9 g/kg ethanol or vehicle. Ethanol-exposed fetuses were collected on GD 17, processed for MRM analysis, and results compared to comparably staged controls. Linear and volume measurements as well as shape Forskolin in vitro changes for numerous individual brain regions were determined. GD 9 ethanol exposure resulted in significantly increased septal

region width, reduction of cerebellar volume, and enlargement of all of the ventricles. Additionally, the results of shape analyses showed that many areas of the ethanol-exposed brains including the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and right striatum were significantly misshapen. These data demonstrate that ethanol can induce dysmorphology that may not be obvious based on volumetric analyses alone, highlight the asymmetric aspects of ethanol-induced defects, and add to our understanding of ethanol’s developmental stage-dependent neuroteratogenesis. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Delivery and expression of multiple genes is an important requirement in a range of applications such as the engineering of synthetic signaling pathways and the induction of pluripotent stem cells However, conventional approaches are often inefficient, nonstoichiometric

and may limit the maximum number of genes that can be simultaneously expressed We here describe a versatile approach for multiple gene delivery using a single expression vector by mimicking the protein expression strategy of RNA viruses This was accomplished by first expressing the genes together with R428 nmr TEV protease as a single fusion protein, then proteolytically self-cleaving the fusion protein into functional components To demonstrate this method in E colt cells, we analyzed the translation products using SDS-PAGE and showed that the fusion protein was efficiently cleaved into its components, which can then be purified individually or as a binding complex To demonstrate this method in mammalian cells, we designed a differential localization scheme and used live cell imaging to observe the distinctive subcellular targeting of the processed products We also showed that the stoichiometry MAPK inhibitor of the processed products was consistent and corresponded with the frequency of appearance

of their genes on the expression vector In summary, the efficient expression and separation of up to three genes was achieved in both E coli and mammalian cells using a single TEV protease self-processing vector”
“Background: Smoking during pregnancy is common among Inuit women from the Canadian Arctic. Yet prenatal cigarette smoke exposure (PCSE) is seen as a major risk factor for childhood behavior problems. Recent data also suggest that co-exposure to neurotoxic environmental contaminants can exacerbate the effects of PCSE on behavior. This study examined the association between PCSE and behavior at school age in a sample of Inuit children from Nunavik, Quebec, where co-exposure to environmental contaminants is also an important issue.