SWA and slow oscillations are considered to play a key role in check details synaptic down-scaling, because synchronized neuronal firing at this slow rate favours processes of synaptic depression rather than potentiation (Czarnecki et al., 2007). Indeed, a recent study (Van Der Werf et al., 2009) demonstrated that, in elderly individuals, selectively reducing SWA during nocturnal sleep by acoustic stimulation significantly impaired encoding of pictures on the next day. The decrement in learning performance was accompanied by a decrease in hippocampal activity during learning, and both observations

were shown to be specific for the encoding of pictures, as procedural learning on a serial reaction time task was not affected by prior suppression of SWA. This pattern, indicating a primary action of SWA on hippocampal encoding of memories, is remarkable, in as much as SWA-dependent synaptic

down-scaling is assumed to impact mainly on neocortical networks as the primary source of the slow oscillation (Timofeev et al., 2000; Murphy et al., 2009; Nir et al., 2011), whereas the hippocampus itself does not generate slow oscillations (Isomura et al., Ribociclib datasheet 2006). Rather than suppressing SWA, as in the study by Van Der Werf et al. (2009), here we aimed to demonstrate a role of SWA in the efficacy of encoding during wakefulness by enhancing SWA through electrical transcranial slow oscillation stimulation (tSOS). tSOS has

proven effective as a means to enhance SWA (Marshall et al., 2006; Kirov et al., 2009). During tSOS, an alternating electric current is applied to the scalp over frontolateral cortical sites with a frequency that matches the peak frequency of endogenous slow oscillations (~0.75 Hz) (Steriade et al., 1993; Mölle et al., 2002). The amplitude of the oscillating current stimulation (250 μA) is chosen such that the estimated Molecular motor potential fields in underlying neocortical tissue are about the same size as those that occur naturally during endogenous slow oscillations (Steriade et al., 1996). tSOS applied during non-REM sleep in the first half of the night distinctly increased endogenous slow oscillations and SWA, and this was accompanied by increased frontocortical spindle activity and a significant enhancement in the sleep-dependent consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory (Marshall et al., 2004, 2006). Animal studies have confirmed that cortical slow oscillation stimulation can effectively synchronize hippocampal activity (Ozen et al., 2010). Here, we hypothesized that applying tSOS during an afternoon nap improves the subsequent encoding of the declarative, i.e. hippocampus-dependent, tasks, with no effect on procedural learning. Fifteen subjects aged 23.4 ± 1.9 years (range, 19–27 years; seven women) participated in the experiments.

SWA and slow oscillations are considered to play a key role in find more synaptic down-scaling, because synchronized neuronal firing at this slow rate favours processes of synaptic depression rather than potentiation (Czarnecki et al., 2007). Indeed, a recent study (Van Der Werf et al., 2009) demonstrated that, in elderly individuals, selectively reducing SWA during nocturnal sleep by acoustic stimulation significantly impaired encoding of pictures on the next day. The decrement in learning performance was accompanied by a decrease in hippocampal activity during learning, and both observations

were shown to be specific for the encoding of pictures, as procedural learning on a serial reaction time task was not affected by prior suppression of SWA. This pattern, indicating a primary action of SWA on hippocampal encoding of memories, is remarkable, in as much as SWA-dependent synaptic

down-scaling is assumed to impact mainly on neocortical networks as the primary source of the slow oscillation (Timofeev et al., 2000; Murphy et al., 2009; Nir et al., 2011), whereas the hippocampus itself does not generate slow oscillations (Isomura et al., Dorsomorphin mouse 2006). Rather than suppressing SWA, as in the study by Van Der Werf et al. (2009), here we aimed to demonstrate a role of SWA in the efficacy of encoding during wakefulness by enhancing SWA through electrical transcranial slow oscillation stimulation (tSOS). tSOS has

proven effective as a means to enhance SWA (Marshall et al., 2006; Kirov et al., 2009). During tSOS, an alternating electric current is applied to the scalp over frontolateral cortical sites with a frequency that matches the peak frequency of endogenous slow oscillations (~0.75 Hz) (Steriade et al., 1993; Mölle et al., 2002). The amplitude of the oscillating current stimulation (250 μA) is chosen such that the estimated Proteasome inhibitor potential fields in underlying neocortical tissue are about the same size as those that occur naturally during endogenous slow oscillations (Steriade et al., 1996). tSOS applied during non-REM sleep in the first half of the night distinctly increased endogenous slow oscillations and SWA, and this was accompanied by increased frontocortical spindle activity and a significant enhancement in the sleep-dependent consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory (Marshall et al., 2004, 2006). Animal studies have confirmed that cortical slow oscillation stimulation can effectively synchronize hippocampal activity (Ozen et al., 2010). Here, we hypothesized that applying tSOS during an afternoon nap improves the subsequent encoding of the declarative, i.e. hippocampus-dependent, tasks, with no effect on procedural learning. Fifteen subjects aged 23.4 ± 1.9 years (range, 19–27 years; seven women) participated in the experiments.

SWA and slow oscillations are considered to play a key role in Enzalutamide synaptic down-scaling, because synchronized neuronal firing at this slow rate favours processes of synaptic depression rather than potentiation (Czarnecki et al., 2007). Indeed, a recent study (Van Der Werf et al., 2009) demonstrated that, in elderly individuals, selectively reducing SWA during nocturnal sleep by acoustic stimulation significantly impaired encoding of pictures on the next day. The decrement in learning performance was accompanied by a decrease in hippocampal activity during learning, and both observations

were shown to be specific for the encoding of pictures, as procedural learning on a serial reaction time task was not affected by prior suppression of SWA. This pattern, indicating a primary action of SWA on hippocampal encoding of memories, is remarkable, in as much as SWA-dependent synaptic

down-scaling is assumed to impact mainly on neocortical networks as the primary source of the slow oscillation (Timofeev et al., 2000; Murphy et al., 2009; Nir et al., 2011), whereas the hippocampus itself does not generate slow oscillations (Isomura et al., Autophagy Compound Library datasheet 2006). Rather than suppressing SWA, as in the study by Van Der Werf et al. (2009), here we aimed to demonstrate a role of SWA in the efficacy of encoding during wakefulness by enhancing SWA through electrical transcranial slow oscillation stimulation (tSOS). tSOS has

proven effective as a means to enhance SWA (Marshall et al., 2006; Kirov et al., 2009). During tSOS, an alternating electric current is applied to the scalp over frontolateral cortical sites with a frequency that matches the peak frequency of endogenous slow oscillations (~0.75 Hz) (Steriade et al., 1993; Mölle et al., 2002). The amplitude of the oscillating current stimulation (250 μA) is chosen such that the estimated Dichloromethane dehalogenase potential fields in underlying neocortical tissue are about the same size as those that occur naturally during endogenous slow oscillations (Steriade et al., 1996). tSOS applied during non-REM sleep in the first half of the night distinctly increased endogenous slow oscillations and SWA, and this was accompanied by increased frontocortical spindle activity and a significant enhancement in the sleep-dependent consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory (Marshall et al., 2004, 2006). Animal studies have confirmed that cortical slow oscillation stimulation can effectively synchronize hippocampal activity (Ozen et al., 2010). Here, we hypothesized that applying tSOS during an afternoon nap improves the subsequent encoding of the declarative, i.e. hippocampus-dependent, tasks, with no effect on procedural learning. Fifteen subjects aged 23.4 ± 1.9 years (range, 19–27 years; seven women) participated in the experiments.

When planning surgical extractions, especially if multiple extractions are needed, it is advisable to consult the patient’s physician as profound anaemia could complicate the dental surgery30. For multiple extractions, it has been suggested to extract first the anterior teeth (i.e., from premolar to premolar) and then the molars to allow optimal access30. An atraumatic technique should be used, making firm and safe mucosal incisions to prevent bullae formation10,23. Haemostasis Daporinad research buy can be achieved with gentle pressure using gauze packs9,41. These should be wet to avoid tissue adherence. Some authors have reported the extraction

of healthy third or even second permanent molars in patients with severe generalized RDEB to improve or facilitate oral hygiene2,48. There is controversy among different authors about this intervention. Severe tooth crowding12,22,49, reduced alveolar arches secondary to growth retardation8,50, and severe microstomia1,7,22,23,31,45,51,52 are described Hydroxychloroquine price in patients with severe generalized RDEB, which would justify preventive extractions. However, nowadays most patients receive dietetic advice that optimizes nutrition and growth. They receive orthodontic treatment (serial extractions) and are advised on exercises to improve microstomia. Therefore,

preventive extractions of permanent molars need to be assessed very carefully on an individual basis. Perioperative complications: Despite attempts to

use as gentle manipulation as possible and all the special precautions, mucosal sloughing and blister formation have been reported after almost every surgical extraction in patients with severe RDEB1,9,22,30,41. Blisters can arise at the angles of the mouth, lips, vestibule, tongue, and any sites of manipulation (Image 12); some measuring up to 4 by 3 cm1,30. In some instances, they might only be noticed by the patient or carer only on the second post-operative day9. Post-operative complications: Despite the potential for extensive mucosal damage during surgery, post-operative complications are rare9,30,53. Healing of the oral tissues occurs gradually after one to 2 weeks16,21,41. Healing of the alveolar sockets seems to be uneventful6,9. Nevertheless, there new is a suggestion that scarring of the oral commissure can be accentuated after surgery1,9. The use of post-operative antibiotics will depend on each individual case. 3.8.6 Osseointegrated implants. To avoid destruction of the atrophic residual alveolar ridges of the maxilla, an osteotome technique is advised23,31. Surgical management can be complicated by bleeding and bullae23,31,54. When needed, bone grafts can be placed simultaneously with implants to reduce the number of surgical interventions and, therefore, mucosal/skin damage54. Successful rehabilitation using dental implants has been reported in patients with generalized RDEB, non-Herlitz JEB, and RDEB-I5,23,31,55.

Although the incidence of MRSA infections may be declining, HIV-infected persons continue to experience significantly higher rates

compared with the general population and appear to have an increased susceptibility for recurrence. The reasons for the elevated rates are multifactorial, but probably related to lifestyle behaviours (e.g. high-risk sexual activities and drug use), underlying immune dysfunction, and higher rates of antibiotic Everolimus purchase use and hospitalizations. The precise relationship between HIV infection and MRSA infection has yet to be fully elucidated, and further research is needed, especially in the area of optimal treatment and preventive strategies. In the meantime, reduction of risk factors, including immunosuppression and high-risk sexual

behaviours, should be considered. The authors have no financial interest in this work. All authors contributed to the content of the manuscript and concurred with the decision to submit it for publication. The content and views expressed in this publication are GSK1120212 cell line the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Departments of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Defense, nor the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This work is original and has not been published elsewhere. “
“The aim of the study was to compare health-related quality of life (HRQL) over 96 weeks in patients receiving no treatment or 24 or 60 weeks of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)

during primary HIV-1 infection (PHI). A multicentre prospective cohort study of PHI patients, with an embedded randomized trial, was carried out. HRQL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Thymidine kinase Study Health Survey for HIV (MOS-HIV) and a symptom checklist administered at weeks 0, 8, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96. Mixed linear models were used for the analysis of differences in HRQL among the three groups. A total of 112 patients were included in the study: 28 received no treatment, 45 received 24 weeks of cART and 39 received 60 weeks of cART. Over 96 weeks of follow-up, the groups receiving 24 and 60 weeks of cART had better cognitive functioning than the no-treatment group (P = 0.005). Patients receiving 60 weeks of cART had less pain (P = 0.004), better role functioning (P = 0.001), better physical functioning (P = 0.02) and a better physical health summary score (P = 0.006) than the groups receiving no treatment or 24 weeks of cART. Mental health was better in patients receiving 24 weeks of cART than in patients in the no-treatment group or the group receiving 60 weeks of cART (P = 0.02). At week 8, patients in the groups receiving 24 and 60 weeks of cART reported more nausea (P = 0.

In this investigation, the isolate S. halophilum strain LY20 was selected for further study because it appeared to be the best CP-690550 supplier producer of extracellular amylase and protease. To date, there are no reports for amylase and protease production at the same time from one isolate, because the protease can hydrolyze other proteins such as amylase. However, maximal production of both enzymes was observed simultaneously during the stationary growth

phase of LY20 (Fig. 2). This particular phenomenon could be explained that the amylase was not the substrate of the protease, which was confirmed by SDS-PAGE after incubating the two enzyme solutions (80 °C and pH 10.0) for 30 min (data not shown). There are many reports on isolation of amylases from halophiles (Mellado et al., 2004; Litchfield, 2011), but pure preparation of halophilic β-amylase has not been obtained. In this study, purification of an β-amylase from LY20 was reported. Similar enzyme was previously described from Halobacillus sp. LY9 (Li

& Yu, 2011), but its enzymatic properties were mostly obtained from crude extracts. Molecular weight of the β-amylase was determined to be 81 kDa (Fig. 3, lane 2). Temozolomide research buy The value was higher than other β-amylases from nonhalophiles (Shen et al., 1988; Young et al., 2001). The enzyme showed an optimal activity at 70 °C and excellent thermostability under high temperatures. These characteristics made it obviously different from other β-amylases, which were neither

active nor stable at temperatures above 65 °C (Shen et al., 1988; Young et al., 2001). It is desirable that amylases PTK6 should be active at high temperature for gelanization (100–110 °C), liquefaction (80–90 °C), and saccharification (60–65 °C) for the application in the starch industry. Until today, amylases from bacteria belonging to genus Bacillus are heavily used in the starch-processing industry (Mamo & Gessesse, 1999; Demirkan et al., 2005). As thermostability is an important feature for amylolytic enzymes, the β-amylase from LY20 might be industrially exploited for starch liquefaction and saccharification. Molecular weight of the purified protease was estimated to be 30 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Similar values presented other halophilic proteases previously characterized (Karbalaei-Heidari et al., 2007a, b; Xiong et al., 2007). The enzyme showed the optimal activity at 80 °C. In contrast to other proteases from halophiles (Amoozegar et al., 2007; Karbalaei-Heidari et al., 2009), it required relatively higher temperature to maintain the maximum activity. Moreover, high thermostability over a wide temperature range (30–80 °C) was observed. These properties made it potential use in industrial applications that require high temperatures. The amylase and protease from LY20 were found to be highly active and stable in the presence of higher concentrations of NaCl.

Therefore, all analyses were performed on a total subject cohort of 13 patients with OSA and 11 control subjects. Table 1 shows baseline data for 13 patients with

OSA and 11 healthy controls before rTMS. There were no significant differences between groups in age, height or handedness, but patients were 29% heavier and had a 26% greater BMI than controls. Subjective daytime sleepiness (as measured by the ESS) was also significantly higher in patients than controls. Assessment of physical activity showed no significant differences between groups for the index of work activity, but controls showed a 22% higher activity index during leisure time and a 31% higher index of sporting AUY-922 cell line activity than patients. Patients with OSA showed severe OSA (i.e. AHI > 30 events/h), with significantly higher AHI and significantly lower average and minimum O2-saturation during both NREM and REM sleep (Table 1). Patients also demonstrated a significantly higher proportion of sleep time spent with O2-saturation below 90%,

and significantly elevated total and respiratory-related AIs. Although sleep efficiency was not significantly different between groups, there was a significant main effect of sleep stage (F3,22 = 58.27, P < 0.001), and a significant sleep stage × group interaction effect (F3,66 = 3.58, P = 0.02) in percent time within each sleep stage. A subsequent one-way anova showed that patients with OSA spent significantly more time in NREM Stage 1 than controls. There were no other significant group differences in other sleep stages (Table 1). RMT and DNA-PK inhibitor the TMS intensity producing MEP1 mV were Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase both significantly higher in patients, whereas AMT just failed to reach statistical

significance between groups (Table 1). Figure 1A and B shows the average responses for SICI and LICI compared between each group in each stimulus condition. A significant main effect of conditioning intensity was found for SICI, with higher intensity conditioning stimuli resulting in increased inhibition in FDI (F2,314 = 23.27, P < 0.001). However, there was no difference between groups (F1,23 = 0.98, P = 0.33) or group × conditioning intensity interaction effect (F2,314 = 0.31, P = 0.74). A significant main effect of ISI was also found for LICI, with increased inhibition at the shorter ISI (F1,236 = 36.51, P < 0.001). This analysis also showed no difference between groups (F1,27 = 0.56, P = 0.46) and no group × ISI interaction (F1,236 = 0.32, P = 0.57). An example of mean MEPs obtained before and after rTMS is shown for one patient with OSA and one control subject in Fig. 2A. Representative subjects are matched for age (control, 51 years; patient, 49 years), height (control, 175 cm; patient, 173 cm) and weight (control, 91 kg; patient, 85 kg), whereas patient AHI was 22.4 events/h compared with the control value of 4.3 events/h.

, Osaka, Japan), Ala-Phe-4-nitroanilide (Bachem AG, Bubendorf, Switzerland), and Ala-Phe-Pro-4-nitroanilide (Bachem AG), respectively, as substrates. The reactions were performed at 37 °C, and A405 nm was measured with a SPECTRA max 384 plus (Molecular Devices, Sunnyvale, CA). For verification of inner membrane fractions, the NADH–ferricyanide oxidoreductase activity was determined by measuring A420 nm in 80 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.4, 9.0 mM KCN, 1.0 mM NADH, and 0.7 mM ferricyanide (Futai, 1974). Lipopolysaccharide was isolated using the lipopolysaccharide Extraction Kit (Intron Biotechnology Inc., Kyunggi, Korea) according to the manufacturer’s protocol, separated

by SDS-PAGE, and visualized using the nondiamine silver staining method (Merril, 1990), with a slight modification. Gels were thoroughly fixed with methanol (10%)–acetic acid (5%). Then, gels were fixed in methanol (50%)–formaldehyde (0.02%) for 20 min, soaked in dithiothreitol (0.03 mM) for 20 min, stained with Linsitinib concentration AgNO3 (0.1%) for 20 min, and rinsed with deionized water three times.

Image development was achieved in Na2CO3 (3%)–formaldehyde (0.02%), and was stopped CH5424802 in 3% acetic acid. pTYXB-His (Ishiguro et al., 2009) was digested with NcoI and EcoRI, and ligated with an annealed-oligonucleotide linker [5′-CATGCTGCAGTGAATTCCATCACCATCACCATCACT-3′/5′-AATTAGTGATGGTGATGGTGATGGAATTCACTGCAG-3′ (italics: PstI and EcoRI sites)] to generate pTYPE-His, which carries PstI and EcoRI cloning sites and the sequence for a histidine tag. For the expression of the PG534 antigen, the PstI–EcoRI-digested 1.3-kbp PG0534 fragment from pKS39 was ligated to the PstI–EcoRI-digested pTYPE-His, generating pKS45, which encodes 404Q–827F of PG534 with a C-terminal histidine tag (-His-His-His-His-His-His). The PG0694 gene encodes an OmpA homologue PG694 (Nagano et al., 2005). For the expression of the PG694 antigen, the PG0694 gene was amplified by PCR using 5′-CACTGCAGGAAGCTACTACACAGAACAAAGCAGGG-3′ (italics: PstI site) and 5′-CGAATTCCATTACAGGGAAGTCTGCTTTTCCTCTC-3′ (italics: EcoRI site), digested PDK4 with PstI and EcoRI, and ligated to the PstI–EcoRI-digested pTYPE-His,

generating pKS46, which encodes 22Q-212M of PG694 with a C-terminal histidine tag (-Glu-Phe-His-His-His-His-His-His). ER2566(pKS45) and ER2566(pKS46) were grown in Luria–Bertani broth supplemented with isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (0.3–0.5 mM). The recombinant protein was purified from inclusion bodies using Ni2+-chelated Sepharose Fast Flow (GE Healthcare UK Ltd., Buckinghamshire, UK) under denaturing conditions, according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Purified proteins were dialyzed against distilled water and then injected into a rabbit to prepare antiserum. The antisera were designated anti-PG534 and anti-PG694. PG0534 encodes a putative protein, PG534, 837 amino acids in length (Nelson et al., 2003). We constructed three Porphyromonas gingivalis mutants for the PG0534 gene: 83K8, 83K25, and 83K26 (Fig. 1a).

We especially thank Katarina Gyllensten and Lars Navér for expert advice on possible treatment modifications following resistance results, and particularly all study participants. This study

was supported by Sida/SAREC in a bilateral collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Honduras. “
“Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5 (CCR5) inhibitors are a novel class of antiretroviral agents Roxadustat that are promising for treatment of patients who harbour the HIV-1 R5 strain. Data on coreceptor tropism in non-B HIV-1 subtypes are limited. We studied coreceptor tropism in HIV-1 circulating in Thailand, where CRF01_AE predominates, using a genotypic assay. We compiled V3 sequences of HIV-1 strains circulating in Thailand during 2010–2012. Coreceptor tropism was predicted based on V3 sequences using geno2pheno version 2.5 (http://coreceptor.bioinf.mpi-inf.mpg.de). One hundred and fifty-five HIV-1-infected patients were enrolled in this study. Ninety-nine patients (63.9%) were antiretroviral-naïve, and the remainder had virological failure. The median (interquartile range) CD4 cell count and HIV-1 RNA were 220 (74–379) cells/μL and 75 374 (14 127–226 686) Palbociclib mouse HIV-1 RNA copies/mL, respectively. Of the sequences obtained from these patients, 119

(76.8%) were CRF01_AE and 22 (14.2%) were subtype B. At a false positive rate of < 5%, 61 (39.4%) HIV-1-infected individuals were predicted to Bcl-w harbour the X4 phenotype. X4 viruses were detected more frequently in

the treatment-failure group compared with the treatment-naïve group (30.3 vs. 55.4%, respectively; P = 0.002). Those with CRF01_AE had a higher proportion of X4 viruses compared with non-AE subtypes (47.9 vs. 11.1%, respectively; P < 0.001). By multivariate logistic regression, CRF01_AE and treatment failure were independently associated with predicted X4 phenotype [odds ratio (OR) 7.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.57–24.50; P < 0.001, and OR 3.10; 95% CI 1.50–6.42; P = 0.002, respectively]. CRF01_AE and treatment failure are associated with the predicted X4 phenotype. In regions where CRF01_AE predominates, use of CCR5 inhibitors must be considered with caution. The phenotypic assay and its correlation with genotypes should be further investigated in CRF01_AE. "
“The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of AIDS-defining cancers (ADCs) and virus-related and non-virus-related non-AIDS-defining cancers (NADCs) in HIV-infected patients compared with the general population, and to assess the risk factors associated with these malignancies. We performed a retrospective cohort study for the period from 1999 to 2009 of HIV-infected patients residing in the Local Health Authority of Brescia (northern Italy).

cinnabarinus BRFM 137 coding regions (NCBI accession numbers AAY40456 and AF152170; Otterbein et al., 2000; Schmitt et al., 2008) and by identifying the eukaryotic consensus splicing sites (5′-GT and 3′-AG nucleotides). The nucleotide sequences (only exons for β-tubulin and laccase gene fragments) were aligned using the clustalw algorithm (Higgins et al., 1991). The alignments were then hand-refined. Phylogenetic analyses

were performed from single genes according to the method developed for the figenix platform (Gouret et al., 2005) using the heuristic search for maximum likelihood trees. Bootstrap values were calculated over 1000 replicates to assess branch topology. Phylogenetic trees were rooted with T. suaveolens as an outgroup. The filamentous fungi, among MLN0128 manufacturer which the genus Pycnoporus is considered a strong contender for white biotechnology processes, form a huge worldwide source of biological diversity that needs to be explored. In the present work, the phylogenetic relationships of a large sample of Pycnoporus strains of different geographical origins were analysed

using three complementary DNA markers. The nuclear rDNA region, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, was often used to infer phylogenetic relationships Metabolism inhibition among wood decay basidiomycetes species within a particular genus such as Phanerochaete (de Koker et al., 2003) or a species complex such as Postia caesia (Yao Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase et al., 2005) but it often fails to provide robust phylogenetic resolution among

the fungal species (Wang et al., 2004). The β-tubulin gene sequences were shown to resolve phylogenetic relationships within ascomycetes genera that could not be distinguished on the basis of morphology, especially in Aspergillus or Pestalotiopsis genera (Giraud et al., 2007; Hu et al., 2007). The genus Pycnoporus is described to overproduce laccase (encoded by lac3-1 gene) as an extracellular ligninolytic enzyme in induced culture conditions (Eggert et al., 1996; Lomascolo et al., 2003). To date, genes encoding laccases have not been used to gain phylogenetic information within a fungal genus. In this study, amplification of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region yielded fragments 550–650 bp in length. After clean-up, the 36 sequences of Pycnoporus strains were aligned in 467 nucleotide positions (see Supporting Information, File S1). The sequencing analysis showed that the ITS1 and ITS2 regions were different in the strains studied, due to nt-insertions/deletions or substitutions, whereas the 5.8S rRNA gene sequences (157 bp long) were conserved for all the taxa. Within the ITS1 sequences, 44 of the 131 aligned positions (33.6%) varied among the strains of Pycnoporus. Within the ITS2 sequences, 36 of the 177 aligned positions (20.3%) varied among the strains of Pycnoporus.