Prokaryotes protect their genomes from foreign DNA with a diversity of defence mechanisms, including a widespread restriction-modification (R-M) system involving phosphorothioate (PT) modification of the DNA backbone. Unlike classical R-M systems, highly partial PT modification of consensus motifs in bacterial genomes suggests an unusual mechanism of PT-dependent restriction. In Salmonella ente...

Boyer, Herbert (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.). Conjugation in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 91:1767-1772. 1966.-The sex factor of Escherichia coli K-12 was introduced into an E. coli B/r strain by circumventing the host-controlled modification and restriction incompatibilities known to exist between these closely related strains. The sexual properties of the constructed F(+) B strain and...

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a major vasoactive peptide of the renin-angiotensin system. Ang II is originally found as one of potent vasoconstrictors, but is now attracted attention as an essential mediator of many cardiovascular problems, including endothelial dysfunction, arrhythmia and structural remodeling of cardiovascular systems. Most of the known pathophysiological effects of Ang II are m...

1 T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s Abstract i i Acknowledgments viii Problem and Thesis Objective I Review of Previous Work 2 Multi-Criteria Optimal Design 2 Reliability-Based Design Earthquake Identification 6 A Time Variant Approach to Performance-Based Engineering 9 Seismic Performance Evaluation For Steel Moment Frames 10 Optimal Probabilistic Seismic Demand Models For Typical Highway Overpass...

The different cleavage patterns of pYBamy59 plasmid isolated from E. coli DH5alpha and B. longum MG1 by the cell extract of B. longum MG1 suggested that the main reason for low transformation efficiency was related to the restriction modification (R-M) system. To confirm correlation between R-M system and transformation efficiency, in vitro methylation and site directed mutagenesis was performe...

The ability of dendritic cells (DC) to initiate immune responses or induce immune tolerance is strictly dependent on their maturation state. TNF-alpha plays a pivotal role in the differentiation and maturation of DC. Blockade of TNF-alpha action may arrest DC in an immature state, prolonging their window of tolerogenic opportunity. Immature DC (imDC) were transfected with recombinant adenovirus...