Mechanosensation is an evolutionarily ancient sensory modality seen in all main animal groups. Mechanosensation can be mediated by sensory neurons or by dedicated receptor cells that form synapses with sensory neurons. Evidence over the last 15-20 years suggests that both classes of mechanosensory cells can be specified by the atonal class of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. In thi...

Transcription of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system is controlled by ExsA, a member of the AraC/XylS family of regulators. Each ExsA-dependent promoter contains two adjacent binding sites for monomeric ExsA. The promoter-proximal site (binding site 1) consists of highly conserved GnC and TGnnA sequences that are individually recognized by the two helix-turn-helix (HTH) DNA-bin...

Bioactive products from snail slime of “Helix” specie have potential applications in preventing and/or treating several human diseases and in cancer diagnosis. However, the poor pharmacokinetics characteristics of these natural compounds limit their use. Nanotechnology offers promising solutions for the enhanced formulation of these molecules through the synthesis of nanosized drug del...

Stomatal development provides a model for understanding the molecular basis of how cell lineages are established and how cells differentiate into functionally mature structures. This article describes recent advancements in understanding the role of basic helixloop-helix (bHLH) proteins in stomatal lineage choice and differentiation in Arabidopsis. The emerging picture unravels that SPEECHLESS ...

Allelic exclusion of antigen-receptor genes is ensured primarily by monoallelic locus activation upon rearrangement and subsequently by feedback inhibition of continued rearrangement. Here, we demonstrated that the basic helix-loop-helix protein, E47, promoted T cell receptor beta (TCRbeta) gene rearrangement by directly binding to target gene segments to increase chromatin accessibility in a d...

Proneural basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors such as Neurogenin are activators of neuronal gene expression. Recent studies show they reinforce neuronal differentiation by also inhibiting the expression of glial genes, and are required in vivo to prevent premature and excessive gliogenesis.

1 Abteilung für Klinische Chemie und Klinische Biochemie, Chirurgische Klinik Innenstadt, Klinikum der LMU München, D-80336 München 2 Adolf-Butenandt-Institut der LMU München, D-80336 München 3 Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, D-69120 Heidelberg 4 Physiologisches Institut der LMU München, D-80336 München 5 Institut für Molekularbiologie und Zellkulturtechnik, Fachhochschule Mannheim, D-68163 M...

Studies were done comparing the insecticides SpinTor (spinosad), BotaniGard (Beauveria bassiana), Neemix (azadirachtin), and Surround (kaolin, a clay) with conventional chemical insecticides Capture (bifenthrin) and Helix XTra (thiamethoxam), all applied at seven rates in a 7-d assay to assess their impact on adult crucifer flea beetle, Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)...

The helix-loop-helix (HLH) family of transcription factors comprises >200 members, which have been identified in organisms from yeast to man (reviewed in Littlewood and Evan, 1995; Massari and Murre, 2000). In metazoa, HLH proteins function in the coordinate regulation of gene expression, orchestrating cell cycle control, cell lineage commitment and cell differentiation. An essential role has b...

Fifteen triterpenoid saponins were isolated from the berries of Hedera colchica and their structures established on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence. Among them, two are new compounds: coichiside A (3) and colchiside B (15) and four are described for the first time in the berries of Hedera colchica (compounds 1, 8, 9 and 11).