Phelen P et al. (1998) Trends Genet "Innexins: a family of invertebrate gap-junction proteins."

Avery L, Starich TA, Phelen P, Lee RYN, Wyman RJ, Barnes TM, Bacon JP, Hekimi S, Shaw JE, Curtin KA, Baines RA, Todman M, Ford C, Davies JA, Sun Y-a, Stebbings LA

[Trends Genet, 1998]

In vertebrates, intercellular communication via gap junctions is mediated by the connexin family of molecules, which is made up of at least 13 members. These proteins, which have four transmembrane domains and intracellular C- and N-termini, oligomerize to form hemichannels. Oligomers in the adjacent membranes of two closely apposed cells 'dock' to form intercellular channels, through which ions and small molecules move.

Gibert L et al. (2014) FEMS Microbiol Lett "The major autolysin of Staphylococcus lugdunensis, AtlL, is involved in cell separation, stress-induced autolysis and contributes to bacterial pathogenesis."

Legris S, Gibert L, Lesouhaitier O, Marlinghaus L, Pons JL, Szabados F, Didi J, Pestel-Caron M

[FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2014]

Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a human skin commensal organism, but it is considered as a virulent Staphylococcus species. In a previous study, we described the first S.lugdunensis autolysin, AtlL. This enzyme displays two enzymatic domains and generates two peptidoglycan hydrolases, an N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase and an N-acetylglucosaminidase. In this study, to further investigate the functions of this autolysin, a atlL mutant was constructed. The microscopic examination of the mutant showed cell aggregates and revealed a rough outer cell surface demonstrating, respectively, the roles of AtlL in cell separation and peptidoglycan turnover. This atlL mutant exhibited a lower susceptibility to Triton X-100-induced autolysis assays and appears to be more resistant to cell wall antibiotic-induced lysis and death compared with its parental strain. The atlL mutation affected the biofilm formation capacity of S.lugdunensis. Furthermore, the atlL mutant showed trends toward reduced virulence using the Caenorhabditis elegans model. Overall, AtlL appears as a major cell wall autolysin of S.lugdunensis implicated in cell separation, in stress-induced autolysis and in bacterial pathogenesis.

Burglin TR et al. (1992) Nat Genet "New motif in PBX genes."

Burglin TR, Ruvkun GB

[Nat Genet, 1992]

Human pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemias are associated with a chimaeric gene that is generated from a t(1;19) chromosomal translocation. This fusion joins the regulatory regions of the lymphoid transcription factor gene, E2A, to the C-terminal region, including the homeodomain, of PBX1 (previously called prl). Tow additional human genes (PBX2 and PBX3) with 77-84% identity to PBX1 have been isolated based on sequence similarity. These genes, however, are too closely related to distinguish between recent divergence and conserved essential motifs, if any, outside the homeodomain. Such conserved domains might be revealed by comparing mammalian sequences with those of more evolutionarily distant organisms, such as the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) generated recently in Caenorhabditis elegans.