bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring message themes in antismoking advertising targeted at teenagers
Authors: Uusitalo Outi , Niemelä‐Nyrhinen Jenni
Published: April 2008

Purpose

Previous studies have indicated that antismoking advertising potentially prevents or reduces smoking among teenagers. However, not all message themes of antismoking advertising have proved effective. This study aims to explore the effects of different message themes on teenagers' intention to smoke. Attitude towards the advertisement and attitude towards the act (smoking) are proposed as mediating variables between the message theme and smoking intentions. The paper also aims to examine effect of three themes, namely health effects, mental effects and social effects on smoking/not smoking.

Design/methodology/approach

The data consist of 325 Finnish high school students aged between 13 and 16. The hypotheses are tested using LISREL 8.

Findings

The paper finds that only the attitudes towards advertisements displaying social effects are significantly related with attitudes towards smoking. The attitudes towards the advertisements portraying the themes of health effects and mental effects are not significantly related with attitudes towards smoking and thus are not effective in influencing the respondents' attitudes towards smoking and smoking intentions.

Research limitations/implications

Data were gathered only in one European country (Finland). Future studies should examine whether teenagers in other European countries differ in the way they are affected by different message themes.

Practical implications

Teenagers are susceptible to messages that are related to social approval of not smoking or disapproval of smoking, thus social appeals should be used in antismoking advertising targeted at them.

Originality/value

This study focuses on exploring how message themes used in antismoking advertising affect smoking intentions among teenagers in the European context and specifically in Finland.
Segmenting the preferences and usage patterns of the mature consumer health‐care market
Authors: Moschis George P. , Friend Scott B.
Published: April 2008

Purpose

While the mature consumer segment (55‐and‐older) is rapidly growing in size, so too are their preferences, motives and spending patterns. The health‐care product and services industry, an industry driven by age, is no exception to the need to identify and accurately target this aging consumer segment. The purpose of this paper is to report on the preferences and marketing implications of this mature consumer segment with respect to health‐care products and services.

Design/methodology/approach

The information reported in this paper comes from two large‐scale national studies. The first study gathered information on health‐care services, information sources, payment systems, attitudes toward health‐care providers, and shopping habits. The second study gathered information on selected health‐care products, mass media habits, and several types of health‐related concerns and lifestyles.

Findings

The results of these studies show major differences in the way in which consumers within the mature consumer segment respond to various health‐care marketing offerings and provide the basis for developing strategic recommendations for marketing health‐care products and services to the mature population.

Originality/value

This paper uses a segmentation model based on aging processes and life circumstances, known as “gerontographics.” This unique segmentation technique has demonstrated superiority over the past 20 years through research conducted at the Center for Mature Consumer Studies at Georgia State University.
The order of entry effect in prescription (Rx) and over‐the‐counter (OTC) pharmaceutical drugs
Authors: Kalyanaram Gurumurthy
Published: April 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to study the effects of order of market entry on market share in prescription (Rx) and over‐the‐counter (OTC) pharmaceutical drugs market.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on sales, price, direct‐to‐physicians (DTP) advertising, and direct‐to‐consumers (DTC) advertising for three Rx drugs categories and two OTC drugs categories were obtained for the period, January 1998 to December 1999. A log‐log statistical model was estimated using OLS methodology.

Findings

There is a significant order of entry effect on market share in both Rx and OTC drugs categories. This effect is higher in magnitude in the OTC category than in the Rx category. The effects of price, and DTP and DTC advertising are also significant. The differential effects of DTP and DTC advertising in the Rx and OTC categories are intuitive.

Originality/value

This study is unique in studying the differential effects of order‐of‐entry, and DTP and DTC advertising on market share in Rx and OTC drugs product categories.
Israel Cancer Association: promoting the fight against breast cancer with IMC strategy
Authors: Herstein Ram , Mitki Yoram , Jaffe Eugene D.
Published: April 2008

Purpose

The objective of this case study is to present the Israel Cancer Association's (ICA) focused approach to promoting the concept of fighting breast cancer, using an integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a field‐based case study. In‐depth interviews have been used for data collection with the CEO, marketing management and spokesperson. The case is presented in a chronological order and presents the move from a corporate identity based on monolithic approach to an endorsed corporate identity strategy.

Findings

Results of the new communication process showed that the percentage of people in the general Israeli public who perceive the ICA as an organization that has the objective to fight against breast cancer has increased by more than 20 percent since the campaign was launched. As a result of the association's focus over the past five years on promoting the fight against breast cancer, the amount of money it has raised among the general public and businesses has risen by 15 percent since the start of the new promotional campaign. Research data show that the percentage of women being checked jumped from 50 to 62 percent during this period.

Originality/value

This marketing approach has increasingly become the modus operandi of cancer associations throughout the world. These associations have moved from their out‐dated work patterns to IMC strategy approaches. Other non‐profit organizations pondering the issue of how to cope with a large number of objectives, on the one hand, and many target audiences, on the other hand, may find this framework useful.
Flights of fancy: myth, monopoly and the making of Pan American Airways
Authors: Durepos Gabrielle , Helms Mills Jean , Mills Albert J.
Published: April 2008

Purpose

Between 1927 and 1941 Pan American Airways (PAA) operated international flights from the USA with virtually no competition from US carriers. How PAA established and maintained its monopolistic position – by instrumentally creating a myth of “German threat” – and the implications for organizational theorizing and historiography is the proposed focus of this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a cultural theory approach to “doing history” and Barthes' 1972 notion of myth, this paper uses a critical hermeneutical exploration of the extensive PAA archive collection (at the Otto Richter Library of the University of Miami) and numerous secondary sources (e.g. various written histories). Following Barthes, the paper views myths as monolithic and authoritative historical constructions which conceal their ideological roots and instrumental conditions of creation. Through critical hermeneutics, the paper deciphers the myth of “German threat” by (re)contextualizing it and thus pluralizing history by showing how a threatening image of “foreign” and specifically “German” aviation operation in South America was instrumentally created to privilege PAA's operations and its close relationship with the US State Department.

Findings

Implications for the management theorist and historian as they pertain to a more fragile tone for “doing history” include the acknowledgement of history as multiple socially constructed interpretations of the past, an appreciation for histories that make their conditions of production transparent and the need for (re)writing histories that parade as authoritative monoliths.

Originality/value

The paper offers an empirical example of how an organization's instrumental use of myth facilitates manipulations of history in order to situate and secure the positioning and image of that organization.
Chasing MICE and fellow travelers
Authors: Ford Robert C.
Published: April 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the factors and forces that led the creation of the convention and visitor bureau industry and profession to illustrate how historical events influence managerial outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A variety of historical documents and records discovered and reviewed offer insights into identifying the factors that led to the need for and type of organizational outcomes.

Findings

This review allows an extrapolation of the past onto the future to illustrate how social, technological, and economic changes created the need for organizational responses for those who are geographical dispersed in small organizations.

Research limitations/implications

By tracing the evolution of one profession, it is possible to see the value and logic of professional organizations. Since the research literature and the available records are incomplete, the review is as well. This lack of a complete record makes any conclusions drawn or forecasting problematic.

Practical implications

Any historical review offers insights into the present status of the phenomena under review and some insights into its future. This review provides an understanding of how and why professional organizations are created and identifies how the key inducements they offer their members must, like any organization, induce their continuing support.

Originality/value

This paper reviews the history and evolution of a profession and its associated professional organization that is now large and growing larger but to date has received little academic attention or interest.
Cornish miners in California: 150 years of a unique sociotechnical system
Authors: Wolf Frederick , Finnie Bruce , Gibson Linda
Published: April 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine a unique sociotechnical system in its historical context to better understand and appreciate how a naturalistic organization enacted five key characteristics identified as critical to sociotechnical systems by theorists hundreds of years after the fact.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents an examination of the history and context of this unique method of organizing. The literature of sociotechnical systems was examined and five guiding principles are identified which provide the framework for this evaluation.

Findings

A sociotechnical system with naturalistic origins is identified, described, and discussed; providing fresh insights into the nature of sociotechnical systems and there enactment.

Originality/value

This is a unique case not previously identified in the literature of management and organizations. It should be of particular interest to scholars interested in sociotechnical systems.
The characteristics and historical development of labour disputes in China
Authors: Shen Jie
Published: April 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the historical development and characteristics of labour disputes in China, including their growth, collective disputes, regional differences, direct causes and the impact of economic ownership on labour disputes.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper critically reviews the existing literature and analyses official government statistics.

Findings

Individual and collective labour disputes have been on the rise since 1978 when China embarked on market‐oriented economic reforms. The considerable regional variations in labour disputes are closely associated with regional economic growth, the restructuring of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) and development of non‐SOEs. While non‐payment or delayed payment, job losses and industrial accidents resulting from poor labour protection are the three major causes of labour disputes, management corruption and mismanagement sometimes fuel the anger of already disgruntled workers. The nature of economic ownership also impacts on how labour conflicts occur.

Originality/value

This paper investigates labour disputes in China, an important phenomenon which is currently increasing but has not been much studied. It therefore develops a better understanding of their historical development and characteristics. Such an understanding is critical to resolving labour disputes and preventing them from occurring in the future.
Crafting management history
Authors: Grattan Robert
Published: April 2008

Purpose

Management history is written for various reasons, such as describing company developments and the growth of the theories of management, and is part of the generic historical approach. There are, however, some specific problems associated with the writing of management history and this paper aims to address both general historiography and the particular application of management history.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts the metaphor of crafting, as in the potter at his wheel, to emphasise the need for empathy with material from the past and the skill required for converting that raw data into and analytical and meaningful account. Various factors to be considered in this process are discussed.

Findings

The paper finds that, the metaphor can be sustained and is a valuable concept for those embarking on management historiography.

Practical implications

The need for sympathy with the period in question and for the material to hand is suggested as a necessary outlook for the management historian. Their task is not scientific, in that laws are unlikely to emerge in this complex and multi‐faceted field, but painstaking crafting is an art that will lead to the writing of better management histories.

Originality/value

The paper collects general advice from eminent historians and suggests a particular approach for the management historian. The aim is to encourage the writing of management histories that can contribute to our knowledge of the past but also can form the basis for further hypotheses and insights in the field of management.
Another building stone in bridging the “great divide” of our time
Authors: Shubber Kadom
Published: April 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this Editorial is to assess whether there is a need for a new academic journal in the area of Islamic and Middle Eastern finance and management.

Design/methodology/approach

The Editorial discusses pertinent aspects in this field in order to justify this addition to the academic literature, as well as to explain the definitive areas covered by the journal.

Findings

The main components of the journal's niche area include the following prime items: Islamic finance, Islamic management (both business and public), and management in the Middle East region (including North Africa).

Originality/value

The journal represents another building stone in bridging the “great divide” of our time.
Prospects and challenges for developing corporate sukuk and bond markets© International Monetary Fund.
Authors: Solé Juan
Published: April 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to present a case study on how to develop financial markets in one of the emerging economies of the MENA region – Kuwait.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis proceeds in two steps: first, the need for developing and deepening these markets is established; second, the impediments curtailing market development are identified and discussed.

Findings

It is argued that Kuwait currently faces a valuable window of opportunity to build up further its sukuk and bond markets. The paper also assesses the prospects for the emergence of a regional financial market across GCC countries.

Originality/value

Besides the direct policy recommendations provided for Kuwait, given the similarities with other emerging economies, the lessons learned from this study may be relevant to other countries in the MENA region.
Corruption from the Islamic perspective
Authors: Er Mevliyar
Published: April 2008

Purpose

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region several factors contribute to corruption with a consequence of savings being squandered away and funds withheld from productive investments. This paper aims to argue that Muslim countries have a competitive advantage over the industrialized world in that the Islamic faith is important to the populace, which the west lacks and is trying to replace it with substitutes like for instance moral education in schools.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines corruption in the light of theQur'anandHadith. It looks at related issues and corrupt practices in the industrialised world based on secondary sources and a few primary data.

Findings

Moral renovation in Muslim societies appears to be easier to realize than in western societies once its underlying cause, notably poverty, is tackled. Self‐restraint is an absolute prerequisite for a successful fight against corruption. Organizational instruments against corruption can only succeed to eliminate corruption only through political leaders committed to weeding out corruption.

Originality/value

The paper informs educationalists, policy makers, entrepreneurs in the MENA region that Islamic ethics must be the guiding force behind all good economic attitudes.
Price behaviour, vintage capital and Islamic economy
Authors: Azid Toseef , Asutay Mehmet , Junaid Khawaja Muhammad
Published: April 2008

Purpose

To find out the behaviour of firms with objectives of Islamic Shariah when a number of techniques are working simultaneously with the different productive efficiencies.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a theoretical paper based on the modified model of layers of techniques which was initially developed by Professors W. Leontief and P. N. Mathur and tries to evaluate the impact of entrance of new techniques on obsolescence in the ethical‐moral cum economic framework of Islamic political economy system.

Findings

This study suggests wastage of the resources because of their economic obsolescence and on the cost of future generation is not allowed in the system of Islam and ultimately decrease the social welfare level.

Research limitations/implications

A dynamic cum marginal input‐output table can be constructed on the basis of this framework and formulate the socio‐economic policy.

Originality/value

This research is beneficial to the researchers, policy makers and social scientists for the enhancement of the level of social welfare through this model.
Credit creation and control: an unresolved issue in Islamic banking
Authors: Hasan Zubair
Published: April 2008

Purpose

To reopen for discussion the issue of credit creation and control in the area of Islamic banking.

Design/methodology/approach

In view of a rapid expansion of Islamic banking in recent decades, the answer to questions whether Islamic banks can create credit like mainstream banks and, if yes, what methods central banks could use to control it in their case is of paramount importance. An overview of the literature on the subject is provided and credit creation process is explained as background material for the discussion.

Findings

The literature on the subject is scanty, controversial and inconclusive. One reason seems to be the mismatch between structural design of Islamic banks and the objectives they are supposed to meet. It is concluded that Islamic banks can create credit in the usual manner but central banks will have to design new tools for credit control applicable to Islamic banks.

Research limitations/implications

It is not a rigorous analytical exercise as the main purpose of the paper is to reopen an important issue for discussion. It is an opinioned work and presents rather tentative answers to the questions raised.

Practical implications

The findings of the paper may have serious implications for the current structure of Islamic banks and the legal framework for regulating their credit creation activities.

Originality/value

The paper draws attention to a rather neglected issue in Islamic banking and offers guidelines to resolve it.
Adaptive learning by a target‐tracking system
Authors: Lockery Daniel , Peters James F.
Published: April 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report upon research into developing a biologically inspired target‐tracking system (TTS) capable of acquiring quality images of a known target type for a robotic inspection application.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach used in the design of the TTS hearkens back to the work on adaptive learning by Oliver Selfridge and Chris J.C.H. Watkins and the work on the classification of objects by Zdzislaw Pawlak during the 1980s in an approximation space‐based form of feedback during learning. Also, during the 1980s, it was Ewa Orlowska who called attention to the importance of approximation spaces as a formal counterpart of perception. This insight by Orlowska has been important in working toward a new form of adaptive learning useful in controlling the behaviour of machines to accomplish system goals. The adaptive learning algorithms presented in this paper are strictly temporal difference methods, including Q‐learning, sarsa, and the actor‐critic method. Learning itself is considered episodic. During each episode, the equivalent of a Tinbergen‐like ethogram is constructed. Such an ethogram provides a basis for the construction of an approximation space at the end of each episode. The combination of episodic ethograms and approximation spaces provides an extremely effective means of feedback useful in guiding learning during the lifetime of a robotic system such as the TTS reported in this paper.

Findings

It was discovered that even though the adaptive learning methods were computationally more expensive than the classical algorithm implementations, they proved to be more effective in a number of cases, especially in noisy environments.

Originality/value

The novelty associated with this work is the introduction of an approach to adaptive adaptive learning carried out within the framework of ethology‐based approximation spaces to provide performance feedback during the learning process.
Increased apoptotic potential and dose‐enhancing effect of gold nanoparticles in combination with single‐dose clinical electron beams on tumor‐bearing mice
Authors: Chang Meng‐Ya , Shiau Ai‐Li , Chen Yu‐Hung , Chang Chih‐Jui , Chen Helen H‐W , Wu Chao‐Liang
Published: April 2008

High atomic number material, such as gold, may be used in conjunction with radiation to provide dose enhancement in tumors. In the current study, we investigated the dose‐enhancing effect and apoptotic potential of gold nanoparticles in combination with single‐dose clinical electron beams on B16F10 melanoma tumor‐bearing mice. We revealed that the accumulation of gold nanoparticles was detected inside B16F10 culture cells after 18 h of incubation, and moreover, the gold nanoparticles were shown to be colocalized with endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in cells. Furthermore, gold nanoparticles radiosensitized melanoma cells in the colony formation assay (P = 0.02). Using a B16F10 tumor‐bearing mouse model, we further demonstrated that gold nanoparticles in conjunction with ionizing radiation significantly retarded tumor growth and prolonged survival compared to the radiation alone controls (P < 0.05). Importantly, an increase of apoptotic signals was detected inside tumors in the combined treatment group (P < 0.05). Knowing that radiation‐induced apoptosis has been considered a determinant of tumor responses to radiation therapy, and the length of tumor regrowth delay correlated with the extent of apoptosis after single‐dose radiotherapy, these results may suggest the clinical potential of gold nanoparticles in improving the outcome of melanoma radiotherapy. (Cancer Sci2008; 99: 1479–1484)
The MYB98 subcircuit of the synergid gene regulatory network includes genes directly and indirectly regulated by MYB98
Authors: Punwani Jayson A. , Rabiger David S. , Lloyd Alan , Drews Gary N.
Published: April 2008

The female gametophyte contains two synergid cells that play a role in many steps of the angiosperm reproductive process, including pollen tube guidance. At their micropylar poles, the synergid cells have a thickened and elaborated cell wall: the filiform apparatus that is thought to play a role in the secretion of the pollen tube attractant(s). MYB98 regulates an important subcircuit of the synergid gene regulatory network (GRN) that functions to activate the expression of genes required for pollen tube guidance and filiform apparatus formation. The MYB98 subcircuit comprises at least 83 downstream genes, including 48 genes within four gene families (CRP810, CRP3700, CRP3730 and CRP3740) that encode Cys‐rich proteins. We show that the 11 CRP3700 genes, which include DD11 and DD18, are regulated by a common cis‐element, GTAACNT, and that a multimer of this sequence confers MYB98‐dependent synergid expression. The GTAACNT element contains the MYB98‐binding site identified in vitro, suggesting that the 11 CRP3700 genes are direct targets of MYB98. We also show that five of the CRP810 genes, which include DD2, lack a functional GTAACNT element, suggesting that they are not directly regulated by MYB98. In addition, we show that the five CRP810 genes are regulated by the cis‐element AACGT, and that a multimer of this sequence confers synergid expression. Together, these results suggest that the MYB98 branch of the synergid GRN is multi‐tiered and, therefore, contains at least one additional downstream transcription factor.
Genome‐wide transposon tagging reveals location‐dependent effects on transcription and chromatin organization in Arabidopsis
Authors: Rosin Faye M. , Watanabe Naohide , Cacas Jean‐Luc , Kato Naohiro , Arroyo Juana M. , Fang Yuda , May Bruce , Vaughn Matthew , Simorowski Joseph , Ramu Umamaheswari , McCombie Richard W. , Spector David L. , Martienssen Robert A. , Lam Eric
Published: April 2008

The interphase nucleus exists as a highly dynamic system, the physical properties of which have functional importance in gene regulation. Not only can gene expression be influenced by the local sequence context, but also by the architecture of the nucleus in three‐dimensions (3D), and by the interactions between these levels via chromatin modifications. A challenging task is to resolve the complex interplay between sequence‐ and genome structure‐based control mechanisms. Here, we created a collection of 277 Arabidopsis lines that allow the visual tracking of individual loci in living plants while comparing gene expression potential at these locations, via an identical reporter cassette. Our studies revealed regional gene silencing near a heterochromatin island, via DNA methylation, that is correlated with mobility constraint and nucleolar association. We also found an example of nucleolar association that does not correlate with gene suppression, suggesting that distinct mechanisms exist that can mediate interactions between chromatin and the nucleolus. These studies demonstrate the utility of this novel resource in unifying structural and functional studies towards a more comprehensive model of how global chromatin organization may coordinate gene expression over large scales.
Glycine‐rich RNA‐binding protein7 affects abiotic stress responses by regulating stomata opening and closing inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Kim Jin Sun , Jung Hyun Ju , Lee Hwa Jung , Kim Kyung Ae , Goh Chang‐Hyo , Woo Youngmin , Oh Seung Han , Han Yeon Soo , Kang Hunseung
Published: April 2008

Despite the fact that glycine‐rich RNA‐binding proteins (GRPs) have been implicated in the responses of plants to environmental stresses, their physiological functions and mechanisms of action in stress responses remain largely unknown. Here, we assessed the functional roles of GRP7, one of the eight GRP family members inArabidopsis thaliana, on seed germination, seedling growth, and stress tolerance under high salinity, drought, or cold stress conditions. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing GRP7 under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter displayed retarded germination and poorer seedling growth compared with the wild‐type plants and T‐DNA insertional mutant lines under high salinity or dehydration stress conditions. By contrast, GRP7 overexpression conferred freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis plants. GRP7 is expressed abundantly in the guard cells, and has been shown to influence the opening and closing of the stomata, in accordance with the prevailing stress conditions. GRP7 is localized to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and is involved in the export of mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm under cold stress conditions. Collectively, these results provide compelling evidence that GRP7 affects the growth and stress tolerance of Arabidopsis plants under high salt and dehydration stress conditions, and also confers freezing tolerance, particularly via the regulation of stomatal opening and closing in the guard cells.
A gene expression atlas of the model legume Medicago truncatula
Authors: Benedito Vagner A. , Torres‐Jerez Ivone , Murray Jeremy D. , Andriankaja Andry , Allen Stacy , Kakar Klementina , Wandrey Maren , Verdier Jérôme , Zuber Hélène , Ott Thomas , Moreau Sandra , Niebel Andreas , Frickey Tancred , Weiller Georg , He Ji , Dai Xinbin , Zhao Patrick X. , Tang Yuhong , Udvardi Michael K.
Published: April 2008

Legumes played central roles in the development of agriculture and civilization, and today account for approximately one‐third of the world’s primary crop production. Unfortunately, most cultivated legumes are poor model systems for genomic research. Therefore, Medicago truncatula, which has a relatively small diploid genome, has been adopted as a model species for legume genomics. To enhance its value as a model, we have generated a gene expression atlas that provides a global view of gene expression in all major organ systems of this species, with special emphasis on nodule and seed development. The atlas reveals massive differences in gene expression between organs that are accompanied by changes in the expression of key regulatory genes, such as transcription factor genes, which presumably orchestrate genetic reprogramming during development and differentiation. Interestingly, many legume‐specific genes are preferentially expressed in nitrogen‐fixing nodules, indicating that evolution endowed them with special roles in this unique and important organ. Comparative transcriptome analysis of Medicago versus Arabidopsis revealed significant divergence in developmental expression profiles of orthologous genes, which indicates that phylogenetic analysis alone is insufficient to predict the function of orthologs in different species. The data presented here represent an unparalleled resource for legume functional genomics, which will accelerate discoveries in legume biology.
Meristem activity during flower and ovule development in tomato is controlled by the mini zinc finger gene INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY
Authors: Sicard Adrien , Petit Johann , Mouras Armand , Chevalier Christian , Hernould Michel
Published: April 2008

Plants have the ability to form new organs as a result of indeterminate growth ensured by specific regions of pluripotent cells, called meristems. Flowers are produced by the activity of floral meristems which differ from vegetative meristems in their determinate fate. Transcriptional complexes associating C‐, D‐ and E‐type MADS box proteins are responsible for flower determinacy by controlling the stem cell population within the floral meristem. We report here that the INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY (IMA) gene encoding a mini zinc finger (MIF) protein from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) regulates the processes of flower and ovule development. IMA inhibits cell proliferation during floral termination, controls the number of carpels during floral development and acts as a repressor of the meristem organizing centre gene WUSCHEL. Underexpression of IMA prevents the formation of gametophytic tissue, which is replaced by an undetermined sporophytic tissue. Molecular analyses of MADS box gene expression revealed that IMA participates in the termination of floral meristems and initiation of ovule primordia by activating D‐type gene expression. Taken together, our data indicate that both termination of floral meristems and differentiation of nucelli during ovule development require a similar mechanism involving the repression of WUSCHEL and the activation of D‐class genes.
Striatal histone modifications in models of levodopa‐induced dyskinesia
Authors: Nicholas Anthony P. , Lubin Farah D. , Hallett Penelope J. , Vattem Padmapriya , Ravenscroft Paula , Bezard Erwan , Zhou Shaobo , Fox Susan H. , Brotchie Jonathan M. , Sweatt J. David , Standaert David G.
Published: April 2008

Despite recent advances in the treatment of Parkinson disease (PD), levodopa remains the most effective and widely used therapy. A major limitation to the use of levodopa is the development of abnormal involuntary movements, termed levodopa‐induced dyskinesia (LDID), following chronic levodopa treatment. Since recent studies have suggested that modifications of chromatin structure may be responsible for many long‐lasting changes in brain function, we have examined post‐translational modifications of striatal histones in two models of LDID: an acute murine model and a chronic macaque monkey model, both exposed to 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). In the primate model, which closely resembles human LDID, we observed that chronic levodopa and the appearance of LDID was associated with marked deacetylation of histone H4, hyperacetylation and dephosphorylation of histone H3, and enhancement of the phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK). In the murine model of acutely rather than chronically induced LDID, dopamine depletion and levodopa treatment also induced deacetylation of histone H4 and phosphorylation of ERK, but histone H3 exhibited decreased trimethylation and reduced rather than enhanced acetylation. These data demonstrate striking changes in striatal histones associated with the induction of LDID in both animal models. The pattern of changes observed, as well as the behavioral features, differed in the two models. However, both models exhibit marked deacetylation of histone H4, suggesting that inhibitors of H4 deacetylation may be useful in preventing or reversing LDID.
Purification and Characterization of a New Family 45 Endoglucanase, STCE1, from
Staphylotrichum coccosporum
and Its Overproduction in
Humicola insolens
Authors: Koga Jinichiro , Baba Yuko , Shimonaka Atsushi , Nishimura Tomoko , Hanamura Satoshi , Kono Toshiaki
Published: April 2008

In the detergent industry, fungal endoglucanases have been used to release microfibrils (defibrillation) from the surface of dyed cellulosic fabrics to enhance color brightness. Although endoglucanases for laundry use must have various properties, such as a neutral or alkaline optimum pH, resistance to anionic surfactants and oxidizing agents (main components in detergents), and high defibrillation activity, all-purpose endoglucanases have not been obtained yet. As a result of screening of endoglucanases, a new family 45 endoglucanase (family 45 glycoside hydrolase), designated STCE1, was obtained and purified to apparent homogeneity from the culture supernatant of
Staphylotrichum coccosporum
NBRC 31817. The molecular mass of STCE1 was 49 kDa. The optimum pH for the carboxymethyl cellulase activity of STCE1 was 6.0, and the optimum temperature was 60°C. STCE1 was highly resistant to an anionic surfactant and an oxidizing agent. Furthermore, the defibrillation activities on dyed cotton and lyocell fabrics of STCE1 were higher than those of the other representative endoglucanases tested. These results indicate that STCE1 is an all-purpose enzyme for laundry use. A gene encoding STCE1, designated the
stce1
gene, was cloned from
S. coccosporum
, and the complete sequence was determined. STCE1 consisted of three distinct domains: an N-terminal catalytic domain (family 45), a linker domain, and a C-terminal carbohydrate-binding module (family 1). The amino acid sequences of the catalytic domain of STCE1 were phylogenetically close to those of the family 45 endoglucanases EGL3, EGL4, and EGV from a
Humicola
sp. Hence, the
stce1
gene was transferred into
Humicola insolens
and expressed. As a result, extremely high levels (0.90 mg protein per ml of culture supernatant, 27% of the total proteins) of the recombinant STCE1 were secreted as a mature form in the culture supernatant.
Investigating the Properties of
Bacillus thuringiensis
Cry Proteins with Novel Loop Replacements Created Using Combinatorial Molecular Biology
Authors: Pigott Craig R. , King Martin S. , Ellar David J.
Published: April 2008

Cry proteins are a large family of crystalline toxins produced by
Bacillus thuringiensis
. Individually, the family members are highly specific, but collectively, they target a diverse range of insects and nematodes. Domain II of the toxins is important for target specificity, and three loops at its apex have been studied extensively. There is considerable interest in determining whether modifications in this region may lead to toxins with novel specificity or potency. In this work, we studied the effect of loop substitution on toxin stability and specificity. For this purpose, sequences derived from antibody complementarity-determining regions (CDR) were used to replace native domain II apical loops to create “Crybodies.” Each apical loop was substituted either individually or in combination with a library of third heavy-chain CDR (CDR-H3) sequences to create seven distinct Crybody types. An analysis of variants from each library indicated that the Cry1Aa framework can tolerate considerable sequence diversity at all loop positions but that some sequence combinations negatively affect structural stability and protease sensitivity. CDR-H3 substitution showed that loop position was an important determinant of insect toxicity: loop 2 was essential for activity, whereas the effects of substitutions at loop 1 and loop 3 were sequence dependent. Unexpectedly, differences in toxicity did not correlate with binding to cadherins—a major class of toxin receptors—since all Crybodies retained binding specificity. Collectively, these results serve to better define the role of the domain II apical loops as determinants of specificity and establish guidelines for their modification.
The Nascent Parasitophorous Vacuole Membrane of
Encephalitozoon cuniculi
Is Formed by Host Cell Lipids and Contains Pores Which Allow Nutrient Uptake
Authors: Rönnebäumer Karin , Gross Uwe , Bohne Wolfgang
Published: April 2008

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogens which enter host cells by the discharge of a hollow tube through which the sporoplasma is extruded into the host cell. Since this invasion mechanism is very different from common entry strategies, the formation of the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) in
Encephalitozoon
species is likely to be distinct from known principles. We investigated the origin of the nascent
Encephalitozoon cuniculi
PV membrane with the aid of fluorescent lipid probes. When Bodipy 500/510-C
12
-HPC-labeled spores were used for infection, the emerging PV membrane was unlabeled, suggesting that sporoplasma-derived lipids do not significantly contribute to the formation of the PV membrane. In contrast, when raft and nonraft microdomains of the host cell plasma membrane were selectively labeled with DiIC
16
and Speedy DiO, both tracers were detectable in the nascent PV membrane shortly after infection, indicating that the bulk lipids of the PV membrane are host cell derived. Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy revealed that the formation of the PV membrane is a fast event (<1.3 s), which occurred simultaneously with the extrusion of the sporoplasma. The portion of the discharged tube which is in contact with the host cell was found to be coated with labeled host cell lipids, which might be an indication for a plasma membrane invagination at the contact site. To investigate the presence of pores in the
E. cuniculi
PV membrane, we microinjected fluorescent dyes of different sizes into infected host cells. A 0.5-kDa dextran as well as 0.8- to 1.1-kDa peptides could rapidly enter the PV, while a 10-kDa dextran was stably excluded from the PV lumen, indicating that the PV membrane possesses pores with an exclusion size of <10 kDa, which should allow metabolite exchange.
Rtr1 Is the
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Homolog of a Novel Family of RNA Polymerase II-Binding Proteins
Authors: Gibney Patrick A. , Fries Thomas , Bailer Susanne M. , Morano Kevin A.
Published: April 2008

Cells must rapidly sense and respond to a wide variety of potentially cytotoxic external stressors to survive in a constantly changing environment. In a search for novel genes required for stress tolerance in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, we identified the uncharacterized open reading frame YER139C as a gene required for growth at 37°C in the presence of the heat shock mimetic formamide. YER139C encodes the closest yeast homolog of the human RPAP2 protein, recently identified as a novel RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-associated factor. Multiple lines of evidence support a role for this gene family in transcription, prompting us to rename YER139C
RTR1
(
r
egulator of
tr
anscription). The core RNAPII subunits
RPB5, RPB7
, and
RPB9
were isolated as potent high-copy-number suppressors of the
rtr1
Δ temperature-sensitive growth phenotype, and deletion of the nonessential subunits
RPB4
and
RPB9
hypersensitized cells to
RTR1
overexpression. Disruption of
RTR1
resulted in mycophenolic acid sensitivity and synthetic genetic interactions with a number of genes involved in multiple phases of transcription. Consistently,
rtr1
Δ cells are defective in inducible transcription from the
GAL1
promoter. Rtr1 constitutively shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus, where it physically associates with an active RNAPII transcriptional complex. Taken together, our data reveal a role for members of the RTR1/RPAP2 family as regulators of core RNAPII function.
A Novel Actin-Related Protein Is Associated with Daughter Cell Formation in
Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Gordon Jennifer L. , Beatty Wandy L. , Sibley L. David
Published: April 2008

Cell division in
Toxoplasma gondii
occurs by an unusual budding mechanism termed endodyogeny, during which twin daughters are formed within the body of the mother cell. Cytokinesis begins with the coordinated assembly of the inner membrane complex (IMC), which surrounds the growing daughter cells. The IMC is compiled of both flattened membrane cisternae and subpellicular filaments composed of articulin-like proteins attached to underlying singlet microtubules. While proteins that comprise the elongating IMC have been described, little is known about its initial formation. Using
Toxoplasma
as a model system, we demonstrate that actin-like protein 1 (ALP1) is partially redistributed to the IMC at early stages in its formation. Immunoelectron microscopy localized ALP1 to a discrete region of the nuclear envelope, on transport vesicles, and on the nascent IMC of the daughter cells prior to the arrival of proteins such as IMC-1. The overexpression of ALP1 under the control of a strong constitutive promoter disrupted the formation of the daughter cell IMC, leading to delayed growth and defects in nuclear and apicoplast segregation. Collectively, these data suggest that ALP1 participates in the formation of daughter cell membranes during cell division in apicomplexan parasites.
Transcriptional Repression by the Pho4 Transcription Factor Controls the Timing of
SNZ1
Expression
Authors: Nishizawa Masafumi , Komai Tae , Morohashi Nobuyuki , Shimizu Mitsuhiro , Toh-e Akio
Published: April 2008

Nutrient-sensing kinases play important roles for the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
to adapt to new nutrient conditions when the nutrient status changes. Our previous global gene expression analysis revealed that the Pho85 kinase, one of the yeast nutrient-sensing kinases, is involved in the changes in gene expression profiles when yeast cells undergo a diauxic shift. We also found that the stationary phase-specific genes
SNZ1
and
SNO1
, whch share a common promoter, are not properly induced when Pho85 is absent. To examine the role of the kinase in
SNZ1
/
SNO1
regulation, we analyzed their expression during the growth of various yeast mutants, including those affecting Pho85 function or lacking the Pho4 transcription factor, an in vivo substrate of Pho85, and tested Pho4 binding by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Pho4 exhibits temporal binding to the
SNZ1
/
SNO1
promoter to down-regulate the promoter activity, and a Δ
pho4
mutation advances the timing of
SNZ1
/
SNO1
expression.
SNZ2
, another member of the
SNZ
/
SNO
family, is expressed at an earlier growth stage than
SNZ1
, and Pho4 does not affect this timing, although Pho85 is required for
SNZ2
expression. Thus, Pho4 appears to regulate the different timing of the expression of the
SNZ/SNO
family members. Pho4 binding to the
SNZ1
/
SNO1
promoter is accompanied by alterations in chromatin structure, and Rpd3 histone deacetylase is required for the proper timing of
SNZ1
/
SNO1
expression, while Asf1 histone chaperone is indispensable for their expression. These results imply that Pho4 plays positive and negative roles in transcriptional regulation, with both cases involving structural changes in its target chromatin.
MPL1, a Novel Phosphatase with Leucine-Rich Repeats, Is Essential for Proper ERK2 Phosphorylation and Cell Motility
Authors: Rodriguez Marbelys , Kim Bohye , Lee Nam-Sihk , Veeranki Sudhakar , Kim Leung
Published: April 2008

The novelDictyosteliumphosphataseMPL1contains six leucine-rich repeats at the amino-terminal end and a phosphatase domain at the carboxyl end. Similarly architectured phosphatases exist among other protozoa, such asEntamoeba histolytica,Leishmania major, andTrypanosoma cruzi.MPL1was strongly induced after 5 h of development; ablation by homologous recombination led to defective streaming and aggregation during development. In addition, cyclic AMP (cAMP)-pulsedmpl1−cells showed reduced random and directional motility. At the molecular level,mpl1−cells displayed higher prestimulus and persistent poststimulus ERK2 phosphorylation in response to cAMP stimulation. Consistent with their phenotype of persistent ERK2 phosphorylation,mpl1−cells also displayed an aberrant pattern of cAMP production, resembling that of theregA−cells. Reintroduction of a full-lengthMPL1intompl1−cells restored aggregation, ERK2 regulation, random and directional motility, and cAMP production similar to wild-type cells. We propose that MPL1 is a novel phosphatase essential for proper regulation of ERK2 phosphorylation and optimal motility during development.