Glycosyltransferase enzymes synthesize glycosidic linkages, generating carbohydrates and carbohydrate-linked entities ranging from cellulose, starch, and chitin to glycolipids, glycopeptides, and natural product antibiotics. ...

Poxviruses are double stranded (ds) DNA viruses with large brick-shaped virions (~200x300nm) that can be seen by light microscopy. The Chordopoxvirus (ChPV) subfamily demonstrates a vast genetic diversity in poxvirus ...

Carbohydrates are important in a large number of cellular, physiological, and pathological processes. Carbohydrates often function as the human host’s first line of defence against pathogen invasion by coating surfaces ...

Carrageenans are sulfated polysaccharides found in the cell walls of red algae with 20 – 30 % of the dry weight coming from sulfate esters. The understanding of how heterotrophic bacteria desulfate and depolymerize carrageenan ...

The role that signaling molecules play during morphogenesis and their interactions is a field of intense study and the sea urchin represents a facile system to study these aspects of development in the early embryo. In ...

Secretion is a fundamental process of bacterial microorganisms. It is responsible for diverse functions such as cell-to-cell communication, nutritional up-take, environmental adaptation, physiological responses, and ...

Although its highly infectious nature has led to its classification as a potential bio-terror threat, very little is known about the pathogenesis of Francisella. A complete understanding of the mechanisms employed by ...

This thesis describes work done with the thyroid hormone receptor (TR), a nuclear protein which binds to specific DNA sequences and regulates transcription in response to thyroid hormone levels. The studies can be divided ...

F. tularensis is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen and it is the causative agent of tularemia. It has the ability to replicate to high numbers within a variety of host cells, including macrophages. Little is known of its ...