Errors are a part of life. With human errors accounting for approximately 50% of quality incidents and related problems within the pharmaceutical industry, the need to improve human performance in manufacturing operations is obvious. The purpose of this article is to describe error-proofing ways of structuring and writing knowledge documents, procedures, batch records, as well as practices for structuring, conducting, and documenting training to assure competence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProteolytic processing of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) generates the amyloid-β peptide, which plays a central role in Alzheimer disease. The physiological function of APP and its proteolytic fragments, however, remains barely understood. Here we show that, on the basis of its binding characteristics, the secreted ectodomain of APP (sAPP) is a new member of the heparin-binding growth factor superfamily.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEach intracellular organelle critically depends on maintaining its specific lipid composition that in turn contributes to the biophysical properties of the membrane. With our knowledge increasing about the organization of membranes with defined microdomains of different lipid compositions, questions arise regarding the molecular mechanisms that underlie the targeting to/segregation from microdomains of a given protein. In addition to specific lipid-transmembrane segment interactions as a basis for partitioning, the presence in a given microdomain may alter the conformation of proteins and, thus, the activity and availability for regulatory modifications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is increasing evidence that mitochondria - owning a high degree of autonomy within the cell - might represent the target organelles of the myocardial protection afforded by ischemic preconditioning. It was the aim of the study to investigate a possible subcellular correlate to ischemic preconditioning at the mitochondrial level. In addition, we tested whether this protection depends on mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channels (K (ATP)) and an might involve an attenuation of mitochondrial ATP hydrolysis during sustained anoxia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProteolytic processing of the amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) generates the Abeta amyloid peptide of Alzheimer's disease. The biological function of APP itself remains, however, unclear. In the current review, we study in detail the different subdomains of APP and try to assign functional significance to particular structures identified in the protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn early secretory transport, coat recruitment for the formation of coat protein I (COPI) vesicles involves binding to donor Golgi membranes of the small GTPase ADP-ribosylation factor 1 and subsequent attachment of the cytoplasmic heptameric complex coatomer. Various hypotheses exist as to the precise role of and possible routes taken by COPI vesicles in the mammalian cell. Here we report the ubiquitous expression of two novel isotypes of coatomer subunits gamma- and zeta-COP that are incorporated into coatomer, and show that three isotypes exist of the complex defined by the subunit combinations gamma 1/zeta 1, gamma 1/zeta 2, and gamma 2/zeta 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoat protein I (COPI)-coated transport vesicles mediate protein and lipid transport in the early secretory pathway. The basic machinery required for the formation of these transport intermediates has been elucidated based on the reconstitution of COPI-coated vesicle formation from chemically defined liposomes. In this experimental system, the coat components coatomer and GTP-bound ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF), as well as p23 as a membrane-bound receptor for COPI coat proteins, were shown to be both necessary and sufficient to promote COPI-coated vesicle formation.
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