Heterosis is defined as the increased vigour of hybrids in comparison to their parents. We investigated 24 F(1) hybrid lines of Arabidopsis thaliana generated by reciprocally crossing either C24 or Col with six other parental accessions (Can, Co, Cvi, Ler, Rsch, Te) that differ widely in their freezing tolerance. The crosses differed in the degree of heterosis for freezing tolerance, both in th...

To establish a model system for the study of ganglioside metabolism of the human brain tumor, medulloblastoma, we have chemically characterized the gangliosides of the Daoy cell line. These cells contain a high concentration of gangliosides (143 +/- 13 nmol LBSA/10(8) cells). The major species have been structurally confirmed to be GM2 (65.9%), GM3 (13.0%), and GD1a (10.3%). Isolation of indivi...

Previously, we used heterologous expressed sequence tag (EST) mapping to generate a profile of 4 935 pathogen-response genes of Arabidopsis thaliana. In this work, we performed a computer analysis of this profile, revealing 1 594 non-homologous clustered genes distributed among all A. thaliana chromosomes, whose co-regulation may be related to host responses to pathogens. To supplement computer...

In Alzheimer's disease, lipid alterations point towards peroxisomal dysfunctions. Indeed, a cortical accumulation of saturated very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs: C22:0, C24:0, C26:0), substrates for peroxisomal β-oxidation, has been found in Alzheimer patients. This study was realized to investigate the effects of VLCFAs at the mitochondrial level since mitochondrial dysfunctions play crucial...

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are associated with altered lipid metabolism, which might in part contribute to debilitating complications such as diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Ceramides are bioactive sphingolipids that have been implicated in a variety of diseases as they can regulate cellular responses to stress and invoke a myriad of downstream signaling responses. To investigate a potentia...

In our analysis of 5' and 3' end formation in plant mitochondria, we compared the major transcript ends of all mitochondrial protein-coding genes between the three Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions Columbia (Col), C24, and Landsberg erecta (Ler). Differences between transcript patterns were found for seven genes. For atp6-2, no transcripts at all were detected in Ler. This and furth...

Lipid microdomains localised in inner nuclear membrane are considered platforms for active chromatin anchoring. Stimuli as surgery, vitamin D or glucocorticoid drugs influence there gene expression, DNA duplication and RNA synthesis. Here, we used ultra fast liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to identify sphingomyelin species coupled with immunoblotting analysis to comprehensively m...

OBJECTIVE To quantitate plasma ceramide subspecies concentrations in obese subjects with type 2 diabetes and relate these plasma levels to the severity of insulin resistance. Ceramides are a putative mediator of insulin resistance and lipotoxicity, and accumulation of ceramides within tissues in obese and diabetic subjects has been well described. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We analyzed fasti...

Arabidopsis produces galactolipids containing esters of 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA) and dinor-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (dnOPDA). These lipids are referred to as arabidopsides and accumulate in response to abiotic and biotic stress. We explored the natural genetic variation found in 14 different Arabidopsis accessions to identify genes involved in the formation of arabidopsides. The accessio...

Using recent data from the Chinese manufacturing industry and the generalised propensity score, this paper establishes economically significant causal effects of foreign acquisition on domestic and export markets dynamics. JEL classification: F23, G28, C24