An international parentage and identification panel for the domestic cat (Felis catus).

Seventeen commercial and research laboratories participated in two comparison tests under the auspices of the International Society for Animal Genetics to develop an internationally tested, microsatellite-based parentage and identification panel for the domestic cat (Felis catus). Genetic marker selection was based on the polymorphism information content and allele ranges from seven random-bred populations (n = 261) from the USA, Europe and Brazil and eight breeds (n = 200) from the USA. Nineteen microsatellite markers were included in the comparison test and genotyped across the samples. Based on robustness and efficiency, nine autosomal microsatellite markers were ultimately selected as a single multiplex 'core' panel for cat identification and parentage testing. Most markers contained dinucleotide repeats. In addition to the autosomal markers, the panel included two gender-specific markers, amelogenin and zinc-finger XY, which produced genotypes for both the X and Y chromosomes. This international cat parentage and identification panel has a power of exclusion comparable to panels used in other species, ranging from 90.08% to 99.79% across breeds and 99.47% to 99.87% in random-bred cat populations.

Characterization of PrpC from Bacillus subtilis, a member of the PPM phosphatase family.

We cloned the yloO gene and purified a His-tagged form of its product, the putative protein phosphatase YloO, which we now designate PrpC. This closely resembles the human protein phosphatase PP2C, a member of the PPM family, in sequence and predicted secondary structure. PrpC has phosphatase activity in vitro against a synthetic substrate, p-nitrophenol phosphate, and endogenous Bacillus subtilis proteins. The prkC and prpC genes are adjacent on the chromosome, and the phosphorylated form of PrkC is a substrate for PrpC. These findings suggest that PrkC and PrpC may function as a couple in vivo.

[Central nervous system demyelinating disease following hepatitis B vaccination with GenHevac B. Review of ten years of spontaneous notifications (1989-1998)]. / Pathologies démyélinisantes du système nerveux central rapportées après vaccination hépatite B par GenHevac B. Bilan de dix années de notifications spontanées (1989-1998).

OBJECTIVES: To describe and analyze spontaneous reports of central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disease including multiple sclerosis, following vaccination with GenHevac B vaccine, from 1989 to December 31, 1998. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of adverse event reports in the vaccinated population, including the number of cases of CNS demyelinating disease, their frequencies, their dates of onset in relation to dates of report and their distribution according to age, sex and the number of injections. A Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze the time period between the last dose of vaccine and the onset of CNS demyelinating disease. RESULTS: Overall, 187 cases of CNS demyelinating disease were spontaneously reported, (0.54 reports per 100,000 doses of GenHevac B distributed). The average time period between the occurring date of onset of the disease and its subsequent report was 24 months. The average age of onset was 31.7 years old and 73% of cases were women. The time between the last dose of vaccine and the onset of disease was regularly distributed from 1 day to 5 years (median: 60 days). CONCLUSION: These results, together with available clinical, epidemiological data regarding multiple sclerosis, do not suggest a causal relationship between CNS demyelinating disease and vaccination with GenHevac B.

Expression of orf1 from the Bacillus thuringiensis NRD-12 cry2Aa1 operon.

The 5' untranslated region and the orf1 sequence from the cry2Aa1 operon from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki NRD-12 were sequenced and compared to that from strain HD-1. The start codon described in HD-1 does not yield in NRD-12 a protein of the expected size of 20 kDa, but a 10-amino acid peptide. A second, highly conserved start codon is located 25 bp downstream from the first one and corresponds to an open reading frame of the same size in all known orf1-related sequences. Expression of lacZ gene fusions created at the level of the first ATG, second ATG, and stop codon of the NRD-12 orf1 sequence showed that orf1 is translated from the second ATG. The expected protein is 19 kDa in size. The expression starts at t2, which is in agreement with the presence of a BtI promoter in the cry2Aa1 operon.

Spiramycin: safety in man.

Spiramycin, a 16-membered lactone ring macrolide, has been in clinical use for the past 15 years with little serious associated toxicity. Gastrointestinal disturbance has usually been mild and no changes in gastrointestinal motility have been noted either experimentally or in humans, in contrast to other macrolides, such as erythromycin. Allergic reactions have been uncommon and mainly restricted to transient skin eruptions. Although liver injury is a possible complication of most macrolide treatments, no conclusive evidence for spiramycin-induced hepatitis is currently available, and, again in contrast to most other macrolides, the lack of drug interactions with spiramycin has been clearly established in biochemical, pharmacokinetic and clinical studies.