Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
cAMP is the indispensable second messenger regulating cell metabolism and function in response to extracellular hormones and neurotransmitters. cAMP is produced via the activation of G protein-coupled receptors located at both the cell surface and inside the cell. Recently, Tsvetanova et al. explored cAMP generation in distinct locations and the im...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
Polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene are risk factors for chronic inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis. The gene product apoE is synthesized in many cell types and has both lipid transport-dependent and lipid transport-independent functions. Previous studies have shown that apoE expression in myeloid cells protects against a...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
Heterodimeric Rag GTPases play a critical role in relaying fluctuating levels of cellular amino acids to the sensor mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1. Important mechanistic questions remain unresolved, however, regarding how guanine nucleotide binding enables Rag GTPases to transition dynamically between distinct yoga-like structural poses ...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
The retinol dehydrogenase Rdh10 catalyzes the rate-limiting reaction that converts retinol into retinoic acid (RA), an autacoid that regulates energy balance and reduces adiposity. Skeletal muscle contributes to preventing adiposity, by consuming nearly half the energy of a typical human. We report sexually dimorphic differences in energy metabolis...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
Fic domain-containing AMP transferases (fic AMPylases) are conserved enzymes that catalyze the covalent transfer of AMP to proteins. This posttranslational modification regulates the function of several proteins, including the ER-resident chaperone Grp78/BiP. Here we introduce a mouse FICD (mFICD) AMPylase knockout mouse model to study fic AMPylase...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
Although CAR T cells are widely used to treat cancer, efficiency of CAR-T cell cytolytic responses has not been carefully examined. We engineered CAR specific for HMW-MAA (high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen) and evaluated potency of CD8+ CAR-T cells to release cytolytic granules and to kill tissue-derived melanoma cells, which expres...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
The present study aimed to explore specific mechanisms involved in mediating the neuroprotective effects of Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 2 (Smurf2) in cerebral ischemic injury. A middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model and an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated neuron model were developed. The expression of Smurf2, Yin Yan...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
The Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands regulate many physiological and pathological processes. EphA4 plays important roles in nervous system development and adult homeostasis, while aberrant EphA4 signaling has been implicated in neurodegeneration. EphA4 may also affect cancer malignancy, but the regulation and effects of EphA4 ...
Published in The Journal of biological chemistry
Human α2-macroglobulin (A2M) is an abundant protease inhibitor in plasma which regulates many proteolytic processes and is involved in innate immunity. A2M's unique protease-trapping mechanism of inhibition is initiated when a protease cleaves within the exposed and highly susceptible "bait region". As the wildtype bait region is permissive to clea...
