A custom-built insulin resistance gene chip.

Objectives/aim: Microarray (gene chip) technology offers a powerful new tool for analyzing the expression of large numbers of genes in many experimental samples. The aim of this study was to design, construct, and use a gene chip to measure the expression levels of key genes in metabolic pathways related to insulin resistance.

Methods: We selected genes that were implicated in the development of insulin resistance, including genes involved in insulin signaling; glucose uptake, oxidation, and storage; fat uptake, oxidation, and storage; cytoskeletal components; and transcription factors.

Interaction between platelet glycoprotein Ibalpha and filamin-1 is essential for glycoprotein Ib/IX receptor anchorage at high shear.

The interaction of the glycoprotein (GP) Ib-V-IX receptor complex with the membrane skeleton of platelets is dependent on a specific interaction between the cytoplasmic tail of GPIbalpha and filamin-1. This interaction has been proposed to regulate key aspects of platelet function, including the ligand binding of GPIb-V-IX and the ability of the cells to sustain adhesion to von Willebrand factor (vWf) under high shear. In this study we have examined sequences in the GPIbalpha intracellular domain necessary for interaction of the receptor with filamin-1.