56A degrees to 10.6A degrees (CCW condition). The temporal index in the anterior-posterior direction varied from 0.711 to 1.103 (CW condition) and from 1.071 to 1.905 (CCW condition). The index in the right-left direction

varied from 0.773 to 2.081 (CW condition) and from 0.842 to 1.226 (CCW condition). Characteristic hollows or protrusions were detected from the first derivatives of head turning trajectories and were regarded as abrupt changes in angular velocity during head turning. The results Vactosertib order suggest that these three indices are appropriate tools for evaluation of the constancy of head turning.”
“GPR54 is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) which was formerly an orphan receptor. Recent functional study of GPR54 revealed that the receptor has an essential

role to modulate sex-hormones including GnRH. Though antagonists of GPR54 are expected to be novel drugs for sex-hormone dependent diseases such as prostate cancer or endometriosis, small molecule GPR54 antagonists have not been reported. We have synthesized a series of 2-acylamino-4,6-diphenylpyridines to identify potent GPR54 antagonists. Detailed structure-activity relationship studies led to compound 9l with an IC(50) value BLZ945 of 3.7 nM in a GPR54 binding assay, and apparent antagonistic activity in a cellular functional assay. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The McpS chemoreceptor of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 recognizes six different tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates. However, the magnitude of the chemotactic response towards these compounds differs largely, which has led to distinguish between strong attractants (malate, succinate, fumarate, oxaloacetate)

and weak attractants (citrate, isocitrate). Citrate is abundantly present in plant tissues and root exudates and can serve as the only carbon source for growth. Citrate is known to form complexes with divalent cations which are also abundantly present in natural habitats of this bacterium. We have used isothermal titration calorimetry to study the formation of citrate-metal ion complexes. In all cases binding Sapanisertib inhibitor was entropy driven but significant differences in affinity were observed ranging from K-D = 157 mu M (for Mg2+) to 3 mu M (for Ni2+). Complex formation occurred over a range of pH and ionic strength. The ligand binding domain of McpS (McpS-LBD) was found to bind free citrate, but not complexes with physiologically relevant Mg2+ and Ca2+. In contrast, complexes with divalent cations which are present as trace elements (Co2+, Cd2+ and Ni2+) were recognized by McpS-LBD. This discrimination differs from other citrate sensing proteins. These results are discussed in the context of the three dimensional structure of free citrate and its complex with Mg2+. Chemotaxis assays using P. putida revealed that taxis towards the strong attractant malate is strongly reduced in the presence of free citrate. However, this reduction is much less important in the presence of citrate-Mg2+ complexes.