Crystal structure of a continuous three-dimensional DNA lattice.

DNA has proved to be a versatile material for the rational design and assembly of nanometer scale objects. Here we report the crystal structure of a continuous three-dimensional DNA lattice formed by the self-assembly of a DNA 13-mer. The structure consists of stacked layers of parallel helices with adjacent layers linked through parallel-stranded base pairing.

Effects of alcohols and anesthetics on recombinant voltage-gated Na+ channels.

Voltage-gated Na(+) channels (Na(+) channels) mediate the rising phase of action potentials in neurons and excitable cells. Nine subtypes of the alpha subunit (Na(v)1.1-Na(v)1.

Deletion of the fyn-kinase gene alters sensitivity to GABAergic drugs: dependence on beta2/beta3 GABAA receptor subunits.

Tyrosine phosphorylation can modulate GABA(A) receptor function, and deletion of the fyn-kinase gene alters GABAergic function in olfactory bulb neurons, as reported by Kitazawa, Yagi, Miyakawa, Niki, and Kawai (J Neurophysiol 1998;79:137-142). Our goal was to determine whether fyn gene deletion altered behavioral and functional actions of compounds that act on GABA(A) receptors. Such evidence might suggest a role for fyn-kinase in modulating GABA(A) receptor function, possibly via direct interactions between the kinase and receptor.

Aptamer database.

The aptamer database is designed to contain comprehensive sequence information on aptamers and unnatural ribozymes that have been generated by in vitro selection methods. Such data are not normally collected in 'natural' sequence databases, such as GenBank. Besides serving as a storehouse of sequences that may have diagnostic or therapeutic utility, the database serves as a valuable resource for theoretical biologists who describe and explore fitness landscapes.

Discovery of uncharacterized cellular systems by genome-wide analysis of functional linkages.

We introduce a general computational method, applicable on a genome-wide scale, for the systematic discovery of uncharacterized cellular systems. Quantitative analysis of the coinheritance of pairs of genes among different organisms, calculated using phylogenetic profiles, allows the prediction of thousands of functional linkages between the corresponding proteins. A comparison of these functional linkages to known pathways reveals that calculated linkages are comparable in accuracy to genome-wide yeast two-hybrid screens or mass spectrometry interaction assays.