Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is used extensively as a reporter protein to monitor cellular processes, including intracellular protein trafficking and secretion. In general, this approach depends on GFP acting as a passive reporter protein. However, it was recently noted that GFP oligomerizes in the secretory pathway of endocrine cells. To characterize this oligomerization and its potential r...

The mechanisms regulating the choice of cell demise remain largely unknown. NAD(+), a key metabolite with well-known roles in cell metabolism, has been shown to counteract apoptosis while promoting necroptosis, a form of proinflammatory cell death. This observation identifies NAD(+) availability as an important parameter with contrasting roles in the regulation of distinct regulated cell death ...

The coordinated secretion of LH and FSH are critical for reproductive functions. After translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), their biosynthetic routes diverge at a determinative step prior to sorting in the regulated (LH) and constitutive (FSH) secretion pathways. Recently, we identified a C-terminal heptapeptide sequence, present only in the LHβ subunit, as a critical signal for e...

Valences are a very simple and yet powerful method of regulated rewriting. In this paper we give an overview on di erent aspects of this subject. We discuss closure properties of valence languages. It is shown that matrix grammars can be simulated by valence grammars over nite monoids. A Chomsky normal form theorem is proved for multiplicative valence grammars, thereby solving the open question...

Recent advances in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of congenital hypothyroid goiter in cog/cog mice, have raised important questions concerning the maturation of thyroglobulin (the thyroid prohormone) in certain human kindreds with congenital goiter. We have now examined affected siblings from two unrelated families that synthesize an apparently normally glycosylated, > 300 kD immunore...

Arsenic is a toxic metal, which ultimately leads to cell apoptosis. ERK is considered a key transcriptional regulator of arsenic‑induced apoptosis. Due to a few controversial issues about arsenic‑mediated extracellular signal‑regulated MAP kinases (ERK) signaling, a meta‑analysis was performed. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that high doses (≥2 µmol/l) of arsenic increased the expression of Ras...