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[Microvascular dysfunction as an explanation for the metabolic syndrome].

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of mutually related risk factors that confers an increased risk for both type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Although the metabolic syndrome seems to have multiple aetiological factors, microvascular dysfunction is a potential explanation for the above-mentioned cluster of multiple metabolic risk factors such as hypertension, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. Microvascular dysfunction leads not only to increased peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure, but may also decrease the insulin-mediated glucose uptake in muscles. The different effect on the microcirculation may explain why some antihypertensive drugs (beta-blockers) lead to an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, whereas others (angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors) are associated with a decrease of that risk.

Antihypertensive Agents↗

The zinc binuclear cluster activator AlcR is able to bind to single sites but requires multiple repeated sites for synergistic activation of the alcA gene in Aspergillus nidulans.

The alcA gene which is part of the recently identified ethanol regulon, is one of the most strongly inducible genes in Aspergillus nidulans. Its transcriptional activation is mediated by the AlcR transactivator which contains a DNA-binding domain belonging to the C6 zinc binuclear cluster family. AlcR differs from the other members of this family by several features, the most striking characteristic being its binding to both symmetric and asymmetric DNA sites with the same apparent affinity. However, AlcR is also able to bind to a single site with high affinity, suggesting that unlike the other C6 proteins, AlcR binds as a monomer. In this report, we show that AlcR targets, to be functional in vivo, have to be organized as inverted or direct repeats. In addition, we show a strong synergistic activation of alcA transcription in which the number and the position of the AlcR-binding sites are crucial. The fact that the AlcR unit for in vitro binding is a single site whereas the in vivo functional unit is a repeat opens the question of the mechanism of the strong alcA transactivation. These results show that AlcR displays both in vitro and in vivo a new range of binding specificity and provides a novel example in the C6 zinc cluster protein family.

Aspergillus nidulans↗

Alpha-cluster description of excitation energies in 12C(12C,3 alpha)X at 2.1A GeV.

An alpha-cluster expansion of the Glauber multiple scattering [correction of scatteirng] series is used to calculate the energy transfer spectrum to the 12C projectile in the 12C(12C,3 alpha)X reaction at 2.1A GeV. Cluster-abrasion response functions are defined in terms of alpha-cluster wave function and the collision dynamics appropriate for heavy-ion reactions. Comparisons are made to recent quasiexclusive experimental data with good agreement found. Calculations indicate that substructures in a 12C projectile are likely to be true spectators in fragmentation, however, with virtual states of excitation in the projectile ground state making a significant contribution to the fragmentation cross section.

Alpha Particles↗

The ESAT-6 gene cluster of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other high G+C Gram-positive bacteria.

BACKGROUND: The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv has five copies of a cluster of genes known as the ESAT-6 loci. These clusters contain members of the CFP-10 (lhp) and ESAT-6 (esat-6) gene families (encoding secreted T-cell antigens that lack detectable secretion signals) as well as genes encoding secreted, cell-wall-associated subtilisin-like serine proteases, putative ABC transporters, ATP-binding proteins and other membrane-associated proteins. These membrane-associated and energy-providing proteins may function to secrete members of the ESAT-6 and CFP-10 protein families, and the proteases may be involved in processing the secreted peptide. RESULTS: Finished and unfinished genome sequencing data of 98 publicly available microbial genomes has been analyzed for the presence of orthologs of the ESAT-6 loci. The multiple duplicates of the ESAT-6 gene cluster found in the genome of M. tuberculosis H37Rv are also conserved in the genomes of other mycobacteria, for example M. tuberculosis CDC1551, M. tuberculosis 210, M. bovis, M. leprae, M. avium, and the avirulent strain M. smegmatis. Phylogenetic analyses of the resulting sequences have established the duplication order of the gene clusters and demonstrated that the gene cluster known as region 4 (Rv3444c-3450c) is ancestral. Region 4 is also the only region for which an ortholog could be found in the genomes of Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Streptomyces coelicolor. CONCLUSIONS: Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the presence of the ESAT-6 gene cluster is a feature of some high-G+C Gram-positive bacteria. Multiple duplications of this cluster have occurred and are maintained only within the genomes of members of the genus Mycobacterium.

Antigens, Bacterial↗

Geometry optimization of molecular clusters and complexes using scaled internal coordinates.

Scaled internal coordinates are introduced for use in the geometry optimization of systems composed of multiple fragments, such as solvated molecules, clusters, and biomolecular complexes. The new coordinates are related to bond lengths, bond angles and torsion angles by geometry-dependent scaling factors. The scaling factors serve to expedite the optimization of complexes containing outlying fragments, without hindering the optimization of the intramolecular degrees of freedom. Trial calculations indicate that, at asymptotic separations, the scaling factors improve the rate of convergence by a factor of 4 to 5.

Biopolymers↗

Evolution by fusion and amplification: the murine Sp100-rs gene cluster.

Sp100 is a single-copy gene in the human and the mouse. A related gene, Sp100-rs, occurs in multiple copies and forms a conspicuous cluster in the mouse chromosome 1. Murine Sp100 and Sp100-rs are homologous from the promoter up to a position in intron 3, but they differ 3' of that position. In the genus Mus, Sp100-rs is present in one phylogenetic branch, represented by the house mouse, M. musculus, but probably does not exist in another branch, represented by M. caroli. Thus, Sp100-rs arose relatively late in the evolution of the genus Mus, whereas Sp100 existed in the common ancestor of the human and the mouse. The Sp100-rs gene cluster probably evolved by gene fusion followed by amplification and diversification.

Animals↗

Single and multiple beam echocardiography in aortic valve endocarditis. Report of three cases.

Three patients with aortic valve endocarditis were studied. The single beam M-mode echocardiographic findings comprised the appearance in diastole of a cluster of shaggy echoes at the aortic valve in all three patients. Mitral flutter was seen in two patients and premature closure of the mitral valve in one patient. At multiple beam two-dimensional echocardiography, the echo cluster could in all three patients be seen to move perpendicular to the sound beams, ascending into the aorta in systole and descending in diastole. At valve replacement, vegetations were found that explained the abnormal echo cluster. The multiple beam echocardiography facilitated the interpretation of the single beam findings and increased the confidence therein. By applying the non-invasive modality of echocardiography in these patients with their high risk of embolism, cardiac catheterization may possibly be avoided.

Adult↗

Benchmarking methods for measuring biosynthetic gene cluster similarity and determination of gene cluster families.

MOTIVATION: Natural products are often produced by a set of biosynthetic enzymes that are encoded by genes clustered together in the producer's genome, referred to as a biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). The ability to compare and cluster BGCs is essential for several applications, including predicting which bacteria will make a known product and assessing the potential diversity of natural products produced by a set of bacteria. There are multiple methods for comparing and clustering BGCs based on their similarity, but there has been a lack of investigation into how strongly BGC similarity relates to product structural similarity and how these methods perform relative to each other. RESULTS: Using publicly available databases, we developed a benchmark dataset to assess how well different BGC similarity metrics correlate with the structural similarity of their products and how well these methods cluster BGCs. We found that all methods showed moderate correlation between BGC and structural similarity, with correlations improving for more similar BGCs and varying significantly by BGC biosynthetic class. Analysis of outliers revealed some outliers were due to mistakes or omissions in public datasets, while others represented deviation between BGC similarity and product structural similarity. All methods generally performed better on clustering metrics, with BiG-SCAPE performing the best after errors in the public datasets had been corrected. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Scripts and data required to reproduce the results are available at https://github.com/aswalker-lab/BGC-clustering-benchmark and processed similarity, clusters, and scaffolds are also available at https://huggingface.co/datasets/allie-walker/BGC-clustering-benchmark. Code is also available at Zenodo: 10.5281/zenodo.17373546.

Multigene Family↗

SEAN: SNP prediction and display program utilizing EST sequence clusters.

SEAN is an application that predicts single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using multiple sequence alignments produced from expressed sequence tag (EST) clusters. The algorithm uses rules of sequence identity and SNP abundance to determine the quality of the prediction. A Java viewer is provided to display the EST alignments and predicted SNPs.

Algorithms↗

Multiple-locus sequence typing analysis of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis reveals separate clustering and a distinct population structure of psychrotrophic strains.

We used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to characterize phylogenetic relationships for a collection of Bacillus cereus group strains isolated from forest soil in the Paris area during a mild winter. This collection contains multiple strains isolated from the same soil sample and strains isolated from samples from different sites. We characterized 115 strains of this collection and 19 other strains based on the sequences of the clpC, dinB, gdpD, panC, purF, and yhfL loci. The number of alleles ranged from 36 to 53, and a total of 93 allelic profiles or sequence types were distinguished. We identified three major strain clusters-C, T, and W-based on the comparison of individual gene sequences or concatenated sequences. Some less representative clusters and subclusters were also distinguished. Analysis of the MLST data using the concept of clonal complexes led to the identification of two, five, and three such groups in clusters C, T, and W, respectively. Some of the forest isolates were closely related to independently isolated psychrotrophic strains. Systematic testing of the strains of this collection showed that almost all the strains that were able to grow at a low temperature (6 degrees C) belonged to cluster W. Most of these strains, including three independently isolated strains, belong to two clonal complexes and are therefore very closely related genetically. These clonal complexes represent strains corresponding to the previously identified species Bacillus weihenstephanensis. Most of the other strains of our collection, including some from the W cluster, are not psychrotrophic. B. weihenstephanensis (cluster W) strains appear to comprise an effectively sexual population, whereas Bacillus thuringiensis (cluster T) and B. cereus (cluster C) have clonal population structures.

Bacillus cereus↗

Chromosomes form into seven groups in hexaploid and tetraploid wheat as a prelude to meiosis.

Hexaploid wheat possesses 42 chromosomes derived from its three ancestral genomes. The 21 pairs of chromosomes can be further divided into seven groups of six chromosomes (one chromosome pair being derived from each of the three ancestral genomes), based on the similarity of their gene order. Previous studies have revealed that, during anther development, the chromosomes associate in 21 pairs via their centromeres. The present study reveals that, as a prelude to meiosis, these 21 chromosome pairs in hexaploid (and tetraploid) wheat associate via the centromeres into seven groups as the telomeres begin to cluster. This results in the association of multiple chromosomes, which then need to be resolved as meiosis progresses. The formation of the seven chromosome clusters now explains the occasional occurrence of remnants of multiple associations, which have been reported at later stages of meiosis in hexaploid (and tetraploid) wheat. Importantly, the chromosomes have the opportunity to be resorted via these multiple interactions. As meiosis progresses, such interactions are resolved through the action of loci such as Ph1, leaving chromosomes as homologous pairs.

Centromere↗

Promoter choice determines splice site selection in protocadherin alpha and gamma pre-mRNA splicing.

A family of mammalian protocadherin (Pcdh) proteins is encoded by three closely linked gene clusters (alpha, beta, and gamma). Multiple alpha and gamma Pcdh mRNAs are expressed in distinct patterns in the nervous system and are generated by alternative pre-mRNA splicing between different "variable" exons and three "constant" exons within each cluster. We show that each Pcdh variable exon is preceded by a promoter and that promoter choice determines which variable exon is included in a Pcdh mRNA. In addition, we provide evidence that alternative splicing of variable exons within a gene cluster occurs via a cis-splicing mechanism. However, virtually every variable exon can engage in trans-splicing with constant exons from another cluster, albeit at a far lower level.

Alleles↗

WWW access to the SYSTERS protein sequence cluster set.

SUMMARY: We present a Web server where the SYSTERS cluster set of the non-redundant protein database consisting of sequences from SWISS-PROT and PIR is being made available for querying and browsing. The cluster set can be searched with a new sequence using the SSMAL search tool. Additionally, a multiple alignment is generated for each cluster and annotated with domain information from the Pfam protein family database. AVAILABILITY: The server address is http://www.dkfz-heidelberg.de/tbi/services/cluster/ systersform

Algorithms↗

Hierarchical cluster analysis applied to workers' exposures in fiberglass insulation manufacturing.

The objectives of this study were to explore the application of cluster analysis to the characterization of multiple exposures in industrial hygiene practice and to compare exposure groupings based on the result from cluster analysis with that based on non-measurement-based approaches commonly used in epidemiology. Cluster analysis was performed for 37 workers simultaneously exposed to three agents (endotoxin, phenolic compounds and formaldehyde) in fiberglass insulation manufacturing. Different clustering algorithms, including complete-linkage (or farthest-neighbor), single-linkage (or nearest-neighbor), group-average and model-based clustering approaches, were used to construct the tree structures from which clusters can be formed. Differences were observed between the exposure clusters constructed by these different clustering algorithms. When contrasting the exposure classification based on tree structures with that based on non-measurement-based information, the results indicate that the exposure clusters identified from the tree structures had little in common with the classification results from either the traditional exposure zone or the work group classification approach. In terms of the defining homogeneous exposure groups or from the standpoint of health risk, some toxicological normalization in the components of the exposure vector appears to be required in order to form meaningful exposure groupings from cluster analysis. Finally, it remains important to see if the lack of correspondence between exposure groups based on epidemiological classification and measurement data is a peculiarity of the data or a more general problem in multivariate exposure analysis.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗

Robust fluoroscopic respiratory gating for lung cancer radiotherapy without implanted fiducial markers.

For gated lung cancer radiotherapy, it is difficult to generate accurate gating signals due to the large uncertainties when using external surrogates and the risk of pneumothorax when using implanted fiducial markers. We have previously investigated and demonstrated the feasibility of generating gating signals using the correlation scores between the reference template image and the fluoroscopic images acquired during the treatment. In this paper, we present an in-depth study, aiming at the improvement of robustness of the algorithm and its validation using multiple sets of patient data. Three different template generating and matching methods have been developed and evaluated: (1) single template method, (2) multiple template method, and (3) template clustering method. Using the fluoroscopic data acquired during patient setup before each fraction of treatment, reference templates are built that represent the tumour position and shape in the gating window, which is assumed to be at the end-of-exhale phase. For the single template method, all the setup images within the gating window are averaged to generate a composite template. For the multiple template method, each setup image in the gating window is considered as a reference template and used to generate an ensemble of correlation scores. All the scores are then combined to generate the gating signal. For the template clustering method, clustering (grouping of similar objects together) is performed to reduce the large number of reference templates into a few representative ones. Each of these methods has been evaluated against the reference gating signal as manually determined by a radiation oncologist. Five patient datasets were used for evaluation. In each case, gated treatments were simulated at both 35% and 50% duty cycles. False positive, negative and total error rates were computed. Experiments show that the single template method is sensitive to noise; the multiple template and clustering methods are more robust to noise due to the smoothing effect of aggregation of correlation scores; and the clustering method results in the best performance in terms of computational efficiency and accuracy.

Biophysical Phenomena↗

Clustering of autoimmune diseases in families with a high-risk for multiple sclerosis: a descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune mechanisms are thought to have a major role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. We aimed to identify coexisting autoimmune phenotypes in patients with multiple sclerosis from families with several members with the disease and in their first-degree relatives. METHODS: A total of 176 families (386 individuals and 1107 first-degree relatives) were characterised for a history of other autoimmune disorders. Family-based or case-control analyses were done to assess the association of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-antigen 4 (CTLA4) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPN22) variants with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis. FINDINGS: 46 (26%) index cases reported at least one coexisting autoimmune disorder. The most common were Hashimoto thyroiditis (10%), psoriasis (6%), inflammatory bowel disease (3%), and rheumatoid arthritis (2%). 112 (64%) families with a history of multiple sclerosis reported autoimmune disorders (excluding multiple sclerosis) in one or more first-degree relatives, whereas 64 (36%) families reported no history of autoimmunity. Similar to index cases, Hashimoto thyroiditis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease were also the most common disorders occurring in family members. A common variant within CTLA4 was strongly associated with multiple sclerosis in families who had other autoimmune diseases (p=0.009) but not in families without a history of other autoimmune disorders (p=0.90). INTERPRETATION: The presence of various immune disorders in families with several members with multiple sclerosis suggests that the disease might arise on a background of a generalised susceptibility to autoimmunity. This distinct multiple-sclerosis phenotype, defined by its association with other autoimmune diseases, segregates with specific genotypes that could underlie the common susceptibility.

Alleles↗

Altering the vector of polarity of BHK syncytia changes their motile behavior.

We have previously shown that BHK syncytia have the ability to locomote provided the centrospheres are clustered and located adjacent to the cluster of nuclei. This article reports that experimental reorganizations of the centrospheres or the nuclei change the motile behavior of BHK syncytia in a way that is consistent with our previous observations: When fusion of the multiple nuclei occurred in stationary syncytia whose multiple nuclei encircled the centrosphere cluster, the centrospheres were expelled from the ring of nuclei. Consequently, locomotion was initiated in these syncytia even if they had been previously stationary for up to 5 days. Conversely, when a 2-hour incubation in 5 micrograms/ml cytocholasin B caused the cluster of nuclei to surround the centrosphere cluster, the locomotion of the syncytia was inhibited. Similarly, the dispersal of the centrosphere cluster induced by a 4-hour incubation in 1 microgram/ml of colcemid resulted in the long-term cessation of locomotion in motile syncytia.

Animals↗