The measurement of mitochondrial activity in living cells is usually not straightforward, even though it is quite important in physiological and pathophysiological processes. We describe a high-throughput method for measurement of mitochondrial oxygen consumption in living cells, based on the Becton-Dickinson Biosensor plates.

The function of the ActA protein of Listeria monocytogenes has been partially elucidated. These results illustrate the sophistication with which intracellular pathogens like Listeria use the host cell to their advantage, and have provided new insights into some of the molecular mechanisms of complex cell functions such as actin-promoted cell motility. The clarification of these processes is of ...

Eukaryotic cell membrane dynamics change in curvature during physiological and pathological processes. In the past ten years, a novel protein family, Fes/CIP4 homology-Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (F-BAR) domain proteins, has been identified to be the most important coordinators in membrane curvature regulation. The F-BAR domain family is a member of the Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain superfamily that...

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a member of the nuclear hormone family of transcription factors, has key physiological roles in many organs, including the skin. In this issue, Latorre et al. demonstrate that mice lacking GR in the epidermis exhibit increased vulnerability to chemical carcinogenesis. Evidence supporting an involvement of GR signaling in physiological and pathophysiological pro...

This article summarizes the biochemical processes that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other mediators that account for 'oxidative stress'. Formation of ROS in signal transduction cascades is illustrated from studies of kidney cell systems. The pathophysiological implications for the nephrologist are then reviewed.

Both cardiovascular disease and aging are associated with changes in the sympathetic nervous system. Indeed, mounting evidence indicates that adrenergic receptors are functionally involved in numerous processes underlying both aging and cardiovascular disorders, in particular heart failure. This article will review the pathophysiological role of the sympathetic nervous system in heart failure a...

The goal of this review is to integrate - in its two parts - the considerable amount of information that has accumulated during these recent years over the morphology, biology and functions of astrocytes - first part - and to illustrate the active role of these cells in pathophysiological processes implicated in various psychiatric and neurologic disorders - second part.

Introduction We have detected several genetic variants of CASP1 in patients suffering from unexplained recurrent febrile episodes. Paradoxically, in vitro and in vivo analyses of patients’ cells revealed decreased enzymatic activity of these caspase-1 variants leading to impaired cytokine production despite the proinflammatory phenotype of the patients. The pathophysiological processes associat...