MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters' source. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:38:32 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559840&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22207333%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ghaedi M, Soleimani M, Shabani I, Duan Y, Lotfi AS Abstract The emerging fields of tissue engineering and biomaterials have begun to provide potential treatment options for liver failure. The goal of the present study is to investigate the ability of a poly L-lactic acid (PLLA) nanofiber scaffold to support and enhance hepatic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). A scaffold composed of poly L-lactic acid and collagen was fabricated by the electrospinning technique. After characterizing isolated hMSCs, they were seeded onto PLLA nanofiber scaffolds and induced to differentiate into a hepatocyte lineage. The mRNA levels and protein expression of several important hepatic genes were determined using RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and ELISA... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559840 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:25:27 +0100 5559840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559839&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22207334%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kawalek A, Dmochowska-Boguta M, Nadolska-Orczyk A, Orczyk W Abstract Virus-induced gene silencing is an important tool for functional gene analysis and the vector based on Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) is widely used for the purpose in monocots. Of the tripartite BSMV genome, currently the BSMV:γMCS molecule is used to clone a fragment of a target gene. As an alternative, the BSMV:β molecule was engineered with a unique BamHI site between the open reading frame of βc (ORF βc) and poly(A). The mixture of RNA particles α, βBamHI and γMCS was fully infectious. Barley phytoene desaturase and wheat phospholipase Dα fragments were cloned to βBamHI and γMCS. Delivery of the target gene fragment in γMCS induced stronger silencing, while delivery in βBamHI yielded m... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559839 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:25:10 +0100 5559839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559838&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22207335%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Subedi KP, Singh TD, Kim JC, Woo SH Abstract Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1 (IP(3)R1) is already known to be highly expressed in the brain, and is found in many other tissues, including the atrium of the heart. Although the complete primary structure of IP(3)R1 in the rat brain has been reported, the complete sequence of an IP(3)R1 clone from atrial myocytes has not been reported. We isolated an IP(3)R1 complementary DNA (cDNA) clone from isolated adult rat atrial myocytes, and found a new splice variant of IP(3)R1 that was different from a previously reported IP(3)R1 cDNA clone obtained from a rat brain (NCBI GenBank accession number: NM_001007235). Our clone had 99% similarity with the rat brain IP(3)R1 sequence; the exceptions were 39 amino acid deletions ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559838 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:24:53 +0100 5559838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559837&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22207336%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rajasekharan A, Gummadi SN Abstract Biogenic membranes or self-synthesizing membranes are the site of synthesis of new lipids such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in eukaryotes. Newly synthesized phospholipids (PLs) at the cytosolic leaflet of ER need to be translocated to the lumen side for membrane biogenesis and this is facilitated by a special class of lipid translocators called biogenic membrane flippase. Even though ER is the major site of cholesterol synthesis, it contains very low amounts of cholesterol, since newly synthesized cholesterol in ER is rapidly transported to other organelles and is highly enriched in plasma membrane. Thus, only low levels of cholesterol are present at the biosynthetic compartment (ER), which results in loose packing of ER lipids. We ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559837 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:24:35 +0100 5559837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5559836&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22207337%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we determined the relative expression of mouse P5 ATPases in development using quantitative real time PCR. We have shown that ATP13A1 and ATP13A2 were both expressed similarly during development, with the highest expression levels at the peak of neurogenesis. ATP13A3 was expressed highly during organogenesis with one of its isoforms playing a more predominant role during the period of neuronal development. ATP13A5 was expressed most highly in the adult mouse brain. We also assessed the expression of these genes in various regions of the adult mouse brain. ATP13A1 to ATP13A4 were expressed differentially in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, brainstem and cerebellum while levels of ATP13A5 were fairly constant between these brain regions. Moreover, we demonstrated expression of... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5559836 Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:24:19 +0100 5559836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5533194&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22161078%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cyboran S, Oszmiański J, Kleszczyńska H Abstract The purpose of these studies was to determine the effect of polyphenols contained in extracts from apple, strawberry and blackcurrant on the properties of the erythrocyte membrane, treated as a model of the biological membrane. To this end, the effect of the substances used on hemolysis, osmotic resistance and shape of erythrocytes, and on packing order in the hydrophilic region of the erythrocyte membrane was studied. The investigation was performed with spectrophotometric and fluorimetric methods, and using the optical microscope. The hemolytic studies have shown that the extracts do not induce hemolysis at the concentrations used. The results obtained from the spectrophotometric measurements of osmotic resistance of ery... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5533194 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5533194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5493018&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22139584%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we examined whether Thy28 affects induction of apoptosis in WEHI-231 B lymphoma cells following engagement of membrane immunoglobulin (mIg). Once they were established, the Thy28-overexpressing WEHI-231 cells showed similar expression levels of IgM and class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule compared with controls. The Thy28-overexpressing cells were considerably resistant to loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), caspase-3 activation, and increase in annexin-positive cells upon mIg engagement. These changes were concomitant with an increase in G1 phase associated with upregulation of p27(Kip1). The anti-IgM-induced sustained activation of c-Jun Nterminal kinase (JNK), which was associated with late-phase hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) production, wa... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5493018 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5493018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5493017&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22139585%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lee J, Lee G, Park JH, Lee S, Yeom CH, Na B, Park S Abstract Tumor establishment and penetration consists of a series of complex processes involving multiple changes in gene expression and protein modification. Proteome changes of tumor tissue were investigated after intraperitoneal administration of a high concentration of ascorbic acid in BALB/C mice implanted with CT-26 cancer cells using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Eighteen protein spots were identified whose expression was different between control and ascorbic acid treatment groups. In particular, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit 1, nucleophosmin, latexin, actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 5, M2-type pyruvate kinase, vimentin, tumor protein translationally-cont... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5493017 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5493017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5493016&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D22139586%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Varol B, Bektaş M, Nurten R, Bermek E Abstract Diphtheria toxin (DT) and its N-terminal fragment A (FA) catalyse the transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) into a covalent linkage with eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2). DT-induced cytotoxicity is versatile, and it includes DNA cleavage and the depolymerisation of actin filaments. The inhibition of the ADP-ribosyltransferase (ADPrT) activity of FA did not affect the deoxyribonuclease activity of FA or its interaction with actin. The toxin entry rate into cells (HUVEC) was determined by measuring the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity. DT uptake was nearly 80% after 30 min. The efficiency was determined as K(m) = 2.2 nM; V(max) = 0.25 pmol.min(-1). The nuclease activity was tested with... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5493016 Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100 5493016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5276625&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21956525%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Khandani A, Mohtashami M, Camirand A Abstract The evolutionarily-conserved protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) plays a central role in dephosphorylation of phosphoproteins during the M phase of the cell cycle. We demonstrate here that the PP1 inhibitor inhibitor-2 protein (Inh-2) induces an M-phase arrest in Xenopus cycling egg extracts. Interestingly, the characteristics of this M-phase arrest are similar to those of mitogen-activated protein kinase (p42MAPK)-induced M-phase arrest. This prompted us to investigate whether Inh-2-induced M-phase arrest was dependent on activation of the p42MAPK pathway. We demonstrate here that MAPK activity is required for Inh-2-induced M-phase arrest, as inhibition of MAPK by PD98059 allowed cycling extracts to exit M phase, despite the presence ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5276625 Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:15:13 +0100 5276625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5228540&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21922222%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was conducted to determine transgene copy number in transgenic wheat lines and to investigate potential variability in sensitivity and resolution of real-time chemistry by TaqMan probes. We have applied real-time PCR to a set of four transgenic durum wheat lines previously obtained. A total of 24 experiments (three experiments for two genes in each transgenic line) were conducted and standard curves were obtained from serial dilutions of the plasmids containing the genes of interest. The correlation coefficients ranged from 0.95 to 0.97. By using TaqMan quantitative real-time PCR we were able to detect 1 to 41 copies of transgenes per haploid genome in the DNA of homozygous T(4) transformants. Although a slight variability was observed among PCR experiments, in our study we foun... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5228540 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5228540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5228539&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21922223%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we identified and functionally characterized the promoter of the human Kindlin-2 gene. We show that the core promoter of Kindlin-2 is a 39 base pair long GC rich fragment located -122/-83 upstream of the Kindlin-2 transcription start site. Functional characterization of this core promoter region by both in silico as well as in vitro/in vivo analysis shows that the transcription factor SP1 plays an important role in regulation of Kindlin-2 expression. PMID: 21922223 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5228539 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5228539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218356&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21910090%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Szpak K, Wybieralska E, Niedziałkowska E, Rak M, Bechyne I, Michalik M, Madeja Z, Czyż J Abstract The formation of aqueous intercellular channels mediating gap junctional intercellular coupling (GJIC) is a canonical function of connexins (Cx). In contrast, mechanisms of GJIC-independent involvement of connexins in cancer formation and metastasis remain a matter of debate. Because of the role of Cx43 in the determination of carcinoma cell invasive potential, we addressed the problem of the possible Cx43 involvement in early prostate cancer invasion. For this purpose, we analysed Cx43-positive DU-145 cell subsets established from the progenies of the cells most readily transmigrating microporous membranes. These progenies displayed motile activity similar to the control DU... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218356 Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5218357&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21909792%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to determine the changes in the expression of genes for selected specific transcriptional factors that have both activating and repressing functions in in vitro ductal breast cancer cells, under the influence of paclitaxel, applying the microarray technique. The cells are treated with 60 ng/ml and 300 ng/ml doses of paclitaxel that correspond to those applied in breast cancer therapy. About 60 ng/ml doses of paclitaxel cause a statistically significant increase in expression of all the 16 analysed genes coding transcriptional factors, ranging from 1.84-fold (for PO4F2) to 4.65-fold (for LMO4) (p < 0.05) in comparison with the control cells, and enhanced the taxane mechanism of action. The 300 ng/ml doses of paclitaxel cause a cytotoxic effect in the cells. In this artic... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5218357 Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100 5218357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174959&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21866423%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sevinc A, Fung LW Abstract With yeast two-hybrid methods, we used a C-terminal fragment (residues 1697-2145) of non-erythroid beta spectrin (βII-C), including the region involved in the association with alpha spectrin to form tetramers, as the bait to screen a human brain cDNA library to identify proteins interacting with βII-C. We applied stringent selection steps to eliminate false positives and identified 17 proteins that interacted with βII-C (IPβII-C s). The proteins include a fragment (residues 38-284) of "THAP domain containing, apoptosis associated protein 3, isoform CRA g", "glioma tumor suppressor candidate region gene 2" (residues 1-478), a fragment (residues 74-442) of septin 8 isoform c, a fragment (residues 704-953) of "coatomer protein complex, subunit b... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174959 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5174959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141108&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21847663%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gongadze E, Van Rienen U, Iglič A Abstract The interaction between a charged metal implant surface and a surrounding body fluid (electrolyte solution) leads to ion redistribution and thus to formation of an electrical double layer (EDL). The physical properties of the EDL contribute essentially to the formation of the complex implant-biosystem interface. Study of the EDL began in 1879 by Hermann von Helmholtz and still today remains a scientific challenge. The present mini review is focused on introducing the generalized Stern theory of an EDL, which takes into account the orientational ordering of water molecules. To ascertain the plausibility of the generalized Stern models described, we follow the classical model of Stern and introduce two Langevin models for spatial v... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141108 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141107&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21847664%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated the regulative effect of E2 on cell growth and the relationship between E2 and the PI3K/Akt pathway in rat OA model chondrocytes (pretreated with interleukin-1β). We found that E2 induced chondrocyte proliferation, and increased the expression level of Akt simultaneously, especially the expression level of P-Akt. Furthermore, the inhibition of P-Akt could block chondrocyte proliferation induced by E2. These results suggest that PI3K/Akt activation induced by E2 may be an important factor in the mechanism of E2 in cell proliferation in rat OA model chondrocytes, and help further understanding the role of E2 in OA progression. PMID: 21847664 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141107 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5141109&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21837552%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Turano C, Gaucci E, Grillo C, Chichiarelli S Abstract The protein ERp57/GRP58 is a stress-responsive protein and a component of the protein disulfide isomerase family. Its functions in the endoplasmic reticulum are well known, concerning mainly the proper folding and quality control of glycoproteins, and participation in the assembly of the major histocompatibility complex class 1. However, ERp57 is present in many other subcellular locations, where it is involved in a variety of functions, primarily suggested by its participation in complexes with other proteins and even with DNA. While in some instances these roles need to be confirmed by further studies, a great number of observations support the participation of ERp57 in signal transduction from the cell surface, in re... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5141109 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5141109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097637&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21786035%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lung MS, Mak WM, Murray V The use of tissue-specific promoter elements in the treatment of cervical cancer has been explored in this paper. The P(105) promoter of human papillomavirus 18 (HPV18) was utilised to direct tissue-specific expression in a number of cell types. Expression was examined in three cervical carcinoma cell lines: HeLa (HPV18 positive), SiHa (HPV16 positive), and C33A cells (HPV negative); the epithelial cell line, H1299; and the foetal fibroblast cell line, MRC5, utilising a luciferase expression vector. Expression was highest in the cervical cell lines by a factor of at least 80. The effect of a number of mutations in the P(105) promoter on expression levels was examined. Three deletion constructs of the long control region (LCR) were investigated: an 800... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097637 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 08:02:27 +0100 5097637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097606&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21786036%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Witkowska-Zimny M, Wrobel E Recently, stem cell biology has become an interesting topic, especially in the context of treating diseases and injuries using transplantation therapy. Several varieties of human stem cells have been isolated and identified in vivo and in vitro. Ideally, stem cells for regenerative medical application should be found in abundant quantities, harvestable in a minimally invasive procedure, then safely and effectively transplanted to either an autologous or allogenic host. The two main groups of stem cells, embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells, have been expanded to include perinatal stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells from perinatal tissue may be particularly useful in the clinic for autologous transplantation for fetuses and newborns, and after ba... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097606 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:25:32 +0100 5097606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5097585&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21805133%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mazemondet O, Hubner R, Frahm J, Koczan D, Bader BM, Weiss DG, Uhrmacher AM, Frech MJ, Rolfs A, Luo J ReNcell VM is an immortalized human neural progenitor cell line with the ability to differentiate in vitro into astrocytes and neurons, in which the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is known to be involved. However, little is known about kinetic changes of this pathway in human neural progenitor cell differentiation. In the present study, we provide a quantitative profile of Wnt/β-catenin pathway dynamics showing its spatio-temporal regulation during ReNcell VM cell differentiation. We show first that T-cell factor dependent transcription can be activated by stabilized β-catenin. Furthermore, endogenous Wnt ligands, pathway receptors and signaling molecules are temporally controlled, ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5097585 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5097585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4697480&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21442443%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chatterjee P, Basu S, Kundu M, Nasipuri M, Plewczynski D Protein-protein interactions (PPI) control most of the biological processes in a living cell. In order to fully understand protein functions, a knowledge of protein-protein interactions is necessary. Prediction of PPI is challenging, especially when the three-dimensional structure of interacting partners is not known. Recently, a novel prediction method was proposed by exploiting physical interactions of constituent domains. We propose here a novel knowledge-based prediction method, namely PPI_SVM, which predicts interactions between two protein sequences by exploiting their domain information. We trained a two-class support vector machine on the benchmarking set of pairs of interacting proteins extracted from the Databa... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4697480 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:30:47 +0100 4697480 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4697479&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21442444%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nekulova M, Holcakova J, Coates P, Vojtesek B The transcription factor p63 has important functions in tumorigenesis, epidermal differentiation and stem cell self-renewal. The TP63 gene encodes multiple protein isoforms that have different or even antagonistic roles in these processes. The balance of p63 isoforms, together with the presence or absence of the other p53 family members, p73 and p53, has a striking biological impact. There is increasing evidence that interactions between p53-family members, whether cooperative or antagonistic, are involved in various cell processes. This review summarizes the current understanding of the role of p63 in tumorigenesis, metastasis, cell migration and senescence. In particular, recent data indicate important roles in adult stem cell an... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4697479 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:30:42 +0100 4697479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4697478&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21442445%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Banič B, Nipič D, Suput D, Milisav I We demonstrate here that distribution of caspase-9 influences the pathway of apoptosis triggering, since caspase-9 is activated efficiently only when it is distributed solely in the cytosol. Caspase-9 moves to the nuclei in a response to cell stress during isolation of primary hepatocytes; this is called preapoptotic cell stress response. The dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) treatment cannot prevent the migration of caspase-9 into the nuclei when it is added to primary hepatocytes immediately after isolation; however, it can trigger redistribution of caspase-9 from the nuclei into the cytosol when added 1 day post-isolation. This redistribution is temporary, since caspase-9 returns to the nuclei within 48 hours of DMSO treatment. Thereafter, som... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4697478 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:30:34 +0100 4697478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4697477&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21442446%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Janas T, Janas T Noncovalent DIDS binding to Band 3 (AE1) protein in human erythrocyte membranes, modified by non-penetrating, water soluble 1-ethyl-3-(4-azonia-4,4-dimethylpentyl)-carbodiimide iodide (EAC), was studied at 0°C in the presence of 165 mM KCl. Under experimental conditions applied up to (48 ± 5) % of irreversible chloride self-exchange inhibition was observed. The apparent dissociation constant, KD, for "DIDS-Band 3" complex, determined from the chloride transport experiments, was (34 ± 3) nM and (80 ± 12) nM for control and EAC-treated resealed ghosts, respectively. The inhibition constant, Ki, for DIDS was (35 ± 6) nM and (60 ± 8) nM in control and EAC-treated ghosts, respectively. The reduced affinity for DIDS reversible binding was not a result of negat... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4697477 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:30:25 +0100 4697477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4697476&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21461980%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tolde O, Folk P Pharmacological inhibition of protein kinases that are responsible for the phosphorylation of the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA Pol II during transcription by 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole (DRB) leads to severe inhibition of mRNA synthesis and activates p53. Transcription of the p53 effectors that are induced under these conditions, such as p21 or PUMA, must bypass the requirement for CTD phosphorylation by the positive elongation factor P-TEFb. Here, we have downregulated SNW1/SKIP, a splicing factor and a transcriptional co-regulator, which was found to interact with P-TEFb and synergistically affect Tat-dependent transcription elongation of HIV 1. Using the colon cancer derived cell line HCT116, we have found that both doxorubicin-... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4697476 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4697476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4697475&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21461981%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we found that the expression patterns of CDK11 vary such that cytoplasmic CDK11 is increased in AD cellular processes, compared to a pronounced nuclear expression pattern in most controls. We also investigated the effect of amyloid precursor protein (APP) on CDK11 expression in vitro by using M17 cells overexpressing wild-type APP and APP Swedish mutant phenotype and found increased CDK11 expression compared to empty vector. In addition, amyloid-β(25-35) resulted in increased CDK11 in M17 cells. These data suggest that CDK11 may play a vital role in cell cycle re-entry in AD neurons in an APP-dependent manner, thus presenting an intriguing novel function of the APP signaling pathway in AD. PMID: 21461981 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecula... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4697475 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4697475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4578857&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21394446%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang X, Li C, Gao H, Nabeka H, Shimokawa T, Wakisaka H, Matsuda S, Kobayashi N We investigated the effects of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) on migration and cytoskeletal organization in primary human osteoblasts and Saos-2 human osteosarcoma cells. Both cell types were exposed to two different ROCK inhibitors, Y-27632 and HA-1077. In the improved motility assay used in the present study, Y-27632 and HA-1077 significantly increased the migration of both osteoblasts and osteosarcoma cells on plastic in a dose-dependent and reversible manner. Fluorescent images showed that cells of both types cultured with Y-27632 or HA-1077 exhibited a stellate appearance, with poor assembly of stress fibers and focal contacts. Western blotting showed that ROCK inhibitors reduced myosin light ch... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4578857 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4578857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4578856&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21394447%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Witkowska-Zimny M, Walenko K This is a review of the growing scientific interest in the developmental plasticity and therapeutic potential of stromal cells isolated from adipose tissue. Adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ASCs) are multipotent somatic stem cells that are abundant in fat tissue. It has been shown that ASCs can differentiate into several lineages, including adipose cells, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, neuronal cells, endothelial cells, and cardiomyocytes. At the same time, adipose tissue can be harvested by a minimally invasive procedure, which makes it a promising source of adult stem cells. Therefore, it is believed that ASCs may become an alternative to the currently available adult stem cells (e.g. bone marrow stromal cells) for potential use in regenerative me... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4578856 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4578856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4578855&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21394448%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Plewczynski D, Klingström T Studying the interactome is one of the exciting frontiers of proteomics, as shown lately at the recent bioinformatics conferences (for example ISMB 2010, or ECCB 2010). Distribution of data is facilitated by a large number of databases. Metamining databases have been created in order to allow researchers access to several databases in one search, but there are serious difficulties for end users to evaluate the metamining effort. Therefore we suggest a new standard, "Good Interaction Data Metamining Practice" (GIDMP), which could be easily automated and requires only very minor inclusion of statistical data on each database homepage. Widespread adoption of the GIDMP standard would provide users with: a standardized way to evaluate the statistics pro... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4578855 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4578855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4400374&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21225468%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Doi K, Fujimoto T, Koyanagi M, Tsunoda T, Tanaka Y, Yoshida Y, Takashima Y, Kuroki M, Sasazuki T, Shirasawa S ZFAT was originally identified as an immune-related transcriptional regulator containing 18 C2H2-type zinc-finger domains and one AT-hook. ZFAT is highly conserved among species and functions as an anti-apoptotic molecule in the lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, MOLT-4. We recently demonstrated that ZFAT is an essential molecule for hematopoietic differentiation in blood islands through the direct regulation of particular transcriptional factors, including Tal1, for endothelial cell assembly, and for the branch point formation of capillary-like structures. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-apoptotic function of ZFAT remain unknown. Here, we report t... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4400374 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:15:22 +0100 4400374 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4400373&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21225469%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examines a hypothesis that implicates Ets-1 in the development of gemcitabine-resistance in pancreatic cancer cells. Ets-1 protein expression was assessed in parental pancreatic cancer cells and their gemcitabine-resistant clones. Western blot analysis revealed elevated levels of Ets-1 protein expression in gemcitabine-resistant PANC1(GemRes) (4.8-fold increase; P < 0.05), MIA PaCa2(GemRes) (3.2-fold increase; P < 0.05), and Capan2(GemRes) (2.1-fold increase; P < 0.05) cells as compared to their parental counterparts. A time course analysis was conducted to determine the change in Ets-1 expression in the parental cells after incubation with gemcitabine. Reverse transcriptase quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot analysis revealed a significant increase i... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4400373 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:15:19 +0100 4400373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4400372&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21225470%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zaremba-Czogalla M, Dubińska-Magiera M, Rzepecki R Laminopathies are rare human degenerative disorders with a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes, associated with defects in the main protein components of the nuclear envelope, mostly in the lamins. They include systemic disorders and tissue-restricted diseases. Scientists have been trying to explain the pathogenesis of laminopathies and find an efficient method for treatment for many years. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge about laminopathies, the molecular mechanisms behind the development of particular phenotypes, and the prospects for stem cell and/or gene therapy treatments. PMID: 21225470 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4400372 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:15:15 +0100 4400372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4400371&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21225471%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Imhoff BR, Hansen JM Development is an orderly process that requires the timely activation and/or deactivation of specific regulatory elements that control cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. While many studies have defined factors that control developmental signaling, the role of intracellular reduction/oxidation (redox) status as a means to control differentiation has not been fully studied. Redox states of intracellular couples may play a very important role in regulating redox-sensitive elements that are involved in differentiation signaling into specific phenotypes. In human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), which are capable of differentiating into many different types of phenotypes, including osteoblasts and adipocytes, glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys)... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4400371 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:15:11 +0100 4400371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4400370&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21225472%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Salim S, Ali SA Drug discovery in skin pharmacotherapy is an enormous, continually expanding field. Researchers are developing novel and sensitive pharmaceutical products and drugs that target specific receptors to elicit concerted and appropriate responses. The pigment-bearing cells called melanophores have a significant contribution to make in this field. Melanophores, which contain the dark brown or black pigment melanin, constitute an important class of chromatophores. They are highly specialized in the bidirectional and coordinated translocation of pigment granules when given an appropriate stimulus. The pigment granules can be stimulated to undergo rapid dispersion throughout the melanophores, making the cell appear dark, or to aggregate at the center, making the cell ap... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4400370 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:15:07 +0100 4400370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4400375&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21225467%26dopt%3DAbstract This study provides a feasible and stable system to track hAECs. It may prove useful to further identify their biological characteristics after transplantation and to elucidate their beneficial roles for therapeutic purposes. PMID: 21225467 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4400375 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4400375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4276300&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21161416%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sekuła M, Janawa G, Stankiewicz E, Stępień E Microparticles (MPs) are small membrane vesicles released by stimulated or apoptotic cells, including the endothelium. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a blood disorder characterized by an increase in the plasma concentrations of total homocysteine (Hcy). The plasma Hcy level is determined by environmental factors (dietary habits, i.e. the intake of folic acid, FA) and genetic factors (N (5),N (10)-methylenetetrahydro-folate reductase, MTHFR, polymorphism 677C>T). To evaluate whether moderate Hcy concentrations induce endothelial MP formation, the role of FA supplementation and the influence of MTHFR polymorphism were analysed. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were treated in vitro with 50 μM of Hcy and methionine... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4276300 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4276300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4276299&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21161417%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we performed large-scale gene expression profiles of human foreskin fibroblasts during early, intermediate and late passages using a custom DNA microarray platform (NeuroStem 2.0 Chip). The microarray data was validated using RT-PCR and virtual SAGE analysis. Our comparative gene expression study identified a limited number of molecular targets potentially involved in the ability of human neonatal foreskin fibroblasts to serve as feeder cells for human embryonic stem cell cultures. Among these, the C-KIT, leptin and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) genes were the most interesting candidates. PMID: 21161417 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4276299 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4276299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4276298&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D21161418%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Robert McGray AJ, Gingerich T, Petrik JJ, Lamarre J Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a matricellular protein that participates in numerous normal and pathological tissue processes and is rapidly modulated by different stimuli. The presence of 8 highly-conserved AU rich elements (AREs) within the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of the TSP-1 mRNA suggests that post-transcriptional regulation is likely to represent one mechanism by which TSP-1 gene expression is regulated. We investigated the roles of these AREs, and proteins which bind to them, in the control of TSP-1 mRNA stability. The endogenous TSP-1 mRNA half-life is approximately 2.0 hours in HEK293 cells. Luciferase reporter mRNAs containing the TSP-1 3'UTR show a similar rate of decay, suggesting that the 3'UTR influences the ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4276298 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4276298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003865&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20865363%26dopt%3DAbstract This study assessed the functional significance of this polymorphism, which is localised near the translation start codon. Lymphoblastoid cell lines with alternative homozygous genotypes showed no significant differences in their XPA levels. The luciferase reporter assay detected no functional difference between the two sequences. Unexpectedly, we found that the alternatively spliced form of XPA mRNA lacked a part of exon 1. Only the reading frame downstream of codon Met59 was preserved. The alternative mRNA is expressed in various human tissues. The analysis of the 5'cDNA ends showed similar transcription start sites for the two forms. The in vitro expression of the alternative XPA labelled with the red fluorescent protein (mRFP) showed a lack of preferential nuclear accumulation of the X... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003865 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:40:00 +0100 4003865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003781&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20865364%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Osiecka B, Jurczyszyn K, Symonowicz K, Bronowicz A, Ostasiewicz P, Czapińska E, Hotowy K, Krzystek-Korpacka M, Gebarowska E, Izykowska I, Dziegiel P, Terlecki G, Ziółkowski P Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well-known method for the treatment of malignant tumors, and its principles have been well established over the past 30 years. This therapy involves the application of a chemical called a photosensitizer and its subsequent excitation with light at the appropriate wavelength and energy. Topical photodynamic therapy with aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is an alternative therapy for many malignant processes, including nonmelanoma skin cancers such as basal-cell carcinoma (BCC). Our novel approach for this study was to use a liposomal formulation of 5-ALA and its methyl es... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003781 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 09:37:00 +0100 4003781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003574&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20865365%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Golczyk H, Hasterok R, Szklarczyk M High- and low-stringency FISH and base-specific fluorescence were performed on the permanent translocation heterozygote Rhoeo spathacea (2n = 12). Our results indicate that 45S rDNA arrays, rDNA-related sequences and other GC-rich DNA fraction(s) are located within the pericentromeric regions of all twelve chromosomes, usually colocalizing with the chromomycin A(3)-positive bands. Homogenization of the pericentromeric regions appears to result from the concerted spread of GC-rich sequences, with differential amplification likely. We found new 5S rDNA patterns, which suggest a variability in the breakpoints and in the consequent chromosome reorganizations. It was found that the large 5S rDNA locus residing on each of the 8E and 9E arms consis... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003574 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:48:25 +0100 4003574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003486&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20865366%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Addario B, Backman L Entamoeba histolytica, a major agent of human amoebiasis, expresses two distinct forms of α-actinin, a ubiquitous actin-binding protein that is present in most eukaryotic organisms. In contrast to all metazoan α-actinins, in both isoforms the intervening rod domain that connects the N-terminal actin-binding domain with the C-terminal EF-hands is much shorter. It is suggested that these α-actinins may be involved in amoeboid motility and phagocytosis, so we cloned and characterised each domain of one of these α-actinins to better understand their functional role. The results clearly showed that the domains have properties very similar to those of conventional α-actinins. PMID: 20865366 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cellular and Molecular... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003486 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:21:13 +0100 4003486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3689383&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20563703%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, human hepatic cells were induced to apoptosis with H(2)O(2), and then co-cultured with hybrid cells that had been derived from mouse ES cells and human hepatic cells using a transwell. After co-culturing, the degree of apoptosis was evaluated using Annexin-V/PI double-staining analysis, flow cytometry and Western-blot. We observed that H(2)O(2)-induced cell apoptosis was inhibited by co-culture. In addition, the activity of injury-related enzymes (GSH-Px, LDH and SOD) and the level of albumin release in the co-culture system trended toward the level of normal undamaged hepatic cells. The stably increased levels of secretion of ALB in the co-culture system also confirmed that co-culture with hybrid cells helped in recovery from injury. The fate of the hybrid cells was studied... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3689383 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:30:10 +0100 3689383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3689382&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20563704%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Metskas LA, Kulp M, Scordilis SP Skeletal muscle is a plastic tissue with known gender dimorphism, especially at the metabolic level. A proteomic comparison of male and female murine biceps brachii was undertaken, resolving an average of 600 protein spots of MW 15-150 kDa and pI 5-8. Twenty-six unique full-length proteins spanning 11 KOG groups demonstrated statistically significant (p<0.05) abundance differences between genders; the majority of these proteins have metabolic functions. Identified glycolytic enzymes demonstrated decreased abundance in females, while abundance differences in identified oxidative phosphorylation enzymes were specific to the proteins rather than to the functional group as a whole. Certain cytoskeletal and stress proteins showed specific express... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3689382 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:30:07 +0100 3689382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641790&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20526747%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated the interaction of the CRP monomer with the monocytes using the U937 monocytic cell line. The CRP monomer specifically binds to U937 cells. This binding is unique in that it is independent of FcgammaRs and insensitive to protease digestion of the cell surface proteins. Further assays revealed that the CRP monomer directly incorporates into the plasma membrane. Interestingly, the presence of the CRP monomer efficiently retards oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced foam cell formation of PMA-differentiated U937 macrophages and peripheral blood monocytic cell-derived macrophages. These findings provide additional evidence for the notion that the CRP monomer is an active CRP isoform that plays a role in atherogenesis via the direct modulation of the behavior o... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641790 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3641790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641789&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20526748%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hublarova P, Greplova K, Holcakova J, Vojtesek B, Hrstka R Cisplatin and doxorubicin are widely used anticancer drugs that cause DNA damage, which activates the ATM-Chk2-p53 pathway in cancer cells. This activation leads to cell cycle block or apoptosis, depending on the nature of the DNA damage. In an attempt to enhance the effects of these agents, we inhibited ATM/ATR and Chk2, which are known upstream regulators of p53. The cancer cell lines A2780 and ARN8, bearing the wild-type p53 protein, were used to study changes in p53 activation and trans-activation. Our results suggest that the G(1)-checkpoint, normally activated by DNA damage, is functionally overcome by the action of kinase inhibitors that sensitize cells to apoptosis. Both inhibitors show these effects, albeit wi... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641789 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3641789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3641788&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20526749%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Auriemma C, Viscardi M, Tafuri S, Pavone LM, Capuano F, Rinaldi L, Della Morte R, Iovane G, Staiano N Listeria monocytogenes enters non-phagocytic cells by binding its surface proteins inlA (internalin) and inlB to the host's E-cadherin and Met, respectively. The two internalins play either separate or cooperative roles in the colonization of infected tissues. Here, we studied bacterial uptake into HeLa cells using an L. monocytogenes mutant strain (DeltainlA) carrying a deletion in the gene coding for inlA. The DeltainlA mutant strain showed the capability to invade HeLa cells. The monoclonal anti-beta(3)- and anti-beta(1)-integrin subunit antibodies prevented bacterial uptake into the cells, while the anti-beta(2)- and anti-beta(4)-integrin subunit antibodies failed to affec... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3641788 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3641788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3406848&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20336405%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zu X, Yu L, Sun Y, Tian J, Liu F, Sun Q, He S, Sun G, Luo W, Jiang Y ZBTB7A is a known proto-oncogene that is implicated in carcinogenesis and cell differentiation and development. Fully understanding the function of ZBTB7A in cellular processes could provide useful strategies for cancer treatment and development-associated disease therapy. Here, global mapping of ZBTB7A transcription factor binding sites was developed by utilizing microarray technology in HepG2 cells. The data obtained from the microarrays was further validated via chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR (ChIP-PCR) and real time-PCR, and it was revealed that ZBTB7A may be one of the regulators of neural development. ZBTB7A target signal pathways were identified in signal pathway and GO (Gene Ontology) analyses. Thi... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3406848 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:40:20 +0100 3406848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3406847&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20336406%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bucan V, Reimers K, Choi CY, Eddy MT, Vogt PM Lifeguard (LFG) is an anti-apoptotic protein that inhibits Fas-mediated death in tumour cells. However, the molecular function of human LFG in the carcinogenesis of human breast cells is uncertain. We studied the expression and function of endogenous LFG in four breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, T-47D and HS 578T), a human breast epithelial cell line (HS 578Bst), and in healthy and cancerous breast tissues. Molecular (Western blot and RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical techniques were used to investigate the LFG expression. To investigate the breast cancer cell proliferation in the presence of Fas, we performed fluorescent cell viability assays. The possible association of Fas with LFG was analyzed by immunofluorescence mic... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3406847 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:40:09 +0100 3406847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3406846&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20336407%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Banerjee S, Majumder GC Many studies have implicated cell-surface lectins in heterologous cell-cell adhesion, but little is known about the participation of lectins in cellular adhesion in homologous cells. Here, we show the development of a cell model for investigating the direct role of a cell-surface lectin in homologous cell-cell adhesion. Parenchymal cells were isolated from caprine liver using a perfusion buffer, and dispersed in a chemically defined modified Ringer's solution. These cells undergo autoagglutination in the presence of Ca(2+). The autoagglutinated cells can be dissociated specifically with D-galactose (50 mM), which also inhibits the liver cell autoagglutination event. The blood serum protein fetuin has no effect on liver cell autoagglutination, whereas de... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3406846 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:40:06 +0100 3406846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3352610&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20213502%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated the specific role of STAT3, a major component of the STAT family, in growth and survival of human CTCL cell line Hut78. Western immunoblot analysis showed elevated expression of STAT3 and phospho-STAT3(Y705) in human CTCL cells as compared to freshly isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Specific knockdown of STAT3 expression in Hut78 cells by RNA interference induced morphological and biochemical changes indicating apoptotic cell death. Moreover, STAT3 inhibition downregulated the expression of Bcl2 family of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-xL. These observations suggest that STAT3 is required for the survival of CTCL cells and strongly indicate that targeting STAT3 using siRNA techniques may serve a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CTCL. ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3352610 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3352610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3352609&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20213503%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: San Mauro D, Agorreta A The comparative and evolutionary analysis of molecular data has allowed researchers to tackle biological questions that have long remained unresolved. The evolution of DNA and amino acid sequences can now be modeled accurately enough that the information conveyed can be used to reconstruct the past. The methods to infer phylogeny (the pattern of historical relationships among lineages of organisms and/or sequences) range from the simplest, based on parsimony, to more sophisticated and highly parametric ones based on likelihood and Bayesian approaches. In general, molecular systematics provides a powerful statistical framework for hypothesis testing and the estimation of evolutionary processes, including the estimation of divergence times among taxa. The... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3352609 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3352609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3315268&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20186495%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schmidt M, Asirvatham AJ, Chaudhary J Id1 (inhibitor of differentiation 1) is a member of the bHLH protein family. Consistent with its role in promoting proliferation and inhibiting differentiation, Id1 expression is low or negligible in normal prostate epithelial cells but is high in prostate cancer. Ectopic expression of Id1 in normal prostate epithelial cells could therefore provide a model for understanding early events involved in initiation of prostate cancer. Over-expression of Id1 immortalized but did not transform ventral prostate epithelial cells (Id1-RPE). Immortalization was associated with decreased Cdkn2a, Cdkn1a, androgen receptor and increased Tert expression. Gene expression profiling over successive doublings was used to identify transcriptomic changes involv... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3315268 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3315268 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3315267&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20186496%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Urbanova M, Plzak J, Strnad H, Betka J The discovery of circulating nucleic acids in the 1940s opened up new possibilities for the non-invasive detection, monitoring and screening of various human disorders. Several tumour markers that enable early cancer detection or tumour behaviour prediction have been detected in the plasma of cancer patients. Maternal plasma analysis can be used to detect certain fetal abnormalities, with the quantification of cell-free nucleic acids used to screen for several pregnancy-associated disorders. Some other applications are in transplant monitoring and graft rejection assessment, and in certain medical emergencies such as trauma and burn severity stratification. Many studies have yielded promising results in this field, but the techniques have... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3315267 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3315267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254564&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20140760%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, the tested flavonoids were capable of crossing this blood-brain barrier model. PMID: 20140760 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254564 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3254564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254563&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20140761%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Obłąk E, Gamian A, Adamski R, Ułaszewski S We investigated the action of the quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) called IM (N-(dodecyloxycarboxymethyl)-N,N,N-trimethyl ammonium chloride) on Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells. Changes in the yeast cell ultrastructure were confirmed by electron microscopy. We treated resistant mutant cells with QAS, and confirmed destruction of the mutant cytoplasm, an increase in the thickness of the cell wall, separation of the cell wall from the cytoplasm, and the accumulation of numerous lipid droplets. We also observed a relatively high production of lipids in the cells of the parental wild-type strain Sigma1278b and in its IM-resistant (IM(R)) mutant in the presence of the QAS. The IM(R) mutant showed increased sensitivity t... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254563 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3254563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236541&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20119855%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Qin Y, Tian YP The main aims of this study were to determine the effects of GH gene abuse/misuse in normal animals and to discover genes that could be used as candidate biomarkers for the detection of GH gene therapy abuse/misuse in humans. We determined the global gene expression profile of peripheral whole blood from normal adult male rats after long-term GH gene therapy using CapitalBio 27 K Rat Genome Oligo Arrays. Sixty one genes were found to be differentially expressed in GH gene-treated rats 24 weeks after receiving GH gene therapy, at a two-fold higher or lower level compared to the empty vector group (p < 0.05). These genes were mainly associated with angiogenesis, oncogenesis, apoptosis, immune networks, signaling pathways, general metabolism, type I diabetes mel... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236541 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3236541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3223827&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20112001%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bunimov N, Laneuville O Induction of Prostaglandin Endoperoxide H Synthase-1 (PGHS-1) gene has been previously documented in a few studies during events such as development and cellular differentiation. However, molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of PGHS-1 gene expression and contributing to changes in protein levels are poorly understood. Using the MEG-01 cell model of PGHS-1 gene induction, our laboratory has previously demonstrated that the 5'UTR and the first two exons of PGHS-1 mRNA had a significant impact on decreasing the translational efficiency of a reporter gene and suggested that the presence of a secondary structure is required for conservation of this activity. This 5'end of PGHS-1 mRNA sequence has also been shown to associate with nucleolin protein. ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3223827 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3223827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3080052&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19997781%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Daval S, Rocher C, Cherel Y, Le Rumeur E The dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) is a large trans-sarcolemmal complex that provides a linkage between the subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. In skeletal muscle, it consists of the dystroglycan, sarcoglycan and cytoplasmic complexes, with dystrophin forming the core protein. The DGC has been described as being absent or greatly reduced in dystrophin-deficient muscles, and this lack is considered to be involved in the dystrophic phenotype. Such a decrease in the DGC content was observed in dystrophin-deficient muscle from humans with muscular dystrophy and in mice with X-linked muscular dystrophy (mdx mice). These deficits were observed in total muscle homogenates and in partially membrane-purified muscle f... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3080052 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3080052 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3036326&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19943120%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tatsuke T, Sakashita K, Masaki Y, Lee JM, Kawaguchi Y, Kusakabe T The telomere structures in Bombyx mori are thought to be maintained mainly by the transposition of the specialized telomeric retroelements SART and TRAS. The silkworm genome has telomeric TTAGG repeats and telomerase, but this telomerase displays little or no activity. Here, we report that the transcription of the telomeric retroelements SART1 and TRAS1 is suppressed by the silkworm Piwi subfamily proteins BmAgo3 and Siwi. The silkworm Piwi subfamily was found to be expressed predominantly in the gonads and early embryo, as in other model organisms, but in BmN4 cultured cells, these proteins formed granules that were separate from the nuage, which is a different behaviour pattern. The expression of TRAS1 was inc... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3036326 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3036326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3031100&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19936629%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ionov M, Tukfatullina I, Salakhutdinov B, Baram N, Bryszewska M, Aripov T In this paper, we present the results of a study on the membrane-active properties of gossypol, its derivatives and their polyvinylpyrrolidone complexes as assessed by differential scanning calorimetry and by the fluorescent probe method. The latter revealed the change in polarization of the incident radiation caused by the action of the polyphenol on the artificial membrane lipid matrix. PMID: 19936629 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3031100 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3031100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3031099&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19936630%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Solarska K, Lewińska A, Karowicz-Bilińska A, Bartosz G Many of the effects of carnitine are ascribed to its antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of carnitine in vitro. Carnitine was found to decolorize ABTS(*+), and to protect fluorescein against bleaching induced by AAPH-derived peroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite, thiol groups against oxidation induced by hydrogen peroxide, peroxyl radicals, hypochlorite and peroxynitrite, and erythrocytes against hemolysis induced by peroxyl radicals and hypochlorite. These results show that carnitine has a direct antioxidant action against physiologically relevant oxidants. PMID: 19936630 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3031099 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3031099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2923879&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19851720%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Augustyniak D, Mleczko J, Gutowicz J The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are the most immunogenic and attractive of the Moraxella catarrhalis vaccine antigens that may induce the protective immune response. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of two types of OMP-associated phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomal formulations (OMPs-PC, PC-OMPs) and of Zwittergent-based proteomicelles (OMPs-Z) in potentiating an anti-OMP systemic immune response in mice. The immunogenicities of the above preparations were evaluated by assessing serum anti-OMP IgG and IgA reactivity in the post-immunized mouse antisera using ELISA and Western blotting. Additionally, the cross-reactivity of the most effective anti-OMP response was determined using heterologous sera from both humans ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2923879 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2923879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2901962&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19834649%26dopt%3DAbstract This study focused on establishing and making a comprehensive functional characterization of an HEK-293-transfected cell line that would coexpress the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein-actin (pEYFP-actin) construct and the neurokinin type 1 receptor (NK1-R), which is a member of the seven transmembrane (7TM) receptor family. In the initial selection procedure, the cloning ring technique was used alone, but failed to yield clones with homogenous pEYFP-actin expression. Flow cytometry sorting (FCS) was subsequently used to enrich the pEYFP-actin-expressing subpopulation of cells. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), FCS and quantitative real-time reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were then employed to monitor the passage-dependent effects on transgene expre... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2901962 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2901962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828900&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19774346%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhu X, Yang N, Cai J, Yang G, Liang S, Ren D hTERT (human telomerase reverse transcriptase) plays a key role in the process of cell immortalization. Overexpression of hTERT has been implicated in 85% of malignant tumors and offers a specific target for cancer therapy. In this paper, we describe an effective approach using a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) intrabody derived from monoclonal hybridoma directed against hTERT to attenuate the immortalization of human uterine cervix and hepatoma cells. The scFv we constructed had a high affinity to hTERT, and specifically neutralized over 70% of telomere synthesis activity, thereby inhibiting the viability and proliferation of the cancer cells. Our results indicate that this anti-hTERT intrabody is a promising tool to target h... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828900 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2828900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804535&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19756397%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we replaced the Gly residue with Ala, Arg or Glu residues in an erythroid alpha-spectrin model protein to give G46A, G46R or G46E, respectively. We found that their association affinities with a beta-spectrin model protein were quite different from each other. G46R exhibited a 10-fold increase and G46E exhibited a 16-fold decrease, whereas G46A showed little difference, when compared with the wild type. The thermal and urea denaturation experiments showed insignificant structural change in G46R. Thus, the differences in affinity were due to differences in local, specific interactions, rather than conformational differences in these variants. An intra-helical salt bridge in G46R may stabilize the partial domain single helix in alpha-spectrin, Helix C', to allow a more stable ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804535 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2804535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712667&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19685010%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion: i) TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, but not IL-1beta, if present in the extracellular environment during C2C12 myoblast differentiation, prevent the stimulatory action of IGF-I on protein synthesis. ii) TNF-alpha- and IFN-gamma-induced IGF-I resistance of protein synthesis could be associated with the decreased phosphorylation of PKB and p70(S6k). iii) The activation of glucose uptake in C2C12 myogenic cells treated with IFN-gamma is PKB independent. iv) The similar effects of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma on the signalling and action of IGF-I on protein synthesis in myogenic cells could suggest the involvement of both of these cytokines in protein loss in skeletal muscle. PMID: 19685010 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712667 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2712667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712666&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19685011%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Park SY, Kim HY, Lee JH, Yoon KH, Chang MS, Park SK To assess the dependence on age of the expression of apoptosis regulatory proteins in the human semitendinosus muscle, we measured the expression levels of several apoptosis-related genes, including apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), using RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and TUNEL assays. We found that the DNA fragmentation was proportional to the age of the tissues sample donors. The expression levels of AIF were significantly elevated (by 10 to 25%) in semitendinosus tissue samples from older individuals, but the Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and HSP 70 levels remained almost constant. This data suggests that the morphological and functional changes observed in aged human semitend... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712666 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2712666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2658545&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19641855%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we examined whether repeated intracerebroventricular infusions of soluble Abeta25-35 would affect the PAD2 expression in any regions of the rat brain. We also assessed the protective effect of memantine on Abeta-induced PAD2 alterations. The infusion of Abeta(25-35) increased the activity and protein level of PAD2 in the hippocampus, and co-treatment with memantine suppressed these changes. An immunohistochemical analysis showed that an increased level of PAD2 was coincident with GFAP-positive astrocytes and CD11b-positive microglia. In addition, immunofluoresecence staining revealed that citrullinepostive immunoreactivity coincided with the occurrence of GFAP-positive astrocytes. Co-treatment with memantine reversed the activation of the astrocytes and microglia, thus atten... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2658545 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2658545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556563&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19562269%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the nitrate reductase (niaD) and orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (pyrG) genes from Penicillium camemberti were characterized, and their suitability as metabolic molecular markers for transformation was evaluated. The genes were amplified using PCR-related techniques, and sequenced. The niaD gene is flanked by the nitrite reductase (niiA) gene in a divergent arrangement, being part of the putative nitrate assimilation cluster in P. camemberti. pyrG presents several polymorphisms compared with a previously sequenced pyrG gene from another P. camemberti strain, but almost all are silent mutations. Southern blot assays indicate that one copy of each gene is present in P. camemberti. Northern blot assays showed that the pyrG gene is expressed in minimal and rich media, a... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556563 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2556563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556562&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19562270%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu YJ, Zhang DQ, Sui XM, Tian W Malignant tumors are characterized by dysregulated cell growth and the metastasis of secondary tumors. Numerous studies have documented that osteopontin (OPN) plays a key role in regulating tumor progression and metastasis. Here, we show that the overexpression of OPN in human embryo kidney-293 cells significantly increases both the level of cell proliferation, by provoking the G(1)/S transition, and the level of cell migration in vitro. These findings suggest that augmented OPN contributes to cell growth and motility. Inhibiting OPN or the pathway it stimulates may therefore represent a novel approach for the treatment of primary tumors and associated metastases. PMID: 19562270 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Mole... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556562 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2556562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556561&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19562271%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Harendza S, Stahl RA, Schneider A Podocin (NPHS2) is a component of the glomerular slit membrane with major regulatory functions in the renal permeability of proteins. A loss of podocin and a decrease in its resynthesis can influence the outcome of renal diseases with nephrotic syndrome, such as minimal change glomerulonephritis, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and membranous nephropathy. The transcriptional regulation of podocin may play a major role in these processes. We defined the transcriptional regulation of the human podocin gene and the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within its promoter region in the podocytes using reporter gene constructs and gel shift analysis. In addition, we took genomic DNA from healthy Caucasian blood donors and f... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556561 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2556561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545027&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19554266%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhong W, Fei M, Zhu Y, Zhang X Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells capable of initiating primary immune responses. They have been intensively studied and are used in both basic immunology research and clinical immunotherapy. However, the genetic pathways leading to DC differentiation and maturation remain poorly understood. Using focused microarrays with oligonucletotide probes for 120 genes encoding co-stimulatory molecules, chemokines, chemokine receptors, cytokines, cytokine receptors, TLRs, and several other related molecules, we analyzed the kinetics of gene expression for the overall differentiation process of monocytes into mature DC. In parallel, we compared the transcriptional profiles in DC maturation in the presence of LPS, TNF-alpha or tr... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545027 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545025&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19554267%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dobreva ZG, Stanilova SA, Miteva LD The interleukin-12p40 gene (IL12B) encodes the p40 polypeptide chain, which, together with p19, composes IL-23. A bi-allelic promoter polymorphism (IL12Bpro) located at -2703 bp of the transcription initiation site has been reported to show associations with IL-12p40 production. To elucidate the dependence of IL-12p40 and IL-23 production on IL12Bpro polymorphism in relation to MAPK signal transduction pathways, we examined the effect of JNK and p38 inhibition on the secretion of these cytokines by stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors with 1.1 and 1.2/2.2 IL12Bpro genotypes. Stimulation with LPS and C3bgp resulted in approximately equal IL-12p40 production from PBMC with the 1.1 and 1.2/2.2 genotypes. The ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545025 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545023&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19554268%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schara K, Janša V, Suštar V, Dolinar D, Pavlič JI, Lokar M, Kralj-Iglič V, Veranič P, Iglič A Cells interact by exchanging material and information. Two methods of cell-to-cell communication are by means of microvesicles and by means of nanotubes. Both microvesicles and nanotubes derive from the cell membrane and are able to transport the contents of the inner solution. In this review, we describe two physical mechanisms involved in the formation of microvesicles and nanotubes: curvature-mediated lateral redistribution of membrane components with the formation of membrane nanodomains; and plasmamediated attractive forces between membranes. These mechanisms are clinically relevant since they can be affected by drugs. In particular, the underl... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545023 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545021&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19557312%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we evaluated the activities of new types of azaphenothiazines in the following immunological assays: the proliferative response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced by phytohemagglutin A or anti-CD3 antibodies; lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production by human PBMC; the secondary, humoral immune response in mice to sheep erythrocytes (in vitro); and delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice to ovalbumin (in vivo). In some tests, chlorpromazine served as a reference drug. The compounds exhibited differential inhibitory activities in the proliferation tests, with 10H-2,7-diazaphenothiazine (compound 1) and 6-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)diquinothiazine (compound 8) being most suppressive. Compound 1 was selected for further studies, and was found to be strongly supp... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545021 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545019&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19557313%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we found that SFRS9 is a target for PRMT1-mediated arginine methylation in vitro, and that it is immunoprecipitated from HEK-293 lysates by antibodies that recognize both mono- and dimethylated arginines. We further observed that upon treatment with the methylation inhibitor Adox, the fluorescent EGFP-SFRS9 re-localizes to dot-like structures in the cell nucleus. In subsequent confocal analyses, we found that EGFP-SFRS9 localizes to nucleoli in Adox-treated cells. Our findings indicate the importance of arginine methylation for the subnuclear localization of SFRS9. PMID: 19557313 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545019 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545031&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19484197%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to determine if this inhibits the anti-apoptotic activity of HSA, and if such inactivation could be reversed by CNBr fragmentation. HSA-AGE was prepared by incubating HSA with glucose, and assessed using the fructosamine assay, mass spectrometry, SDS-PAGE and fluorometry. Low levels of AGE in the HSA had little effect upon its anti-apoptotic activity, but when the levels of AGE were high and the intra-molecular movement was reduced, endothelial cell survival was also found to be reduced to levels equivalent to those in cultures without HSA or serum (p > 0.001). Survival was restored by the inclusion of native HSA, despite the presence of HSA with high levels of AGE. Also, CNBr fragmentation of otherwise inactive HSA-AGE restored the anti-apoptotic activity for endotheli... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545031 Fri, 29 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545029&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19484198%26dopt%3DAbstract We examined the transcription pattern of MK5 in different tissues, and studied the kinetics of MK5 expression at the transcriptional and/or translation level in PC12 cells exposed to arsenite, forskolin, KCl, lipopolysaccharide, spermine NONOate, retinoic acid, serum, phorbol ester, temperature shock, and vanadate. Cells exposed to forskolin display a transient increase in MK5 mRNA, despite their unaltered MK5 protein levels. The MK5 promoters of human, mouse and rat contain a cAMP-responsive element that binds the cAMPresponsive element-binding protein (CREB) in vitro. Luciferase reporter constructs containing an 850-base pair human MK5 promoter fragment encompassing the CRE showed a basal activity that was 10-fold higher than the corresponding construct in which the CRE motif was deleted... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545029 Fri, 29 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545033&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19448977%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kiss DL, Longden J, Fechner GA, Avery VM CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is a pro-inflammatory chemokine receptor that is expressed on cells of the immune system, and specializes in cell migration in response to inflammation and tissue damage. Due to its key role in cell communication and migration, this receptor is involved in various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, in addition to HIV infection. Met-RANTES is a modified CCR5 ligand that has previously been shown to antagonize CCR5 activation and function in response to its natural ligands in vitro. In vivo, Met-RANTES is able to reduce inflammation in models of induced inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. However, due to the fact that Met-RANTES is also capable of partial agonist activity regarding receptor signaling an... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545033 Wed, 13 May 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545035&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19412574%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chen L, He DM, Zhang Y Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) constitute an interesting cellular source to promote brain regeneration after Parkinson's disease. MSCs have significant advantages over other stem cell types, and greater potential for immediate clinical application. The aim of this study was to investigate whether MSCs from the human placenta could be induced to differentiate into dopaminergic cells. MSCs from the human placenta were isolated by digestion and density gradient fractionation, and their cell surface glycoproteins were analyzed by flow cytometry. These MSCs were cultured under conditions promoting differetiation into adipocytes and osteoblasts. Using a cocktail that includes basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), all trans retinoic acid (RA), ascorbic acid (AA... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545035 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545037&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19404589%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, our data clearly indicates that a finasterideinduced DHT deficiency intensifies the constitutive expression of iNOS in most rat testicular and epididymal cells, so it can be expected that the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) could be regulated by DHT. On the other hand, the profile of the circulating DHT and T levels strongly suggests that the regulation of constitutive iNOS expression is complex and needs more detailed study. PMID: 19404589 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545037 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2545039&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19381455%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, our results clearly showed that capsaicin induced apoptosis in colon cancer cells. Although the actual mechanisms of capsaicin-induced apoptosis remain uncertain, it may be a beneficial agent for colon cancer treatment and chemoprevention. PMID: 19381455 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2545039 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2545039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2323219&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19343276%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed at investigating the transcriptional cascade of CK down-regulation in carcinogen-induced sarcoma in mouse muscle. Both CK deficiency and enhanced nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were known to augment mitochondrial biogenesis, so we also explored the activation of the transcriptional cascade of mitochondrial biogenesis in this cancer. We observed the activation of the TNF-alpha-mediated nitric oxide production pathway with NFkappaB activation and concomitant degradation of MyoD and myogenin mRNA. Exploration of mitochondrial biogenesis revealed high cytochrome c oxidase activity and mitochondrial DNA content in sarcoma. The PGC-related co-activator seems to have a major role in regulating mitochondrial biogenesis by upregulating nuclear respiratory factors and mitochondrial tra... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2323219 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2323219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2257087&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19277478%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang CT, Zhang P, Wang YS, Ruan XZ, Li ZY, Peng F, Yang HS, Wei YQ Biot2 is a novel murine testis-specific gene that was first identified using the SEREX technique, and named by our laboratory. Using conventional RT-PCR and real time RT-PCR, we tested the expression profile of Biot2 in normal tissues and various murine tumor cell lines. Using RNA interference, we studied the biological function of Biot2 in tumorigenesis. We applied various types of growth assay, such as the in vitro MTT, colony-forming and BrdU incorporation assays, along with in vivo tumorigenicity assays, to reveal its inhibition of tumor cell proliferation. The results revealed that the Biot2 transcript was detected only and strongly in the testis tissues and abundantly in five types of murine cancer cell l... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2257087 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2257087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2218230&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19238330%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Limaye V, Xia P, Hahn C, Smith M, Vadas MA, Pitson SM, Gamble JR Sphingosine kinase-1 (SK1) promotes the formation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which has potent pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic effects. We investigated the effects of raised SK1 levels on endothelial cell function and the possibility that this signaling pathway is activated in rheumatoid arthritis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells with 3- to 5-fold SK1 (EC(SK)) overexpression were generated by adenoviral and retroviralmediated gene delivery. The activation state of these cells and their ability to undergo angiogenesis was determined. S1P was measured in synovial fluid from patients with RA and OA. EC(SK) showed an enhanced migratory capacity and a stimulated rate of capillary tube formation. The c... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2218230 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2218230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2218229&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19238331%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Limaye V, Vadas MA, Pitson SM, Gamble JR The enzyme sphingosine kinase-1 (SK1) promotes the formation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which is an important survival factor for endothelial cells (EC). Modest increases in intracellular SK1 activity in the EC are known to confer a survival advantage upon the cells. Here, we investigated the effects of more dramatic increases in intracellular SK1 in the EC. We found that these cells show reduced cell survival under conditions of stress, enhanced caspase-3 activity, cell cycle inhibition, and cell-cell junction disruption. We propose that alterations in the phosphorylation state of the enzyme may explain the differential effects on the phenotype with modest versus high levels of enforced expression of SK1. Our results suggest tha... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2218229 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2218229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2218228&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19238332%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang B, Xia C Protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) is a serine-threonine kinase functioning downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3 kinase) in response to mitogen or growth factor stimulation. In several cell types, it plays an important anti-apoptotic role. TPA is a potent regulator of the growth of many different cell types. Here, we detected that TPA could induce cell apoptosis in the gastric cancer cell line, BGC-823. We also found that TPA inhibited the expression of PKB/Akt in a TPA concentration- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, TPA inhibited the phosphorylation of PKB at Ser473, but did not affect the phosphorylation of Thr308. It only attenuated the expression of PKB/Akt and the phosphorylation of Ser473 in the cell nucleus, whereas it did not change the PKB/A... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2218228 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2218228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2218227&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19238333%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, we hypothesized that treatment with pamidronate could stimulate NO-production by cells present near the bone compartment, thus constituting a protective mechanism against bone resorption occurring during inflammation. In addition, PMN- and platelet-derived NO could act as a negative feed-back signal to restrict the inflammatory processes. PMID: 19238333 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2218227 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2218227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2218226&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19238334%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stražišar M, Mlakar V, Glavač D Several studies have reported different expression levels of certain genes in NSCLC, mostly related to the stage and advancement of the tumours. We investigated 65 stage I-III NSCLC tumours: 32 adenocarcinomas (ADC), 26 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and 7 large cell carcinomas (LCC). Using the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we analysed the expression of the COX-2, hTERT, MDM2, LATS2 and S100A2 genes and researched the relationships between the NSCLC types and the differences in expression levels. The differences in the expression levels of the LATS2, S100A2 and hTERT genes in different types of NSCLC are significant. hTERT and COX-2 were over-expressed and LATS2 under-expressed in all NSCLC... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2218226 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2218226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2188624&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19214394%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sujak A Canthaxanthin (beta, beta-carotene 4, 4' dione) is used widely as a drug or as a food and cosmetic colorant, but it may have some undesirable effects on human health, mainly caused by the formation of crystals in the macula lutea membranes of the retina. This condition is called canthaxanthin retinopathy. It has been shown that this type of dysfunction of the eye is strongly connected with damage to the blood vessels around the place of crystal deposition. This paper is a review of the experimental data supporting the hypothesis that the interactions of canthaxanthin with the lipid membranes and the aggregation of this pigment may be the factors enhancing canthaxanthin toxicity towards the macula vascular system. All the results of the experiments that have been done o... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2188624 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2188624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2174727&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19198762%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Perrini R, Alba V, Ruta C, Morone-Fortunato I, Blanco A, Montemurro C A protocol for the induction of regeneration from leaves of Helichrysum italicum was established. Calli were found to form on the basal medium only when it was supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ) alone or in combination with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), with a percentage ranking of at least 80%. The hormone-free medium showed the highest percentage of shoot regeneration (62%) even though no callus formed. AFLP markers were employed to verify tissue culture-induced variation in the regenerated plantlets obtained by direct shoot regeneration or the indirect shoot regeneration process (callus formation). Seven out of the eleven AFLP primer pairs yielded polymorphic patterns. The average number of fragments pe... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2174727 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2174727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2164425&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19194665%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nurowska E, Constanti A, Dworakowska B, Mouly V, Furling D, Lorenzon P, Pietrangelo T, Dołowy K, Ruzzier F The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to record potassium currents in in vitro differentiating myoblasts isolated from healthy and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) foetuses carrying 2000 CTG repeats. The fusion of the DM1 myoblasts was reduced in comparison to that of the control cells. The dystrophic muscle cells expressed less voltage-activated K(+) (delayed rectifier and non-inactivating delayed rectifier) and inward rectifier channels than the age-matched control cells. However, the resting membrane potential was not significantly different between the control and the DM1 cells. After four days in a differentiation medium, the dystrophic cells expressed t... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2164425 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2164425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2164424&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19194666%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Díez S, Miguéliz I, Tros de Ilarduya C We developed a new targeted cationic nanoparticulate system composed of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), 1,2-dioleoyl-3-(trimethylammonium) propane (DOTAP) and asialofetuin (AF), and found it to be a highly effective formulation for gene delivery to liver tumor cells. The nanoparticles (NP) were prepared by a modified solvent evaporation process that used two protocols in order to encapsulate (NP1 particles) or adsorb (NP2 particles) plasmid DNA. The final particles are in the nanoscale range. pDNA loaded in PLGA/DOTAP/AF particles with high loading efficiency showed a positive surface charge. Targeted asialofetuin-nanoparticles (AF-NP) carrying genes encoding for luciferase and interleukin-12 (IL-12) resulted in increa... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2164424 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2164424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153509&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19183863%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Weng H, Kim C, Valavanis C, Wang Z, Schwartz LM PMID: 19183863 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153509 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2153509 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153508&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19183864%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kalmar B, Greensmith L Pharmacological up-regulation of heat shock proteins (hsps) rescues motoneurons from cell death in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the relationship between increased hsp expression and neuronal survival is not straightforward. Here we examined the effects of two pharmacological agents that induce the heat shock response via activation of HSF-1, on stressed primary motoneurons in culture. Although both arimoclomol and celastrol induced the expression of Hsp70, their effects on primary motoneurons in culture were significantly different. Whereas arimoclomol had survival-promoting effects, rescuing motoneurons from staurosporin and H(2)O(2) induced apoptosis, celastrol not only failed to protect stressed motoneurons from apoptosis u... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153508 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2153508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153507&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19183865%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang X, Ge YL, Tian RH We investigated the effects of RNA interference-mediated silencing of the c-myc gene on celluar proliferation and apoptosis in human colon cancer HT-29 cells in vitro and in vivo. A small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting c-myc was designed, the DNA template was synthesized, and the siRNA was obtained by in vitro transcription. After siRNA transfection into HT-29 and human neuroblastoma IMR-32 cells with Lipofectamine 2000trade mark, the proliferation of the HT-29 and IMR-32 cells was assessed via 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetry, and Hoechst 33258 staining was used to observe cell apoptosis. Following gene transfer to HT-29 cells, the expression of c-myc mRNA was examined via reverse transcription polym... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153507 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2153507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2076327&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19115051%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: De Felice B, Wilson RR, Argenziano C, Kafantaris I, Conicella C The plant nuclear genome is largely composed of mobile DNA, which can rearrange genomes and other individual gene structure and also affect gene regulation through various promoted activities: transposition, insertion, excision, chromosome breakage, and ectopic recombination. Ty1-copia-like retrotransposon is a widespread class of transposable elements in the plant kingdom, representing a large part of the total DNA content. Here, a novel retrotransposon-like sequence was isolated and identified as the Ty1-copia-like reverse transcriptase domain (named here CLCoy1), based on the homology of known elements. Fluorescence in situ hybridization, revealed that CLCoy1 was mainly located in telomeric and sub-telomeric re... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2076327 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2076327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2054345&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19096763%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wolska A, Lech-Marańda E, Robak T Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been described as major components of the innate immune system, recognizing the conserved molecular structures found in the large groups of pathogens called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLR expression is ubiquitous, from epithelial to immunocompetent cells. TLR ligation triggers several adapter proteins and downstream kinases, leading to the induction of key pro-inflammatory mediators but also anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor cytokines. The result of this activation goes beyond innate immunity to shape the adaptive responses against pathogens and tumor cells, and maintains host homeostasis via cell debris utilization. TLRs have already become potent targets in infectious disease treatmen... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2054345 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2054345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2054344&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19096764%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Weng H, Kim C, Valavanis C, Wang Z, Schwartz LM Acheron, a Lupus antigen ortholog, was identified as a novel death-associated transcript from the intersegmental muscles of the mothManduca sexta. Acheron is phylogenetically-conserved and represents a new sub-family of Lupus antigen proteins. Acheron is expressed predominantly in neurons and muscle in vertebrates, and regulates several developmental events including myogenesis, neurogenesis and possibly metastasis. Using Acheron as bait, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen with a mouse embryo cDNA library and identified CASK-C, a novel CASK/Lin-2 isoform, as an Acheron binding partner. Acheron and CASK-C bind via the C-terminus of Acheron and the CaMKII-like domain of CASK-C. Co-immunoprecipitation assays verify this interact... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2054344 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2054344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2042084&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19082921%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pang MF, Lin KW, Peh SC Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous virus with infections commonly resulting in a latency carrier state. Although the exact role of EBV in cancer pathogenesis remains not entirely clear, it is highly probable that it causes several lymphoid and epithelial malignancies, such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, NK-T cell lymphoma, Burkitt's lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. EBV-associated malignancies are associated with a latent form of infection, and several of these EBV-encoded latent proteins are known to mediate cellular transformation. These include six nuclear antigens and three latent membrane proteins. Studies have shown that EBV displays distinct patterns of viral latent gene expression in these lymphoid and epithelial tumors. The constant express... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2042084 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2042084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1976867&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19020811%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wesołowska O, Hendrich AB, Laniapietrzak B, Wiśniewski J, Molnar J, Ocsovszki I, Michalak K The expression of transmembrane transporter multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) confers the multidrug-resistant phenotype (MDR) on cancer cells. Since the activity of the other MDR transporter, P-glycoprotein, is sensitive to membrane perturbation, we aimed to check whether the changes in lipid bilayer properties induced by flavones (apigenin, acacetin) and flavonols (morin, myricetin) were related to their MRP1 inhibitory activity. All the flavonoids inhibited the efflux of MRP1 fluorescent substrate from human erythrocytes and breast cancer cells. Morin was also found to stimulate the ATPase activity of erythrocyte ghosts. All flavonoids intercalated into phos... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1976867 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1976867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1962194&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19005620%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Czogalla A The discovery of cyclosporine A was a milestone in organ transplantation and the treatment of autoimmune diseases. However, developing an efficient oral delivery system for this drug is complicated by its poor biopharmaceutical characteristics (low solubility and permeability) and the need to carefully monitor its levels in the blood. Current research is exploring various approaches, including those based on emulsions, microspheres, nanoparticles, and liposomes. Although progress has been made, none of the formulations is flawless. This review is a brief description of the main pharmaceutical systems and devices that have been described for the oral delivery of cyclosporine A in the context of the physicochemical properties of the drug and the character of its inter... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1962194 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1962194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1931165&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18979068%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Panasiewicz M, Domek H, Hoser G, Fedoryszak N, Kawalec M, Pacuszka T Gangliosides are characteristically enriched in various membrane domains that can be isolated as low density membrane fraction insoluble in detergents (detergent-resistant membranes, DRMs) or obtained after homogenization and sonication in 0.5 M sodium carbonate (low-density membranes, LDMs). We assessed the effect of the ceramide structure of four [(3)H]-labeled GM1 ganglioside molecular species (GM1s) taken up by HL-60 cells on their occurrence in LDMs, and compared it with our previous observations for DRMs. All GM1s contained C18 sphingosine, which was acetylated in GM1(18:1/2) or acylated with C(14), C(18) or C(18:1) fatty acids (Fas). PMID: 18979068 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellu... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1931165 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1931165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1931164&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18979069%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stojałowski S, Myśków B, Milczarski P, Masojć P Four F(2) mapping populations derived from crosses between rye inbred lines DS2xRXL10, 541xOt1-3, S120xS76 and 544xOt0-20 were used to develop a consensus map of chromosome 6R. Thirteen marker loci that were polymorphic in more than one mapping population constituted the basis for the alignment of the four maps using the JoinMap v. 3.0 software package. The consensus map consists of 104 molecular marker loci including RFLPs, RAPDs, AFLPs, SSRs, ISSRs, SCARs, STSs and isozymes. The average distance between the marker loci is 1.3 cM, and the total map length is 135.5 cM. This consensus map may be used as a source of molecular markers for the rapid development of new maps of chromosome 6R in any mapping popula... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1931164 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1931164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1931163&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18979070%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hurst JH, Mendpara N, Hooks SB Regulator of G-protein signalling (RGS)(2) proteins critically regulate signalling cascades initiated by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) by accelerating the deactivation of heterotrimeric G-proteins. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is the predominant growth factor that drives the progression of ovarian cancer by activating specific GPCRs and G-proteins expressed in ovarian cancer cells. We have recently reported that RGS proteins endogenously expressed in SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells dramatically attenuate LPA stimulated cell signalling. The goal of this study was twofold: first, to identify candidate RGS proteins expressed in SKOV-3 cells that may account for the reported negative regulation of G-protein signalling, and second, to determine if th... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1931163 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1931163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1912291&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18953495%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we determined that the GTPase domain of Galphao contributes to Galphao:PLZF interaction. We also showed that the Galphao GTPase domain is important in modulating the function of PLZF. This data indicates that the GTPase domain of Galphao may be necessary for the functional interaction of Galphao with PLZF. PMID: 18953495 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1912291 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1912291 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873673&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18850073%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we compared the expression of galectin-1 mRNA and immunoreactivity in innervated and denervated mouse and rat hind-limb and hemidiaphragm muscles. The results show that galectin-1 mRNA expression and immunoreactivity are up-regulated following denervation. The galectin-1 mRNA is expressed in the extrasynaptic and perisynaptic regions of the muscle, and its immunoreactivity can be detected in both regions by Western blot analysis. The results are compatible with a role for galectin-1 in facilitating reinnervation of denervated skeletal muscle. PMID: 18850073 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873673 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1873673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873672&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18850074%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, DOX-TRF was able to overcome MDR in the leukaemia cell lines while having only a very limited effect on normal tissue cells. PMID: 18850074 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873672 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1873672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860437&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18839068%26dopt%3DAbstract We report here on an original method that employs PS-ANXA5 conjugation to target stem cells to apoptotic cells. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from GFP-positive transgenic rats were biotinylated on membrane surfaces with sulfosuccinimidyl-6-(biotinamido) hexanoate (sulfo-NHS-LC-biot) and then bound to avidin. The avidin-biotinylated MSCs were labeled with biotin conjugated ANXA5. Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAE-1 cells) were exposed to UVC to induce caspasedependent apoptosis. Finally, we tested the ability of ANXA5-labeled MSCs to bind BAE-1 apoptotic cells: suspended ANXA5-labeled MSCs were seeded for 1 hour on a monolayer of UV-treated or control BAE-1 cells. After washing, the number of MSCs bound to BAE-1 cells was evaluated by confocal microscopy. Statistical analysis demonstrate... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860437 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1860437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860436&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18839069%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Robic A, Faraut T, Liaubet L, Milan D Carnitine acetyltransferase (CRAT) is an important enzyme for energy homeostasis and fat metabolism. We characterized the predicted full length cDNA sequence of the porcine CRAT gene. Its structure is very similar to that in humans with respect to the size and organization of the 14 exons. We demonstrated the existence of a porcine alternative transcript resulting from a partial intron-retention at the 5' end of exon 2. To perform a comparison of the 5' end variants of the mammalian CRAT gene, we analyzed the Genbank data, and here we propose a new 5' variant for dog, rat and mouse. In contrast to other mammals where this variant encodes a shorter protein (-21 aa in human, mouse and rat, and -14 aa in dog), the pig variant encodes for a lo... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860436 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1860436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860435&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18839070%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hortsch M, Nagaraj K, Godenschwege TA L1-type cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are important mediators of neural differentiation, including axonal outgrowth and pathfinding and also of synapse formation and maintenance. In addition, their interactions with cytoskeletal components are highly conserved and regulated. How these different aspects of CAM functionality relate to each other is not well understood. Based on results from our and other laboratories we propose that ankyrin-binding to L1-type CAMs provides a master switch. The interaction with ankyrins directs L1-type adhesive proteins into different functional contexts, either ankyrin-independent functions, such as neurite outgrowth and axonal pathfinding or into ankyrin-dependent functions, such as L1's role at axon initi... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860435 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1860435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860434&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18839071%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Konopka K, Spain C, Yen A, Overlid N, Gebremedhin S, Düzgüneş N Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein family, is associated with malignant transformation and is over-expressed in most human tumors. Using lipoplex-mediated transfection, we evaluated the activity of the reporter enzyme, luciferase, expressed from plasmids encoding the enzyme under the control of either the cytomegalovirus (CMV) or survivin promoters, in tumor-and non-tumor-derived human and murine cells. We also examined whether there is a correlation between the survivin promoter-driven expression of luciferase and the level of endogenous survivin. Human cancer cells (HeLa, KB, HSC-3, H357, H376, H413), oral keratinocytes, GMSM-K, and chemically immortalized human mammar... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860434 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1860434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860433&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18839072%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kuliszkiewicz-Janus M, Tuz MA, Kiełbiński M, Jaźwiec B, Niedoba J, Baczyński S The aim of this study was to evaluate the phospholipid concentration in acute leukemia (AL) blast cells from peripheral blood (PBMC) and bone marrow (BMMC). In vitro (31)P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ((31)P MRS) was used. The integral intensities of the resonant peaks and the phospholipid concentrations in PBMC and BMMC were analyzed. Differences in the phospholipid concentrations in cells from myeloblastic or lymphoblastic lines were also evaluated. This investigation was carried out on phospholipid extracts from PBMC and BMMC from 15 healthy volunteers and 77 patients with AL (samples taken at the moment of diagnosis). A significant decrease in sphingomyelin (SM... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860433 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1860433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860432&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18839073%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Grzelak A, Kruszewski M, Macierzyńska E, Piotrowski L, Pułaski L, Rychlik B, Bartosz G The erythrocytes of 12-month old Sod1 ( -/- ) mice showed an increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as estimated by the degree of dihydroethidine and dihydrorhodamine oxidation, and the increased level of Heinz bodies. No indices of severe oxidative stress were found in the red blood cells and blood plasma of Sod1 ( -/- ) mice as judged from the lack of significant changes in the levels of erythrocyte and plasma glutathione, plasma protein thiol and carbonyl groups and thiobarbituric-acid reactive substances in the blood plasma. However, a decreased erythrocyte lifespan, increased reticulocyte count and splenomegaly were noted, indicating the importance of superoxide d... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860432 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1860432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1860431&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18839074%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Plewczyński D, Ginalski K The term Interactome describes the set of all molecular interactions in cells, especially in the context of protein-protein interactions. These interactions are crucial for most cellular processes, so the full representation of the interaction repertoire is needed to understand the cell molecular machinery at the system biology level. In this short review, we compare various methods for predicting protein-protein interactions using sequence and structure information. The ultimate goal of those approaches is to present the complete methodology for the automatic selection of interaction partners using their amino acid sequences and/or three dimensional structures, if known. Apart from a description of each method, details of the software or web in... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1860431 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1860431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1743838&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18726192%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stern JN, Keskin DB Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, debilitating disease, which manifests itself by de-myelination of the central nervous system (CNS). MS is predominantly found in Caucasians of European decent and is more prominent in females than males. MS is one of the most prevalent causes of disability of young adults in the world. The exact cause of MS is not known, however genetic susceptibility to MS is linked to the major histocompability complex (MHC). Self reactive CD4+ T cells, specific for CNS antigens, such as myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) and proteolipid protein (PLP), are detectable in MS patients along with pathogenic autoantibodies specific to these CNS antigens produced by B cells. These observations suggest that... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1743838 Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1743838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1661844&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18661111%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wójtowicz T, Mozrzymas JW Erythropoietin is a potent regulator of erythropoiesis. It acts via the specific membrane receptor (EpoR). Erythropoietin is also known to be present in the central nervous system, and its concentration and the expression of EpoR change during development, which raises the possibility that this modulator might be involved in the regulation of neuronal functions in the developing brain. The GABAergic system undergoes profound changes during development and is particularly susceptible to modulation by endogenous factors. Therefore, we decided to investigate the impact of Epo on GABAergic transmission in hippocampal neurons developing in vitro. An analysis of miniature IPSCs (mIPSCs) revealed that a long-term treatment with Epo (48 or 72 h) resulted... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1661844 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1661844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1661843&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18661112%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we show that EHD1, like the other human EHDs, undergoes serine-phosphorylation. Our results also indicate that EHD1 is a serum-inducible serine-phosphoprotein and that PKC (protein kinase C) is one of its kinases. In addition, we show that inhibitors of clathrin-mediated endocytosis decrease EHD1 phosphorylation, while inhibitors of caveolinmediated endocytosis do not affect EHD1 phosphorylation. The results of experiments in which inhibitors of endocytosis were employed strongly suggest that EHD1 phosphorylation occurs between early endosomes and the endocytic recycling compartment. PMID: 18661112 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1661843 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1661843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1661842&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18661113%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang H, Hu B, Ji Y, Kato A, Song Y In order to investigate the effect of calnexin deletion on the induction of the main ER molecular chaperone BiP, we cultured the wild-type and calnexin-disrupted Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains under normal and stressed conditions. The growth rate of the calnexin-disrupted yeast was almost the same as that of the wild-type yeast under those conditions. However, the induced level of BiP mRNA in the ER was evidently higher in calnexin-disrupted S. cerevisiae than in the wild-type at 37 degrees C, but was almost the same in the two strains under normal conditions. The Western blot analysis results for BiP protein expression in the ER showed a parallel in the mRNA levels in the two strains. It is suggested that under heat stress conditions, the... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1661842 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1661842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1643421&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18641923%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, adipose tissue AKR1C3 expression may be affected by metabolic disease, and its levels are significantly reduced in response to dietinduced weight loss and correlate with leptin levels. PMID: 18641923 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1643421 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1643421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627737&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17952375%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kuliszkiewicz-Janus M, Tuz MA, Kiełbiński M, Baczyński S, Jaźwiec B, Sladowska H The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the changes in PAF concentrations in the plasma, PBMC and BMMC of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). The plasma was from 23 healthy volunteers (HV) and 44 patients with AL (16 ALL, 28 AML). The PBMC were from 15 HV and 55 patients with AL (18 ALL, 37 AML), and the BMMC from 40 patients with AL (11 ALL, 29 AML). Methanol-chloroform phospholipid extraction from 60 x 10(6) cells (PBMC or BMMC) was performed according to a modified version of Folch's method. (31)P MRS data was obtained on an AMX 300 Bruker spectrometer (7.05 T). The PAF concentration in the plasma of the patients ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627737 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627736&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17952376%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yamaguchi T, Hashiguchi K, Katsuki S, Iwamoto W, Tsuruhara S, Terada S We previously demonstrated that caspase-3, an executioner of apoptosis, is activated in the pressure-induced apoptosis of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells (at 100 MPa). Here, we examined the pathway of caspase-3 activation using peptide substrates and caspase inhibitors. Using the substrates of caspases-8 and -9, it was found that both are activated in cells under high pressure. The production of nuclei with sub-G1 DNA content in 100 MPa-treated MEL cells was suppressed by inhibitors of caspases-8 and -9, and pan-caspase. In 100 MPa-treated cells, pan-caspase inhibitor partially prevented the cytochrome c release from the mitochondria and the breakdown of mitochondrial membrane potential. These results su... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627736 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627735&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17952377%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang H, He J, Ji Y, Kato A, Song Y We cultured calnexin-disrupted and wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains under conditions of heat stress. The growth rate of the calnexin-disrupted yeast was almost the same as that of the wild-type yeast under those conditions. However, the induced mRNA level of the molecular chaperone PDI in the ER was clearly higher in calnexin-disrupted S. cerevisiae relative to the wild type at 37 degrees C, despite being almost the same in the two strains under normal conditions. The western blotting analysis for PDI protein expression in the ER yielded results that show a parallel in their mRNA levels in the two strains. We suggest that PDI may interact with calnexin under heat stress conditions, and that the induction of PDI in the ER can recove... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627735 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627734&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17952378%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we examined the effects of its ethanolic root extract on experimental liver damage in order to evaluate its hepatoprotective effects against hepatotoxicity induced in rats by ethanol at a dosage of 5 g/kg body weight for 60 days. The H. indicus root extract was given at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight for the last 30 days of the experiment. The animals were monitored for food intake and weight gain. The liver was analysed for the degree of lipid peroxidation using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and antioxidant status using the activities of glutathione-dependent enzymes. The degree of liver damage was analysed using serum marker enzyme activities, the total protein, albumin, globulin, ceruloplasmin and liver glycogen contents, and the A/G ratio. The Fourier ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627734 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627733&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17952379%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we successfully reduced the tumorigenecity of OS-732 cells xenotransplanted into nude mice, using the antisense human OPN (hOPN) RNA expression vector. PMID: 17952379 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627733 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627733 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627732&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17952380%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hsieh CJ, Chen MJ, Liao YL, Liao TN Bilirubin, an antioxidant in the blood, plays a role in protection from atherosclerosis. The level of bilirubin is highly correlated to the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Unconjugated bilirubin is conjugated with glucuronic acid through the reaction of uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferase 1A1 (UGT1A1). The interactions of CAD and the variations in the coding regions of the UGT1A1 gene have never been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the UGT1A1 variant on the incidence of CAD. There were 135 participants in this study: 61 in the experimental group, who had CAD, and 74 in the control group, who did not have CAD. The blood samples from all 135 participants were collected and assayed to... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627732 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627731&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965965%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, sclerotia of Fuligo septica were analyzed by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The moulds were cultivated in vitro on filter paper, fed with oat flour, and kept until the plasmodia began to produce sclerotia. The obtained sclerotia differed in colour from yellow through orange to dark-brown. The EPR spectra revealed a free radical, melanin-like signal correlated with the depth of the colour; it was strongest in the dark sclerotia. Sclerotization only took place when the plasmodia were starved and very slowly dried. Only the yellow sclerotia were able to regenerate into viable plasmodia. This suggests that myxomycete cytoplasm dehydration is an active process regulated metabolically. Plasmodial sclerotization may therefore serve as a convenient mode... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627731 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627731 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627730&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965966%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Piechota M, Banach M, Jacoń A, Rysz J The natriuretic peptide family comprises atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP), and urodilatin. The activities of natriuretic peptides and endothelins are strictly associated with each other. ANP and BNP inhibit endothelin-1 (ET-1) production. ET-1 stimulates natriuretic peptide synthesis. All natriuretic peptides are synthesized from polypeptide precursors. Changes in natriuretic peptides and endothelin release were observed in many cardiovascular diseases: e.g. chronic heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction and coronary artery disease. PMID: 17965966 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627730 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627730 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627729&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965967%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated apoptosis induced in human trisomic and diabetic fibroblasts by daunorubicin (DNR) and its derivative, idarubicin (IDA). The cells were incubated with DNR or IDA for 2 h and then cultured in a drug-free medium for a further 2-48 h. The apoptosis in the cultured cell lines was assessed by biochemical analysis. We found that both drugs induced a time dependent loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and a significant increase in intracellular calcium and caspase-3 activity. Mitochondrial polarization and changes in the level of intracellular calcium were observed during the first 2-6 h after drug treatment. Caspase-3 activation occurred in the late stages of the apoptotic pathway. Our findings also demonstrated that idarubicin was more cytotoxic and more effe... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627729 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627728&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965968%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schweitzer K, Li E, Sidhaye V, Leitch V, Kuznetsov S, King LS Altered tissue water homeostasis may contribute to edema formation during various stresses including bacterial infection. We observed induction of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) during Staphylococcus aureus infection of cultured cells indicating a potential mechanism underlying altered water homeostasis during infection. To investigate mechanisms of AQP1 induction, we examined the effects of the S. aureus alpha-hemolysin on AQP1 abundance in Balb/c fibroblasts. Fibroblasts incubated with 30 microg/ml hemolysin exhibited a 5-10 fold increase in AQP1 protein within 4-6 hours of exposure. The use of multiple signaling cascade inhibitors failed to affect hemolysin-mediated accumulation of AQP1. However, immunoprecipitation revealed... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627728 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627727&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965969%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we constructed several different syntaxin 8 molecules by mutating putative di-leucine-based motifs, and analyzed their intracellular localization and trafficking. We found a di-leucine-based motif in the cytoplasmic domain of syntaxin 8. It is similar to that of syntaxin 7, and functions in its endocytosis. These results suggest that in the cytoplasmic domain, syntaxin 8 has two functionally distinct di-leucine-based motifs that act independently in its endocytic and exocytic processes. This is the first report on two di-leucine-based motifs in the same molecule acting independently in distinct transport pathways. PMID: 17965969 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627727 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627726&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965970%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yang L, Mei Y, Xie Q, Han X, Zhang F, Gu L, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Li G, Gao Z It has been suggested that Bax translocation to the mitochondria is related to apoptosis, and that cytosol acidification contributes to apoptosis events. However, the mechanisms remain obscure. We investigated the effect of acidification on Bax translocation and on ultraviolet (UV) light-induced apoptosis. The Bax translocation assay in vitro showed that Bax translocated to the mitochondria at pH 6.5, whereas no Bax translocation was observed at pH 7.4. VHDBB cells expressing the GFP-Bax fusion protein were treated for 12 h with a pH 6.5 DMEM medium, nigericin (5 mug/ml) and UV light (50 J/cm(2)), separately or in combination, and Bax translocation to the mitochondria was determined by SDS-PAGE and Wester... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627726 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627725&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965971%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ferrari R, Dieci G Transcription reinitiation by RNA polymerase (Pol) III proceeds through facilitated recycling, a process by which the terminating Pol III, assisted by the transcription factors TFIIIB and TFIIIC, rapidly reloads onto the same transcription unit. To get further insight into the Pol III transcription mechanism, we analyzed the kinetics of transcription initiation and reinitiation of a simplified in vitro transcription system consisting only of Pol III and template DNA. The data indicates that, in the absence of transcription factors, first-round transcription initiation by Pol III proceeds at a normal rate, while facilitated reinitiation during subsequent cycles is compromised. PMID: 17965971 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Cellular and Molecular B... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627725 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627724&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965972%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wybieralska E, Koza M, Sroka J, Czyz J, Madeja Z The results of several experimental studies have shown that ascorbic acid inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. Ascorbic acid is an antioxidant that acts as a scavenger for a wide range of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both tumour metastasis and cell migration have been correlated with the intracellular ROS level, so it was postulated that the inhibitory effect of ascorbic acid derivatives on cell motility may be caused by scavenging of ROS. Time-lapse analyses of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cell migration showed that both the speed of movement and the cell displacement were inhibited by ascorbic acid applied in concentrations ranging from 10 to 250 microM. This effect correlated with a reduction in the intracellular ROS level in... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627724 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627723&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965973%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Czyz J Tumour development is a process resulting from the disturbance of various cellular functions including cell proliferation, adhesion and motility. While the role of these cell parameters in tumour promotion and progression has been widely recognized, the mechanisms that influence gap junctional coupling during tumorigenesis remain elusive. Neoplastic cells usually display decreased levels of connexin expression and/or gap junctional coupling. Thus, impaired intercellular communication via gap junctions may facilitate the release of a potentially neoplastic cell from the controlling regime of the surrounding tissue, leading to tumour promotion. However, recent data indicates that metastatic tumour cell lines are often characterized by relatively high levels of connexin ex... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627723 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627722&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965974%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gutman W, Pawełkowicz M, Woycicki R, Piszczek E, Przybecki Z Cloning using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) can yield high quality genomic libraries, which are used for the physical mapping, identification and isolation of genes, and for gene sequencing. A BAC genomic library was constructed from high molecular weight DNA (HMW DNA) obtained from nuclei of the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Borszczagowski; B10 line). The DNA was digested with the HindIII restriction enzyme and ligated into the pCC1BAC vector. The library consists of 34,560 BAC clones with an average insert size of 135 kb, and 12.7x genome coverage. Screening the library for chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA content indicated an exceptionally low 0.26% contamination with chloroplast DNA and 0.3% w... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627722 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627721&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17965975%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sroka J, Włosiak P, Wilk A, Antonik J, Czyz J, Madeja Z Organotin compounds are chemicals that are widely used in industry and agriculture as plastic stabilizers, catalysts and biocides. Many of them, including tributyltin (TBT), have been detected in human food and, as a consequence, detectable levels have been found in human blood. As organotin compounds were shown to possess immunotoxic activity, we focused our attention on the effect of TBT on the basic determinants of the function of eosinophils, i.e. cell adhesiveness and motility. We used human eosinophylic leukemia EoL-1 cells, a common in vitro cellular model of human eosinophils. Here, we demonstrate that TBT causes a dose-dependent decrease in the viability of EoL-1 cells. When administered at sub-lethal conce... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627721 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627720&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18026857%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, carvedilol enhances antioxidant defense mechanisms in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. PMID: 18026857 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627720 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627719&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18026858%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Władyka B, Pustelny K Proteases, also referred to as peptidases, are the enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of peptide bonds in polipeptides. A variety of biological functions and processes depend on their activity. Regardless of the organism's complexity, peptidases are essential at every stage of life of every individual cell, since all protein molecules produced must be proteolytically processed and eventually recycled. Protease inhibitors play a crucial role in the required strict and multilevel control of the activity of proteases involved in processes conditioning both the physiological and pathophysiological functioning of an organism, as well as in host-pathogen interactions. This review describes the regulation of activity of bacterial proteases produced by da... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627719 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627719 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627718&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18161008%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kowalska E, Kozik A Thiamin (vitamin B1) is an essential molecule for all living organisms. Its major biologically active derivative is thiamin diphosphate, which serves as a cofactor for several enzymes involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Important new functions for thiamin and its phosphate esters have recently been suggested, e.g. in gene expression regulation by influencing mRNA structure, in DNA repair after UV illumination, and in the protection of some organelles against reactive oxygen species. Unlike higher animals, which rely on nutritional thiamin intake, yeasts can synthesize thiamin de novo. The biosynthesis pathways include the separate synthesis of two precursors, 4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methylpyrimidine diphosphate and 5-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-met... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627718 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627717&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18161009%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Craig DH, Schaubert KL, Shiratsuchi H, Kan-Mitchell J, Basson MD Patients with malignancy typically exhibit abnormal dendritic cell profiles. Interstitial tumor pressure is increased 20-50 mmHg over that in normal tissue. We hypothesized that elevated pressure in the tumor microenvironment may influence dendritic cell (DC) phenotype and function. Monocyte-derived immature and mature DC isolated from healthy human donors were exposed to either ambient or 40 mmHg increased pressure at 37 degrees C for 12 hours, then assessed for expression of CD80, CD86, CD83, CD40, MHC-I and MHC-II. IL-12 production and phagocytosis of CFSE-labeled tumor lysate were assessed in parallel. Elevated pressure significantly increased expression of all co-stimulatory and MHC molecules on mature DC. I... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627717 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627716&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18161010%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Claessens A, Weyn C, Merregaert J Mouse chondrolectin (chodl) was isolated out of the tail tip of four-day old 129/SvJ mice as a by-product of a PCR-based subtractive cDNA library screening. The gene is predominantly expressed in adult skeletal muscle, heart, testes and lungs and in embryonic stadia. Chodl is the mouse homologue of human chondrolectin (CHODL), a gene that encodes for a type Ia transmembrane protein and that is expressed in human testis, prostate, heart and skeletal muscle tissue. CHODL-splice variants (CHODL ( f ), CHODL ( f Delta E ), CHODL ( Delta E )) are detected in human leukocytes. The proteins of the chondrolectin family belong to the family of C-type lectins. As the members of this protein family are important for a wide array of biological processes, ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627716 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627715&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18161011%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mohammed K, Shervington A Previously, we identified a novel correlation between the upregulated expression of telomerase (hTERT) and cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) in A549 human lung cancer cell line. The expression correlation was confirmed by silencing CYP1A1 expression using siRNA technology and observing a silencing of hTERT transcription. Furthermore, silencing CYP1A1 and subsequently downregulating hTERT resulted in the reduction of cancer cell viability by more than 40%, which appeared as early as 24 hours after the treatment. The concomitant downregulation of CYP1A1 and hTERT resulted in rapid cell death. This finding can be further exploited to develop new molecular targets for the treatment of lung cancer. PMID: 18161011 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cellular and ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627715 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627714&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18197392%26dopt%3DAbstract This study focused on the function of hnRNP-R in the regulation of c-fos expression. We demonstrated that hnRNP-R accelerated the rise and decline phases of c-fos mRNAs and Fos proteins, allowing PMA to induce an augmented pulse response of c-fos expression. Then, we examined the role of the c-fos-derived AU-rich element (ARE) in hnRNP-R-regulated mRNA degradation. Studies with the ARE-GFP reporter gene showed that hnRNP-R significantly reduced the expression of GFP with an inserted ARE. Moreover, immunoprecipitation-RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that in R28 cells and rat retinal tissues, the c-fos mRNA was co-immunoprecipitated with hnRNP-R. These findings indicate that hnRNP-R regulates the c-fos expression in retinal cells, and that the ARE of c-fos mRNAs contributes to this regulation. ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627714 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627713&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18197393%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we investigated the structure and function of a group of siRNAs with high C/G contents. The results showed that single siRNAs against the Calpain, Otoferlin and Her2 mRNAs could induce different silencing effects on their targets, suggesting that the accessibility to target sequences influences the efficacy of siRNA. Unexpectedly, a single siRNA could target its cognate sequence in the 3'UTR of EEF1D or the 5'UTR of hTRF2 or CDC6. Their interaction induced different modes of gene silencing. Furthermore, the introduction of mutations into the 3' end of the passenger strand showed that the position and number of mutated nucleotides could exert some influence on the efficacy of siRNA. However, these mutations did not completely block the passenger strand from exerting its RNAi ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627713 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627712&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18292972%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Korohoda W, Wilk A In this paper, we discuss the application of various methods of cell electrophoresis in research into cell surface properties (analytical methods), and the separation of uniform cell subpopulations from cell mixtures (preparative methods). The emphasis is on the prospects of the development of simplified and versatile methodologies, i.e. microcapillary cell electrophoresis and horizontal cell electrophoresis under near-isopycnic conditions. New perspectives are considered on the use of analytical and preparative cell electrophoresis in research on cell differentiation, neoplastic transformation, cell-cell interactions and the biology of stem cells. PMID: 18292972 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters) Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627712 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627712 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627711&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18292973%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was aimed at quantifying the effects of apigenin on the basic cellular traits determining cancer development, i.e. cell proliferation, gap junctional coupling, and motility, using the Dunning rat prostate MAT-LyLu cell model. We demonstrated that apigenin considerably inhibits MAT-LyLu cell proliferation and significantly enhances the intensity of connexin43-mediated gap junctional coupling. This effect correlates with an increased abundance of Cx43-positive plaques at the cell-to-cell borders seen in apigenin-treated variants. Moreover, we observed an inhibitory effect of apigenin on the motility of MAT-LyLu cells. The basic parameters characterising MAT-LyLu cell motility, especially the rate of cell displacement, considerably decreased upon apigenin administration. This in vi... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627711 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1627710&cid=s_37765_60_f&fid=37765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18311544%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we restored a high intracellular Zn(2+) level to LNCaP prostate cancer cells by culturing the cells in a growth medium supplemented with a supraphysiological concentration of Zn(2+) (10 mug/ml) over 5 weeks. The intracellular Zn(2+) level increased in the Zn(2+)-treated cells, and there was a marked increase in the presence of zincosomes, a Zn(2+)-specific intracellular organelle. The proliferation rate of the Zn(2+)-treated cells was markedly reduced. There was also a significant increase (36.6% +/- 6.4%) in the total tyrosine phosphorylated proteins. Vaccinia H1-related (VHR) phosphatase, zeta chain-associated protein-70 (ZAP-70) kinase and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1 and 2 (p-ERK 1 and 2) were also present in higher abundance. Treatment ... Cellular and Molecular Biology Letters journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1627710 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:10:32 +0100 1627710