Animal cells secrete small vesicles, otherwise known as exosomes and microvesicles (EMVs). A short, N-terminal acylation tag can target a highly oligomeric cytoplasmic protein, TyA, into secreted vesicles (Fang, Y., Wu, N., Gan, X., Yan, W., Morell, J. C., and Gould, S. J. (2007) PLoS Biol. 5, 1267-1283). However, it is not clear whether this is true for other membrane anchors or other highly o...

The membrane scission event that separates nascent enveloped virions from host cell membranes often requires the ESCRT pathway, which can be engaged through the action of peptide motifs, termed late (L-) domains, in viral proteins. Viral PTAP and YPDL-like L-domains bind directly to the ESCRT-I and ALIX components of the ESCRT pathway, while PPxY motifs bind Nedd4-like, HECT-domain containing, ...

In extending our previous studies toward development of an engineered distal lung tissue construct (M. J. Mondrinos, S. Koutzaki, E. Jiwanmall, M. Li, J. P. Dechadarevian, P. I. Lelkes, and C. M. Finck. Tissue Eng 12: 717-728, 2006), we studied the effects of exogenous fibroblast growth factors FGF10, FGF7, and FGF2 on mixed populations of embryonic day 17.5 murine fetal pulmonary cells culture...

Many enveloped viruses exploit the class E vacuolar protein-sorting (VPS) pathway to bud from cells, and use peptide motifs to recruit specific class E VPS factors. Homologous to E6AP COOH terminus (HECT) ubiquitin ligases have been implicated as cofactors for PPXY motif-dependent budding, but precisely which members of this family are responsible, and how they access the VPS pathway is unclear...

Sister kinetochores are bioriented toward the spindle poles in higher eukaryotic prometaphase before chromosome segregation. We show that, in budding yeast, the sister kinetochores are separated in the very early spindle, while the sister arms remain associated. Biorientation of the separated kinetochores is achieved already after replication. Mtw1p, a homolog of fission yeast Mis12 required fo...

Arthrobotrysamerospora (ATCC 34468) produced glucoamylase in a semi-synthetic medium containing starch as a sole carbon source. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of crude glucoamylase showed three isoenzymes. They were designated as glu I, glu II and glu III according to their electrophoretic mobility. These iso-glucoamylases were purified by column chromatography using DEAE-Sephadex A-50. The...

Hrs and the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport, ESCRT-I, -II, and -III, are involved in the endosomal sorting of membrane proteins into multivesicular bodies and lysosomes or vacuoles. The ESCRT complexes are also required for formation of intraluminal endosomal vesicles and for budding of certain enveloped RNA viruses such as HIV. Here, we show that Hrs binds to the ESCRT-I sub...

THOUGH budding and grafting have been long used by horticulturists a a means of reproducing genetically complex or sterile clones superior for their fruit or ornamental value, little consideration has been given to these techniques by foresters as a means of improving the unit value of forest stands. Forest geneticists in Denmark and Sweden have, however, sensed the practical value of these tec...

The excellent preservation of the acritarchs, their great abundance, diversity and good stratigraphic control permit establishment of a detailed Middle and Late Cambrian acritarch biozonation. A total of 56 palynomorph species form the basis of 10 local acritarch assemblage zones. Assemblage zones I-II occur in the lower and middle parts of the Member C of the Mila Formation and suggest Early-m...