DNA sequence analysis upstream of the yeast DNA repair gene SNM1 revealed gene GTP1 with an ORF of 573 bp on chromosome XIII. The putative amino-acid sequence of the encoded protein shows homology to proteins of the ARF-class of small GTP-binding proteins. Homology within GTP-binding motifs is highly conserved. Gene disruption showed that GTP1 is not an essential gene and that it has no influence on the expression of the DNA repair gene SNM1 with which it shares a 191-bp promoter region.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Portable fiber-coupled diode-laser-based sensor for multiple trace gas detection.

Tunable narrowband mid-infrared radiation from 3.25 to 4.4 micrometers is generated by a compact fiber-coupled, difference-frequency-based spectroscopic source. A 20-mW external cavity diode laser (with a tuning range from 814 to 870 nm) and a 50-mW distributed-Bragg-reflector diode-laser-seeded ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier operating at 1083 nm are difference-frequency mixed in a multi-grating, temperature-controlled periodically poled LiNbO3 crystal. A conversion efficiency of 0.44 mW/(W2cm) (corresponding to a power of approximately equal to 3 microW at 3.3 micrometers) represents the highest conversion efficiency reported for a portable device. Performance characteristics of such a sensor and its application to spectroscopic detection of CO2, N2O, H2CO, HCl, NO2, and CH4 will be reported in this work.

Carbon Dioxide↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Preburn psychiatric history affects posttrauma morbidity.

A sample of inpatient, burn-injured adults (N = 95) were assessed upon discharge, and 4 and 12 months later with a structured interview and DSM-III-R criteria. The prevalence of disorder in this sample was contrasted with published data on a representative national community-dwelling comparison group in the National Comorbidity Study. The prevalence of lifetime affective, alcohol, and substance use disorders was significantly higher, and lifetime anxiety disorders significantly lower, in the burn-injured sample. The 12-month postburn prevalences of alcohol, and substance use disorders were significantly greater in the burn-injured sample. The risk of postburn disorder was significantly greater for the subjects who had a preburn history of affective, alcohol, or substance use disorder. The risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was elevated in the subjects with a preburn affective disorder but not preburn anxiety disorder. Finally, postburn PTSD was associated with a greater length of stay, and greater preburn comorbidity predicted preburn employment status and tended to lengthen hospitalization.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Glycosylation affects agonist binding and signal transduction of the rat somatostatin receptor subtype 3.

The somatostatin receptor subtypes, sst1-sst5, bind their natural ligands, somatostatin-14, somatostatin-28 and cortistatin-17, with high affinity but do not much discriminate between them. Detailed understanding of the interactions between these receptors and their peptide ligands may facilitate the development of selective compounds which are needed to identify the biological functions of individual receptor subtypes. The influence of the amino-terminal domain and of the two putative N-linked glycosylation sites located in this region of rat sst3 was analysed. Biochemical studies in transfected cell lines suggested that the amino-terminus of sst3 is glycosylated at both sites. Mutation of the N-linked glycosylation site, Asn18Thr, had only a small effect on binding properties and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. The double mutant Asn18Thr/Asn31Thr lacking both glycosylation sites showed a significant reduction in high affinity binding and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase while peptide selectivity was not affected. Truncation of the amino-terminal region by 32 amino acid residues including the two glycosylation sites caused similar but much stronger effects. Immunocytochemical analysis of receptor localisation revealed that the amino-terminal domain but not the carbohydrates appear to be involved in the transport of the receptor polypeptide to the cell surface.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Identification of proteins interacting with the rat somatostatin receptor subtype 2.

Using the yeast two hybrid system we have identified a novel protein termed somatostatin receptor interacting protein (SSTRIP) from human brain which interacts with the rat somatostatin receptor subtype 2. Interaction with the receptor C-terminus is mediated by a PSD-95/discs large/ZO-1 (PDZ) domain which exhibits high similarity to the PDZ domain of cortactin binding protein 1 (CortBP1). SSTRIP and CortBP1 define a novel family of multidomain proteins containing ankyrin repeats, SH3- and SH3 binding regions and a sterile alpha motif (SAM domain) in addition to the PDZ domain. Both SSTRIP and CortBP1 can be co-immunoprecipitated with the somatostatin receptor when co-expressed in HEK cells. Interestingly, co-localization of SSTR2 and CortBP1 at the plasma membrane is increased when SSTR2 is stimulated by agonists.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Axonal mRNAs: functional significance in vertebrates and invertebrates.

Sorting of defined mRNA species to distinct cytoplasmic regions is observed throughout the animal kingdom in many cell types, including neurons. During the past years, mRNA localization to dendrites of nerve cells has been characterized in detail. The functional role of these transcripts appears to be obvious: Since dendrites are equipped with the basic translational machinery, certain proteins are likely to be synthesized on-site. Targeting of mRNAs to the axon of vertebrate neurons is less well understood. Even though some vertebrate nerve cells such as goldfish Mauthner neurons seem to have ribosomes within the axonal compartment, evidence for ongoing local translation is still preliminary. In most differentiated mammalian neurons the axon is thought to lack mRNAs and a protein synthesizing machinery. Although a few nerve cell types harbour substantial amounts of distinct mRNA species within the axonal domain, their functional significance has remained elusive until today. Recent evidence suggests that mRNA transport to neurites including the future axon and local translation might play a role in nerve cell maturation. mRNA targeting to the axon of young neurons is strictly correlated with differentiation. It is no longer observed in fully matured neurons. Finally, for many years invertebrate neurons have served as model systems to investigate axonal mRNA transport and its physiological relevance. There is no doubt that protein synthesis does take place in the axonal domain. However, it has to be considered that invertebrate neurons develop only one type of neurite, referred to as the axon. These axons are different when compared with those of vertebrate nerve cells since they combine characteristics of dendrites and axons. In fact, current evidence supports the view that the axonal mRNAs in invertebrate nerve cells have functions comparable to those of transcripts residing in the dendrites of vertebrate neurons.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Deduced amino acid sequence from the bovine oxytocin-neurophysin I precursor cDNA.

The nonapeptide hormone oxytocin-like arginine-vasopressin (AVP) is synthesized as part of a larger precursor polypeptide. The precursor also includes the neurophysin molecule with which the hormone is associated in the neurosecretory granules of the hypothalamo-pituitary tract. A protein of molecular weight (Mr) approximately 20,000 has been isolated from supraoptic nuclei of rat hypothalami which, after tryptic cleavage, released a neurophysin-like molecule of Mr approximately 10,000 and an oligopeptide related to oxytocin. This result was complemented by in vitro translation of bovine hypothalamic mRNA. Among the primary translation products a single polypeptide of Mr approximately 16,500 was shown to contain antigenic determinants recognized by specific antisera against bovine neurophysin I and oxytocin. Here we report the amino acid sequence of the bovine oxytocin-neurophysin I (OT-NpI) precursor which was derived from sequence analysis of the cloned cDNA. As is the case for the bovine arginine-vasopressin-neurophysin II (AVP-NpII) precursor, the signal sequence of the OT-NpI precursor is immediately followed by the nonapeptide hormone which is connected to neurophysin I by a Gly-Lys-Arg sequence. A striking feature of the nucleic acid sequence is the 197-nucleotide long perfect homology with the AVP-NpII precursor mRNA sequence encoding the conserved middle part of neurophysins I and II.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Single base deletion in the vasopressin gene is the cause of diabetes insipidus in Brattleboro rats.

In rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus (Brattleboro rats) the gene for the vasopressin precursor lacks a single G residue in the protein-coding region. The mutation gives rise to an open reading frame predicting a hormone precursor having a different C-terminus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of early body image dissatisfaction on subsequent psychological and physical adjustment after disfiguring injury.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of body image dissatisfaction on quality of life after severe burn injury was investigated after controlling for other determinants of outcome (i.e., injury, distress, and preburn quality of life). METHODS: The postburn quality of life (2-months postdischarge) of groups with and without body image dissatisfaction was studied after controlling for preburn quality of life (measured 2-3 days postadmission). The patient population (N = 86) was 77.9% men, had an average total body surface area burned of 17.02%, and average full-thickness burn of 6.09%. Forty percent had facial injuries, 68.6% required surgery, most were injured by flame (39.5%), and 76.8% were employed. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of covariance (covarying preburn level of Mental quality of life, facial injury, and size of burn) contrasting body image dissatisfaction groups found significantly lower psychosocial adjustment at 2-month follow-up in those with greater body image dissatisfaction (multivariate F = 3.61; p<.01). A second MANCOVA (covarying the preburn level of Physical quality of life and both facial injury and size of burn) found significantly lower physical functioning at 2-month follow-up in those with greater body image dissatisfaction (multivariate F = 2.78; p < .03). Adding two more covariates (depression and posttrauma distress) eliminated the effect of body image dissatisfaction on postburn Physical but not Mental adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Body image dissatisfaction affects quality of life after severe burn injury. Distress moderates this impact on aspects of physical but not psychosocial health.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Genospecies diversity of Lyme disease spirochetes in rodent reservoirs.

To determine whether particular Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. genospecies associate solely with rodent reservoir hosts, we compared the genospecies prevalence in questing nymphal Ixodes ticks with that in xenodiagnostic ticks that had fed as larvae on rodents captured in the same site. No genospecies was more prevalent in rodent-fed ticks than in questing ticks. The three main spirochete genospecies, therefore, share common rodent hosts.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Competence of American robins as reservoir hosts for Lyme disease spirochetes.

To explore the competence of American robins as a reservoir for Lyme disease spirochetes, we determined the susceptibility of these birds to tickborne spirochetes and their subsequent infectivity for larval vector ticks. Robins acquired infection and became infectious to almost all xenodiagnostic ticks soon after exposure to infected nymphal ticks. Although infectivity waned after 2 months, the robins remained susceptible to reinfection, became infectious again, and permitted repeated feeding by vector ticks. In addition, spirochetes passaged through birds retained infectivity for mammalian hosts. American robins become as infectious for vector ticks as do reservoir mice, but infectivity in robins wanes more rapidly.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Novel diode laser-based sensors for gas sensing applications.

The development of compact spectroscopic gas sensors and their applications to environmental sensing will be described. These sensors employ mid-infrared difference-frequency generation (DFG) in periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystals pumped by two single-frequency solid state lasers such as diode lasers, diode-pumped solid state, and fiber lasers. Ultrasensitive, highly selective, and real-time measurements of several important atmospheric trace gases, including carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde [correction of formaldehye], and methane, have been demonstrated.

Carbon Dioxide↗