Rockefeller University

About: Rockefeller University is a education organization based out in New York, New York, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 15867 authors who have published 32938 publications receiving 2940261 citations. The organization is also known as: Rockefeller University & Rockefeller Institute.

Nonenzymatic browning in vivo: possible process for aging of long-lived proteins.

Abstract: The incubation of lens proteins with reducing sugars leads to the formation of fluorescent yellow pigments and cross-like similar to those reported in aging and cataractous human lenses. Called nonenzymatic browning or the Maillard reaction, this aging process also occurs in stored foods. Reducing sugars condense with the free amino group of proteins, then rearrange and dehydrate to form unsaturated pigments and cross-linked products. Although most proteins in living systems turn over with sufficient rapidity to avoid nonenzymatic browning, some, such as lens crystallins and skin collagen, are exceptionally long-lived and may be vulnerable.

Streptococcus pneumoniae anchor to activated human cells by the receptor for platelet-activating factor

Abstract: THE Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis1. Although the invasive disease is severe, some 40% of individuals harbour the pneumococcus in the nasopharynx asymptomatically2. Here we investigate the molecular elements of the encounter between host and pathogen that distinguish these different outcomes. We show that inflammatory activation of human cells shifts the targeting of the pneumococcus to a new receptor, that for the G-protein-coupled platelet-activating factor (PAF). Only virulent pneumococci engage the PAF receptor. Attachment of the bacterial phosphoryl-choline to the PAF receptor enhanced adherence, which was coupled to invasion of endothelial, epithelial and PAF-receptor-transfected cells. This progression could be arrested in vitro and in vivo by PAF-receptor-specific antagonists, suggesting a possible approach to therapy.

Determination of jet energy calibration and transverse momentum resolution in CMS

Abstract: Measurements of the jet energy calibration and transverse momentum resolution in CMS are presented, performed with a data sample collected in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36pb−1. The transverse momentum balance in dijet and γ/Z+jets events is used to measure the jet energy response in the CMS detector, as well as the transverse momentum resolution. The results are presented for three different methods to reconstruct jets: a calorimeter-based approach, the ``Jet-Plus-Track'' approach, which improves the measurement of calorimeter jets by exploiting the associated tracks, and the ``Particle Flow'' approach, which attempts to reconstruct individually each particle in the event, prior to the jet clustering, based on information from all relevant subdetectors

Molecular biology of flaviviruses.

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the current understanding of the molecular biology of flaviviruses and points out promising avenues for future work. The molecular biology of flaviviruses is best understood in the context of the viral life cycle, which provides a framework for the organization of this chapter. Flavivirus particles bind to cells via interactions between the viral surface glycoprotein and cellular receptors. Several cell surface proteins have been described as putative receptors. In addition, opsonization with immunoglobulins enhances virus particle binding and infection of cells expressing immunoglobulin Fc receptors. Virions are internalized into clathrin-coated pits via receptor-mediated endocytosis. It is thought that virions are brought into a prelysosomal endocytic compartment where low pH induces fusion among the viruses and host cell membranes to release the virus nucleocapsid. The viral genome is released into the host cytoplasm by the process of nucleocapsid uncoating, which is not yet fully understood. Translation of the viral genome produces proteins that lead to replication of the viral genome and assembly of new virus particles. Flavivirus infection induces rearrangement of cytoplasmic membranes in the perinuclear region. Virus particles are thought to assemble by budding into the endoplasmic reticulum. A few studies have shown evidence for budding at the plasma membrane. Based on trans-complementation studies, it appears that genome packaging is coupled to RNA replication. Nascent virus particles pass through the host secretory pathway, where virion maturation occurs, and are released.

Regulation of adult neurogenesis by excitatory input and NMDA receptor activation in the dentate gyrus

Abstract: The effects of afferent input and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation on neurogenesis were examined in an intact system, the rat dentate gyrus, where neurons are naturally born in the adult. In the adult dentate gyrus, activation of NMDA receptors rapidly decreased the number of cells synthesizing DNA, whereas blockade of NMDA receptors rapidly increased the number of cells in the S phase identified with 3H-thymidine. Acute treatment with NMDA receptor antagonists increased the birth of neurons and increased the overall density of neurons in the granule cell layer. Lesion of the entorhinal cortex, the main excitatory afferent population to the granule neurons, also increased the birth of cells in the dentate gyrus. These results suggest that adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the rat is altered by afferent input, via NMDA receptors, and may be regulated naturally by endogenous excitatory amino acids.