456 research outputs found
Pattern Formation in a Two-Dimensional Array of Oscillators with Phase-Shifted Coupling
We investigate the dynamics of a two-dimensional array of oscillators with
phase-shifted coupling. Each oscillator is allowed to interact with its
neighbors within a finite radius. The system exhibits various patterns
including squarelike pinwheels, (anti)spirals with phase-randomized cores, and
antiferro patterns embedded in (anti)spirals. We consider the symmetry
properties of the system to explain the observed behaviors, and estimate the
wavelengths of the patterns by linear analysis. Finally, we point out the
implications of our work for biological neural networks
Differential Expression and Tumorigenic Function of Neurotensin Receptor 1 in Neuroendocrine Tumor Cells
Neurotensin (NTS), localized predominantly to the small bowel, stimulates the growth of a variety of cancers, including neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), mainly through its interaction with the high-affinity NTS receptor 1 (NTSR1). Here, we observed increased expression of NTSR1 in almost all tested clinical NET samples, but not in normal tissues. Through RT-PCR analysis, we found that the expression of NTSR1 and NTSR2 was either variable (NTSR1) or absent (NTSR2) in human NET cell lines. In contrast, NTSR3 and NTS were expressed in all NET cells. Treatment with 5-aza-2\u27-deoxycytidine, a demethylating agent, increased levels of NTSR1 and NTSR2 suggesting that DNA methylation contributes to NTSR1/2 expression patterns, which was confirmed by methylation analyses. In addition, we found that knockdown of NTSR1 decreased proliferation, expression levels of growth-related proteins, and anchorage-independent growth of BON human carcinoid cells. Moreover, stable silencing of NTSR1 suppressed BON cell growth, adhesion, migration and invasion. Our results show that high expression of NTSR1 is found in clinical NETs and that promoter methylation is an important mechanism controlling the differential expression of NTSR1 and silencing of NTSR2 in NET cells. Furthermore, knockdown of NTSR1 in BON cells suppressed oncogenic functions suggesting that NTSR1 contributes to NET tumorigenesis
Polarimetric Imaging of Large Cavity Structures in the Pre-transitional Protoplanetary Disk around PDS 70: Observations of the disk
We present high resolution H-band polarized intensity (PI; FWHM = 0."1: 14
AU) and L'-band imaging data (FWHM = 0."11: 15 AU) of the circumstellar disk
around the weak-lined T Tauri star PDS 70 in Centaurus at a radial distance of
28 AU (0."2) up to 210 AU (1."5). In both images, a giant inner gap is clearly
resolved for the first time, and the radius of the gap is ~70 AU. Our data show
that the geometric center of the disk shifts by ~6 AU toward the minor axis. We
confirm that the brown dwarf companion candidate to the north of PDS 70 is a
background star based on its proper motion. As a result of SED fitting by Monte
Carlo radiative transfer modeling, we infer the existence of an optically thick
inner disk at a few AU. Combining our observations and modeling, we classify
the disk of PDS 70 as a pre-transitional disk. Furthermore, based on the
analysis of L'-band imaging data, we put an upper limit mass of companions at
~30 to ~50MJ within the gap. Taking account of the presence of the large and
sharp gap, we suggest that the gap could be formed by dynamical interactions of
sub-stellar companions or multiple unseen giant planets in the gap.Comment: accepted by APJ
Integration of Brassinosteroid Signal Transduction with the Transcription Network for Plant Growth Regulation in Arabidopsis
SummaryBrassinosteroids (BRs) regulate a wide range of developmental and physiological processes in plants through a receptor-kinase signaling pathway that controls the BZR transcription factors. Here, we use transcript profiling and chromatin-immunoprecipitation microarray (ChIP-chip) experiments to identify 953 BR-regulated BZR1 target (BRBT) genes. Functional studies of selected BRBTs further demonstrate roles in BR promotion of cell elongation. The BRBT genes reveal numerous molecular links between the BR-signaling pathway and downstream components involved in developmental and physiological processes. Furthermore, the results reveal extensive crosstalk between BR and other hormonal and light-signaling pathways at multiple levels. For example, BZR1 not only controls the expression of many signaling components of other hormonal and light pathways but also coregulates common target genes with light-signaling transcription factors. Our results provide a genomic map of steroid hormone actions in plants that reveals a regulatory network that integrates hormonal and light-signaling pathways for plant growth regulation
A Young Brown Dwarf Companion to DH Tauri
We present the detection of a young brown dwarf companion DH Tau B associated
with the classical T Tauri star DH Tau. Near-infrared coronagraphic
observations with CIAO on the Subaru Telescope have revealed DH Tau B with H =
\~15 mag located at 2.3" (330 AU) away from the primary DH Tau A. Comparing its
position with a Hubble Space Telescope archive image, we confirmed that DH Tau
A and B share the common proper motion, suggesting that they are physically
associated with each other. The near-infrared color of DH Tau B is consistent
with those of young stellar objects. The near-infrared spectra of DH Tau B show
deep water absorption bands, a strong K I absorption line, and a moderate Na I
absorption line. We derived its effective temperature and surface gravity of
Teff = 2700 -- 2800 K and log g = 4.0--4.5, respectively, by comparing the
observed spectra with synthesized spectra of low-mass objects. The location of
DH Tau B on the HR diagram gives its mass of 30 -- 50 M_Jupiter.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Ap
The effect of childhood and current economic status on depressive symptoms in South Korean individuals: a longitudinal study
UBR2 of the N-End Rule Pathway Is Required for Chromosome Stability via Histone Ubiquitylation in Spermatocytes and Somatic Cells
The N-end rule pathway is a proteolytic system in which its recognition components (N-recognins) recognize destabilizing N-terminal residues of short-lived proteins as an essential element of specific degrons, called N-degrons. The RING E3 ligases UBR2 and UBR1 are major N-recognins that share size (200 kDa), conserved domains and substrate specificities to N-degrons. Despite the known function of the N-end rule pathway in degradation of cytosolic proteins, the major phenotype of UBR2-deficient male mice is infertility caused by arrest of spermatocytes at meiotic prophase I. UBR2-deficient spermatocytes are impaired in transcriptional silencing of sex chromosome-linked genes and ubiquitylation of histone H2A. In this study we show that the recruitment of UBR2 to meiotic chromosomes spatiotemporally correlates to the induction of chromatin-associated ubiquitylation, which is significantly impaired in UBR2-deficient spermatocytes. UBR2 functions as a scaffold E3 that promotes HR6B/UbcH2-dependent ubiquitylation of H2A and H2B but not H3 and H4, through a mechanism distinct from typical polyubiquitylation. The E3 activity of UBR2 in histone ubiquitylation is allosterically activated by dipeptides bearing destabilizing N-terminal residues. Insufficient monoubiquitylation and polyubiquitylation on UBR2-deficient meiotic chromosomes correlate to defects in double strand break (DSB) repair and other meiotic processes, resulting in pachytene arrest at stage IV and apoptosis. Some of these functions of UBR2 are observed in somatic cells, in which UBR2 is a chromatin-binding protein involved in chromatin-associated ubiquitylation upon DNA damage. UBR2-deficient somatic cells show an array of chromosomal abnormalities, including hyperproliferation, chromosome instability, and hypersensitivity to DNA damage-inducing reagents. UBR2-deficient mice enriched in C57 background die upon birth with defects in lung expansion and neural development. Thus, UBR2, known as the recognition component of a major cellular proteolytic system, is associated with chromatin and controls chromatin dynamics and gene expression in both germ cells and somatic cells
Expression of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 in dermatomyositis and polymyositis
The aim of this study was to investigate the expressions of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR4, TLR9, and their correlations with the expression of cytokines that are associated with activation of CD4+ T cells and inflammation including interferon γ (IFNγ), interleukin 4 (IL4), interleukin 17 (IL17), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in muscle tissues of patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM). The expressions of TLR2, TLR4, TLR9, IFNγ, IL4, IL17, and TNFα were measured by real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction in muscle tissues from 14 patients with DM and PM (nine patients with DM, five patients with PM) and three controls. The expressions of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 were also localized with immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of TLR2, TLR4, TLR9, IFNγ, IL4, IL17, and TNFα were significantly high in patients with DM and PM compared with those in the controls, and the expression levels of TLR4 and TLR9 had significant positive correlations with the expressions of IFNγ, IL4, IL17, and TNFα. Immunohistochemistry showed that TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9 were expressed by infiltrating cells of perimysium in DM, whereas they were expressed by infiltrating cells of endomysium in PM. These results suggest that the involvement of TLR4 and TLR9 in immunopathogenesis of DM and PM might be connected with activation of CD4+ T cells
Identification of Cancer Cell-Line Origins Using Fluorescence Image-Based Phenomic Screening
Universal phenotyping techniques that can discriminate among various states of biological systems have great potential. We applied 557 fluorescent library compounds to NCI's 60 human cancer cell-lines (NCI-60) to generate a systematic fluorescence phenotypic profiling data. By the kinetic fluorescence intensity analysis, we successfully discriminated the organ origin of all the 60 cell-lines
Epigenetic inactivation of the NORE1 gene correlates with malignant progression of colorectal tumors
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>NORE1 (RASSF5) is a newly described member of the RASSF family with Ras effector function. <it>NORE1 </it>expression is frequently inactivated by aberrant promoter hypermethylation in many human cancers, suggesting that NORE1 might be a putative tumor suppressor. However, expression and mutation status of <it>NORE1 </it>and its implication in colorectal tumorigenesis has not been evaluated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Expression, mutation, and methylation status of <it>NORE1A </it>and <it>NORE1B </it>in 10 cancer cell lines and 80 primary tumors were characterized by quantitative PCR, SSCP, and bisulfite DNA sequencing analyses. Effect of NORE1A and NORE1B expression on tumor cell growth was evaluated using cell number counting, flow cytometry, and colony formation assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Expression of <it>NORE1A </it>and <it>NORE1B </it>transcript was easily detectable in all normal colonic epithelial tissues, but substantially decreased in 7 (70%) and 4 (40%) of 10 cancer cell lines and 31 (38.8%) and 25 (31.3%) of 80 primary carcinoma tissues, respectively. Moreover, 46 (57.6%) and 38 (47.5%) of 80 matched tissue sets exhibited tumor-specific reduction of <it>NORE1A </it>and <it>NORE1B</it>, respectively. Abnormal reduction of <it>NORE1 </it>was more commonly observed in advanced stage and high grade tumors compared to early and low grade tumors. While somatic mutations of the gene were not identified, its expression was re-activated in all low expressor cells after treatment with the demethylating agent 5-aza-dC. Bisulfite DNA sequencing analysis of 31 CpG sites within the promoter region demonstrated that abnormal reduction of <it>NORE1A </it>is tightly associated with promoter CpG sites hypermethylation. Moreover, transient expression and siRNA-mediated knockdown assays revealed that both NORE1A and NORE1B decrease cellular growth and colony forming ability of tumor cells and enhance tumor cell response to apoptotic stress.</p> <p><b>Conclusion</b></p> <p>Our data indicate that epigenetic inactivation of <it>NORE1 </it>due to aberrant promoter hypermethylation is a frequent event in colorectal tumorigenesis and might be implicated in the malignant progression of colorectal tumors.</p
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