The sigma-receptor, a broadly distributed integral membrane protein with a novel structure, is known to modulate various voltage-gated K(+) and Ca(2+) channels through a mechanism that involves neither G proteins nor phosphorylation. The present study investigated the modulation of the heart voltage-gated Na(+) channel (Na(v)1.5) by sigma-receptors. The sigma(1)-receptor ligands [SKF-10047 and ...

The serotonin transporter (SERT) is regulated by various signaling mechanisms that may operate to maintain appropriate levels of synaptic serotonin (5-HT). We demonstrate that one of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), p38 MAPK, regulates SERT. Treatment of rat midbrain synaptosomes with p38 MAPK-specific inhibitors, PD169316 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imi...

Background: T cell Immunoglobulin, Mucin (TIM)-3, is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein belonging to TIM family. This receptor expresses on T helper type 1 (Th1) cells that binds to galectin-9 (Gal9); inducing an inhibitory signal. As a result, apoptosis of Th1 cells occurs and cytotoxicity of CD8 T cells becomes evident in vitro. Therefore, this immunomodulatory molecule may ...

Co-immunoprecipitation studies using mouse ileal proteins and transfected HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney-293) cells revealed that the two proteins, Ostα and Ostβ, which generate the organic-solute transporter are able to immunoprecipitate each other, indicating a heteromeric complex. Mouse ileal Ostα protein appeared on Western blots largely as bands of 40 and 80 kDa, the latter band consisten...

Cells take up transferrin-bound iron or NTBI (non-transferrin-bound iron). After treatment with NGF (nerve growth factor), PC12 cells exhibited a neuronal phenotype and an increase in the NTBI uptake (55Fe2+ or 55Fe3+). We loaded the cells with the dye calcein, whose fluorescence increases in the presence of Ca2+ but is quenched with Fe2+ or Fe3+. When examined using calcein fluorescence or rad...