DNA N6-methyladenine modification plays an important role in regulating a variety of biological functions in bacteria. However, the mechanism of sequence-specific recognition in N6-methyladenine modification remains elusive. M1.HpyAVI, a DNA N6-adenine methyltransferase from Helicobacter pylori, shows more promiscuous substrate specificity than other enzymes. Here, we present the crystal struct...

Porcine periweaning failure-to-thrive syndrome (PFTS) is characterized by anorexia and progressive debilitation of newly weaned pigs, of which some also demonstrate repetitive oral behaviour. Although no relevant porcine pathogens have been shown to be causally associated, inoculation of susceptible pigs using tissue homogenates is needed to rule out infectious etiologies. Eight snatched-farrow...

PURPOSE To investigate the functional protective effect of a synthetic (dimethylthiourea, DMTU) and a natural antioxidant (Ginkgo biloba extract, EGb 761) against light-induced retinal degeneration. METHODS Wistar rats were exposed for 24 hours to 1700-lux light after treatment with DMTU or EGb 761. Electroretinograms were recorded before and on day (D)1, D3, D8, D15, D22, and D29 after light...

The paper investigates the robustness of different efficiency measures that can support the implementation of diverse forms of incentive regulation in the context of U.S. telecommunications. Comparisons, in terms of an output orientation, are considered for efficiency scores obtained from Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), distance function (with corrected ordinary least squares and a random effe...

To better understand the role of immunocompetent hosts in the diffusion of Pneumocystis in the environment, airborne shedding of Pneumocystis carinii in the surrounding air of experimentally infected Sprague Dawley rats was quantified by means of a real-time PCR assay, in parallel with the kinetics of P. carinii loads in lungs and specific serum antibody titres. Pneumocystis-free Sprague Dawley...

Better prognostic markers are needed for hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) patients. No single biochemical or clinical parameter can reliably predict patient response to therapy or rapidity of disease progression. Peptide factors involved in major cancer growth pathways, such as tumor angiogenesis, are attractive candidates as markers of lowand high-risk HRPC patients. We analyzed prosp...

The human protein FLJ36880 belongs to the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase family. The X-ray structure of FLJ36880 has been determined to 2.2 A resolution employing the semi-automated high-throughput structural genomics approach of the Protein Structure Factory. FLJ36880 adopts a mixed beta-sandwich roll fold and forms homodimers in crystals as well as in solution. One Mg2+ ion is bound to each su...