As a critical target for cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor protein (pRb) controls early cell cycle progression. We report here a new type of regulation that influences Cdk recognition and phosphorylation of substrate proteins, mediated through the targeted methylation of a critical lysine residue in the Cdk substrate recognition site. In pRb, lysine (K) 810 r...

The E2F family of transcription factors play a critical role in the control of cell proliferation. E2F-1 is the major cellular target of pRB and is regulated by pRB during cell proliferation. E2F-1-mediated activation and repression of target genes occurs in different settings. The role of E2F-1 and E2F-1/pRB complexes in regulation of different target genes, and in cycling versus quiescent cel...

Data collected since the discovery of p53 and pRb/RB1 suggests these tumor suppressors cooperate to inhibit tumor progression. Patients who have mutations in both p53 and RB1 genes have increased tumor reoccurrence and decreased survival compared to patients with only one tumor suppressor gene inactivated. It remains unclear how p53 and pRb cooperate toward inhibiting tumorigenesis. Using RNA e...

Previous investigations have suggested that probenecid (PRB) alters the in vivo disposition of valproic acid (VPA), perhaps by inhibiting hepatic formation of valproate glucuronide (VG). Because VPA and PRB bind moderately to plasma proteins, protein binding also is a potential locus of interaction. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether in vitro systems could accurately pre...

The progesterone receptor (PR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that promotes progestin-stimulated expression of target genes. Two functional PR isoforms, PRA and PRB, are expressed in progestin-responsive cells. PRA and PRB have distinct roles in gene expression and in mammary gland development. One role of PRs in T47-D cells is regulating expression of vascular endothelial growth fa...

Inactivation of the retinoblastoma (pRB) pathway is a common event in oral squamous cell carcinoma particularly through the aberrant expression of the components within this pathway. This study examines the alterations of molecules within the pRB pathway by looking at the presence of homozygous deletions in p16(INK4A) and the expression patterns of pRB, cyclin D1 and CDK4, as well as the presen...

Ras proteins act as molecular switches, responding to signals by entering the active GTP-bound, rather than the inactive GDP-bound, state. The inhibition of normal Ras proteins by microinjection of neutralizing antibody or expression of dominant-negative mutants has shown that Ras signalling is required for growth factors to stimulate DNA synthesis [1] [2], but the link between Ras and the cell...

Although renal hypertrophy is often associated with the progressive loss of renal function, the mechanism of hypertrophy is poorly understood. In both primary cultures of rabbit proximal tubules and NRK-52E cells (a renal epithelial cell line), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta) converted epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced hyperplasia into hypertrophy. TGF beta did not affect EGF-i...

Chemotherapeutic agents have been the mainstay of cancer therapy for years. However, their effectiveness has been limited by toxicities they impart on normal cells. Staurosporine (ST) has been shown to arrest normal, but not breast cancer, cells in G1. Therefore, ST may become a chemoprotective agent, arresting normal cells while allowing tumor cells to enter cell cycle phases where they are se...

Among many disposal options of animal carcasses due to animal diseases including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and avian influenza (AI), on-farm burial has been the most frequently used one in Korea. Animal carcasses generate contaminants such as ammonium-N and chloride. This study aimed at testing biochar (BC) as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) material in combination with fast growing tree ...