The transient expression of the luciferase reporter gene helped us to detect a tissue-specific enhancer activity of the solitary extraviral long terminal repeat (LTR) of the human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K). The LTR was previously mapped to the 19q13.2 locus. It contains a number of potential regulatory elements including TATA box, binding sites for some nuclear factors, and a polyadenylation signal. However, an analysis of the genomic sequences close to the LTR did not reveal any known genes or the expressing marker sequences (EST), whose functioning could be regulated by this LTR. The enhancer activity can be preserved in the solitary LTR due to its involvement in a long-range control of genome functioning or by the absence of functional disruptive mutations within the human-specific LTR, because it is of a relatively young evolutionary age. The English version of the paper: Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry, 2002, vol. 28, no. 4; see also http://www.maik.ru.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|
Front Microbiol
January 2025
Cellular and Organismic Networks, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Introduction: The global decline in biodiversity and insect populations highlights the urgent need to conserve ecosystem functions, such as plant pollination by solitary bees. Human activities, particularly agricultural intensification, pose significant threats to these essential services. Changes in land use alter resource and nest site availability, pesticide exposure and other factors impacting the richness, diversity, and health of solitary bee species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcology
January 2025
Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
Optimal nest site selection is crucial in animals whose offspring are completely dependent on the shelter of a nest. Parental decisions influencing nest thermal conditions are particularly important because temperature strongly influences juvenile activity, metabolism, growth, developmental rate, survival, and adult body size. In small ectotherms such as bees, maternal decisions to nest in sun-exposed or shady sites can lead to marked differences in thermal microenvironments inside nests.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Faculty of Science, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Not all corals are attached to the substrate; some taxa are solitary and free-living, allowing them to migrate into preferred habitats. However, the lifestyle of these mobile corals, including how they move and navigate for migration, remains largely obscure. This study investigates the specific biomechanics of Cycloseris cyclolites, a free-living coral species, during phototactic behaviour in response to blue and white light stimuli.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, JPN.
Desmoid fibromatosis (DF) is a rare, non-metastasizing but locally aggressive mesenchymal tumor arising from fibroblasts or myofibroblasts. We report a solitary case of DF involving the retropharyngeal and danger spaces, a location rarely documented. The patient, a woman in her 70s, presented with progressive pharyngeal discomfort over six months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobal warming changes flowering times of many plant species, with potential impacts on frost damage and their synchronization with pollinator activity. These effects can have severe impacts on plant fitness, yet we know little about how frequently they occur and the extent of damage they cause. We addressed this topic in a thermophilic orchid with a highly specific pollination mechanism, the Small Spider Orchid, RchB, in six populations in Northern Switzerland.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!