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Physiology

Brigham Young University

Calcium

Publication Year

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Rab8 Mediates Trpv4 Vesicle Trafficking To The Plasma Membrane In Hgf-Stimulated Mdck Cells, Hillary Jean Haws Mar 2016

Rab8 Mediates Trpv4 Vesicle Trafficking To The Plasma Membrane In Hgf-Stimulated Mdck Cells, Hillary Jean Haws

Theses and Dissertations

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process whereby epithelial cells, which act collectively through robust cell–cell interactions, take on mesenchymal characteristics, breaking cell–cell junctions to become solitary, invasive and motile. Our previous results show that a transient increase in calcium influxes through TRP channels at the plasma membrane is required for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)– stimulated EMT. Since this transient increase requires an intact microtubule cytoskeleton, we propose that HGF stimulation results in the mobilization of calcium channels to the plasma membrane from an intracellular compartment via microtubule–dependent vesicle trafficking. Through immunofluorescence, we show that prior to HGF treatment, …


C-Met Initiates Epithelial Scattering Through Transient Calcium Influxes And Nfat-Dependent Gene Transcription, Peter R. Langford Dec 2011

C-Met Initiates Epithelial Scattering Through Transient Calcium Influxes And Nfat-Dependent Gene Transcription, Peter R. Langford

Theses and Dissertations

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling drives epithelial cells to scatter by breaking cell-cell adhesions and migrating as solitary cells, a process that parallels epithelial-mesenchymal transition. HGF binds and activates the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase, but downstream signaling required for scattering remains poorly defined. This study addresses this shortcoming in a number of ways.A high-throughput in vitro drug screen was employed to identify proteins necessary in this HGF-induced signaling. Cells were tested for reactivity to HGF stimulation in a Boyden chamber assay. This tactic yielded several small molecules that block HGF-induced scattering, including a calcium channel blocker. Patch clamping was used …