bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Rice COLEOPTILE PHOTOTROPISM1 Gene Encoding an Ortholog of Arabidopsis NPH3 Is Required for Phototropism of Coleoptiles and Lateral Translocation of Auxin
Authors: Haga Ken , Takano Makoto , Neumann Ralf , Iino Moritoshi 
Published: December 2004

Abstract
We isolated a mutant, named coleoptile phototropism1 (cpt1), from γ-ray–mutagenized japonica-type rice (Oryza sativa). This mutant showed no coleoptile phototropism and severely reduced root phototropism after continuous stimulation. A map-based cloning strategy and transgenic complementation test were applied to demonstrate that a NPH3-like gene deleted in the mutant corresponds to CPT1. Phylogenetic analysis of putative CPT1 homologs of rice and related proteins indicated that CPT1 has an orthologous relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana NPH3. These results, along with those for Arabidopsis, demonstrate that NPH3/CPT1 is a key signal transduction component of higher plant phototropism. In an extended study with the cpt1 mutant, it was found that phototropic differential growth is accompanied by a CPT1-independent inhibition of net growth. Kinetic investigation further indicated that a small phototropism occurs in cpt1 coleoptiles. This response, induced only transiently, was thought to be caused by the CPT1-independent growth inhibition. The 3H-indole-3-acetic acid applied to the coleoptile tip was asymmetrically distributed between the two sides of phototropically responding coleoptiles. However, no asymmetry was induced in cpt1 coleoptiles, indicating that lateral translocation of auxin occurs downstream of CPT1. It is concluded that the CPT1-dependent major phototropism of coleoptiles is achieved by lateral auxin translocation and subsequent growth redistribution.
The characteristic histopathologic features of nevi on and around the ear
Authors: Lazova Rossitza , Lester Brian , Glusac Earl J. , Handerson Tamara , McNiff Jennifer 
Published: December 2004

Background:  Nevi on certain areas of the body such as the acral, genital, and flexural regions may exhibit uncommon but characteristic histopathologic features. The purpose of this study was to characterize the distinctive features of nevi with a junctional component located on and around the ear.Materials and methods:  A total of 101 compound and junctional nevi of the ear received at the Yale Dermatopathology Laboratory during a 10‐year period were examined in this study. The most characteristic feature of the majority of these nevi was irregularity of nesting pattern, with nests, which varied in size and shape and which were sometimes located between rete ridges.Results:  Forty‐two (42%) of nevi on and around the ear showed poor circumscription, lateral extension of the junctional component beyond the dermal component, and elongation of rete ridges with bridging between them. A subset of these nevi (26 cases) showed uniformly large melanocytes with large vesicular nuclei without prominent nucleoli, and abundant pale, finely granular cytoplasm. These lesions did not show a tendency to recur.Conclusions:  This study supports the existence of a subset of nevi on or near the ear that, like certain nevi located on other special sites, exhibit unusual but characteristic features, which may be misinterpreted as atypical or malignant.
Dual Transcriptional Control of
amfTSBA
, Which Regulates the Onset of Cellular Differentiation in
Streptomyces griseus
Authors: Ueda Kenji , Takano Hideaki , Nishimoto Madoka , Inaba Hiromi , Beppu Teruhiko 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACT

The
amf
gene cluster encodes a probable secretion system for a peptidic morphogen, AmfS, which induces aerial mycelium formation in
Streptomyces griseus
. Here we examined the transcriptional control mechanism for the promoter preceding
amfT
(P
amfT
) directing the transcription of the
amfTSBA
operon. High-resolution S1 analysis mapped a transcriptional start point at 31 nucleotides upstream of the translational start codon of
amfT
. Low-resolution analysis showed that P
amfT
is developmentally regulated in the wild type and completely abolished in an
amfR
mutant. The −35 region of P
amfT
contained the consensus sequence for the binding of BldD, a pleiotropic negative regulator for morphological and physiological development in
Streptomyces coelicolor
A3(2). The cloned
bldD
locus of
S. griseus
showed high sequence similarity to the
S. coelicolor
counterpart. Transcription of
bldD
occurred constitutively in both the wild type and an A-factor-deficient mutant of
S. griseus
, which suggests that the regulatory role of BldD is independent of A-factor. The gel retardation assay revealed that purified BldD and AmfR recombinant proteins specifically bind P
amfT
. Overproduction of BldD in the wild-type cell conferred a bald phenotype (defective in aerial growth and streptomycin production) and caused marked repression of P
amfT
activity. An
amfT
-depleted mutant also showed a bald phenotype but P
amfT
activity was not affected. Both the
bldD
-overproducing wild-type strain and the
amfT
mutant were unable to induce aerial growth of an
amfS
mutant in a cross-feeding assay, which indicates that these strains are defective in the production of an active AmfS peptide. The results overall suggests that two independent regulators, AmfR and BldD, control P
amfT
activity via direct binding to determine the transcriptional level of the
amf
operon responsible for the production and secretion of AmfS peptide, which induces the erection of aerial hyphae in
S. griseus
.
Genetic Analysis of the HAMP Domain of the Aer Aerotaxis Sensor Localizes Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide-Binding Determinants to the AS-2 Helix
Authors: Ma Qinhong , Johnson Mark S. , Taylor Barry L. 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACTHAMP domains are signal transduction domains typically located between the membrane anchor and cytoplasmic signaling domain of the proteins in which they occur. The prototypical structure consists of two helical amphipathic sequences (AS-1 and AS-2) connected by a region of undetermined structure. TheEscherichia coliaerotaxis receptor, Aer, has a HAMP domain and a PAS domain with a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor that senses the intracellular energy level. Previous studies reported mutations in the HAMP domain that abolished FAD binding to the PAS domain. In this study, using random and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified the distal helix, AS-2, as the component of the HAMP domain that stabilizes FAD binding. AS-2 in Aer is not amphipathic and is predicted to be buried. Mutations in the sequence coding for the contiguous proximal signaling domain altered signaling by Aer but did not affect FAD binding. The V264M residue replacement in this region resulted in an inverted response in whichE. colicells expressing the mutant Aer protein were repelled by oxygen. Bioinformatics analysis of aligned HAMP domains indicated that the proximal signaling domain is conserved in other HAMP domains that are not involved in chemotaxis or aerotaxis. Only one null mutation was found in the coding sequence for the HAMP AS-1 and connector regions, suggesting that these are not active signal transduction sites. We consider a model in which the signal from FAD is transmitted across a PAS-HAMP interface to AS-2 or the proximal signaling domain.
Posttranscriptional Repression of GacS/GacA-Controlled Genes by the RNA-Binding Protein RsmE Acting Together with RsmA in the Biocontrol StrainPseudomonas fluorescensCHA0
Authors: Reimmann Cornelia , Valverde Claudio , Kay Elisabeth , Haas Dieter 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACTIn the plant-beneficial soil bacteriumPseudomonas fluorescensCHA0, the production of biocontrol factors (antifungal secondary metabolites and exoenzymes) is controlled at a posttranscriptional level by the GacS/GacA signal transduction pathway involving RNA-binding protein RsmA as a key regulatory element. This protein is assumed to bind to the ribosome-binding site of target mRNAs and to block their translation. RsmA-mediated repression is relieved at the end of exponential growth by two GacS/GacA-controlled regulatory RNAs RsmY and RsmZ, which bind and sequester the RsmA protein. A gene (rsmE) encoding a 64-amino-acid RsmA homolog was identified and characterized in strain CHA0. Overexpression ofrsmEstrongly reduced the expression of target genes (hcnA,for a hydrogen cyanide synthase subunit;aprA, for the main exoprotease; andphlA, for a component of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol biosynthesis). Single null mutations in eitherrsmAorrsmEresulted in a slight increase in the expression ofhcnA,aprA, andphlA. By contrast, anrsmA rsmEdouble mutation led to strongly increased and advanced expression of these target genes and completely suppressed agacSmutation. Both the RsmE and RsmA levels increased with increasing cell population densities in strain CHA0; however, the amount of RsmA showed less variability during growth. Expression ofrsmEwas controlled positively by GacA and negatively by RsmA and RsmE. Mobility shift assays demonstrated specific binding of RsmE to RsmY and RsmZ RNAs. The transcription and stability of both regulatory RNAs were strongly reduced in thersmA rsmEdouble mutant. In conclusion, RsmA and RsmE together account for maximal repression in the GacS/GacA cascade of strain CHA0.
Identification of a
Dichelobacter nodosus
Ferric Uptake Regulator and Determination of Its Regulatory Targets
Authors: Parker Dane , Kennan Ruth M. , Myers Garry S. , Paulsen Ian T. , Rood Julian I. 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACT

The expression of iron regulated genes in bacteria is typically controlled by the ferric uptake regulator (Fur) protein, a global transcriptional repressor that regulates functions as diverse as iron acquisition, oxidative stress, and virulence. We have identified a
fur
homologue in
Dichelobacter nodosus
, the causative agent of ovine footrot, and shown that it complements an
Escherichia coli fur
mutant. Homology modeling of the
D. nodosus
Fur protein with the recently solved crystal structure of Fur from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
indicated extensive structural conservation. As Southern hybridization analysis of different clinical isolates of
D. nodosus
indicated that the
fur
gene was present in all of these strains, the
fur
gene was insertionally inactivated to determine its functional role. Analysis of these mutants by various techniques did not indicate any significant differences in the expression of known virulence genes or in iron-dependent growth. However, we determined several Fur regulatory targets by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry. Analysis of proteins from cytoplasmic, membrane, and extracellular fractions revealed numerous differentially expressed proteins. The transcriptional basis of these differences was analyzed by using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Proteins with increased expression in the
fur
mutant were homologues of the periplasmic iron binding protein YfeA and a cobalt chelatase, CbiK. Down-regulated proteins included a putative manganese superoxide dismutase and ornithine decarboxylase. Based on these data, it is suggested that in
D. nodosus
the Fur protein functions as a regulator of iron and oxidative metabolism.
Proteomics Analysis by Two-Dimensional Differential Gel Electrophoresis Reveals the Lack of a Broad Response of
Neisseria meningitidis
to In Vitro-Produced AI-2
Authors: Schauder Stephan , Penna Lucia , Ritton Adeline , Manin Catherine , Parker Fabienne , Renauld-Mongénie Geneviève 
Published: December 2004

ABSTRACT

To investigate the effect of the autoinducer AI-2 on protein expression in
Neisseria meningitidis
, a
luxS
mutant of strain MC58 was grown in the presence and absence of in vitro-produced AI-2, and differential protein expression was assessed by two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis.
N. meningitidis
did not show a global response to AI-2 signaling activity.
Environmental Ethics from An Interdisciplinary Perspective: The Marquette Experience
Authors: Schaefer Jame 
Published: December 2004

AbstractMarquette University's new Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Ethics moves beyond a multidisciplinary approach to learning by integrating and applying the knowledge and skills acquired in ecology, natural resource economics, environmental philosophy, earth physics, and theology courses. The first two years of this interdisciplinary program provided an opportunity for faculty and students to experiment with collaborative methods in their individual courses, and culminated in a capstone seminar that focused on the ethical implications of electricity generation and use in the United States. From this experience, a more comprehensive approach to addressing environmental problems from an ethical perspective was developed, and more effective ways of teaching and learning were identified to improve the program.
Environmental Education And Metaethics
Authors: Goldin Owen 
Published: December 2004

AbstractContrā Dale Jamieson, the study of the metaethical foundations of environmental ethics may well lead students to a more environmentally responsible way of life. For although metaethics is rarely decisive in decision making and action, there are two kinds of circumstances in which it can play a crucial role in our practical decisions. First, decisions that have unusual features do not summon habitual ethical reactions, and hence invite the application of ethical precepts that the study of metaethics and ethical theory isolate and clarify. Second, there are times in which the good of others (including organisms and systems in the natural world) may well be given greater weight in one's ethical deliberations if theory has made clear that the good to be promoted is ontologically independent of one's own good.
Demographic and Social Variables Associated with Psychiatric and School-Related Indicators for Asian/Pacific-Islander Adolescents
Authors: Hishinuma Earl S. , Johnson Ronald C. , Carlton Barry S. , Andrade Naleen N. , Nishimura Stephanie T. , Goebert Deborah A. , Yuen Noelle Y.C. , Wegner Eldon L. , Makini George K. , Nahulu Linda B. , Else Iwalani R.N. , Chang Janice Y. 
Published: December 2004

Background: Factors associated with Asian/Pacific-Islander adolescent adjustment is a greatly neglected research area. Aims: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between demographic, social and adjustment measures based on a large-scale investigation of Asian/Pacific-Islander youths. Method: A total of 2577 adolescents were surveyed across 4 public schools in Hawai‘i during the 1992-1993 school year. Results: Three social variables (number of relatives frequently seen, family support and friends’ support) exhibited statistically significant but low correlations. Family support had the highest negative association with the four psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, aggression, substance use). Friends’ support was inconsistently associated with the adjustment measures, and the number of relatives frequently seen resulted in negligible effects. In contrast, demographic variables, especially ethnicity, played a much greater role in the association with the four school-related measures (grade-point average, absences, suspensions, conduct infractions). Discussion: For Asian/Pacific-Islander youths, the quality of the social supports, including family relations, may be particularly important in the adolescents’ adjustment. When examining school-related outcomes, demographic variables, with particular emphases on ethnicity and culture, must be considered. When developing and implementing prevention and intervention services and programs, consideration of family and ethnic-cultural influences should be taken into account, with further research needed in several related domains: other SES influences, life stressors, migration-generational effects, ethnic identity, self-concept indicators and socio-political aspects.
Attitude Toward and Knowledge about Mental Illness in Fiji Islands
Authors: Aghanwa Henry Stephens 
Published: December 2004

Backgrounds: There is a dearth of information on the extent of knowledge about mental illness and attitudes toward the mentally ill in Fiji. Aims: This study aimed to explore these aspects, and also to determine the factors influencing them. Method: Market vendors, peri-urban dwellers, white-collar and health workers from Greater Suva were interviewed. The interview schedule used elicited socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of, and attitudes toward, mental illness. Results: A majority of the subjects attributed the cause of mental illness to substance abuse, believed in the diversity of mental illness, considered hospital as an important source of help and acknowledged the effectiveness of medication. Less than one-fifth of the subjects were willing to marry or employ mentally ill persons. About 42% of the sample would be deterred by embarrassment from seeking help. Educational attainment was correlated with knowledge about mental illness, except with knowledge about early mental symptoms ( p < 0.01). Prestigious occupation, single marital status, female gender, younger age and urban dwelling were associated with positive disposition toward the mentally ill ( p < 0.01). Race was not significantly influential on almost all attitudinal variables. Conclusion: Health education is capable of positively influencing knowledge about, and attitudes toward, mental illness in Fiji.
MALT1 and the API2-MALT1 fusion act between CD40 and IKK and confer NF-κB-dependent proliferative advantage and resistance against FAS-induced cell death in B cells
Authors: Ho Liza , Davis R. Eric , Conne Béatrice , Chappuis Richard , Berczy Margaret , Mhawech Paulette , Staudt Louis M. , Schwaller Juerg 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThe most frequently recurring translocations in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, t(11;18)(q21;q21) and t(14;18)(q32; q21), lead to formation of an API2-MALT1 fusion or IgH-mediated MALT1 overexpression. Various approaches have implicated these proteins in nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling, but this has not been shown experimentally in human B cells. Immunohistochemistry showed that MALT1 is predominantly expressed in normal and malignant germinal center B cells, corresponding to the differentiation stage of MALT lymphoma. We expressed MALT1 and apoptosis inhibitor-2 API2/MALT1 in human B-cell lymphoma BJAB cells and found both transgenes in membrane lipid rafts along with endogenous MALT1 and 2 binding partners involved in NF-κB signaling, B-cell lymphoma 10 (BCL10) and CARMA1 (caspase recruitment domain [CARD]-containing membrane-associated guanylate kinase [MAGUK] 1). API2-MALT1 and exogenous MALT1 increased constitutive NF-κB activity and enhanced IκB kinase (IKK) activation induced by CD40 stimulation. Both transgenes protected BJAB cells from FAS (CD95)-induced death, consistent with increases in NF-κB cytoprotective target gene expression, and increased their proliferation rate. Expression of a dominant-negative IκBα mutant showed that these survival and proliferative advantages are dependent on elevated constitutive NF-κB activity. Our findings support a model in which NF-κB signaling, once activated in a CD40-dependent immune response, is maintained and enhanced through deregulation of MALT1 or formation of an API2-MALT1 fusion.
Association of transplant center and physician factors on mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the United States
Authors: Loberiza Fausto R. , Zhang Mei-Jie , Lee Stephanie J. , Klein John P. , LeMaistre Charles F. , Serna Derek S. , Eapen Mary , Bredeson Christopher N. , Horowitz Mary M. , Rizzo J. Douglas 
Published: December 2004

AbstractThe effect of the organization and delivery of health care at medical centers, referred to as “center effects,” with clinical outcomes after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is not clear. We examined the association between center and treatment provider factors and mortality after HSCT. We surveyed 163 (87% response rate) United States transplantation centers that performed HLA-identical sibling HSCT for leukemia or autologous HSCT for lymphoma between 1998 and 2000 among patients at least 18 years old. One hundred thirteen (69%) centers performed HLA-identical sibling transplantations, whereas 162 (99%) performed autologous transplantations. Factors associated with decreased 100-day mortality in the allogeneic setting include a higher patient-per-physician ratio (P = .003) and centers where physicians answer calls after office hours (P = .03). Medical school affiliation was not associated with increased 100-day mortality except in centers where students/residents are present without fellows (P = .02). Center effects were weaker in autologous HSCT at 1 year. Differences in 100-day mortality in patients receiving transplants in centers with favorable versus unfavorable factors were greater in allogeneic than autologous HSCT. Greater physician involvement in patient care is important in producing favorable outcomes after HSCT. To more clearly establish the role of the factors we identified, further studies are recommended.
Tumor-Associated Macrophages: The Double-Edged Sword in Cancer Progression
Authors: Chen Jeremy J.W. , Lin Yi-Chen , Yao Pei-Li , Yuan Ang , Chen Hsang-Yu , Shun Chia-Tung , Tsai Meng-Feng , Chen Chun-Houh , Yang Pan-Chyr 
Published: December 2004

Purpose Inflammation plays a critical role in cancer progression. In this study we investigate the pro-tumorigenic activities and gene expression profiles of lung cancer cells after interaction with macrophages. Materials and Methods We measured intratumoral microvessel counts and macrophage density in 41 lung cancer tumor specimens and correlated these with the patients' clinical outcome. The interaction between macrophages and cancer cell lines was assessed using a transwell coculture system. The invasive potential was evaluated by in vitro invasion assay. The matrix-degrading activity was assayed by gelatin zymography. The microarray was applied to a large-scale analysis of the genes involved in the interaction, as well as to monitor the gene expression profiles of lung cancer cells responding to anti-inflammatory drugs in cocultures. Results The macrophage density positively correlated with microvessel counts and negatively correlated with patient relapse-free survival (P < .05). After coculture with macrophages, lung cancer cell lines exhibited higher invasive potentials and matrix-degrading activities. We identified 50 genes by microarray that were upregulated more than two-fold in cancer cells after coculture. Northern blot analyses confirmed some gene expression such as interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and matrix metalloproteinase 9. The two-dimensional hierarchical clustering also demonstrated that the gene expression profiles of lung cancer cells responding to various anti-inflammatory drugs in cocultures are distinct. Conclusion The interaction of lung cancer cells and macrophages can promote the invasiveness and matrix-degrading activity of cancer cells. Our results also suggest that a great diversity of gene expression occurs in this interaction, which may assist us in understanding the process of cancer metastasis.