Eukaryotic genomes contain large numbers of transposable elements that not only pose a threat to genome integrity but also regulate expression of certain proteincoding genes. The molecular mechanisms of transposon silencing are still not very well understood. Two papers in this issue of The EMBO Journal shed new light on the function of Morpheus’ molecule (MOM1), one of the most mysterious comp...

We sought preclinical data on the cellular and molecular effects of dutasteride in androgen-responsive, human prostate cancer (PCa) cells to better understand the mechanisms of action of 5 alpha-reductase inhibition in these cells. We used the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP, which exhibits most features of PCa cells including androgen responsiveness. Our findings show that dutasteride ki...

Whether genetic factors influence the associations of fatty acids with the risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is largely unknown. To investigate possible gene-fatty acid interactions on SCA risk, we used a case-only approach and measured fatty acids in erythrocyte samples from 1869 SCA cases in a population-based repository with genetic data. We selected 191 SNP in ENCODE-identified regulatory...

The high fat content in Western diets probably affects placental function during pregnancy with potential consequences for the offspring in the short and long term. The aim of the present study was to compare genome-wide placental gene expression between rat dams fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and those fed a control diet for 3 weeks before conception and during gestation. Gene expression was measur...

We sought to determine if (i) peak vascular conductance of the calf was reduced following prolonged exposure to simulated microgravity, and (ii) if maximal cycle ergometry performed at the end of microgravity exposure stimulated a restoration of peak calf vascular conductance. To do this, peak vascular conductance of the calf was recorded following ischaemic plantar flexion exercise to fatigue ...

Human secretory group IIa phospholipase A2 (hIIa-PLA2) contains a large number of prominent cationic patches on its molecular surface and has exceptionally high affinity for anionic surfaces, including anionic membranes. To identify the cationic amino acid residues that support binding of hIIa-PLA2 to anionic membranes, we have performed extensive site-directed mutagenesis of this protein and m...

A great mystery in the mechanism of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and many other lipolytic enzymes is the "interfacial activation" induced by micellar but not monomeric substrates. Equally mysterious is the lack of interfacial activation in bee venom PLA2, as opposed to PLA2s from pancreas and other sources. We have probed these problems using the conformationally restricted short-chain cyclopentano-...

1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Materials and methods 3.1. Exogenous PLA2s 3.2. ExPLI 3.3. Cell culture 3.4. Determination of basement membrane invasiveness 3.5. Determination of cell chemotaxis 3.6. Determination of MMP activity (Zymography) 3.7. Determination of cell PLA2 activity 3.8. Determination of exogenous PLA2 activity 3.9. Identification of cell sPLA2 and sPLA2 receptor expression 3.10...

For reasons that are not clear, the highest incidence of esophageal cancer, especially squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), is found in the developing countries, but geographical variation in ESCC incidence within these countries is very striking. The Taihangshan Mountain area, including Linxian in Henan Province, and Cixian, Shexian, Wuan city in Hebei Province, a rural area of China, has the highe...