ABSTRACT
Blighia sapida aril oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids but is however currently not utilized industrially. The oil was characterized utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). A spectrophotometric assay was conducted to determine the free radical scavenging properties and carotenoid content of the oil. Chemical shifts resonating between δ 5.30 and 5.32 in the 1H NMR are indicative of olefinic protons present in ackee aril oil which are due to the presence of oleic acid. A peak at 3006 cm-1 in the FTIR spectra confirms the high levels of monounsaturation. The oil has a free radical scavenging activity of 48% ± 2.8% and carotenoid content of 21 ± 0.2 ppm.
ABSTRACT
In budding yeast, cell cycle progression and ribosome biogenesis are dependent on plasma membrane growth, which ensures that events of cell growth are coordinated with each other and with the cell cycle. However, the signals that link the cell cycle and ribosome biogenesis to membrane growth are poorly understood. Here we used proteome-wide mass spectrometry to systematically discover signals associated with membrane growth. The results suggest that membrane trafficking events required for membrane growth generate sphingolipid-dependent signals. A conserved signaling network appears to play an essential role in signaling by responding to delivery of sphingolipids to the plasma membrane. In addition, sphingolipid-dependent signals control phosphorylation of protein kinase C (Pkc1), which plays an essential role in the pathways that link the cell cycle and ribosome biogenesis to membrane growth. Together these discoveries provide new clues as to how growth--dependent signals control cell growth and the cell cycle.
Subject(s)
Sphingolipids/metabolism , Sphingolipids/physiology , Cell Cycle/physiology , Cell Enlargement , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Phosphorylation , Protein Kinase C/metabolism , Protein Transport , Ribosomes/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins/metabolism , Saccharomycetales/metabolism , Signal Transduction/geneticsABSTRACT
Current gene synthesis methods often incorporate a PCR amplification step in order to yield final material sufficient for resolution from multiple off-products. These amplification steps can cause stochastic sampling effects that propagate errors in gene synthesis or decrease variability when applied to the construction of randomized libraries. We have developed a simple DNA polymerase-based gene synthesis reaction, polymerase step reaction (PSR), that assembles DNA oligonucleotides in a unidirectional fashion without the need for amplification. We demonstrate that PSR is efficient, with little off-product production, no detectable error propagation, and maximized variability in the synthesis of a phage display library.
Subject(s)
DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/metabolism , Gene Library , DNA/genetics , DNA/isolation & purification , DNA Primers , DNA, Single-Stranded/genetics , DNA, Single-Stranded/isolation & purification , DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase/genetics , Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/methods , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Single-Domain Antibodies/geneticsABSTRACT
Contact/allergic dermatitis is frequently treated inappropriately with lower-than-recommended doses or inadequate duration of treatment with oral and intramuscular glucocorticoids. This article highlights a case of dermatitis in a Ranger Assessment and Selection Program student who was improperly treated over 2 weeks with oral steroids after being bit by Cimex lectularius, commonly known as bed bugs. The article also highlights the pitfalls of improper oral steroid dosing and provides reasoning for longer-duration oral steroid treatment.
