The nervous system monitors the environment to maintain homeostasis, which can be affected by stressful conditions. Using mammalian models of chronic stress, we previously observed altered brain levels of GPM6A, a protein involved in neuronal morphology. However, GPM6A's role in systemic stress responses remains unresolved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNowadays, great efforts are made to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms that underlie structural neuronal plasticity. Moreover, the identification of signaling pathways involved in the development of psychiatric disorders aids the screening of possible therapeutic targets. Genetic variations or alterations in expression are linked to neurological disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and Alzheimer's disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuronal membrane glycoprotein M6a (Gpm6a) is a protein with four transmembrane regions and the N- and the C-ends facing the cytosol. It functions in processes of neuronal development, outgrowth of neurites, and formation of filopodia, spines, and synapsis. Molecular mechanisms by which Gpm6a acts in these processes are not fully comprehended.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe trans-sialidase protein expressed by Trypanosoma cruzi is an important enzyme in the life cycle of this human pathogenic parasite and is considered a promising target for the development of new drug treatments against Chagas' disease. Here we describe α-amino phosphonates as a novel class of inhibitor of T. cruzi trans-sialidase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrypanosomes, protozoan parasites of medical importance, essentially rely on post-transcriptional mechanisms to regulate gene expression in insect vectors and vertebrate hosts. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that associate to the 3'-UTR of mature mRNAs are thought to orchestrate master developmental programs for these processes to happen. Yet, the molecular mechanisms by which differentiation occurs remain largely unexplored in these human pathogens.
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