Developmental ROS individualizes organismal stress resistance and lifespan.

A central aspect of aging research concerns the question of when individuality in lifespan arises. Here we show that a transient increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which occurs naturally during early development in a subpopulation of synchronized Caenorhabditis elegans, sets processes in motion that increase stress resistance, improve redox homeostasis and ultimately prolong lifespan in those animals. We find that these effects are linked to the global ROS-mediated decrease in developmental histone H3K4me3 levels.

Expression of the transcription factor Egr-1 in pancreatic acinar cells following stimulation of cholecystokinin or Gαq-coupled designer receptors.

Unlabelled: BACKGOUND/AIMS: The injection of cerulein, an analogue of the pancreatic secretagogue cholecystokinin (CCK), induces acute pancreatitis in mice that is accompanied by the synthesis of the transcription factor Egr-1. The signaling cascade that connects cerulein stimulation with enhanced Egr-1 biosynthesis was analyzed.

Methods: AR42J rat pancreatic acinar cells were used as a model system to measure cerulein-induced Egr-1 biosynthesis.

G-protein-coupled designer receptors - new chemical-genetic tools for signal transduction research.

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest group of plasma membrane receptors in nature and are activated by a variety of different ligands. The biological outcome of GPCR stimulation is complex, as a plethora of signaling pathways are activated upon stimulation. These complexity and diversity of GPCR signaling make it difficult to manipulate the signaling pathway of a specific GPCR by natural ligands.

Regulation of immediate-early gene transcription following activation of Gα(q)-coupled designer receptors.

G-protein coupled designer receptors that are specifically activated by designer drugs have been developed. Here, we have analyzed the regulation of gene transcription following activation of Gα(q)-coupled designer receptor (Rα(q)). Stimulation of human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells expressing Rα(q) with clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), a pharmacologically inert compound, induced the expression of biologically active Egr-1, a zinc finger transcription factor.