Mammalian RAD51 protein plays essential roles in DNA homologous recombination, DNA repair and cell proliferation. RAD51 activities are regulated by its associated proteins. It was previously reported that a ubiquitin-like protein, UBL1, associates with RAD51 in the yeast two-hybrid system. One function of UBL1 is to covalently conjugate with target proteins and thus modify their function. In the present study we found that non-conjugated UBL1 forms a complex with RAD51 and RAD52 proteins in human cells. Overexpression of UBL1 down-regulates DNA double-strand break-induced homologous recombination in CHO cells and reduces cellular resistance to ionizing radiation in HT1080 cells. With or without overexpressed UBL1, most homologous recombination products arise by gene conversion. However, overexpression of UBL1 reduces the fraction of bidirectional gene conversion tracts. Overexpression of a mutant UBL1 that is incapable of being conjugated retains the ability to inhibit homologous recombination. These results suggest a regulatory role for UBL1 in homologous recombination.

Schwann cells produce a potent inhibitor(s) of angiogenesis that may be responsible for the low level of vascularity and more benign clinical behavior of Schwannian stroma-rich/stroma-dominant neuroblastoma tumors. Studies to identify the inhibitor(s) are ongoing.

This work demonstrates the assembly of TiO(2) nanoparticles with attached DNA oligonucleotides into a 3D mesh structure by allowing base pairing between oligonucleotides. A change of the ratio of DNA oligonucleotide molecules and TiO(2) nanoparticles regulates the size of the mesh as characterized by UV-visible light spectra, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images. This type of 3D mesh, based on TiO(2)-DNA oligonucleotide nanoconjugates, can be used for studies of nanoparticle assemblies in material science, energy science related to dye-sensitized solar cells, environmental science as well as characterization of DNA interacting proteins in the field of molecular biology. As an example of one such assembly, proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein (PCNA) was cloned, its activity verified, and the protein was purified, loaded onto double strand DNA oligonucleotide-TiO(2) nanoconjugates, and imaged by atomic force microscopy. This type of approach may be used to sample and perhaps quantify and/or extract specific cellular proteins from complex cellular protein mixtures affinity based on their affinity for chosen DNA segments assembled into the 3D matrix.

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The presence of a pituitary tumor is not a contraindication for leuprolide therapy. While patients with a macroadenoma should have surgery first, those with a microadenoma may be considered for leuprolide therapy after careful evaluation by a multidisciplinary team.