gebhart/patrepeval huggingface dataset:
Preferred sequence requirements for cleavage of pro-von Willebrand factor by propeptide-processing enzymes (1992)

Maturation of pro-von Willebrand factor (vWF) to its active form requires proteolytic processing after a pair of dibasic amino acids (- LysArg-) at residue 763. By coexpression of vWF and various propeptide processing enzymes in COS-1 cells, we here demonstrate that vWF is preferentially processed by the paired dibasic amino acid-cleaving enzyme PACE (furin). Processing of vWF by the yeast homologue of PACE, Kex2, was inefficient and not specific for the authentic site. Two additional recently identified mammalian propeptide-processing enzymes PC2 and PC3 had no detectable vWF-processing activity. The inability of PC2 and PC3 to cleave vWF was apparently not due to the absence of a transmembrane domain, since deletion of the transmembrane domain from PACE resulted in a secreted form which retained its propeptide processing activity within the secretory apparatus. The inability of PC2 and PC3 to process wild-type vWF or any of the vWF mutants described suggests different members of subtilisin-related propeptide- processing enzyme family have evolved to selectively recognize and cleave specific sets of substrates. In addition to paired dibasic residues at the propeptide cleavage site, many proteins, including vWF, also contain an arginine at the P4 position. We have generated mutant vWFs with substitutions at the P2 lysine and/or the P4 arginine to investigate their significance in substrate specificity. A conservative substitution of the P4 arginine by lysine resulted in a decrease in vWF processing by PACE, as did a nonconservative substitution to alanine. Substitution of the P2 lysine to aspartic acid decreased processing and little or no processing was detected when both the P4 and P2 were mutated to lysine and aspartic acid, respectively. These data indicate that both the P4 arginine and the P2 lysine play an important role in substrate recognition by PACE.
Effect of hexamethylene bisacetamide on the commitment to differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells. (1977)

Friend virus-transformed murine erythroleukemia cells express the program of erythropoietic differentiation under the influence of the previously described, potent inducing agent, hexamethylene bisacetamide. Commitment to differentiation, defined as the ability to continue the processes of differentiation in the absence of inducer, has been examined at the single-cell level, with a combination of suspension and cell-cloning techniques. Recruitment of committed cells is shown to occur prior to the detectable accumulation of hemoglobin or the appearance of morphological changes characteristic or erythroid maturation. The stability of the commitment of murine erythroleukemia cells to differentiate is found to be dependent upon both the concentration of hexamethylene bisacetamide and the duration of exposure to the inducing agent. Under conditions less than optimal for induction, a single cell can give rise to a colony containing both differentiated and undifferentiated cells. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that fully stabilized differentiation, in addition to the previously demonstrated requirement for the inducing agent to be present during a cell-cycle S phase, involves subsequent stabilizing event(s) caused by a direct or indirect action of the inducing agent.
A deep submicron Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si vertical PMOSFET fabricated by Ge ion implantation (1998)

We report a deep submicron vertical PMOS transistor using strained Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ channel formed by Ge ion implantation and solid phase epitaxy. These vertical structure Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x//Si transistors can be fabricated with channel lengths below 0.2 μm without using any sophisticated lithographic techniques and with a regular MOS process. The enhancement of hole mobility in a direction normal to the growth plane of strained Si/sub 1-x/Ge/sub x/ over that of bulk Si has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time using this vertical MOSFET. The drain current of these vertical MOS devices has been found to be enhanced by as much as 100% over control Si devices. The presence of the built-in electric field due to a graded SiGe channel has also been found to be effective in further enhancement of the drive current in implanted-channel MOSFET's.
Performance of the Cepheid CT/NG Xpert Rapid PCR Test for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (2013)

Tests for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which can provide results rapidly to guide therapeutic decision-making, offer patient care advantages over laboratory-based tests that require several days to provide results. We compared results from the Cepheid GeneXpert CT/NG (Xpert) assay to results from two currently approved nucleic acid amplification assays in 1,722 female and 1,387 male volunteers. Results for chlamydia in females demonstrated sensitivities for endocervical, vaginal, and urine samples of 97.4%, 98.7%, and 97.6%, respectively, and for urine samples from males, a sensitivity of 97.5%, with all specificity estimates being ≥ 99.4%. Results for gonorrhea in females demonstrated sensitivities for endocervical, vaginal, and urine samples of 100.0%, 100.0%, and 95.6%, respectively, and for urine samples from males, a sensitivity of 98.0%, with all estimates of specificity being ≥ 99.8%. These results indicate that this short-turnaround-time test can be used to accurately test patients and to possibly do so at the site of care, thus potentially improving chlamydia and gonorrhea control efforts.
Engineered iron oxide-adhesion mutants of the Escherichia coli phage lambda receptor. (1992)

Escherichia coli able to specifically adhere to iron oxide and not adhere to other metal oxides were constructed by genetic engineering. Concatamers of random oligonucleotides were introduced into a portion of a plasmid-borne lamB gene encoding an external domain of the phage lambda receptor. Bacteria able to adhere to iron oxide were selected by serial enrichment from the population of plasmid transformants. The concatameric nature of the inserted DNA allows a genetic analysis analogous to exons shuffling. Results of this genetic analysis indicate that in some isolates, part of the binding site is encoded by flanking vector sequences. This strategy may prove generally useful for identifying protein sequences able to recognize specific surfaces.
Complete Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Gag Myristoylation Is Necessary for Inhibition of Particle Budding (1996)

Myristoylation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Gag protein is essential for virus particle budding. Two reactions are involved; activation of free myristate to myristoyl-CoA and transfer of the myristoyl residue to the Gag N-terminal glycine. We have investigated the effects of triacsin C, an inhibitor of long chain acyl-CoA synthetase, on release of HIV Gag virus-like particle (VLP) produced using the recombinant baculovirus system. First, inhibition of acyl-CoA formation by triacsin C was confirmed using the membrane fractions of insect Sf9 cells as an enzyme source. Second, when HIV Gag protein was expressed in the presence of triacsin C (0-48 microM), Gag myristoylation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. Budding of Gag VLP, however, did not follow similar inhibition kinetics but appeared unaffected up to 24 microM, yet was completely abolished at 48 microM when the myristoylation of Gag protein was also completely inhibited. The "all-or-none" inhibition of Gag VLP budding suggests that although inhibition of acyl-CoA synthetase blocks the production of myristoylated Gag protein, only complete inhibition of Gag myristoylation prevents VLP budding. Thus, relatively few myristoylated Gag molecules are sufficient for plasma membrane targeting and VLP budding.
PG F2α Receptor: A Promising Therapeutic Target for Cardiovascular Disease (2010)

Prostaglandins (PGs), a group of key lipid mediators, are involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes including inflammation and cardiovascular homeostasis. Each PG acts on its specific and distinct cell surface G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). Prostaglandin F(2α) receptor (FP) is required for female reproductive function such as luteolysis and parturition. It has recently been implicated in blood pressure regulation, atherosclerosis and other inflammation-related disorders. The emerging role of FP in cardiovascular diseases is highlighted and potential therapeutic translation is discussed in the current review.
Antitumor action of shiitake(Lentinus edodes) fruit bodies orally administered to mice. (1987)

The powdered fruit bodies of shiitake (Lentinus edodes) showed antitumor activity when given orally to mice. The growth of tumors, both syngeneic and allogeneic, was inhibited by 57.9 to 78.6% in shiitake-fed mice. The degree of inhibition was proportional to the consumption of the experimental diet (L-feed) and was evident even when the administration was started from the 7th day after tumor implantation. The inhibition of tumor growth was mainly due to a glucan contained in the fruit bodies, but the lipid fracton also had inhibitory effects, although mild. Feeding of the fruit bodies to mice in the diet was found to augment both the ability of macrophages to phagocytose latex particles and the spreading activity of the macrophages.
Transient expression of luciferase reporter gene after lipofection in oyster (Crassostrea gigas) primary cell cultures. (1996)

Transient expression of the luciferase gene, under transcriptional control of several heterologous promoters, was obtained in heart primary cell cultures of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. Drosophila heat shock protein 70 promoter (hsp70), cytomegalovirus, and simian virus early promoters, controlling the luciferase gene, were transfected into the cell cultures using liposomes. Two culture media were used to establish primary cell cultures and tested as transfection media. Parameters such as the quantity of DNA and the ratio of DNA to liposome were analyzed to define the best transfection conditions. In oysters, the Drosophila inducible hsp70 promoter behaved in a way similar to that observed in other animal species. Moreover, for this study, hsp70 was more efficient than the cytomegalovirus and simian virus promoters.
Response of descending vasa recta to luminal pressure (2004)

We tested whether luminal perfusion and pressurization induce an endothelial cytoplasmic Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](CYT)) response in descending vasa recta (DVR). DVR isolated from the rat outer medulla were cannulated and subjected to free-flow microperfusion (5 nl/min); the onset of which increased [Ca(2+)](CYT) from a baseline of 76 +/- 13 to 221 +/- 65 nM. A graded increase in luminal pressure from 0 to 45 mmHg in stopped-flow experiments induced a parallel increase in [Ca(2+)](CYT) from a baseline of 74 +/- 24 to 194 +/- 33 nM at 45 mmHg, with a tendency for [Ca(2+)](CYT) to plateau at pressures >25 mmHg. The removal of extracellular Ca(2+) and blockade by either La(3+) (10 microM) or SKF-96365 (100 microM) eliminated the response. Luminal pressurization to 25 mmHg increased nitric oxide (NO) generation, a response blocked by NO synthase inhibition or removal of extracellular Ca(2+). The NO generation was not affected by the superoxide dismutase mimetic tempol. We conclude that DVR endothelia are mechanosensitive and respond to luminal pressure by elevating [Ca(2+)](CYT) and generating NO. That response might augment medullary perfusion and saliuresis.
Photoactivation of Endogenous Latent Transforming Growth Factor–β1 Directs Dental Stem Cell Differentiation for Regeneration (2014)

Rapid advancements in the field of stem cell biology have led to many current efforts to exploit stem cells as therapeutic agents in regenerative medicine. However, current ex vivo cell manipulations common to most regenerative approaches create a variety of technical and regulatory hurdles to their clinical translation, and even simpler approaches that use exogenous factors to differentiate tissue-resident stem cells carry significant off-target side effects. We show that non-ionizing, low-power laser (LPL) treatment can instead be used as a minimally invasive tool to activate an endogenous latent growth factor complex, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), that subsequently differentiates host stem cells to promote tissue regeneration. LPL treatment induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a dose-dependent manner, which, in turn, activated latent TGF-β1 (LTGF-β1) via a specific methionine residue (at position 253 on LAP). Laser-activated TGF-β1 was capable of differentiating human dental stem cells in vitro. Further, an in vivo pulp capping model in rat teeth demonstrated significant increase in dentin regeneration after LPL treatment. These in vivo effects were abrogated in TGF-β receptor II (TGF-βRII) conditional knockout (DSPP(Cre)TGF-βRII(fl/fl)) mice or when wild-type mice were given a TGF-βRI inhibitor. These findings indicate a pivotal role for TGF-β in mediating LPL-induced dental tissue regeneration. More broadly, this work outlines a mechanistic basis for harnessing resident stem cells with a light-activated endogenous cue for clinical regenerative applications.
Electric Field Tuning of the Rashba Effect in the Polar Perovskite Structures (2014)

We show that the Rashba effect at the polar perovskite surfaces and interfaces can be tuned by manipulating the two-dimensional electron gas by an applied electric field, using it to draw the two-dimensional electron gas out to the surface or push it deeper into the bulk, thereby controlling the surface-sensitive phenomenon. These ideas are illustrated by a comprehensive density-functional study of the recently discovered polar ${\mathrm{KTaO}}_{3}$ surface. Analytical results obtained with a tight-binding model unravel the interplay between the various factors affecting the Rashba effect such as the strengths of the spin-orbit interaction and the surface-induced asymmetry. Our work helps interpret the recent experiments on the ${\mathrm{KTaO}}_{3}$ surface as well as the ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}/{\mathrm{LaAlO}}_{3}$ interface.
Vaccinia virus glycoprotein A34R is required for infectivity of extracellular enveloped virus (1996)

The vaccinia virus strain Western Reserve (WR) A34R gene encodes a C-type lectin-like glycoprotein, gp22-24, that is present in the outer membrane of extracellular enveloped virus (EEV) with type II membrane topology (S.A. Duncan and G.L. Smith, J. Virol. 66:1610-1621, 1992). Here we that a WR A34R deletion mutant (WR delta A34R) released 19- to 24-fold more EEV from infected cells than did WR virus, but the specific infectivity of the released virions was reduced 5- to 6-fold. Rupture of the WR delta A34R EEV outer envelope by freeze-thawing increased virus infectivity by five- to sixfold, because of the release of infectious intracellular mature virus. All other known EEV-specific proteins are incorporated into WR delta A34R EEV, and thus the loss of gp22-24 is solely responsible for the reduction of EEV specific infectivity. The WR delta A34R virus is highly attenuated in vivo compared with WR or a revertant virus in which the A34R gene was reinserted into WR delta A34R. This attenuation is consistent with the known important role of EEV in virus dissemination and virulence. Vaccinia virus strain International Health Department-J (IHD-J) produces large amounts of EEV and forms comets because of an amino acid substitution within the A34R protein (R. Blasco, R. Sisler, and B. Moss, J. Virol. 67:3319-3325, 1993), but despite this, IHD-J EEV has a specific infectivity equivalent to that of WR EEV. Substitution of the IHD-J A34R gene into the WR strain induced comet formation and greater release of EEV, while coexpression of both genes did not; hence, the WR phenotype is dominant. All orthopoxviruses tested express the A34R protein, but most viruses, including variola virus, have the WR rather than the IHD-J A34R genotype. The A34R protein affects plaque formation, EEV release, EEV infectivity, and virus virulence.
Identification of type B-specific and cross-reactive cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to Epstein-Barr virus (1996)

Persistent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is primarily controlled by HLA class I-restricted memory cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses which can be reactivated in vitro by stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes with autologous lymphoblastoid cell lines. During an investigation of a donor infected by both type A and type B EBV, CTL specific for type B EBV were isolated. The CTL were found to recognize an epitope encoded by the EBNA-6B gene. The minimal epitope sequence was identified as QNGALAINTF, corresponding to residues 213 to 222 in the EBNA-6B protein, and presentation of this epitope was shown to be via HLA B62 (B15). This is the first report of the characterization of an epitope that is EBV type B specific. CTL recognizing sequences common to type A and type B EBV were identified as well. A cross-reactive epitope recognized by these CTL was encoded within the EBNA-6 gene of both type A and type B. This minimal sequence for this epitope was LLDFVRFMGV (residues 284 to 293 in both types), and the epitope was restricted through HLA A*0201. This second epitope sequence overlaps with a published EBV B44-restricted epitope (EENLLDFVRF). The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the design and efficacy of epitope-based vaccines.
Programmed assembly of 3-dimensional microtissues with defined cellular connectivity (2009)

Multicellular organs comprise differentiated cell types with discrete yet interdependent functions. The cells' spatial arrangements and interconnectivities, both critical elements of higher-order function, derive from complex developmental programs in vivo and are often difficult or impossible to emulate in vitro. Here, we report the bottom-up synthesis of microtissues composed of multiple cell types with programmed connectivity. We functionalized cells with short oligonucleotides to impart specific adhesive properties. Hybridization of complementary DNA sequences enabled the assembly of multicellular structures with defined cell-cell contacts. We demonstrated that the kinetic parameters of the assembly process depend on DNA sequence complexity, density, and total cell concentration. Thus, cell assembly can be highly controlled, enabling the design of microtissues with defined cell composition and stoichiometry. We used this strategy to construct a paracrine signaling network in isolated 3-dimensional microtissues.
Chronic Thought Suppression (1994)

We conducted several tests of the idea that an inclination toward thought suppression is associated with obsessive thinking and emotional reactivity. Initially, we developed a self-report measure of thought suppression through successive factor-analytic procedures and found that it exhibited acceptable internal consistency and temporal stability. This measure, the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI), was found to correlate with measures of obsessional thinking and depressive and anxious affect, to predict signs of clinical obsession among individuals prone toward obsessional thinking, to predict depression among individuals motivated to dislike negative thoughts, and to predict failure of electrodermal responses to habituate among people having emotional thoughts. The WBSI was inversely correlated with repression as assessed by the Repression-Sensitization Scale, and so taps a trait that is quite unlike repression as traditionally conceived.
Ventricular zone gene-1 (vzg-1) encodes a lysophosphatidic acid receptor expressed in neurogenic regions of the developing cerebral cortex. (1996)

Neocortical neuroblast cell lines were used to clone G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) genes to study signaling mechanisms regulating cortical neurogenesis. One putative GPCR gene displayed an in situ expression pattern enriched in cortical neurogenic regions and was therefore named ventricular zone gene-1 (vzg-1). The vzg-1 cDNA hybridized to a 3.8-kb mRNA transcript and encoded a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 41-42 kD, confirmed by Western blot analysis. To assess its function, vzg-1 was overexpressed in a cell line from which it was cloned, inducing serum-dependent "cell rounding." Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a bioactive lipid present in high concentrations in serum, reproduced the effect seen with serum alone. Morphological responses to other related phospholipids or to thrombin, another agent that induces cell rounding through a GPCR, were not observed in vzg-1 overexpressing cells. Vzg-1 overexpression decreased the EC50 of both cell rounding and Gi activation in response to LPA. Pertussis toxin treatment inhibited vzg-1-dependent LPA-mediated Gi activation, but had no effect on cell rounding. Membrane binding studies indicated that vzg-1 overexpression increased specific LPA binding. These analyses identify the vzg-1 gene product as a receptor for LPA, suggesting the operation of LPA signaling mechanisms in cortical neurogenesis. Vzg-1 therefore provides a link between extracellular LPA and the activation of LPA-mediated signaling pathways through a single receptor and will allow new investigations into LPA signaling both in neural and nonneural systems.
Electronically steerable Yagi-Uda microstrip patch antenna array (1998)

This paper describes a dual-frequency circularly polarized electronically steerable microstrip patch antenna array suitable for land-mobile communications. Based on a four-element Yagi-Uda (1928) patch antenna, the four antennas forming the array are located radially from a single square reflector patch on a double-sided printed circuit board. The main lobe of the array covers the elevation angles from 20 to 70/spl deg/ with a peak gain of 8.4 dBi at 1.54 GHz and 11.7 dBi at 1.62 GHz. Full azimuthal coverage is possible by electronically switching between the four elements.