Search results for "Acellular"
showing 10 items of 1986 documents
The catalytic activity of the endoplasmic reticulum-resident protein microsomal epoxide hydrolase towards carcinogens is retained on inversion of its…
1996
Diol epoxides formed by the sequential action of cytochrome P-450 and the microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) represent an important class of ultimate carcinogenic metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The role of the membrane orientation of cytochrome P-450 and mEH relative to each other in this catalytic cascade is not known. Cytochrome P-450 is known to have a type I topology. According to the algorithm of Hartman, Rapoport and Lodish [(1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 5786–5790], which allows the prediction of the membrane topology of proteins, mEH should adopt a type II membrane topology. Experimentally, mEH membrane topology has been …
Different conformations of nascent polypeptides during translocation across the ER membrane
2000
Abstract Background In eukaryotic cells, proteins are translocated across the ER membrane through a continuous ribosome-translocon channel. It is unclear to what extent proteins can fold already within the ribosome-translocon channel, and previous studies suggest that only a limited degree of folding (such as the formation of isolated α-helices) may be possible within the ribosome. Results We have previously shown that the conformation of nascent polypeptide chains in transit through the ribosome-translocon complex can be probed by measuring the number of residues required to span the distance between the ribosomal P-site and the lumenally disposed active site of the oligosaccharyl transfer…
Killer toxin of Hanseniaspora uvarum
1990
The yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum liberates a killer toxin lethal to sensitive strains of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Secretion of this killer toxin was inhibited by tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-glycosylation, although the mature killer protein did not show any detectable carbohydrate structures. Culture supernatants of the killer strain were concentrated by ultrafiltration and the extracellular killer toxin was precipitated with ethanol and purified by ion exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE of the electrophoretically homogenous killer protein indicated an apparent molecular mass of 18,000. Additional investigations of the primary toxin binding sites within the cell wall of sensitiv…
Membrane-insertion fragments of Bcl-xL, Bax, and Bid.
2004
Apoptosis regulators of the Bcl-2 family associate with intracellular membranes from mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum, where they perform their function. The activity of these proteins is related to the release of apoptogenic factors, sequestered in the mitochondria, to the cytoplasm, probably through the formation of ion and/or protein transport channels. Most of these proteins contain a C-terminal putative transmembrane (TM) fragment and a pair of hydrophobic alpha helices (alpha5-alpha6) similar to the membrane insertion fragments of the ion-channel domain of diphtheria toxin and colicins. Here, we report on the membrane-insertion properties of different segments from antiapopt…
Intraovarian regulation of gonadotropin-dependent folliculogenesis depends on notch receptor signaling pathways not involving Delta-like ligand 4 (Dl…
2013
Background In-situ hybridisation studies demonstrate that Notch receptors and ligands are expressed in granulosa cells (GCs) and in the theca layer vasculature of growing follicles. Notch signaling involves cell-to-cell interaction mediated by transmembrane receptors and ligands. This signaling pathway may represent a novel intraovarian regulator of gonadotropin-dependent follicular development to the preovulatory stage. We hypothesized that blocking Notch pathways would disrupt follicular maturation in the mouse ovary. Methods Hypophysectomized CD21 female mice were administered pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) for 3 days to stimulate follicular development. In one experiment, a pan…
Interplay among Gcn5, Sch9 and mitochondria during chronological aging of wine yeast is dependent on growth conditions.
2015
Saccharomyces cerevisiae chronological life span (CLS) is determined by a wide variety of environmental and genetic factors. Nutrient limitation without malnutrition, i.e. dietary restriction, expands CLS through the control of nutrient signaling pathways, of which TOR/Sch9 has proven to be the most relevant, particularly under nitrogen deprivation. The use of prototrophic wine yeast allows a better understanding of the role of nitrogen in longevity in natural and more demanding environments, such as grape juice fermentation. We previously showed that acetyltransferase Gcn5, a member of the SAGA complex, has opposite effects on CLS under laboratory and winemaking conditions, and is detrimen…
Hydrophobicity of bacteria Zymomonas mobilis under varied environmental conditions
2007
Abstract Changes in the cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) of bacteria Zymomonas mobilis 113S were examined in response to varied environmental conditions (temperature and phase of growth, concentration or type of carbon source, the presence of amphiphilic compounds). The values of CSH were elevated with a decreased growth rate over the time of cultivation up to 20–22% at the stationary phase. CSH values increased proportionally with the growth of cultivation temperature and concentration of carbon source (glucose or sucrose) or amphiphilic compound (aliphatic alcohols, Tween80) in the medium. Replacement of sucrose by glucose and the presence of Tween20 in the growth medium resulted in redu…
Cytosolic Ca2+ and Phosphoinositide Hydrolysis Linked to Constitutively Active α1d-Adrenoceptors in Vascular Smooth Muscle
2003
In the present study, we analyzed changes in intracellular Ca2+ levels and inositol phosphate accumulation related to a population of alpha 1d-adrenoceptors in rat aorta resembling constitutively active receptors. Following intracellular Ca2+ store depletion by noradrenaline in Ca2+-free medium and removal of the agonist, restoration of extracellular Ca2+ induced four signals: a biphasic (transient and sustained) increase in [Ca2+]i, inositol phosphate accumulation, and a contractile response in the aorta. The transient increase in Ca2+, the inositol phosphate accumulation, and the contractile response were not observed in aortae incubated with prazosin or BMY 7378 [8-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl…
Extracellular cyclic GMP and its derivatives GMP and guanosine protect from oxidative glutamate toxicity.
2013
Cell death in response to oxidative stress plays a role in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and can be studied in detail in the neuronal cell line HT22, where extracellular glutamate causes glutathione depletion by inhibition of the glutamate/cystine antiporter system xc(-), elevation of reactive oxygen species and eventually programmed cell death caused by cytotoxic calcium influx. Using this paradigm, we screened 54 putative extracellular peptide or small molecule ligands for effects on cell death and identified extracellular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) as a protective substance. Extracellular cGMP was protective, whereas the cell-permeable cGMP analog 8-pCPT-cGMP or the …
Expression of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in propagatable cell cultures and induction of micronuclei by 13 compounds
1990
Activities of various xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes were determined in 18 cell lines. Activities of cytochrome P450 reductase, microsomal epoxide hydrolase and glutathione transferase were detectable in all lines. The highest values were similar to the activities found in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Catalase activity was also present in all 12 investigated cell lines. Activity of UDP-glucuronosyl transferase was high in some lines, but low or undetectable in others. Activity of cytosolic epoxide hydrolase was not measurable in most lines, and was low in the others. Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene was observed in eight out of nine examined lines, no activity being found in V79 cells. V7…