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Full-Text Articles in Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins

The Role Of The Yxxφ Motif In Cd82 Trafficking And Function, Mekel Marie Richardson Nov 2012

The Role Of The Yxxφ Motif In Cd82 Trafficking And Function, Mekel Marie Richardson

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

CD82, a tetraspanin, is a tumor metastasis suppressor. Tetraspanins are membrane spanning proteins that play critical roles in diverse biological and pathological processes, e.g., the regulation of cancer metastasis. CD82 is ubiquitously expressed in various types of tissues, but its expression becomes down-regulated or lost in a majority of metastatic tumors. It inhibits tumor metastasis without affecting primary tumor growth. Cancer patients whose tumors contain CD82 exhibit minimal metastasis. We know that CD82 functions as a tumor metastasis suppressor but the mechanism by which this occurs is largely unknown. CD82 can be found on the plasma membrane as well as …


The Mechanical Behavior Of Mutant K14-R125p Keratin Bundles And Networks In Neb-1 Keratinocytes, Daniel R. Beriault, Oualid Haddad, John V. Mccuaig, Zachary J. Robinson, David Russell, E. Birgitte Lane, Douglas S. Fudge Feb 2012

The Mechanical Behavior Of Mutant K14-R125p Keratin Bundles And Networks In Neb-1 Keratinocytes, Daniel R. Beriault, Oualid Haddad, John V. Mccuaig, Zachary J. Robinson, David Russell, E. Birgitte Lane, Douglas S. Fudge

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is an inherited skin-blistering disease that is caused by dominant mutations in the genes for keratin K5 or K14 proteins. While the link between keratin mutations and keratinocyte fragility in EBS patients is clear, the exact biophysical mechanisms underlying cell fragility are not known. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that mutant K14-R125P filaments and/or networks in human keratinocytes are mechanically defective in their response to large-scale deformations. We found that mutant filaments and networks exhibit no obvious defects when subjected to large uniaxial strains and have no negative effects on the ability of human …


The Use Of A Ditopic Gd(Iii) Paramagnetic Probe For Investigating Α-Bungarotoxin Surface Accessibility, Andrea Bernini, Ottavia Spiga, Vincenzo Venditti, Filippo Prischi, Mauro Botta, Gianluca Croce, Angela Pui-Ling Tong, Wing-Talk Wong, Neri Niccolai Jan 2012

The Use Of A Ditopic Gd(Iii) Paramagnetic Probe For Investigating Α-Bungarotoxin Surface Accessibility, Andrea Bernini, Ottavia Spiga, Vincenzo Venditti, Filippo Prischi, Mauro Botta, Gianluca Croce, Angela Pui-Ling Tong, Wing-Talk Wong, Neri Niccolai

Vincenzo Venditti

Protein surface accessibility is a critical parameter which drives all intermolecular interaction processes. In this respect a big deal of information has been derived by analyzing paramagnetic perturbation profiles obtained from NMR protein spectra, particularly in the case that the effects due to different soluble paramagnets can be compared. Here Gd2L7, a neutral ditopic paramagnetic NMR probe, has been characterized in terms of structure and relaxivity and its paramagnetic perturbations on α-bungarotoxin CαH signals in 1H–13C HSQC (heteronuclear single quantum coherence) spectra have been analyzed. Then, these signal attenuations have been compared with the ones previously obtained in the presence …


An Efficient Protocol For Incorporation Of An Unnatural Amino Acid In Perdeuterated Recombinant Proteins Using Glucose-Based Media, Vincenzo Venditti, Nicolas L. Fawzi, G. Marius Clore Jan 2012

An Efficient Protocol For Incorporation Of An Unnatural Amino Acid In Perdeuterated Recombinant Proteins Using Glucose-Based Media, Vincenzo Venditti, Nicolas L. Fawzi, G. Marius Clore

Vincenzo Venditti

The in vivo incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins is a well-established technique requiring an orthogonal tRNA/aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair specific for the unnatural amino acid that is incorporated at a position encoded by a TAG amber codon. Although this technology provides unique opportunities to engineer protein structures, poor protein yields are usually obtained in deuterated media, hampering its application in the protein NMR field. Here, we describe a novel protocol for incorporating unnatural amino acids into fully deuterated proteins using glucose-based media (which are relevant to the production, for example, of amino acid-specific methyl-labeled proteins used in the study …


N-Myristoylglutamic Acid Derivative Of 3′-Fluoro-3′- Deoxythymidine As An Organogel, Bhupender S. Chhikara, Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang Jan 2012

N-Myristoylglutamic Acid Derivative Of 3′-Fluoro-3′- Deoxythymidine As An Organogel, Bhupender S. Chhikara, Rakesh Tiwari, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Designing microbicidal gels of anti-HIV drugs for local application to prevent HIV infection is a subject of major interest. 3′-Fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine (FLT), a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), was conjugated with a N-myristoylglutamate scaffold. The conjugate showed gelation at 1% (w/w) in different organic solvents, such as toluene, dichloromethane, and chloroform. The gels were opaque and stable at room temperature. The results indicate that myristoyl glutamate derivative of FLT can form an organogel. The gel could have potential application as a topical anti-HIV microbicidal agent.


Hepatic Immunosuppressive Effects Of Systemically- Administered Novel Dextran-Methylprednisolone Prodrugs With Peptide Linkers In Rats, Imam H. Shaik, Hitesh K. Agarwal, Keykavous Parang, Reza Mehvar Jan 2012

Hepatic Immunosuppressive Effects Of Systemically- Administered Novel Dextran-Methylprednisolone Prodrugs With Peptide Linkers In Rats, Imam H. Shaik, Hitesh K. Agarwal, Keykavous Parang, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The hepatic immunosuppressive activities of two novel dextran prodrugs of methylprednisolone (MP) containing one (DMP1) or five (DMP5) amino acids as linkers were studied in rats. At various times (02 weeks) after intravenous administration of single 5 mg/kg (MP equivalent) doses of each prodrug or MP succinate (MPS), livers were isolated and immunologically stimulated ex vivo with lipopolysaccharide. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in the outlet perfusate were then quantitated to assess immune response. Additionally, the concentrations of DMP1, DMP5, and/or MP were measured in the liver. MPS, DMP5, or DMP1 injections caused a maximum of 48.9%, 63.5%, …


Cytomegalovirus Cc Chemokine Promotes Immune Cell Migration, Jennifer Totonchy, Michael Denton, Craig N. Kreklywich, Takeshi Andoh, Jessica M. Osborn, Daniel Chen, Ilhem Messaoudi, Susan L. Orloff, Daniel N. Streblow Jan 2012

Cytomegalovirus Cc Chemokine Promotes Immune Cell Migration, Jennifer Totonchy, Michael Denton, Craig N. Kreklywich, Takeshi Andoh, Jessica M. Osborn, Daniel Chen, Ilhem Messaoudi, Susan L. Orloff, Daniel N. Streblow

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Cytomegaloviruses manipulate the host chemokine/receptor axis by altering cellular chemokine expression and by encoding multiple chemokines and chemokine receptors. Similar to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), rat cytomegalovirus (RCMV) encodes multiple CC chemokine-analogous proteins, including r129 (HCMV UL128 homologue) and r131 (HCMV UL130 and MCMV m129/130 homologues). Although these proteins play a role in CMV entry, their function as chemotactic cytokines remains unknown. In the current study, we examined the role of the RCMV chemokine r129 in promoting cellular migration and in accelerating transplant vascular sclerosis (TVS) in our rat heart transplant model. We determined that r129 protein is released into culture …


Kshv Infection Of Endothelial Cells Manipulates Cxcr7-Mediated Signaling: Implications For Kaposi’S Sarcoma Progression And Intervention, Jennifer Totonchy, Lisa Clepper, Janet Douglas, Liron Pantanowitz, Klaus Fruh, Ashlee V. Moses Jan 2012

Kshv Infection Of Endothelial Cells Manipulates Cxcr7-Mediated Signaling: Implications For Kaposi’S Sarcoma Progression And Intervention, Jennifer Totonchy, Lisa Clepper, Janet Douglas, Liron Pantanowitz, Klaus Fruh, Ashlee V. Moses

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"CXCR7 was recently characterized as an alternative receptor for the chemokine CXCL12/SDF-1, previously thought to bind and signal exclusively through CXCR4.We recently identified CXCR7 as a key cellular factor in the endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction associated with KSHV infection. CXCL12 signaling is critically associated with tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis in several diverse tumors and is one of the most studied chemokine/chemokine receptor interactions in cancer systems. The tumorigenic activity of the CXCL12 signaling axis offers an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in multiple cancers including Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS). However, most of the research to date was based on the …