Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Raptors”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

The deep fovea, sideways vision and spiral flight paths in raptors.

Raptors - falcons, hawks and eagles in this study - have two regions of the retina in each eye that are specialized for acute vision: the deep fovea and the shallow fovea. The line of sight of the deep fovea points forwards and approximately 45 degrees to the right or left of the head axis, while that of the shallow fovea also points forwards but approximately 15 degrees to the right or left of the head axis. The anatomy of the foveae suggests that the deep fovea has the higher acuity. Several species of raptors in this study repeatedly moved their heads among three positions while looking at an object: straight, with the head axis pointing towards the object; or sideways to the right or left, with the head axis pointing approximately 40 degrees to the side of the object. Since raptors do not rotate their eyes noticeably in the sockets, these movements presumably cause the image of the object to fall on the shallow and deep foveae. The movements occurred approximately every 2 s on average in hawks and falcons, and approximately every 5 s in bald eagles. The proportion of time that the raptors spent looking straight or sideways at an object depended on how far away the object was. At a distances closer than 8 m, they spent more time looking at the object straight, but as the distance increased to 21 m, they spent more time looking at it sideways. At distances of 40 m or more, raptors looked sideways at the object 80 % or more of the time. This dependence of head position on distance suggests that raptors use their more acute sideways vision to look at distant objects and sacrifice acuity for stereoscopic binocular vision to look at close objects. Having their most acute vision towards the side causes a conflict in raptors such as falcons, which dive at prey from great distances at high speeds: at a speed of 70 m s(-)(1), turning their head sideways to view the prey straight ahead with high visual acuity may increase aerodynamic drag by a factor of 2 or more and slow the raptor down. Raptors could resolve this conflict by diving along a logarithmic spiral path with their head straight and one eye looking sideways at the prey, rather than following the straight path to the prey with their head turned sideways. Although the spiral path is longer than the straight path, a mathematical model for an 'ideal falcon' shows that the falcon could reach the prey more quickly along the spiral path because the speed advantage of a straight head more than compensates for the longer path.

Air Movements↗
PubMed2005

Redox regulation of the nutrient-sensitive raptor-mTOR pathway and complex.

The raptor-mTOR protein complex is a key component of a nutrient-sensitive signaling pathway that regulates cell size by controlling the accumulation of cellular mass. How nutrients regulate signaling through the raptor-mTOR complex is not well known. Here we show that a redox-sensitive mechanism regulates the phosphorylation of the raptor-mTOR effector S6K1, the interaction between raptor and mTOR, and the kinase activity of the raptor-mTOR complex. In cells treated with the oxidizing agents diamide or phenylarsine oxide, S6K1 phosphorylation increased and became insensitive to nutrient deprivation. Conversely, the reducing reagent BAL (British anti-Lewisite, also known as 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanol) inhibits S6K1 phosphorylation and stabilizes the interaction of mTOR and raptor to mimic the state of the complex under nutrient-deprived conditions. Our findings suggest that a redox-based signaling mechanism may participate in regulating the nutrient-sensitive raptor-mTOR complex and pathway.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A survey of the aerobic bacteria in the feces of captive raptors.

Feces of 47 captive raptors belonging to the order Falconiformes or Strigiformes were cultured for bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria, which were cultured from the feces of 45 of the 47 raptors, were the most common isolates. A wide variety of species were identified, including a newly described genus (Moellerella wisconsensis), two newly described species (Escherichia fergusonii and Proteus penneri), and a member of a newly described enteric group (CDC Enteric group 41). Additional organisms identified that have not been reported in previous bacteriological surveys of raptors were Salmonella heidelberg, Salmonella braenderup, Morganella morganii, Yersinia ruckeri, Serratia spp., and Kluyvera sp. Escherichia coli, isolated from the feces of 42 of the 47 raptors, was the most frequently recovered. Streptococcus faecalis, the second most common isolate, was cultured from 30 birds. Several differences were observed between fecal bacteria isolated from raptors fed commercially prepared chicken and those isolated from raptors not fed chicken. The most obvious difference was that birds fed chicken had more varied gram-negative bacterial species and in greater numbers per fecal sample. The potential for the isolated bacteria from raptors as pathogens in humans and avian species is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Oil contamination of raptors migrating along the Red Sea.

There are few accounts of oil contamination of raptors, and it has not been considered a threat for them. However, we and our colleagues found oil-based asphalt on 55 individuals of 9 species out of 1052 raptors (5.2%) captured and examined in the spring of 1985 and 1986 during our raptor migration study at Elat, Israel. Some were extensively contaminated and probably succumbed to the effects of ingested asphalt. The birds most likely picked up the contamination while drinking water from pools with surface oil. Examples of the contamination will be described. Over 1.2 million raptors were counted passing Elat during the spring of 1985. If 5% of these were contaminated, that would be over 60,000 birds, and this does not consider the raptors that migrate along the Red Sea and do not pass near Elat, nor those that pass Elat unseen by the counters. Thus asphalt contamination could be a major problem for raptors migrating along the Red Sea.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Raptor, a binding partner of target of rapamycin (TOR), mediates TOR action.

mTOR controls cell growth, in part by regulating p70 S6 kinase alpha (p70alpha) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (4EBP1). Raptor is a 150 kDa mTOR binding protein that also binds 4EBP1 and p70alpha. The binding of raptor to mTOR is necessary for the mTOR-catalyzed phosphorylation of 4EBP1 in vitro, and it strongly enhances the mTOR kinase activity toward p70alpha. Rapamycin or amino acid withdrawal increases, whereas insulin strongly inhibits, the recovery of 4EBP1 and raptor on 7-methyl-GTP Sepharose. Partial inhibition of raptor expression by RNA interference (RNAi) reduces mTOR-catalyzed 4EBP1 phosphorylation in vitro. RNAi of C. elegans raptor yields an array of phenotypes that closely resemble those produced by inactivation of Ce-TOR. Thus, raptor is an essential scaffold for the mTOR-catalyzed phosphorylation of 4EBP1 and mediates TOR action in vivo.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2003

GbetaL, a positive regulator of the rapamycin-sensitive pathway required for the nutrient-sensitive interaction between raptor and mTOR.

mTOR and raptor are components of a signaling pathway that regulates mammalian cell growth in response to nutrients and growth factors. Here, we identify a member of this pathway, a protein named GbetaL that binds to the kinase domain of mTOR and stabilizes the interaction of raptor with mTOR. Like mTOR and raptor, GbetaL participates in nutrient- and growth factor-mediated signaling to S6K1, a downstream effector of mTOR, and in the control of cell size. The binding of GbetaL to mTOR strongly stimulates the kinase activity of mTOR toward S6K1 and 4E-BP1, an effect reversed by the stable interaction of raptor with mTOR. Interestingly, nutrients and rapamycin regulate the association between mTOR and raptor only in complexes that also contain GbetaL. Thus, we propose that the opposing effects on mTOR activity of the GbetaL- and raptor-mediated interactions regulate the mTOR pathway.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2004

Dissociation of raptor from mTOR is a mechanism of rapamycin-induced inhibition of mTOR function.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a Ser/Thr protein kinase that plays a crucial role in a nutrient-sensitive signalling pathway that regulates cell growth. TOR signalling is potently inhibited by rapamycin, through the direct binding of a FK506-binding protein 12 (FKBP12)/rapamycin complex to the TOR FRB domain, a segment amino terminal to the kinase catalytic domain. The molecular basis for the inhibitory action of FKBP12/rapamycin remains uncertain. Raptor (regulatory associated protein of mTOR) is a recently identified mTOR binding partner that is essential for mTOR signalling in vivo, and whose binding to mTOR is critical for mTOR-catalysed substrate phosphorylation in vitro. Here we investigated the stability of endogenous mTOR/raptor complex in response to rapamycin in vivo, and to the direct addition of a FKBP12/rapamycin complex in vitro. Rapamycin diminished the recovery of endogenous raptor with endogenous or recombinant mTOR in vivo; this inhibition required the ability of mTOR to bind the FKBP12/rapamycin complex, but was independent of mTOR kinase activity. Rapamycin, in the presence of FKBP12, inhibited the association of raptor with mTOR directly in vitro, and concomitantly reduced the mTOR-catalysed phosphorylation of raptor-dependent, but not raptor-independent substrates; mTOR autophosphorylation was unaltered. These observations indicate that rapamycin inhibits mTOR function, at least in part, by inhibiting the interaction of raptor with mTOR; this action uncouples mTOR from its substrates, and inhibits mTOR signalling without altering mTOR's intrinsic catalytic activity.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pasteurella multocida in raptors: prevalence and characterization.

Several cases dealing with Pasteurella multocida infection have been documented in raptors. However, the isolates have not been fully characterized nor has the prevalence of P. multocida in raptors been determined. Three hundred ninety-eight raptors were cultured for P. multocida. Results indicated that P. multocida was not normally carried in the pharyngeal, choanal, or cloacal regions. However, P. multocida was isolated from raptors with avian cholera. Isolates from eight cases were characterized by biotype, somatic serotype, and antibiogram. Most (six of eight) of the P. multocida isolates belonged to somatic serotype 1. The remaining two P. multocida isolates belonged to somatic serotypes 3 and 3,4. The majority of the isolates belonged to the subspecies multocida. All isolates were susceptible to penicillin G, sulfisoxazole, tetracycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Various restriction site heterogeneities of P. multocida chromosomal DNA were found among the raptor isolates. Results indicated that isolates of P. multocida somatic serotype 1 from diurnal raptors were genetically related.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Assessment of RAPTOR's linear programming approach in CAFASP3.

We have developed a new algorithm based on the mathematical theory of linear programming (LP) and implemented it in our program RAPTOR. Our new approach provides an elegant formulation of the protein-threading problem, overcomes the intractability problem of protein threading, in practice, and allows us to use existing powerful linear programming software to obtain optimal protein threading solutions. CASP5 and CAFASP3 gave us the first chance to test RAPTOR in an unbiased way. RAPTOR was ranked as the top individual (automatic) server for fold recognition by the CAFASP3 organizers. In this short article, we describe RAPTOR's LP formulation, assess RAPTOR's performance in CAFASP3/CASP5, explain why it has superceded other existing automatic individual methods, and point out its strengths, limitations, extensions, and prospects for improvement.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1993

Lead poisoning of raptors in France and elsewhere.

Although lead poisoning, through the ingestion of gunshot embedded in prey, is known to have been a significant mortality factor for several raptor species in the United States (Haliaeetus leucocephalus and Gymnogyps Californianus), very little published information is available concerning raptors in Europe. This paper presents the results of liver lead analysis from 222 raptors collected throughout France and reviews other published and unpublished European information. Of the 11 diurnal and 6 nocturnal raptor species investigated in this study, elevated liver lead concentrations, suggestive of shot ingestion, were found in 3 (Accipiter nisus, A. gentilis, Buteo buteo). The likelihood of a species to ingest shot appears related to feeding habits, with scavengers and predators that take game species the most susceptible. Raptor species at risk from lead poisoning, including some of high conservation value, are described, and future priorities for lead poisoning research and policy are suggested.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

mTOR interacts with raptor to form a nutrient-sensitive complex that signals to the cell growth machinery.

mTOR/RAFT1/FRAP is the target of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin and the central component of a nutrient- and hormone-sensitive signaling pathway that regulates cell growth. We report that mTOR forms a stoichiometric complex with raptor, an evolutionarily conserved protein with at least two roles in the mTOR pathway. Raptor has a positive role in nutrient-stimulated signaling to the downstream effector S6K1, maintenance of cell size, and mTOR protein expression. The association of raptor with mTOR also negatively regulates the mTOR kinase activity. Conditions that repress the pathway, such as nutrient deprivation and mitochondrial uncoupling, stabilize the mTOR-raptor association and inhibit mTOR kinase activity. We propose that raptor is a missing component of the mTOR pathway that through its association with mTOR regulates cell size in response to nutrient levels.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2005

Analysis of RUNX1 binding site and RAPTOR polymorphisms in psoriasis: no evidence for association despite adequate power and evidence for linkage.

BACKGROUND: A previous study identified two peaks of allelic association between psoriasis and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping to distal chromosome 17q, including a disease associated SNP that leads to loss of a RUNX1 transcription factor binding site, and additional SNPs in the third intron of the RAPTOR gene. Another study found an association with SNPs in the RAPTOR gene, but not with the RUNX1 binding site polymorphism. METHODS: In an effort to confirm these observations, we genotyped 579 pedigrees containing 1285 affected individuals for three SNPs immediately flanking and including the RUNX1 binding site, and for three SNPs in the RAPTOR gene. RESULTS: Here we report further evidence for linkage to distal chromosome 17q, with a linkage peak mapping 1.7 cM distal to the RUNX1 binding site (logarithm of the odds 2.26 to 2.73, depending upon statistic used). However, we found no evidence for association to individual SNPs or haplotypes in either of the previously identified peaks of association. Power analysis demonstrated 80% power to detect significant association at genotype relative risks of 1.2 (additive and multiplicative models) to 1.5 (dominant and recessive models) for the RUNX1 binding site, and 1.3 to 1.4 for the RAPTOR locus under all models except dominant. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide no support for the previously identified RUNX1 binding site or for the RAPTOR locus as genetic determinants of psoriasis, despite evidence for linkage of psoriasis to distal chromosome 17q.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed2003

RAPTOR: optimal protein threading by linear programming.

This paper presents a novel linear programming approach to do protein 3-dimensional (3D) structure prediction via threading. Based on the contact map graph of the protein 3D structure template, the protein threading problem is formulated as a large scale integer programming (IP) problem. The IP formulation is then relaxed to a linear programming (LP) problem, and then solved by the canonical branch-and-bound method. The final solution is globally optimal with respect to energy functions. In particular, our energy function includes pairwise interaction preferences and allowing variable gaps which are two key factors in making the protein threading problem NP-hard. A surprising result is that, most of the time, the relaxed linear programs generate integral solutions directly. Our algorithm has been implemented as a software package RAPTOR-RApid Protein Threading by Operation Research technique. Large scale benchmark test for fold recognition shows that RAPTOR significantly outperforms other programs at the fold similarity level. The CAFASP3 evaluation, a blind and public test by the protein structure prediction community, ranks RAPTOR as top 1, among individual prediction servers, in terms of the recognition capability and alignment accuracy for Fold Recognition (FR) family targets. RAPTOR also performs very well in recognizing the hard Homology Modeling (HM) targets. RAPTOR was implemented at the University of Waterloo and it can be accessed at http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~j3xu/RAPTOR_form.htm.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2004

Farnesylthiosalicylic acid inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity both in cells and in vitro by promoting dissociation of the mTOR-raptor complex.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) functions with raptor and mLST8 in a signaling complex that controls rates of cell growth and proliferation. Recent results indicate that an inhibitor of the Ras signaling pathway, farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS), decreased phosphorylation of the mTOR effectors, PHAS-I and S6K1, in breast cancer cells. Here we show that incubating 293T cells with FTS produced a stable change in mTOR activity that could be measured in immune complex kinase assays using purified PHAS-I as substrate. Similarly, FTS decreased the PHAS-I kinase activity of mTOR when added to cell extracts or to immune complexes containing mTOR. Incubating either cells or extracts with FTS also decreased the amount of raptor that coimmunoprecipitated with mTOR, although having relatively little effect on the amount of mLST8 that coimmunoprecipitated. The concentration effect curves of FTS for inhibition of mTOR activity and for dissociation of the raptor-mTOR complex were almost identical. Caffeine, wortmannin, LY294002, and rapamycin-FKBP12 also markedly inhibited mTOR activity in vitro, but unlike FTS, none of the other mTOR inhibitors appreciably changed the amount of raptor associated with mTOR. Thus, our findings indicate that FTS represents a new type of mTOR inhibitor, which acts by dissociating the functional mTOR-raptor signaling complex.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗
PubMed1993

Prevalence of encysted Toxoplasma gondii in raptors from Alabama.

Little is known about the prevalence of encysted Toxoplasma gondii in wild birds. We examined the hearts and breast muscles from 101 raptors for encysted T. gondii. All of the raptors had been submitted for necropsy to the State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Auburn, Alabama. Tissues were digested in acid-pepsin solution and inoculated into groups of 3-5 laboratory mice. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 27 of 101 (26.7%) raptors: 8 of 12 (66.7%) red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus), 13 of 27 (41.1%) red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), 1 of 4 (25%) Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperi), 1 of 5 (20%) great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), 4 of 15 (26.7%) barred owls (Strix varia), and 1 of 3 (33.3%) kestrels (Falco sparverius). Toxoplasma gondii was not isolated from 3 broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus), 3 sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus), 6 barn owls (Tyto alba), 9 screech owls (Asio otus), a Mississippi kite (Ictinia misisippiensis), 2 golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), 4 ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), 4 turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), or 2 black vultures (Coragyps atratus). No significant difference (P > 0.05) in prevalence was detected based on sex using chi-square analysis. Chi-square analysis of the data demonstrated that adult raptors had encysted stages of T. gondii significantly (P < 0.05) more often than did immature raptors.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

A retrospective study of morbidity and mortality of raptors in Florida: 1988-1994.

A retrospective study was conducted on 390 raptors admitted to the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) during 1988-1994. Representatives of 20 species were admitted; the five most common species were the barred owl (Strix varia, 72), eastern sreech owl (Otus asio, 63), red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus, 49), bald eagle (Haleaeetus leucocephalus, 43), and red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis, 38). A primary clinical diagnosis was determined in 340 (87%) of the 390 raptors admitted to the VMTH; a diagnosis was not made for the remaining 50 birds. Eighty-two percent (279) had traumatic injuries, and 87% (243) of those were directly related to human activity. The primary clinical diagnoses in the remaining 61 raptors included toxicosis (21), poor nutrition (15), infectious disease (11), orphaned young (11), and electrocution (3). The disposition of the 390 raptors was as follows: 61% (237) died or euthanized, 21% (80) released to the wild, 15% (57) outcome unknown, and 4% (16) permanent captives. Necropsies were performed on 32 of the 237 raptors that died.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Raptor therapeutics.

Developing a therapeutic plan for raptors can be challenging because the veterinarian must take numerous and sometimes conflicting factors into consideration. Successful therapy depends on proper management of the raptor patient, beginning with its initial presentation and continuing throughout its time in captivity. Important considerations concerning medicine and natural history peculiar to raptors are addressed. Guidelines for constructing an effective therapeutic plan for the treatment of common diseases and conditions seen in wild raptors are presented.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Emergency care of raptors.

Emergency care of raptors often requires extensive diagnostics and therapeutic regimens to stabilize and support the ill or injured raptor. Whether falconry birds, educational birds, or raptors from the wild are presented, various medical conditions must be addressed to help guide the practitioner toward a complete recovery for the raptor.

Animal Husbandry↗