Search results for " Western"
showing 10 items of 687 documents
Urokinase Plasminogen Activator and Gelatinases Are Associated with Membrane Vesicles Shed by Human HT1080 Fibrosarcoma Cells
1997
Membrane vesicles are shed by tumor cells both in vivo and in vitro. Although their functions are not well understood, it has been proposed that they may play multiple roles in tumor progression. We characterized membrane vesicles from human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cell cultures for the presence of proteinases involved in tumor invasion. By gelatin zymography and Western blotting, these vesicles showed major bands corresponding to the zymogen and active forms of gelatinase B (MMP-9) and gelatinase A (MMP-2) and to the MMP-9. tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 complex. Both gelatinases appeared to be associated with the vesicle membrane. HT1080 cell vesicles also showed a strong, plasminoge…
Oxidative stress inhibits IFN-α-induced antiviral gene expression by blocking the JAK–STAT pathway
2006
Abstract BACKGROUND/AIMS: Unresponsiveness to IFN-alpha is common in chronic hepatitis C. Since conditions associated with an increased oxidative stress (advanced age, steatosis, fibrosis, iron overload, and alcohol consumption) reduce the likelihood of response, we hypothesized that oxidative stress may affect the antiviral actions of IFN-alpha. METHODS: We examined in a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (Huh-7) the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as a generator of oxidative stress, on the IFN-alpha signaling pathway. RESULTS: Pretreatment of Huh-7 cells with 0.5-1 mM H2O2 resulted in the suppression of the IFN-alpha-induced antiviral protein MxA and of IRF-9 mRNA expression. Th…
New perspectives on the renal slit diaphragm protein podocin.
2011
Podocin is a critical component of the glomerular filtration barrier, its mutations causing recessive steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. A GenBank analysis of the human podocin (NPHS2) gene resulted in the possible existence of a new splice variant of podocin in the kidney, missing the in-frame of exon 5, encoding the prohibitin homology domain. Using RT–polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting followed by sequence analysis, we are for the first time able to prove the expression of a novel podocin isoform (isoform 2), exclusively and constitutively expressed in human podocytes. Furthermore, we reveal singular extrarenal podocin expression in human and murine testis. Our data show the…
Endothelin receptor B in trabecular meshwork
2007
Abstract Endothelin-1 (ET-1), the most potent vasoconstrictor known to date, seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary open angle glaucoma. ET-1 was found in different tissues of the eye and in high concentrations in the aqueous humour. The effects of ET-1 are mediated by two receptors, ET-A receptor (ET-AR) and ET-B receptor (ET-BR), which are both expressed in bovine trabecular meshwork (TM). ET-1 induced contraction of TM predominantly by activation of ET-AR. This study analyzes the role of ET-BR in TM function and investigates the synthesis of ET-1 by human TM (HTM) cells. The effect of IRL-1620, a specific ET-BR agonist, on contractility of bovine TM (BTM) was investigated wi…
Expression pattern of the Brachyury and Tbx2 homologues from the sponge Suberites domuncula.
2005
Background information. T-box transcription factors are a large family of transcriptional regulators involved in many aspects of embryonic development. In a previous report, we described the isolation and genomic characterization of two T-box genes from the siliceous sponge Suberites domuncula: a Brachyury homologue, Sd-Bra, and a Tbx2 homologue, Sd-Tbx2. Elucidation of the genomic structure of Sd-Bra allowed us to demonstrate the existence of two different isoforms, resulting from alternative splicing. Moreover, we demonstrated that the shorter isoform exists in two different glycosylation states. Results. In the present study, we demonstrate a differential subcellular localization of the …
Differential sensitivity of rat hepatocyte CYP isoforms to self-generated nitric oxide.
2001
AbstractEarly loss of P450 in rat hepatocyte cultures appears directly related to nitric oxide (NO) overproduction. This study investigates the influence of endogenously generated NO (or NO-derived species) on the relative expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms in rat hepatocytes. Our results support the view that loss of P450 holoenzyme in culture is the ultimate consequence of a NO driven process, activated during the common hepatocyte isolation procedure, that leads to an accelerated and selective degradation of specific CYP apoproteins. Under conditions in which NO and peroxynitrite formation is operative, changes in the level of specific CYP isoforms result in a significant alter…
Potential Functional Significance of Brain-Type and Muscle-Type Nitric Oxide Synthase I Expressed in Adventitia and Media of Rat Aorta
1999
Abstract —Skeletal muscle and myocardium express μNOS I, an elongated splice variant of neuronal-type nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS I), and NOS III, endothelial-type NO synthase, respectively. This study was designed to elucidate whether vascular smooth muscle also contains a constitutively expressed NO synthase isoform. In the rat, μNOS I contains an insert of 102 nucleotides after nucleotide 2865 of the cDNA, yielding a protein of 164 kd. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with primers flanking this insert and with insert-specific primers indicated that endothelium-denuded rat aorta expresses both brain-type NOS I and μNOS I. RNase protection analyses with an antisense RNA…
Application of an ectopic expression system for the selection of protein-isoform-specific antibodies. The monoclonal antibody K1 C3 is specific for t…
1993
Monoclonal antibodies were raised against a fusion protein consisting of a fragment of 141 amino acids of the C-terminal region of the rat brain voltage-gated K(+)-channel protein (RCK1) and the lambda N protein (fusion protein I). Selection of K(+)-channel-specific hybridoma cell lines was performed by means of an ELISA employing a fusion protein consisting of the K(+)-channel-specific peptide sequence and glutathione S-transferase (fusion protein II). For final selection of RCK1 isoform-specific antibodies, a panel of Xenopus oocytes was employed, each injected with cRNA coding for a specific RCK isoform (RCK 1, 2, 4 or 5). Several days after injection, cryosections of embedded oocytes we…
Differential Distribution of Harmonin Isoforms and Their Possible Role in Usher-1 Protein Complexes in Mammalian Photoreceptor Cells
2003
PURPOSE. Human Usher syndrome is the most common form of combined deafness and blindness. Usher type I (USH1), the most severe form, is characterized by profound congenital deafness, constant vestibular dysfunction, and prepubertal onset retinitis pigmentosa. Previous studies have shown that the USH1-proteins myosin VIIa, harmonin, and cadherin 23 interact and form a functional network during hair cell differentiation in the inner ear. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the molecular and cellular functions of these USH1 proteins in the mammalian retina. METHODS. Antibodies to USH1 proteins were generated and used in Western blot analysis of subcellular photoreceptor fractions a…
Expression of synapsin I gene in primary cultures of differentiating rat cortical neurons
1995
Synapsin I is a neuron-specific protein which is present in two isoforms, Ia and Ib. In the last few years this protein has been demonstrated to play a central role in the regulation of neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. In this paper the developmental expression of this protein has been investigated in primary neuronal cultures from fetal rat brain cortices. The presence of thyroid hormone in the culture medium stimulates an early expression of the protein without exerting any effect at the level of mRNA transcription and accumulation. These observations implicate a T3-dependent regulation of this neuron-specific gene at the level of mRNA translation. © 1995 Plenum Publishin…