Visualizing the endocytosis of phenylephrine in living cells by quantum dot-based tracking.
AuthorsMa J, Wu L, Hou Z, Song Y, Wang L, Jiang W,
Journal
PubMed ID24855959
'To study the intracellular receptor-drug transportation, a fluorescent probe consisting of phenylephrine-polyethylene glycol-quantum dots conjugate was employed to track endocytosis process of phenylephrine in living cells. This type of movement was studied by continuously filming fluorescent images in the same cell. We also calculated the movement parameters, and divided the ... More
Stress fibers stabilize the position of intranuclear DNA through mechanical connection with the nucleus in vascular smooth muscle cells.
AuthorsNagayama K, Yahiro Y, Matsumoto T,
JournalFEBS Lett
PubMed ID22094165
Actin stress fibers (SFs) running across the top surface of the nucleus in vascular smooth muscle cells were dissected using laser nano-dissection technique to release its pretension, and the dynamic behavior of SFs, nucleus, and intranuclear DNA were investigated. SFs shortened across the top surface of the nuclei after their ... More
JAM-A associates with ZO-2, afadin, and PDZ-GEF1 to activate Rap2c and regulate epithelial barrier function.
AuthorsMonteiro AC, Sumagin R, Rankin CR, Leoni G, Mina MJ, Reiter DM, Stehle T, Dermody TS, Schaefer SA, Hall RA, Nusrat A, Parkos CA,
Journal
PubMed ID23885123
Intestinal barrier function is regulated by epithelial tight junctions (TJs), structures that control paracellular permeability. Junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) is a TJ-associated protein that regulates barrier; however, mechanisms linking JAM-A to epithelial permeability are poorly understood. Here we report that JAM-A associates directly with ZO-2 and indirectly with afadin, and ... More
Bardet-Biedl syndrome proteins control the cilia length through regulation of actin polymerization.
AuthorsHernandez-Hernandez V, Pravincumar P, Diaz-Font A, May-Simera H, Jenkins D, Knight M, Beales PL,
Journal
PubMed ID23716571
Primary cilia are cellular appendages important for signal transduction and sensing the environment. Bardet-Biedl syndrome proteins form a complex that is important for several cytoskeleton-related processes such as ciliogenesis, cell migration and division. However, the mechanisms by which BBS proteins may regulate the cytoskeleton remain unclear. We discovered that Bbs4- ... More
Viscoelastic cell mechanics and actin remodelling are dependent on the rate of applied pressure.
AuthorsPravincumar P, Bader DL, Knight MM,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID22984454
Living cells are subjected to external and internal mechanical stresses. The effects of these stresses on the deformation and subsequent biological response of the cells remains unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that the rate at which pressure (or stress) is applied influence the viscoelastic properties of the cell associated ... More
Baculovirus-mediated gene transfer into mammalian cells.
AuthorsBoyce FM, Bucher NL,
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID8637876
This paper describes the use of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) as a vector for gene delivery into mammalian cells. A modified AcMNPV virus was prepared that carried the Escherichia coli lacZ reporter gene under control of the Rous sarcoma virus promoter and mammalian RNA processing ... More
BacMam technology and its application to drug discovery.
AuthorsAmes RS, Kost TA, Condreay JP,
JournalExpert Opin Drug Discov
PubMed ID23488908
The recombinant baculovirus/insect cell system was firmly established as a leading method for recombinant protein production when a new potential use for these viruses was revealed in 1995. It was reported that engineered recombinant baculoviruses could deliver functional expression cassettes to mammalian cell types; a system which has come to ... More
The Interference of Selected Cytotoxic Alkaloids with the Cytoskeleton: An Insight into Their Modes of Action.
AuthorsWang X, Tanaka M, Krstin S, Peixoto HS, Wink M,
JournalMolecules
PubMed ID27420038
'Alkaloids, the largest group among the nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites of plants, usually interact with several molecular targets. In this study, we provide evidence that six cytotoxic alkaloids (sanguinarine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, noscapine, protopine, homoharringtonine), which are known to affect neuroreceptors, protein biosynthesis and nucleic acids, also interact with the cellular cytoskeleton, ... More
Myofibril growth during cardiac hypertrophy is regulated through dual phosphorylation and acetylation of the actin capping protein CapZ.
AuthorsLin YH, Warren CM, Li J, McKinsey TA, Russell B,
JournalCell Signal
PubMed ID27185186
The mechanotransduction signaling pathways initiated in heart muscle by increased mechanical loading are known to lead to long-term transcriptional changes and hypertrophy, but the rapid events for adaptation at the sarcomeric level are not fully understood. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that actin filament assembly ... More
Live cell imaging of actin dynamics in dexamethasone-treated porcine trabecular meshwork cells.
AuthorsFujimoto T, Inoue T, Inoue-Mochita M, Tanihara H,
JournalExp Eye Res
PubMed ID26927931
The regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in trabecular meshwork (TM) cells is important for controlling outflow of the aqueous humor. In some reports, dexamethasone (DEX) increased the aqueous humor outflow resistance and induced unusual actin structures, such as cross-linked actin networks (CLAN), in TM cells. However, the functions and dynamics ... More