397 research outputs found
Expression of the murine cytomegalovirus glycoprotein H by recombinant vaccinia virus
The sequence of the gene encoding glycoprotein H (gH) of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) strain Smith was determined and compared with the sequence of the gH of MCMV strain K181. Transcriptional analysis showed that gH is encoded by a large mRNA of 5.0 kb, which is synthesized late in infection. A recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the MCMV gH open reading frame was constructed (Vac-gH). Anti-MCMV serum precipitated a protein of 87K from Vac-gH-infected cells. Reactivity with a monoclonal antibody showed the identity of the MCMV gH with a 87K envelope glycoprotein described previously by Loh and Qualtiere. Immunization of mice with the Vac-gH recombinant gave rise to an anti-gH serum, which neutralized MCMV without complement in vitro
Sequence Requirements for the Nuclear Localization of the Murine Cytomegalovirus M44 Gene Product pp50
AbstractThe murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) M44 gene product pp50 is normally present in the nuclei of virus-infected cells. During transient expression of pp50 in COS-1 cells, the phosphoprotein was readily detectable in the nuclei, indicating that it possesses a nuclear localization signal (NLS). Studies on the subcellular locations of N- and C-terminal deletion mutants of pp50 suggested that alterations in both the C terminus and the highly conserved N-terminal domains of pp50 affect nuclear localization. In particular, the C-terminal 11 amino acids of pp50, which includes a “KKQK” motif, were able to mediate the import of a β-galactosidase fusion protein into the nucleus. The pair of lysine residues in this motif constitutes an essential element of the C-terminal NLS as mutation of this motif to AAQK directly affected the nuclear localization of either pp50 or β-galactosidase fusion proteins containing the C-terminal portion of pp50. Furthermore our results indicated that the functionality of the C-terminal NLS is dependent on the structural integrity of the highly conserved N-terminal portion of the molecule, as deletion of amino acids 157–201 alone adversely affected nuclear localization. In the absence of a functional C-terminal NLS, the subcellular localization of pp50 is sensitive to potential conformational changes induced by mutations within the N-terminal half of the molecule. Under those circumstances, mutation of the YK residues at position 22–23 or deletion of amino acids 267–283 was sufficient to produce a protein that was impaired in nuclear import or retention
Antibodies for Assessing Circadian Clock Proteins in the Rodent Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Research on the mechanisms underlying circadian rhythmicity and the response of brain and body clocks to environmental and physiological challenges requires assessing levels of circadian clock proteins. Too often, however, it is difficult to acquire antibodies that specifically and reliably label these proteins. Many of these antibodies also lack appropriate validation. The goal of this project was to generate and characterize antibodies against several circadian clock proteins. We examined mice and hamsters at peak and trough times of clock protein expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In addition, we confirmed specificity by testing the antibodies on mice with targeted disruption of the relevant genes. Our results identify antibodies against PER1, PER2, BMAL1 and CLOCK that are useful for assessing circadian clock proteins in the SCN by immunocytochemistry
Study of boson production in association with beauty and charm
The associated production of a boson with a jet originating from either a
light parton or heavy-flavor quark is studied in the forward region using
proton-proton collisions. The analysis uses data corresponding to integrated
luminosities of 1.0 and collected with the LHCb detector
at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, respectively. The bosons are
reconstructed using the decay and muons with a transverse
momentum, , larger than 20 GeV in the pseudorapidity range
GeV
and . The sum of the muon and jet momenta must satisfy
GeV. The fraction of jet events that originate from beauty
and charm quarks is measured, along with the charge asymmetries of the
and production cross-sections. The ratio of the jet to
jet production cross-sections is also measured using the
decay. All results are in agreement with Standard Model predictions
Measurement of the mass and lifetime of the baryon
A proton-proton collision data sample, corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of 3 fb collected by LHCb at and 8 TeV, is used
to reconstruct , decays. Using the , decay mode for calibration, the lifetime ratio and absolute
lifetime of the baryon are measured to be \begin{align*}
\frac{\tau_{\Omega_b^-}}{\tau_{\Xi_b^-}} &= 1.11\pm0.16\pm0.03, \\
\tau_{\Omega_b^-} &= 1.78\pm0.26\pm0.05\pm0.06~{\rm ps}, \end{align*} where the
uncertainties are statistical, systematic and from the calibration mode (for
only). A measurement is also made of the mass difference,
, and the corresponding mass, which
yields \begin{align*} m_{\Omega_b^-}-m_{\Xi_b^-} &= 247.4\pm3.2\pm0.5~{\rm
MeV}/c^2, \\ m_{\Omega_b^-} &= 6045.1\pm3.2\pm 0.5\pm0.6~{\rm MeV}/c^2.
\end{align*} These results are consistent with previous measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, All figures and tables, along with any
supplementary material and additional information, are available at
https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-008.htm
Search for the rare decays and
A search for the rare decay of a or meson into the final
state is performed, using data collected by the LHCb experiment
in collisions at and TeV, corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of 3 fb. The observed number of signal candidates is
consistent with a background-only hypothesis. Branching fraction values larger
than for the decay mode are
excluded at 90% confidence level. For the decay
mode, branching fraction values larger than are excluded at
90% confidence level, this is the first branching fraction limit for this
decay.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-044.htm
Measurement of the lifetime
Using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of ,
collected by the LHCb experiment in collisions at centre-of-mass energies
of 7 and 8 TeV, the effective lifetime in the
decay mode, , is measured to be ps. Assuming
conservation, corresponds to the lifetime of the light
mass eigenstate. This is the first measurement of the effective
lifetime in this decay mode.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-017.htm
Evidence for the strangeness-changing weak decay
Using a collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity
of 3.0~fb, collected by the LHCb detector, we present the first search
for the strangeness-changing weak decay . No
hadron decay of this type has been seen before. A signal for this decay,
corresponding to a significance of 3.2 standard deviations, is reported. The
relative rate is measured to be
, where and
are the and fragmentation
fractions, and is the branching
fraction. Assuming is bounded between 0.1 and
0.3, the branching fraction would lie
in the range from to .Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, All figures and tables, along with any
supplementary material and additional information, are available at
https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-047.htm
Constraints on the unitarity triangle angle from Dalitz plot analysis of decays
The first study is presented of CP violation with an amplitude analysis of
the Dalitz plot of decays, with , and . The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to
of collisions collected with the LHCb detector. No
significant CP violation effect is seen, and constraints are placed on the
angle of the unitarity triangle formed from elements of the
Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix. Hadronic parameters associated
with the decay are determined for the first time. These
measurements can be used to improve the sensitivity to of existing and
future studies of the decay.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-059.html;
updated to correct figure 9 (numerical results unchanged
Observation of resonances consistent with pentaquark states in decays
Observations of exotic structures in the channel, that we refer to
as pentaquark-charmonium states, in decays are
presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3/fb
acquired with the LHCb detector from 7 and 8 TeV pp collisions. An amplitude
analysis is performed on the three-body final-state that reproduces the
two-body mass and angular distributions. To obtain a satisfactory fit of the
structures seen in the mass spectrum, it is necessary to include two
Breit-Wigner amplitudes that each describe a resonant state. The significance
of each of these resonances is more than 9 standard deviations. One has a mass
of MeV and a width of MeV, while the second
is narrower, with a mass of MeV and a width of MeV. The preferred assignments are of opposite parity, with one
state having spin 3/2 and the other 5/2.Comment: 48 pages, 18 figures including the supplementary material, v2 after
referee's comments, now 19 figure
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