Inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase-A (ITPKA) exhibits oncogenic activity in lung cancer cells by regulating Ins(1,4,5)P-mediated calcium release and cytoskeletal dynamics. Since, in normal cells, ITPKA is mainly expressed in the brain, it is an excellent target for selected therapy of lung cancer. However, ITPKB is strongly expressed in normal lung tissues, but is down-regulated in lung cancer cells by miR-375, assuming that ITPKB might have tumor suppressor activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe regulation of mitotic spindle orientation is essential to ensure proper cell division and development (Kiyomitsua and Cheeseman Nat Cell Biol 14:311-317, 2012). For identification of potential spindle orientation regulators, determination of the mitotic spindle angle is a well-known but time-consuming procedure. Here we describe a simple and time-saving phenotypic screening assay for the identification of potential spindle orientation regulators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMembrane fusion in the endocytic pathway is mediated by a protein machinery consistent of Rab GTPases, tethering factors and SNAREs. In yeast, the endosomal CORVET and lysosomal HOPS tethering complexes share 4 of their 6 subunits. The 2 additional subunits in each complex - Vps3 and Vps8 for CORVET, and the homologous Vps39 and Vps41 for HOPS - bind directly to Rab5 and Rab7, respectively.
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