Physical interactions between MCM and Rad51 facilitate replication fork lesion bypass and ssDNA gap filling by non-recombinogenic functions.

The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) helicase physically interacts with the recombination proteins Rad51 and Rad52 from yeast to human cells. We show, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that these interactions occur within a nuclease-insoluble scaffold enriched in replication/repair factors. Rad51 accumulates in a MCM- and DNA-binding-independent manner and interacts with MCM helicases located outside of the replication origins and forks.

Tubulin-binding cofactor E-like (TBCEL), the protein product of the gene, is required in the germline for the regulation of inter-flagellar microtubule dynamics during spermatid individualization.

Individual sperm cells are resolved from a syncytium during late step of spermiogenesis known as individualization, which is accomplished by an Individualization Complex (IC) composed of 64 investment cones. encodes Tubulin-binding cofactor E-like (TBCEL), suggesting a role for microtubule dynamics in individualization. Indeed, a population of ∼100 cytoplasmic microtubules fails to disappear in mutant testes during spermatogenesis.

PHF2 histone demethylase prevents DNA damage and genome instability by controlling cell cycle progression of neural progenitors.

Histone H3 lysine 9 methylation (H3K9me) is essential for cellular homeostasis; however, its contribution to development is not well established. Here, we demonstrate that the H3K9me2 demethylase PHF2 is essential for neural progenitor proliferation in vitro and for early neurogenesis in the chicken spinal cord. Using genome-wide analyses and biochemical assays we show that PHF2 controls the expression of critical cell cycle progression genes, particularly those related to DNA replication, by keeping low levels of H3K9me3 at promoters.

Variations in serotypes and susceptibility of adult non-invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates between the periods before (May 2000-May 2001) and 10 years after (May 2010-May 2011) introduction of conjugate vaccines for child immunisation in Spain.

This study explored the serotype distribution and antibiotic susceptibility of adult non-invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates received in the Spanish Reference Laboratory for Pneumococci immediately prior to introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in June 2001 (May 2000-May 2001) and 10 years afterwards (May 2010-May 2011). Serotyping was performed by Quellung reaction and/or dot-blot assay, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by agar dilution. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) breakpoints were used for susceptibility interpretation.