ARMER, apoptotic regulator in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, a novel inhibitor of apoptosis.

We have identified a novel protein, apoptotic regulator in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ARMER), which protects HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells from apoptosis induced by various stimuli. We demonstrate that ARMER is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) integral membrane protein with four predicted transmembrane domains and a COOH-terminal KKXX ER retrieval motif. We used an inducible expression system (pIND) to study the effects of regulated ARMER overexpression.

Regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis by activin.

The aim of this review is to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which activin A modulates cell proliferation, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Activin A, a member of the TGFbeta superfamily, has various effects on diverse biological systems, including cell growth inhibition in many cell types. However, the mechanism(s) by which activin exerts its inhibitory effects are not yet understood.