2 research outputs found
RASSF7 is a member of a new family of RAS association domain-containing proteins and is required for completing mitosis
No full textMitosis is a fundamental feature of all cellular organisms. It must be tightly regulated to allow normal tissue growth and to prevent cancer formation. Here, we identify a new protein that is required for mitosis. We show that the Ras association (RA) domain-containing protein, RASSF7, is part of an evolutionarily conserved group of four proteins. These are RASSF7, RASSF8, and two new RASSF proteins P-CIP1/RASSF9 and RASSF10. We call this group the N-terminal RASSF family. We analyzed the function of Xenopus RASSF7. RASSF7 was found to be expressed in several embryonic tissues including the skin, eyes, and neural tube. Knocking down its function led to cells failing to form a mitotic spindle and arresting in mitosis. This caused nuclear breakdown, apoptosis, and a striking loss of tissue architecture in the neural tube. Consistent with a role in spindle formation, RASSF7 protein was found to localize to the centrosome. This localization occurred in a microtubule-dependent manner, demonstrating that there is a mutually dependant relationship between RASSF7 localization and spindle formation. Thus RASSF7, the first member of the N-terminal RASSF family to be functionally analyzed, is a centrosome-associated protein required to form a spindle and complete mitosis in the neural tube
A STUDY OF CANDIDATE BIOMASS BRIQUETTES FOR LOCAL FUEL CONSUMPTION
No full textCharcoal briquettes are widely used in Trinidad and Tobago for outdoor recreational cooking. This study evaluated two invasive plant species Syzygium and Leucaena Leucocephalawell and
dry coconut husks as raw materials for charcoal briquettes. Samples were made into charcoal using a method adopted from MIT D-Lab. Cassava and corn starch binder was used separately
for combining crushed charcoal samples into cylindrical briquettes of various combinations using a manual press. Each charcoal briquette sample was tested for burning time, ash content, calorific value, moisture content and phosphorus content. All six types of charcoal briquette samples displayed burning times of more than 4 hours, ash content of 7-9%, calorific values of 3100-4000 kcal/kg, moisture content of 36-46% and phosphorus content of 267-566 mg/L. These
results are similar to briquettes sold commercially. This work provides supporting data for the development of a viable and sustainable local charcoal briquette manufacturing industry
