Search results for "Luciferases"
showing 10 items of 42 documents
Exclusive transduction of human CD4+ T Cells upon systemic delivery of CD4-targeted lentiviral vectors
2015
Abstract Playing a central role in both innate and adaptive immunity, CD4+ T cells are a key target for genetic modifications in basic research and immunotherapy. In this article, we describe novel lentiviral vectors (CD4-LV) that have been rendered selective for human or simian CD4+ cells by surface engineering. When applied to PBMCs, CD4-LV transduced CD4+ but not CD4− cells. Notably, also unstimulated T cells were stably genetically modified. Upon systemic or intrasplenic administration into mice reconstituted with human PBMCs or hematopoietic stem cells, reporter gene expression was predominantly detected in lymphoid organs. Evaluation of GFP expression in organ-derived cells and blood …
Differential Promotion of Glutamate Transporter Expression and Function by Glucocorticoids in Astrocytes from Various Brain Regions
2005
Steroids that activate glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) and mineralocorticoid receptors have important regulatory effects on neural development, plasticity, and the body's stress response. Here, we investigated the role of corticosteroids in regulating the expression of the glial glutamate transporters glial glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) in rat primary astrocytes. The synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone provoked a marked increase of GLT-1 transcription and protein levels in cortical astrocytes, whereas GLAST expression remained unaffected. Up-regulation of GLT-1 expression was accompanied by an enhanced glutamate uptake, which could be blocked …
Alternative Polyadenylation Events Contribute to the Induction of NF-ATc in Effector T Cells
1999
Abstract The transcription factor NF-ATc is synthesized in three prominent isoforms. These differ in the length of their C terminal peptides and mode of synthesis. Due to a switch from the use of a 3′ polyA site to a more proximal polyA site, NF-ATc expression switches from the synthesis of the two longer isoforms in naive T cells to that of short isoform A in T effector cells. The relative low binding affinity of cleavage stimulation factor CstF-64 to the proximal polyA site seems to contribute to its neglect in naive T cells. These alternative polyadenylation events ensure the rapid accumulation of high concentrations of NF-ATc necessary to exceed critical threshold levels of NF-ATc for g…
Copper homeostasis influences the circadian clock in Arabidopsis.
2010
Almost every aspect of plant physiology is influenced by diurnal and seasonal environmental cycles which suggests that biochemical oscillations must be a pervasive phenomenon in the underlying molecular organization. The circadian clock is entrained by light and temperature cycles, and controls a wide variety of endogenous processes that enable plants to anticipate the daily periodicity of environmental conditions. Several previous reports suggest a connection between copper (Cu) homeostasis and the circadian clock in different organisms other than plants. However, the nature of the Cu homeostasis influence on chronobiology remains elusive. Cytosolic Cu content could oscillate since Cu regu…
Activation of oligodendroglial Fyn kinase enhances translation of mRNAs transported in hnRNP A2-dependent RNA granules.
2008
Central nervous system myelination requires the synthesis of large amounts of myelin basic protein (MBP) at the axon–glia contact site. MBP messenger RNA (mRNA) is transported in RNA granules to oligodendroglial processes in a translationally silenced state. This process is regulated by the trans-acting factor heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A2 binding to the cis-acting A2 response element (A2RE). Release of this repression of MBP mRNA translation is thus essential for myelination. Mice deficient in the Src family tyrosine kinase Fyn are hypomyelinated and contain reduced levels of MBP. Here, we identify hnRNP A2 as a target of activated Fyn in oligodendrocytes. We show that…
Insulin-dependent leptin expression in breast cancer cells.
2008
Abstract Pathologic conditions associated with hyperinsulinemia, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, seem to increase the risk of breast cancer. Here, we studied molecular mechanisms by which insulin activates the expression of leptin, an obesity hormone that has been shown to promote breast cancer progression in an autocrine or paracrine way. Using MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, we found that (a) insulin stimulated leptin mRNA and protein expression, which was associated with increased activation of the leptin gene promoter; (b) insulin increased nuclear accumulation of transcription factors hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α and Sp1 and their loading on the leptin promoter;…
Flashing light signaling circuit in sponges: Endogenous light generation after tissue ablation in Suberites domuncula
2010
The skeleton of siliceous sponges (phylum Porifera: classes Demospongiae and Hexactinellida), composed of tightly interacting spicules that assemble to a genetically fixed scaffold, is formed of bio-silica. This inorganic framework with the quality of quartz glass has been shown to operate as light waveguide in vitro and very likely has a similar function in vivo. Furthermore, the molecular toolkit for endogenous light generation (luciferase) and light/photon harvesting (cryptochrome) has been identified in the demosponge Suberites domuncula. These three components of a light signaling system, spicules—luciferase—cryptochrome, are concentrated in the surface layers (cortex) of the poriferan…
Resveratrol decreases the levels of miR-155 by upregulating miR-663, a microRNA targeting JunB and JunD.
2010
An inflammatory component is present in the microenvironment of most neoplastic tissues, including those not causally related to an obvious inflammatory process. Several microRNAs, and especially miR-155, play an essential role in both the innate and adaptative immune response. Resveratrol (trans-3,4#,5-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that is currently at the stage of preclinical studies for human cancer prevention. Here, we establish that, in human THP-1 monocytic cells as well as in human blood monocytes, resveratrol upregulates miR- 663, a microRNA potentially targeting multiple genes implicated in the immune response. In THP-1 cells, miR-66…
Inhibition of NF-κB Activation and iNOS Induction by ent-Kaurane Diterpenoids in LPS-Stimulated RAW264.7 Murine Macrophages
2009
Xerophilusin A (1), xerophilusin B (2), longikaurin B (3), and xerophilusin F (4) from Isodon xerophylus inhibit LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with IC(50) values of 0.60, 0.23, 0.44, and 0.67 muM, respectively, and they all inhibited mRNA production in these same cells. They decreased the luciferase activity in RAW 264.7 cells transiently transfected with the NF-kappaB-dependent luciferase reporter, with IC(50) values of 1.8, 0.7, 1.2, and 1.6 muM, respectively. Compounds 1-3 reduced NF-kappaB activation, with compound 4 showing no effect, but p65 translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and the LPS-induced degradation of IkappaB were inhibited by all four test …
A functional analysis of ACP-20, an adult-specific cuticular protein gene from the beetle Tenebrio. Role of an intronic sequence in transcriptional a…
2004
0962-1075 (Print) Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; A gene encoding the adult cuticular protein ACP-20 was isolated in Tenebrio. It consists of three exons interspersed by two introns, intron 1 interrupting the signal peptide. To understand the regulatory mechanisms of ACP-20 expression, ACP-20 promoter-luciferase reporter gene constructs were transfected into cultured pharate adult wing epidermis. Transfection assays needed the presence of 20-hydroxyecdysone, confirming that ACP-20 is up-regulated by ecdysteroids. Analysis of 5' deletion constructs revealed that three regions are necessary for high levels of transcription. Interaction experiments between i…