The engrailed gene helps to direct Drosophila melanogaster development by encoding a homeodomain-containing DNA binding protein. To identify genes whose transcription engrailed regulates, we developed a method to isolate genomic sequences to which engrailed protein binds with high affinity. Fragments of genomic DNA were fractionated on an engrailed protein affinity column, and fragments that we...

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a dimorphic fungus, is the etiologic agent of Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), one of the most important systemic mycosis in Latin America. Two genes (2.2 and 1DB5) were cloned, characterized and sequenced; they showed homology with members of hsp70 gene family. By using several probe fragments derived from these genes, levels of expression for each gene were determi...

The adrenomedullin (AM) preprohormone is posttranslationally processed to result in two biologically active fragments, AM and proadrenomedullin NH(2)-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP). AM is thought to play a role in fluid and electrolyte balance by acting in brain to inhibit salt and water appetite and in the kidney to cause diuresis and natriuresis. We previously have shown that AM is necessary for ...

The genome of the prolate-headed lytic lactococcal bacteriophage c2 is organized into two divergently oriented blocks consisting of the early genes and the late genes. These blocks are separated by the noncoding origin of DNA replication. We examined the functional role of transcription of the origin in a plasmid model system. Deletion of the early promoter P(E)1 abolished origin function. Intr...

Two DNA fragments prepared from the transducing bacteriophage strains ø80psuIII+ and ø80hpsuIII+,- by digestion with restriction enzymes contain one tyrosine tRNA gene (suIII+) and two tyrosine tRNA genes (suIII+, su-) in tandem, respectively, a single promoter in both cases, and some additional DNA regions at the two ends of both. Using these fragments, we have studied characteristics of the p...

The size of the 309 bp actin gene intron of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was enlarged by inserting DNA fragments of different lengths and sequence. Enlarging the intron above 551 bp, the largest known yeast intron, led to a decrease in splicing efficiency. The effect on transcript splicing was dependent on the length of the inserted fragments rather than their sequence. It was also observ...

CDC45 is required for the initiation of DNA replication in yeast and cell proliferation in mammals and functions as a DNA polymerase alpha loading factor in Xenopus. We have cloned a CDC45 homolog from Arabidopsis whose expression is upregulated at the G1/S transition and in young meiotic flower buds. One-third of Arabidopsis 35S:CDC45 T1 RNA interference lines are partially to completely steri...

Deletion of a subset of the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeats in the subtelomeric region of chromosome 4q causes facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) when occurring on a specific haplotype of 4qter (4qA161). Several genes have been examined as candidates for causing FSHD, including the DUX4 homeobox gene in the D4Z4 repeat, but none have been definitively shown to cause the disease, nor has ...

BACKGROUND The Pap smear is currently the most widely used method of screening for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC). Because it is based on cell morphology, it is subject to variability in interpretation. Sensitive molecular markers capable of differentiating cancerous samples from noncancerous ones would be beneficial in this regard. METHODS We performed representational differen...