| Dec 31,2001 |
Vascular Adrenoceptors:
An Update |
|
The total and regional peripheral resistance
and capacitance of the vascular system is regulated
by the sympathetic nervous system, which influences
the vasculature mainly through changes in the
release of catecholamines from both the sympathetic
nerve terminals and the adrenal medulla.
|
| Dec 30,2001 |
Using green
fluorescent protein to study intracellular signalling |
|
In this review we focus
on some of the recent developments in the use of green fluorescent
proteins for studying intracellular signalling pathways often
with special reference to the actions of insulin. We also discuss
the future utility of these proteins to analyse protein and
protein interactions in signalling pathways using fluorescence
resonance energy transfer.
|
| Dec 29,2001 |
Tumors and the heart: molecular genetic advances |
|
In this review, we highlight
important recent developments in our understanding of
the molecular genetic basis of primary cardiac tumor
types: myxomas, rhabdomyomas, lipomas, and fibromas.
|
| Dec 28,2001 |
Protein family review:The Smads |
|
Signals are initiated upon binding of TGFβ superfamily members to cell-surface
serine/threonine kinase receptors and are then propagated by the intracellular mediators known as
Smads. Activation of Smads results in their translocation from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, where
they activate or repress transcription together with transcription factors so as to regulate target gene
expression.
|
| Dec 27,2001 |
The prolactin releasing peptides: RF-amide peptides |
|
Recently, two peptides were
isolated, products of the same prohormone, that were reported
to have significant prolactin-releasing activity. These peptides,
called prolactin releasing peptides, are not accepted by all
investigators to be in fact PRFs.
|
| Dec 26,2001 |
The nuclear
pore complex |
|
Precisely how nuclear pore complexes
regulate macromolecular and ionic traffic remains unknown, but recent advances in the identification
and characterization of components of the complex by proteomics and genomics have provided new
insights.
|
| Dec 25,2001 |
The mammalian circadian clock shop |
|
This paper focuses on the tissue-, cellular- and molecularlevel
events that generate and entrain circadian rhythms in
behavior in mammals and emphasizes the apparent differences
between the SCN and peripheral oscillators.
|
| Dec 24,2001 |
The late open artery hypothesis—A decade later |
|
The hypothesis that late reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention days to weeks after myocardial
infarction results in improved long-term clinical outcomes in asymptomatic patients with occluded infarct-related artery is
currently being tested in the randomized, multicenter Occluded Artery Trial.
|
| Dec 23,2001 |
The common genetic
hypothesis of autoimmune/inflammatory |
|
Works leads to a common
genetic hypothesis which states that, unlike classical mendelian
genetic disorders, common autoimmune and inflammatory
disorders arise from combinatorial interactions of common nondisease
specific loci, disease specific loci, and specific
environmental triggers.
|
| Dec 22,2001 |
Spontaneous
conformational change within the prion protein–implications for
disease pathogenesis? |
|
Structural change in
the host prion protein, PrPC to an insoluble and aggregated
form with increased b-sheet content (PrPSc) is
central to the pathology of prion diseases.
|
| Dec 21,2001 |
Sceince:Breakthrough
of the Year |
|
Each year, Science's editors
gather to consider nominations for Breakthrough of the Year.
It is always challenging to approach an assortment of new discoveries
|
| Dec 20,2001 |
Small GTP-Binding
Proteins |
|
Small GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) exist in eukaryotes from yeast
to human and constitute a superfamily
consisting of more than 100 members. This superfamily is structurally
classified into at least five families: the
Ras, Rho, Rab, Sar1/Arf, and Ran families. They regulate a wide variety
of cell functions as biological timers
(biotimers) that initiate and terminate specific cell functions and determine the periods of time for the continuation
of the specific cell functions. |
| Dec 19,2001 |
Securing genome stability by
orchestrating DNA repair: removal
of radiation-induced clustered
lesions in DNA |
|
In this review, we describe the
base excision repair (BER) mechanism involved in processing
of clustered damages and discuss how this mechanism may
contribute to maintaining genome stability. |
| Dec 18,2001 |
Role of Nitric Oxide in Central
Sympathetic Outflow |
|
In
this review, the central role of NO in the regulation of sympathetic
outflow and subsequent cardiovascular control is examined.
After a brief introduction concerning the location of NO
synthase (NOS) containing neurons in the central nervous system
(CNS), studies that demonstrate the central effect of NO by
systemic administration of NO modulators will be presented. |
| Dec 17,2001 |
PubMed: bridging the information gap |
|
In this short article, we
will discuss how we are in the process of integrating PubMed with other information
resources in order to build a layered approach to biomedical data. |
| Dec 16,2001 |
Proteinase-Activated Receptors |
|
Proteinase-activated receptors are a recently
described, novel family of seven-transmembrane
G-protein-coupled receptors. Rather then being
stimulated through ligand receptor occupancy, activation
is initiated by cleavage of the N terminus of the
receptor by a serine protease resulting in the generation
of a new tethered ligand that interacts with the
receptor within extracellular loop-2.
|
| Dec 15,2001 |
Protein profiling comes of age |
|
Ever since DNA microarrays were first applied to the quantitation of RNA levels, there has been
considerable interest in generating a protein homolog that can be used to assay cellular protein
expression. A recent paper describes the first microarray that can be used for such protein profiling. |
| Dec 14,2001 |
Physiology and pathophysiology
of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation |
|
Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is involved in a
variety of physiological and pathophysiological phenomena.
Physiological functions include its participation in
DNA-base excision repair, DNA-damage signalling, regulation
of genomic stability, and regulation of transcription
and proteasomal function, supporting the previously
observed correlation of cellular poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation
capacity with mammalian life. |
| Dec 13,2001 |
p73 is a growth-regulated protein in vascular smooth muscle cells and is
present at high levels in human atherosclerotic plaque |
|
Our data indicate that the tumour suppressor homologue p73 probably plays a role
in VSM cell cycle progression, being mediated by a specific, as yet unidentified, serum component, and identifies a new function for this
protein as being important in the pathogenesis of human atherosclerosis as well as other vascular diseases. |
| Dec 12,2001 |
Nucleomorph genomes: much ado about practically nothing |
|
The DNA sequence of one of the smallest eukaryotic genomes has recently been finished - that of the
reduced nucleus, or nucleomorph, of an algal endosymbiont that resides within a cryptomonad host
cell. Its sequence promises insights into chloroplast acquisition, the constraints on genome size and the
basic workings of eukaryotic cells. |
| Dec 11,2001 |
Nuclear post-transcriptional control of gene expression |
|
Here we review the recent progress in
identification of signalling pathways that modulate
the action of key RNA-binding proteins which
regulate splicing, and the mechanisms of action of
the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II that
co-ordinate transcription with nuclear mRNA
processing events.
|
| Dec 10,2001 |
Nuclear Hormone Receptors and Gene Expression |
|
The nuclear hormone receptor superfamily includes receptors for thyroid and steroid
hormones, retinoids and vitamin D, as well as different “orphan” receptors of unknown ligand. Ligands for some
of these receptors have been recently identified, showing that products of lipid metabolism such as fatty acids,
prostaglandins, or cholesterol derivatives can regulate gene expression by binding to nuclear receptors. |
| Dec 09,2001 |
Non-viral vectors in cancer gene therapy: principles
and progress |
|
This review focuses on the use of synthetic (non-viral) delivery
systems for cancer gene therapy.Common principles and specific
advantages or disadvantages of the individual synthetic gene
delivery systems are discussed, and their interaction with
tumor-specific and generic biological barriers are examined in
order to identify potential strategies to overcome them.
|
| Dec 08,2001 |
New advances in the management
of acute coronary syndromes:
2.Fibrinolytic therapy for acute
ST-segment elevation myocardial
infarction |
|
Mrs. C, an 81-year-old woman, arrives at the emergency department of a
community hospital 4 hours after the onset of crushing retrosternal chest pain.
The pain radiates to her back, shoulders and arms and is associated with diaphoresis. |
| Dec 07,2001 |
The Gognitive Neuroscience of Remembering
|
|
Domain-specific cortical regions are
reactivated during vivid remembering and contribute to the contents of a memory. Here, we
describe how these regions interact to orchestrate an act of remembering. |
| Dec 06,2001 |
Multifunctional regulatory proteins
that control gene expression in both
the nucleus and the cytoplasm |
|
Here, we describe multifunctional proteins that control
bothnuclear and cytoplasmic steps of gene expression.processing steps.We
speculate that shuttling multifunctional proteins serve
to efficiently link RNA metabolism in the cytoplasmic and
nuclear compartments.
|
| Dec 05,2001 |
Molecular Mechanisms Mediating Mammalian Mitogenactivated
Protein Kinase (MAPK) Kinase (MEK)-MAPK
Cell Survival Signals |
|
This review, however, will focus on the
molecular mechanisms of mammalian cell survival mediated
by canonical MAPK signaling. MAPK-dependent cell survival
mechanisms have also been described in Drosophila (22,
23), but because these pathways have yet to show conservation
in mammals, they will not be discussed here. |
| Dec 04,2001 |
Molecular Classification of Estrogens |
|
A novel assay in vitro was used to activate the
transforming
growth factor (TGF-) gene in situ in MDA-MB-231 cells stably
transfected with cDNA for D351 ER or D351G ER. Three estrogen types
were used: estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, and a triphenylethylene (TPE)
derivative of tamoxifen without the antiestrogenic side chain. |
| Dec 03,2001 |
Mitochondria and the heart |
|
This review focuses on disorders of the respiratory chain, the
only area of mammalian cellular metabolism under the control
of two genomes, nuclear and mitochondrial.We describe
genetic mitochondrial cardiomyopathies and briefly review
mouse models and the mitochondrial theory of presbycardia. |
| Dec 02,2001 |
Mining mouse microarray data |
| |
Microarrays of mouse genes are now available from several sources, and they have so far given new
insights into gene expression in embryonic development, regions of the brain and during apoptosis.
Microarray data posted on the internet can be reanalyzed to study a range of questions. |
| Dec 01,2001 |
Membrane traffic between genomes |
|
A
comparison of Proteins of the Rab and SNARE families from the budding yeast, fission yeast, nematode and fruitfly genomes has
implications for the organization of membrane traffic in different organisms. |