Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the active form of vitamin B6, has been implicated in preventing human pathologies, such as diabetes and cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of PLP are still unclear. Using Drosophila as a model system, we show that PLP deficiency, caused either by mutations in the pyridoxal kinase-coding gene (dPdxk) or by vitamin B6 antagonists, resu...

The velocity of the nerve impulse conduction of vertebrates relies on the myelin sheath, an electrically insulating layer that surrounds axons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, enabling saltatory conduction of the action potential. Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-producing glial cells in the central nervous system. A deeper understanding of the molecular basis of myelination a...

Successful species develop strategies to optimize their reproductive performance. This optimization likely includes the evolution of genes that specifically permit reproduction in physiologically challenging conditions. The prolactin (PRL) family gene cluster is one of 25 mouse-specific gene clusters, the majority of which are associated with reproduction. A prevailing theme characterizing the ...

We examined how cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) regulates heterogeneous CD4(+) T cell responses by using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a CD4(+) T cell-mediated disease that is subject to regulation by CTLA-4. Disease incidence and severity were used as measures of in vivo CD4(+) T cell responses. The frequency, cytokine production, and reactivity of primed T cells w...

MBP and PLP are major structural protein components of myelin. Both proteins play a functional role in formation of myelin sheath and in maintenance of its compaction. Immune responses to MBP and PLP have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), an auto-immune disease of the central nervous system. Recombinant forms of both proteins isolated and purified from bacterial or...

Severe acute respiratory coronavirus (SARS-CoV) emerged in 2002, resulting in roughly 8000 cases worldwide and 10% mortality. The animal reservoirs for SARS-CoV precursors still exist and the likelihood of future outbreaks in the human population is high. The SARS-CoV papain-like protease (PLP) is an attractive target for pharmaceutical development because it is essential for virus replication ...

Abstract Femtosecond fiber laser pulse (FFLP) is very suitable for precision processing (PLP) with the advantages of high power, compact integrated structure, and easy installation. However, power increasing, nonlinear optical effects (NOE) fiber, such as self-phase modulation (SPM), will be greatly enhanced, spectra output complex, which considerably increases temporal complexity FFLP takes an...

Pasta is very popular among different groups of the population, being a healthy and cheap product. Therefore, pasta promising object for its enrichment with functional ingredients. The paper examined possibility feasibility using red bell pepper powder (BPP) parsley leaf (PLP) in order to enhance biological value. Recipes spaghetti production addition BPP PLP were developed. effect powders from...

We have previously shown that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have increased T cell responses to the immunodominant region (residues 184-209) of myelin proteolipid protein (PLP). The present study investigated whether this reactivity fluctuates over time and correlates with disease activity. We performed monthly limiting dilution assays for 12-16 mo in four healthy subjects and five patie...

Rodents possess an expanded prolactin (PRL) family of genes. These genes encode for a family of structurally related hormones/cytokines that are expressed most prominently in the anterior pituitary, uterus and placenta. In this study, we have identified a new member of the rat PRL family through a search of the National Center for Biotechnology Information expressed sequence database. The cDNA ...