Search results for " ALPHA"

Extracellular loop 2 of G protein-coupled olfactory receptors is critical for odorant recognition

2021

International audience; G protein-coupled olfactory receptors (ORs) enable us to detect innumerous odorants. They are also ectopically expressed in non-olfactory tissues and emerging as attractive drug targets. ORs can be promiscuous or highly specific, which is part of a larger mechanism for odor discrimination. Here, we demonstrate that the OR extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) plays critical roles in OR promiscuity and specificity. Using site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modeling, we constructed 3D OR models in which ECL2 forms a lid over the orthosteric pocket. We demonstrate using molecular dynamics simulations that ECL2 controls the shape and the volume of the odorant-binding pocket, m…

Folding and insertion of transmembrane helices at the ER

2021

In eukaryotic cells, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the entry point for newly synthesized proteins that are subsequently distributed to organelles of the endomembrane system. Some of these proteins are completely translocated into the lumen of the ER while others integrate stretches of amino acids into the greasy 30 Å wide interior of the ER membrane bilayer. It is generally accepted that to exist in this non-aqueous environment the majority of membrane integrated amino acids are primarily non-polar/hydrophobic and adopt an α-helical conformation. These stretches are typically around 20 amino acids long and are known as transmembrane (TM) helices. In this review, we will consider how tra…

Clustering induces a lateral redistribution of α2β1 integrin from membrane rafts to caveolae and subsequent protein kinase C-dependent internalization

2004

Integrin alpha 2 beta 1 mediates the binding of several epithelial and mesenchymal cell types to collagen. The composition of the surrounding plasma membrane, especially caveolin-1- and cholesterol-containing membrane structures called caveolae, may be important to integrin signaling. On cell surface alpha 2 beta 1 integrin was located in the raft like membrane domain, rich in GPI-anchored proteins, rather than in caveolae. However, when antibodies were used to generate clusters of alpha 2 beta 1 integrin, they started to move laterally on cell surface along actin filaments. During the lateral movement small clusters fused together. Finally alpha 2 beta 1 integrin was found inside caveolae …

Cell Susceptibility to Baculovirus Transduction and Echovirus Infection Is Modified by Protein Kinase C Phosphorylation and Vimentin Organization

2013

ABSTRACT Some cell types are more susceptible to viral gene transfer or virus infection than others, irrespective of the number of viral receptors or virus binding efficacy on their surfaces. In order to characterize the cell-line-specific features contributing to efficient virus entry, we studied two cell lines (Ea.hy926 and MG-63) that are nearly nonpermissive to insect-specific baculovirus (BV) and the human enterovirus echovirus 1 (EV1) and compared their characteristics with those of a highly permissive (HepG2) cell line. All the cell lines contained high levels of viral receptors on their surfaces, and virus binding was shown to be efficient. However, in nonpermissive cells, BV and it…

Aggregation processes of intrinsically disordered proteins: influence of the environment

Protein modulation in mouse heart under acute and chronic hypoxia

2011

Exploring cellular mechanisms underlying beneficial and detrimental responses to hypoxia represents the object of the present study. Signaling molecules controlling adaptation to hypoxia (HIF-1α), energy balance (AMPK), mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α), autophagic/apoptotic processes regulation and proteomic dysregulation were assessed. Responses to acute hypoxia (AH) and chronic hypoxia (CH) in mouse heart proteome were detected by 2-D DIGE, mass spectrometry and antigen-antibody reactions. Both in AH and CH, the results indicated a deregulation of proteins related to sarcomere stabilization and muscle contraction. Neither in AH nor in CH the HIF-1α stabilization was observed. In AH, the …

Espianto di protesi peniena Flexiflater® AMS e contemporaneo impianto di protesi tricomponente idraulica Titan ® Alpha 1, con tecnica a doppia incisi…

2011

Introduction and Objectives. We treated a 45 years old patient, suffering from diabetes mellitus since childhood, with retinal, neurovascular and kidney complications. In 1988, for erectile dysfunction (ED) resistant to medical injective treatment, the patient underwent ligation of the dorsal vein of the penis without any result. In 1989 a Flexiflate® hydraulic prosthesis was implanted with resolution of ED. In 2005 the patient underwent simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplant with a trans-laparotomic approach for end stage renal disease and diabetes mellitus. In 2009, because of the Flexiflate® Surgitek malfunction, the patient underwent explantation of the Flexiflate® prosthesis and s…

Strategies for the production of difficult-to-express full-length eukaryotic proteins using microbial cell factories : production of human alpha-gala…

2015

This work was supported by ERANET-IB08-007 project from the European Union and its linked national project EUI2008- 03610 to AV. We also appreciate the support from EME2007-08 to NFM from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, from Antartide 2010 to MLT and EP, from MIUR Azioni Integrate Italia-Spagna 2010 Prot. IT10LECLM9 to MLT, from MINECO (IT2009-0021) to AV and LT, from AGAUR (2009SGR-108) to AV. AV is also supported by The Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN, Spain), an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the Instituto de Salud Car…

Arbeitssituation und Mitarbeiterzufriedenheit in einem Universitätsklinikum: Entwicklung von Messinstrumenten für ärztliches und pflegerisches Person…

2005

Aim of the present work was to develop scales for the description of the work situation of physicians and nurses. For this purpose a sample of n = 447 physicians and n = 920 nurses of an University Hospital filled out a new conception work situation questionnaire. Further on they got the subscales work and profession and financial situation of the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (FLZ). After Principle Component Analysis and item analyses we could develop four work situation scales similar for both groups, the physicians and the nurses: 1. chief and hierarchy, 2. conflict ability of the team, 3. work conditions at the ward and 4. cooperation of the professions. The internal consistencies are…

Introduction and Psychometric Validation of the Resilience and Strain Questionnaire (ResQ-Care)— A Scale on the Ratio of Informal Caregivers' Resilie…

2021

Background: Informal caregivers are a particularly vulnerable population at risk for adverse health outcomes. Likewise, there are many scales available assessing individual caregiver burden and stress. Recently, resilience in caregivers gained increasing interest and scales started to assess resilience factors as well. Drawing on a homeostatic model, we developed a scale assessing both caregivers' stress and resilience factors. We propose four scales, two covering stress and two covering resilience factors, in addition to a sociodemographic basic scale. Based on the stress:resilience ratio, the individual risk of adverse health outcomes and suggestions for interventions can be derived.Metho…