Bovine papillomavirus E7 oncoprotein inhibits anoikis.

The bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) E7 oncoprotein is required for the full transformation activity of the virus. Although BPV-1 E7 by itself is not sufficient to induce cellular transformation, it enhances the abilities of the other BPV-1 oncogenes to induce anchorage independence. We have been exploring the mechanisms by which E7 might affect the transformation efficiency of other viral oncoproteins and in particular whether it might protect cells from apoptosis.

Cardioprotective stress response in the human fetal heart.

Objective: We propose that the fetal heart is highly resilient to hypoxic stress. Our objective was to elucidate the human fetal gene expression profile in response to simulated ischemia and reperfusion to identify molecular targets that account for the innate cardioprotection exhibited by the fetal phenotype.

Methods: Primary cultures of human fetal cardiac myocytes (gestational age, 15-20 weeks) were exposed to simulated ischemia and reperfusion in vitro by using a simulated ischemic buffer under anoxic conditions.

ILKAP regulates ILK signaling and inhibits anchorage-independent growth.

ILKAP is a protein phosphatase 2C that selectively associates with integrin linked kinase, ILK, to modulate cell adhesion and growth factor signaling. We investigated the role of endogenous cellular ILKAP in antagonizing ILK signaling of two key targets, PKB and GSK3beta. Silencing of endogenous ILKAP by short interfering RNA (siRNA) stimulated GSK3beta phosphorylation at S9, with no effect on PKB S473 phosphorylation.

Integrin-linked kinase is a positive mediator of L6 myoblast differentiation.

Overexpression of ILK in L6 myoblasts results in increased ILK kinase activity, stimulating myotube formation and induction of biochemical differentiation markers. Expression of a dominant negative ILK mutant, ILK(E359K), inhibits endogenous ILK activation and L6 differentiation. Cell cycle analysis of ILK(E359K) cells cultured in serum-free conditions indicates significant apoptosis (11-19% sub-diploid peak) which is not seen in insulin treated cells.