Knowledge regarding genome size allows us to infer relationships between taxa, address questions related systematics and contribute biodiversity studies. However, currently, less than 3% of the described Pteridophyta species have estimates reported in databases, only around one third these are tropical species, although tropics home 86% fern diversity. The region Timor-Leste, included 25 hotspo...

The serotonin 5-HT(2C) receptor (5-HT(2C)R) is localized to the limbic-corticostriatal circuit, which plays an integral role in mediating attention, motivation, cognition, and reward processes. The 5-HT(2C)R is linked to modulation of mesoaccumbens dopamine neurotransmission via an activation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, we recently demonst...

The physiological role of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors (alpha(2)-ARs) in cutaneous, arteriolar, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMs) is to mediate cold-induced constriction. In VSMs cultured from human cutaneous arterioles, there is a selective increase in alpha(2C)-AR expression after serum stimulation. In the present study, we examined the cellular mechanisms contributing to this response. Serum ind...

Polypeptide 2C is one of the most thoroughly studied but least understood proteins in the life cycle of poliovirus. Within the protein, multiple functional domains important for uncoating, host cell membrane alterations, and RNA replication and encapsidation have previously been identified. In this study, charged to alanine-scanning mutagenesis was used to generate conditional-lethal mutations ...

METHODS: We performed the VCA model utilizing Balb/c mice as donor and C57bl/10 mice as recipient. Mice were divided randomly to 6 groups (n=15/group). Group A: control; Group B: post-Tx. IL-2C (inj. POD 0, 1, 2); Group C: Rapamycin (2mg/kg, 28days); Group D: Rapamycin plus post-Tx. IL-2C; Group E: pre-Tx. IL-2C (POD -5, -4, -3); Group F: Rapamycin plus pre-Tx. IL-2C. Signs of allograft rejecti...

This study sought to identify, by means of several analytical methods (GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, CE-DAD, FTIR, and NMR), 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B), which was found in two sets of tablets obtained from the Swiss black market. Unequivocal identification of 2C-B was only achieved by a combination of mass spectrometric and NMR analysis. Quantitation of 2C-B was performed by HPLC-DAD and CE-...

The poliovirus-encoded, membrane-associated polypeptide 2C is believed to be required for initiation and elongation of RNA synthesis. We have expressed and purified recombinant, histidine-tagged 2C and examined its ability to bind to the first 100 nucleotides of the poliovirus 5' untranslated region of the positive strand and its complementary 3'-terminal negative-strand RNA sequences. Results ...

This paper reviews the metabolism of new designer drugs of abuse that have emerged on the black market during the last years and is an update of a review published in 2005. The presented review contains data concerning the so-called 2C compounds (phenethylamine type) such as 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxy-beta-phenethylamine (2C-B), 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxy-beta-phenethylamine (2C-I), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methyl...

By using the yeast two-hybrid system, we previously isolated a cDNA clone encoding a novel member of the multivalent PDZ protein family called MUPP1 containing 13 PDZ domains. Here we report that the C terminus of the 5-hydroxytryptamine type 2C (5-HT(2C)) receptor selectively interacts with the 10th PDZ domain of MUPP1. Mutations in the extreme C-terminal SSV sequence of the 5-HT(2C) receptor ...