Complete Genome Sequence of an H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus Isolated from Egret in Lake Dongting Wetland

We isolated a recombinant H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) from fresh egret feces in the Ardeidae protection region of the Dongting Lake wetland area in China, and it was designated A/Egret/Hunan/1/2012(H9N2). This is the first report of isolating H9N2 AIV from wild birds in the Dongting Lake wetland. Its eight gene segments are generated by reassortment of gene segments of different AIV subtypes. These results are helpful for understanding the epidemiology and evolution of AIV in wild birds during migration.     

Human endothelin converting enzyme-2 (ECE2): characterization of mRNA species and chromosomal localization.

Generation of the functionally pleiotropic members of the endothelin vasoactive peptide family is critically catalyzed by unique type II metalloproteases, termed endothelin converting enzymes (ECE). Isolation of human ECE-2 (EC 3.4.24.71) cDNAs revealed deduced open reading frames of 787 and 765 amino acids with approximately 60% identity with human ECE-1. Characterization of mRNA variants revealed mRNA structural diversity at the 5'-terminus. Two mRNA species exist containing distinct first and second exons. Furthermore, in one of these species, an in-frame deletion of the intracytoplasmic domain removed 29 amino acids. Because of the previously reported human genetic diseases ascribed to germline mutations of member genes of the endothelin family, ECE2 was localized in human chromosomes with fluorescence in situ hybridization and radiation hybrid mapping to 3q28-q29 and SHGC-20171/D3S1571, respectively.     

The development of anoxia following occlusion

Following arteriolar occlusion, tissue oxygen concentration decreases and anoxic tissue eventually develops. Although anoxia first appears in the region most distal to the capillary at the venous end, it eventually spreads throughout the entire region of supply. In this paper the changing oxygen concentration, from the time of occlusion until the tissue is entirely anoxic, is examined mathematically. The equations governing oxygen transport to tissue are solved by iterating a nonlinear integral equation. This solution is valid until anoxia first appears. After anoxia develops it is necessary to solve a moving boundary problem. This is done using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, and accurate solutions are obtained for a wide range of physiological conditions.     

Purification and autophosphorylation of insulin receptors from rat skeletal muscle

Insulin receptors of rat skeletal muscle were purified by first extracting a plasma membrane-enriched pellet obtained from a muscle homogenate with Triton X-100, followed by WGA-Sepharose and insulin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Routinely, 4-5 micrograms of purified receptor were obtained from 15 g of tissue. The purified receptors are composed of two major polypeptides with molecular weights of 130,000 and 95,000, respectively. The binding of [125I]insulin by the purified receptors was analyzed by a Scatchard plot. There are at least two binding components. The high-affinity component, with an apparent association constant (Ka) of 2.0 X 10(9) M-1, comprises 10% of the total insulin binding sites; while the low-affinity component, with a Ka value of 1.4 X 10(8) M-1, represents 90% of the binding sites. Assuming the insulin receptor to have a molecular weight of 300,000, the receptor binds 1.7 mol of insulin per mol at saturation. Insulin is capable of stimulating the autophosphorylation of the beta-subunit of the muscle insulin receptor (Mr 95,000) by 5-10-fold. The stoichiometry of this phosphorylation reaction was determined as 0.8 phosphate per insulin binding site after a 10 min incubation with 100 nM insulin. In a previous report, I showed that the insulin stimulation of glucose transport in diaphragms from neonatal rats was small, even although the diaphragms had normal levels of insulin receptors and glucose transporters (Wang, C. (1985). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82, 3621-3625). To determine whether or not receptor autophosphorylation might be related to this insensitivity to insulin, the level of receptor phosphorylation was quantitated in diaphragms from rats at different stages of development. Autophosphorylation remains unchanged from birth to 21 days of age, suggesting that the lower insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by diaphragms at early stages of postnatal development as compared to that by diaphragms of older rats, is not due to a difference in receptor kinase.     

Subcellular Localization of p44/WDR77 Determines Proliferation and Differentiation of Prostate Epithelial Cells

The molecular mechanism that controls the proliferation and differentiation of prostate epithelial cells is currently unknown. We previously identified a 44-kDa protein (p44/wdr77) as an androgen receptor-interacting protein that regulates a set of androgen receptor target genes in prostate epithelial cells and prostate cancer. In this study, we found that p44 localizes in the cytoplasm of prostate epithelial cells at the early stage of prostate development when cells are proliferating, and its nuclear translocation is associated with cellular and functional differentiation in adult prostate tissue. We further demonstrated that cytoplasmic p44 protein is essential for proliferation of prostate epithelial cells, whereas nuclear p44 is required for cell differentiation and prostate- specific protein secretion. These studies suggest a novel mechanism by which proliferation and differentiation of prostate epithelial cells are controlled by p44’s location in the cell.     

Effect of cell concentration on the rheology of glucoamylase fermentation broth

During the process optimisation of glucoamylase production by Aspergillus awamori, cell morphology was controlled at such a state that spore aggregation was completely prevented. Samples from five fermentations on complex media using either glucose or starch as carbon source were characterised with a Bohlin CS rheometer. The experimental data were conveniently described in terms of the power law model.     

Identification two novel nacrein-like proteins involved in the shell formation of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

Nacrein-like proteins have carbonic anhydrase (CA)-like domains, but their coding regions are flanked by inserted repeat sequence, such as Gly-X-Asn. Reportedly, nacrein-like proteins show the highest similarity to human carbonic anhydrase 1(α-CA1), possess CA catalytic functions, and play a key role in shell biomineralization. In the present study, two novel nacrein-like proteins were firstly identified from the shell-forming mantle of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. With numerous analyses, it was identified and characterized that both the nacrein-like proteins F1 and F2 were secreted and most closely related to the nacrein-like protein of California mussel Mytilus californianus via phylogenetic analysis. RT-PCR analysis showed that the nacrein-like proteins F1 and F2 were expressed in multiple tissues and the expression levels remarkably rose after entering the spat stage, which were basically consistent with the increase of calcite fractions in the total shell volume. Surprisingly, the Gly-X-Asn repeat domain, which is distinctive in most nacrein-like proteins, was absent in the two newly identified nacrein-like proteins in C. gigas and replaced with a series of acidic amino acids (D/E). Regardless, nacrein-like proteins in mollusks seem to be vital to the deposition of calcium carbonate and likely perform diverse functions.     

Heritability of Eating Behavior Assessed Using the DEBQ (Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire) and Weight‐related Traits: The Healthy Twin Study

The heritability of eating behavior and body weight–related traits in Asian populations has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to estimate the heritability of eating behavior and the body weight–related traits of current weight and self‐reported past weight among twins and their families. Study subjects were 2,144 Korean, adult, same‐sex twins and their families at the ages between 20 and 65 years (443 monozygotic (MZ) and 124 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, and 1,010 individuals of their family). The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) was used to assess three eating behavior subscales measuring restraint, emotional eating, and external eating. A variance component approach was used to estimate heritability. After consideration of shared environmental effects and adjustment for age and sex effects, the heritability estimates ± s.e. among twins and their family members were 0.31 ± 0.036 for restraint, 0.25 ± 0.098 for emotional eating, 0.25 ± 0.060 for external eating, 0.77 ± 0.032 for measured current body weight, and 0.70 ± 0.051 for self‐reported weight at 20 years old. The three DEBQ subscales were associated with all weight related traits after adjustment for age and sex. These results suggest eating behaviors and weight‐related traits have a genetic influence, and eating behaviors are associated with obesity indexes. Our findings from Korean twin family were similar to those reported in Western populations.