Molecular regulation of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR)-mediated signaling.

Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), a family C G-protein-coupled receptor, plays a crucial role in regulating calcium homeostasis by sensing small concentration changes of extracellular Ca, Mg, amino acids (e.g., L-Trp and L-Phe), small peptides, anions (e.

Structural Aspects and Prediction of Calmodulin-Binding Proteins.

Calmodulin (CaM) is an important intracellular protein that binds Ca and functions as a critical second messenger involved in numerous biological activities through extensive interactions with proteins and peptides. CaM's ability to adapt to binding targets with different structures is related to the flexible central helix separating the N- and C-terminal lobes, which allows for conformational changes between extended and collapsed forms of the protein. CaM-binding targets are most often identified using prediction algorithms that utilize sequence and structural data to predict regions of peptides and proteins that can interact with CaM.

A Meta-Analysis to Determine if Lower Extremity Muscle Strengthening Should Be Included in Military Knee Overuse Injury-Prevention Programs.

Context:  Knee overuse injuries are the most common musculoskeletal complaints in military trainees and are common in active-duty warfighters. Muscle strengthening is usually recommended; however, research is conflicting in this area, which makes it difficult to develop effective screening, prevention, and training interventions for warfighters.

Objective:  To determine if lower extremity muscular weakness contributes to knee overuse injuries and identify specific muscular involvement.