Regulating secretory lysosomes.

Secretory lysosomes are lysosomes which are capable of undergoing regulated secretion in response to external stimuli. Many cells of the immune system use secretory lysosomes to release proteins involved in their specialised effector mechanisms. Precisely how lysosomal secretion is regulated in each of these cell types is now the study of much research as these mechanisms control the ability of each of these cells to function.

A novel form of the membrane protein CD147 that contains an extra Ig-like domain and interacts homophilically.

Background: CD147 is a broadly distributed integral membrane glycoprotein with two Ig-like domains implicated in a wide range of functions. It is associated at the cell surface with the monocarboxylate transporters MCT1 and 4 but interactions of the extracellular region have not been characterised.

Results: We report the characterisation of a form of CD147 with an additional membrane-distal Ig-like domain.

Molecular characterization of the rat Kupffer cell glycoprotein receptor.

The Kupffer cell receptor for glycoproteins has been reported to have a role in clearance of galactose- and fucose-terminated glycoproteins from circulation. Although the gene and a cDNA encoding the receptor have been described, there has been little study of the receptor protein. To address some questions about possible ligands and functions for this receptor, fragments representing portions of the extracellular domain have been expressed and characterized.