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Full-Text Articles in Medical Molecular Biology

An Intramolecular Association Between Two Domains Of The Protein Kinase Fused Is Necessary For Hedgehog Signaling, Manuel Ascano Jr., David J. Robbins Dec 2004

An Intramolecular Association Between Two Domains Of The Protein Kinase Fused Is Necessary For Hedgehog Signaling, Manuel Ascano Jr., David J. Robbins

Dartmouth Scholarship

The protein kinase Fused (Fu) is an integral member of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. Although genetic studies demonstrate that Fu is required for the regulation of the Hh pathway, the mechanistic role that it plays remains largely unknown. Given our difficulty in developing an in vitro kinase assay for Fu, we reasoned that the catalytic activity of Fu might be highly regulated. Several mechanisms are known to regulate protein kinases, including self-association in either an intra- or an intermolecular fashion. Here, we provide evidence that Hh regulates Fu through intramolecular association between its kinase domain (ΔFu) and its carboxyl-terminal …


Multiple Roles Of Mucins In Pancreatic Cancer, A Lethal And Challenging Malignancy., N. Moniaux, M. Andrianifahanana, R. E. Brand, Surinder K. Batra Nov 2004

Multiple Roles Of Mucins In Pancreatic Cancer, A Lethal And Challenging Malignancy., N. Moniaux, M. Andrianifahanana, R. E. Brand, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Mucins are members of an expanding family of large multifunctional glycoproteins. Pancreatic mucins have important biological functions, including the protection, lubrication, and moisturisation of the surfaces of epithelial tissues lining ductal structures within the pancreas. Several lines of evidence support the notion that deregulated mucin production is a hallmark of inflammatory and neoplastic disorders of the pancreas. Herein, we discuss the factors that contribute to the lethality of pancreatic cancer as well as the key role played by mucins, particularly MUC1 and MUC4, in the development and progression of the disease. Aspects pertaining to the aberrant expression and glycosylation of …


Modified Amino Acid Copolymers Suppress Myelin Basic Protein 85–99-Induced Encephalomyelitis In Humanized Mice Through Different Effects On T Cells, Zsolt Illés, Joel N.H. Stern, Jay Reddy, Hanspeter Waldner, Marcin P. Mycko, Celia F. Brosnan, Stephan Ellmerich, Daniel M. Altmann, Laura Santambrogio, Jack L. Strominger, Vijay K. Kuchroo Aug 2004

Modified Amino Acid Copolymers Suppress Myelin Basic Protein 85–99-Induced Encephalomyelitis In Humanized Mice Through Different Effects On T Cells, Zsolt Illés, Joel N.H. Stern, Jay Reddy, Hanspeter Waldner, Marcin P. Mycko, Celia F. Brosnan, Stephan Ellmerich, Daniel M. Altmann, Laura Santambrogio, Jack L. Strominger, Vijay K. Kuchroo

Jay Reddy Publications

A humanized mouse bearing the HLA-DR2 (DRA/DRB1*1501) pro- tein associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the myelin basic protein (MBP) 85–99-specific HLA-DR2-restricted T cell receptor from an MS patient has been used to examine the effectiveness of modified amino acid copolymers poly(F,Y,A,K)n and poly- (V,W,A,K)n in therapy of MBP 85–99-induced experimental auto-immune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in comparison to Copolymer 1 [Copaxone, poly(Y,E,A,K)n]. The copolymers were designed to optimize binding to HLA-DR2. Vaccination, prevention, and treatment of MBP-induced EAE in the humanized mice with copolymers FYAK and VWAK ameliorated EAE more effectively than Copolymer 1, reduced the number of pathological lesions, and …


Transcriptional Activation Of The Human Prostatic Acid Phosphatase Gene By Nf-Kappab Via A Novel Hexanucleotide-Binding Site., Stanislav Zelivianski, Richard Glowacki, Ming-Fong Lin Jul 2004

Transcriptional Activation Of The Human Prostatic Acid Phosphatase Gene By Nf-Kappab Via A Novel Hexanucleotide-Binding Site., Stanislav Zelivianski, Richard Glowacki, Ming-Fong Lin

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAcP) is a prostate epithelium-specific differentiation antigen. Cellular PAcP functions as a neutral protein tyrosine phosphatase and is involved in regulating androgen-promoted prostate cancer cell proliferation. Despite the fact that the promoter of the PAcP gene has been cloned, the transcriptional factors that regulate PAcP expression remain unidentified. This article describes our analyses of the promoter of the PAcP gene. Deletion analyses of the promoter sequence up to -4893 (-4893/+87) revealed that a 577 bp fragment (-1356/-779) represents the unique positive cis-active element in human prostate cancer cells but not in HeLa cervix carcinoma cells. Interestingly, …


Mechanisms And Integration Of Signal Pathway: A Role For Calpains?, Dorothy E. Croall Jun 2004

Mechanisms And Integration Of Signal Pathway: A Role For Calpains?, Dorothy E. Croall

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

In order to survive cells must sense and respond to changes in their environment. Environmental cues trigger a variety of events within cells. The concentration and movements of calcium ions are essential regulators of many of these cellular responses. Proper control of intracellular calcium is essential because at thigh levels calcium can lead to cell damage or death. Calcium accomplishes it effects through binding to specific proteins such as calmodulin and calpain. Calmodulin, named for its ability to bind calcium and to modulate the activity of other cellular components, is an important mediator of calcium signals and its mechanism of …


Muc4 Mucin Expression In Human Pancreatic Tumours Is Affected By Organ Environment: The Possible Role Of Tgfbeta2., A. Choudhury, N. Moniaux, A. B. Ulrich, B. M. Schmied, J. Standop, Parviz M. Pour, S. J. Gendler, Michael A. Hollingsworth, J-P Aubert, Surinder K. Batra Feb 2004

Muc4 Mucin Expression In Human Pancreatic Tumours Is Affected By Organ Environment: The Possible Role Of Tgfbeta2., A. Choudhury, N. Moniaux, A. B. Ulrich, B. M. Schmied, J. Standop, Parviz M. Pour, S. J. Gendler, Michael A. Hollingsworth, J-P Aubert, Surinder K. Batra

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

MUC4 is highly expressed in human pancreatic tumours and pancreatic tumour cell lines, but is minimally or not expressed in normal pancreas or chronic pancreatitis. Here, we investigated the aberrant regulation of MUC4 expression in vivo using clonal human pancreatic tumour cells (CD18/HPAF) grown either orthotopically in the pancreas (OT) or ectopically in subcutaneous tissue (SC) in the nude mice. Histological examination of the OT and SC tumours showed moderately differentiated and anaplastic morphology, respectively. The OT tumour cells showed metastases to distant lymph nodes and faster tumour growth (P


Amelioration Of Proteolipid Protein 139–151-Induced Encephalomyelitis In Sjl Mice By Modified Amino Acid Copolymers And Their Mechanisms, Joel N.H. Stern, Zsolt Illés, Jay Reddy, Derin B. Keskin, Eric Sheu, Masha Fridkis-Hareli, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Celia F. Brosnan, Laura Santambrogio, Vijay K. Kuchroo, Jack L. Strominger Jan 2004

Amelioration Of Proteolipid Protein 139–151-Induced Encephalomyelitis In Sjl Mice By Modified Amino Acid Copolymers And Their Mechanisms, Joel N.H. Stern, Zsolt Illés, Jay Reddy, Derin B. Keskin, Eric Sheu, Masha Fridkis-Hareli, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Celia F. Brosnan, Laura Santambrogio, Vijay K. Kuchroo, Jack L. Strominger

Jay Reddy Publications

Copolymer 1 [Cop1, glatiramer acetate, Copaxone, poly(Y,E,A,K)n] is widely used in the treatment of relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis in which it reduces the frequency of relapses by ≈30%. In the present study, copolymers with modified amino acid compositions (based on the binding motif of myelin basic protein 85–99 to HLA-DR2) have been developed with the aim of suppressing multiple sclerosis more effectively. The enhanced efficacy of these copolymers in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced in SJL/J mice with proteolipid protein 139–151 was demonstrated by using three protocols: (i) simultaneous administration of autoantigen and copolymer (termed prevention), (ii) …


The Nuclear Pore Complex And The Dead Box Protein Rat8p/Dbp5p Have Nonessential Features Which Appear To Facilitate Mrna Export Following Heat Shock, Christiane Rollenhagen, Christine A. Hodge, Charles N. Cole Jan 2004

The Nuclear Pore Complex And The Dead Box Protein Rat8p/Dbp5p Have Nonessential Features Which Appear To Facilitate Mrna Export Following Heat Shock, Christiane Rollenhagen, Christine A. Hodge, Charles N. Cole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) play an essential role in RNA export. Nucleoporins required for mRNA export in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are found in the Nup84p and Nup82p subcomplexes of the NPC. The Nup82p subcomplex contains Nup82p, Rat7p/Nup159p, Nsp1p, Gle1p/Rss1p, and Rip1p/Nup42p and is found only on the cytoplasmic face of NPCs. Both Rat7p and Gle1p contain binding sites for Rat8p/Dbp5p, an essential DEAD box protein and putative RNA helicase. Rip1p interacts directly with Gle1p and is the only protein known to be essential for mRNA export after heat shock but not under normal growth conditions. We report that in cells lacking …