Disturbance of cellular functions results in the activation of stress-signaling pathways that aim at restoring homeostasis. We performed a genome-wide screen to identify components of the signal transduction of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPR(mt)) to a nuclear chaperone promoter. We used the ROS generating complex I inhibitor paraquat to induce the UPR(mt), and we employed RNAi...

The monoazide derivative of ethidium, the parent compound of which is an anisotropic inhibitor of energy transduction in oxidative phosphorylation, was synthesized and shown to be useful as a photoaffinity probe. Results showed that monoazide ethidium specifically binds to a hydrophobic protein of mitochondria (with an apparent molecular weight of about 6200 in the presence of 0.1% sodium dodec...

Using PC12 cells as an in vitro model system, we have identified a series of transcripts induced through activation of the leptin receptor. On the basis of kinetic studies, two distinct gene sets could be discerned: signal transducer and activator of transciption-3 (STAT-3), suppressor of cytokine signalling-3 (SOCS-3), MT-II (metallothionein-II), the serine/threonine kinase fibroblast-growth-f...

The tumor suppressor protein p53 localizes to microtubules (MT) and, in response to DNA damage, is transported to the nucleus via the MT minus-end-directed motor protein dynein. Dynein is also responsible for MT-mediated nuclear targeting of adenovirus type 2 (Ad2). Here we show that treatment with low concentrations of MT-targeting compounds (MTCs) that do not disrupt the MT network but are kn...

Metal activation of metallothionein (MT) gene transcription is dependent on the presence of metal regulatory elements (MREs), which are present in five non-identical copies (MREa through MREe) in the promoter of the mouse MT-1 gene and on the capacity of metal transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) to bind to the MREs in the presence of zinc. We detected a protein, distinct from MTF-1, specifically bin...

We have developed a rapid procedure termed Motif Trap (MT) to identify protein motifs that are able to target proteins to a distinct subcellular localisation in eukaryotic cells. By expressing random DNA fragments fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), individual cells with the GFP localisation of interest are readily isolated allowing for the expressed DNA fragments to be cloned by RT-PCR. ...

Metallothionein (MT) genes contain multiple metal regulatory elements (MREs) that are responsible for metal induction. A protein blotting procedure and a synthetic oligonucleotide have been used to identify nuclear factors interacting with a MRE (MREd) of the mouse MT-1 gene. We report the specific binding of the probe to a protein of apparent Mr 108,000 (p108). The specificity of the interacti...

In the present paper, the Zelt algorithm has been extended for ray tracing through an anisotropic model. In anisotropic media, the direction of the propagated energy generally differs from that of the plane-wave propagation. This makes velocity values to be varied in different directions. Therefore, velocity modeling in such media is completely different from that in an isotropic media. The vel...

Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, is caused by the absence of the fragile X mental retardation protein FMRP. The RNA-binding FMRP represses translation of the microtubule (MT)-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) during synaptogenesis in the brain of the neonatal mouse. However, the effect of FMRP on MTs remains unclear. Mounting evidence shows that the structur...

We previously demonstrated that metallothionein (MT)-mediated protection from diabetes-induced pathological changes in cardiac tissues is related to suppression of superoxide generation and protein nitration. The present study investigated which diabetes-nitrated protein(s) mediate the development of these pathological changes by identifying the panel of nitrated proteins present in diabetic he...