scholarly journals Inhibitors of Mammalian Aquaporin Water Channels

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 1589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Abir-Awan ◽  
Philip Kitchen ◽  
Mootaz Salman ◽  
Matthew Conner ◽  
Alex Conner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Biology ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Tumor Metastasis ◽  
Traumatic Injury ◽  
Water Channel ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Heterologous Expression Systems

Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channel proteins that are essential to life, being expressed in all kingdoms. In humans, there are 13 AQPs, at least one of which is found in every organ system. The structural biology of the AQP family is well-established and many functions for AQPs have been reported in health and disease. AQP expression is linked to numerous pathologies including tumor metastasis, fluid dysregulation, and traumatic injury. The targeted modulation of AQPs therefore presents an opportunity to develop novel treatments for diverse conditions. Various techniques such as video microscopy, light scattering and fluorescence quenching have been used to test putative AQP inhibitors in both AQP-expressing mammalian cells and heterologous expression systems. The inherent variability within these methods has caused discrepancy and many molecules that are inhibitory in one experimental system (such as tetraethylammonium, acetazolamide, and anti-epileptic drugs) have no activity in others. Some heavy metal ions (that would not be suitable for therapeutic use) and the compound, TGN-020, have been shown to inhibit some AQPs. Clinical trials for neuromyelitis optica treatments using anti-AQP4 IgG are in progress. However, these antibodies have no effect on water transport. More research to standardize high-throughput assays is required to identify AQP modulators for which there is an urgent and unmet clinical need.

scholarly journals Optimization of insect odorant receptor trafficking and functional expression via transient transfection in HEK293 cells

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Miazzi ◽  
Carolin Hoyer ◽  
Silke Sachse ◽  
Markus Knaden ◽  
Dieter Wicher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Odorant Receptor ◽  
Functional Expression ◽  
Transient Transfection ◽  
Hek293 Cells ◽  
Odorant Receptors ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Heterologous Expression Systems ◽  
High Throughput Imaging

AbstractInsect odorant receptors show a limited functional expression in various heterologous expression systems including insect and mammalian cells. This may be in part due to the absence of key components driving the release of these proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and directing them to the plasma membrane. In order to mitigate this problem we took advantage of small export signals within the human HCN1 and Rhodopsin that have been shown to promote protein release from the endoplasmic reticulum and the trafficking of post-Golgi vesicles, respectively. Moreover, we designed a new vector based on a bidirectional expression cassette to drive the functional expression of the insect odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco) and an odor-binding odorant receptor, simultaneously. We show that this new method can be used to reliably express insect odorant receptors in HEK293 cells via transient transfection and that is highly suitable for downstream applications using automated and high-throughput imaging platforms.

Isozymes of the Na-K-ATPase: heterogeneity in structure, diversity in function

1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (5) ◽  
pp. F633-F650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Blanco ◽  
Robert W. Mercer
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Molecular Heterogeneity ◽  
Kinetic Characteristics ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Na Pump ◽  
Physiological Relevance ◽  
Intracellular Messengers ◽  
Heterologous Expression Systems ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Structure Diversity

The Na-K-ATPase is characterized by a complex molecular heterogeneity that results from the expression and differential association of multiple isoforms of both its α- and β-subunits. At present, as many as four different α-polypeptides (α1, α2, α3, and α4) and three distinct β-isoforms (β1, β2, and β3) have been identified in mammalian cells. The stringent constraints on the structure of the Na pump isozymes during evolution and their tissue-specific and developmental pattern of expression suggests that the different Na-K-ATPases have evolved distinct properties to respond to cellular requirements. This review focuses on the functional properties, regulation, and possible physiological relevance of the Na pump isozymes. The coexistence of multiple α- and β-isoforms in most cells has hindered the understanding of the roles of the individual polypeptides. The use of heterologous expression systems has helped circumvent this problem. The kinetic characteristics of different Na-K-ATPase isozymes to the activating cations (Na+ and K+), the substrate ATP, and the inhibitors Ca2+ and ouabain demonstrate that each isoform has distinct properties. In addition, intracellular messengers differentially regulate the activity of the individual Na-K-ATPase isozymes. Thus the regulation of specific Na pump isozymes gives cells the ability to precisely coordinate Na-K-ATPase activity to their physiological requirements.

scholarly journals Optimization of Insect Odorant Receptor Trafficking and Functional Expression Via Transient Transfection in HEK293 Cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 673-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Miazzi ◽  
Carolin Hoyer ◽  
Silke Sachse ◽  
Markus Knaden ◽  
Dieter Wicher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Odorant Receptor ◽  
Functional Expression ◽  
Transient Transfection ◽  
Hek293 Cells ◽  
Odorant Receptors ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Heterologous Expression Systems ◽  
High Throughput Imaging

Abstract Insect odorant receptors (ORs) show a limited functional expression in various heterologous expression systems including insect and mammalian cells. This may be in part due to the absence of key components driving the release of these proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum and directing them to the plasma membrane. In order to mitigate this problem, we took advantage of small export signals within the human HCN1 and Rhodopsin that have been shown to promote protein release from the endoplasmic reticulum and the trafficking of post-Golgi vesicles, respectively. Moreover, we designed a new vector based on a bidirectional expression cassette to drive the functional expression of the insect odorant receptor coreceptor (Orco) and an odor-binding OR, simultaneously. We show that this new method can be used to reliably express insect ORs in HEK293 cells via transient transfection and that is highly suitable for downstream applications using automated and high-throughput imaging platforms.

scholarly journals Heterologous Expression of a Membrane-Spanning Auxin Importer: Implications for Functional Analyses of Auxin Transporters

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Carrier ◽  
Norliza Tendot Abu Bakar ◽  
Karen Lawler ◽  
James Matthew Dorrian ◽  
Ameena Haider ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heterologous Expression ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Recombinant Baculovirus ◽  
Functional Assay ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Heterologous Expression Systems ◽  
Membrane Spanning ◽  
High Level

Biochemical studies of plant auxin transporters in vivo are made difficult by the presence of multiple auxin transporters and auxin-interacting proteins. Furthermore, the expression level of most such transporters in plants is likely to be too low for purification and downstream functional analysis. Heterologous expression systems should address both of these issues. We have examined a number of such systems for their efficiency in expressing AUX1 from Arabidopsis thaliana. We find that a eukaryotic system based upon infection of insect cells with recombinant baculovirus provides a high level, easily scalable expression system capable of delivering a functional assay for AUX1. Furthermore, a transient transfection system in mammalian cells enables localization of AUX1 and AUX1-mediated transport of auxin to be investigated. In contrast, we were unable to utilise P. pastoris or L. lactis expression systems to reliably express AUX1.

Agrobacteium Transformation of Tobacco with a Genetic Module of Antimalarial Agent Artemisinin Biosynthesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 34-45
Author(s):  
T.Yu. Mitiuchkina ◽  
A.S. Pushin ◽  
A.K. Tzareva ◽  
A.M. Vainstein ◽  
S.V. Dolgov
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Artemisia Annua ◽  
Biosynthesis Pathway ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Heterologous Host ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
Tobacco Plants ◽  
Genetic Module ◽  
Heterologous Expression Systems ◽  
Artemisinin Biosynthesis

Artemisinin-based medicines are the most effective treatment for malaria. To date, the wormwood plants (Artemisia annua L.) are the main source of artemisinin. Due to the limited nature of this source, considerable efforts are directed towards the development of methods for artemisinin production via heterologous expression systems. We used in this study agrobacterial transformation to transfer the genetic module of the artemisinin biosynthesis pathway into plants and then analyzed its transcription in a heterologous host. Tobacco plants were transformed with the artemisinin biosynthesis genes encoding amorpha-4,11-diene synthase, artemisin-aldehyde All(13) reductase, amorpha-4,11-diene monooxygenase, cytochrome P450 reductase from A. annua and yeast 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase cloned in the pArtemC vector; farnesyl diphosphate synthase and aldehyde dehydrogenase were used to transform the plants as parts of vector p2356. As a result of transformation with the pArtemC and p2356 vectors, in twos transgenic lines with all target genes were obtained. Five genes of artemisinin biosynthesis and two genes of biosynthesis of its precursors were successfully transferred into the genome of transgenic tobacco lines as a result of the co-transformation with abovementioned vectors. Thus, the entire artemisinin biosynthesis pathway was first reconstructed in heterologous plants: the transcription of the artemisinin biosynthesis genes in the tobacco plants was shown via RT-PCR. The obtained results will be used in further research on expression systems for the production of artemisinin and other non-protein substances in heterologous host plants. artemisinin, malaria, metabolic engineering, tobacco, transgenic plants This work was supported by a Grant from the Russian Science Foundation no. 19-14-00190.

In Vitro Immunodetection of Prothymosin Alpha in Normal and Pathological Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (29) ◽  
pp. 4840-4854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrysoula-Evangelia Karachaliou ◽  
Hubert Kalbacher ◽  
Wolfgang Voelter ◽  
Ourania E. Tsitsilonis ◽  
Evangelia Livaniou
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Prothymosin Alpha ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Tissue Extracts ◽  
Biologic Response ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Almost All

Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) is a highly acidic polypeptide, ubiquitously expressed in almost all mammalian cells and tissues and consisting of 109 amino acids in humans. ProTα is known to act both, intracellularly, as an anti-apoptotic and proliferation mediator, and extracellularly, as a biologic response modifier mediating immune responses similar to molecules termed as “alarmins”. Antibodies and immunochemical techniques for ProTα have played a leading role in the investigation of the biological role of ProTα, several aspects of which still remain unknown and contributed to unraveling the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the polypeptide. This review deals with the so far reported antibodies along with the related immunodetection methodology for ProTα (immunoassays as well as immunohistochemical, immunocytological, immunoblotting, and immunoprecipitation techniques) and its application to biological samples of interest (tissue extracts and sections, cells, cell lysates and cell culture supernatants, body fluids), in health and disease states. In this context, literature information is critically discussed, and some concluding remarks are presented.

Kv3.1–Kv3.2 Channels Underlie a High-Voltage–Activating Component of the Delayed Rectifier K+ Current in Projecting Neurons From the Globus Pallidus

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 1512-1528 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Hernández-Pineda ◽  
A. Chow ◽  
Y. Amarillo ◽  
H. Moreno ◽  
M. Saganich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heterologous Expression ◽  
Globus Pallidus ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Repetitive Firing ◽  
Delayed Rectifier ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Electrophysiological Properties ◽  
Channel Proteins ◽  
Heterologous Expression Systems

The globus pallidus plays central roles in the basal ganglia circuitry involved in movement control as well as in cognitive and emotional functions. There is therefore great interest in the anatomic and electrophysiological characterization of this nucleus. Most pallidal neurons are GABAergic projecting cells, a large fraction of which express the calcium binding protein parvalbumin (PV). Here we show that PV-containing pallidal neurons coexpress Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 K+ channel proteins and that both Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 antibodies coprecipitate both channel proteins from pallidal membrane extracts solubilized with nondenaturing detergents, suggesting that the two channel subunits are forming heteromeric channels. Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 channels have several unusual electrophysiological properties when expressed in heterologous expression systems and are thought to play special roles in neuronal excitability including facilitating sustained high-frequency firing in fast-spiking neurons such as interneurons in the cortex and the hippocampus. Electrophysiological analysis of freshly dissociated pallidal neurons demonstrates that these cells have a current that is nearly identical to the currents expressed by Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 proteins in heterologous expression systems, including activation at very depolarized membrane potentials (more positive than −10 mV) and very fast deactivation rates. These results suggest that the electrophysiological properties of native channels containing Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 proteins in pallidal neurons are not significantly affected by factors such as associated subunits or postranslational modifications that result in channels having different properties in heterologous expression systems and native neurons. Most neurons in the globus pallidus have been reported to fire sustained trains of action potentials at high-frequency. Kv3.1–Kv3.2 voltage-gated K+channels may play a role in helping maintain sustained high-frequency repetitive firing as they probably do in other neurons.

scholarly journals Applications of molecular replacement to G protein-coupled receptors

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 2287-2292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew C. Kruse ◽  
Aashish Manglik ◽  
Brian K. Kobilka ◽  
William I. Weis
Keyword(s):  
G Protein ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Integral Membrane Proteins ◽  
Molecular Replacement ◽  
Gpcr Activation ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Almost All ◽  
G Protein Coupled

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a large class of integral membrane proteins involved in regulating virtually every aspect of human physiology. Despite their profound importance in human health and disease, structural information regarding GPCRs has been extremely limited until recently. With the advent of a variety of new biochemical and crystallographic techniques, the structural biology of GPCRs has advanced rapidly, offering key molecular insights into GPCR activation and signal transduction. To date, almost all GPCR structures have been solved using molecular-replacement techniques. Here, the unique aspects of molecular replacement as applied to individual GPCRs and to signaling complexes of these important proteins are discussed.

scholarly journals Cholangiocytes in health and disease: From basic science to novel treatments

2018 ◽  
Vol 1864 (4) ◽  
pp. 1217-1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus M. Banales ◽  
Marco Marzioni ◽  
Nicholas F. LaRusso ◽  
Peter Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Basic Science ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Health And Disease
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