Defining the chromatin signature of inducible genes in T cells

BACKGROUND Specific chromatin characteristics, especially the modification status of the core histone proteins, are associated with active and inactive genes. There is growing evidence that genes that respond to environmental or developmental signals may possess distinct chromatin marks. Using a T cell model and both genome-wide and gene-focused approaches, we examined the chromatin characteristics of genes that respond to T cell activation. RESULTS To facilitate comparison of genes with similar basal expression levels, we used expression-profiling data to bin genes according to their basal expression levels. We found that inducible genes in the lower basal expression bins, especially rapidly induced primary response genes, were more likely than their non-responsive counterparts to display the histone modifications of active genes, have RNA polymerase II (Pol II) at their promoters and show evidence of ongoing basal elongation. There was little or no evidence for the presence of active chromatin marks in the absence of promoter Pol II on these inducible genes. In addition, we identified a subgroup of genes with active promoter chromatin marks and promoter Pol II but no evidence of elongation. Following T cell activation, we find little evidence for a major shift in the active chromatin signature around inducible gene promoters but many genes recruit more Pol II and show increased evidence of elongation. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the majority of inducible genes are primed for activation by having an active chromatin signature and promoter Pol II with or without ongoing elongation

Cultural molding, shielding, and shoring at Oilco: the role of culture in the integration of routines

We explore how organizational culture shapes an organization’s integration and enactment of an external routine that is not a cultural fit. Attending to employees’ use of culture as a repertoire of strategies of action, we found that the use of familiar cultural strategies of action shaped the routine’s artifacts and expectations even before it was performed, a process we call cultural molding. Subsequently, employees drew differently on cultural strategies of action as they performed the routine, generating patterns of workarounds or hindered performances. In response to these patterns, they undertook additional cultural work to either shield their workarounds and protect them from scrutiny or shore up hindered performances. We contribute to the routine dynamics literature by highlighting the effortful cultural work involved in integrating coveted routines, furthering our understanding of routines as truces and the embeddedness of routines.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Grant 430-2012-195

4-(4-Chloro­phen­yl)-4-hy­droxy­piperidinium maleate maleic acid solvate

In the cation of the title compound, C11H15ClNO+·C4H3O4 −·C4H4O4, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the chlorine-substituted aromatic ring and the 4-hy­droxy­piperidinium ring (C–C–C–C–C–N) is 61.9 (8)°. Intra­molecular O—H⋯O and inter­molecular O—H⋯O and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding, as well as weak π-stacking inter­actions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.646 (5) Å] help to establish the packing

Defining the chromatin signature of inducible genes in T cells

Inducible genes in T cells show the chromatin characteristics of active genes, suggesting they are primed for transcription

Development of a novel, impurity-scavenging, corrosion-resistant coating for Ni-based superalloy CMSX-4

Sulfur, a common impurity arising from atmospheric and environmental contamination, is highly corrosive and detrimental to the lifespan of nickel superalloys in jet engines. However, sulfur-scavenging coatings have yet to be explored. Our study presents the successful development of a stable, uniform, impurity-scavenging Ni-Mn coating on Ni-based superalloy CMSX-4, through electroplating. The coating was characterised via combined scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. An optimal coating thickness of > 600 nm was deposited. The coated alloy was exposed to corrosive salt mixture 98% Na2SO4–2% NaCl at 550 °C for 100 h, mimicking engine exposure conditions, thereby proving that the coating successfully trapped sulfur and prevented its diffusion into an underlying alloy. This work presents a promising development for the prevention of sulfur-induced corrosion in industrial setting such as gas turbine engine, where the effects of sulfur diffusion into the bulk alloy could lead to premature failure

2-(4-Chloro­phen­yl)-6-meth­oxy­chroman-4-one

In the title mol­ecule, C16H13Cl O3, the two aromatic rings form a dihedral angle of 65.3 (1)°. In the crystal structure, weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into centrosymmetric dimers, which are further packed into columns propagating in [100] by weak C—H⋯π inter­actions

(2E)-1-(2,5-Dichloro-3-thien­yl)-3-(6-meth­oxy-2-naphth­yl)prop-2-en-1-one

In the title compound, C18H12Cl2O2S, the dihedral angle between the thio­phene ring and the naphthalene ring system is 2.13 (4)°. In the crystal, pairs of weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form centrosymmetric dimers