Katalin É. Kiss

Wh-movement and specificity

This paper claims that the possibilities of movement of Wh-operators, as well as the scope possibilities of Wh-operators in situ, are constrained by a filter on interpretation requiring that an operator Opi having scope over Opj and binding a variable in the scope of Opj be specific. The operation of the filter is demonstrated in the case of extraction out of a Wh-island, in multiple questions, and in the case of nonWh-operators, as well. The analysis of the role of specificity in multiple questions is embedded in a theory of multiple questions which analyzes the wider scope Wh-phrase of a multiple question as a universal quantifier.

Shifting the Paradigm: The Putative Mitochondrial Protein ABCB6 Resides in the Lysosomes of Cells and in the Plasma Membrane of Erythrocytes

ABCB6, a member of the adenosine triphosphate–binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, has been proposed to be responsible for the mitochondrial uptake of porphyrins. Here we show that ABCB6 is a glycoprotein present in the membrane of mature erythrocytes and in exosomes released from reticulocytes during the final steps of erythroid maturation. Consistent with its presence in exosomes, endogenous ABCB6 is localized to the endo/lysosomal compartment, and is absent from the mitochondria of cells. Knock-down studies demonstrate that ABCB6 function is not required for de novo heme biosynthesis in differentiating K562 cells, excluding this ABC transporter as a key regulator of porphyrin synthesis. We confirm the mitochondrial localization of ABCB7, ABCB8 and ABCB10, suggesting that only three ABC transporters should be classified as mitochondrial proteins. Taken together, our results challenge the current paradigm linking the expression and function of ABCB6 to mitochondria.

ON THE COMPARATIVE AND ABSOLUTE READINGS OF SUPERLATIVES

This paper deals with an ambiguity of superlative noun phrases first noticed in Szabolcsi (1986) and discussed in Heim (1985), but which has not been studied in the subsequent literature. After discussing in detail the special properties of the comparative reading, we develop a semantics for both readings and show how it accounts for these properties.

Free Word Order, (Non)configurationality, and Phases

The article argues that a particular implementation of phase theory makes it possible to account for seemingly contradictory facts of Hungarian that no other framework has been able to handle. Namely, (a) Hungarian word order is fixed preverbally and free postverbally. The fixed word order of a string is liberated when it is crossed by V-movement. (b) Grammatical phenomena sensitive to c-command provide evidence of both configurationality and nonconfigurationality. The proposal is based on the following assumptions: The derivation of the Hungarian sentence involves a lexical phase (PredP) and a functional phase (a TP or a FocP), both headed by the raised V. When the functional phase is constructed, the silent lower copies of the V and their projections are deleted, which results in the flattening of the phasal domain. Grammatical phenomena indicative of a hierarchical structure are interpreted on the hierarchical domain of the lexical phase, whereas those indicative of a flat structure are interpreted on the flattened domain of the functional phase. The sister constituents of the flattened domain of the functional phase can be linearized in a free order in PF.

Focussing as predication

The paper argues for a new approach to structural f ocus, which eliminates the problems raised by the standard F(ocus)P theory . The starting point of the analysis is the claim that the Hungarian senten ce contains a PredP projection above VP, harboring the verbal particle functioning as a resultative, terminative, or locative secondary pre dicate. It is claimed that the focus constituent, which appears preverbally in the Hungarian sentence, is an alternative filler of the Spec,PredP position. The ‘ exhaustive listing’, or ‘exhaustive identification’ interpretation associat ed with the focus arises when the constituent raised to Spec,PredP is a defi nite or a specific indefinite noun phrase, which receives a specificational readi ng in predicate position. In the theory of Higgins (1973) and S. Huber (2000) , a specificational predicate serves to referentially characterize the set denoted by the subject of predication, in other words, to exhaustively list i t referential content. The Spec,PredP position is also the prosodically most p rominent position of the sentence, hence its filler – whether a verbal parti cle or a specificational predicate is interpreted as the information focus .

On Generic and Existential Bare Plurals and the Classification of Predicates

This paper is concerned with what allows a bare plural NP to be interpreted either existentially or generically in examples like (1a), and what excludes the existential interpretation in examples like (1b) — a question raised and discussed by Diesing (1992a) and Kratzer (1995).

Logical Structure in Syntactic Structure: The Case of Hungarian

According to standard assumptions of generative theory, operators are subject to the following universal principle of scope interpretation: (1) An operator c-commands its scope.1

Multiple Topic, One Focus?

The paper argues against the assumption that in languages with structural focus, there can be several topics but only one focus per clause. The focus projection can also recur--however, because of cyclic V movement through the intermediate F positions into the highest F, only the highest focus precedes the verb. Three Hungarian constructions are analyzed in which the presence of a 2nd focus operator is proved by independent syntactic evidence. The in-situ analysis of the 2nd, postverbal focus is excluded on the basis that its scope corresponds to its S-structure position. Finally, it is shown that the recurring FPs can be separated by intervening TopP and QP projections, i.e., the whole left periphery of the Hungarian sentence is, in fact, recursive.

Structural characteristics influencing the carrier function of synthetic branched polypeptides based on poly[Lys-(DL-Ala)3)]backbone

Effective carrier function of selected representatives of new branched polypeptides covalently coupled with the synthetic monovalent hapten, oxazolone was studied. The effectiveness of oxazolone-synthetic polypeptide conjugates in inducing oxazolone-as well as carrier-specific antibody responses in inbred mice was compared to that of bovine serum albumin (BSA)- and KLH-oxazolone conjugates. The synthetic polypeptides, poly[Lys-(D-Leui-DL-Alam)] (D-LAK), LAK and FAK, as well as the common poly[Lys-(DL-Alam)](AK) core covalently coupled to oxazolone (Ox) induced a T cell-dependent antibody response when repeatedly administered with or without Freunds adjuvant in mice. This was evidenced by: the increasing titer of oxazolone-specific IgG during the course of the memory response; the appearance of all IgG subclasses; the effective oxazolone-specific priming by the conjugates; and the induction of an intense oxazolone- and carrier-specific DTH reaction. Although the oxazolone-specific antibody response was 10-100 times lower than that induced by KLH- or BSA-oxazolone conjugates, it was accompanied by a lower level or no detectable carrier-specific antibody response despite an effective carrier-specific T cell-mediated response. Significant differences were observed between the effectiveness of synthetic polypeptides used as carrier: highest oxazolone-specific antibody titers were observed using the AK, LAK and FAK conjugates. The intensity and specificity of the DTH reaction and antibody response induced by the carrier-oxazolone conjugates suggested that the distinct effectiveness of L- and D-amino acid-containing conjugates (LAK vs D-LAK and FAK vs D-FAK) was dependent on altered B cell recognition of the haptenic group. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicating different local orientation of oxazolone, when coupled to L or D side chain-terminating amino acids, support this suggestion.

Screening the Expression of ABCB6 in Erythrocytes Reveals an Unexpectedly High Frequency of Lan Mutations in Healthy Individuals

Lan is a high-incidence blood group antigen expressed in more than 99.9% of the population. Identification of the human ABC transporter ABCB6 as the molecular basis of Lan has opened the way for studies assessing the relation of ABCB6 function and expression to health and disease. To date, 34 ABCB6 sequence variants have been described in association with reduced ABCB6 expression based on the genotyping of stored blood showing weak or no reactivity with anti-Lan antibodies. In the present study we examined the red blood cell (RBC) surface expression of ABCB6 by quantitative flow cytometry in a cohort of 47 healthy individuals. Sequencing of the entire coding region of the ABCB6 gene in low RBC ABCB6 expressors identified a new allele (IVS9+1G>A, affecting a putative splice site at the boundary of exon 9) and two nonsynonymous SNPs listed in the SNP database (R192Q (rs150221689) and G588 S (rs145526996)). The R192Q mutation showed co-segregation with reduced RBC ABCB6 expression in a family, and we found the G588 S mutation in a compound heterozygous individual with undetectable ABCB6 expression, suggesting that both mutations result in weak or no expression of ABCB6 on RBCs. Analysis of the intracellular expression pattern in HeLa cells by confocal microscopy indicated that these mutations do not compromise overall expression or the endolysosomal localization of ABCB6. Genotyping of two large cohorts, containing 235 and 1039 unrelated volunteers, confirmed the high allele frequency of Lan-mutations. Our results suggest that genetic variants linked to lower or absent cell surface expression of ABCB6/Langereis may be more common than previously thought.