Human intrauterine growth restriction is often associated with uteroplacental insufficiency and a decline in nutrient and oxygen supply to the fetus. This study investigated the effects of uteroplacental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (Restricted) or reducing litter size for normally grown pups (Reduced Litter) on maternal mammary development and function, milk composition, o...

Human intrauterine growth restriction is often associated with uteroplacental insufficiency and a decline in nutrient and oxygen supply to the fetus. This study investigated the effects of uteroplacental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (Restricted) or reducing litter size for normally grown pups (Reduced Litter) on maternal mammary development and function, milk composition, o...

Ubiquitin (Ub) provides the recognition and specificity required to deliver proteins to the eukaryotic proteasome for destruction. Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) is functionally analogous to Ub in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), as it dooms proteins to the Mtb proteasome. Studies suggest that Pup and Ub do not share similar mechanisms of activation and conjugation to target proteins...

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether maternal prolactin (PRL) had any effects on bone formation in the developing rat pup. Because the most prevalent forms of PRL in rats are unmodified and phosphorylated PRL, both recombinant PRL and a molecular mimic of phosphorylated PRL (PP-PRL) were administered to pregnant animals. Blood samples from the dams showed normal estrogen an...

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteasome is required for maximum virulence and to resist killing by the host immune system. The prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein, Pup-GGE, targets proteins for proteasome-mediated degradation. We demonstrate that Pup-GGQ, a precursor of Pup-GGE, is not a substrate for proteasomal degradation. Using STINT-NMR, an in-cell NMR technique, we studied the interactio...

Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) female Sprague-Dawley rats were infected by intravaginal inoculation with 3 x 10(7) CFU of Mycoplasma pulmonis X1048 in 0.1 ml of Frey's broth or with an equal volume of sterile Frey's broth. A minimum of 10 days postinfection, rats were bred to noninfected males. Rats were necropsied at days 11, 14, and 18 of gestation and within 24 h of parturition. Throughout pre...

This work demonstrated the design, fabrication, packaging, and characterization of an active microscaffold system with fluid perfusion/nutrient delivery functionalities for culturing in vitro neuronal networks from dissociated hippocampal rat pup neurons. The active microscaffold consisted of an 8 x 8 array of hollow, microfabricated, SU-8 towers (1.0 mm or 1.5 mm in height), with integrated, h...

In recent years, considerable research has focused on the biological effect of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been implicated as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) due to its ability to mimic the action of endogenous estrogenic hormones. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of perinatal exposure to BPA on cerebral structural development and metabolism after ...

The protein degradation machinery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis includes a proteasome and a ubiquitin-like protein (Pup). Proteasome accessory factor A (PafA) attaches Pup to proteins to target them for degradation by the proteasome. Free Pup is unstable and never observed in extracts of M. tuberculosis, an observation that led us to hypothesize that PafA may need alternative sources of Pup. He...