Previous analysis of the PAI tryptophan biosynthetic gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that the Wassilewskija (WS) ecotype has four PAI genes at three unlinked sites: a tail-to-tail inverted repeat at one locus (PAI1-PAI4) plus singlet genes at two other loci (PAI2 and PAI3). The four WS PAI genes are densely cytosine methylated over their regions of DNA identity. In contrast, the Co...

We have explored the role of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 2 (PAI-2) in THP-1 monocyte-like cells. These cells possess a mutation in the PAI-2 gene and do not produce an active PAI-2 protein. Transfection of THP-1 cells with plasmids expressing active PAI-2 reduced the cells' inherent adhesive properties and decreased the rate of cell proliferation. THP-1 cells expressing active PAI-2 al...

BACKGROUND Elevated plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) are associated with myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, and restenosis. PAI-1 is increased in atherosclerotic arteries and failed vein grafts. No experimental data, however, support a causal relationship between elevated PAI-1 expression and vascular lesions. Paradoxically, data generated in PAI-1 knockout m...

CAG/CTG trinucleotide repeats are unstable sequences that are difficult to replicate, repair, and transcribe due to their structure-forming nature. CAG repeats strongly position nucleosomes; however, little is known about the chromatin remodeling needed to prevent repeat instability. In a Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system with CAG repeats carried on a YAC, we discovered that the chromatin r...

PURPOSE Due to their comorbidities, dialysis patients have many chances to undergo radiologic procedures using iodinated contrast media. We aimed to assess time-sequenced blood oxidative stress level after contrast exposure in hemodialysis (HD) patients compared to those in the non-dialysis population. MATERIALS AND METHODS We included 21 anuric HD patients [HD-coronary angiography (CAG) grou...

Mozambique continues to face many challenges in HIV and maternal and child health care (MCH). Community-based antiretroviral treatment groups (CAG) enhance retention to care among members, but whether such benefits extend to their families and to MCH remains unclear. In 2011 we studied utilization of HIV and MCH services among CAG members and their family aggregates in Changara, Mozambique, thr...

Expanded CAG RNA has recently been reported to contribute to neurotoxicity in polyglutamine (polyQ) degeneration. In this study, we showed that RNA carrying an expanded CAG repeat progressively accumulated in the cell nucleus of transgenic Drosophila that displayed degeneration. Our gene knockdown and mutant analyses demonstrated that reduction of U2AF50 function, a gene involved in RNA nuclear...

BACKGROUND There is emerging evidence that clinical and neuro-pathological manifestations of Huntington's disease (HD) may occur in individuals with intermediate length cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats (27-35 CAG repeats) in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. We aim to further define the clinical characteristics of individuals who possess CAG repeat lengths in this range. METHODS Data from the ...

This report defines the nature of the molecules responsible for the increased plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity in preeclamptic patients and the relationship of these inhibitors to the severity of placental damage in preeclampsia. Clinical groups consisting of pregnant women with either severe preeclampsia or chronic hypertension with superimposed severe preeclampsia, as wel...

BACKGROUND Coronary angiography (CAG) is widely used to assess lumen dimensions, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used to evaluate the characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque. This study was aimed to compare coronary lumen dimensions using CAG and plaque characteristics using OCT and their changes during statin therapy. METHODS We identified 97 lipid-rich plaques from 69 statin-naï...