We investigated the expression of methyl transferase G9a and methylated histone H3-K9 in fresh human decidual/endometrial tissue of 12 normal early pregnancies and 15 unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions (URSA). The samples were obtained through dilatation and curettage and collected as per strict inclusion-exclusion criteria. The tissue was subjected to immunohistochemical analysis (IHC...

The major metabolites of epinephrine have been recently identified as the 0-methylated derivatives, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxymandelic acid (1)) metanephrine (2)) and 3-methoxy-4hydroxyphenylglycol (3). The corresponding catechols, 3,4dihydroxymandelic acid (4), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (5)) and epinephrine and its conjugates (6) were found to be minor excretion products. The present study was design...

Histones are subject to a wide variety of posttranslational modifications, which play a central role in gene activation and silencing. We have used histone modification-specific antibodies to demonstrate that two histone modifications involved in gene activation – histone H3 acetylation, and H3 lysine 4 methylation – are functionally linked. This interaction, in which the extent of histone H3 a...

Three pathways for phosphatidylcholine synthesis were assayed in castor bean (Ricinus communis var. Hale) endosperm. Phosphatidylethanolamine: S-adenosylmethionine methyl transferase occurred predominantly in the endoplasmic reticulum fraction, but some activity appeared in the mitochondria. Phosphorylcholine glyceride transferase occurred exclusively in the endoplasmic reticulum. The phosphory...

The methylation of norepinephrine to epinephrine was first demonstrated by Biilbring with the use of minced adrenal gland and adenosine triphosphate (2). Soon after, Keller, Boissonnas, and du Vigneaud (3) showed that the methyl group of methionine is incorporated into the epinephrine of the adrenal gland in the intact animal. Subsequently, S-adenosylmethionine was shown to be the methyl donor ...

Abbreviations: ALS: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate; CBS: Cystathionine β-Synthase; CNS: Central Nervous System; COMT: Catechol-O-Methyl-Transferase; CYP2E1: Cytochrome P450 2E1; eNOS: Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase; Hcy: Homocysteine; L-DOPA: Levodopa; mPT: Mitochondrial Permeability Transition; MPTP: 1-Methyl 4-Phenyl 1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine; MTHFR: Methylene ...

BACKGROUND There are substantial global differences in the preference for mercaptopurine (MP) or its prodrug azathioprine (AZA) as first-choice thiopurine to treat inflammatory bowel diseases. Studies comparing both agents are scarce. Our aim was to compare AZA and MP in thiopurine-naive patients with inflammatory bowel disease for the frequency of side effects and efficacy. METHODS Post hoc ...

CBP (CREB-binding protein) is involved in transcriptional activation by a great variety of sequence-specific transcription factors. CBP has been shown to activate transcription through its histone acetyl transferase activity. Acetylation is a common post-translational modification of nucleosomal histone N-terminal tails, which generally correlates with transcriptional activation. Histone N-term...

To the Editor: In their article, Shipkova et al. (1 ) present evidence to indicate that the concentration of erythrocyte thioguanine nucleotides (TGNs) measured by the method of Lennard (2 ) differ considerably from those measured by the method of Dervieux and Boulieu (3 ). The assay method studied by Shipkova et al. was superseded over a decade ago for studies of thiopurine metabolism (4 ). Ho...