Novel structural arrangement of nematode cystathionine β-synthases: characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans CBS-1

CBSs (cystathionine β-synthases) are eukaryotic PLP (pyridoxal 5 *-phosphate)-dependent proteins that maintain cellular homocysteine homoeostasis and produce cystathionine and hydrogen sulfide. In the present study, we describe a novel structural arrangement of the CBS enzyme encoded by the cbs-1 gene of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The CBS-1 protein contains a unique tandem repeat of two evolutionarily conserved catalytic regions in a single polypeptide chain. These repeats include a catalytically active C-terminal module containing a PLP-binding site and a less conserved N-terminal module that is unable to bind the PLP cofactor and cannot catalyse CBS reactions, as demonstrated by analysis of truncated variants and active-site mutant proteins. In contrast with other metazoan enzymes, CBS-1 lacks the haem and regulatory Bateman domain essential for activation by AdoMet (S-adenosylmethionine) and only forms monomers. We determined the tissue and subcellular distribution of CBS-1 and showed that cbs-1 knockdown by RNA interference leads to delayed development and to an approximately 10-fold elevation of homocysteine concentrations in nematode extracts. The present study provides the first insight into the metabolism of sulfur amino acids and hydrogen sulfide in C. elegans and shows that nematode CBSs possess a structural feature that is unique among CBS proteins

The Trial with K. H. Frank in front of the Extraordinary People's Court

In my Master's thesis I described in detail the historical process of war criminal Karl Hermann Frank. He was a man who had been influencing the main events in the Czech lands for many years. I divided the thesis in ten chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the personality of K. H. Frank. I tried to briefly describe all the life's milestones of a man justly sentenced to death for his crimes against the Czechoslovak state. In the second and third chapter I focused on two men who played a very important role in the process and extradition of K. H. Frank, Kamill Resler and Bohuslav Ečer. In subsequent chapters I fully dealt with the process itself, from the very start through the daily courses of the trial to the verdict. In conclusion I summarized findings from the process and answer the question about the objectivity of proceedings against the accused

The Trial with K. H. Frank in front of the Extraordinary People's Court

In my Master's thesis I described in detail the historical process of war criminal Karl Hermann Frank. He was a man who had been influencing the main events in the Czech lands for many years. I divided the thesis in ten chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the personality of K. H. Frank. I tried to briefly describe all the life's milestones of a man justly sentenced to death for his crimes against the Czechoslovak state. In the second and third chapter I focused on two men who played a very important role in the process and extradition of K. H. Frank, Kamill Resler and Bohuslav Ečer. In subsequent chapters I fully dealt with the process itself, from the very start through the daily courses of the trial to the verdict. In conclusion I summarized findings from the process and answer the question about the objectivity of proceedings against the accused