The pilE gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is transcribed from a sigma70 promoter (pilEp1) with an AT-rich tract extending 65 nucleotides upstream of the -35 box. Within this region is an integration host factor (IHF)-binding core consensus sequence. We have performed a detailed analysis to determine which upstream sequences are required for efficient transcription from pilEp1 in N. gonorrhoeae. De...

PURPOSE Mutations in PITX2 are associated with Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS), which involves ocular, dental, and umbilical abnormalities. Identification of cis-regulatory elements of PITX2 is important to better understand the mechanisms of disease. METHODS Conserved noncoding elements surrounding PITX2/pitx2 were identified and examined through transgenic analysis in zebrafish; expression p...

Genetic causes of ocular conditions remain largely unknown. To reveal the molecular basis for a congenital ocular phenotype associated with glaucoma we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome copy number analyses of patient DNA. WES did not identify a causative variant. Copy number variation analysis identified a deletion of 10p13 in the patient and his unaffected father; the de...

The mechanism leading to increased production of staphylococcal enterotoxin type A (SEA) in mutant Staphylococcus aureus FRI722 compared within its wild-type parent strain, FRI100, was examined. Sequence analysis revealed two mutations in the upstream promoter region of FRI722 at nucleotides -28 and +3 with respect to the transcriptional initiation site at An sea translational fusion of the ups...

Phase-field model was employed to quantitatively study the effect of convection on pattern selection and growth rate of 2D and 3D dendrite tip, as well as the effect of the different convection velocity on the dendritic growth. The calculated results show that crystal is asymmetric in the priority direction of growth under flow. The dentritic growth is promoted in the upstream region and suppre...

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum is a Gram-positive, β-hemolytic emerging human pathogen that is classified into smooth or rough biotypes. This bacterial species is also a rare pathogen of animals. Smooth biotypes possess smooth colony edges, are moderate to strong in β-hemolysis, and predominately cause wound infections. In contrast, rough biotypes possess rough and irregular colony edges, have we...