The temporal expression of ten clustered genes required for carotenoid (crt) and bacteriochlorophyll (bch) biosynthesis was examined during the transition from aerobic respiration to anaerobiosis requisite for the development of the photosynthetic membrane in the bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. Accumulation of crtA, crtC, crtD, crtE, crtF, crtK, bchC and bchD mRNAs increased transiently and c...

Centre de Ressources de Test du CNFM (CRTC), Pôle CNFM de Montpellier (PCM) Laboratoire d'Informatique, de Robotique et de Microélectronique de Montpellier (LIRMM), University of Montpellier, 161 rue Ada, 34392 Montpellier cedex 5, France Yves Bertrand, [email protected], Marie-Lise Flottes, [email protected], Florence Azaïs, [email protected] Serge Bernard, [email protected] , Laurent Latorre, lato...

The transcription factor cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB) is a key regulator of many neuronal processes, including brain development, circadian rhythm and long-term memory. Studies of CREB have focused on its phosphorylation, although the diversity of CREB functions in the brain suggests additional forms of regulation. Here we expand on a chemoenzymatic strategy for quantifyin...

Obesity is thought to promote insulin resistance in part via activation of the innate immune system. Increases in proinflammatory cytokine production by M1 macrophages inhibit insulin signaling in white adipose tissue. In contrast, M2 macrophages have been found to enhance insulin sensitivity in part by reducing adipose tissue inflammation. The paracrine hormone prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) enhances...

Cyclic AMP promotes chronic expression of target genes mainly by protein kinase A-dependent activation of CREB transcription factor machineries in the metabolic tissues. Here, we wanted to elaborate whether CREB-regulated transcription factor (CRTC)2 and its negative regulator salt-inducible kinase (SIK)2 are involved in the transcriptional control of the metabolic pathway in adipocytes. SIK2 k...

Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002 produces a variety of carotenoids, which comprise predominantly dicylic beta-carotene and two dicyclic xanthophylls, zeaxanthin and synechoxanthin. However, this cyanobacterium also produces a monocyclic myxoxanthophyll, which was identified as myxol-2' fucoside. Compared to the carotenoid glycosides produced by diverse microorganisms, cyanobacterial myxoxantho...

A decline in mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function has long been implicated in aging and various diseases. Recently, moderate mitochondrial ETC dysfunction has been found to prolong lifespan in diverse organisms, suggesting a conserved and complex role of mitochondria in longevity determination. Several nuclear transcription factors have been demonstrated to mediate the lifespan...

Carotenoids are essential to protection against photooxidative damage in photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organisms. In a previous study, we reported the disruption of crtD and crtC carotenoid genes in the purple bacterium Rubrivivax gelatinosus, resulting in mutants that synthesized carotenoid intermediates. Here, carotenoid-less mutants have been constructed by disruption of the crtB gen...

During the stress response to intense exercise, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) induces rapid catabolism of energy reserves through the release of catecholamines and subsequent activation of protein kinase A (PKA). Paradoxically, chronic administration of sympathomimetic drugs (β-agonists) leads to anabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle, suggesting that sympathetic outflow also regulates ...