Cargo is selectively exported from the ER in COPII vesicles. To analyze the role of COPII in selective transport from the ER, we have purified components of the mammalian COPII complex from rat liver cytosol and then analyzed their role in cargo selection and ER export. The purified mammalian Sec23-24 complex is composed of an 85-kD (Sec23) protein and a 120-kD (Sec24) protein. Although the Sec...

Molecules that can control protein-protein interactions (PPIs) have recently drawn attention as new drug pipeline compounds. Here, we report a technique to screen desirable affinity-altered (affinity-enhanced and affinity-attenuated) protein variants. We previously constructed a screening system based on a target protein fused to a mutated G-protein γ subunit (Gγcyto) lacking membrane localizat...

Selection cutting, where approximately 30% of the trees are removed every 30 years, is the main silvicultural treatment used in temperate deciduous forests of Quebec (Canada). Concerns have been raised that the use of heavy machinery is creating soil disturbances that are negatively affecting the growth and survival of remaining trees. The aim of the study was to determine if heavy machinery is...

With the paradigm shift towards prognostic and health management (PHM) of machinery, there is need for reliable PHM methodologies with narrow error bounds to allow maintenance engineers take decisive maintenance actions based on the prognostic results. Prognostics is mainly concerned with the estimation of the remaining useful life (RUL) or time to failure (TTF). The accuracy of PHM methods is ...