Expression of proadrenomedullin-derived peptides in the rat, cow and human pituitary was studied by a variety of techniques. Immunocytochemical detection showed a widespread expression of adrenomedullin peptide in the adenohypophysis and the neural lobe, with low expression in the intermediate pituitary. Proadrenomedullin N-20 terminal peptide (PAMP)-immunoreactivity was also present in the ant...

Arabidopsis thaliana BOTRYTIS-INDUCED KINASE1 (BIK1) regulates immune responses to a distinct class of pathogens. Here, mechanisms underlying BIK1 function and its interactions with other immune response regulators were determined. We describe BIK1 function as a component of ethylene (ET) signaling and PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) to fungal pathogens. BIK1 in vivo kinase activity increases in ...

Genes encoding the virulence-promoting type III secretion system (T3SS) in phytopathogenic bacteria are induced at the start of infection, indicating that recognition of signals from the host plant initiates this response. However, the precise nature of these signals and whether their concentrations can be altered to affect the biological outcome of host-pathogen interactions remain speculative...

In Arabidopsis, much of what we know about the phytohormone salicylic acid (SA) and its role in plant defense comes from experiments using young plants. We are interested in understanding why young plants are susceptible to virulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae, while mature plants exhibit a robust defense response known as age-related resistance (ARR). SA-mediated signaling is important for...

Proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) derives, along with adrenomedullin (AM), from prepro-AM. AM has been reported to modulate the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and this study aimed at ascertaining whether PAMP exerts similar effects. PAMP was subcutaneously administered to non-stressed and stressed rats, and the plasma concentrations of ACTH and corticost...

Vaccine development has progressed significantly and has moved from whole microorganisms to subunit vaccines that contain only their antigenic proteins. Subunit vaccines are often less immunogenic than whole pathogens; therefore, adjuvants must amplify the immune response, ideally establishing both innate and adaptive immunity. Incorporation of antigens into biomaterials, such as liposomes and ...

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a problem constantly uppermost in the minds of all surgeons, although the actual rate of occurrence is only 1-5% in general surgery. SSI leads to increases in the cost of care as well as, prolonged hospital stays. Furthermore, in the field of neurosurgery, SSI may result in increased morbidity and mortality, or may induce critical neurologic deficits that have a...