Hundreds of genetic variants have been associated to common diseases through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), yet there are limits to current approaches in detecting true small effect risk variants against a background of false positive findings. Here we addressed the missing heritability problem, aiming to test whether there are indeed risk variants within GWAS statistical noise and to ...

Anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C) controls the metaphase-to-anaphase transition and mitosis exit by triggering the degradation of key cell cycle regulators such as securin and B-type cyclins. However, little is known about the functions of individual APC/C subunits and how they might regulate APC/C activity in space and time. Here, we report that two potential Cdk1 kinase phosphor...

Certain surface active substances produce a non-syphilitic flocculation reaction if cardiolipin is replaced by them in the VDRL test system (Tuomioja 2nd Kajanne, 1956). The test was called the APC test because these surface active substances were products of the Atlas Powder Company (Wilmington, Delaware). The most active was Span 60, stated by the manufacturer to be mainly sorbitan monosteara...

Proliferating cells must cross a point of no return before they replicate their DNA and divide. This commitment decision plays a fundamental role in cancer and degenerative diseases and has been proposed to be mediated by phosphorylation of retinoblastoma (Rb) protein. Here, we show that inactivation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC(Cdh1)) has the necessary characteristics to be...

T cell polarization toward and within the cellular interface with an APC is critical for effective T cell activation. The Rho family GTPase Cdc42 is a central regulator of cellular polarization. Using live-cell imaging, we characterized the spatiotemporal patterns of Cdc42 activity and their physiological regulation. Using three independent means of experimental manipulation of Cdc42 activity, ...

Progression through mitosis requires the precisely timed ubiquitin-dependent degradation of specific substrates. E2-C is a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that plays a critical role with anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in progression of and exit from M phase. Here we report that mammalian E2-C is expressed in late G(2)/M phase and is degraded as cells exit from M phase. The mammalian ...

Grammatical inference methods are expected to find grammatical structures hidden in biological sequences. One hopes that studies of grammar serve as an appropriate tool for theory formation. Thus, we have developed JSequitur for automatically generating the grammatical structure of biological sequences in an inference framework of string compression algorithms. Our original motivation was to fi...

Some examples of relationships between empirical and theoretical researches are introduced. A new theoretical framework, which is based on the notion of second order variables and on that of space of action, production and communication (APC), is defined. This allows a unifying approach to some didactical phenomena. The APC space is framed within the existing literature and illustrated through ...