The 3'-end region of the human PDGFR-β core promoter nuclease hypersensitive element forms a mixture of two unique end-insertion G-quadruplexes.

Background: While the most stable G-quadruplex formed in the human PDGFR-β promoter nuclease hypersensitive element (NHE) is the 5'-mid G-quadruplex, the 3'-end sequence that contains a 3'-GGA run forms a less stable G-quadruplex. Recently, the 3'-end G-quadruplex was found to be a transcriptional repressor and can be selectively targeted by a small molecule for PDGFR-β downregulation.

Method: We use 1D and 2D high-field NMR, in combination with Dimethylsulfate Footprinting, Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy, and Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay.

Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex Structures and G-Quadruplex-Interactive Compounds.

G-quadruplexes are noncanonical secondary structures formed in DNA sequences containing consecutive runs of guanines. It has been shown that the 3' G-rich single-stranded overhangs of human telomeres can form G-quadruplex structures, and the human telomeric DNA G-quadruplexes are considered attractive targets for anticancer drugs. G-quadruplex-interactive compounds have been shown to inhibit telomerase access as well as telomere capping.

photoacoustic lipid imaging in mice using the second near-infrared window.

Photoacoustic imaging has emerged as a promising technique to improve preclinical and clinical imaging by providing users with label-free optical contrast of tissue. Here, we present a proof-of-concept study for noninvasive murine lipid imaging using 1210 nm light to investigate differences in periaortic fat among mice of different gender, genotypes, and maturation. Acquired lipid signals suggest that adult male apoE mice have greater periaortic fat accumulation compared to adolescent males, apoE females, and wild-type mice.

Compositional and functional diversity of canonical PRC1 complexes in mammals.

The compositional complexity of Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) increased dramatically during vertebrate evolution. What is considered the "canonical" PRC1 complex consists of four subunits originally identified as regulators of body segmentation in Drosophila. In mammals, each of these four canonical subunits consists of two to six paralogs that associate in a combinatorial manner to produce over a hundred possible distinct PRC1 complexes with unknown function.

Characterization of autoimmune inflammation induced prostate stem cell expansion.

Background: The presence of inflammation in prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) has been well described but the cellular mechanisms by which inflammation modulates the prostate are currently unclear. Prostate stem cells (PSC) not only maintain prostate homeostasis but also are considered to be the cell of origin of PCa and an important contributor to BPH. However, the impact of inflammation on PSC is not well understood.

Gene expression under low-oxygen conditions in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 demonstrates Hik31-dependent and -independent responses.

We have investigated the response of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 during growth at very low O2 concentration (bubbled with 99.9 % N(2)/0.

Hydrogen production by the unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. strain ATCC 51142 under conditions of continuous light.

We report on the hydrogen production properties of the unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. strain ATCC 51142. This organism has a versatile metabolism and can grow in the presence or absence of combined nitrogen and can grow photosynthetically or mixotrophically and heterotrophically in the presence of glycerol.

Global transcriptional response of the alkali-tolerant cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 to a pH 10 environment.

Many cyanobacterial strains are able to grow at a pH range from neutral to pH 10 or 11. Such alkaline conditions favor cyanobacterial growth (e.g.

Role of sigma factors in controlling global gene expression in light/dark transitions in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

We report on differential gene expression in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 after light-dark transitions in wild-type, DeltasigB, and DeltasigD strains. We also studied the effect of day length in the presence of glucose on a DeltasigB DeltasigE mutant.

Nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of the Syk protein tyrosine kinase.

The protein tyrosine kinase Syk couples the B-cell receptor (BCR) for antigen to multiple intracellular signaling pathways and also modulates cellular responses to inducers of oxidative stress in a receptor-independent fashion. In B cells, Syk is found in both the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments but contains no recognizable nuclear localization or export signals. Through the analysis of a series of deletion mutants, we identified the presence of an unconventional shuttling sequence near the junction of the catalytic domain and the linker B region that accounts for Syk's subcellular localization.