Disease relevance of PORCN

• The por A gene, which encodes expression of meningococcal class 1 outer membrane protein, responsible for antigenic subtype specificity, has been cloned and sequenced in an isolate of Neisseria meningitidis (B:15:P1.7,16) from a patient in the Gloucester area with meningococcal meningitis [1].
• The isolate therefore appears to be a typical meningococcus, except that its porB gene has been replaced with the por gene from a gonococcus [2].
• Therapy often fails when the underlying disorder cannot be corrected, but por pruritus associated with chronic renal failure or hepatic cholestasis, specific and usually effective treatments exist [3].
• Quinolone resistance-determining region mutations and por type of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates: resistance surveillance and typing by molecular methodologies [4].
• In a series of 45 poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas (por) and 7 signet-ring-cell carcinomas (sig) of the colorectum, K-ras gene mutation, p53 immunostaining and microsatellite instability (MSI) were analyzed for a comparison with 46 cases of colorectal carcinomas of the well or moderately differentiated type (well/mod) [5].

Psychiatry related information on PORCN

• Mujeres felices por ser saludables: a breast cancer risk reduction program for Latino women [6].
• PURPOSE: Mujeres Felices por ser Saludables was randomized intervention study designed to assess the efficacy of an 8-month combined dietary and breast health intervention to reduce fat and increase fiber intake as well as to increase the frequency and proficiency of breast self-examination (BSE) and reduce anxiety related to BSE among Latinas [7].

High impact information on PORCN

• Point mutation in meningococcal por A gene associated with increased endemic disease [1].
• The low-complexity "gene-sized" linear DNA duplexes of the Oxytricha macronucleus sport short inverted terminal repeats; thus, each single strand is capable of forming a circle held together by a duplex "neck" [Wesley, R. D. (1975) Porc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 72, 678--682] [8].
• QRDR sequencing and por type determination showed that the outbreak of CipR N. gonorrhoeae in Israel was clonal [4].
• PIA strains (n=63) showed limited por diversity, with 90% having 1 of 4 por types [9].
• Frameshift mutation of the T beta R-II gene was detected in 27.5% of the por and none of the sig specimens, while corresponding figures for mutation of the BAX gene were 15.7% and 0% [5].

Biological context of PORCN

• Like its mouse and Xenopus homologues, MG61/PORC encodes four protein isoforms (A-D) generated through alternative splicing and expressed in a tissue-specific fashion [10].
• The human Porcupine locus (MG61/PORC) spans 15 exons over approximately 12 kb of genomic sequence on Xp11.23 [10].
• Therefore, greening and initial differentiation of photosynthetic tissues during somatic embryogenesis seem to be associated with coordinated expression of mRNA for rbcL, Lhcb and por in late torpedo-shaped embryos [11].
• However, por mosaicism appeared to be more frequent among core group-derived strains, suggesting that recombination of different por sequences may be a important strategy by which N. gonorrhoeae generates por gene diversity within core group populations [12].
• Genetic diversity and mosaicism at the por locus of Neisseria gonorrhoeae [12].

Anatomical context of PORCN

• Mouse and Xenopus homologs of porc (Mporc and Xporc) were identified and found to encode endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins with multiple transmembrane domains [13].
• A computational model of the basal ganglia (BG) is proposed for simulating the effects of the internal globus pallidus (GPi)-pedunculopontine (PPN) loop activity on the transmission of the STN-GPe-pacemaker oscillatory activities to the cortex, based on known anatomy and physiology of the BG [14].
• Out of 18 patients with a benign IgM gammopathy and associated demyelinating polyneuropathy (PPN), 17 showed binding to the surface of specific neurons, i.e. those of the deep cerebellar nuclei and the intermediate cell of Lugaro [15].
• Despite the behavioural recovery, [14C]-2DG uptake remained elevated in the target areas for medial pallidal output (the thalamic nuclei and PPN) [16].
• PPN can inhibit HBV-DNA expression and duplication in vitro, and has no cytotoxicity to liver cells [17].

Associations of PORCN with chemical compounds

• Coupling reactions of CO2 with neat epoxides catalyzed by PPN salts to yield cyclic carbonates [18].
• Exposure of acetonitrile/methanol solutions of [PPN][Ru(DPPBT)3] [PPN = bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene); DPPBT = 2-diphenylphosphinobenzene thiolate] to oxygen initiates metal-centered oxidation, yielding the ruthenium(III) thiolate Ru(DPPBT)3 [19].
• One-electron oxidation of 2(2)(-) by ceric(IV) ammonium nitrate affords the blue, air-stable radical [hypercloso-B(12)Me(12)](*-), dodecamethyl-hypercloso-dodecaborate(1-), 2(*-), isolated as the PPN salt [20].
• The gold(I) thiolate complexes [Au(2-SC6H4NH2)(PPh3)] (1), [PPN][Au(2-SC6H4NH2)2] (2) (PPN = PPh3=N=PPh3), and [{Au(2-SC6H4NH2)}2(mu-dppm)] (3) (dppm = PPh2CH2PPh2) have been prepared by reaction of acetylacetonato gold(I) precursors with 2-aminobenzenethiol in the appropriate molar ratio [21].
• Ambient concentrations of PAN (R = CH3) and PPN (R = C2H5) have been measured during summer 1997 at two southern California locations, Azusa (July 14-October 16) and Simi Valley (June 18-October 16) [22].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of PORCN

• Although serotyping has been a useful tool, this method can be insensitive to critical sequence changes in the por gene, including those in surface-exposed variable regions (VRs) [23].
• Sequence analysis of por genes revealed evidence of horizontal genetic exchange and point mutations in potential surface-exposed regions during passage in the community [24].
• PIB VR typing avoids limited monoclonal antibody availability, interlaboratory variation, and the requirement for culture-based surveillance associated with gonococcal serotyping, and provides useful information about the molecular epidemiology of individual por gene VRs [23].
• We have developed a typing method based on DNA sequencing of two overlapping por gene fragments generated by a heminested PCR [25].
• In this report, we further document this progressive cholinergic denervation in Otolemur which involves first projections of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN, CH5-6) and later projections of CH1-4 cholinergic nuclei, as well as other noncholinergic pathways [26].

References