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Background: Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), has two major functions: the stimulation of the growth hormone production and the stimulation of food intake. Accumulating evidence also indicates a role of ghrelin in cancer development. Methods: We conducted a case-control study to examine the association of common genetic variants in the genes coding

It is of central interest in membrane proteomics to establish methods that combine efficient solubilization with enrichment of proteins and intact protein complexes. We have investigated the quantitative and qualitative solubilization efficiency of five commercially available detergents using mitochondria from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as model system. Combining the zwitterionic detergent

A terpyridine ligand has been covalently linked to a Ru(bpy)(3) complex via an amide bond. By using this functionalized terpyridine ligand, a series of multinuclear bimetallic complexes have been synthesized and characterized. One of these complexes has the structure of di-mu-oxobridged Mn dimer. EPR spectra of this complex showed that, depending on the procedure for the preparation, the oxidation

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are being increasingly used as selective adsorbents in different analytical applications. To satisfy the different application purposes, MEN with well controlled physical forms in different size ranges are highly desirable. For examples, MIP nanoparticles are very suitable to be used to develop binding assays and for microfluidic separations, whereas MIP beads

This study investigated the rationale of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for the treatment of Grade III and IV astrocytoma. The European Community joint research program on BNCT plans to use sulfhydryl boron hydride (BSH) in clinical trials. The work presented here, examines the performance of BSH in eight patients with Grade III and IV astrocytoma using a measurement technique which precisel

Genetically engineered mice have successfully been used to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with cell dysfunction following brain trauma. Such animals may also offer a possibility to investigate mechanisms involved in posttraumatic hemodynamic alterations. The objective of the study was to establish a mouse model in which important hemodynamic alterations following trauma c

Escherichia coli TolA is a cytoplasmic membrane protein required for outer membrane integrity and the translocation of F-specific filamentous (Ff) bacteriophage DNA. Both phage infection and membrane integrity depend on several TolA interactions, e.g. those of the TolA C-terminal domain (TolAIII). Membrane integrity involves interaction with two host proteins and phage translocation requires direc

The pine sawfly, Diprion jingyuanensis Xiao et Zhang, is a serious pest of Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) in the northern parts of China. The general biology of this recently described sawfly species is little known and in the present study we used a synthetic pheromone to monitor its flight period and to evaluate the possibility to use pheromone traps as a tool for estimating and predic

The major aim of our current work is to develop a deep understanding of biological effects of nanoparticles and how these effects are mediated by proteins that are adsorbed on the nanoparticles under different biological circumstances. Due to their small size, nanoparticles have distinct properties compared to the bulk form of the same materials, and these properties are rapidly revolutionizing ma

Within insect communities, the population ecology of organisms representing higher trophic levels, for example, hymenopterous parasitoids, may be influenced by the structure of their insect hosts. Using microsatellite markers and ecological data, we investigated the population structure of the specialist braconid wasp parasitoid, Lysiphlebus hirticornis Mackauer attacking Metopeurum fuscoviride, a

Background: Narayanan & Raman (2004) present what they call an approach to treat incentive misalignments. It consists of three steps: Accept the premise, Pinpoint the cause, and Align or redesign. The first step, accept the premise, is simply acknowledging that there is such a thing as incentive misalignments. The second step, pinpoint the cause, is the process of identifying and describing w

In the interaction between two ecologically-associated species, the population structure of one species may affect the population structure of the other. Here, we examine the population structures of the aphid Metopeurum fuscoviride, a specialist on tansy Tanacetum vulgare, and its specialist primary hymenopterous parasitoid Lysiphlebus hirticornis, both of which are characterized by multivoltine

Parkinson´s disease is characterized by a progressive degeneration of the nigral dopaminergic system. Treatment of disease symptoms using L-DOPA frequently induces side effects such as L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. New therapeutic approaches are aimed at preventing neurodegeneration or restoring the dopaminergic system by fetal dopaminergic transplants. In this thesis work, we evaluated the neuroprot

Cyclic AMP potentiates glucose-stimulated insulin release and mediates the stimulatory effects of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) on pancreatic b-cells. By inhibition of cAMP-degrading phosphodiesterase (PDE) and, in particular, selective inhibition of PDE3 activity, stimulatory effects on insulin secretion have been observed. Molecular and functional information on b-cell PDE3 is

Heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotransferase transfers sulfate to the 3-OH position of a glucosamine residue of heparan sulfate (HS) to form 3-O-sulfated HS. The 3-O-sulfated glucosamine residue contributes to two important biological functions of HS: binding to antithrombin and thereby carrying anticoagulant activity, and binding to herpes simplex viral envelope glycoprotein D to serve as an entry recept