Melatonin receptor 1A gene is the prime receptor mediating the effect of melatonin at the neuroendocrine level for control of seasonal reproduction in sheep. The aims of this study were to examine the polymorphism pattern of coding sequence of MTNR1A gene in Chokla sheep, a breed of Indian arid tract and to identify new variations in relation to its aseasonal status. Genomic DNAs of 101 Chokla ...

Variation in the ovine DQA1 gene was investigated by amplification of exon 2 using PCR, followed by single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, cloning, and DNA sequencing. Fourteen novel SSCP patterns, representing 14 different sequences, were identified. Eight of these 14 sequences were identical to published DQA1 sequences from sheep, whereas the remaining six were novel but s...

OBJECTIVE Heredity plays an important role in the predisposition to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD), and its thrombotic complications. Paraoxonase, a high-density lipoprotein-associated enzyme capable of hydrolyzing lipid peroxides, is presumed to contribute to atherosclerosis and CAD. This study investigates the role of human paraoxonase 1 (PON 1) gene (Q192R) polymorphism in CAD...

The toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) has gained importance as a major mammalian receptor for lipoproteins derived from the cell wall of a variety of bacteria, such as Borrelia burgdorferi, Treponema pallidum, and Mycoplasma fermentans. We were interested in identifying mutations in the TLR2 gene that might prove to be associated with altered susceptibility to septic shock. We performed a mutation sc...

Several lines of evidence suggest a strong genetic component to NIDDM. To clarify the role of glucokinase gene in the development of NIDDM, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of glucokinase gene and 3' microsatellite polymorphism analyses by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) were performed in NIDDM and control subjects. Compared to NIDDM...

Bacterial α-2-macroglobulins have been suggested to function in defence as broad-spectrum inhibitors of host proteases that breach the outer membrane. Here, the X-ray structure of protease-cleaved Escherichia coli α-2-macroglobulin is described, which reveals a putative mechanism of activation and conformational change essential for protease inhibition. In this competitive mechanism, protease c...

COURSE INFORMATION The following text is a summary of a two-hour lecture sequence presented in the course, Advanced Medicinal Chemistry I. This course is required for all MS and PhD students in Duquesne University’s Medicinal Chemistry Graduate Program. It is also available as an elective for undergraduate students in their last semester of didactic work. The course emphasizes the basic chemica...

The expression of Fas in thyroid tumours and Graves' disease was analysed by mRNA transcript expression. As compared with unaffected thyroid tissue, Fas expression was enhanced in Graves' disease, adenomas, and papillary and follicular carcinomas. This pattern was also reflected in immunohistochemical studies. The PCR single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) method and DNA sequencing we...

Abstract Background Cataracts are defects of the lens that cause progressive visual impairment and ultimately blindness in many vertebrate species. Most cataracts age-related, but up to one third have an underlying genetic cause. common captive zoo animals, it is often unclear whether these congenital or acquired (age-related) lesions. Results Here we used a functional candidate gene screening ...