University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

About: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is a healthcare organization based out in Dallas, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 39107 authors who have published 75242 publications receiving 4497256 citations. The organization is also known as: UT Southwestern & UT Southwestern Medical School.

Identification of a RING protein that can interact in vivo with the BRCA1 gene product.

Abstract: The hereditary breast and ovarian cancer gene, BRCA1, encodes a large polypeptide that contains the cysteine-rich RING motif, a zinc-binding domain found in a variety of regulatory proteins Here we describe a novel protein that interacts in vivo with the N-terminal region of BRCA1 This BRCA1-associated RING domain (BARD1) protein contains an N-terminal RING motif, three tandem ankyrin repeats, and a C-terminal sequence with significant homology to the phylogenetically conserved BRCT domains that lie near the C terminus of BRCA1 The BARD1/BRCA1 interaction is disrupted by BRCA1 missense mutations that segregate with breast cancer susceptibility, indicating that BARD1 may be involved in mediating tumour suppression by BRCA1

International Consensus on drug allergy.

Abstract: When drug reactions resembling allergy occur, they are called drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) before showing the evidence of either drug-specific antibodies or T cells. DHRs may be allergic or nonallergic in nature, with drug allergies being immunologically mediated DHRs. These reactions are typically unpredictable. They can be life-threatening, may require or prolong hospitalization, and may necessitate changes in subsequent therapy. Both underdiagnosis (due to under-reporting) and overdiagnosis (due to an overuse of the term ‘allergy’) are common. A definitive diagnosis of such reactions is required in order to institute adequate treatment options and proper preventive measures. Misclassification based solely on the DHR history without further testing may affect treatment options, result in adverse consequences, and lead to the use of more-expensive or less-effective drugs, in contrast to patients who had undergone a complete drug allergy workup. Several guidelines and/or consensus documents on general or specific drug class-induced DHRs are available to support the medical decision process. The use of standardized systematic approaches for the diagnosis and management of DHRs carries the potential to improve outcomes and should thus be disseminated and implemented. Consequently, the International Collaboration in Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (iCAALL), formed by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), and the World Allergy Organization (WAO), has decided to issue an International CONsensus (ICON) on drug allergy. The purpose of this document is to highlight the key messages that are common to many of the existing guidelines, while critically reviewing and commenting on any differences and deficiencies of evidence, thus providing a comprehensive reference document for the diagnosis and management of DHRs.

Structural classification of zinc fingers: survey and summary.

Abstract: Zinc fingers are small protein domains in which zinc plays a structural role contributing to the stability of the domain. Zinc fingers are structurally diverse and are present among proteins that perform a broad range of functions in various cellular processes, such as replication and repair, transcription and translation, metabolism and signaling, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Zinc fingers typically function as interaction modules and bind to a wide variety of compounds, such as nucleic acids, proteins and small molecules. Here we present a comprehensive classification of zinc finger spatial structures. We find that each available zinc finger structure can be placed into one of eight fold groups that we define based on the structural properties in the vicinity of the zinc-binding site. Three of these fold groups comprise the majority of zinc fingers, namely, C2H2-like finger, treble clef finger and the zinc ribbon. Evolutionary relatedness of proteins within fold groups is not implied, but each group is divided into families of potential homologs. We compare our classification to existing groupings of zinc fingers and find that we define more encompassing fold groups, which bring together proteins whose similarities have previously remained unappreciated. We analyze functional properties of different zinc fingers and overlay them onto our classification. The classification helps in understanding the relationship between the structure, function and evolutionary history of these domains. The results are available as an online database of zinc finger structures.