Progranulin (PGRN) haploinsufficiency associated with loss-of-function mutations in the granulin gene causes frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This suggests that increasing PGRN levels could have promising therapeutic implications for patients carrying mutations. In this study, we explored the therapeutic potential of sortilin1 (SORT1), a clearance receptor of PGRN, by generating and characterizing monoclonal antibodies against SORT1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1), initially identified as a tumor suppressor gene, has recently been reported to be ectopically expressed in primary adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) cells. We incorporated CADM1 into flow-cytometric analysis to reveal oncogenic mechanisms in human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I (HTLV-I) infection by purifying cells from the intermediate stages of ATL development.
Experimental Design: We isolated CADM1- and CD7-expressing peripheral blood mononuclear cells of asymptomatic carriers and ATLs using multicolor flow cytometry.
Molecular abnormalities involved in the multistep leukemogenesis of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) remain to be clarified. Based on our integrated database, we focused on the expression patterns and levels of Ikaros family genes, Ikaros, Helios, and Aiolos, in ATL patients and HTLV-1 carriers. The results revealed profound deregulation of Helios expression, a pivotal regulator in the control of T-cell differentiation and activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn honeybees, queens synthesize the "queen pheromone," whereas workers synthesize fatty acid components of "royal jelly" in their mandibular glands (MGs). To identify candidate proteins involved in the caste-selective MG function, we performed a proteomic analysis and identified three proteins that were expressed selectively in queen MGs (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 [ALDH1], medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase [MCAD], and electron transfer flavoprotein alpha [ETFalpha)]), and a protein that was expressed selectively in worker MGs (fatty acid synthase [FAS)]). The quantitative reversed transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that the level of aldh1 transcription in MGs was significantly higher, whereas that of fas transcription was lower in queens than in workers.
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