BACKGROUND Differentiation of one life-cycle stage to the next is critical for survival and transmission of apicomplexan parasites. A number of studies have shown that stage differentiation is a stochastic process and is associated with a point that commits the cell to a change over in the pattern of gene expression. Studies on differentiation to merozoite production (merogony) in T. annulata p...

It is not fully understood how NMDAR-dependent LTD causes Ca(2+)-dependent endocytosis of AMPARs. Here we show that the neuronal Ca(2+) sensor hippocalcin binds the beta2-adaptin subunit of the AP2 adaptor complex and that along with GluR2 these coimmunoprecipitate in a Ca(2+)-sensitive manner. Infusion of a truncated mutant of hippocalcin (HIP(2-72)) that lacks the Ca(2+) binding domains preve...

Members of the ERF Family Transcription Factors play an important role in plant development and gene expression that regulates responses to biotic abiotic stress. This work identified 36 family genes Coffea arabica within AP2/ERF full domain, using EST-based genomic resource Brazilian Coffee Genome Project. The were classified into nine ten existing groups through phylogenetic analysis deduced ...

Pathogens secrete effector proteins into host cells to suppress immunity and promote pathogen virulence, although many features at the molecular interface of host–pathogen interactions remain be characterized. In a yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that Pseudomonas syringae HopZ1a interacts with Arabidopsis transcriptional regulator Abscisic Acid Repressor 1 (ABR1). Further analysis revealed ABR...

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital malformations which arise from incomplete closure of the neural tube during early embryogenesis. The most common types found in humans are spina bifida and anencephaly. These can occur together in a single family and in some cases even in one person. About 70–80% of all human NTDs show complex or multifactorial inheritance patterns, indicating that both...

Apicomplexa tick-borne hemoparasites, including Babesia bovis, Babesia microti, and Theileria equi are responsible for bovine and human babesiosis and equine theileriosis, respectively. These parasites of vast medical, epidemiological, and economic impact have complex life cycles in their vertebrate and tick hosts. Large gaps in knowledge concerning the mechanisms used by these parasites for ge...

The time course of chorionic gonadotropin stimulation of nuclear basic and acidic protein biosynthesis, phosphorylation, and acetylation as well as DNA biosynthesis in ovaries of immature rats has been investigated. After injection of radioactive precursor and chorionic gonadotropin into immature rats, ovarian histone fractions Fl, FZal, F2a2, F2b, and F3 were isolated by selective acid extract...