(c) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Heterotrimeric G proteins relay signals from G protein-coupled receptors EPZ5676 supplier (GPCRs) to the interior of the cell. The signaling cascades induced by G protein activation control a wide range of cellular processes. The alpha subunit is believed to determine which G protein couples to each GPCR, and is the primary determinant of the type of signal transmitted. Several members of the G(alpha)

family have been expressed in active form in Escherichia coli. However, production levels of these proteins are limited: in most cases only similar to 10% of total G(alpha) protein expressed is active; the rest accumulates in inclusion bodies. Although G(i alpha) has been readily expressed in soluble form (to 10 mg/L), other alpha subunits are minimally soluble, and many are exclusively expressed to inclusion bodies. Previous efforts to solubilize and refold G(alpha) from inclusion bodies have not been successful. Here we did a thorough study of the characteristics of G(alpha) subunits (human G(i alpha(1)). human G(s alpha(short)), human G(11 alpha) and human G(1 alpha(cone))), NF-��B inhibitor solubilized and purified from inclusion bodies. We find that we can obtain soluble protein both by on-column and rapid-dilution techniques.

Comparison to native, soluble G(i alpha) expressed from E. coli showed that althousih the refolded G(alpha) subunits were soluble and retained partial alpha-helicity characteristic of the native, folded G(alpha) subunit, they did not bind GDP or GTP as effectively as native protein. We conclude that the refolded G(i alpha) protein has a native-like secondary structure, but is predominately in a molten globular state. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“The discovery of host-microRNA (miRNA) targets in the genomes of many vertebrate viruses indicates that the corresponding miRNAs are a part of the host’s innate antiviral defense. However, given that viruses evolve much faster than host miRNAs, it is surprising that viral variants lacking these ‘antiviral’ miRNA target sequences have not become established. We present an alternate

view that miRNAs are among the host molecules that viruses co-opt to suppress their own replication to evade immune elimination and establish a persistent infection. The why presence of host-miRNA targets in the genomes of rapidly evolving viruses probably reflects the adaptation of these viruses to the cellular miRNA milieu.”
“The two autosomal dominantly inherited neurological diseases: familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 (FHM2) and familial rapid-onset of dystonia-parkinsonism (Familial RDP) are caused by in vivo mutations of specific alpha subunits of the sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase). Intriguingly, patients with classical FHM2 and RDP symptoms additionally suffer from other manifestations, such as epilepsy/seizures and developmental disabilities.