Zoological collectings in Albania between 2004 and 2010 by the Hungarian Natural History Museum and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

The Albanian locality data of zoological collectings carried out by the Hungarian Natural History Museum and theHungarian Academy of Sciences during 30 tours to the Balkans between 2004 and 2010 are enumerated. The localities andmethods of collecting are enumerated in chronological order. Sites are marked on the map of Albania

Integrated Process of Arabinose Biopurification and Xylitol Fermentation Based on the Diverse Action of Candida boidinii

Hemicellulosic hydrolysates of agro-residues are promising raw materials for xylitol and arabinose production through biotechnological methods. Two-step acidic fractionation of corn fibre was developed to produce a glucose- and arabinose-rich hydrolysate and a xylose-rich hydrolysate. An integrated process of arabinose biopurification on the glucose- and arabinose-rich hydrolysate and xylitol fermentation on the xylose-rich hydrolysate using Candida boidinii NCAIM Y.01308 was introduced, in which cell mass produced in arabinose biopurification was used as inoculum in the xylitol fermentation. Aerobic biopurification resulted in an arabinose solution containing 9.2 g L–1 of arabinose with a purity of 90 %, based on total sugars. Xylitol fermentation under microaerobic conditions resulted in a xylitol yield of 53 % of theoretical and a xylitol concentration of 10.4 g L–1 in three days. Hence, an integrated biorefinery process of hemicellulosic hydrolysates was developed based on the diverse action of C. boidinii to purify arabinose and produce xylitol

Signal transduction in fungi - the role of protein phosphorylation

Living cells are able to respond to the surrounding environment. As a first step in this process, membrane receptors react with an extracellular ligand. There are three main families of cell-surface receptors: (1) Ion-channel-linked receptors, (2) G-protein-linked receptors, and (3) Enzyme-linked receptors that either act directly as enzymes or are associated with enzymes. These enzymes are oftenprotein kinasesthat phosphorylate specific proteins in the target cell. Through cascades of phosphorylations elaborate sets of proteins relay signals from the receptor to the nucleus regulating gene expression. There are two groups of protein kinases: tyrosine- and serine-threonine-specific protein kinases and there areprotein phosphataseswith specificity for the appropriate side chain to match each type of kinase. They can terminate an activation event reversing the phosphorylation caused by a protein kinase

Probing pattern and dynamics of disulfide bridges using synthesis and NMR of an ion channel blocker peptide toxin with multiple diselenide bonds

Anuroctoxin (AnTx), a 35-amino-acid scorpion toxin containing four disulfide bridges, is a high affinity blocker of the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3, but also blocks Kv1.2. To improve potential therapeutic use of the toxin, we have designed a double substituted analog, [N17A/F32T]-AnTx, which showed comparable Kv1.3 affinity to the wild-type peptide, but also a 2500-fold increase in the selectivity for Kv1.3 over Kv1.2. In the present study we have achieved the chemical synthesis of a Sec-analog in which all cysteine (Cys) residues have been replaced by selenocysteine (Sec) forming four diselenide bonds. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time to replace, by chemical synthesis, all disulfide bonds with isosteric diselenides in a peptide/protein. Gratifyingly, the key pharmacological properties of the Sec-[N17A/F32T]-AnTx are retained since the peptide is functionally active. We also propose here a combined experimental and theoretical approach including NOE- and Se-77-based NMR supplemented by MD simulations for conformational and dynamic characterization of the Sec-[N17A/F32T]-AnTx. Using this combined approach allowed us to attain unequivocal assignment of all four diselenide bonds and supplemental MD simulations allowed characterization of the conformational dynamics around each disulfide/diselenide bridge

MicroRNA profile of polyunsaturated fatty acid treated glioma cells reveal apoptosis-specific expression changes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as γ-linolenic acid (GLA), arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have cytotoxic action on glioma cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We evaluated the cytotoxic action of GLA, AA and DHA on glioma cells with specific reference to the expression of miRNAs. Relative expression of miRNAs were assessed by using high throughput nanocapillary real-time PCR. Most of the miRNA target genes that showed altered expression could be classified as apoptotic genes and were up-regulated by PUFA or temozolomide treatment, while similar treatments resulted in repression of the corresponding mRNAs, such as <it>cox2</it>, <it>irs1</it>, <it>irs2</it>, <it>ccnd1</it>, <it>itgb3</it>, <it>bcl2</it>, <it>sirt1</it>, <it>tp53inp1 </it>and <it>k-ras</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p><it>Our </it>results highlight involvement of miRNAs in the induction of apoptosis in glioma cells by fatty acids and temozolomide.</p

Expression of the Aspergillus bimG gene in Neurospora crassa

In A. nidulans the bimG gene codes for the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 1. The wild type bimG gene was transformed into N. crassa and expressed under the direction of the alcA promoter. The heterologous bimG mRNA and protein were detected in the transformants by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. However, the transformation did not result in detectable changes in phenotype. This work demonstrates that the alcA promoter, a conditional gene expression system widely used in both Aspergillus and higher plants, also functions in N. crassa