poplars are classified as fast-growing and slightly water tolerant species which will be weakened with decreased growth in extreme moisture or drought lands. the plantation of these species in agricultural lands and at the edge of rivers and water canals has currenthy an important role in both economical and social development of rural regions. the purpose of this study was to investigate and c...

Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) are the primary auditory neurons in the inner ear, conveying auditory information between sensory hair cells and the central nervous system. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), acting through specific receptors, is a regulatory peptide required for a variety of cardiac and neuronal functions. While the localization of ANP and its receptors (NPR-A and NPR-C) in the i...

A paradigm for automatic three-dimensional shape and geometry rendering from multiple images is introduced in this paper. In particular, non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) techniques in the style of pen-and-ink illustrations are addressed, while the underlying presented ideas can be used in other modalities, such as halftoning, as well. Existing NPR approaches can be categorized in two groups d...

A radioligand-binding assay was established for eel atrial natriuretic peptide (eANP), and ANP receptors were characterised in the eel gill. ANP binding to the gill membrane fraction was saturable with increasing ligand concentrations and was specific to ANP peptides, i.e. eANP, ventricular natriuretic peptide (VNP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). A Scatchard analysis revealed a single cl...

AIMS C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and nitric oxide (NO) are endothelium-derived factors that play important roles in the regulation of vascular tone and arterial blood pressure. We hypothesized that NO produced by the endothelial NO-synthase (NOS-3) contributes to the relaxation induced by CNP in isolated rat aorta via activation of endothelial NPR-C receptor. Therefore, the aim of this stu...

A set of primers and functional probes was developed for the detection of peptidase gene fragments of proteolytic bacteria. Based on DNA sequence data, degenerate PCR primers and internal DIG-labeled probes specific for genes encoding alkaline metallopeptidases (apr) (E.3.4.24), neutral metallopeptidases (npr) (E.3.4.24) and serine peptidases (sub) (E.3.4.21) were derived by multiple sequence a...

Because the thymus expresses the natriuretic peptides (NP) as well as their respective receptors, an involvement of NP in the physiology of this organ has been suggested. To evaluate functional aspects of NP in the thymus, we looked for thymic cells bearing NP receptors (Npr). Furthermore, the regulation of Npr expression by activation of cells and the influence of NP on the proliferation of th...

Natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR-A) is an essential cardiovascular regulator that is stimulated by atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide, whereas natriuretic peptide receptor B (NPR-B) stimulates long bone growth in a C-type natriuretic peptide-dependent manner. Many reports indicate that ATP is essential for NPR-A and NPR-B activation. Current models suggest that natriur...

By using a gene library of Bacillus caldolyticus constructed in phage lambda EMBL12 and selecting for proteolytically active phages on plates supplemented with 0.8% skim milk, chromosomal B. caldolyticus DNA fragments that specified proteolytic activity were obtained. Subcloning of one of these fragments in a protease-deficient Bacillus subtilis strain resulted in protease proficiency of the ho...