PURPOSE There are several aspects of the visual system that may be regulated by Ca2+- and calmodulin (CaM)-stimulated protein phosphatase. In the present study, the distribution and characterization of calcineurin (CaN) in bovine eye was determined. METHODS Whole bovine eyes were either homogenized for purification or regionally dissected to determine CaN localization and activity. Dissected ...

Most biological membranes are functionally asymmetric. To study biochemical control of cardiac transsarcolemmal ion fluxes, it would be of obvious advantage to use isolated vesicles of sarcolemma which retains the low passive permeability characteristics of intact sarcolemma because in such vesicles the membrane should exhibit its normal asymmetric character with respect to enzymic activities. ...

UNLABELLED Protein phosphorylation has become increasingly recognized for its role in regulating bacterial physiology and virulence. Chlamydia spp. encode two validated Hanks'-type Ser/Thr protein kinases, which typically function with cognate protein phosphatases and appear capable of global protein phosphorylation. Consequently, we sought to identify a Ser/Thr protein phosphatase partner for ...

The key to enzyme function is the maintenance of an appropriate balance between molecular stability and structural flexibility. The lid domain which is very important for "interfacial activation" is the most flexible part in the lipase structure. In this work, rational design was applied to explore the relationship between lid rigidity and lipase activity by introducing a disulfide bond in the ...

Previous work by our group described that human β-defensin-2 induces accumulation of extracellular adenosine (Ado) in E. coli cultures through a non-lytic mechanism causing severe plasmolysis. Here, we investigate the presence of AMP as a direct precursor and the involvement of a bacterial enzyme in the generation of extracellular Ado by treated bacteria. Following hBD-2 treatment, metabolites ...

and Emdogain® to Plastic by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) To assess whether recombinant amelogenin and Emdogain® used in the cell attachment experiments indeed coupled to plate surfaces, we coated a two-fold serial concentration range (1.5 g–1.5 and 0 ng/well) of each protein in duplicate on Dyclone 2HB 96-microwell plates overnight at 4°C in MAM, imitating the conditions used in t...

BACKGROUND Arsenic has been considered as a carcinogen. Recently the issue of arsenic in drinking water raised an unprecedented social concern on human health, and yet the molecular mechanisms through which arsenic induces cancer remain unknown. Activation of cell survival pathway leading to the activation of eNOS has been associated with various types of cancer. The objective of this study was...

UNLABELLED A multidomain, synthetic peptide designated B2A2 synergizes the activity of BMP-2. B2A2 interacts with BMP receptor isoforms, potentiating the action of BMP-2 in activating alkaline phosphatase and triggering Smad and MAPK signaling. B2A2's design permits its delivery as a local surface coating as well as a soluble co-factor, thus broadening potential bioengineering applications. I...