AP1/FUL, SEP, AGL6, and FLC subfamily genes play important roles in flower development. The phylogenetic relationships among them, however, have been controversial, which impedes our understanding of the origin and functional divergence of these genes. One possible reason for the controversy may be the problems caused by changes in the exon-intron structure of genes, which, according to recent ...

This study was to investigate anti-inflammatory effect of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees (Acanthaceae) (AP). The effects of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract from AP on the level of inflammatory mediators were examined first using nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) driven luciferase assay. The results showed that AP significantly inhibited NF-κB luciferase activity and tumor necrosis factor α ...

Transcription factor Nrf2 regulates gene expression of drug metabolizing enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase via the antioxidant response element, ARE. Aldose reductase (AR), a member of the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily, metabolizes various endogenous and exogenous aldehydes. The AR gene 5'-flanking region contains a multiple stress response region (MSRR) composed of two putative...

Giardia lamblia is an early branching protist that possesses peripheral vacuoles (PVs) with characteristics of lysosome-like organelles, located underneath the plasma membrane. In more evolved cells, lysosomal protein trafficking is achieved by cargo recognition involving adaptor protein (AP) complexes that recognize specific amino acid sequences (tyrosine and/or dileucine motifs) within the cy...

In plants, the transition to reproductive growth is of particular importance for successful seed production. Transformation of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) to the inflorescence meristem (IM) is the crucial first step in this transition. Using laser microdissection and microarrays, we found that expression of PANICLE PHYTOMER2 (PAP2) and three APETALA1 (AP1)/FRUITFULL (FUL)-like genes (MADS14...

Adaptor proteins (AP) play important roles in the sorting of proteins from the trans-Golgi network, but how they function in the sorting of various melanosome-specific proteins such as Pmel17, an essential structural component of melanosomes, in melanocytes is unknown. We characterized the processing and trafficking of Pmel17 via adaptor protein complexes within melanocytic cells. Proteomics an...

In Arabidopsis, floral meristems arise in continuous succession directly on the flanks of the inflorescence meristem. Thus, the pathways that regulate inflorescence and floral meristem identity must operate both simultaneously and in close spatial proximity. The TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) gene of Arabidopsis is required for normal inflorescence meristem function, and the LEAFY (LFY), APETALA 1 (A...

Involucrin is a major component of the cornified envelope and a marker for terminal differentiation in keratinocytes. We examined hormone regulation of involucrin mRNA expression and transcriptional modulation of the involucrin gene in human keratinocyte cell lines. Dexamethasone enhanced, and retinoic acid decreased, endogenous involucrin mRNA expression in cells treated with these ligands. Fu...

The ventral hypothalamus (VHT) integrates several physiological cues to maintain glucose homeostasis and energy balance. Aging is associated with increased glucose intolerance but the underlying mechanisms responsible for age-related metabolic decline, including neuronal signaling in the VHT, remain elusive. We have shown that mice with VHT-targeted overexpression of ∆FosB, a splice variant of ...

X-linked inhibitior of apoptosis (XIAP) is known as a potent inhibitor of apoptosis, but more recently has been shown to also act as a modulator of the nuclear factor kB (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway. To investigate whether XIAP also affects other signalling pathways, we studied the transcriptional regulation of interleukin 6 (IL-6), a gene that is strongly affected by XIAP, in more detail. The...