Intergenic splicing of MDS1 and EVI1 occurs in normal tissues as well as in myeloid leukemia and produces a new member of the PR domain family.

The EVI1 gene, located at chromosome band 3q26, is overexpressed in some myeloid leukemia patients with breakpoints either 5' of the gene in the t(3;3)(q21;q26) or 3' of the gene in the inv(3)(q21q26). EVI1 is also expressed as part of a fusion transcript with the transcription factor AML1 in the t(3;21)(q26;q22), associated with myeloid leukemia. In cells with t(3;21), additional fusion transcripts are AML1-MDS1 and AML1-MDS1-EVI1. MDS1 is located at 3q26 170-400 kb upstream (telomeric) of EVI1 in the chromosomal region in which some of the breakpoints 5' of EVI1 have been mapped. MDS1 has been identified as a single gene as well as a previously unreported exon(s) of EVI1 We have analyzed the relationship between MDS1 and EVI1 to determine whether they are two separate genes. In this report, we present evidence indicating that MDS1 exists in normal tissues both as a unique transcript and as a normal fusion transcript with EVI1, with an additional 188 codons at the 5' end of the previously reported EVI1 open reading frame. This additional region has about 40% homology at the amino acid level with the PR domain of the retinoblastoma-interacting zinc-finger protein RIZ. These results are important in view of the fact that EVI1 and MDS1 are involved in leukemia associated with chromosomal translocation breakpoints in the region between these genes.

Efflux pump of the proton antiporter family confers low-level fluoroquinolone resistance in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Due to the resurgence of tuberculosis and the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, fluoroquinolones (FQ) are being used in selected tuberculosis patients, but FQ-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have rapidly begun to appear. The mechanisms involved in FQ resistance need to be elucidated if the effectiveness of this class of antibiotics is to be improved and prolonged. By using the rapid-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model genetic system, a gene was selected that confers low-level FQ resistance when present on a multicopy plasmid. This gene, lfrA, encodes a putative membrane efflux pump of the major facilitator family, which appears to recognize the hydrophilic FQ, ethidium bromide, acridine, and some quaternary ammonium compounds. It is homologous to qacA from Staphylococcus aureus, tcmA, of Streptomyces glaucescens, and actII and mmr, both from Streptomyces coelicoler. Increased expression of lfrA augments the appearance of subsequent mutations to higher-level FQ resistance.

Targeted disruption of gp130, a common signal transducer for the interleukin 6 family of cytokines, leads to myocardial and hematological disorders.

gp130 is a ubiquitously expressed signal-transducing receptor component shared by interleukin 6, interleukin 11, leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M, ciliary neurotrophic factor, and cardiotrophin 1. To investigate physiological roles of gp130 and to examine pathological consequences of a lack of gp130, mice deficient for gp130 have been prepared. Embryos homozygous for the gp130 mutation progressively die between 12.5 days postcoitum and term. On 16.5 days postcoitum and later, they show hypoplastic ventricular myocardium without septal and trabecular defect. The subcellular ultrastructures in gp130-/- cardiomyocytes appear normal. The mutant embryos have greatly reduced numbers of pluripotential and committed hematopoietic progenitors in the liver and differentiated lineages such as T cells in the thymus. Some gp130-/- embryos show anemia due to impaired development of erythroid lineage cells. These results indicate that gp130 plays a crucial role in myocardial development and hematopoiesis during embryogenesis.

Orp1, a member of the Cdc18/Cdc6 family of S-phase regulators, is homologous to a component of the origin recognition complex.

cdc18+ of Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a periodically expressed gene that is required for entry into S phase and for the coordination of S phase with mitosis. cdc18+ is related to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene CDC6, which has also been implicated in the control of DNA replication. We have identified a new Sch. pombe gene, orp1+, that encodes an 80-kDa protein with amino acid sequence motifs conserved in the Cdc18 and Cdc6 proteins. Genetic analysis indicates that orp1+ is essential for viability. Germinating spores lacking the orp1+ gene are capable of undergoing one or more rounds of DNA replication but fail to progress further, arresting as long cells with a variety of deranged nuclear structures. Unlike cdc18+, orp1+ is expressed constitutively during the cell cycle. cdc18+, CDC6, and orp1+ belong to a family of related genes that also includes the gene ORC1, which encodes a subunit of the origin recognition complex (ORC) of S. cerevisiae. The products of this gene family share a 250-amino acid domain that is highly conserved in evolution and contains several characteristic motifs, including a consensus purine nucleotide-binding motif. Among the members of this gene family, orp1+ is most closely related to S. cerevisiae ORC1. Thus, the protein encoded by orp1+ may represent a component of an Sch. pombe ORC. The orp1+ gene is also closely related to an uncharacterized putative human homologue. It is likely that the members of the cdc18/CDC6 family play key roles in the regulation of DNA replication during the cell cycle of diverse species from archaebacteria to man.

The 3'-terminal exon of the family of steroid and phenol sulfotransferase genes is spliced at the N-terminal glycine of the universally conserved GXXGXXK motif that forms the sulfonate donor binding site.

The guinea pig estrogen sulfotransferase gene has been cloned and compared to three other cloned steroid and phenol sulfotransferase genes (human estrogen sulfotransferase, human phenol sulfotransferase, and guinea pig 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase). The four sulfotransferase genes demonstrate a common outstanding feature: the splice sites for their 3'-terminal exons are identically located. That is, the 3'-terminal exon splice sites involve a glycine that constitutes the N-terminal glycine of an invariably conserved GXXGXXK motif present in all steroid and phenol sulfotransferases for which primary structures are known. This consistency strongly suggests that all steroid and phenol sulfotransferase genes will be similarly spliced. The GXXGXXK motif forms the active binding site for the universal sulfonate donor 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate. Amino acid sequence alignment of 19 cloned steroid and phenol sulfotransferases starting with the GXXGXXK motif indicates that the 3'-terminal exon for each steroid and phenol sulfotransferase gene encodes a similarly sized C-terminal fragment of the protein. Interestingly, on further analysis of the alignment, three distinct amino acid sequence patterns emerge. The presence of the conserved functional GXXGXXK motif suggests that the protein domains encoded by steroid and phenol sulfotransferase 3'-terminal exons have evolved from a common ancestor. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that during the course of evolution, the 3'-terminal exon further diverged into at least three sulfotransferase subdivisions: a phenol or aryl group, an estrogen or phenolic steroid group, and a neutral steroid group.

Overexpression of DR-nm23, a protein encoded by a member of the nm23 gene family, inhibits granulocyte differentiation and induces apoptosis in 32Dc13 myeloid cells.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia evolves in two clinically distinct stages: a chronic and a blast crisis phase. The molecular changes associated with chronic phase to blast crisis transition are largely unknown. We have identified a cDNA clone, DR-nm23, differentially expressed in a blast-crisis cDNA library, which has approximately 70% sequence similarity to the putative metastatic suppressor genes, nm23-H1 and nm23-H2. The deduced amino acid sequence similarity to the proteins encoded by these two latter genes is approximately 65% and includes domains and amino acid residues (the leucine zipper-like and the RGD domain, a serine and a histidine residue in the NH2- and in the COOH-terminal portion of the protein, respectively) postulated to be important for nm23 function. DR-nm23 mRNA is preferentially expressed at early stages of myeloid differentiation of highly purified CD34+ cells. Its constitutive expression in the myeloid precursor 32Dc13 cell line, which is growth-factor dependent for both proliferation and differentiation, results in inhibition of granulocytic differentiation induced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and causes apoptotic cell death. These results are consistent with a role for DR-nm23 in normal hematopoiesis and raise the possibility that its overexpression contributes to differentiation arrest, a feature of blastic transformation in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Location of light-repressible, small GTP-binding protein of the YPT/rab family in the growing zone of etiolated pea stems.

YPT/rab proteins are ras-like small GTP-binding proteins that serve as key regulators of vesicular transport. The mRNA levels of two YPT/rab genes in pea plants are repressed by light, with the process mediated by phytochrome. Here, we examined the mRNA expression and the location of the two proteins, pra2- and pra3-encoded proteins, using monoclonal antibodies. The pra2 and pra3 mRNA levels were highest in the stems of dark-grown seedlings. The corresponding proteins were found in the cytosol and the membranes of the stems. Most of the pra2 protein was in the growing internodes, especially in the growing region, but the pra3 protein was widespread. These results suggest that the pra2 protein is important for vesicular transport in stems, possibly contributing to stem growth in the dark, and that the pra3 protein is important for general vesicular transport. The amounts of pra2 and pra3 proteins decreased with illumination. The decrease in these proteins may be related to the phytochrome-dependent inhibition of stem growth that occurs in etiolated pea seedlings.

Chicken interferon consensus sequence-binding protein (ICSBP) and interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 1 genes reveal evolutionary conservation in the IRF gene family.

Members of the IRF family mediate transcriptional responses to interferons (IFNs) and to virus infection. So far, proteins of this family have been studied only among mammalian species. Here we report the isolation of cDNA clones encoding two members of this family from chicken, interferon consensus sequence-binding protein (ICSBP) and IRF-1. The predicted chicken ICSBP and IRF-1 proteins show high levels of sequence similarity to their corresponding human and mouse counterparts. Sequence identities in the putative DNA-binding domains of chicken and human ICSBP and IRF-1 were 97% and 89%, respectively, whereas the C-terminal regions showed identities of 64% and 51%; sequence relationships with mouse ICSBP and IRF-1 are very similar. Chicken ICSBP was found to be expressed in several embryonic tissues, and both chicken IRF-1 and ICSBP were strongly induced in chicken fibroblasts by IFN treatment, supporting the involvement of these factors in IFN-regulated gene expression. The presence of proteins homologous to mammalian IRF family members, together with earlier observations on the occurrence of functionally homologous IFN-responsive elements in chicken and mammalian genes, highlights the conservation of transcriptional mechanisms in the IFN system, a finding that contrasts with the extensive sequence and functional divergence of the IFNs.

Are We Family? Lesbian Mothers and the Decision to Make Contact with Their Children's Donor Siblings

The current study examines the experiences of three lesbian families who have made contact with their children's donor siblings: a single mother by choice, a couple and a mother who had children in the context of a relationship that has since ended. It builds on prior research that has addressed this topic, but has primarily utilized survey methodology. Participants of the current study shared their experiences via focus group and individual interviews. A narrative research approach was used to analyze and present the findings.

False anglicisms in the Spanish language of fashion and beauty

Many works have already dealt with anglicisms in Spanish, especially in science and information technologies. However, despite the high and growing number of English terms incorporated daily by the language of fashion, it has received comparative less attention in lexicographic and terminological studies than that of other areas, such as science or business. For several reasons, which include prestige or peer pressure, Spanish has not only adopted English words with new meanings and usage, but also contains other forms based on English patterns which users seem to consider more accurate or expressive. This paper concentrates on false anglicisms as indicators of some of the special relationships and influences between languages arising from the pervasive presence of English. We shall look at the Spanish language of fashion, which, in addition to genuine anglicisms, has for some time been using English words with different meanings, or even created items of its own (or imported them from other languages) with the appearance of English words. These false anglicisms, which have proven extremely popular in receiving languages (not only in Spanish) have frequently been disseminated by youth magazines and the new digital media, both in general spheres and in fashion-specific contexts.

Applying semantic knowledge to the automatic processing of temporal expressions and events in natural language

This paper addresses the problem of the automatic recognition and classification of temporal expressions and events in human language. Efficacy in these tasks is crucial if the broader task of temporal information processing is to be successfully performed. We analyze whether the application of semantic knowledge to these tasks improves the performance of current approaches. We therefore present and evaluate a data-driven approach as part of a system: TIPSem. Our approach uses lexical semantics and semantic roles as additional information to extend classical approaches which are principally based on morphosyntax. The results obtained for English show that semantic knowledge aids in temporal expression and event recognition, achieving an error reduction of 59% and 21%, while in classification the contribution is limited. From the analysis of the results it may be concluded that the application of semantic knowledge leads to more general models and aids in the recognition of temporal entities that are ambiguous at shallower language analysis levels. We also discovered that lexical semantics and semantic roles have complementary advantages, and that it is useful to combine them. Finally, we carried out the same analysis for Spanish. The results obtained show comparable advantages. This supports the hypothesis that applying the proposed semantic knowledge may be useful for different languages.

Evaluation of the Implementation of CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) Methodology in the Didactics of the English Language in Preschool Education Course Taught in the Preschool Education Teacher Undergraduate Program at the University of Alicante

Although it is known that the Spanish current Educative System promotes using the Communicate Approach to teach foreign languages in schools, other recently designed approaches are also used to help students improve their skills when communicating in a foreign language. One of these approaches is Content and Language Integrated Learning, also known as CLIL, which is used to teach content courses using the English language as the language of instruction. This approach improves the students’ skills in English as the same time as they learn content from other areas. The goal of this thesis is to present a research project carried out at the University of Alicante during the academic year 2011-2012. With this research we obtained results that provide quantitative and qualitative data which explains how the use of the CLIL methodology affects the English level of students in the “Didactics of the English Language in Preschool Education” course in Preschool Education Teacher Undergraduate Program as students acquire the contents of the course.

The importance of promoting multimodal teaching in the foreign language classroom for the acquisition of social competences: practical examples

This article analyses the way in which the subject English Language V of the degree English Studies (English Language and Literature) combines the development of the five skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing and interacting) with the use of multimodal activities and resources in the teaching-learning process so that students increase their motivation and acquire different social competences that will be useful for the labour market such as communication, cooperation, leadership or conflict management. This study highlights the use of multimodal materials (texts, videos, etc.) on social topics to introduce cultural aspects in a language subject and to deepen into the different social competences university students can acquire when they work with them. The study was guided by the following research questions: how can multimodal texts and resources contribute to the development of the five skills in a foreign language classroom? What are the main social competences that students acquire when the teaching-learning process is multimodal? The results of a survey prepared at the end of the academic year 2015-2016 point out the main competences that university students develop thanks to multimodal teaching. For its framework of analysis, the study draws on the main principles of visual grammar (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006) where students learn how to analyse the main aspects in multimodal texts. The analysis of the different multimodal activities described in the article and the survey reveal that multimodality is useful for developing critical thinking, for bringing cultural aspects into the classroom and for working on social competences. This article will explain the successes and challenges of using multimodal texts with social content so that students can acquire social competences while learning content. Moreover, the implications of using multimodal resources in a language classroom to develop multiliteracies will be observed.

The Dinoflagellata: the family Heterodiniidae of the Peridinioidae / by Charles Atwood Kofoid and Alastair Martin Adamson.

v.54:no.1 (1933)