Search results for " sequence"
showing 10 items of 3643 documents
Identification and characterisation of the dopamine receptor II from the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (CfDopRII)
2006
International audience; G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a protein family with a wide range of functions. Approximately 30% of human drug targets are GPCRs, illustrating their pharmaceutical relevance. In contrast, the knowledge about invertebrate GPCRs is limited and is mainly restricted to model organisms like Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. Especially in ectoparasites like ticks and fleas, only few GPCRs are characterised. From the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis, a relevant parasite of cats and dogs, no GPCRs are known so far. Thus, we performed a bioinformatic analysis of available insect GPCR sequences from the honeybee Apis mellifera, the mosquito Anop…
Silicateins, the major biosilica forming enzymes present in demosponges: protein analysis and phylogenetic relationship.
2007
Silicateins are enzymes, which are restricted to sponges (phylum Porifera), that mediate the catalytic formation of biosilica from monomeric silicon compounds. The silicatein protein is compartmented in the sponges in the axial filaments which reside in the axial canals of the siliceous spicules. In the present study silicatein has been isolated from the freshwater sponge Lubomirskia baicalensis where it occurs in isoforms with sizes of 23 kDa, 24 kDa and 26 kDa. Since the larger protein is glycosylated we posit that it is a processed form of one of the smaller size forms. The silicatein isoforms are post-translationally modified by phosphorylation; at least four isoforms exist with pI's of…
Expression of M-cadherin protein in myogenic cells during prenatal mouse development and differentiation of embryonic stem cells in culture.
1994
Molecules regulating morphogenesis by cell-cell interactions are the cadherins, a class of calcium-dependent adhesion molecules. One of its members, M-cadherin, has been isolated from a myoblast cell line (Donalies et al. [1991] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88:8024—8028). In mouse development, expression of M-cadherin mRNA first appears at day 8.5 of gestation (E8.5) in somites and has been postulated to be down-regulated in developing muscle masses (Moore and Walsh [1993] Development 117:1409—1420). Affinity-purified polyclonal M-cadherin antibodies, detecting a protein of approximately 120 kDa, were used to study the cell expression pattern of M-cadherin protein. It was first visualized …
Cloning of a rat-specific long PCP4/PEP19 isoform
2007
We report the identification of a cDNA that encodes a putative protein of 94 amino acids and expected molecular weight of 10.7 kDa, the C-terminal half of which is identical to that of PEP19, a small, brain-specific protein involved in Ca++/calmodulin signaling. The novel rat-specific protein, tentatively named long PEP19 isoform (LPI), is the product of alternative splicing of the rat PCP4 gene encoding PEP19. We found that antibodies raised against the first 13 N-terminal amino acids of LPI, not present in PEP19, recognize a protein enriched in the developing rat brain.
Termination of transcription in an ‘in vitro’ system is dependent on a polyadenylation sequence
1991
Using HeLa cell nuclear extract as a source of the different transcription and polyadenylation factors and reverse transcription to analyze the levels of RNA 5' and 3' to the cleavage-polyadenylation site, an in vitro assay has been established to study polyadenylation coupled to transcription directed by different adenovirus promoters. The levels of transcription 5' and 3' to the cleavage site in the L3 polyadenylation region are practically the same as described previously, however, the level of transcription 3' to the cleavage site in the SV40 early polyadenylation region decreases immediately after the cleavage site indicating a termination of the transcription.
Nuclear receptors modulate the interaction of Sp1 and GC-rich DNA via ternary complex formation
2000
Binding sites for transcription factor Sp1have been implicated in the transcriptional regulation of several genes by hormones or vitamins, and here we show that a GC-rich element contributes to the retinoic acid response of the interleukin 1β promoter. To explain such observations, it has been proposed that nuclear receptors can interact with Sp1 bound to GC-rich DNA. However, evidence supporting this model has remained indirect. So far, nuclear receptors have not been detected in a complex with Sp1 and GC-rich DNA, and the expected ternary complexes in non-denaturing gels were not seen. In search for these missing links we found that nuclear receptors [retinoic acid receptor (RAR), thyroid…
Survivin’s Dual Role: An Export’s View
2007
Survivin is proposed to function as a mitotic regulator and an apoptosis inhibitor during development and pathogenesis. As such, survivin has aroused keen interest in disparate areas of basic and translational research. Survivin acts as a subunit of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), composed of the mitotic kinase Aurora-B, Borealin and INCENP, and is essential for proper chromosome segregation and cytokinesis. Our recent findings indicate that the nuclear export receptor Crm1 is critically involved in tethering the CPC to the centromere by interacting with a leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES), evolutionary conserved in all mammalian survivin proteins. In addition, the survivin/…
A novel SP-1 site in the human interleukin-1β promoter confers preferential transcriptional activity in keratinocytes
1996
To investigate the mechanisms of transcriptional activation of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in non-monocytic cells, we constructed a series of reporter plasmids with the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene linked to various parts of the human IL-1beta promoter and performed transient transfection experiments. We identified a promoter segment that activates transcription most efficiently in keratinocytes. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) with a 43-mer oligonucleotide derived from the functionally identified cis-acting element revealed specific complexes. By competition analysis with transcription factor consensus sequence oligonucleotides and by immunosupershift, tra…
Characterization of a nuclear localization signal of canine parvovirus capsid proteins.
1998
We investigated the abilities of synthetic peptides mimicking the potential nuclear localization signal of canine parvovirus (CPV) capsid proteins to translocate a carrier protein to the nucleus following microinjection into the cytoplasm of A72 cells. Possible nuclear localization sequences were chosen for synthesis from CPV capsid protein sequences (VP1, VP2) on the basis of the presence of clustered basic residues, which is a common theme in most of the previously identified targeting peptides. Nuclear targeting activity was found within the N-terminal residues 4-13 (PAKRARRGYK) of the VP1 capsid protein. While replacement of Arg10 with glycine did not affect the activity, replacement of…
NKG2D induces Mcl-1 expression and mediates survival of CD8 memory T cell precursors via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase.
2013
Abstract Memory formation of activated CD8 T cells is the result of a specific combination of signals that promote long-term survival and inhibit differentiation into effector cells. Much is known about initial cues that drive memory formation, but it is poorly understood which signals are essential during the intermediate stages before terminal differentiation. NKG2D is an activating coreceptor on Ag-experienced CD8 T cells that promotes effector cell functions. Its role in memory formation is currently unknown. In this study, we show that NKG2D controls formation of CD8 memory T cells by promoting survival of precursor cells. We demonstrate that NKG2D enhances IL-15–mediated PI3K signalin…