Three-body calculation of the 1s1s level shift in kaonic deuterium

The first calculation of kaonic deuterium $1s$ level shift using Faddeev-type equations was performed. The obtained results were compared with commonly used approximate approaches.Comment: The version accepted in Phys. Lett.

NF kappa B induces overexpression of bovine FcRn: a novel mechanism that further contributes to the enhanced immune response in genetically modified animals carrying extra copies of FcRn

Among the many functions of the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) for IgG, it binds to IgG-opsonized antigen complexes and propagates their traffic into lysosomes where antigen processing occurs. We previously reported that transgenic (Tg) mice and rabbits that carry multiple copies and overexpress FcRn have augmented humoral immune responses. Nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) is a critical molecule in the signaling cascade in the immune response. NFκB induces human FcRn expression and our previous in silico analysis suggested NFκB binding sites in the promoter region of the bovine (b) FcRn α-chain gene (FCGRT). Here, we report the identification of three NFκB transcription binding sites in the promoter region of this gene using luciferase reporter gene technology, electromobility shift assay and supershift analysis. Stimulation of primary bovine endothelial cells with the Toll like receptor-4 ligand lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which mediates its effect via NFκB, resulted in rapid upregulation of the bFcRn expression and a control gene, bovine E-selectin. This rapid bFcRn gene induction was also observed in the spleen of bFcRn Tg mice treated with intraperitoneally injected LPS, analyzed by northern blot analysis. Finally, NFκB- mediated bFcRn upregulation was confirmed at the protein level in macrophages isolated from the bFcRn Tg mice using flow cytometry with a newly developed FcRn specific monoclonal antibody that does not cross-react with the mouse FcRn. We conclude that NFκB regulates bFcRn expression and thus optimizes its functions, e.g., in the professional antigen presenting cells, and contributes to the much augmented humoral immune response in the bFcRn Tg mice

A központi idegrendszeri pajzsmirigyhormon aktiváció szabályozásának molekuláris biológiája = Molecular biology of the regulation of thyroid hormone activation in the central nervous system

A pajzsmirigyhormonok számos biológiai folyamat, így a fejlődés, a növekedés és az anyagcsere alapvető fontosságú tényezői. A tiroxin (T4) pro-hormon, melynek a pajzsmirigyhormon aktiváció során dejodációval T3-á kell alakulnia ahhoz, hogy a pajzsmirigyhormon magreceptorhoz kötődve biológiai hatásait kifejthesse. A T4 aktivációt az agyban a kettes-típusú dejodáz enzim (D2) katalizálja. A pályázat célkitűzései a központi idegrendszeri pajzsmirigyhormon aktiváció celluláris és molekuláris vonatkozásainak vizsgálatához kapcsolódtak. Az alacsony T3 szindróma molekuláris pathogenezisének vizsgálata során feltártuk az emberi dio2 gén NF-kB érzékenységét és leírtuk annak molekuláris hátterét. Jellemeztük a D2 fehérje ubikvitinációjában kulcsszerepet játszó fehérjék idegrendszeri eloszlását, továbbá a D2 enzim poszt-transzlációs szabályozásának szubcelluláris és konformációs feltételeit. Vizsgálataink során tanulmányoztuk a T3 képződés mechanizmusát a fejlődő idegrendszerben és kimutattuk a D2 expresszió megjelenését a fejlődő hipotalamusz tanicitáiban. Munkánk az idegrendszeri T3 függő génexpressziós profilok kialakulásért felelős szabályozó mechanizmusok feltérképezése révén járul hozzá a fejlődő és kifejlett agy működését befolyásoló tényezők jobb megértéséhez. | Thyroid hormone is a crucial factor of development, growth and metabolism. The pro-hormone thyroxine (T4) has to be converted to T3 via thyroid hormone activation in order to bind the thyroid hormone receptor to modulate thyroid hormone dependent pathways. Local T3 generation in the adult and developing brain is catalyzed by the type 2 deiodinase selenoenzyme (D2). The aim of the project was to better understand the cellular and molecular events underlying thyroid hormone activation in the central nervous system. We studied the molecular pathogenesis of the low T3 syndrome and described the molecular components ensuring NF-kB mediated induction of the human dio2 gene. We characterized the distribution of key proteins of D2 ubiquitination in the brain and determined the subcellular and conformational requirements of post-translational regulation of the D2 enzyme. We studied the mechanisms of T3 generation in the developing brain and determined the developmental expression of D2 in hypothalamic tanycytes. Our data contribute to the better understanding of factors regulating the function of the developing and adult brain via providing a deeper insight into mechanisms generating T3 dependent gene expression profiles

Chromogranina A i jej rola w patogenezie cukrzycy

Chromogranin A is a member of the granin glycoprotein family that is expressed by the endocrine and neuroendocrine cells of different organs. Intracellularly, chromogranin A contributes to the regulation of secretion and gives several cleavage products after secretion. Some of its cleavage products modify the hormone functions in autocrine and paracrine ways, while the functions of others have not been fully understood yet. Serum chromogranin A level is most prominently used in neuroendocrine tumour diagnostics. In addition, recent studies have suggested that chromogranin A and some of its cleavage products (pancreastatin and WE-14) also play important roles in the pathogenesis of the various forms of diabetes mellitus, but their exact mechanisms still need to be clarified. Higher chromogranin A, pancreastatin, and WE-14 levels have been reported in type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetic patients compared to healthy controls. A notable connection has been inferred through the observation that type 1 diabetes mellitus is not at all or rarely developed in chromogranin A gene-knockout, non-obese diabetic model mice compared to non-knockout, non-obese diabetic mice. Pancreastatin inhibits insulin release in various cell and animal models, and WE-14 serves as an autoantigen for both CD4+ and CD8+ beta cell-destructive diabetogenic T-cell clones in type 1 diabetes. Chromogranin A contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus according to the available literature. The current findings facilitate further investigation to unravel the deeper relationships between this glycoprotein and diabetes

Open source Web GIS solutions in disaster management - with special emphasis on inland excess water modeling

In recent years, the increased frequency of inland excess water in the Carpathian Basin gets more and more attention. The authors developed a web based pilot application for disaster management, with special emphasis on inland excess water hazard management. Free and open source software was used to generate a model, and our work was based on Web GIS standards (OGC), which makes further development possible. The developed Web GIS application provides functions to support the data collection regarding channels and ditches, and on-line hydrological analysis based on OGC Web Processing Services (WPS). Hydrological analysis aims to visualize the areas potentially at risk, depending on different precipitation quantities and various values of influencing factors. In order to run the prototype a sample data set was gathered including reference maps, technical parameters and current condition of canals and ditches. The methodology of crowdsourcing can produce valuable Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) that can fulfill the data requirements of disaster management applications. The prototype supports Crowdsourcing in the following aspects: free user access to the system’s analysis functionality, stakeholders may digitize the position of ditches, modify the status of the existing ditch system according to current conditions and add or modify parameters relevant for the analysis. The application demonstrated the usability of stakeholder generated geographic information and web processing for disaster management. The idea of integrating user-generated data into the various tasks of a disaster management agency is promising. However, maintaining data quality and standards compliance remain important issues

Testing Non-local Nucleon-Nucleon Interactions in the Four-Nucleon Systems

The Faddeev-Yakubovski equations are solved in configuration space for the $\alpha$-particle and n-$^3$H continuum states. We test the ability of nonlocal nucleon-nucleon interaction models to describe 3N and 4N systems.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

A szarvasmarha neonatalis Fc receptor (bFcRn) által mediált IgG katabolizmus és epithelialis transzport molekuláris szintű elemzése = Studies on the bovine FcRn mediated IgG catabolism and epithelial transport at molecular level

A pályázat révén jelentősen bővítettük a szarvasmarha FcRn (bFcRn) szerepéről alkotott ismereteinket arról hogyan szabályozza ez a receptor az IgG homeosztázisát. Egyik legfontosabb eredményünknek tartjuk, hogy tisztáztuk a bFcRn szerepét tőgy IgG transzport folyamatában. Felületi plazmon rezonancia elemzéseinkkel kimutattuk, hogy a receptor lényegesen nagyobb affinitással kötődik a bovin IgG2, mint az IgG1 izotípushoz. A tejmirigyben kifejeződő bFcRn transzgenikus egerek elemzésével pedig megállapítottuk, hogy a nagyobb mértékű receptor kifejeződés jelentősen növeli az állatok szérum IgG szintjét, és csak kismértékben a tej IgG koncentrációját. E két megfigyelés alapján kijelenthető, hogy a bFcRn a tőgyben nem az IgG1-et szekretálja, hanem az IgG2-t juttatja vissza a keringésbe, megakadályozza ennek az izotípusnak a tejbe történő kiürülését. Szarvasmarhában végzett IgG kiürülési vizsgálatainkkal megállapítottuk, hogy a bFcRn aktívan közreműködik az IgG lebomlásának szabályozásában. A bFcRn-t faj-specifikus, test szerte kifejeződő transzgenikus egerekben végzett elemzéseink kimutatták, hogy az FcRn kifejeződésének fokozása csökkenti az IgG lebomlását és immunizálást követően fokozza az antigén specifikus B limfociták termelődését. Ennek köszönhetően ezeknek az állatoknak az antigén specifikus ellenanyag termelése lényegesen meghaladja a hagyományos állatokét. Ez utóbbi felismerés gazdasági hasznosítására a kutatók létrehozták az ImmunoGenes Kft-et (www.immunogenes.com). | In the frame of this grant, we significantly extended our knowledge about the role of the bovine FcRn (bFcRn) in the IgG homeostasis. One of our most important results was to clarify the role of this receptor in the IgG transport during colostrum formation. By using surface plasmon resonance assay, we could show that the FcRn binds to bovine IgG2 at a much higher affinity as compared to the IgG1 isotype. Transgenic mice that express bFcRn exclusively in their mammary gland during lactation showed significantly higher serum IgG level, while the IgG concentration in the milk was only slightly increased. Based on these two observations, we concluded that the bFcRn recycles IgG2 to the blood from the mammary gland, instead of secreting IgG1 into colostrums/milk. Results on IgG clearance studies in cattle showed that the bFcRn plays an important role in IgG protection regulating its catabolism. Our other transgenic mice that express the bFcRn in species specific mode throughout the body showed reduced IgG catabolism and enhanced antigen specific B cell production upon immunization. Due to these two effects the antigen specific antibody production is significantly improved in these animals. Based on this latter observation researchers founded ImmunoGenes Kft (www.immunogenes.com) to execute a plan towards creating a profitable company

Novel NN interaction and the spectroscopy of light nuclei

Nucleon-nucleon (NN) phase shifts and the spectroscopy of $A \le 6$ nuclei are successfully described by an inverse scattering potential that is separable with oscillator form factors.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, 13 table