All members of the AP2/ERF family of plant transcription regulators contain at least one copy of a DNA binding domain called the AP2 domain. The AP2 domain has been considered plant specific. Here, we show that homologs are present in the cyanobacterium Trichodesmium erythraeum, the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, and the viruses Enterobacteria phage Rb49 and Bacteriophage Felix 01. We demonst...

Recent studies have shown that genetic deficiency of the adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2) results in minor alterations of plasma lipids and adipocyte development but provides significant protection from dietary obesity-induced hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. To identify potential mechanisms responsible for this phenotype, we examined lipolysis and insulin secretion in aP2-/- ...

The Arabidopsis protein AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) is a member of a plant-specific family of transcription factors (AP2/EREBP) that share either one or two copies of an approximately 70 amino acid region called the AP2 repeat. DNA binding activity has been demonstrated previously for members of this family containing a single AP2 repeat. Using an in vitro selection procedure, the DNA binding specificit...

The adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, aP2 or ALBP, is an abundant cytosolic protein postulated to function in binding and intracellular transport of long-chain fatty acids. In this report, we investigated levels of aP2 mRNA and protein and transcriptional activity of the aP2 gene in tissues from streptozotocin-diabetic rats at different time periods following the induction of diabetes. An a...

Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein, aP2, present in macrophages has been implicated in the integration of lipid metabolism and inflammatory response, contributing to development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. We investigated the modulation of aP2 expression by inflammatory insults and fatty acids in RAW 264.7 macrophages. When the cells were incubated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS...

Eukaryotic cells internalize transmembrane receptors via clathrin-mediated endocytosis, but it remains unclear how the machinery underpinning this process is regulated. We recently discovered that membrane-associated muniscin proteins such as FCHo and SGIP initiate endocytosis by converting the AP2 clathrin adaptor complex to an open, active conformation that is then phosphorylated (Hollopeter ...

Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein, aP2, is a member of the intracellular fatty acid binding protein family. Previously, studies have shown increased insulin sensitivity in aP2-deficient mice with dietary obesity. Here, we asked whether aP2-related alterations in lipolytic response and insulin production are features of obesity-induced insulin resistance and investigated the effects of aP2-de...

In this study we describe the reproductive phenotypes of a novel mouse model in which Cre-mediated deletion of ERα is regulated by the aP2 (fatty acid binding protein 4) promoter. ERα-floxed mice were crossed with transgenic mice expressing Cre-recombinase under the control of the aP2 promoter to generate aP2-Cre/ERα(flox/flox) mice. As expected, ERα mRNA levels were reduced in adipose tissue, ...

PURPOSE/METHODS The aP2 gene product (aP2 protein) is known to be expressed by preadipocytes and other immature fat cells in vitro. A mouse monoclonal antibody raised against an 18 amino acid segment of the aP2 protein was found to react with lipoblasts and fetal fat cells in paraffin sections of soft tissue tumours of adipose differentiation. In this immunohistochemical study, we have further ...

The Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor APETALA2 (AP2) has numerous functions, including roles in seed development, stem cell maintenance, and specification of floral organ identity. To understand the relationship between these different roles, we mapped direct targets of AP2 on a genome-wide scale in two tissue types. We find that AP2 binds to thousands of loci in the developing flower, ...