Dual role of cAMP duringDictyostelium development

cAMP plays an essential role duringDictyostelium development both outside and inside the cell. Membrane-bound receptors and adenylyl cyclase are responsible for sensing and producing extracellular cAMP, whereas a phosphodiesterase is responsible for maintaining a low basal level. The molecular events underlying this type of hormone like signalling, which are now beginning to be deciphered, will be presented, in the light of cAMP analogue studies. The importance of intracellular cAMP for cell differentiation has been demonstrated by the central role of the cAMP dependent protein kinase. Mutants as well as strains obtained by reverse genetics will be reviewed which lead to our current understanding of the role of intracellular cAMP in the differentiation of both stalk and spore cells.     

Sequence of Plasmodium falciparum chromosomes 2, 10, 11 and 14

The mosquito-borne malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum kills an estimated 0.7-2.7 million people every year, primarily children in sub-Saharan Africa. Without effective interventions, a variety of factors-including the spread of parasites resistant to antimalarial drugs and the increasing insecticide resistance of mosquitoes-may cause the number of malaria cases to double over the next two decades. To stimulate basic research and facilitate the development of new drugs and vaccines, the genome of Plasmodium falciparum clone 3D7 has been sequenced using a chromosome-by-chromosome shotgun strategy. We report here the nucleotide sequences of chromosomes 10, 11 and 14, and a re-analysis of the chromosome 2 sequence. These chromosomes represent about 35% of the 23-megabase P. falciparum genome.     

Chemical composition of decomposing stumps in successive rotation of Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata （Lamb.） Hook.） plantations

Decomposition of stumps in successive rotation of Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata （Lamb.） Hook.） plantations was studied using a chronosequenee approach. The results showed that decomposition rate constant of Chinese fir stump was 0.02695 as calculated from Olson＇s model. The N content of stump increased during the first two-year decomposition. When the dead stump C/N ratio was 463.2 ± 27.3, the stumps started to release N. The pattern of P release was similar to that for N. However, K content of stumps showed a consistent declining trend over time during the whole decomposition. ^13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with cross polarization and magic-angle spinning （^13C CPMAS-NMR） was used to analyse organic carbon （C） components in decomposing stumps. The ^13C CPMAS-NMR spectra of stumps displayed that stump was dominated by cellulose and hemieellulose. The spectra also showed the accumulation of intensity in alkyl C, aromatic C, and earboxyl C spectral regions, which was expected as the labile cellulose and hemieellulose components in O-alkyl C spectral region were selectively decomposed first.     

Distance Models for Three-Way Tables and Three-Way Association

p similarity function, the L _p -transform and the Minkowski-p distance. For triadic distance models defined by the L _p -transform we will prove that they do not model three-way association. Moreover, triadic distance models defined by the L _p -transform are restricted multiple dyadic distances, where each dyadic distance is defined for a two-way margin of the three-way table. Distance models for three-way two-mode data, called three-way distance models, do succeed in modeling three-way association.     

A kernel-driven model of effective directional emissivity fornon-isothermal surfaces

Land surface temperature (LST) is a key geophysical parameter that reflects the combined effects of land surface energy and radiation balance. Remote sensing of LST, however, requires understanding the directional patterns of thermal emission from heterogeneous land surfaces. Recently, semi-empirical, linear, kernel-driven models have been successfully used to describe observed directional patterns of land surface reflectance. Following a similar methodology and based on a recent model of the physics of directional thermal emission from heterogeneous land surfaces, a kernel-driven semi-empirical model for thermal emission is developed using three kernels: (i) an isotropic kernel, corresponding to the gray-body component in a heterogeneous pixel; (ii) a two-layer canopy kernel, derived from a previous conceptual model; and (iii) a geometric optical kernel that accounts for the fact that sunlit parts are hotter than shaded parts in a pixel. The three-kernel model fits 1997 airborne directional thermal brightness data over Avignon, France, very well.     

Human aminopeptidase N is a receptor for human coronavirus 229E.

Human coronaviruses (HCV) in two serogroups represented by HCV-229E and HCV-OC43 are an important cause of upper respiratory tract infections. Here we report that human aminopeptidase N, a cell-surface metalloprotease on intestinal, lung and kidney epithelial cells, is a receptor for human coronavirus strain HCV-229E, but not for HCV-OC43. A monoclonal antibody, RBS, blocked HCV-229E virus infection of human lung fibroblasts, immunoprecipitated aminopeptidase N and inhibited its enzymatic activity. HCV-229E-resistant murine fibroblasts became susceptible after transfection with complementary DNA encoding human aminopeptidase N. By contrast, infection of human cells with HCV-OC43 was not inhibited by antibody RBS and expression of aminopeptidase N did not enhance HCV-OC43 replication in mouse cells. A mutant aminopeptidase lacking the catalytic site of the enzyme did not bind HCV-229E or RBS and did not render murine cells susceptible to HCV-229E infection, suggesting that the virus-binding site may lie at or near the active site of the human aminopeptidase molecule.     

CACP, encoding a secreted proteoglycan, is mutated in camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis syndrome.

Altered growth and function of synoviocytes, the intimal cells which line joint cavities and tendon sheaths, occur in a number of skeletal diseases. Hyperplasia of synoviocytes is found in both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, despite differences in the underlying aetiologies of the two disorders. We have studied the autosomal recessive disorder camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis syndrome (CACP; MIM 208250) to identify biological pathways that lead to synoviocyte hyperplasia, the principal pathological feature of this syndrome. Using a positional-candidate approach, we identified mutations in a gene (CACP) encoding a secreted proteoglycan as the cause of CACP. The CACP protein, which has previously been identified as both 'megakaryocyte stimulating factor precursor' and 'superficial zone protein', contains domains that have homology to somatomedin B, heparin-binding proteins, mucins and haemopexins. In addition to expression in joint synovium and cartilage, CACP is expressed in non-skeletal tissues including liver and pericardium. The similarity of CACP sequence to that of other protein families and the expression of CACP in non-skeletal tissues suggest it may have diverse biological activities.