We have provided the first evidence for specific heteromerization between the α(1A)-adrenoceptor (α(1A)AR) and CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) in live cells. α(1A)AR and CXCR2 are both expressed in areas such as the stromal smooth muscle layer of the prostate. By utilizing the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) heteromer identification technology on the live cell-based bioluminescence resonance...

BACKGROUND Gray matter magnetic resonance imaging T2 hypointensity, a marker of iron deposition, is associated with clinical impairment and brain atrophy in cross-sectional studies of multiple sclerosis. Treatment with intramuscular interferon beta-1a limits brain atrophy in the second year of treatment. OBJECTIVE To test whether T2 hypointensity predicts brain atrophy and whether interferon ...

Two serotonin derivatives, N,N-dimethylserotonin 5-O-β-glucoside (1a) and N-methylserotonin 5-O-β-glucoside (1b) were isolated from immature seeds of Zanthoxylum piperitum. Their structures were determined by multi-step conversion reactions and spectroscopic analyses. Immature seeds of Z. piperitum contained extremely high levels of compounds 1a and 1b of approximately 0.29% and 0.15% (w/w), re...

Human Interferon β (INF-β) is a member of cytokines family which different studies have shown its immunomodulatory and antiviral activities. In this study an expression vector was designed and constructed for expression of human INF-β-1b either in shake flasks or bench top bioreactor. The designed vector was constructed based upon pET-25b(+) with T7 promoter. Recombinant human beta interferon (...

Voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels are heteromultimers of Ca(V)α(1) (pore), Ca(V)β- and Ca(V)α(2)δ-subunits. The stoichiometry of this complex, and whether it is dynamically regulated in intact cells, remains controversial. Fortunately, Ca(V)β-isoforms affect gating differentially, and we chose two extremes (Ca(V)β(1a) and Ca(V)β(2b)) regarding single-channel open probability to address this que...