Tyrosinase (TYR) catalyzes rate-limiting reactions of cellular melanin synthesis, and its inhibitors are of commercial interest as potential skin whitening agents. However, the limited availability of human TYR makes the screening of TYR inhibitors difficult. To overcome this hurdle, we transformed nonmelanocytic human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells to express human TYR constitutively. Using ...

Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium vitis-idaea are two dwarf shrubs widespread in the European Alps. We studied the hydraulics of these species hypothesizing that (1) the hydraulic architecture of dwarf shrubs differs from trees, (2) hydraulic properties reflect the species' ecological amplitude and (3) hydraulic properties vary spatially and seasonally. Key hydraulic parameters (osmotic potenti...

The aerial parts of Vitis vinifera Linn. (Common grape, Hindi ⎯ Angur) have been widely used in Ayurveda to treat a variety of common and stress related disorders. The seed extract of grapes was evaluated by Sreemantula and others for antistress activity in normal and stress induced rats. Furthermore, the extract was studied for nootropic activity in rats and in vitro antioxidant potential to c...

Reports have shown the antioxidant, hypotensive, hypolipidemic and vasodilatory effects of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) seed extract. We have recently shown the relaxatory effect of grape leaf extract on rat uterus and reduction of frog heart rate and contractility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relaxant effect of Vitis vinifera leaf hydroalcoholic extract (VLHE) on rat thora...

the incidence of grapevine virus a (gva) is reported from almost all of the major grapevine growing regions in iran. grapevine is vegetatively propagated by rooting of cuttings or grafting. in such plants, viral diseases are transmitted from stock plants to the progeny. therefore, the control of grapevine viruses can be achieved primarily through production of healthy stock plants. in the p...

introduction: our previous studies showed that hydroalcoholic extract of leaf of vitis vinifera relaxes the phenylephrine-induced contraction in rat thoracic aorta. this effect was dependent on endothelial integrity and no-cgmp system. the vasorelaxant effect of extract was much lesser on kcl-induced contraction. we, therefore, postulated that k+ channels are involved. the main aim of the prese...

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) protein superfamily constitutes one of the largest protein families known in plants. In this report, we performed a complete inventory of ABC protein genes in Vitis vinifera, the whole genome of which has been sequenced. By comparison with ABC protein members of Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified 135 putative ABC proteins with 1 or 2 NBDs in V. vinifera. Of these...