Histone acetylase GCN5 enters the nucleus via importin-alpha in protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
AuthorsBhatti MM, Sullivan WJ,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID15591057
'The histone acetyltransferase GCN5 acetylates nucleosomal histones to alter gene expression. How GCN5 gains entry into the nucleus of the cell has not been determined. We have mapped a six-amino acid motif (RKRVKR) that serves as a necessary and sufficient nuclear localization signal (NLS) for GCN5 in the protozoan pathogen ... More
Insights into regulation of human Schwann cell proliferation by Erk1/2 via a MEK-independent and p56Lck-dependent pathway from leprosy bacilli.
AuthorsTapinos N, Rambukkana A,
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID15967991
'Activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) 1/2, which plays a critical role in diverse cellular processes, including cell proliferation, is known to be mediated by the canonical Raf-mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) kinase cascade. Alternative MEK-independent signaling pathways for Erk1/2 activation in mammalian cells are not known. During our studies ... More
The Drosophila acetylcholine receptor subunit D alpha5 is part of an alpha-bungarotoxin binding acetylcholine receptor.
AuthorsWu P, Ma D, Pierzchala M, Wu J, Yang LC, Mai X, Chang X, Schmidt-Glenewinkel T,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID15781463
'The central nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster contains an alpha-bungarotoxin-binding protein with the properties expected of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. This protein was purified 5800-fold from membranes prepared from Drosophila heads. The protein was solubilized with 1% Triton X-100 and 0.5 M sodium chloride and then purified using an alpha-cobratoxin ... More
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae EHT1 and EEB1 genes encode novel enzymes with medium-chain fatty acid ethyl ester synthesis and hydrolysis capacity.
AuthorsSaerens SM, Verstrepen KJ, Van Laere SD, Voet AR, Van Dijck P, Delvaux FR, Thevelein JM,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID16361250
'Fatty acid ethyl esters are secondary metabolites produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and many other fungi. Their natural physiological role is not known but in fermentations of alcoholic beverages and other food products they play a key role as flavor compounds. Information about the metabolic pathways and enzymology of FAEE biosynthesis, ... More
Recombinant Addition of N-Glycosylation Sites to the Basolateral Na,K-ATPase {beta}1 Subunit Results in Its Clustering in Caveolae and Apical Sorting in HGT-1 Cells.
AuthorsVagin O, Turdikulova S, Sachs G,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID16230337
'In most polarized cells, the Na,K-ATPase is localized on the basolateral plasma membrane. However, an unusual location of the Na,K-ATPase was detected in polarized HGT-1 cells (a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line). The Na,K-ATPase alpha(1) subunit was detected along with the beta(2) subunit predominantly on the apical membrane, whereas the ... More
Adult tissue-specific expression of a dppa3-derived retrogene represents a postnatal transcript of pluripotent cell origin.
AuthorsElliman SJ, Wu I, Kemp DM,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID16291741
Processed pseudogenes emerge by reverse transcription of spliced mRNAs followed by incorporation of the resultant cDNA into the genome. Their genesis requires that retrotransposition occur within the germ-line, a provision that significantly limits random distribution of source genes. We previously identified embryonic stem cell-specific genes as an enriched source of ... More
Structural determinants of the agonist-independent association of human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors with coactivators.
AuthorsMolnár F, Matilainen M, Carlberg C,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID15888456
Lipid homeostasis is controlled by various nuclear receptors (NRs), including the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARalpha, delta, and gamma), which sense lipid levels and regulate their metabolism. Here we demonstrate that human PPARs have a high basal activity and show ligand-independent coactivator (CoA) association comparable with the NR constitutive androstane receptor. ... More
A high-resolution whole-genome cattle-human comparative map reveals details of mammalian chromosome evolution.
AuthorsWind AE, Larkin DM, Green CA, Elliott JS, Olmstead CA, Chiu R, Schein JE, Marra MA, Womack JE, Lewin HA,
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID16339895
Approximately 3,000 cattle bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-end sequences were added to the Illinois-Texas 5,000-rad RH (RH, radiation hybrid) map. The BAC-end sequences selected for mapping are approximately 1 Mbp apart on the human chromosomes as determined by blastn analysis. The map has 3,484 ordered markers, of which 3,204 are anchored ... More
Regulation of the PIS1-encoded phosphatidylinositol synthase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by zinc.
AuthorsHan SH, Han GS, Iwanyshyn WM, Carman GM,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID15980062
In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the mineral zinc is essential for growth and metabolism. Depletion of zinc from the growth medium of wild type cells results in changes in phospholipid metabolism, including an increase in phosphatidylinositol content (Iwanyshyn, W. M., Han, G.-S., and Carman, G. M. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. ... More
Role of the executioner caspases during lens development.
The notion that the cell death machinery is utilized during lens organelle degradation is supported by the observation that well characterized apoptotic substrates are cleaved during this process. Here, we test directly the role of executioner caspases (caspase-3, -6, and -7) in fiber cell differentiation. The distribution of mRNA, protein, ... More
Targeted measles virus vector displaying echistatin infects endothelial cells via alpha(v)beta3 and leads to tumor regression.
AuthorsHallak LK, Merchan JR, Storgard CM, Loftus JC, Russell SJ,
JournalCancer Res
PubMed ID15958576
Targeting tumor-associated vascular endothelium by replication-competent viral vectors is a promising strategy for cancer gene therapy. Here we describe the development of a viral vector based on the Edmonston vaccine strain of measles virus targeted to integrin alpha(v)beta3, which is expressed abundantly on activated but not quiescent vascular endothelium. We ... More