Alliance of Genome Resources Portal: unified model organism research platform

The Alliance of Genome Resources (Alliance) is a consortium of the major model organism databases and the Gene Ontology that is guided by the vision of facilitating exploration of related genes in human and well-studied model organisms by providing a highly integrated and comprehensive platform that enables researchers to leverage the extensive body of genetic and genomic studies in these organisms. Initiated in 2016, the Alliance is building a central portal (www.alliancegenome.org) for access to data for the primary model organisms along with gene ontology data and human data. All data types represented in the Alliance portal (e.g. genomic data and phenotype descriptions) have common data models and workflows for curation. All data are open and freely available via a variety of mechanisms. Long-term plans for the Alliance project include a focus on coverage of additional model organisms including those without dedicated curation communities, and the inclusion of new data types with a particular focus on providing data and tools for the non-model-organism researcher that support enhanced discovery about human health and disease. Here we review current progress and present immediate plans for this new bioinformatics resource

Alliance of Genome Resources Portal: unified model organism research platform

The Alliance of Genome Resources (Alliance) is a consortium of the major model organism databases and the Gene Ontology that is guided by the vision of facilitating exploration of related genes in human and well-studied model organisms by providing a highly integrated and comprehensive platform that enables researchers to leverage the extensive body of genetic and genomic studies in these organisms. Initiated in 2016, the Alliance is building a central portal (www.alliancegenome.org) for access to data for the primary model organisms along with gene ontology data and human data. All data types represented in the Alliance portal (e.g. genomic data and phenotype descriptions) have common data models and workflows for curation. All data are open and freely available via a variety of mechanisms. Long-term plans for the Alliance project include a focus on coverage of additional model organisms including those without dedicated curation communities, and the inclusion of new data types with a particular focus on providing data and tools for the non-model-organism researcher that support enhanced discovery about human health and disease. Here we review current progress and present immediate plans for this new bioinformatics resource

Gene Ontology Consortium: going forward

The Gene Ontology (GO; http://www.geneontology.org) is a community-based bioinformatics resource that supplies information about gene product function using ontologies to represent biological knowledge. Here we describe improvements and expansions to several branches of the ontology, as well as updates that have allowed us to more efficiently disseminate the GO and capture feedback from the research community. The Gene Ontology Consortium (GOC) has expanded areas of the ontology such as cilia-related terms, cell-cycle terms and multicellular organism processes. We have also implemented new tools for generating ontology terms based on a set of logical rules making use of templates, and we have made efforts to increase our use of logical definitions. The GOC has a new and improved web site summarizing new developments and documentation, serving as a portal to GO data. Users can perform GO enrichment analysis, and search the GO for terms, annotations to gene products, and associated metadata across multiple species using the all-new AmiGO 2 browser. We encourage and welcome the input of the research community in all biological areas in our continued effort to improve the Gene Ontology

Special Insulator for Installation of Optical Phase Conductor on 15 kV Line

Thanks to the recent improvements in the technology of glass fibres and the development of digital data transmission techniques, optical fibres have made their way into power distribution and industry. Several kinds of optical cables are installed on high voltage networks. In most cases, they are embedded in the overhead ground wire. Some of them are installed in medium voltage distribution networks. Then the optical cable is either self-supporting or embedded in the conductor. The latter solution requires a special insulator-separator. Results of test carried out on such insulator-separators made of polycarbonate, silicon rubber-thermosetting, silicon rubber-RTV, polymer concrete are presented

A functional interaction between RHA and Ubc9, an E2-like enzyme specific for sumo-1

RNA helicase A (RHA) is a member of the DEAH helicase family of proteins. Recent studies imply the role of RHA in the regulation of the topology of chromatin DNA, which could influence diverse nuclear processes such as transcription activity of the chromatin DNA and chromosome condensation. We previously reported that Ubc9, an E2-like enzyme specific for small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 (Sumo-1), is required for the interaction between RHA and topoisomerase IIalpha. Here, we describe that Ubc9 is a novel factor that functionally interacts with RHA and activates the transcription activity of RHA, measured in the CREB-mediated pathway. We demonstrate that the N-terminal domain of RHA, encompassing amino acid residues 1-137, is sufficient for its interaction with Ubc9. Our data also show that interaction with Ubc9 leads to the Sumo-1 conjugation of RHA both in vitro and in vivo. However, the catalytic activity of Ubc9 seems to be dispensable for the transcription activation activity of RHA. Our observation suggests multiple roles for Ubc9 in the regulation of the RHA function. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.</p

The influence of Cracow urban pollution on small forest areas

The impact of Cracow conurbation on small forest ecosystems was studied during the last four years (1998-2001). Seven sites located at different distances from the city and from busy road were selected. Lichen Hypogymnia physodes from unpolluted areas were transplanted 10 each of investigated sites for 6-month period (winter 1998/1999, 1999/2000, summer 2000). The quantity of litter fall with percentage cmposition of each species was estimated, also the input of litter and heavy metals to the forest floor were evaluated. Metal concentration (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe) in Hypogymnia physodes, leaves of common oak, hornbean and litter fall were determined in IL 251 flame AAS. Acute injuries of lichen thalli as well as concentrations of Pb, Zn, Fe and S were higher after winter transplantation and in sites located close to Cracow conurbation. High concentration of heavy metals were noticed in tree leaves from eastem transect as the effect of steel works emission as well as in those sites from southem transect situated nearby the city. Although air pollution har generally declined in the Malopolska district over the last few years the metal concentration and input to the forest flow in 2001 remains at the same level than in the previous years

Loss of REEP4 causes paralysis of the Xenopus embryo

Members of the REEP (Receptor expression enhancing protein) family contain a TB2/DP1, HVA22 domain that is involved in intracellular trafficking and secretion. Consistent with the presence of this domain, REEP1 and REEP3 enhance the expression of odorant and taste receptors in mammals, while mutation of these genes causes defects in neural development. REEP4 was identified in the course of a functional antisense morpholino oligonucleotide screen searching for genes involved in the early development of Xenopus tropicalis: although over-expression of the gene causes no phenotype, embryos lacking REEP4 develop a slightly kinked body axis and are paralysed. At tailbud stages of development, REEP4 is expressed in the somites and neural tube. The paralysis observed in embryos lacking REEP4 might therefore be caused by defects in the nervous system or in muscle. To address this point, we examined the expression of various neural and muscle markers and found that although all are expressed normally at early stages of development, many are down regulated by the tailbud stage. This suggests that REEP4 plays a role in the maintenance of both the nervous system and the musculature