Despite its importance for group II intron catalytic activity, structural information on conserved domain 3 (D3) is extremely limited. This domain is known to specifically stimulate the chemical rate of catalysis and to function as a 'catalytic effector'. Of all the long-range tertiary contacts that have been identified within group II introns, none has included D3 residues. Furthermore, little...

Objective(s): Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-factorial autoimmune disease which may be characterized by T lymphocytes dysfunctions. Th17 cells have been identified as new effector cells, which play an important role in the pathogenesis. In recent years, immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D3 has been noticed. In the present experiment, the effect of vitamin D3 on the expression of...

Essential tremor (ET), the cause of which remains poorly understood, is one of the most common neurological disorders. While environmental agents have been proposed to play a role, genetic factors are believed to contribute to its onset. Thus far, three gene loci (ETM1 on 3q13, ETM2 on 2p24.1 and a locus on 6p23) have been identified in patients and families with the disorder. In addition, a Se...

Vitamin D3-3 beta-sulfate has been synthesized using pyridine sulfur trioxide as the sulfate donor. It has been shown to be pure by high performance liquid chromatography and spectral methods. Unlike previous reports, the product has been identified unambiguously as the 3 beta-sulfate ester of vitamin D3 by its ultraviolet, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and mass spectra. The biological ...

The most biologically active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) has well known direct effects on osteoblast growth and differentiation in vitro. The precursor 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) can affect osteoblast function via conversion to 1,25(OH)2D3, however, it is largely unknown whether 25(OH)D3 can affect primary osteoblast function on its own. Furthermore, 25(OH)D3 is not o...

The decreased absorption of calcium by the small intestine of the adult may reflect changes in vitamin D metabolism with age. The purpose of this study was to compare the capacity of young (1.5 mo of age) and adult (12 mo of age) vitamin D-deficient rats to convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the physiologically active form of vitamin D. Young rats responded to an oral dose ...

Peritoneal B-1a cells differ from splenic B-2 cells in the molecular mechanisms that control G(0)-S progression. In contrast to B-2 cells, cyclin D2 is up-regulated in a rapid and transient manner in phorbol ester (PMA)-stimulated B-1a cells, whereas cyclin D3 does not accumulate until late G(1) phase. This nonoverlapping expression of cyclins D2 and D3 suggests distinct functions for these pro...

Previously, we discovered a conserved interaction between RB proteins and the Condensin II protein CAP-D3 that is important for ensuring uniform chromatin condensation during mitotic prophase. The Drosophila melanogaster homologs RBF1 and dCAP-D3 co-localize on non-dividing polytene chromatin, suggesting the existence of a shared, non-mitotic role for these two proteins. Here, we show that the ...

OBJECTIVE The positive short-term effects of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on serum lipids are well known, but it has been suggested that they vanish with time. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is widely used to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis but the influence of vitamin D3 on serum lipids is poorly known. The long-term effects of HRT and vitamin D3 on the concentrations of ...