Primary angiitis of the central nervous system: a case report.

Primary angiitis of the central nervous system is a rare and difficult entity. Here we represented the clinical and pathological features of a patient with little response to steroid before definite diagnosis. The 50-year-old male had a fluctuating disease course for more than 3 years.

Identification, isolation and expression analysis of auxin response factor (ARF) genes in Solanum lycopersicum.

Auxin response factors (ARFs) encode transcriptional factors that bind specifically to the TGTCTC-containing auxin response elements found in the promoters of primary/early auxin response genes that regulate plant development. In this study, investigation of the tomato genome revealed 21 putative functional ARF genes (SlARFs), a number comparable to that found in Arabidopsis (23) and rice (25). The full cDNA sequences of 15 novel SlARFs were isolated and delineated by sequencing of PCR products.

The ygeW encoded protein from Escherichia coli is a knotted ancestral catabolic transcarbamylase.

The allantoin degradation pathway in has long been thought to involve a putative novel oxamate transcarbamylase (OXTCase) that converts oxaluric acid to oxamate and carbamyl phosphate (CP), a substrate for carbamate kinase (CK). In the genome sequence of , the only gene that could encode a novel transcarbamylase is the gene. However, the recombinant protein has no transcarbamylase activity with oxamate, allantoin, or twenty five other related compounds as potential substrates.

BcMF20, a putative pollen-specific transcription factor from Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis.

The Arabidopsis transcription factor (At1g26610) was shown to be down-regulated in male sterile lines compared to their maintainer line in Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis) in our previous study. The BcMF20 gene, homologue of the At1g26610 gene was isolated from Chinese cabbage.

Lipoic acid decreases inflammation and confers neuroprotection in experimental autoimmune optic neuritis.

Lipoic acid (LA) is an antioxidant that is effective in treating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model for multiple sclerosis (MS). C57BL/6 mice with EAE develop experimental autoimmune optic neuritis (EAON), which models acute optic neuritis in humans. Here we determined whether LA is therapeutically effective in EAON.

Reversible post-translational carboxylation modulates the enzymatic activity of N-acetyl-L-ornithine transcarbamylase.

N-Acetyl-l-ornithine transcarbamylase (AOTCase), rather than ornithine transcarbamylase (OTCase), is the essential carbamylase enzyme in the arginine biosynthesis of several plant and human pathogens. The specificity of this unique enzyme provides a potential target for controlling the spread of these pathogens. Recently, several crystal structures of AOTCase from Xanthomonas campestris (xc) have been determined.

A polygalacturonase inhibitory protein gene (BcMF19) expressed during pollen development in Chinese cabbage-pak-choi.

The level of polygalacturonase inhibitory protein (PGIP) genes involved in pollen development remains unclear. Characterization of the different PGIP genes that are expressed in pollen is necessary in understanding the similarities and differences of functions between the members of this gene family, as well as the underlying mechanism of pollen development. A gene-encoding putative PGIP, BcMF19 was successfully cloned on a cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism fragment after it was found to be up-regulated in the fertile flower buds of Chinese cabbage-pak-choi (Brassica campestris L.

[Changes of gene expression profile in homoharringtonine-induced leukemia multi-drug resistant cell line K562/HHT].

Objective: To study the resistant related molecules of human leukemia drug resistant K562 cells (K562/HHT) induced by homoharringtonine (HHT).

Methods: Gene expression profiles on K562/HHT, K562 and K562/HHT/RU486 (K562/HHT reversed by RU486) cells were detected by DNA microarray. The bone marrow tyrosine kinase gene in chromosome X (BMX) which changed dynamically among the three cells was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot.

[Analysis of scalp potential activity and heart rate variability during volitional control of heart beat].

In the study the changes of scalp potential and cardiac autonomic nervous system during volitional control of heart beat are explored with the wavelet packet parameters and approximate entropy (ApEn) of Electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate variability. The results show that volition can control heart beat and the changes of brain activity are earlier than that of autonomic activity. But its control of heart beat is very different from the motor nervous system because different cortical positions are respectively concerned during the quick and slow control of heart beat.

Effects of mental tasks on the cardiorespiratory synchronization.

The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are functionally related to each other, but it is unclear if the cerebral cortex can affect their interaction. The effect of a mental task on the synchronization between cardiovascular and respiratory systems was investigated in the article. Electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiratory signal (RES) were collected from 29 healthy male subjects during the mental arithmetic (MA) task and the synchrogram was used to estimate the strength of cardiorespiratory synchronization.

Analysis of genetic diversity in cytoplasmic male sterility, and association of mitochondrial genes with petaloid-type cytoplasmic male sterility in tuber mustard (Brassica juncea var. tumida Tsen et Lee).

In our previous study, we bred a stable cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) line of tuber mustard by using distant hybridization and subsequent backcrosses. In this CMS plants, all floral organs are normal except the anthers, which are transformed into petals or tubular structures. Recently, 2 mitochondrial genes-atpA and orf220-that are distinctively present in the CMS line of tuber mustard were cloned and partially characterized.

Polyamine accumulation in transgenic tomato enhances the tolerance to high temperature stress.

Polyamines play an important role in plant response to abiotic stress. S-adenosyl-l-methionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) is one of the key regulatory enzymes in the biosynthesis of polyamines. In order to better understand the effect of regulation of polyamine biosynthesis on the tolerance of high-temperature stress in tomato, SAMDC cDNA isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was introduced into tomato genome by means of Agrobacterium tumefaciens through leaf disc transformation.

Macrophage-specific overexpression of antimicrobial peptide PR-39 inhibits intracellular growth of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in macrophage cells.

Although purified and synthesised PR-39 shows potent antibacterial effects in vitro, its ability to kill intracellular bacteria in macrophages, which are a major cause of refractory intracellular infection, has not yet been demonstrated. Both to enhance its antimicrobial potential and to reduce systemic side effects, it would be desirable to deliver PR-39 into macrophage cells and to limit its activation to the site of infection. To address this issue, PR-39 DNA was inserted into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pIRES2-EGFP and the adenoviral vector Ad-MSP, from which PR-39 can be specifically expressed in macrophage cells from the macrophage-specific promoter.

Relationship between scalp potential and autonomic nervous activity during a mental arithmetic task.

The cerebral cortex had massive bidirectional connections to autonomic nervous system and mental performance can induce change of autonomic activity, but which regions are related to autonomic function is not clear. The study was to analyze the scalp positions which may affect cardiac autonomic nervous activity during a mental arithmetic (MA) task. Forty-three healthy male subjects were voluntarily participated in the study.

[The clinical significance of real-time fluorescence PCR quantification of hepatocyte growth factor mRNA expression in acute leukemia].

Objective: To detect quantitatively hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mRNA expressions of bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNCs) in acute leukemia (AL) and investigate its clinical significance.

Methods: Total mRNA of quantitated bone marrow MNCs isolated from 67 de novo AL cases was extracted and then cDNA was synthesized. Expression of HGF mRNA was quantified absolutely using real-time fluorescence quantification PCR (FQ-PCR).

[Construction and targeting study of eukaryotic expression vector modulated by a macrophage-specific promoter].

Aim: To construct a macrophage-specific eukaryotic expression vector and to investigate its expressing specificity.

Methods: Macrophage-specific promoter was synthesized using PCR, and substituted the CMV promoter of eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-N1 to construct a recombinant vector (pSP-GFP), which were cotransfected with pERFP-N1 vector into different cell lines. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) and red fluorescent protein (RFP) was observed by fluorescence microscopy, and the target specificity of macrophage-specific promoter was judged by comparison of expressed level of GFP and RFP in various cell lines.

Functional analysis of a pollen-expressed polygalacturonase gene BcMF6 in Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino).

In our earlier work, a pollen-expressed polygalacturonase gene BcMF6 was isolated from floral bud of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino) by cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) transcript profiling and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE).

Mapping QTLs for root morphological traits in Brassica rapa L. based on AFLP and RAPD markers.

Root growth and thickening plays a key role in the final productivity and even the quality of storage roots in root crops. This study was conducted to identify and map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting root morphological traits in Brassica rapa by using molecular markers. An F2 population was developed from a cross between Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp.

The crystal structure of N-acetyl-L-glutamate synthase from Neisseria gonorrhoeae provides insights into mechanisms of catalysis and regulation.

The crystal structures of N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) in the arginine biosynthetic pathway of Neisseria gonorrhoeae complexed with acetyl-CoA and with CoA plus N-acetylglutamate have been determined at 2.5- and 2.6-A resolution, respectively.

Characterization of a male sterile related gene BcMF15 from Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis.

Data from cDNA-AFLP analysis based on the genome-wide transcriptional profiling on the flower buds of the male meiotic cytokinesis (mmc) mutant and its wild-type of Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino, syn.

Characterization and functional analysis of a novel PCP gene BcMF5 from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino).

Brassica campestris Male Fertile 5 (BcMF5), a novel member of the pollen coat protein class A (PCP-A) gene family, was identified from Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino (Chinese cabbage-pak-choi).

BcMF5, a pollen coat protein gene (PCP), from Brassica rapa. ssp. chinensis, involved in the transcription of different lengths of 3'-UTRs of PCPs.

Two transcript-derived fragments (GenBank accession number DN237907.1 and DN237908.1) with high homology accumulated in the wild-type flower buds of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.

A single mutation in the active site swaps the substrate specificity of N-acetyl-L-ornithine transcarbamylase and N-succinyl-L-ornithine transcarbamylase.

Transcarbamylases catalyze the transfer of the carbamyl group from carbamyl phosphate (CP) to an amino group of a second substrate such as aspartate, ornithine, or putrescine. Previously, structural determination of a transcarbamylase from Xanthomonas campestris led to the discovery of a novel N-acetylornithine transcarbamylase (AOTCase) that catalyzes the carbamylation of N-acetylornithine. Recently, a novel N-succinylornithine transcarbamylase (SOTCase) from Bacteroides fragilis was identified.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Narcissus tazzeta var. chinensis.

Phytoene synthase (PSY), as a key regulatory enzyme for carotene biosynthesis, plays an important role in regulating color formation in many species. In the present study, a protocol was developed for the transformation of Narcissus tazzeta var chinensis using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring a binary vector pCAMBIA1301 plasmid which contained an antisense phytoene synthase gene, a reporter beta-glucuronidase gene and a selectable marker hygromycin phosphotransferase gene. Effects of some factors on efficiency of transformation and regeneration were examined.

Cyclophilin D inactivation protects axons in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the leading cause of neurological disability in young adults, affecting some two million people worldwide. Traditionally, MS has been considered a chronic, inflammatory disorder of the central white matter in which ensuing demyelination results in physical disability [Frohman EM, Racke MK, Raine CS (2006) N Engl J Med 354:942-955]. More recently, MS has become increasingly viewed as a neurodegenerative disorder in which neuronal loss, axonal injury, and atrophy of the CNS lead to permanent neurological and clinical disability.