Using a combination of tandem affinity purification tagging and mass spectrometry, we characterized a novel, evolutionarily conserved protein phosphatase 4 (PP4)-containing complex (PP4cs, protein phosphatase 4, cisplatin-sensitive complex) that plays a critical role in the eukaryotic DNA damage response. PP4cs is comprised of the catalytic subunit PP4C; a known regulatory subunit, PP4R2; and a novel protein that we termed PP4R3. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PP4R3 ortholog Psy2 was identified previously in a screen for sensitivity to the DNAdamaging agent and anticancer drug cisplatin. We demonstrated that deletion of any of the PP4cs complex orthologs in S. cerevisiae elicited cisplatin hypersensitivity. Reversible protein phosphorylation is a highly conserved, essential regulatory mechanism involved in a host of cellular processes. Yet, while the phosphorylation of regulatory molecules by kinases has been studied intensively, their subsequent dephosphorylation is much less well understood. In eukaryotes, dephosphorylation on serine/threonine residues is effected by two distinct groups of functionally diverse phosphatases, the phosphoprotein M (represented by a sole member in higher eukaryotes, PP2C) and PPP 1 families (1 PP2A often functions as a standard trimeric complex with a catalytic (C) subunit (encoded by two genes in mammals) associated with one of many regulatory (or B) subunits via one of two adaptor (A) molecules (4, 5). The regulatory and adaptor subunits are thought to confer substrate specificity to the complex (5).In contrast to PP2A, the supramolecular architecture and subunit composition of PP4 multiprotein complexes remains largely unknown. Two mammalian PP4 regulatory subunits were previously identified (here termed PP4R1 and PP4R2, gene names PPP4R1 and PPP4R2; Refs. 6 and 7). Although PP4R1 shares some sequence homology with the PP2A adaptor proteins (PPP2R1A and PPP2R1B), it does not bridge PP4C and PP4R2; PP4R1 and PP4R2 display mutually exclusive PP4C interactions (Refs. 6 and 7; and see below). Other PP4C-interacting partners have also been reported (e.g. Refs. 8 and 9), but whether these proteins represent bona fide regulatory subunits or phosphatase substrates and how these binding proteins may affect PP4 activity are unclear.To gain a better understanding of the composition, function, and regulation of PP4, we systematically analyzed mammalian and yeast PP4C-interacting proteins. In doing so, we From the ‡Institute for

Live attenuated measles virus (MV) vaccines have an impressive record of safety, efficacy and ability to induce life-long immunity against measles infection. Using reverse genetics technology, such negative-strand RNA viruses can now be rescued from cloned DNA. This technology allows the insertion of exogenous genes encoding foreign antigens into the MV genome in such a way that they can be expressed by the MV vaccine strain, without affecting virus structure, propagation and cell targeting. Recombinant viruses rescued from cloned cDNA induce immune responses against both measles virus and the cloned antigens. The tolerability of MV to gene(s) insertion makes it an attractive flexible vector system, especially if broad immune responses are required. The fact that measles replication strictly occurs in the cytoplasm of infected cells without DNA intermediate has important biosafety implications and adds to the attractiveness of MV as a vector. In this article we report the characteristics of reporter gene expression (GFP, LacZ and CAT) and the biochemical, biophysical and immunological properties of recombinant MV expressing heterologous antigens of simian immunogeficiency virus (SIV).

Photosynthetic microbes respond to changing light environments to balance photosynthetic process with light induced damage and photoinhibition. There have been very few characterizations of photosynthetic physiology or biomass partitioning during the day in mass culture. Understanding the constraints on photosynthetic efficiency and biomass accumulation are necessary for engineering superior strains or cultivation methods. We observed the photosynthetic physiology of nutrient replete Phaeodactylum tricornutum growing in light environments that mimic those found in rapidly mixing, outdoor, low biomass photobioreactors. We found little evidence for photoinhibition or non-photochemical quenching in situ, suggesting photosynthesis remains highly efficient throughout the day. Cells doubled their organic carbon from dawn to dusk and a small percentage -around 20% -of this carbon was allocated to carbohydrates or triacylglycerol. We conclude that the self-shading provided by dense culturing of P. tricornutum inhibits the induction of photodamage, and energy dissipation processes that would otherwise lower productivity in an outdoor photobioreactor.

We have established a protocol that allows for parallel quantification of three carbohydrate pools in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. This method utilizes a series of extraction and digestion steps followed by the employment of the 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH) reducing sugar assay. Comparing carbohydrate content between hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed soluble extracts enables quantification of soluble, nonreducing carbohydrate. The latter fraction contains chrysolaminarin as verified by 1 H-NMR and monomer composition of the purified glucan. We applied this method to investigate carbon partitioning in two experiments. We observed the accumulation of chrysolaminarin during the day and near complete consumption in the dark, supporting its role for fueling heterotrophic metabolism at night. We then observed little change in chrysolaminarin accumulation or consumption during nitrogen starvation, a condition that is known to increase the cellular content of the biofuel precursor triacylglycerol. Overall, this method improves the resolution of major carbohydrate pools in