High-resolution imaging of the immunological synapse and T-cell receptor microclustering through microfabricated substrates.
AuthorsBiggs MJ, Milone MC, Santos LC, Gondarenko A, Wind SJ,
JournalJ R Soc Interface
PubMed ID21490003
'T-cell activation via antigen presentation is associated with the formation of a macromolecular membrane assembly termed the immunological synapse (IS). The genesis of the IS and the onset of juxtacrine signalling is characterized by the formation of cell membrane microclusters and the organization of such into segregated microdomains. A central ... More
Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) is a mediator of lung toxicity for coal fly ash particulate material.
AuthorsDeering-Rice CE, Johansen ME, Roberts JK, Thomas KC, Romero EG, Lee J, Yost GS, Veranth JM, Reilly CA,
JournalMol Pharmacol
PubMed ID22155782
'Environmental particulate matter (PM) pollutants adversely affect human health, but the molecular basis is poorly understood. The ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) has been implicated as a sensor for environmental PM and a mediator of adverse events in the respiratory tract. The objectives of this study were to ... More
20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) is a novel activator of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel.
'TRPV1 is a member of the transient receptor potential ion channel family and is gated by capsaicin, the pungent component of chili pepper. It is expressed predominantly in small diameter peripheral nerve fibers and is activated by noxious temperatures >42 °C. 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) is a cytochrome P-450 4A/4F-derived metabolite ... More
Screening ß-arrestin recruitment for the identification of natural ligands for orphan G-protein-coupled receptors.
AuthorsSouthern C, Cook JM, Neetoo-Isseljee Z, Taylor DL, Kettleborough CA, Merritt A, Bassoni DL, Raab WJ, Quinn E, Wehrman TS, Davenport AP, Brown AJ, Green A, Wigglesworth MJ, Rees S,
JournalJ Biomol Screen
PubMed ID23396314
A variety of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) screening technologies have successfully partnered a number of GPCRs with their cognate ligands. GPCR-mediated ß-arrestin recruitment is now recognized as a distinct intracellular signaling pathway, and ligand-receptor interactions may show a bias toward ß-arrestin over classical GPCR signaling pathways. We hypothesized that the failure ... More
A novel in vitro model system for smooth muscle differentiation from human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal cells.
AuthorsGuo X, Stice SL, Boyd NL, Chen SY,
JournalAm J Physiol Cell Physiol
PubMed ID23220114
The objective of this study was to develop a novel in vitro model for smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation from human embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal cells (hES-MCs). We found that hES-MCs were differentiated to SMCs by transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) in a dose- and time-dependent manner as demonstrated by the ... More
HIV-1 Tat protein inhibits neurosecretion by binding to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.
AuthorsTryoen-Tóth P, Chasserot-Golaz S, Tu A, Gherib P, Bader MF, Beaumelle B, Vitale N,
JournalJ Cell Sci
PubMed ID23178941
HIV-1 transcriptional activator (Tat) enables viral transcription and is also actively released by infected cells. Extracellular Tat can enter uninfected cells and affect some cellular functions. Here, we examine the effects of Tat protein on the secretory activity of neuroendocrine cells. When added to the culture medium of chromaffin and ... More
Calpain protects the heart from hemodynamic stress.
AuthorsTaneike M, Mizote I, Morita T, Watanabe T, Hikoso S, Yamaguchi O, Takeda T, Oka T, Tamai T, Oyabu J, Murakawa T, Nakayama H, Nishida K, Takeda J, Mochizuki N, Komuro I, Otsu K,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID21795695
Calpains make up a family of Ca(2+)-dependent intracellular cysteine proteases that include ubiquitously expressed µ- and m-calpains. Both are heterodimers consisting of a distinct large catalytic subunit (calpain 1 for µ-calpain and calpain 2 for m-calpain) and a common regulatory subunit (calpain 4). The physiological roles of calpain remain unclear ... More
JNK1/2 regulates ER-mitochondrial Ca2+ cross-talk during IL-1ß-mediated cell death in RINm5F and human primary ß-cells.
AuthorsVerma G, Bhatia H, Datta M,
JournalMol Biol Cell
PubMed ID23615449
Elevated interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) induces apoptosis in pancreatic ß-cells through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress induction and subsequent c-jun-N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2) activation. In earlier work we showed that JNK1/2 activation is initiated before ER stress and apoptotic induction in response to IL-1ß. However, the detailed regulatory mechanisms are not completely understood. ... More