DNA methylation is essential for epigenetic regulation of gene transcription and development in many animals, plants and fungi. We investigated whether DNA methylation plays a role in the development and secondary metabolism of Aspergillus flavus, identified the DmtA methyltransferase from A. flavus, and produced a dmtA knock-out mutant by replacing the dmtA coding sequence with the pyrG select...

O-Methyltransferase I catalyzes both the conversion of demethylsterigmatocystin to sterigmatocystin and the conversion of dihydrodemethylsterigmatocystin to dihydrosterigmatocystin during aflatoxin biosynthesis. In this study, both genomic cloning and cDNA cloning of the gene encoding O-methyltransferase I were accomplished by using PCR strategies, such as conventional PCR based on the N-termin...

This paper investigates the suitability of isothermal linear viscoelastic framework to describe behavior polymers observed during DMTA tests. A good interpretation these tests is important because, in practice, they are used construct master curves using time-temperature superposition principle at small strain. These then considered predict material under experimentally unreachable thermal and/...

The saber-toothed cat, Smilodon fatalis, and American lion, Panthera atrox, were among the largest terrestrial carnivores that lived during the Pleistocene, going extinct along with other megafauna ∼12,000 years ago. Previous work suggests that times were difficult at La Brea (California) during the late Pleistocene, as nearly all carnivores have greater incidences of tooth breakage (used to in...

This data article contains the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) results for sheets made from cellulose fibers partially converted to dialcohol cellulose as presented in "Advanced Three-Dimensional Paper Structures: Mechanical Characterization and Forming of Sheets Made from Modified Cellulose Fibers" by Linvill et al. [1]. See Larsson and Wågberg [2] for a description and characteriza...

BACKGROUND The genome defense processes RIP (repeat-induced point mutation) in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, and MIP (methylation induced premeiotically) in the fungus Ascobolus immersus depend on proteins with DNA methyltransferase (DMT) domains. Nevertheless, these proteins, RID and Masc1, respectively, have not been demonstrated to have DMT activity. We discovered a close homolog...

The moisture absorption behavior and the influence of moisture on thermal and mechanical properties of glass–fiber/polyetherimide (PEI) laminates have been investigated. The laminates were exposed to hydrothermal aging at two different temperatures and high moisture rates. The properties of as-received and hydrothermally aged samples were compared. The hydrothermally aged laminates contained a ...

Functional lignin-SiO₂ hybrid fillers were prepared for potential application in binders for phenolic resins, and their chemical structure was characterized. The properties of these fillers and of composites obtained from them with phenolic resin were compared with those of systems with lignin or silica alone. The chemical structure of the materials was investigated by Fourier transform infrare...

Variability is a common feature of natural silk fibres, caused by a range of natural processing conditions. Better understanding of variability will not only be favourable for explaining the enviable mechanical properties of animal silks but will provide valuable information for the design of advanced artificial and biomimetic silk-like materials. In this work, we have investigated the origin o...