Chiral symmetry in the 2-flavour lattice Schwinger model

We study the 2-flavour lattice Schwinger model: QED in D=2 with two fermion species of identical mass. In the simulation we are using Wilson fermions where chiral symmetry is explicitly broken. Since there is no known simple order parameter it is non-trivial to identify the critical line of the chiral phase transition. We therefore need to find observables which allow an identification of a possible restoration of chiral symmetry. We utilize the PCAC-relations in order to identify the critical coupling, where chiral symmetry is restored.Comment: 3 pages (LaTeX), 4 figures (EPS

Charge Fluctuations and Counterion Condensation

We predict a condensation phenomenon in an overall neutral system, consisting of a single charged plate and its oppositely charged counterions. Based on the ``two-fluid'' model, in which the counterions are divided into a ``free'' and a ``condensed'' fraction, we argue that for high surface charge, fluctuations can lead to a phase transition in which a large fraction of counterions is condensed. Furthermore, we show that depending on the valence, the condensation is either a first-order or a smooth transition.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure, accepted to be published in PR

TYK2 Kinase Activity Is Required for Functional Type I Interferon Responses In Vivo

Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is a member of the Janus kinase (JAK) family and is involved in cytokine signalling. In vitro analyses suggest that TYK2 also has kinase-independent, i.e., non-canonical, functions. We have generated gene-targeted mice harbouring a mutation in the ATP-binding pocket of the kinase domain. The Tyk2 kinase-inactive (Tyk2K923E) mice are viable and show no gross abnormalities. We show that kinase-active TYK2 is required for full-fledged type I interferon- (IFN) induced activation of the transcription factors STAT1-4 and for the in vivo antiviral defence against viruses primarily controlled through type I IFN actions. In addition, TYK2 kinase activity was found to be required for the protein’s stability. An inhibitory function was only observed upon over-expression of TYK2K923E in vitro. Tyk2K923E mice represent the first model for studying the kinase-independent function of a JAK in vivo and for assessing the consequences of side effects of JAK inhibitors

Microsatellites for the genus Cucurbita and an SSR-based genetic linkage map of Cucurbita pepo L.

Until recently, only a few microsatellites have been available for Cucurbita, thus their development is highly desirable. The Austrian oil-pumpkin variety Gleisdorfer Ölkürbis (C. pepo subsp. pepo) and the C. moschata cultivar Soler (Puerto Rico) were used for SSR development. SSR-enriched partial genomic libraries were established and 2,400 clones were sequenced. Of these 1,058 (44%) contained an SSR at least four repeats long. Primers were designed for 532 SSRs; 500 primer pairs produced fragments of expected size. Of these, 405 (81%) amplified polymorphic fragments in a set of 12 genotypes: three C. moschata, one C. ecuadorensis, and eight C. pepo representing all eight cultivar groups. On an average, C. pepo and C. moschata produced 3.3 alleles per primer pair, showing high inter-species transferability. There were 187 SSR markers detecting polymorphism between the USA oil-pumpkin variety “Lady Godiva” (O5) and the Italian crookneck variety “Bianco Friulano” (CN), which are the parents of our previous F2 mapping population. It has been used to construct the first published C. pepo map, containing mainly RAPD and AFLP markers. Now the updated map comprises 178 SSRs, 244 AFLPs, 230 RAPDs, five SCARs, and two morphological traits (h and B). It contains 20 linkage groups with a map density of 2.9 cM. The observed genome coverage (Co) is 86.8%

The Notch gene regulatory network during somitogenesis.

The Delta/Notch gene regulatory network (Notch – GRN) is a cell-to-cell signalling pathway with pleiotropic and essential functions during mammalian development and adult homeostasis. The GSF – Institutes of Experimental Genetics and of Biomathematics and Biometry have initiated an interdisciplinary approach combining the expertises of theoretical and experimental biologists to begin to model the Notch – GRN during mesodermal patterning. In this embryogenic process, we regard the Notch - GRN as a generic thematic unit to begin to study regulatory systems at a whole. Our current mathematical model simulates the in situ expression of selected Notch pathway genes in each of thousands of presomitic cells in 3D. The further development of the E-cells model requires the integration of quantitative data and the identification of novel factors that are co-regulated within the Notch – GRN. The presentation will thus focus on the biological background of somitogenesis and our recent experimental findings. We have been studying the regulation of the Notch ligand Delta1 (Dll1) at the cis-regulatory level, the functional requirement of Dll1 signalling during patterning and differentiation of the paraxial mesoderm, the identification of novel direct interactors of the Dll1 protein and the identification of novel Notch target genes. The data resulting from these experimental studies are an indispensable basis for our collaborative effort to extend and refine our in silico mathematical simulations of the Notch - GRN