Previously, we showed that most parvalbumin positive cells in the external plexiform layer (EPL) of the mouse main olfactory CUDC-907 cell line bulb (MOB) were anaxonic but displayed some patch-like beta IV-spectrin and sodium channel cluster positive segments on their dendrites. In this study we further characterized those particular dendritic segments. AnkyrinG was also located there, whereas phospho-I kappa B alpha was not. Electron-microscopically those dendritic segments displayed
the membrane undercoating characteristic to the AlSs and nodes of Ranvier, further confirming their resemblance to the spike generation sites, “”hot spots”". Three-dimensional analysis revealed that each parvalbumin positive EPL neuron had 2-7 hot spots, 3-28 mu m in length and located 7-50 mu m from the somata. Similar “”hot spots”" were also encountered on a few calretinin positive granule cells and nitric oxide synthase positive periglomerular cells in the mouse MOB. In addition parvalbumin positive EPL cells in the Fat MOB displayed similar multiple dendritic “”hot spots”". Our study suggested that these morphologically identified dendritic “”hot spots”" might correspond to dendritic spike generation sites of those neurons. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society.
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“Aims: Plasmids are critical for the pathogenicity of Yersinia pestis. In order to carry out a systematic investigation of their role in pathogenesis, we cured plasmids from Y. pestis.
Methods and Results: Each plasmid’s replicon of Y. pestis was cloned into plasmid pEX18Gm containing a counter-selectable sacB gene, and was then introduced into
Y. pestis strain 201 by electroporation. Strains containing recombinant Erythromycin plasmids were cultivated under antibiotic selection. The resultant plasmid-curing colonies, identified by specific polymerase chain reactions, were then cured off pEX18Gm under sucrose pressure. This method was used to successfully cure all four plasmids of Y. pestis, singly or in different combinations.
Conclusions: Naturally evolving plasmids in Y. pestis are difficult to remove by conventional curing methods. We employed a method based on plasmid incompatibility to cure the plasmids from Y. pestis, which confirmed the efficacy of this method for curing plasmids with different types of replicons from one bacterium.
Significance and Impact of the Study: There have been no reports on the curing of multiple plasmids by using replication mechanisms from one bacterium with this technique. In the present study, we were able to successfully apply this methodology to cure four plasmids from Y. pestis, confirming its feasibility.”
“Prepulse inhibition (PPI) and habituation of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) are considered to be candidate endophenotypes of schizophrenia.