Search results for "gene transfer"
showing 10 items of 181 documents
Evidence for Natural Horizontal Transfer of the pcpB Gene in the Evolution of Polychlorophenol-Degrading Sphingomonads
2002
ABSTRACT The chlorophenol degradation pathway in Sphingobium chlorophenolicum is initiated by the pcpB gene product, pentachlorophenol-4-monooxygenase. The distribution of the gene was studied in a phylogenetically diverse group of polychlorophenol-degrading bacteria isolated from contaminated groundwater in Kärkölä, Finland. All the sphingomonads isolated were shown to share pcpB gene homologs with 98.9 to 100% sequence identity. The gene product was expressed when the strains were induced by 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol. A comparative analysis of the 16S rDNA and pcpB gene trees suggested that a recent horizontal transfer of the pcpB gene was involved in the evolution of the catabolic pat…
Evolution of arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway genes
2002
We have analyzed the evolution of the three genes encoding structural enzymes of the arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway, arginine deiminase (ADI), ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC), and carbamate kinase (CK) in a wide range of organisms, including Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. This catabolic route was probably present in the last common ancestor to all the domains of life. The results obtained indicate that these genes have undergone a complex evolutionary history, including horizontal transfer events, duplications, and losses. Therefore, these genes are not adequate to infer organismal relationships at deep branching levels, but they provide an insight into how catabolic genes evolved and …
Functional characterization of human nucleosome assembly protein-2 (NAP1L4) suggests a role as a histone chaperone.
1997
Abstract Histones are thought to play a key role in regulating gene expression at the level of DNA packaging. Recent evidence suggests that transcriptional activation requires competition of transcription factors with histones for binding to regulatory regions and that there may be several mechanisms by which this is achieved. We have characterized a human nucleosome assembly protein, NAP-2, previously identified by positional cloning at 11p15.5, a region implicated in several disease processes including Wilms tumor (WT) etiology. The deduced amino acid sequence of NAP-2 indicates that it encodes a protein with a potential nuclear localization motif and two clusters of highly acidic residue…
Chemical modification of halloysite nanotubes for controlled loading and release.
2020
Clay minerals have been used for medical purposes from ancient times. Among them, the halloysite nanotube, an aluminosilicate of the kaolin group, is an emerging nanomaterial which possesses peculiar chemical characteristics. By means of suitable modifications, such as supramolecular functionalization or covalent modifications, it is possible to obtain novel nanomaterials with tunable properties for several applications. In this context the covalent grafting of suitable organic moieties on the external surface or in the halloysite lumen has been exploited to improve the loading and release of several biologically active molecules. The resulting hybrid nanomaterials have been applied as drug…
Better the devil you know? Guidelines for insightful utilization of nrDNA ITS in species-level evolutionary studies in plants.
2006
The internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal 18S–5.8S–26S cistron continue to be the most popular non-plastid region for species-level phylogenetic studies of plant groups despite the early warnings about their potential Xaws, which may ultimately result in incorrect assumptions of orthology. It has been gradually realized that the alternative target regions in the nuclear genome (lowcopy nuclear genes, LCNG) are burdened with similar problems. The consequence is that, to date, developing useful LCNG for nonmodel organisms requires an investment in time and eVort that hinders its use as a real practical alternative for many labs. It is here argued that ITS sequences, desp…
Rapid and specific detection of F17-related pilin and adhesin genes in diarrheic and septicemic Escherichia coli strains by multiplex PCR
1996
The F17-related adhesins are prevalent in Escherichia coli strains isolated from calves with diarrhea or septicemia and from lambs with nephropathy. The F17 family includes the F17a, F17b, F17c, and F111 fimbriae produced by bovine E. coli strains and the G agglutinin produced by human uropathogenic E. coli strains. An easy and inexpensive multiplex PCR method was developed to detect all the F17-related fimbriae and to identify four subtypes of structural subunit genes and two distinct subfamilies of adhesin genes by only two runs of amplification. A strict correlation was observed between the phenotypic assays and the multiplex PCR method when 166 pathogenic E. coli strains isolated from i…
Naked DNA delivery to whole pig cardiac tissue by coronary sinus retrograde injection employing non-invasive catheterization.
2010
Background Hydrodynamic injection has demonstrated to be very efficient in the liver of small animals, although this procedure must be translated to the clinical practice in a milder but no less efficient way. The present study evaluates the capacity of non-invasive interventional catheterization as a procedure for naked DNA delivery to the heart in large animals. Methods Two catheters were placed in the coronary sinus: one of them to block blood circulation and the other to retrogradely inject 50 ml of a saline solution of DNA (20 µg/ml) containing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene, at a flow rate of 5 ml/s. Results The results obtained show that EGFP protein, identified b…
Animal Models of Cardiovascular Disease
2009
The use of animal models to study cardiovascular disease has made a substantial contribution to increasing our understanding of disease pathogenesis, has led to the development of diagnostic techniques, and has made it possible to verify the effectiveness of different preventative and therapeutic approaches, whether pharmacological or interventional. The main limitations stem from differences between human and experimentally induced pathology, in terms of both genetic regulatory mechanisms and factors that influence cardiovascular function. The experimental models and preparations used in cardiovascular research include those based on isolated cells or tissues or structures immersed in orga…
Transfer of the active form of transforming growth factor-beta 1 gene to newborn rat lung induces changes consistent with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
2003
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a chronic lung disease of premature human infancy that shows pathological features comprising varying sized areas of interstitial fibrosis in association with distorted large alveolar spaces. We have previously shown that transfer of active transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 (AdTGF beta 1(223/225)) genes by adenovirus vector to embryonic lungs results in inhibition of branching morphogenesis and primitive peripheral lung development, whereas transfer to adult lungs results in progressive interstitial fibrosis. Herein we show that transfer of TGF-beta1 to newborn rat pups results in patchy areas of interstitial fibrosis developing throughout a period of 28 …
Long-term expression of the human alpha1-antitrypsin gene in mice employing anionic and cationic liposome vector.
1997
The complete process of gene therapy involves three important steps: targeting, delivery, and gene expression. Since each step can be related to the pharmacological concept of affinity, bioavailability, and intrinsic capacity, this commentary examines, from this perspective, the efficiency of anionic and cationic liposomes as vectors for the in vivo gene transfer of the human alpha1-antitrypsin gene. Small liposomes represent the first generation of liposomes destined for the liver parenchymal cell. Although the final efficiency of gene transfer is low, we found that small liposomes are a kind of high-affinity hepatocyte-destined vector because the dose range for mediating the response is t…