Overlap of Promoter Recognition Specificity of Stress Response Sigma Factors SigD and SigH in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032

Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 harbors five sigma subunits of RNA polymerase belonging to Group IV, also called extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors. These factors σC, σD, σE, σH, and σM are mostly involved in stress responses. The role of σD consists in the control of cell wall integrity. The σD regulon is involved in the synthesis of components of the mycomembrane which is part of the cell wall in C. glutamicum. RNA sequencing of the transcriptome from a strain overexpressing the sigD gene provided 29 potential σD-controlled genes and enabled us to precisely localize their transcriptional start sites. Analysis of the respective promoters by both in vitro transcription and the in vivo two-plasmid assay confirmed that transcription of 11 of the tested genes is directly σD-dependent. The key sequence elements of all these promoters were found to be identical or closely similar to the motifs -35 GTAACA/G and -10 GAT. Surprisingly, nearly all of these σD-dependent promoters were also active to a much lower extent with σHin vivo and one (Pcg0607) also in vitro, although the known highly conserved consensus sequence of the σH-dependent promoters is different (-35 GGAAT/C and -10 GTT). In addition to the activity of σH at the σD-controlled promoters, we discovered separated or overlapping σA- or σB-regulated or σH-regulated promoters within the upstream region of 8 genes of the σD-regulon. We found that phenol in the cultivation medium acts as a stress factor inducing expression of some σD-dependent genes. Computer modeling revealed that σH binds to the promoter DNA in a similar manner as σD to the analogous promoter elements. The homology models together with mutational analysis showed that the key amino acids, Ala 60 in σD and Lys 53 in σH, bind to the second nucleotide within the respective -10 promoter elements (GAT and GTT, respectively). The presented data obtained by integrating in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches demonstrate that most of the σD-controlled genes also belong to the σH-regulon and are also transcribed from the overlapping or closely located housekeeping (σA-regulated) and/or general stress (σB-regulated) promoters

Methanotrophy, Methylotrophy, the Human Body and Disease

Methylotrophic Bacteria use one-carbon (C1) compounds as their carbon source. They have been known to be associated to the human body for almost 20 years as part of the normal flora and were identified as pathogens in the early 1990s in end-stage HIV patients and chemotherapy patients. In this chapter, I look at C1 compounds in the human body and exposure from the environment and then consider Methylobacterium spp. and Methylorubrum spp. in terms of infections, its role in breast and bowel cancers; Methylococcus capsulatus and its role in inflammatory bowel disease, and Brevibacterium casei and Hyphomicrobium sulfonivorans as part of the normal human flora. I also consider the abundance of methylotrophs from the Actinobacteria being identified in human studies and the potential bias of the ionic strength of culture media and the needs for future work. Within the scope of future work, I consider the need for the urgent assessment of the pathogenic, oncogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic potential of Methylobacterium spp. and Methylorubrum spp. and the need to handle them at higher containment levels until more data are available

Images of Typical Continuous Functions

It follows from the Baire theorem that comeagre sets in complete metric spaces are "topologically large". Properties that are satisfied by a large set are called typical. The proofs of statements concerning typical properties of continuous functions are the main part of this work. For this purpose, the necessary definitions are introduced in the first chapter and the completeness of spaces of continuous functions is proved. As the first example of a typical property, in the second chapter we prove the Banach-Mazurkiewicz theorem, which states that non-differentiability is a typical property. The third chapter of this thesis is devoted to the study of typical properties of continuous mappings of the unit interval into the plane. In the last chapter, statements regarding the typical properties of continuous mappings of the unit interval into Euclidean spaces of higher dimensions are proved.

Images of Typical Continuous Functions

It follows from the Baire theorem that comeagre sets in complete metric spaces are "topologically large". Properties that are satisfied by a large set are called typical. The proofs of statements concerning typical properties of continuous functions are the main part of this work. For this purpose, the necessary definitions are introduced in the first chapter and the completeness of spaces of continuous functions is proved. As the first example of a typical property, in the second chapter we prove the Banach-Mazurkiewicz theorem, which states that non-differentiability is a typical property. The third chapter of this thesis is devoted to the study of typical properties of continuous mappings of the unit interval into the plane. In the last chapter, statements regarding the typical properties of continuous mappings of the unit interval into Euclidean spaces of higher dimensions are proved. 1Z Baireovy věty plyne, že residuální množiny v úplných metrických prostorech jsou "topologicky velké". Vlastnosti, které splňuje velká množina, se nazývají typické. Hlavní částí této práce jsou důkazy tvrzení, týkající se typických vlastností spojitých funkcí. Za tímto účelem jsou v první kapitole zavedeny potřebné definice a dokázána úplnost pro- storů spojitých funkcí. Jako první příklad typické vlastnosti je v druhé kapitole dokázána Banach-Mazurkiewiczova věta, která tvrdí, že nediferencovatelnost je typická vlastnost. Třetí kapitola této práce je věnována studiu typických vlastností spojitých zobrazení jednotkového intervalu do roviny. V poslední kapitole jsou dokázána tvrzení ohledně ty- pických vlastností spojitých zobrazení jednotkového intervalu do euklidovských prostorů vyšších dimenzí. 1Department of Mathematical AnalysisKatedra matematické analýzyFaculty of Mathematics and PhysicsMatematicko-fyzikální fakult

Prices in the czech foreign trade

The paper examines the Czech export and import prices (unit values, kilogram prices) in the year 2000 on the basis of detailed (product) level. The present export/import price relations in the two-way-trade are not favourable. The findings suggest a residual specialization of the Czech exports on down market products. But terms of trade development observed over the recent period (1994 - 2000) is positive: Whereas average export prices have risen rapidly, the increase of import prices has been much lower. The best results have been achieved in trade with products of motor car industry, mechanical engineering, electrical machinery, office machinery and computers. On the other side of the scale are products of metalurgy and chemical industry. High correlation has been found between foreign capital engagement and sectoral export/import prices performance.terms of trade, prices in international trade, unit values

Prices in trade of the Czech republic with member countries of the European union

Empirical research on the differences between unit values in the EU's trade with the Czech Republic and the intra-EU average has shown a significant changes. The comparative level of manufacturing products imported from the Czech republic has increased, the comparative level of products exported to the Czech republic has decreased. The price-gaps, inherited from the communist regime have been substantially reduced. Most remarkable changes of the comparative prices took place in trade with products of metalworking industries. The favourable development of price relations in the Czech foreign trade has been an important element underlying balance of payments performance, it has contributed to the nominal and real improvements of Czech krown and shoud play an importent role in the process of convergence. The analysis is based on Eurostat Comext Database.convergence, competitiveness, integration, terms of trade, prices in international trade, unit values, international trade, comparative price level