Functional Pdgfra fibroblast heterogeneity in normal and fibrotic mouse lung.

Aberrant fibroblast function plays a key role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a devastating disease of unrelenting extracellular matrix deposition in response to lung injury. Platelet-derived growth factor α-positive (Pdgfra+) lipofibroblasts (LipoFBs) are essential for lung injury response and maintenance of a functional alveolar stem cell niche. Little is known about the effects of lung injury on LipoFB function.

Mass spectrometric identification of candidate RNA-binding proteins associated with Transition Nuclear Protein mRNA in the mouse testis.

Spermatogenesis is a differentiation process that requires dramatic changes to DNA architecture, a process governed in part by Transition Nuclear Proteins 1 and 2 (TNP1 and TNP2). Translation of Tnp1 and Tnp2 mRNAs is temporally disengaged from their transcription. We hypothesized that RNA regulatory proteins associate specifically with Tnp mRNAs to control the delayed timing of their translation.

Enhanced Approaches for Identifying Amadori Products: Application to Peanut Allergens.

The dry roasting of peanuts is suggested to influence allergic sensitization as a result of the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on peanut proteins. Identifying AGEs is technically challenging. The AGEs of a peanut allergen were probed with nano-scale liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (nanoLC-ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analyses.

Identification and functional characterization of a novel acetylcholine-binding protein from the marine annelid Capitella teleta.

We identified a homologue of the molluscan acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP) in the marine polychaete Capitella teleta, from the annelid phylum. The amino acid sequence of C. teleta AChBP (ct-AChBP) is 21-30% identical with those of known molluscan AChBPs.

Phosphorylation of STIM1 underlies suppression of store-operated calcium entry during mitosis.

Store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) and Ca(2+) release-activated Ca(2+) currents (I(crac)) are strongly suppressed during cell division, the only known physiological situation in which Ca(2+) store depletion is uncoupled from the activation of Ca(2+) influx [corrected]. We found that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) sensor STIM1 failed to rearrange into near-plasma membrane puncta in mitotic cells, a critical step in the SOCE-activation pathway. We also found that STIM1 from mitotic cells is recognized by the phospho-specific MPM-2 antibody, suggesting that STIM1 is phosphorylated during mitosis.