Simple two-speed tape transport drive

High data rate storage system B tape transport fits to existing hysteresis motor thus reducing flutter, lowering assembly cost, simplifying assembly process and increasing reliability. Motor may be used on any tape recorder or similar device having two speed ratio of up to 32 to 1

Fbw7/hCDC4 dimerization regulates its substrate interactions

BACKGROUND: The Fbw7 ubiquitin ligase promotes the rapid degradation of several important oncogenes, such as cyclin E, c-Myc, c-Jun, and Notch. The two fission yeast homologs of Fbw7, pop1 and pop2, have previously been shown to dimerize. In this study, we asked whether Fbw7 can also dimerize and how dimerization affects Fbw7 function. RESULTS: We found that Fbw7 binds efficiently to itself through a domain just upstream of its F-box. We further show that dimerization is essential for the stable interaction of Fbw7 with the cyclin E T380 phospho-degron. Surprisingly, the requirement for dimerization can be suppressed by an additional phosphorylation of this phospho-degron at the +4 position (S384), which creates a binding site with higher affinity for monomeric Fbw7. CONCLUSION: Degradation of cyclin E by the Fbw7 pathway can, thus, be conditionally regulated either by Fbw7 dimerization or by hyperphosphorylation of the T380 phospho-degron. Other substrates, which cannot accommodate an extra phosphate in their phospho-degrons, or which don't provide a negatively charged amino acid in the +4 position, may be absolutely dependent on Fbw7 dimerization for their turnover. Our results point to an additional level of regulation for substrate interaction and turnover by Fbw7

Tumor Suppression by the Fbw7 Ubiquitin Ligase: Mechanisms and Opportunities

Tumor suppressors with widespread impact on carcinogenesis control broad spectra of oncogenic pathways. Protein degradation is an emerging mechanism by which tumor suppressors regulate a diversity of pathways and is exemplified by the SCFFbw7 ubiquitin ligase. Rapidly accumulating data indicate that SCFFbw7 regulates a network of crucial oncoproteins. Importantly, the FBXW7 gene, which encodes Fbw7, is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancers. These studies are yielding important new insights into tumorigenesis and may soon enable therapies targeting the Fbw7 pathway. Here, we focus on the mechanisms and consequences of Fbw7 deregulation in cancers and discuss possible therapeutic approaches

Identification of CDK2 substrates in human cell lysates

Engineered kinases and thiophosphate enrichment were used to identify many candidate CDK2 substrates in human cell lysates

Effect of Xpcl1 Activation and p27Kip1 Loss on Gene Expression in Murine Lymphoma

Mice lacking the p27Kip1 Cdk inhibitor (Cdkn1b) exhibit increased susceptibility to lymphomas from the Maloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV), and exhibit a high frequency of viral integrations at Xpcl1 (Kis2), a locus on the X-chromosome. Xpcl1 encodes miR-106a∼363, a cluster of microRNAs that are expressed in response to adjacent retroviral integrations. We report the first large-scale profile of microRNA expression in MuLV-induced lymphomas, in combination with microarray gene expression analysis. The source material was T-cell lymphomas induced by M-MuLV in p27Kip1 knockout mice and normal thymus. Surprisingly, the overall levels of miRNA expression were equivalent in lymphomas and normal thymus. Nonetheless, the expression of specific microRNAs was altered in tumors. The miR-106a∼363 miRNA were over-expressed in lymphomas, particularly those with viral integrations at the Xpcl1 locus. In contrast, p27Kip1 deletion itself was associated with a different pattern of microRNA expression. Gene expression was dramatically altered in lymphomas, yet paralleled data from T-cell lymphomas induced by other mechanisms. Genes with altered expression in association with the p27Kip1 null genotype were of similar functional classes to those associated with Xpcl1 integration, but with the opposite pattern of expression. Thus, the effect of p27Kip1 deletion may be to oppose an anti-oncogenic effect of Xpcl1 rather than enhancing its oncogenic functions. A subset of miR-106a∼363 target genes was consistently reduced in lymphomas with Xpcl1 integrations, particularly genes with cell cycle and immune functions. We identify four predicted target genes of miR-106a∼363 miRNA, including N-Myc (Mycn), and the TGF-beta receptor (Tgfbr2) using 3'UTR reporter assays. Still, bioinformatic miRNA target predictions were poor predictors of altered gene expression in lymphomas with Xpcl1 integration. Confirmation of miR-106a∼363 gene targeting relevant to the tumor phenotype requires in vivo validation, because only a subset of predicted targets are consistently reduced in tumors that overexpress miR-106a∼363