Nesprin-3, a novel outer nuclear membrane protein, associates with the cytoskeletal linker protein plectin.

Despite their importance in cell biology, the mechanisms that maintain the nucleus in its proper position in the cell are not well understood. This is primarily the result of an incomplete knowledge of the proteins in the outer nuclear membrane (ONM) that are able to associate with the different cytoskeletal systems. Two related ONM proteins, nuclear envelope spectrin repeat (nesprin)-1 and -2, are known to make direct connections with the actin cytoskeleton through their NH2-terminal actin-binding domain (ABD).

Differential roles of CD14 and toll-like receptors 4 and 2 in murine Acinetobacter pneumonia.

Rationale: Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that is increasingly associated with gram-negative nosocomial pneumonia, but the molecular mechanisms that play a role in innate defenses during A. baumannii infection have not been elucidated.

Objective: To gain first insight into the role of CD14 and Toll-like receptors 4 and 2 in host response to A.