Cellular and subcellular localization of paralemmin-1, a protein involved in cell shape control, in the rat brain, adrenal gland and kidney.

Paralemmin-1 is a phosphoprotein, lipid-anchored to the cytoplasmic face of membranes and implicated in plasma membrane dynamics and cell process formation. We report an immunoperoxidase histochemical analysis of the cellular and subcellular localization of paralemmin-1 in the rat tissues where its expression is highest: the brain, the adrenal gland and the kidney. Paralemmin-1 is detected throughout the brain, in neuronal perikarya, axons and dendrites including dendritic spines and also in glial processes.

Cloning, expression, and functional characterization of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) CC chemokine receptor 1.

The CC chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1) has emerged as a relevant factor contributing to inflammatory diseases such as allergic asthma. Commonly used animal models of allergic airway inflammation, especially murine models, have certain limitations. The elaborate, nonhuman, primate models of asthma display the highest comparability with the situation in humans.

Discovery of novel regulatory peptides by reverse pharmacology: spotlight on chemerin and the RF-amide peptides metastin and QRFP.

Reverse pharmacology is a screening technology that matches G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with unknown cognate ligands in cell-based screening assays by detection of agonist-induced signaling pathways. One decade spent pursuing orphan GPCR screening by this technique assigned over 30 ligand/receptor pairs and revealed previously known or novel undescribed ligands, mostly of a peptidic nature. In this review, we describe the discovery, characterization of the structural composition, biological function, physiological role and therapeutic potential of three recently identified peptidic ligands.

A three-step purification strategy for isolation of hamster TIG2 from CHO cells: characterization of two processed endogenous forms.

We have recently isolated a bioactive, circulating protein of human tazarotene-induced gene-2 (TIG2) as the natural ligand of the orphan receptor ChemR23. Here we describe a simplified method for the isolation of hamster TIG2 protein from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell supernatant. Using a heparin-affinity column followed by two reversed phase chromatography steps resulted in the isolation of pure biologically active material.

Characterization of human circulating TIG2 as a ligand for the orphan receptor ChemR23.

The orphan receptor ChemR23 is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) with homology to neuropeptide and chemoattractant receptors. Tazarotene, a synthetic retinoid activating retinoic acid receptor (RAR), up-regulates tazarotene-induced gene-2 (TIG2). The function and molecular target of this protein are now described.