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[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1994]
Cloning
mua-3: some observations on the new Molecular Era John Plenefisch and Edward Hedgecock, Dept. of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218
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[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1994]
Tc4 and Tc5: what makes them move and why it matters Christi Parham, Kristie Butze, Joanna Beinhorn and John Collins. Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Hampshire. Durham, NH 03824
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[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1994]
Function of a Domain of the Myosin Heavy Chain Implicated in Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Craig A. Almeida, Kerry E. Swift and John J. Collins Department of Biochemistry and Molecular, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03820
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[
J Neurobiol,
1993]
Mutations causing a touch-insensitive phenotype in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have been the basis of studies on the specification of neuronal cell fate, inherited neurodegeneration, and the molecular nature of mechanosensory transduction. (C) 1993 John Wiley & sons, Inc.
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[
Worm Breeder's Gazette,
1994]
Mutations that enhance
glp-1 identify genes required for various aspects of germline development. Eleanor Maine, Li Qiao, Jim Lissemore-, Pei Shu, Anne Smardon, and Melanie Gelber. Biology Dept., Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244 and Biology Dept., John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH 44118.
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[
Mid-west Worm Meeting,
2004]
Nematode communities at the Konza Tallgrass Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, KS are known to respond to nitrogen addition and burning. Using a combination of morphometric identification and molecular methods, nematode 'species' have been identified and preliminary results show differential responses to environmental perturbations at the genus level. (see abstract by Jones et al .) We are interested in linking the responses of organisms to environmental change at the genetic level. Little is known about how the environment affects organisms at the level of expression of individual genes. We are addressing this using laboratory soil cultures and the genetic model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans . We aim to use C. elegans to discover genes that are induced or repressed in response to changes in soil nitrogen and water by using laboratory soil cultures to model nematode environments on Konza. Homologs of the C. elegans genes exhibiting the greatest changes in expression will be identified in resident nematode 'species' and their expression examined. As a first step we have developed a C. elegans soil culture system. We collected 13 soil bacterial isolates from native Kansas soils. N2 grew and developed normally on plates seeded with each of the isolates. Using the most abundant soil bacterial isolate, Micrococcus luteus , we have developed soil cultures that support soil bacterial and nematode growth. We have optimized growth conditions and found that water addition every six days maximizes nematode growth in soil culture. We also found that bacterial addition every three days increases nematode abundance in soil culture. We have been able to quickly extract nematodes from our soil cultures, which is essential for isolation of mRNAs for microarray studies. As a control for our future work, we are using cDNA microarrays to discover genes that are specifically expressed or repressed during soil growth. Microarray experiments comparing E. coli (OP50) fed N2 populations to M. luteus fed N2 populations grown on plates, as well as to those grown in soil culture, are currently under way.
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[
International Worm Meeting,
2003]
We are interested in linking the responses of organisms to environmental change at the genetic level. Most environmental change studies include only two ecological levels, (e.g. communities and ecosystems), but organismal response to the environment depends upon the organisms genetic make up and interactions of genes with the environment. While much is known about the roles genes play in development and physiology, little is known about how the environment affects organisms at the level of expression of individual genes. The answers to these questions lie at the interface of ecology and genomics, a realm called Ecological Genomics. We will address these questions using resident nematode populations on the Konza Tallgrass Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, KS. Nematodes are dominant invertebrates in soils, are particularly responsive to changing environmental conditions and affect ecosystem processes. The Konza nematode community responds strongly to nitrogen addition and increase soil moisture. Presumably, some species are better adapted to the changed environment than others. What could account for the differential success of some species, especially those within the same trophic level? We hypothesize that some species may have different genes or genetic regulatory capacities to respond to changes in the environment. We will use C. elegans to discover which genes might be induced or repressed in response to these variations in resource availability. Homologs of the C. elegans genes exhibiting the greatest changes in expression will be identified in the resident nematode species and their expression examined. As a first step, we have developed a C. elegans soil culture system. To develop the system, we collected 13 soil bacteria isolates from native Kansas soils. N2 animals grew and developed normally on plates seeded with each of the isolates. Using the most abundant soil bacterial isolate found in native soils, we have developed soil micro-cultures that support soil bacterial growth, as well as growth of N2 populations. We have been able to quickly extract nematodes from the soil culture, which is essential for isolation of mRNAs for microarray studies. As a control for our future studies, we are using cDNA microarrays to discover genes that are specifically expressed or repressed during soil growth. We will report on microarray experiments comparing OP50-fed N2 populations to soil bacterial-fed N2 populations grown on plates as well as to those grown in soil culture.
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[
Biochemistry,
2012]
Decapping scavenger (DcpS) enzymes catalyze the cleavage of a residual cap structure following 3' 5' mRNA decay. Some previous studies suggested that both m(7)GpppG and m(7)GDP were substrates for DcpS hydrolysis. Herein, we show that mononucleoside diphosphates, m(7)GDP (7-methylguanosine diphosphate) and m(3)(2,2,7)GDP (2,2,7-trimethylguanosine diphosphate), resulting from mRNA decapping by the Dcp1/2 complex in the 5' 3' mRNA decay, are not degraded by recombinant DcpS proteins (human, nematode, and yeast). Furthermore, whereas mononucleoside diphosphates (m(7)GDP and m(3)(2,2,7)GDP) are not hydrolyzed by DcpS, mononucleoside triphosphates (m(7)GTP and m(3)(2,2,7)GTP) are, demonstrating the importance of a triphosphate chain for DcpS hydrolytic activity. m(7)GTP and m(3)(2,2,7)GTP are cleaved at a slower rate than their corresponding dinucleotides (m(7)GpppG and m(3)(2,2,7)GpppG, respectively), indicating an involvement of the second nucleoside for efficient DcpS-mediated digestion. Although DcpS enzymes cannot hydrolyze m(7)GDP, they have a high binding affinity for m(7)GDP and m(7)GDP potently inhibits DcpS hydrolysis of m(7)GpppG, suggesting that m(7)GDP may function as an efficient DcpS inhibitor. Our data have important implications for the regulatory role of m(7)GDP in mRNA metabolic pathways due to its possible interactions with different cap-binding proteins, such as DcpS or eIF4E.
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[
J Infect Dis,
2015]
BACKGROUND: Elimination of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis is targeted for 2020. Given the coincident Loa loa infections in Central Africa and the potential for drug resistance development, the need for new microfilaricides and macrofilaricides has never been greater. With the genomes of L. loa, Onchocerca volvulus, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Brugia malayi available, new drug targets have been identified. METHODS: The effects of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib, nilotinib, and dasatinib on B. malayi adult males, adult females, L3 larvae, and microfilariae were assessed using a wide dose range (0-100 M) in vitro. RESULTS: For microfilariae, median inhibitory concentrations (IC50 values) on day 6 were 6.06 M for imatinib, 3.72 M for dasatinib, and 81.35 M for nilotinib; for L3 larvae, 11.27 M, 13.64 M, and 70.98 M, respectively; for adult males, 41.6 M, 3.87 M, and 68.22 M, respectively; and for adult females, 42.89 M, 9.8 M, and >100 M, respectively. Three-dimensional modeling suggests how these tyrosine kinase inhibitors bind and inhibit filarial protein activity. CONCLUSIONS: Given the safety of imatinib in humans, plans are underway for pilot clinical trials to assess its efficacy in patients with filarial infections.
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[
Nature,
1998]
In 1983, John Sulston and Alan Coulson began to construct a complete physical map of the genome of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, and started what became known as the C. elegans Genome Project. At the time, several people wondered why John, who had just described all of the cell divisions in C. elegans (the cell lineage), was interested in this project rather than in a more 'biological' problem. He replied by joking that he had a "weakness for grandiose, meaningless projects". In 1989, as the physical map approached completion, the Genome Project, now including Bob Waterston and his group, embarked on the even more ambitious goal of obtaining the complete genomic sequence