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Evaluation of mixed-salt effects on thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of RNA polymerase - promoter DNA complexes in terms of equivalent salt concentrations. General applicability to DNA complexes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Facile evaluation of mixed-salt effect on the strongly salt-dependent thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of protein-DNA complexes is of importance for relevant biochemical and biophysical studies. In pursuit of this aim, binding isotherms for open transcription complex (RPo) of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (R) at lambdaP(R) promoter DNA (P) were determined as a function of salt concentration in pure NaCl and Tris/HCl solutions, and as a function of [NaCl] in the presence of fixed concentrations of MgCl(2) and Tris/HCl. A concept of equivalent salt concentrations, i.e. concentrations at which the binding equilibriu...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - November 6, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Loziński T, Wierzchowski KL Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Glutathione reductase activity correlates with concentration of extracellular matrix.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The mechanisms underlying cartilage matrix degradation in joint diseases is not fully understood but reactive oxygen species are implicated as main causative factors. Comparative studies of glutathione reductase (GR) activity in synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), reactive arthritis (ReA) and osteoarthritis (OA) as well as correlations between GR activity and concentration of the major cartilage components in synovial fluid are presented in this study. We found significantly higher activity of GR in RA (about three-fold) and ReA (about two-fold) than in OA. In RA and ReA patients, GR activity i...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - October 21, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Sredzińska K, Galicka A, Porowska H, Sredziński L, Porowski T, Popko J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Elements regulating Potato leafroll virus sgRNA1 translation are located within the coding sequences of the coat protein and read-trough domain.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Translation of viral proteins from subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) is a common strategy among positive-stranded RNA viruses. Unlike host mRNA, sgRNA of Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) does not possess a cap at its 5' end nor a poly(A) tail at the 3' terminus, both of which are known to be crucial for translation of RNA in eukaryotic cells. Here, we demonstrate, that in wheat germ extract (WGE) truncation of the sgRNA1 5' UTR increases translation efficiency, as it has previously been observed in rabbit reticulocyte lysate (RRL), whereas removal of the 3' UTR does not affect translation. We also describe two regulatory elements l...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - October 18, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Loniewska-Lwowska A, Chełstowska S, Zagorski-Ostoja W, Pałucha A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Annexins - calcium- and membrane-binding proteins in the plant kingdom: potential role in nodulation and mycorrhization in Medicago truncatula.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Annexins belong to a family of multi-functional membrane- and Ca(2+)-binding proteins. The characteristic feature of these proteins is that they can bind membrane phospholipids in a reversible, Ca(2+)-dependent manner. While animal annexins have been known for a long time and are fairly well characterized, their plant counterparts were discovered only in 1989, in tomato, and have not been thoroughly studied yet. In the present review, we discuss the available information about plant annexins with special emphasis on biochemical and functional properties of some of them. In addition, we propose a link between annexins a...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - October 16, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Talukdar T, Gorecka KM, de Carvalho-Niebel F, Downie JA, Cullimore J, Pikula S Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Mutational analysis of the AtNUDT7 Nudix hydrolase from Arabidopsis thaliana reveals residues required for protein quaternary structure formation and activity.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Arabidopsis thaliana AtNUDT7, a homodimeric Nudix hydrolase active on ADP-ribose and NADH, exerts negative control on the major signaling complex involved in plant defense activation and programmed cell death. The structural and functional consequences of altering several amino-acid residues of the AtNUDT7 protein have been examined by site-directed mutagenesis, far-UV circular dichroism (CD), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and photon correlation (PCS) spectroscopy, biochemical analysis and protein-protein interaction studies. Alanine substitutions of F73 and V168 disallowed dimer for...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - October 16, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Olejnik K, Płochocka D, Grynberg M, Goch G, Gruszecki WI, Basińska T, Kraszewska E Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Herpesviruses as possible cofactors in HPV-16-related oncogenesis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, the correlation of CMV, EBV, HSV-1, HSV-2, HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections with the physical status of the HPV genome in cervical cancer and precancerous cervical lesions was investigated in sixty HPV-16-positive women. Cervical secretion samples were submitted to DNA extraction and analyzed by PCR. HPV-16 DNA was confirmed in genotyping with the reverse hybridization line probe assay. Multiplex PCR with specific primers for the E2/E6 genes was used to assess the viral integration status of HPV-16. Our results show that CMV DNA was more frequently present in samples with mixed forms of HPV-16 than in the episomal...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - October 16, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Szostek S, Zawilinska B, Kopec J, Kosz-Vnenchak M Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Influence of vitamin D(3) analogues in combination with budesonid R on proliferation of nasal polyp fibroblasts.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
CONCLUSIONS: The antiproliferative activity of calcitriol and tacalcitol in NP cultures was confirmed. Because of its lower toxicity and higher activity tacalcitol seems to be the more promising agent in NP therapy, both as a single medication and in treatment protocols with BR. PMID: 19503845 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Acta Biochim Pol)
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - October 16, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Rostkowska-Nadolska B, Fraczek M, Gawron W, Latocha M Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Involvement of Rac/Cdc42/PAK pathway in cytoskeletal rearrangements.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are serine/threonine protein kinases interacting with small GTPases - Rac and Cdc42. PAKs are found in most eukaryotes and play an evolutionarily conserved role in many cellular processes. Six human PAKs have been identified, and based on homology, they can be classified into two groups. This review focuses specifically on the role of Rac/Cdc42 regulated PAKs in maintaining and remodeling cytoskeletal structure in various organisms. A list of PAKs substrates and binding partners implicated directly and indirectly in cytoskeletal reorganization is presented. Also perturbations of the Rac...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - October 16, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Szczepanowska J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Flavonoids as reductants of ferryl hemoglobin.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The ferryl derivatives of hemoglobin are products of the reactions of oxy- and methemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide. Ferryl hemoglobins, either with or without a radical site on the protein moiety, are oxidizing species. Plant polyphenols, flavonoids, have been shown to act as antioxidants in vivo and in vitro. Reactions of met- and oxyhemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of catechin, quercetin and rutin were studied. These flavonoids accelerated reduction of ferryl hemoglobin to methemoglobin. The rate constants of the reactions of ferryl hemoglobin with catechin, quercetin and rutin were in the order of ...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 25, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Gebicka L, Banasiak E Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Potassium channels in brain mitochondria.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Potassium channels are the most widely distributed class of ion channels. These channels are transmembrane proteins known to play important roles in both normal and pathophysiological functions in all cell types. Various potassium channels are recognised as potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, brain/spinal cord ischaemia and sepsis. In addition to their importance as therapeutic targets, certain potassium channels are known for their beneficial roles in anaesthesia, cardioprotection and neuroprotection. Some types of potassium channels present in the plasma membran...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 16, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Bednarczyk P Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

High sequence homology between protein tyrosine acid phosphatase from boar seminal vesicles and human prostatic acid phosphatase.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Boar seminal vesicle protein tyrosine acid phosphatase (PTAP) and human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) show high affinity for protein phosphotyrosine residues. The physico-chemical and kinetic properties of boar and human enzymes are different. The main objective of this study was to establish the nucleotide sequence of cDNA encoding boar PTAP and compare it with that of human PAP cDNA. Also, the amino acid sequence of boar PTAP was compared with the sequence of human PAP. PTAP was isolated from boar seminal vesicle fluid and sequenced. cDNA to boar seminal vesicle RNA was synthesized, amplified by PCR, cloned in E. ...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 16, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Wysocki P, Płucienniczak G, Strzeżek J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Endothelium as target for large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel openers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The endothelium is a highly active organ responsible for vasculatory tone and structure, angiogenesis, as well as hemodynamic, humoral, and inflammatory responses. The endothelium is constantly exposed to blood flow, sheer stress and tension. Endothelial cells are present as a vasculature in every tissue of the body and react to and control its microenvironment. A variety of ion channels are present in the plasma membranes of endothelial cells. These include potassium channels such as inwardly rectifying potassium (K(ir)) channels, voltage-dependent (K(v)) channels, ATP-regulated potassium (K(ATP)) channels and three t...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 13, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Wrzosek A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Bradykinin-related peptides up-regulate the expression of kinin B1 and B2 receptor genes in human promonocytic cell line U937.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Kinins, universal mediators of inflammation, are recognized by two kinds of receptors, B1 and B2, which have been found to be expressed in numerous cell types of several species. However, the knowledge of the regulation of these receptors in leukocytes is still not satisfactory. In the current work, we have demonstrated a constitutive production of B2 receptor mRNA in the human promonocyte U937 cells and its two-fold augmentation after cell differentiation with retinoic acid and phorbol ester. Bradykinin and des-Arg(10)-kallidin induced the expression of both B2 and B1 receptors in cells before and after differentiatio...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 13, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Guevara-Lora I, Florkowska M, Kozik A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Natural phenolic acids may increase serum estradiol level in ovariectomized rats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Natural phenolic acids are commonly present in plants consumed in the diet. Recently we have observed that different natural phenolic acids exert differential effects on the body mass gain in ovariectomized and non-ovariectomized female rats. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ferulic, caffeic, p-coumaric and chlorogenic acids on serum estradiol and total cholesterol levels in ovariectomized and non-ovariectomized rats. The experiments were carried out on 3-month old female Wistar Cmd:(WI)WU rats, divided into following groups (n=8 in each group): non-ovariectomized control rats and non-ovar...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 13, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Zych M, Folwarczna J, Trzeciak HI Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Mechanosensitivity of cell membrane may govern creep-strain recovery, osmotic expansion and lysis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A simple theoretical model considering cell membrane mechanosensitivity can accurately describe published experimental data on membrane area creeping and recovery, and on osmotic expansion and rupture. The model to data fit reveals real values of membrane tension and elasticity modulus, and the parameters describing membrane organization and kinetics of mechanosensitive membrane traffic, including small solute transport, water permeability, endocytosis, exocytosis, and caveolae formation. This estimation allows for separation and quantitative analysis of the participation of different processes constituting the respons...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 13, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Pawłowski PH Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

TGF-beta(1), IL-10 and IL-4 in colostrum of allergic and nonallergic mothers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: TGF-beta(1) was detected less often in the colostrum of allergic mothers than in that of mothers without allergy (but the difference was not statistically significant). IL-4 was found more often in the colostrum of allergic mothers than nonallergic ones. The allergy status did not correlate with IL-10 concentration. PMID: 19753334 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Biochim Pol)
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 13, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Marek A, Zagierski M, Liberek A, Aleksandrowicz E, Korzon M, Krzykowski G, Kamińska B, Szlagatys-Sidorkiewicz A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

H3K4 histone methylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Methylation of specific lysine residues in histone tails has been proposed to function as a stable epigenetic marker that directs biological functions altering chromatin structure. Recent findings have implicated alteration in heterochromatin formation as a contributing factor in cancer development. In order to verify whether changes in the overall level of H3K4 histone methylation could be involved in oral squamous carcinoma, the levels of H3K4me1, me2 and me3 were measured in oral squamous carcinoma, leukoplakias and normal tissues. The levels of H3K4me2 and me3 were significantly different in oral squamous cell carc...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 13, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Mancuso M, Matassa DS, Conte M, Colella G, Rana G, Fucci L, Piscopo M Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Determination of hydroperoxides in aqueous solutions containing surfactants by the ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange method.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Some surfactants widely used as additives in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic formulations are susceptible to peroxidation resulting in accumulation of hydroperoxides (HP). Our investigation was aimed to study the possible influence of different surfactants on the proportionality and reproducibility of the ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange method developed originally for the determination of hydroperoxides. We also attempted to apply this method to determine hydroperoxides produced radiolytically in surfactant molecules. From our preliminary studies we conclude that the method can be applied for determination of hydr...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 7, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Meisner P, Gębicki JL Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

The slow sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase declines independently of slow myosin in soleus muscle of diabetic rats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA) isoforms are normally expressed in coordination with the corresponding myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms in the fibers of skeletal muscle but this coordination is often disrupted in pathological conditions. In the streptozotocin-induced diabetes of rats (stz-rats), the soleus muscle showed peripheral neuropathy and the SERCA2a level decreased in type I (slow-oxidative) fibers compared to the control muscles, whereas the expression of the corresponding slow MyHC1 did not change. No difference was found at the mRNA and protein levels of SERCA and MyHC isoforms in the whol...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 7, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Rácz G, Szabó A, Vér A, Zádor E Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Effect of insulin and glucose on adenosine metabolizing enzymes in human B lymphocytes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In diabetes several aspects of immunity are altered, including the immunomodulatory action of adenosine. Our study was undertaken to investigate the effect of different glucose and insulin concentrations on activities of adenosine metabolizing enzymes in human B lymphocytes line SKW 6.4. The activity of adenosine deaminase in the cytosolic fraction was very low and was not affected by different glucose concentration, but in the membrane fraction of cells cultured with 25 mM glucose it was decreased by ~35% comparing to the activity in cells maintained in 5 mM glucose, irrespective of insulin concentration. The activiti...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - September 7, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Kocbuch K, Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Grden M, Szutowicz A, Pawelczyk T Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Impact of roscovitine, a selective CDK inhibitor, on cancer cells: bi-functionality increases its therapeutic potential.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Increased expression and activity of proteins driving cell cycle progression as well as inactivation of endogenous inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) enhance the proliferative potential of cells. Escape of cells during malignant transformation from the proper cell cycle control rendering them independent from growth factors provides rationale for therapeutic targeting of CDKs. Exposure of rapidly growing human MCF-7 breast cancer and HeLa cervix cancer cells to roscovitine (ROSC), a selective inhibitor of CDKs, inhibits their proliferation by induction of cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. The outcome stron...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - August 31, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Węsierska-Gądek J, Borza A, Komina O, Maurer M Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

New method for quantitative analysis of GD2 ganglioside in plasma of neuroblastoma patients.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumour of childhood, is a malignancy of unknown origin and non-specific symptoms. One of the markers of the disease is GD2 ganglioside (disialoganglioside), which is abundantly expressed on the surface of neuroblastoma cells. Gangliosides are known to be shed by tumour cells and this phenomenon can be significant in cancer progression as they inhibit a number of immune responses both in vitro and in vivo. In search for novel markers useful in monitoring and prognosis of neuroblastoma, we developed and validated a new quantitative method of GD2 ganglioside analysis in hu...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - August 31, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Czaplicki D, Horwacik I, Kowalczyk A, Wieczorek A, Bolek-Marzec K, Balwierz W, Kozik A, Rokita H Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Sulfate permeases - phylogenetic diversity of sulfate transport.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Sulfate uptake, the first step of sulfate assimilation in all organisms, is a highly endoergic, ATP requiring process. It is under tight control at the transcriptional level and is additionally modulated by posttranslational modifications, which are not yet fully characterized. Sulfate anion is taken up into the cell by specific transporters, named sulfate permeases, located in the cell membrane. Bacterial sulfate permeases differ significantly from the eukaryotic transporters in their evolutionary origins, structure and subunit composition. This review focuses on the diversity and regulation of sulfate permeases in va...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - August 31, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Piłsyk S, Paszewski A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Arginase isoenzymes in human cirrhotic liver.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Cirrhosis leads to an inability of the liver to perform its biochemical functions. It can also lead to hepatocellular carcinoma in which, as we showed lately, arginase isoenzyme pattern changes. The present work presents our results on arginase isoenzymes and their possible role in liver cirrhosis. The study was performed on tissues obtained during liver transplantation from 60 patients with liver cirrhosis, and on samples of histologically normal liver (control) from 40 patients with benign or colorectal cancer liver metastases removed during surgery, 6-7 cm from the tumor border. Arginase isoenzymes AI (so-called liv...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - July 27, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Chrzanowska A, Gajewska B, Barańczyk-Kuźma A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Governing the monomer-dimer ratio of human cystatin c by single amino acid substitution in the hinge region.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Three dimensional domain swapping is one of the mechanisms involved in formation of insoluble aggregates of some amyloidogenic proteins. It has been proposed that proteins able to swap domains may share some common structural elements like conformationally constrained flexible turns/loops. We studied the role of loop L1 in the dimerization of human cystatin C using mutational analysis. Introduction of turn-favoring residues such as Asp or Asn into the loop sequence (in position 57) leads to a significant reduction of the dimer fraction in comparison with the wild type protein. On the other hand, introduction of a proli...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - July 27, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Szymańska A, Radulska A, Czaplewska P, Grubb A, Grzonka Z, Rodziewicz-Motowidło S Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

A novel lectin with antiproliferative activity from the medicinal mushroom Pholiota adiposa.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Little was known about biological activities of compounds from the medicinal mushroom of the genus Pholiota. A lectin from the Pholiota adiposa has now been isolated and its properties tested. The isolation procedure included ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and CM-cellulose, and fast protein liquid chromatography-gel filtration (FPLC) on Superdex 75. The lectin was composed of two identical subunits, each with a molecular weight of 16 kDa. Its N-terminal amino acid sequence showed little similarity to sequences of other Agaricales lectins. The hemagglutinating activity of the lectin was stable at temperat...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - July 27, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Zhang GQ, Sun J, Wang HX, Ng TB Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Inhibition of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase by 2-[2-nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]-1,3-cyclohexanedione.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Triketone herbicides are inhibitors of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), a key enzyme of the tyrosine transformation pathway, common for plants and animals. One of these herbicides, 2-[2-nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]-1,3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC), is so selective and efficient that it can be applied as a medicine in a hereditary metabolic disease - tyrosinemia type I. In this paper the available information concerning the molecular mechanism of HPPD inhibition by NTBC, originating from experimental investigations as well as theoretical modeling, has been collected. It is supplemented by results of additiona...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - July 20, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Molchanov S, Gryff-Keller A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Helicobacter pylori increases expression of proapoptotic markers Fas and FasL on CD4 lymphocytes in children.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The pathomechanism of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) action upon gastric mucosa and its role in the pathogenesis of gastritis have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the most prevalent lymphocyte subpopulations of the gastric mucosa in gastritis in children, as well as to evaluate the expression of Fas and Fas ligand receptors (FasL), periapoptotic markers of gastric mucosa lymphocytes before and after H. pylori eradication. Forty nine patients aged 6 to 17 years, investigated due to chronic abdominal pain, were studied. The obtained tissue samples were analysed by immunohistochemistry. D...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - July 1, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Kotłowska-Kmieć A, Bąkowska A, Szarszewski A, Kamińska B, Luczak G, Radys W, Landowski P, Brodzicki J, Korzon M, Liberek A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Chimeric protein ABRaA-VEGF121 is cytotoxic towards VEGFR-2-expressing PAE cells and inhibits B16-F10 melanoma growth.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It has been known that VEGF(121) isoform can serve as a carrier of therapeutic agents targeting tumor endothelial cells. We designed and constructed synthetic cDNA that encodes a chimeric protein comprising abrin-a (ABRaA) toxin A-chain and human VEGF(121). Expression of the ABRaA-VEGF(121) chimeric protein was carried out in E. coli strain BL21(DE3). ABRaA-VEGF(121) preparations were isolated from inclusion bodies, solubilized and purified by affinity and ion-exchanged chromatography (Ni-agarose and Q-Sepharose). Finaly, bacterial endotoxin was removed from the recombinant protein. Under non-reducing conditions, the r...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 28, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Smagur A, Boyko MM, Biront NV, Cichoń T, Szala S Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Quenching of acyl-homoserine lactone-dependent quorum sensing by enzymatic disruption of signal molecules.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria communicate using small diffusible signal molecules called autoinducers. This process, known as quorum sensing (QS), links cell density to the expression of genes as diverse as those associated with virulence factors production of plant and animal pathogens, bioluminescence, antibiotic production, sporulation or biofilm formation. In Gram-negative bacteria, this communication is mainly mediated by N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs). It has been proven that inactivation of the signal molecules attenuates many of the processes controlled by QS. Enzymatic degradation of the sig...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 28, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Czajkowski R, Jafra S Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Chemerin and the recruitment of NK cells to diseased skin.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Natural killer (NK) cells play a major role in the initial control of many viral pathogens and in the rejection of tumors. Consistent with their roles as immune sentinels, NK cells are found in inflamed skin, including lichen planus, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) lesions. In oral lichen planus lesions, the recruitment as well as intradermal colocalization of NK cells and pDC (plasmacytoid dendritic cells) appear to be mediated by chemerin, a recently identified protein ligand for chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1), a chemoattractant receptor expressed by both cell types. Dendritic cells can regulate NK cell acti...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 17, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Skrzeczyńska-Moncznik J, Stefańska A, Zabel BA, Kapińska-Mrowiecka M, Butcher EC, Cichy J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Extradermal melanin transfer? Lack of macroscopic spleen melanization in old C57BL/6 mice with de-synchronized hair cycle.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study shows that, at least in part, the phenomenon of splenic melanosis in C57BL/6 mice can be correlated with the synchronized skin melanization parallel to the hair cycle progress, and that melanin undergoes gradual degradation during the mouse life. PMID: 19543555 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Biochim Pol)
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 17, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Michalczyk D, Popik M, Salwinski A, Plonka PM Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Fungi pathogenic to humans: molecular bases of virulence of Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The frequency of severe systemic fungal diseases has increased in the last few decades. The clinical use of antibacterial drugs, immunosuppressive agents after organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, and advances in surgery are associated with increasing risk of fungal infections. Opportunistic pathogens from the genera Candida and Aspergillus as well as pathogenic fungi from the genus Cryptococcus can invade human organism and may lead to mucosal and skin infections or to deep-seated mycoses of almost all inner organs, especially in immunocompromised patients. Nowadays, there are some effective antifungal agents, ...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 17, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Karkowska-Kuleta J, Rapala-Kozik M, Kozik A Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Exogenous nitric oxide inhibits shedding of ADAM17 substrates.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Both ADAM17, the secretase responsible for the shedding of ectodomains of numerous membrane proteins including TNF and its receptors, as well as nitric oxide synthesized by inducible nitric oxide synthase play regulatory roles in inflammation and tumor progression. We analyzed the effect of endogenous and exogenous nitric oxide on the expression and activity of ADAM17 in murine endothelial cells and a monocyte/macrophage cell line. We found that endogenous nitric oxide influenced neither ADAM17 mRNA level nor the shedding of two ADAM17 substrates, TNF and TNFR1. Exogenous NO significantly diminished the release of TNF ...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 17, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Bzowska M, Stalińska K, Mężyk-Kopeć R, Wawro K, Duda K, Das S, Bereta J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Reference genes for gene expression studies on non-small cell lung cancer.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Although HPRT1 and ESD may by recommended for data normalization in gene expression studies on non-small cell lung cancer, the suitability of selected reference genes must be unconditionally validated prior to each study. PMID: 19543558 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Biochim Pol)
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 17, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Gresner P, Gromadzinska J, Wasowicz W Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Lansoprazole is an uncompetitive inhibitor of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Lansoprazole, a known H(+)/K(+)ATPase inhibitor, is currently used as a therapeutical option for the initial treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Recently, lansoprazole has been found to be an inhibitor of cytosolic PHOSPHO1 (a phosphatase which hydrolyses phosphocholine and phosphoethanolamine), providing a possible therapeutical target to cure pathological mineralization. Since PHOSPHO1 is present inside matrix vesicles, we tested the effect of lansoprazole on matrix vesicles containing several key enzymes for the mineralization process including tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase. We found that lansopr...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 17, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Delomenède M, Buchet R, Mebarek S Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Involvement of Rac /Cdc42/PAK pathway in cytoskeletal rearrangements.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are serine/threonine protein kinases interacting with small GTPases-Rac and Cdc42. PAKs are found in most eukaryotes and play an evolutionarily conserved role in many cellular processes. Six human PAKs have been identified, and based on homology, they can be classified into two groups. This review focuses specifically on the role of Rac/Cdc42 regulated PAKs in maintaining and remodeling cytoskeletal structure in various organisms. A list of PAKs substrates and binding partners implicated directly and indirectly in cytoskeletal reorganization is presented. Also perturbations of the Rac/C...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 9, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Szczepanowska J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Influence of vitamin D3 analogues in combination with budesonid R on proliferation of nasal polyp fibroblasts.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The antiproliferative activity of calcitriol and tacalcitol in NP cultures was confirmed. Because of its lower toxicity and higher activity tacalcitol seems to be the more promising agent in NP therapy, both as a single medication and in treatment protocols with BR. PMID: 19503845 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Biochim Pol)
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 4, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Rostkowska-Nadolska B, Frączek M, Gawron W, Latocha M Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Herpesviruses as possible cofactors in HPV-16 - related oncogenesis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, the correlation of CMV, EBV, HSV-1, HSV-2, HHV-6 and HHV-7 infections with the physical status of the HPV genome in cervical cancer and precancerous cervical lesions was investigated in sixty HPV-16-positive women. Cervical secretion samples were submitted to DNA extraction and analyzed by PCR. HPV-16 DNA was confirmed in genotyping with the reverse hybridization line probe assay. Multiplex PCR with specific primers for the E2/E6 genes was used to assess the viral integration status of HPV-16. Our results show that CMV DNA was more frequently present in samples with mixed forms of HPV-16 than in the episomal...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 3, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Szostek S, Zawilinska B, Kopec J, Kosz-Vnenchak M Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Unexpected domain composition of MACC1 links MET signaling and apoptosis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Colorectal cancer, one of the most challenging malignancies, still has a limited number of recognized prognostic and predictive markers indicating appropriate treatment. MACC1 (Metastasis-Associated in Colon Cancer-1), a novel regulator of tumor growth and metastasis has recently been identified as an important prognostic factor of metastatic disease in colorectal cancer. The mechanism of MACC1 activity remains undetermined. Here we apply a combination of fold recognition and homology modeling algorithms to draft MACC1 function. The applied methods revealed that the MACC1 protein consists of four domains: ZU5, SH3, and...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - June 3, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Kokoszyńska K, Kryński J, Rychlewski L, Wyrwicz LS Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Diminished expression of ICOS, GITR and CTLA-4 at the mRNA level in T regulatory cells of children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. T regulatory cells (Tregs) modulate response to autoantigens and probably play a role in pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1DM). The aim of the present study was the assessment of T regulatory cells including their percentages and expression of critical genes in these cells in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. The examined group consisted of 50 children with T1DM. A flow cytometric analysis of T-cell subpopulations was performed using the following markers: anti-CD4, anti-CD25 and anti-CD127 (=IL-7R). Additionally, T regulatory cells...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - May 21, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Luczyński W, Wawrusiewicz-Kurylonek N, Stasiak-Barmuta A, Urban R, Iłendo E, Urban M, Hryszko M, Krętowski A, Górska M Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Mutational analysis of the AtNUDT7 Nudix hydrolase from Arabidopsis thaliana reveals residues required for protein quarternary structure formation and activity.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Arabidopsis thaliana AtNUDT7, a homodimeric Nudix hydrolase active on ADP-ribose and NADH, exerts negative control on the major signaling complex involved in plant defense activation and programmed cell death. The structural and functional consequences of altering several amino acid residues of the AtNUDT7 protein have been examined by site-directed mutagenesis, far-UV circular dichroism (CD), attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and photon correlation (PCS) spectroscopy, biochemical analysis and protein-protein interaction studies. Alanine substitutions of F73 and V168 disallowed dimer for...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - May 14, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Olejnik K, Płochocka D, Grynberg M, Goch G, Gruszecki WI, Basińska T, Kraszewska E Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Isolation and characterization of novel human short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase SCDR10B which is highly expressed in the brain and acts as hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We report here the cloning and characterization of a novel human SDR gene SCDR10B which encodes a protein with similarity to 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1. SCDR10B was isolated from a human brain cDNA library, and was mapped to chromosome 19p13.3 by browsing the UCSC genomic database. It contains an ORF with a length of 858bp, encoding a protein with a transmembrane helix and SDR domain. Its molecular weight and isoelectric point are predicted to be 30.8kDa and 10.3, respectively. SCDR10B protein is highly conserved in mammals and fish. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that SCDR10B stands for a new subgroup in ...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - May 11, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Huang C, Wan B, Gao B, Hexige S, Yu L Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Calculation of reliable transcript levels of annotated genes on the basis of multiple probe-sets in Affymetrix microarrays.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Microarray methods have become a basic tool in studies of global gene expression and changes in transcript levels. Affymetrix microarrays from the HGU133 series contain multiple probe-sets complementary to the same gene (4742 genes are represented by more than one probe-set in a microarray HGU133A). Individual probe-sets annotated to the same gene often show different hybridization signals and even opposite trends, which may result from some of them matching transcripts of more than one gene and from the existence of different splice-variant transcripts. Existing methods that redefine probe-sets and develop custom prob...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - May 11, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Jaksik R, Polańska J, Herok R, Rzeszowska-Wolny J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Kinetin affects the level of chloroplast polyamines and transglutaminase activity during senescence of barley leaves.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We analysed the level of polyamines bound to thylakoids and the level and activity of thylakoid transglutaminases throughout barley leaf senescence, retarded by kinetin. The level of PAS bound to thylakoids changed in senescing barley leaves: bound PU and SD increased throughout senescence, whereas bound SM decreased. Kinetin diminished the increase in thylakoid-bound PU and SD and almost completely abolished the decrease of the bound SM. These data suggest different roles of PU/SD and SM in thylakoid degradation. Immunodetection of TGase in thylakoid fraction revealed three bands of 33, 58 and 78 kDa. During senescenc...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - May 11, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Sobieszczuk-Nowicka E, Wieczorek P, Legocka J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Antitumoral effect of IL-12 gene transfected via liposomes into B16F0 cells.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Murine melanoma B16FO cells were transfected with SA:DPPC:DOPE (2:1:1 molar ratio) liposomes associated with a plasmid encoding murine IL-12. Stearylamine, a cationic lipid, showed a greater transfection efficiency compared to DOTAP-containing liposomes. The lipid:DNA ratio was 2:1 (w/w). Control groups were mock transfected or transfected with an empty plasmid (pNeo). pNeo or IL-12 transfected cells and controls were inoculated intradermically into the dorsal region of the foot or the lateral flank of C57BL6 mice. Results showed that IL-12 expression had a marked effect on in vivo growth of B16 melanoma tumors develop...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - May 5, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Speroni L, Gasparri J, de Los A Bustuoabad V, Chiaramoni NS, Smagur A, Szala S, Taira MC, Del V Alonso S Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Annexins - calcium- and membrane-binding proteins in the plant kingdom Potential role in nodulation and mycorrhization in Medicago truncatula.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Annexins belong to a family of multi-functional membrane- and Ca(2+)-binding proteins. The characteristic feature of these proteins is that they can bind membrane phospholipids in a reversible, Ca(2+)-dependent manner. While animal annexins have been known for a long time and are fairly well characterized, their plant counterparts were discovered only in 1989, in tomato, and have not been thoroughly studied yet. In the present review, we discuss the available information about plant annexins with special emphasis on biochemical and functional properties of some of them. In addition, we propose a link between annexins a...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - May 5, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Talukdar T, Gorecka KM, de Carvalho-Niebel F, Downie JA, Cullimore J, Pikula S Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

A comparative study of the effects of genistein, estradiol and raloxifene on the murine skeletal system.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Genistein, a major phytoestrogen of soy, is considered a potential drug for prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of genistein, estradiol and raloxifene on the skeletal system in vivo and in vitro. Genistein (5 mg/kg), estradiol (0.1 mg/kg) or raloxifene hydrochloride (5 mg/kg) were administered daily by a stomach tube to mature ovariectomized Wistar rats for 4 weeks. Bone mass, mineral and calcium content, macrometric parameters and mechanical properties were examined. Also the effects of genistein, estradiol and raloxifene (10(-9)-10(-7) M) on...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - April 28, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Sliwiński L, Folwarczna J, Nowińska B, Cegieła U, Pytlik M, Kaczmarczyk-Sedlak I, Trzeciak H, Trzeciak HI Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity affects its subcellular localization and DNA strand break rejoining.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) plays a crucial role in DNA repair. Modulation of its activity by stimulation or inhibition is considered as a potentially important strategy in clinical practice, especially to sensitize tumor cells to chemo- and radiotherapy through inhibition of DNA repair. Here we studied the effect of the three PARP inhibitors, 5-iodo-6-amino-benzopyrone (INH(2)BP), 1,5-isoquinolinediol (1,5-dihydroxyisoquinolinediol (1,5-IQD) and 8-hydroxy-2-methylquinazolin-4-[3H]one (NU1025), and for two of them the efficiency in slowing the rejoining of DNA strand breaks induced by H(2)O(2) was compared. Inhi...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - April 28, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Ryabokon NI, Cieślar-Pobuda A, Rzeszowska-Wolny J Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals

Detection of selective cationic amphipatic antibacterial peptides by Hidden Markov models.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Antibacterial peptides are researched mainly for the potential benefit they have in a variety of socially relevant diseases, used by the host to protect itself from different types of pathogenic bacteria. We used the mathematical-computational method known as Hidden Markov models (HMMs) in targeting a subset of antibacterial peptides named Selective Cationic Amphipatic Antibacterial Peptides (SCAAPs). The main difference in the implementation of HMMs was focused on the detection of SCAAP using principally five physical-chemical properties for each candidate SCAAPs, instead of using the statistical information about the...
Source: Acta Biochim Pol - March 18, 2009 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Polanco C, Samaniego JL Tags: Acta Biochim Pol Source Type: journals