Search results for "BLAST"
showing 10 items of 2136 documents
Multiple independent variants at the TERT locus are associated with telomere length and risks of breast and ovarian cancer
2013
Journal article TERT-locus SNPs and leukocyte telomere measures are reportedly associated with risks of multiple cancers. Using the Illumina custom genotyping array iCOGs, we analyzed ~480 SNPs at the TERT locus in breast (n = 103,991), ovarian (n = 39,774) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (n = 11,705) cancer cases and controls. Leukocyte telomere measurements were also available for 53,724 participants. Most associations cluster into three independent peaks. The minor allele at the peak 1 SNP rs2736108 associates with longer telomeres (P = 5.8 × 10!-7), lower risks for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative (P = 1.0 × 10!-8) and BRCA1 mutation carrier (P = 1.1 × 10!-5) breast cancers and altered promot…
Expression of solute carrier 7A4 (SLC7A4) in the plasma membrane is not sufficient to mediate amino acid transport activity.
2002
Member 4 of human solute carrier family 7 (SLC7A4) exhibits significant sequence homology with the SLC7 subfamily of human cationic amino acid transporters (hCATs) [Sperandeo, Borsani, Incerti, Zollo, Rossi, Zuffardi, Castaldo, Taglialatela, Andria and Sebastio (1998) Genomics 49, 230–236]. It is therefore often referred to as hCAT-4 even though no convincing transport activity has been shown for this protein. We expressed SLC7A4 in Xenopus laevis oocytes, but could not detect any transport activity for cationic, neutral or anionic amino acids or for the polyamine putrescine. In addition, human glioblastoma cells stably overexpressing a fusion protein between SLC7A4 and the enhanced green f…
Activation of classical protein kinase C reduces the expression of human cationic amino acid transporter 3 (hCAT-3) in the plasma membrane
2005
We have previously shown that activation of PKC (protein kinase C) results in internalization of hCAT-1 [human CAT-1 (cationic amino acid transporter 1)] and a decrease in arginine transport [Rotmann, Strand, Martiné and Closs (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 54185–54192]. However, others found increased transport rates for arginine in response to PKC activation, suggesting a differential effect of PKC on different CAT isoforms. Therefore we investigated the effect of PKC on hCAT-3, an isoform expressed in thymus, brain, ovary, uterus and mammary gland. In Xenopus laevis oocytes and human U373MG glioblastoma cells, hCAT-3-mediated L-arginine transport was significantly reduced upon treatment with…
2-Hydroxyoleic Acid Induces ER Stress and Autophagy in Various Human Glioma Cell Lines
2012
Background: 2-Hydroxyoleic acid is a synthetic fatty acid with potent anti-cancer activity which does not induce undesired side effects. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which this compound selectively kills human glioma cancer cells without killing normal cells is not fully understood. The present study was designed to determine the molecular bases underlying the potency against 1321N1, SF-767 and U118 human glioma cell lines growth without affecting non cancer MRC-5 cells. Methodology/Principal Findings: The cellular levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy markers were determined by quantitative RT-PCR and immunoblotting …
No evidence for sequences structurally related to the RB1 gene in the human genome.
1991
The retinoblastoma (RB1) gene is a ubiquitously expressed gene encoding a cell-cycle control protein. Inactivation of this gene plays a crucial role in the development of retinoblastoma, osteosarcoma, and other tumors. In a search for structurally related gene sequences we identified a 5.5-kb BamHI fragment strongly cross-hybridizing with the 5′ end of the RB1 cDNA. Molecular cloning, in situ hybridization, restriction mapping, and sequence analysis identified this DNA segment as the 28S rRNA gene. The absence of other cross-hybridizing sequences suggests that the RB1 gene is not part of a structurally related gene family.
Preparation, characterization and in vitro test of composites poly-lactic acid/hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.
2018
Abstract In this work, the possibility to produce composite Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)/Hydroxyapatite (HA) porous scaffolds via Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) for bone tissue engineering applications was investigated. Several PLLA/HA wt/wt ratios (95/5, 90/10, 70/30, 50/50, 34/66) were tested and the as-obtained scaffolds were characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy, Wide Angle X-Ray Diffraction, Thermogravimetric analysis, Gas Pycnometry, Differential Scanning Calorimetry and mechanical compression test. Morphological analysis revealed an open structure with interconnected pores and HA particles embedded in the polymer matrix. Finally, cell cultures were carried out into t…
Combining in the melt physical and biological properties of poly(caprolactone) and chlorhexidine to obtain antimicrobial surgical monofilaments.
2012
Bacterial infections on a sutured wound represent a critical problem, and the preparation of suture threads possessing antimicrobial properties is valuable. In this work, poly(caprolactone) (PCL) monofilaments were compounded at the concentration of 1, 2 and 4 % (w/w), respectively, to the antiseptic chlorhexidine diacetate (CHX). The incorporation was carried out in the melt by a single-step methodology, i.e. “online” approach. Mechanical tests revealed that the incorporation of CHX does not significantly change tensile properties of PCL fibres as the thermal profile adopted to prepare the compounded fibres does not compromise the antibacterial activity of CHX. In fact, CHX confers to comp…
Aβ Oligomers and Fibrillar Aggregates Induce Different Apoptotic Pathways in LAN5 Neuroblastoma Cell Cultures
2009
Fibril deposit formation of amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) in the brain is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increasing evidence suggests that toxicity is linked to diffusible Abeta oligomers, which have been found in soluble brain extracts of AD patients, rather than to insoluble fibers. Here we report a study of the toxicity of two distinct forms of recombinant Abeta small oligomers and fibrillar aggregates to simulate the action of diffusible Abeta oligomers and amyloid plaques on neuronal cells. Different techniques, including dynamic light scattering, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy, have been used to characterize the two forms of Abeta. Under similar conditions and …
Fluctuation Methods To Study Protein Aggregation in Live Cells: Concanavalin A Oligomers Formation
2011
Prefibrillar oligomers of proteins are suspected to be the primary pathogenic agents in several neurodegenerative diseases. A key approach for elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms is to probe the existence of oligomers directly in living cells. In this work, we were able to monitor the process of aggregation of Concanavalin A in live cells. We used number and brightness analysis, two-color cross number and brightness analysis, and Raster image correlation spectroscopy to obtain the number of molecules, aggregation state, and diffusion coefficient as a function of time and cell location. We observed that binding of Concanavalin A to the membrane and the formation of small aggregates paralle…
pRb suppresses camptothecin-induced apoptosis in human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells by inhibiting c-Jun N-terminal kinase
2001
AbstractThis paper studies the cytotoxic effect induced by the topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin in human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells, which lack p53 and contain a non-functional form of the product of the retinoblastoma gene, pRb. Cytotoxicity induced by camptothecin was dose- and time-dependent; the treatment with 100 nM camptothecin reduced cell viability by 50% at 32 h and by 75% at 72 h of exposure. The cytotoxic effect was caused by apoptosis, as ascertained by morphological evidence, acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining and flow cytometric analysis. Apoptosis was accompanied by both the activation of caspase-3 and the fragmentation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Treatment wi…