Search results for "Multigene family"
showing 10 items of 134 documents
Genetic variation of the interleukin-1 family and nongenetic factors determining the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist phenotypes.
2009
The natural anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) inhibits the activity of IL-1 and is associated with vascular injury and metabolic disorders. We analyzed genetic and nongenetic determinants of the IL-1Ra phenotype. Fifteen haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL-1α (IL1A), IL-1β (IL1B), and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) genes were determined in the Health 2000 survey (n = 6771) and European myocardial infarction (MI) survivors (n = 972). Three SNPs were genotyped in the FINRISK97 (FR97) study (n = 7222). We found 3 IL1RN variants that were associated with the IL-1Ra phenotype in the study populations and remained significant af…
Genes involved in immune response/inflammation, IGF1/insulin pathway and response to oxidative stress play a major role in the genetics of human long…
2005
In this paper, we review data of recent literature on the distribution in centenarians of candidate germ-line polymorphisms that likely affect the individual chance to reach the extreme limit of human life. On the basis of previous observations on the immunology, endocrinology and cellular biology of centenarians we focused on genes that regulate immune responses and inflammation (IL-6, IL-1 cluster, IL-10), genes involved in the insulin/IGF-I signalling pathway and genes that counteract oxidative stress (PON1). On the whole, data indicate that polymorphisms of these genes likely contribute to human longevity, in accord with observations emerging from a variety of animal models, and suggest…
A polymorphism of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist plays a prominent role within the interleukin-1 gene cluster in vulvar carcinogenesis
2003
Abstract Objective . The interleukin-1 (IL-1) family, that is, IL-1α and β and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), is known to modulate various tumorgenic and tumorcidal effects in humans. Its biological function in squamous cell carcinogenesis of various anatomical sites has been stressed. Although various studies showed a certain association between genes encoding the IL-1 family and human malignancies, no data with respect to vulvar cancer have been published to date. Methods . We ascertained four polymorphisms of the IL-1α gene ( IL1A C[−889]T), the IL-1β gene ( IL1B promoter C[-511]T and IL1B exon 5 position +3953), and the IL-1RA gene ( IL1RN intron 2) in 68 patients with surgicall…
Circulating miR-200–family micro-RNAs have altered plasma levels in patients with endometriosis and vary with blood collection time
2015
Objective To determine whether circulating micro-RNA (miR) 200a, miR-200b, and miR-141 have altered levels in patients with endometriosis compared with control individuals. Design Experimental laboratory study. Setting University. Patient(s) Patients with endometriosis (n = 61), laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis-free women (n = 35), and self-reported healthy women (n = 30) were included in the study. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Plasma miRNA levels in endometriosis patients and control subjects. Result(s) We found that the levels of studied miRNAs varied with blood collection time, being lower in the morning than in the evening. When blood collection time was taken i…
Alternative Biosynthetic Starter Units Enhance the Structural Diversity of Cyanobacterial Lipopeptides
2019
Puwainaphycins (PUWs) and minutissamides (MINs) are structurally analogous cyclic lipopeptides possessing cytotoxic activity. Both types of compound exhibit high structural variability, particularly in the fatty acid (FA) moiety. Although a biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for synthesis of several PUW variants has been proposed in a cyanobacterial strain, the genetic background for MINs remains unexplored. Herein, we report PUW/MIN biosynthetic gene clusters and structural variants from six cyanobacterial strains. Comparison of biosynthetic gene clusters indicates a common origin of the PUW/MIN hybrid nonribosomal peptide synthetase and polyketide synthase. Surprisingly, the biosynthet…
Diversity and Evolution of the Phenazine Biosynthesis Pathway
2010
ABSTRACT Phenazines are versatile secondary metabolites of bacterial origin that function in biological control of plant pathogens and contribute to the ecological fitness and pathogenicity of the producing strains. In this study, we employed a collection of 94 strains having various geographic, environmental, and clinical origins to study the distribution and evolution of phenazine genes in members of the genera Pseudomonas , Burkholderia , Pectobacterium , Brevibacterium , and Streptomyces . Our results confirmed the diversity of phenazine producers and revealed that most of them appear to be soil-dwelling and/or plant-associated species. Genome analyses and comparisons of phylogenies inf…
Starvation-induced expression of autophagy-related genes in Arabidopsis
2005
Background information. Autophagy is a catabolic process for degradation of cytoplasmic components in the vacuolar apparatus. A genome-wide survey recently showed evolutionary conservation among autophagy genes in yeast, mammals and plants. To elucidate the molecular and subcellular machinery responsible for the sequestration and subsequent digestion of intracellular material in plants, we utilized a combination of morphological and molecular methods (confocal laser-scanning microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and real-time PCR respectively). Results. Autophagy in Arabidopsis thaliana suspension-cultured cells was induced by carbon starvation, which triggered an immediate arrest of…
A gene transfer agent and a dynamic repertoire of secretion systems hold the keys to the explosive radiation of the emerging pathogen Bartonella
2013
Gene transfer agents (GTAs) randomly transfer short fragments of a bacterial genome. A novel putative GTA was recently discovered in the mouse-infecting bacterium Bartonella grahamii. Although GTAs are widespread in phylogenetically diverse bacteria, their role in evolution is largely unknown. Here, we present a comparative analysis of 16 Bartonella genomes ranging from 1.4 to 2.6 Mb in size, including six novel genomes from Bartonella isolated from a cow, two moose, two dogs, and a kangaroo. A phylogenetic tree inferred from 428 orthologous core genes indicates that the deadly human pathogen B. bacilliformis is related to the ruminant-adapted clade, rather than being the earliest diverging…
Elusive amines and cluster headache: mutational analysis of trace amine receptor cluster on chromosome 6q23.
2004
Cluster headache (CH) is characterised by unilateral pain and ipsilateral autonomic features. To date, no molecular genetic evidence has been shown for CH. Small pedigrees and low penetrance render the identification of the CH-gene quite difficult. Nonetheless the association of CH and migraine to a new class of amine, namely trace or elusive amines such as tyramine, octopamine and synephrine, has recently been demonstrated. In particular, in comparison to healthy control subjects, all these neurotransmitters have been found to be greatly elevated in CH sufferers in plasma and platelets both in active and remission periods. A cluster of gene-encoding G-protein-coupled receptors that bind an…
CATs and HATs: the SLC7 family of amino acid transporters
2004
The SLC7 family is divided into two subgroups, the cationic amino acid transporters (the CAT family, SLC7A1-4) and the glycoprotein-associated amino acid transporters (the gpaAT family, SLC7A5-11), also called light chains or catalytic chains of the hetero(di)meric amino acid transporters (HAT). The associated glycoproteins (heavy chains) 4F2hc (CD98) or rBAT (D2, NBAT) form the SLC3 family. Members of the CAT family transport essentially cationic amino acids by facilitated diffusion with differential trans-stimulation by intracellular substrates. In some cells, they may regulate the rate of NO synthesis by controlling the uptake of l-arginine as the substrate for nitric oxide synthase (NOS…