The mechanism responsible for somatic mutation in the variable genes of antibodies is unknown and may differ from previously described mechanisms that produce mutation in DNA. We have analyzed 421 somatic mutations from the rearranged immunoglobulin variable genes of mice to determine if the nucleotide substitutions differ from those generated during meiosis and if the presence of nearby direct...

DNA sequences and chromosomal locations of four Drosophila pseudoobscura opsin genes were compared with those from Drosophila melanogaster, to determine factors that influence the evolution of multigene families. Although the opsin proteins perform the same primary functions, the comparisons reveal a wide range of evolutionary rates. Amino acid identities for the opsins range from 90% for Rh2 t...

Background MIF via its receptor, CD74, initiates a signaling cascade that leads to proliferation and survival of cells. Also, MIF binding to CD74 activates p38 signaling pathways that lead to positive effect on the expression of COX-2. The aim of this study was to evaluate the gene expression profile of MIF, CD74 and COX-2 in normal, ectopic and eutopic endometrium during menstrual cycle. The e...

Many drugs are associated with variable response rates and, of the 1,200 drugs approved for use in the United States, about 15% are associated with adverse drug responses (Jorde, Carey, & Bamshad, 2010c). Often, variable response and risk for toxicity can be explained because of differences in genes and in the proteins encoded by those genes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) responsible f...