Surface plasmon resonance study of the actin-myosin sarcomeric complex and tubulin dimers

Biosensors based on the principle of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection were used to measure biomolecular interactions in sarcomeres and changes of the dielectric constant of tubulin samples with varying concentration. At SPR, photons of laser light efficiently excite surface plasmons propagating along a metal (gold) film. This resonance manifests itself as a sharp minimum in the reflection of the incident laser light and occurs at a characteristic angle. The dependence of the SPR angle on the dielectric permittivity of the sample medium adjacent to the gold film allows the monitoring of molecular interactions at the surface. We present results of measurements of cross-bridge attachment/detachment within intact mouse heart muscle sarcomeres and measurements on bovine tubulin molecules pertinent to cytoskeletal signal transduction models.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Modern Optics *Corresponding author: Andreas Mershin ([email protected]

Upending the Social Ecological Model to Guide Health Promotion Efforts Toward Policy and Environmental Change

Efforts to change policies and the environments in which people live, work, and play have gained increasing attention over the past several decades. Yet health promotion frameworks that illustrate the complex processes that produce health-enhancing structural changes are limited. Building on the experiences of health educators, community activists, and community-based researchers described in this supplement and elsewhere, as well as several political, social, and behavioral science theories, we propose a new framework to organize our thinking about producing policy, environmental, and other structural changes. We build on the social ecological model, a framework widely employed in public health research and practice, by turning it inside out, placing health-related and other social policies and environments at the center, and conceptualizing the ways in which individuals, their social networks, and organized groups produce a community context that fosters healthy policy and environmental development. We conclude by describing how health promotion practitioners and researchers can foster structural change by (1) conveying the health and social relevance of policy and environmental change initiatives, (2) building partnerships to support them, and (3) promoting more equitable distributions of the resources necessary for people to meet their daily needs, control their lives, and freely participate in the public sphere

Multimodality and Memory in the Mise en page of Guillaume de Machaut's Mass

Guillaume de Machaut’s mass survives in only five manuscripts, which all form part of the surprisingly homogeneous ‘complete works’ set of Machaut manuscripts. In this contribution, I argue that the details of mise en page in these manuscripts are reflective both of scribal memorial processes and multimodality in action: in this work where one of the major modes (image) is absent, the musical notation itself takes on an additional aesthetic role, that of visual beauty. In these manuscripts, the mass takes its place within the music section, surrounded there by lays, motets, virelais, and rondeaux, these surrounded (or preceded) by courtly ‘dits’ and lyrics not set to music. Four of these five manuscripts are illuminated, and all provide musical notation: all, therefore, are overtly multimodal. Despite the lavish illumination in the manuscripts, the mass is never adorned with a miniature, nor is it mentioned in Machaut’s ‘Prologue’ to his works. The aesthetic beauty of the mise en page of the mass, therefore, is derived from the musical notation, while the text-music setting shows a distinct divide between the two contrasting compositional techniques of the mass

Required Skills for Teachers: Information Literacy at the Top

European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) 2017: Information Literacy in the Workplace, held in Saint Malo, France, 18-21 SeptemberThis study seeks to contribute to a reflection on teachers’ training and professional development in the field of information literacy, in Portugal. Aspects regarding teacher training and their role as spreaders of knowledge and multipliers of good practices are problematized. UNESCO’s curriculum for teachers and ACRL guidelines are used methodologically as the central thread of this interpretation. From here we seek to explain how a higher education institution – an Institute of Education -, which is devoted to the professional development of educators, including teachers, has engaged in information literacy actions through training interventions, in recent years. The study concludes that through sharing and dialogue within the librarian profession, but also within the sphere of education professionals - teachers and trainers - the best training practices in university libraries can be consolidated. Finally, certain points for reflection and debate concerning this theme are proposed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Angiotensin II activates at least two tyrosine kinases in rat liver epithelial cells. Separation of the major calcium-regulated tyrosine kinase from p125(FAK)

In rat liver epithelial cell lines (WB or GN4), angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulates cytosolic tyrosine kinase activity, in part, through a calcium-dependent mechanism. In other cell types, selected hormones that activate Gi- or Gq-coupled receptors stimulate the soluble tyrosine kinase, p125FAK. Immunoprecipitation of p125FAK from Ang II-activated GN4 cells demonstrated a doubling of p125FAK kinase activity. However, an additional Ang II-activated tyrosine kinase (or kinases) representing the majority of the total activity was detected when the remaining cell lysate, immunodepleted of p125FAK, was reimmunoprecipitated with an anti-phosphotyrosine antibody. Cytochalasin D pretreatment blocks G-protein receptor-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation in Swiss 3T3 cells. While cytochalasin D decreased the Tyr(P) content of 65-75-kDa substrates in Ang II-treated GN4 cells, it did not diminish tyrosine phosphorylation of 115-130-kDa substrates, again suggesting activation of at least two tyrosine kinase pathways in GN4 cells. To search for additional Ang II-activated enzymes, we used molecular techniques to identify 20 tyrosine kinase sequences in these cell lines. None was the major cytosolic enzyme activated by Ang II. Specifically, JAK2, which had been shown by others to be stimulated by Ang II in smooth muscle cells, was not activated by Ang II in GN4 cells. Finally, we purified Tyr(P)-containing tyrosine kinases from Ang II-treated cells, using anti-Tyr(P) and ATP affinity resins; 80% of the tyrosine kinase activity migrated as a single 115-120-kDa tyrosine-phosphorylated protein immunologically distinct from p125FAK. In summary, Ang II activates at least two separate tyrosine kinases in rat liver epithelial cells; p125FAK and a presumably novel, cytosolic 115-120-kDa protein referred to as the calcium-dependent tyrosine kinase

Signal transduction by integrins: increased protein tyrosine phosphorylation caused by clustering of beta 1 integrins.

The integrin family of cell adhesion receptors mediates many of the interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix. Because the extracellular matrix has profound influences on cell behavior, it seems likely that integrins transduce biochemical signals across the cell membrane. The nature of these putative signals has, thus far, remained elusive. Antibody-mediated clustering of integrin receptors was used to mimic the integrin clustering process that occurs during formation of adhesive contacts. Human epidermal carcinoma (KB) cells were incubated with an anti-beta 1 integrin monoclonal antibody for 30 min on ice followed by incubation at 37 degrees C with anti-rat IgG. This treatment, which induced integrin clustering, stimulated the phosphorylation on tyrosine residues of a 115- to 130-kDa complex of proteins termed pp130. When integrins were clustered in the presence of the phosphatase inhibitor sodium orthovanadate, pp130 showed a substantial increase in phosphorylation compared to the case in which integrins were clustered in the absence of vanadate. Maximal pp130 phosphorylation was observed 10-20 min after initiation of integrin clustering in the absence of vanadate or after 5-10 min in its presence. These time courses roughly parallel the formation of integrin clusters on the cell surface as observed by fluorescence microscopy. pp130 phosphorylation depended on the amount of anti-integrin antibody present. Additionally, the tyrosine phosphorylation of pp130 showed specificity since it was stimulated by antibodies to the integrin alpha 3 and beta 1 subunits but not by antibodies to other integrin alpha subunits or to nonintegrin cell surface proteins. Immunoprecipitation experiments clearly demonstrated that pp130 is not itself a beta 1 integrin. It is postulated, therefore, that the integrin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of pp130 may reflect part of an important signal transduction process between the extracellular matrix and the cell interior

ZFX Mediates Non-canonical Oncogenic Functions of the Androgen Receptor Splice Variant 7 in Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) is crucial for prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. We show that, independent of ligand, AR-V7 binds both androgen-responsive elements (AREs) and non-canonical sites distinct from full-length AR (AR-FL) targets. Consequently, AR-V7 not only recapitulates AR-FL's partial functions but also regulates an additional gene expression program uniquely via binding to gene promoters rather than ARE enhancers. AR-V7 binding and AR-V7-mediated activation at these unique targets do not require FOXA1 but rely on ZFX and BRD4. Knockdown of ZFX or select unique targets of AR-V7/ZFX, or BRD4 inhibition, suppresses growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer cells. We also define an AR-V7 direct target gene signature that correlates with AR-V7 expression in primary tumors, differentiates metastatic prostate cancer from normal, and predicts poor prognosis. Thus, AR-V7 has both ARE/FOXA1 canonical and ZFX-directed non-canonical regulatory functions in the evolution of anti-androgen therapeutic resistance, providing information to guide effective therapeutic strategies. By cistrome profiling of endogenous androgen receptor (AR) versus an AR splice variant, AR-V7, Cai et al. uncovered non-canonical pathways uniquely targeted by AR-V7 and ZFX, a previously unknown AR-V7 partner. Targeting cofactors (ZFX or BRD4) or non-canonical downstream pathways of AR-V7 provides potential therapeutic ways for treating prostate cancer

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates EGF receptor synthesis

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) binds to the extracellular domain of a specific 170,000-dalton transmembrane glycoprotein; this results in rapid removal of both ligand and receptor from the cell surface. In WB cells, a rat hepatic epithelial cell line, ligand-directed receptor internalization leads to receptor degradation. We tested whether the EGF receptor was replenished at a constitutive or enhanced rate following EGF binding by immunoprecipitating biosynthetically labeled EGF receptor from cells cultured with [35S]methionine. EGF stimulated receptor synthesis within 2 h in a dose-dependent manner; this was particularly evident when examining the nascent form of the receptor. To determine the site of EGF action, total WB cell RNA was transferred to nitrocellulose paper after electrophoresis and was hybridized to cDNA probes from both the external and cytoplasmic coding regions of the human EGF receptor. EGF increased receptor mRNA by 3-5-fold. Therefore, at least in some cells, the surface action of EGF that leads to EGF receptor degradation is counterbalanced by a positive effect on receptor synthesis

Zoneamento agroecológico do Município de Anastácio - MS.

A Embrapa Solos, em parceria com a Secretaria de Estado de Desenvolvimento Agrário, da Produção, da Indústria, do Comércio e do Turismo - SEPROTUR, realizou o Zoneamento Agroecológico do Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul - Fase II - com objetivo de contribuir na indicação de áreas passíveis de exploração agrícola sustentável. No desenvolvimento desse trabalho foram considerados aspectos legais, restrições ambientais, potencial das culturas, aspectos do clima, de geomorfologia e dos solos, todos integrados em ambiente de sistema de informação geográfica com apoio de algebra de mapas, no intuito de avaliar a adequabilidade de uso das terras e apresentar uma proposição de planejamento de uso e ocupação das terras. Os resultados foram consolidados por município e dão origem a esse boletim de pesquisa. No município de Anastácio, as terras indicadas para o uso com lavouras somam 1.425 km², o que equivale a aproximadamente 50% da área total do município, enquanto que as recomendadas para pastagem equivalem a 26,5% e as áreas recomendadas para pastagem especial ou cultivo de arroz correspondem a cerca de 20% da área do município que corresponde a algo como 578 km². Nestas unidades é fundamental avaliar criteriosamente a utilização de pastagens nestas terras quando essas ainda se encontram sob cobertura vegetal, visto que, praticamente 20% destas terras ainda permanecem com vegetação natural em seus diversos graus de conservação. As terras recomendadas para conservação dos recursos naturais equivalem a menos de 80 km², as quais constituem áreas de alta fragilidade ambiental e/ ou apresentam restrições legais de uso como áreas de preservação permanente. As áreas identificadas como zonas recomendadas para recuperação ambiental equivalem a 80 km² e constituem áreas de moderada a alta fragilidade ambiental e/ou que apresentam restrições legais de uso e que já foram desmatadas para o uso com pastagens/agricultura. A área do município de Anastácio apresenta alto grau de ação antrópica das terras, onde mais de 75% das terras sendo utilizadas com pastagens e/ou com agricultura, enquanto que apenas 25% ainda apresentam certo grau de preservação.bitstream/item/141618/1/BPD-202-Zon-Anastacio.pd

Zoneamento agroecológico do Município de Bela Vista - MS.

A Embrapa Solos em parceria com a Secretaria de Estado de Desenvolvimento Agrário, da Produção, da Indústria, do Comércio e do Turismo - SEPROTUR realizou o Zoneamento Agroecológico do Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul - Fase I - com objetivo de contribuir na indicação de áreas passíveis de exploração agrícola sustentável. No desenvolvimento desse trabalho foram considerados aspectos legais, restrições ambientais, potencial das culturas, aspectos do clima, de geomorfologia e dos solos, todos integrados em ambiente de sistema de informação geográfica com apoio de algebra de mapas, no intuito de avaliar a adequabilidade de uso das terras e apresentar uma proposição de planejamento de uso e ocupação das terras. Os resultados desse trabalho foram consolidados por município e dão origem a esse boletim de pesquisa, específico para o município de Bela Vista. As zonas agroecológicas recomendadas para o uso com lavouras somam cerca de 206.000 ha, enquanto que as terras indicadas para o uso com pastagens equivalem a 36% da área total do município. É importante destacar que as terras do Município de Bela Vista apresentam alto grau de degradação antrópica, mais de 75% das terras estão sendo utilizadas com pastagens e com agricultura com algum nível de degradação. Nesse sentido exige-se ações de correção ambiental quanto à recuperação de áreas de preservação permanente e a elaboração e adoção de um plano participativo de uso sustentado dos recursos naturais.bitstream/item/25439/1/bpd143-2009-bela-vista-ms.pd