(C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SCoV) is

an enveloped virus containing a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome. Nine mRNAs carrying a set of common 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTR) are synthesized from the incoming viral genomic RNA in cells infected with SCoV. A nonstructural SCoV nsp1 protein causes a severe translational shutoff by binding to the 40S ribosomal subunits. The nsp1-40S ribosome complex further induces an endonucleolytic cleavage near the 5′ UTR of host mRNA. However, the mechanism by which SCoV viral proteins are efficiently produced in infected cells in which host protein synthesis is impaired by nsp1 is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of the viral UTRs in evasion of the nsp1-mediated Selleckchem Roscovitine shutoff. Luciferase activities were significantly suppressed in Linsitinib order cells expressing nsp1 together with the mRNA carrying a luciferase gene, while nsp1 failed to suppress luciferase activities of the mRNA flanked by the 5′ UTR of SCoV. An RNA-protein binding assay and RNA decay assay revealed that nsp1 bound to stem-loop 1 (SL1) in the 5′ UTR of SCoV RNA and that the

specific interaction with nsp1 stabilized the mRNA carrying SL1. Furthermore, experiments using an SCoV replicon system showed that the specific interaction enhanced the SCoV replication. The specific interaction of nsp1 with SL1 is an important strategy to facilitate efficient viral gene expression Megestrol Acetate in infected cells, in which nsp1 suppresses host gene expression.

Our data indicate a novel mechanism of viral gene expression control by nsp1 and give new insight into understanding the pathogenesis of SARS.”
“Although a suboptimal prenatal environment has been linked with schizophrenia and depression, possible associations with personality disorders remain unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of body size at birth and length of gestation with hospitalization for personality disorders in a cohort study of 6506 men and 5857 women born in Helsinki, Finland, between 1934 and 1944. International Classification of Diseases (-8, -9, -10) diagnoses of personality disorders were extracted from the national Finnish Hospital Discharge Register since 1969. 102 men and 80 women had been hospitalized due to any personality disorder. 41 men and 30 women had dramatic personality disorders. Among men, head circumference showed an inverse J-shaped, nonlinear association with hospitalization for personality disorders. Men with a small head circumference were at increased risk. Also in men, a smaller head-to-length ratio linearly predicted personality disorders. Among women, a smaller placental area predicted increased risk of hospitalization for dramatic personality disorders. Vulnerability to personality disorders may be programmed during fetal life. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.