Search results for "carrier protein"
showing 10 items of 361 documents
The Putative Natural Killer Decoy Early Genem04(gp34) of Murine Cytomegalovirus Encodes an Antigenic Peptide Recognized by Protective Antiviral CD8 T…
2000
ABSTRACTSeveral early genes of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) encode proteins that mediate immune evasion by interference with the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) pathway of antigen presentation to cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). Specifically, them152gene product gp37/40 causes retention of MHC-I molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi intermediate compartment. Lack of MHC-I on the cell surface should activate natural killer (NK) cells recognizing the “missing self.” The retention, however, is counteracted by them04early gene product gp34, which binds to folded MHC-I molecules in the ER and directs the complex to the cell surface. It was thus speculated that gp34 mi…
Cytomegalovirus Encodes a Positive Regulator of Antigen Presentation
2006
ABSTRACT Murine cytomegalovirus encodes three regulators of antigen presentation to antiviral CD8 T cells. According to current paradigms, all three regulators are committed to the inhibition of the presentation of antigenic peptides. Whereas m152/gp40 catalyzes the retention of peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules in a cis -Golgi compartment, m06/gp48 binds stably to class I molecules and directs them into the cellular cargo-sorting pathway of lysosomal degradation. Regulator m04/gp34 also binds stably to class I molecules, but unlike m152 and m06, it does not downmodulate MHC class I cell surface expression. It has entered the literature as a direct inhi…
Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Allele-specific Cooperative and Competitive Interactions between Immune Evasion Proteins of Cytomegalovirus
2002
Cytomegaloviruses (CMVs) deploy a set of genes for interference with antigen presentation in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I pathway. In murine CMV (MCMV), three genes were identified so far: m04/gp34, m06/gp48, and m152/gp40. While their function as immunoevasins was originally defined after their selective expression, this may not necessarily reflect their biological role during infection. The three immunoevasins might act synergistically, but they might also compete for their common substrate, the MHC class I complexes. To approach this question in a systematic manner, we have generated a complete set of mutant viruses with deletions of the three genes in all seven pos…
FSHD muscular dystrophy region gene 1 binds Suv4-20h1 histone methyltransferase and impairs myogenesis.
2013
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant myopathy with a strong epigenetic component. It is associated with deletion of a macrosatellite repeat leading to over-expression of the nearby genes. Among them, we focused on FSHD region gene 1 (FRG1) since its over-expression in mice, Xenopus laevis and Caenorhabditis elegans, leads to muscular dystrophy-like defects, suggesting that FRG1 plays a relevant role in muscle biology. Here we show that, when over-expressed, FRG1 binds and interferes with the activity of the histone methyltransferase Suv4-20h1 both in mammals and Drosophila. Accordingly, FRG1 over-expression or Suv4-20h1 knockdown inhibits myogenesis. Moreov…
Adenoviral RB2/p130 gene transfer inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation and prevents restenosis after angioplasty.
1999
Abstract —Smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation that results in neointima formation is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques and accounts for the high rates of restenosis that occur after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, a widespread treatment for coronary artery disease. Endothelial lesions trigger intense proliferative signals to the SMCs of the subintima, stimulating their reentry into the cell cycle from a resting G 0 state, resulting in neointima formation and vascular occlusion. Cellular proliferation is negatively controlled by growth-regulatory or tumor-suppressor genes, or both, such as the retinoblastoma gene family members ( RB/p105, p107, RB2…
Cryptochrome in Sponges: A Key Molecule Linking Photoreception with Phototransduction
2013
Sponges (phylum: Porifera) react to external light or mechanical signals with contractile or metabolic reactions and are devoid of any nervous or muscular system. Furthermore, elements of a photoreception/phototransduction system exist in those animals. Recently, a cryptochrome-based photoreceptor system has been discovered in the demosponge. The assumption that in sponges the siliceous skeleton acts as a substitution for the lack of a nervous system and allows light signals to be transmitted through its glass fiber network is supported by the findings that the first spicules are efficient light waveguides and the second sponges have the enzymatic machinery for the generation of light. Now…
Distribution of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in the central and peripheral nervous systems of the rat.
1994
Expression of the acetylcholine biosynthetic enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), and the high-affinity plasma membrane choline transporter uniquely defines the cholinergic phenotype in the mammalian central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous systems. The distribution of cells expressing the messenger RNA encoding the recently cloned VAChT in the rat CNS and PNS is described here. The pattern of expression of VAChT mRNA is consistent with anatomical, pharmacological, and histochemical information on the distribution of functional cholinergic neurons in the brain and peripheral tissues of the rat. VAChT mRNA-containing cells are present in…
Conformational changes in acetylcholine binding protein investigated by temperature accelerated molecular dynamics.
2014
Despite the large number of studies available on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, a complete account of the mechanistic aspects of their gating transition in response to ligand binding still remains elusive. As a first step toward dissecting the transition mechanism by accelerated sampling techniques, we study the ligand-induced conformational changes of the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP), a widely accepted model for the full receptor extracellular domain. Using unbiased Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Temperature Accelerated Molecular Dynamics (TAMD) simulations we investigate the AChBP transition between the apo and the agonist-bound state. In long standard MD simulations, both confo…
Transplanting the genetic susceptibility to Crohn’s disease
2003
Susceptibility to Crohn’s disease may be transferred via haematopoietic stem cells, highlighting the pivotal role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease Crohn’s disease (CD) is one of the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The prevalence of CD has increased in Western countries over the past decades and mainly young patients are affected, with a peak incidence between 15 and 35 years.1 The aetiology of IBD is still unclear and should be considered as multifactorial according to recent studies.2 Genetic factors seem to play a pathogenic role as well as environmental, infectious, and immunological factors. All of these different aetiological aspects …
In vitro blood brain barrier exposure to mycotoxins and carotenoids pumpkin extract alters mitochondrial gene expression and oxidative stress.
2021
Abstract Food and feed are daily exposed to mycotoxin contamination which effects may be counteracted by antioxidants like carotenoids. Some mycotoxins as well as carotenoids penetrate the blood brain barrier (BBB) inducing alterations related to redox balance in the mitochondria. Therefore, the in vitro BBB model ECV304 was subcultured for 7 days and exposed to beauvericine, enniatins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone (100 nM each), individually and combined, and pumpkin extract (500 nM). Reactive oxygen species were measured by fluorescence using the dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe at 0 h, 2 h and 4 h. Intracellular ROS generation reported was condition dependent. RNA extraction was performe…