Identifying noninvasive biomarkers of kidney disease is valuable for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) expression is known to be elevated in the kidneys in several renal disease pathologies. We hypothesized that the urinary HIF-1a mRNA level may be a suitable biomarker for expression of this protein in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We compared HIF-1a mRNA l...

Amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na(+) channels (ENaCs) are subject to modulation by many factors. Recent data have also linked the N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) machinery to this regulation of ENaC, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie this modulation are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that syntaxin 1A physically interacts with ENaC...

Mel 1a melatonin receptors belong to the super-family of guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G protein)-coupled receptors. So far, interest in Mel 1a receptor signaling has focused mainly on the modulation of the adenylyl cyclase pathway via pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G proteins. To further investigate signaling of the human Mel 1a receptor, we have developed an antibody directe...

The positive-strand RNA bromoviruses encode two nonstructural proteins, 1a and 2a, involved in RNA-dependent RNA replication. These proteins have extensive sequence similarities with methyltransferase, helicase, and polymerase proteins of other plant and animal viruses. 1a and 2a can also form a complex in vitro. To explore whether 1a-2a interaction is required for RNA replication in vivo, we r...

Munc18-1 and syntaxin-1 are crucial interacting molecules for synaptic membrane fusion and neurotransmitter release. Contrasting abnormalities of several proteins of the exocytotic machinery, including the formation of SNARE (synaptobrevin, SNAP-25 and syntaxin-1) complexes, have been reported in schizophrenia. This study quantified in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC, Brodmann area 9) t...

Melendez, J. Andres, James M. Vinci, John J. Jeffrey, and Brian D. Wilcox. Localization and regulation of IL-1a in rat myometrium during late pregnancy and the postpartum period. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 280: R879–R888, 2001.—Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been implicated as a participant in preterm labor that is induced by bacterial infection. Previously, we showed that serot...

In addition to the well-defined contribution of the liver, adipose tissue has been recognized as an important source of angiotensinogen (AGT). The purpose of this study was to define the angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors involved in regulation of adipose AGT and the relationship of this control to systemic AGT and/or angiotensin peptide concentrations. In LDL receptor-deficient (LDLR(-/-)) male...

BACKGROUND Recombinant Bet v 1a (rBet v 1a) has been used in allergy research for more than three decades, including clinical application of so-called hypoallergens. Quantitative IgE binding to rBet v 1a depends on its native protein conformation, which might be compromised upon heterologous expression, purification, or mutational engineering of rBet v 1a. OBJECTIVE To correlate experimental/...

Although elevated renin-angiotensin system activity and angiotensinergic signaling within the brain are required for hypertension, polydipsia, and increased metabolic rate induced by deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt, the contribution of specific receptor subtypes and brain nuclei mediating these responses remains poorly defined. We hypothesized that angiotensin type 1a receptors (AT(1a)R...

In adult mice we determined whether expression of angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1A receptors (AT(1A)Rs) in C1 neurons mediates the excitation of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) by Ang II. Blood pressure, heart rate, and sympathetic nerve activity were measured in anesthetized, artificially ventilated wild-type (n=15) and AT(1A)R knockout (AT(1A)(-/-); n=9) mice. Microinjection of Ang II...