(C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3518047]“
“The idea that an inflammatory process is involved in Alzheimer’s disease ( AD) GSI-IX research buy was proposed already hundred years ago but only the past twenty years inflammation-related proteins have been identified within plaques. A number of acute-phase proteins colocalize with the extracellular amyloid fibrils, the so called A beta-associated proteins. Activated microglia and astrocytes surrounding amyloid deposits express receptors of innate immunity and secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this paper we review the evidence for involvement of innate immunity

in the early stages of the pathological cascade of AD. Diffuse plaques, STA-9090 the initial neuropathological lesion in the cerebral neocortex, contain next to A beta also apolipoprotein E, clusterin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and activated complement proteins. Interestingly, genetic studies have shown gene-loci to be associated with AD for all these proteins, except alpha 1-antichymotrpsin.

Fibrillar A beta can, through stimulation of toll-like receptors and CD-14 on glial cells, activate pathways for increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This pathway, inducing production of proinflammatory cytokines, is under genetic control. The finding that the responsiveness of the innate immunity is higher in offspring with a parental history of late-onset AD indicates heritable traits for AD that are related to inflammatory processes. Prospective epidemiological studies which report that higher serum levels of certain acute-phase proteins are associated

with cognitive decline or dementia provide additional evidence for the early involvement of inflammation in AD pathogenesis. The reviewed neuropathological, epidemiological and genetic findings show evidence for involvement of the innate-immunity in the early stages of pathological cascade as well as for the hypothesis that the innate immunity contributes to the etiology of late-onset AD.”
“MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control many important aspects of plant development, suggesting these molecules may also have played key roles in the evolution of developmental processes in plants. However, evolutionary-developmental (evo-devo) studies AZD1480 nmr of miRNAs have been held back by technical difficulties in gene identification. To help solve this problem, we have developed a two-step procedure for the efficient identification of miRNA genes in any plant species. As a test case, we have studied the evolution of the MIR164 family in the angiosperms. We have identified novel MIR164 genes in three species occupying key phylogenetic positions and used these, together with published sequence data, to partially reconstruct the evolution of the MIR164 family since the last common ancestor of the extant flowering plants.