Characterization of Promoter Activities of Four Different Japanese Flounder Promoters in Transgenic Zebrafish

An important consideration in transgenic research is the choice of promoter for regulating the expression of a foreign gene. In this study several tissue-specific and inducible promoters derived from Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus were identified, and their promoter activity was examined in transgenic zebrafish. The 5′ flanking regions of the Japanese flounder complement component C3, gelatinase B, keratin, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) genes were linked to green fluorescence protein (GFP) as a reporter gene. The promoter regulatory constructs were introduced into fertilized zebrafish eggs. As a result we obtained several stable transgenic zebrafish that displayed green fluorescence in different tissues. Complement component C3 promoter regulated GFP expression in liver, and gelatinase B promoter regulated it in the pectoral fin and gills. Keratin promoter regulated GFP expression in skin and liver. TNF gene promoter regulated GFP expression in the pharynx and heart. TNF promoter had lipoplysaccharide-inducible activity, such that when transgenic embryos were immersed lipopolysaccharide, GFP expression increased in the epithelial tissues. These 4 promoters regulated the expression of GFP in different patterns in transgenic zebrafish

Targeting Huntington’s disease through histone deacetylases

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition with significant burdens on both patient and healthcare costs. Despite extensive research, treatment options for patients with this condition remain limited. Aberrant post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins is emerging as an important element in the pathogenesis of HD. These PTMs include acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation, sumoylation and ubiquitination. Several families of proteins are involved with the regulation of these PTMs. In this review, I discuss the current evidence linking aberrant PTMs and/or aberrant regulation of the cellular machinery regulating these PTMs to HD pathogenesis. Finally, I discuss the evidence suggesting that pharmacologically targeting one of these protein families the histone deacetylases may be of potential therapeutic benefit in the treatment of HD

Small asymmetric anthracene-thiophene compounds as organic thin-film transistors

Anthracene and thiophene compounds are promising materials for OTFTs. We report here, the synthesis, as well as the physical, thermal, and optoelectronic properties of alkyl-substituted asymmetric anthracene-thiophene compounds connected by a bridged triple bond. The target molecules were synthesized using 2-bromoanthracene as the starting material, and the proceeding reactions included alkylation, bromination, and the Sonogashira coupling reaction. The synthesized compounds were both thermally and electrochemically stable. Among the synthesized compounds, HTEA (7a) and DTEA (7b) showed mobility and on/off ratio values of 1.3x10(-1) cm(2)/V s, 2.6 x 10(6) and 2.0x10(-2) cm(2)/V s, 1.0x10(6), respectively. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.X111111sciescopu

Synthesis and Transistor Properties of Asymmetric Oligothiophenes: Relationship between Molecular Structure and Device Performance

A series of three thiophene-naphthalene-based asymmetric oligomers5-decyl-2,2:5,2:5,2-quaterthiophene (DtT), 5-decyl-5-(naphthalen-2-yl)-2,2:5,2-terthiophene (D3TN), and 5-(4-decylphenyl)-5-(naphthalen-2-yl)-2,2-bithiophene (DP2TN)was synthesized by Suzuki cross-coupling reactions. The long alkyl side chains improved both the solubility of the oligomers in solvents and their tendency to self-assemble. UV/Vis absorption measurements suggested that DtT, D3TN, and DP2TN form H-type aggregates with a face-to-face packing structure. In addition, the three oligomers were found to adopt vertically aligned crystalline structures in films deposited on substrates, as revealed by grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering. These oligomers were used as the active layers of p-type organic field-effect transistors, and the resulting devices showed field-effect mobilities of 3.3x10(-3)cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) for DtT, 1.6x10(-2)cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) for D3TN, and 3.7x10(-2)cm(2)V(-1)s(-1) for DP2TN. The differences in transistor performances were attributed to the degree of overlap and the morphological differences determined by the molecular structures.X112724sciescopu