Three-dimensional structures of functionally uncharacterized proteins may furnish insight into their functions. The potential benefits of three-dimensional structural information regarding such proteins are particularly obvious when the corresponding genes are conserved during evolution, implying an important function, and no functional classification can be inferred from their sequences. The B...

Maf proteins are involved in a variety of biological processes, such as oncogenesis, lens development, and differentiation. In immune system, c-Maf transactivates IL-4 promoter, and ectopic expression of c-Maf skews primary T cell response toward the Th2 pathway. Numerous transcription factors are subjected to posttranslational modification. In this study, to our knowledge, we show for the firs...

We have isolated a selectively deglycosylated form of vitamin D binding protein (DBP-maf) generated from systemically available DBP by a human pancreatic cancer cell line. DBP-maf is antiproliferative for endothelial cells and antiangiogenic in the chorioallantoic membrane assay. DBP-maf administered daily was able to potently inhibit the growth of human pancreatic cancer in immune compromised ...

Multi-axis forging (MAF) and cyclic heat treatment are among the most widely used easy to apply grain refinement methods. In this study, micro-alloyed steel samples were first subjected MAF treatments at 880° C. Microstructural analysis showed that average size, which was 13.2 µm initially, decreased 11.2 application of MAF. As a second-grain technique, used. Samples 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 quenching. W...

We evaluated the potential of several novel porous materials for toluene capture in air under humid conditions. Four solids different nature were studied and compared to two reference materials: hyper-cross-linked polymers HCP SMP, metal organic framework MAF-6 activated carbon derived from (AC-MAF-6) with references (Norit RB3 a dealuminated Y zeolite (DAY)). The affinity sorbents was determin...

Maf is a basic domain/leucine zipper domain protein originally identified as a proto-oncogene whose consensus target site in vitro, the T-MARE, is an extended version of an AP-1 site normally recognized by Fos and Jun. Maf and the closely related family members Neural retina leucine zipper (Nrl), L-Maf, and Krml1/MafB have been implicated in a wide variety of developmental and physiologic roles...

Mouse amniotic fluid was shown to contain a noncytotoxic inhibitor of primary gammaM and secondary gammaM, gammaG subclass splenic plaque forming cells in vitro to SRBC. The suppressive effect was not abolished by exhaustive dialysis or by absorption of mouse amniotic fluid (MAF) with SRBC. Polyacrylamide gel analysis showed that dialyzed MAF was composed of three major protein components, tran...

Follicular helper CD4 T (Tfh) cells provide B cells with signals that are important for the generation of high-affinity Abs and immunological memory and, therefore, are critical for the protective immunity elicited by most human vaccines. Transcriptional regulators of human Tfh cell differentiation are poorly understood. In this article, we demonstrate that Bcl6 controls specific gene modules f...

A large number of mammalian transcription factors possess the evolutionary conserved basic and leucine zipper domain (bZIP). The basic domain interacts with DNA while the leucine zipper facilitates homo- and hetero-dimerization. These factors can be grouped into at least seven families: AP-1, ATF/CREB, CNC, C/EBP, Maf, PAR, and virus-encoded bZIPs. Here, we focus on a group of four large Maf pr...

Serum vitamin D3-binding protein (Gc protein) can be converted by beta-galactosidase of B cells and sialidase of T cells to a potent macrophage activating factor, a protein with N-acetylgalactosamine as the remaining sugar moiety. Thus, Gc protein is the precursor of the macrophage activating factor (MAF). Treatment of Gc protein with immobilized beta-galactosidase and sialidase generates an ex...