Investigating diet as the source of tetrodotoxin in Pleurobranchaea maculata

The origin of tetrodotoxin (TTX) is highly debated; researchers have postulated either an endogenous or exogenous source with the host accumulating TTX symbiotically or via food chain transmission. The aim of this study was to determine whether the grey side-gilled sea slug (Pleurobranchaea maculata) could obtain TTX from a dietary source, and to attempt to identify this source through environmental surveys. Eighteen non-toxic P. maculata were maintained in aquariums and twelve were fed a TTX-containing diet. Three P. maculata were harvested after 1 h, 24 h, 17 days and 39 days and TTX concentrations in their stomach, gonad, mantle and remaining tissue/fluids determined using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Tetrodotoxin was detected in all organs/tissue after 1 h with an average uptake of 32%. This decreased throughout the experiment (21%, 15% and 9%, respectively). Benthic surveys at sites with dense populations of toxic P. maculata detected very low or no TTX in other organisms. This study demonstrates that P. maculata can accumulate TTX through their diet. However, based on the absence of an identifiable TTX source in the environment, in concert with the extremely high TTX concentrations and short life spans of P. maculata, it is unlikely to be the sole TTX source for this species

Engineered FGF compositions and methods of use thereof

The present invention relates to the development of stable mutants of FGF-1 and FGF-2. In particular, it relates to novel engineered FGF-1 and FGF-2 polypeptides as well as polynucleotides, DNA constructs, and vectors encoding such polypeptides. In another aspect, pharmaceutical compositions and hydrogels including the disclosed polypeptides, polynucleotides, DNA constructs, and vectors are provided. In a still further aspect, methods of treating conditions using the compositions disclosed herein are provided

Heparin affinity tag and application thereof

In one aspect, affinity tags for recombinant protein purification are described herein which, in some embodiments, can mitigate or overcome disadvantages of prior affinity tag systems. In some embodiments, for example, affinity tags described herein permit efficient elution of desired recombinant proteins with simplified solution systems, such as alkali metal salt solutions. An affinity tag described herein comprises an amino acid sequence including a repeating amino acid unit of BXXXBXX, wherein B is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of histidine, lysine and arginine and X is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of amino acids other than histidine, lysine and arginine

Heparin affinity tag and applications thereof

In one aspect, affinity tags for recombinant protein purification are described herein which, in some embodiments, can mitigate or overcome disadvantages of prior affinity tag systems. In some embodiments, for example, affinity tags described herein permit efficient elution of desired recombinant proteins with simplified solution systems, such as alkali metal salt solutions. An affinity tag described herein comprises an amino acid sequence including a repeating amino acid unit of BXXXBXX, wherein B is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of histidine, lysine and arginine and X is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of amino acids other than histidine, lysine and arginin

Cleavage resistant photoluminescent proteins and applications thereof

Photoluminescent proteins resistant to protein cleavage reagents are described herein. In being resistant to cleavage reagents, such photoluminesncent proteins can reduce the number of digestion or cleavage products, thereby simplifying quantification and purification of recombinant protein compositions. In some embodiments, a photoluminescent protein described herein comprises an amino acid sequence having an absence of internal methionine residues

Peptides with antifungal activity and methods of using the peptides

Compositions with antifungal activity and methods of using such compositions are provided herein. In particular the compositions are peptides of SEQ ID NO: 1 and variations thereof. The peptides may contain L or D amino acids and may be circularized, dimerized or otherwise modified to make the compositions resistant to proteolysis. The compositions may be used to inhibit microbial growth and in particular fungal growth

LOOC UP: Locating and observing optical counterparts to gravitational wave bursts

Gravitational wave (GW) bursts (short duration signals) are expected to be associated with highly energetic astrophysical processes. With such high energies present, it is likely these astrophysical events will have signatures in the EM spectrum as well as in gravitational radiation. We have initiated a program, "Locating and Observing Optical Counterparts to Unmodeled Pulses in Gravitational Waves" (LOOC UP) to promptly search for counterparts to GW burst candidates. The proposed method analyzes near real-time data from the LIGO-Virgo network, and then uses a telescope network to seek optical-transient counterparts to candidate GW signals. We carried out a pilot study using S5/VSR1 data from the LIGO-Virgo network to develop methods and software tools for such a search. We will present the method, with an emphasis on the potential for such a search to be carried out during the next science run of LIGO and Virgo, expected to begin in 2009.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures; v2) added acknowledgments, additional references, and minor text changes v3) added 1 figure, additional references, and minor text changes. v4) Updated references and acknowledgments. To be published in the GWDAW 12 Conf. Proc. by Classical and Quantum Gravit

HLA-E–dependent Presentation of Mtb-derived Antigen to Human CD8+ T Cells

Previous studies in mice and humans have suggested an important role for CD8+ T cells in host defense to Mtb. Recently, we have described human, Mtb-specific CD8+ cells that are neither HLA-A, B, or C nor group 1 CD1 restricted, and have found that these cells comprise the dominant CD8+ T cell response in latently infected individuals. In this report, three independent methods are used to demonstrate the ability of these cells to recognize Mtb-derived antigen in the context of the monomorphic HLA-E molecule. This is the first demonstration of the ability of HLA-E to present pathogen-derived antigen. Further definition of the HLA-E specific response may aid development of an effective vaccine against tuberculosis

The Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment and the Standard Model

The muon anomalous magnetic moment measurement, when compared with theory, can be used to test many extensions to the standard model. The most recent measurement made by the Brookhaven E821 Collaboration reduces the uncertainty on the world average of a_mu to 0.7 ppm, comparable in precision to theory. This paper describes the experiment and the current theoretical efforts to establish a correct standard model reference value for the muon anomaly.Comment: Plenary Talk; PANIC'02 XVI Particles and Nuclear International Conference, Osaka, Japan; Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, 2002; Report describes the published 0.7 ppm result and updates the theory statu

Search for gravitational wave bursts in LIGO's third science run

We report on a search for gravitational wave bursts in data from the three LIGO interferometric detectors during their third science run. The search targets subsecond bursts in the frequency range 100-1100 Hz for which no waveform model is assumed, and has a sensitivity in terms of the root-sum-square (rss) strain amplitude of hrss ~ 10^{-20} / sqrt(Hz). No gravitational wave signals were detected in the 8 days of analyzed data.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Amaldi-6 conference proceedings to be published in Classical and Quantum Gravit