On non-normality in the Bayesian approach to the analysis of variance and regression theory.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-13, Section: A. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1973

Polymorphism of the tumor necrosis factor beta gene in systemic lupus erythematosus

We investigated the Nco I restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the tumor necrosis factor beta (TNFB) gene in 173 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 192 unrelated healthy controls, and eleven panel families, all of German origin. The phenotype frequency of the TNFB*I allele was significantly increased in patients compared to controls (63.6% vs 47.1%, RR = 1.96, p <0.002). The results of a two-point haplotype statistical analysis between TNFB and HLA alleles show that there is linkage disequilibrium between TNFB*I and HLA-A1, Cw7, B8, DR3, DQ2, and C4A DE. The frequency of TNFB*I was compared in SLE patients and controls in the presence or absence of each of these alleles. TNFB*I is increased in patients over controls only in the presence of the mentioned alleles. Therefore, the whole haplotypeA1, Cw7, B8, TNFB* I, C4A DE, DR3, DQ2 is increased in patients and it cannot be determined which of the genes carried by this haplotype is responsible for the susceptibility to SLE. In addition, two-locus associations were analyzed in 192 unrelated healthy controls for TNFB and class I alleles typed by serology, and for TNFB and class II alleles typed by polymerase chain reaction/oligonucleotide probes. We found positive linkage disequilibrium between TNFB*I and the following alleles: HLA-A24, HLA-B8, DRBI*0301, DRBI*ll04, DRBI*1302, DQAI*0501, DQBI*0201, DQBI*0604, and DPBI*OIO1. TNFB*2 is associated with HLA-B7, DRBI*1501, and DQB I *0602

Fatal attraction of Caenorhabditis elegans to predatory fungi through 6-methyl-salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a phenolic phytohormone which controls plant growth and development. A methyl ester (MSA) derivative thereof is volatile and involved in plant-insect or plant-plant communication. Here we show that the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans uses a methyl-salicylic acid isomer, 6-MSA as morphogen for spatiotemporal control of trap formation and as chemoattractant to lure Caenorhabditis elegans into fungal colonies. 6-MSA is the product of a polyketide synthase and an intermediate in the biosynthesis of arthrosporols. The polyketide synthase (ArtA), produces 6-MSA in hyphal tips, and is uncoupled from other enzymes required for the conversion of 6-MSA to arthrosporols, which are produced in older hyphae. 6-MSA and arthrosporols both block trap formation. The presence of nematodes inhibits 6-MSA and arthrosporol biosyntheses and thereby enables trap formation. 6-MSA and arthrosporols are thus morphogens with some functions similar to quorum-sensing molecules. We show that 6-MSA is important in interkingdom communication between fungi and nematodes

MetExtract: a new software tool for the automated comprehensive extraction of metabolite-derived LC/MS signals in metabolomics research

Motivation: Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is a key technique in metabolomics. Since the efficient assignment of MS signals to true biological metabolites becomes feasible in combination with in vivo stable isotopic labelling, our aim was to provide a new software tool for this purpose