Horizontal gene transfer has been postulated to occur between crops to co-occurring parasitic plants, but empirical evidence has been lacking. We present evidence that an HGT event moved a nuclear monocot gene into the genome of the eudicot parasite witchweed (Striga hermonthica), which infects many grass species in Africa. Analysis of expressed sequence tags revealed that the genome of S. herm...

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear membrane is part of a complex nuclear envelope environment also containing chromatin, integral and peripheral membrane proteins, and large structures such as nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and the spindle pole body. To study how properties of the nuclear membrane affect nuclear envelope processes, we altered the nuclear membrane by deleting the SPO7 gene. We ...

Many studies have suggested that the 3D organization of chromatin and proteins within the nucleus contributes to the regulation of gene expression. We tested multiple aspects of this nuclear organization model within a primary cell culture system. Oligodendrocyte lineage cells were examined to facilitate analysis of nuclear organization relative to a highly expressed tissue-specific gene, prote...

The nuclear phase of the gene expression pathway culminates in the export of mature messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to the cytoplasm through nuclear pore complexes. GANP (germinal- centre associated nuclear protein) promotes the transfer of mRNAs bound to the transport factor NXF1 to nuclear pore complexes. Here, we demonstrate that GANP, subunit of the TRanscription-EXport-2 (TREX-2) mRNA export comple...

The serum response factor (SRF) binds to coactivators, such as myocardin-related transcription factor-A (MRTF-A), and mediates gene transcription elicited by diverse signaling pathways. SRF/MRTF-A-dependent gene transcription is activated when nuclear MRTF-A levels increase, enabling the formation of transcriptionally active SRF/MRTF-A complexes. The level of nuclear MRTF-A is regulated by nucl...

Transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates antioxidant response element (ARE)-mediated expression and coordinated induction of chemoprotective proteins in response to chemical stress. In this report, we investigated Nrf2 response to low and high dose UVB irradiation. Low dose (7.5 J/m(2)) UVB exposure of mouse hepatoma, mouse keratinocyte, and human skin fibroblast cells led t...

The 3′ repair exonuclease 1 (TREX1) gene encodes a nuclear protein with activity, and the mutations have been associated autoimmune diseases. Herein, we performed genetic analysis for TREX1 in 55 patients systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We identified one SLE patient overlapping dermatomyositis having heterozygous p.Asp130Asn mutation gene. had high level of serum interferon (IFN)-α compared...

To fully understand genome function, the linear genome map must be integrated with a spatial map of chromosomes in the nucleus. Distinct nuclear addresses for a few human chromosomes have been described. Previously we have demonstrated that the gene-rich human chromosome 19 is located in a more central position in the nucleus than the similarly sized, but gene-poor, chromosome 18. To determine ...

Primary cultures of fetal rat calvarial osteoblasts undergo a developmental sequence with respect to the temporal expression of genes encoding osteoblast phenotypic markers. Based on previous suggestions that gene-nuclear matrix associations are involved in regulating cell- and tissue-specific gene expression, we investigated the protein composition of the nuclear matrix during this development...