Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that displays estrogenic activity. Several reports suggest that BPA may have estrogen receptor-independent effects. In zebrafish, 50 μM BPA exposure induces otic vesicle abnormalities, including otolith aggregation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn hormone-dependent tissues such as breast and ovary, tumorigenesis is associated with an altered expression ratio between the two estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes. In this study, we investigated the effects of ERβ ectopic expression on 17β-estradiol (E2)-induced transactivation and cell proliferation in ERα-positive BG1 ovarian cancer cells. As expected, ERβ expression strongly decreased the mitogenic effect of E2, significantly reduced E2-dependent transcriptional responses (both on a stably integrated estrogen response element [ERE] reporter gene and on E2-induced mRNAs), and strongly enhanced the formation of ER heterodimers as evidenced by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a ligand-regulated transcription factor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. PXR is activated by a large, structurally diverse, set of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds and coordinates the expression of genes central to metabolism and excretion of potentially harmful chemicals and therapeutic drugs in humans. Walrycin A is a novel antibacterial compound targeting the WalK/WalR two-component signal transduction system of Gram (+) bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite anecdotal reports of HIV-1 co-infections and super-infections, few large-scale prevalence studies are available on multiple HIV-1 infection. We systematically searched for HIV-1 co-infections by means of a heteroduplex mobility assay in 660 HIV-1 seroconverters from the two ANRS SEROCO and PRIMO cohorts. Our results strongly suggest that HIV-1 co-infection remains a rare phenomenon in HIV-1 seroconverters infected in France between 1986 and 2004.
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