Arabidopsis thaliana plants with enhanced ASK theta activity displayed a bri1-like phenotype. ASK theta ZVADFMK overexpressors accumulated high levels of brassinolide, castasterone and typhasterol, and were insensitive to BR. ASK theta localized to the nucleus and directly phosphorylated BES1 and BZR1. Moreover, the BES1/BZR1-like transcription factor BEH2 was isolated as an ASK theta interaction partner in a yeast

two-hybrid screen. ASK theta phosphorylated BEH2 both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, these data provide strong evidence that ASK theta is a novel component of the BR signalling cascade, targeting the transcription factors BES1, BZR1 and BEH2.”
“Many microbial pathogens invade and proliferate within host cells and the molecular mechanism underlying this behavior is currently being revealed for several bacterial species. Testing clinically relevant antibacterial compounds and elucidating their effects on gene expression requires adequate controls, especially when studying genetically intractable organisms such as Chlamydia spp., for which various gene fusions cannot be constructed. Until now, relative mRNA levels in Chlamydia have been measured using different internal gene expression controls, including 16S rRNA, mRNAs, and DNA. Here, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of various internal expression controls during the early phase

of Chlamydia pneumoniae development. The relative abundance of target mRNAs varied using the different internal control RNAs. This was partly due to variation in the transcript stability of the RNA species. Also, seven out of nine of the analyzed RNAs Cyclosporin A research buy increased fivefold or more between 2 and 14 h postinfection, while the amount of DNA and number of cells remained essentially unaltered. Our results suggest that RNA should not be used as a gene expression control during the early phase of Chlamydia development, and that intrinsic bacterial DNA is preferable for that purpose because it is stable, abundant, and its relative amount is generally correlated with bacterial numbers.”
“The intrinsic antiretroviral factor APOBEC3G

(A3G) IPI-145 price is highly active against HIV-1 and other retroviruses. In different cell types, A3G is expressed in high-molecular-mass (HMM) RNA-protein complexes or low-molecular-mass (LMM) forms displaying different biological activities. In resting CD4 T cells, a LMM form of A3G potently restricts HIV-1 infection soon after virion entry. However, when T cells are activated, LMM A3G is recruited into HMM complexes that include Staufen-containing RNA granules. These complexes are probably nucleated by the induced expression of Alu/hY retroelement RNAs that accompany T-cell activation. HMM A3G sequesters these retroelement RNAs away from the nuclear long interspersed nuclear element-derived enzymes required for Alu/hY retrotransposition.