Human CARD4 protein is a novel CED-4/Apaf-1 cell death family member that activates NF-kappaB.

The nematode CED-4 protein and its human homolog Apaf-1 play a central role in apoptosis by functioning as direct activators of death-inducing caspases. A novel human CED-4/Apaf-1 family member called CARD4 was identified that has a domain structure strikingly similar to the cytoplasmic, receptor-like proteins that mediate disease resistance in plants. CARD4 interacted with the serine-threonine kinase RICK and potently induced NF-kappaB activity through TRAF-6 and NIK signaling molecules. In addition, coexpression of CARD4 augmented caspase-9-induced apoptosis. Thus, CARD4 coordinates downstream NF-kappaB and apoptotic signaling pathways and may be a component of the host innate immune response.

An on-farm method for determination of sulfonamide drug residues in turkeys. 1. An agar-diffusion analysis for sulfadimethoxine in whole blood.

A simple and inexpensive sulfonamide-screening test was evaluated using turkeys. An agar-diffusion procedure was developed to estimate the levels of sulfonamides in the edible tissues of turkeys by determining the drug level in whole blood. The analysis was adapted for use on whole blood that was easily collected from live birds on the farm with minimal equipment and skill. This Whole Blood Sulfa Test (WBST) was quantified by the use of a standard curve and was successfully applied to on-farm use in the Pacific Northwest. Agar plates were prepared using fortified Mueller-Hinton medium. Bacillus megaterium spores were applied to the agar to form confluent growth, and paper discs (10 mm) were laid onto the agar. Whole blood was collected from commercial turkeys prior to marketing, and the blood was immediately applied to the test paper discs. After incubation, blood that contained sulfa inhibited bacterial growth around the disc, and the clear zones of inhibition were measured. The WBST was consistently accurate to 1.22 ppm, and sulfa levels were detected as low as .04 ppm. Results were attained in 12 hr and were relatively inexpensive at $3.00/test/flock.

Accumulation rate in the whole blood of market turkeys fed prophylactic and therapeutic levels of sulfadimethoxine.

A study was conducted to determine the accumulation of sulfadimethoxine (SDM) in the blood of market turkeys. Fifty-two 12-week-old female turkeys were fed SDM at either prophylactic or therapeutic levels, .00625 and .03125% (w/w), respectively, for 24 days. A semiqualitative test, the Whole Blood Sulfa Test (WBST), was used to determine sulfa levels in the whole blood. Blood samples were obtained at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hr for the first day for both groups after the incorporation of SDM in the feed. Blood sampling was continued at 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24 days in the prophylactic treatment and at 2, 3, 12, and 24 days in the therapeutic treatment. Six birds were chosen at random from each drug level for the sampling period. The blood concentration of SDM reached a plateau of about 1 ppm after 15 days of feeding with the highest level of about 1.2 ppm attained at 14 days in the prophylactic treatment. In the therapeutic treatment, the level of SDM in the whole blood leveled at 24 hr at approximately 4 ppm, and the highest levels of 30 ppm were attained at 11 days on the drug.