The paradigm of developmental regulation by Polycomb group (PcG) proteins posits that they maintain silencing outside the spatial expression domains of their target genes, particularly of Hox genes, starting from mid embryogenesis. The Enhancer of zeste [E(z)] PcG protein is the catalytic subunit of the PRC2 complex, which silences its targets via deposition of the H3K27me3mark. Here, we studie...

The gene encoding the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) contains a regulatory variation that has been associated with anxiety-related traits and susceptibility for depression. Here we highlight recent discoveries related to allelic variation of 5-HTT function with respect to emotion regulation and social behavior, drawing from an interdisciplinary perspective of behavioral genetics and cognitive ne...

Phosphorus is an essential plant nutrient and critical to agricultural production, but it is also a problem when excessive amounts enter surface waters. Summer rotational grazing and winter feeding beef pasture systems at two fertility levels (56 and 28 kg available P ha) were studied to evaluate the P losses from these systems via surface runoff and subsurface flow using eight small (0.3–1.1 h...

A Gram-stain-positive bacterium, designated strain NIO-1109(T), was isolated from a marine sediment sample from Chorao Island, Goa, India. Phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and data from phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NIO-1109(T) was related to the genus Exiguobacterium . Strain NIO-1109(T) exhibited >98.0% 16S rRNA gene sequence similar...

Esterases catalyze the hydrolysis of therapeutic drugs containing esters or amides in their structures. Human carboxylesterase (CES) and arylacetamide deacetylase (AADAC) are the major enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of drugs in the liver. Characterization of the enzyme(s) responsible for drug metabolism is required in drug development and to realize optimal drug therapy. Because multiple ...