Genetic engineering of phytochrome biosynthesis in bacteria.
Authors: Gambetta G A; Lagarias J C;
Journal:Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID:11553807
The bilin prosthetic groups of the phytochrome photoreceptors and the light-harvesting phycobiliprotein antennae arise from the oxygen-dependent ring opening of heme. Two ferredoxin-dependent enzymes contribute to this conversion: a heme oxygenase and a bilin reductase with discrete double-bond specificity. Using a dual plasmid system, one expressing a truncated cyanobacterial apophytochrome ... More
Novel isoforms of the sodium channels Nav1.8 and Nav1.5 are produced by a conserved mechanism in mouse and rat.
Authors:Kerr NC, Holmes FE, Wynick D,
Journal:J Biol Chem
PubMed ID:15047701
The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.8 is only expressed in subsets of neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), trigeminal and nodose ganglia. We have isolated mouse partial-length Nav1.8 cDNA clones spanning exon 17 sequence which have 17 nucleotide substitutions and 12 predicted amino acid differences from the published sequence. The absence ... More
Cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase is not essential for viability of the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis.
Authors: Stathopoulos C; Kim W; Li T; Anderson I; Deutsch B; Palioura S; Whitman W; Söll D;
Journal:Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID:11717392
The methanogenic archaea Methanocaldococcus jannaschii and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus contain a dual-specificity prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProCysRS) that accurately forms both prolyl-tRNA (Pro-tRNA) and cysteinyl-tRNA (Cys-tRNA) suitable for in vivo translation. This intriguing enzyme may even perform its dual role in organisms that possess a canonical single-specificity cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CysRS), raising the question ... More
Allurin, a 21-kDa sperm chemoattractant from Xenopus egg jelly, is related to mammalian sperm-binding proteins.
Authors: Olson J H; Xiang X; Ziegert T; Kittelson A; Rawls A; Bieber A L; Chandler D E;
Journal:Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID:11562501
Previously, we demonstrated that a protein from Xenopus egg jelly exhibits sperm chemoattractant activity when assayed by either video microscopy or by sperm passage across a porous filter. Here we describe the isolation and purification of allurin, the protein responsible for this activity. Freshly oviposited jellied eggs were soaked in ... More