10 research outputs found
Inhibitory effect of lysophosphatidylcholine on the histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells
Does Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) Affect Neutrophil Activation and Adhesion Following Ischaemia-reperfusion?
A Point of View: HIV-1/AIDS is an Allergy but CpG ODN Treatments may Inhibit Virus Replication and Reactivate the Adaptive Immunity – Hypothesis and Implications
Specific Heterodimer Formation Is a Prerequisite for Uroplakins to Exit from the Endoplasmic Reticulum
Much of the lower urinary tract, including the bladder, is lined by a stratified urothelium forming a highly differentiated, superficial umbrella cell layer. The apical plasma membrane as well as abundant cytoplasmic fusiform vesicles of the umbrella cells is covered by two-dimensional crystals that are formed by four membrane proteins named uroplakins (UPs) Ia, Ib, II, and III. UPs are synthesized on membrane-bound polysomes, and after several co- and posttranslational modifications they assemble into planar crystals in a post-Golgi vesicular compartment. Distension of the bladder may cause fusiform vesicles to fuse with the apical plasma membrane. We have investigated the early stages of uroplakin assembly by expressing the four uroplakins in 293T cells. Transfection experiments showed that, when expressed individually, only UPIb can exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and move to the plasma membrane, whereas UPII and UPIII reach the plasma membrane only when they form heterodimeric complexes with UPIa and UPIb, respectively. Heterodimer formation in the ER was confirmed by pulse-chase experiment followed by coimmunoprecipitation. Our results indicate that the initial building blocks for the assembly of crystalline uroplakin plaques are heterodimeric uroplakin complexes that form in the ER
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Letter to the editor: male circumcision is an efficacious, lasting and cost-effective strategy for combating HIV in high-prevalence AIDS epidemics
In this article the authors respond to the various claims made in a recent article by Green, et al. "Male circumcision is not the 'vaccine' we have been waiting for!". The article by Green urged immediate action to implement safe MC services based on the scientific evidence for HIV prevention and others aspects of reproductive health.