematode strains with four potential pathogens: , , , and .

Creating and Applying a Reference to Facilitate the Discussion and Classification of Proteins in a Diverse Group.

Related proteins that have been studied in different labs using varying organisms may lack a uniform system of nomenclature and classification, making it difficult to discuss the group as a whole and to place new sequences into the appropriate context. Developing a reference that prioritizes important sequence features related to structure and/or activity can be used in addition to established names to add some coherency to a diverse group of proteins. This paper uses the cysteine-stabilized alpha-helix (CS-αβ) superfamily as an example to show how a reference generated in spreadsheet software can clarify relationships between existing proteins in the superfamily, as well as facilitate the addition of new sequences.

Establishing a reference array for the CS-αβ superfamily of defensive peptides.

Background: "Invertebrate defensins" belong to the cysteine-stabilized alpha-beta (CS-αβ), also known as the scorpion toxin-like, superfamily. Some other peptides belonging to this superfamily of defensive peptides are indistinguishable from "defensins," but have been assigned other names, making it unclear what, if any, criteria must be met to qualify as an "invertebrate defensin." In addition, there are other groups of defensins in invertebrates and vertebrates that are considered to be evolutionarily unrelated to those in the CS-αβ superfamily.

Hyperglycemia accelerates apparent diffusion coefficient-defined lesion growth after focal cerebral ischemia in rats with and without features of metabolic syndrome.

Poststroke hyperglycemia is associated with a poor outcome yet clinical management is inadequately informed. We sought to determine whether clinically relevant levels of hyperglycemia exert detrimental effects on the early evolution of focal ischemic brain damage, as determined by magnetic resonance imaging, in normal rats and in those modeling the 'metabolic syndrome'. Wistar Kyoto (WKY) or fructose-fed spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone (ffSHRSP) rats were randomly allocated to groups for glucose or vehicle administration before permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Operation restoration: couples reunification retreats for veterans of operations enduring and iraqi freedom.

Couples interventions are promising approaches to help veterans successfully reintegrate into civilian life and recover from combat-related trauma. However, few programs are available to address these needs. This article describes a weekend retreat program we developed called Operation Restoration, which focuses on strengthening the relationships of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans and their partners.

Distribution and characteristics of ABFs, cecropins, nemapores, and lysozymes in nematodes.

Several groups of antimicrobial effector molecules have been identified in nematodes, but most studies have been limited to Caenorhabditis elegans and, to a lesser extent, Ascaris suum. Although these two species are not closely related, they are not representative of overall nematode diversity. This study utilized available sequence information to investigate whether four groups of antimicrobial effectors (defensin-like antibacterial factors [ABFs], cecropins, saposin domain-containing proteins, and lysozymes) are components of an archetypal nematode immune system or more narrowly restricted.

TIR-NBS-LRR genes are rare in monocots: evidence from diverse monocot orders.

Background: Plant resistance (R) gene products recognize pathogen effector molecules. Many R genes code for proteins containing nucleotide binding site (NBS) and C-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domains. NBS-LRR proteins can be divided into two groups, TIR-NBS-LRR and non-TIR-NBS-LRR, based on the structure of the N-terminal domain.

MSP domain protein-1 from Ascaris suum and its possible role in the regulation of major sperm protein-based crawling motility.

Nematode sperm utilize a crawling motility based on a nematode sperm-specific cytoskeletal protein called the major sperm protein (MSP). Although MSP has no similarity to actin in sequence or structure, the motility mediated by these two proteins is nearly indistinguishable at a phenotypic level. As with the traditional actin cytoskeleton, the central component of MSP-based motility (MSP) interacts with accessory proteins that regulate polymerization and depolymerization and play a key role in cell motility.

MSP domain proteins.

The major sperm protein (MSP) has attracted interest because of its ability to mediate actin-like ameboid motility in nematode sperm, despite a lack of sequence or structural similarity to actin. The basic immunoglobulin-like organization of MSP defines a structural domain found in proteins from many eukaryotic species. Within the context of MSP domain proteins (MDPs), evidence suggests that this structure functions as a protein-protein interaction domain and a signaling element.

MSP domain proteins show enhanced expression in male germ line cells.

Nematode sperm utilize a crawling motility based on polymerization--depolymerization of a nematode-specific cytoskeletal molecule-major sperm protein (MSP). While several proteins that interact with and regulate MSP filament formation have been identified using in vitro approaches, it is likely that additional molecules participate in vivo in the regulation of MSP cytoskeletal dynamics. By comparing EST data generated from an Ascaris suum testis germinal zone cDNA library with EST data from other tissue- and stage-specific A.

Reabsorption effect and spatial ordering in island ripening.

A model for detachment-limited island ripening is analyzed in terms of a reabsorption (or pedophagous) effect where islands releasing monomers can reabsorb their own offspring. When the effect is artificially turned off, ripened island arrays are spatially disordered and the island growth rates and size distribution are easily understood in terms of a classic mean field theory. With the pedophagous effect included, the arrays develop a spatial ordering consistent with experimental studies.

Biosynthesis of the major surface protease GP63 of Leishmania chagasi.

The protozoan Leishmania chagasi expresses a surface metalloprotease, GP63, whose abundance increases 14-fold as parasites grow from logarithmic to stationary phase. L. chagasi GP63 is encoded by three classes of MSP genes that are differentially expressed during parasite growth.

The DRASIC cation channel contributes to the detection of cutaneous touch and acid stimuli in mice.

Cation channels in the DEG/ENaC family are proposed to detect cutaneous stimuli in mammals. We localized one such channel, DRASIC, in several different specialized sensory nerve endings of skin, suggesting it might participate in mechanosensation and/or acid-evoked nociception. Disrupting the mouse DRASIC gene altered sensory transduction in specific and distinct ways.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (mif) transcription is significantly elevated in Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larvae.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) from vertebrate species is a molecule that exerts a wide-range of effects in inflammatory responses, cell activation and cell differentiation. Several species of parasitic nematodes have been shown to express genes encoding orthologues of the mammalian MIF that appear to play a key role in immune evasion by modifying the activity of host cells. In addition, MIF accumulates in nematode somatic cells where its role has not yet been defined.

The mammalian sodium channel BNC1 is required for normal touch sensation.

Of the vertebrate senses, touch is the least understood at the molecular level The ion channels that form the core of the mechanosensory complex and confer touch sensitivity remain unknown. However, the similarity of the brain sodium channel 1 (BNC1) to nematode proteins involved in mechanotransduction indicated that it might be a part of such a mechanosensor. Here we show that disrupting the mouse BNC1 gene markedly reduces the sensitivity of a specific component of mechanosensation: low-threshold rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors.

Disruption of the beta subunit of the epithelial Na+ channel in mice: hyperkalemia and neonatal death associated with a pseudohypoaldosteronism phenotype.

The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) is composed of three homologous subunits: alpha, beta and gamma. We used gene targeting to disrupt the beta subunit gene of ENaC in mice. The betaENaC-deficient mice showed normal prenatal development but died within 2 days after birth, most likely of hyperkalemia.

Trends in cancer mortality among workers in the synthetic polymers industry.

A high risk of death from liver HSA has been documented from past exposures to VC. Similar to other carcinogens, the risk of VC-induced liver HSA appears to increase as the second or third power of time from onset of exposure. It is possible to project future mortality using this power relationship, estimates of VC exposure, and observed mortality to 1980.