Molecular cloning and characterization of the late embryogenesis abundant group 4 (EgLEA4) gene from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq)

The Late-Embryogenesis Abundant group 4 (LEA4) genes is a group of genes that have been reported to be involved in stress and hormone responses. The completed LEA4 cDNA sequence was first obtained from a set of EST sequences of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq), named as EgLEA4. The open reading frame is 486 bp in length, encoding a deduced amino acid sequence of 161 residues with a molecular weight of 16.5 kDa and a pI value of about 8.0. Five amino acid motif patterns were found in the EgLEA4 (II, I, III, IV and V) and each had a close identity to similar LEA4 patterns of soybean (64%).Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the cDNA and the genomic DNA demonstrated that the EgLEA4 gene is composed of 2 exons and 1 intron. The 52 untranslated region shows a putative promoter sequence involved in the transcription process, drought stress and hormone responsive elements. RT-PCR analysis showed that the EgLEA4 gene was only expressed in mesocarp, during the late stages of fruit development. It also had a higher expression in induced drought conditions indicating that the EgLEA4 protein may be involved in plant adaptation and stress (drought) responsive pathway

Expression and purification of recombinant G protein-coupled receptors: A review

Given their extensive role in cell signalling, GPCRs are significant drug targets; despite this, many of these receptors have limited or no available prophylaxis. Novel drug design and discovery significantly rely on structure determination, of which GPCRs are typically elusive. Progress has been made thus far to produce sufficient quantity and quality of protein for downstream analysis. As such, this review highlights the systems available for recombinant GPCR expression, with consideration of their advantages and disadvantages, as well as examples of receptors successfully expressed in these systems. Additionally, an overview is given on the use of detergents and the styrene maleic acid (SMA) co-polymer for membrane solubilisation, as well as purification techniques

The Fixed Point Property of a Banach Algebra Generated by an Element with Infinite Spectrum

A Banach space X is said to have the fixed point property if for each nonexpansive mapping T:E→E on a bounded closed convex subset E of X has a fixed point. Let X be an infinite dimensional unital Abelian complex Banach algebra satisfying the following: (i) condition (A) in Fupinwong and Dhompongsa, 2010, (ii) if x,y∈X is such that τx≤τy, for each τ∈Ω(X), then x≤y, and (iii) inf⁡{r(x):x∈X,x=1}>0. We prove that there exists an element x0 in X such that 〈x0〉R=∑i=1kαix0i:k∈N,αi∈R¯ does not have the fixed point property. Moreover, as a consequence of the proof, we have that, for each element x0 in X with infinite spectrum and σ(x0)⊂R, the Banach algebra 〈x0〉=∑i=1kαix0i:k∈N,αi∈C¯ generated by x0 does not have the fixed point property

Cellular responses to 8-methyl nonanoic acid, a degradation by-product of dihydrocapsaicin, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Abstract Background Capsaicinoids, such as dihydrocapsaicin (DHC), exert the health-promoting effects of chili peppers on energy metabolism. The metabolic responses to capsaicinoids are primarily mediated through transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1). However, the varying contributions of their metabolites to beneficial health outcomes remain unclear. 8-methyl nonanoic acid (8-MNA), a methyl-branched medium chain fatty acid (MCFA), is an in vivo degradation by-product of DHC. Since MCFAs have emerged as metabolic modulators in adipocytes, here we examined various cellular responses to 8-MNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Methods The viability of 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to various concentrations of 8-MNA was assessed by the Calcein AM assay. Biochemical assays for lipid accumulation, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity, lipolysis and glucose uptake were performed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with 8-MNA during 48-h nutrient starvation or 5-day maturation. Results 8-MNA caused no impact on cell viability. During nutrient starvation, 8-MNA decreased lipid amounts in association with AMPK activation, a molecular event that suppresses lipogenic processes. Moreover, 3T3-L1 adipocytes that were treated with 8-MNA during 5-day maturation exhibited a reduced lipolytic response to isoproterenol and an increased glucose uptake when stimulated with insulin. Conclusions These results suggest that 8-MNA derived from DHC modulates energy metabolism in adipocytes and also support the idea that the metabolic benefits of chili consumption are partly attributable to 8-MNA