Cg-Rel, the first Rel/NF-κB homolog characterized in a mollusk, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

AbstractWe report here the identification and functional characterization of Cg-Rel, a gene encoding the Crassostrea gigas homolog of Rel/NF-κB transcription factors found in insects and mammals. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that Cg-Rel shares the structural organization of Rel/NF-κB transcription factors of class II. It includes a Rel homology domain as well as a C-terminal transactivation domain (TD). Overexpression of Cg-Rel in the Drosophila S2 cell line activated the expression of a NF-κB-dependent reporter gene, whereas transfection with a Cg-Rel construct containing a C-terminal deletion of the TD or using a reporter gene with mutated κB binding sites failed to activate expression. These results suggest that Cg-Rel is a functional member of the Rel family of transcription factors, making this the sixth structurally homologous component of the Rel/NF-κB pathway characterized in C. gigas. Based on homology to other invertebrates’ Rel/NF-κB cascade, the function of the oyster pathway may serve to regulate genes involved in innate defense and/or development. These findings serve to highlight a potentially important regulatory pathway to the study of oyster immunology, hence allowing comparison of the immune system in vertebrates and invertebrates, an important key issue to understand its evolution

New fullerene derivatives for the photovoltaic application

Cyclopropano[70]fullerenes have been synthesized in the aim of being used as acceptors in blends based on regioregular poly (3,5-Hexylthiophene) RR-P3HT for photovoltaic (PV) plastic cells. These molecules used with RR-P3HT in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) configuration provided interesting characteristics: 1.5% solar conversion efficiency, 9.29 mA/cm² current density, 0.51 V open circuit voltage, and 0.34 fill factor. The IPCE spectrum for P3HT: cyclopropano[70]fullerene cells shows a peak around 430 nm with 71% external quantum efficiency. This result justifies the increased current density

Spontaneous optical structuring effect in azo-polymers

27 – 31 Octobre 200

Photovoltaic Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells: Electromagnetic Field Optimization

May 31-June 3 (2005

Characterization of Materials and Multilayer Structures of Organic Solar Cell by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

January 15-20 (2006

Optimisation du Champ Electromagnétique dans une Cellule Solaire Organique

14-17 septembre 200

Demonstration of a Software for Automatic Optimization of the Solar Energy Dissipated in Organic Solar Cells

January 15-20 (2006

Characterization of Materials and Multilayer Structures of Organic Solar Cells by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

August 13-17 (2006