GnRH receptor expression in human prostate cancer cells is affected by hormones and growth factors.

GnRH receptors (GnRH-R) have been found in various malignancies, including prostate cancer (PCa). They mediate the direct antitumor effects of GnRH analogs. Nevertheless, few reports concern drug-induced modulation of GnRH-R levels.

Genetic risk factors in typical haemolytic uraemic syndrome.

Background: Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) is a disorder characterized by thrombotic microangiopathy, which is caused in 'typical forms' by gastrointestinal infections with Escherichia Coli species that produce verotoxins. Several studies have identified negative prognostic factors of the disease, among which prolonged oliguria, neurological involvement and increased leukocytosis have been more consistently reported. We have hypothesized that the genetic background may also predispose to the development of typical forms of HUS and may influence the clinical course of the disease.

Assembly and selective "in synthesis" labeling of quenched fluorogenic protease substrates.

Because impaired cellular protease activities are linked to many diseases, such as cancer, inflammation, neurodegeneration, and infection, internally quenched fluorescent peptides have recently been developed as tools for analyzing the specificities of these enzymes. Here we report convenient and cost-effective approaches for the selective "in synthesis" assembly of such substrate peptides for protease assays. Fluorescein and Dabcyl groups were covalently and selectively attached during synthesis to epsilon-amino groups of internal lysines.

Expression of endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases in EBV-B cell lines from healthy donors and in leukemia/lymphoma, carcinoma, and melanoma cell lines.

Peptide trimming in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the final step required for the generation of most HLA class I-binding peptides, implicates the concerted action of two aminopeptidases, ERAP1 and ERAP2. Because defects in the expression of these peptidases could lead to aberrant surface HLA class I expression in tumor cells, we quantitatively assayed 14 EBV-B cell lines and 35 human tumor cell lines of various lineages for: 1) expression and enzymatic activities of ERAP1 and ERAP2; 2) ER peptide-trimming activity in microsomes; 3) expression of HLA class I H chains and TAP1; and 4) surface HLA class I expression. ERAP1 and ERAP2 expression was detectable in all of the EBV-B and tumor cell lines, but in the latter it was extremely variable, sometimes barely detectable, and not coordinated.

A combined experimental and computational strategy to define protein interaction networks for peptide recognition modules.

Peptide recognition modules mediate many protein-protein interactions critical for the assembly of macromolecular complexes. Complete genome sequences have revealed thousands of these domains, requiring improved methods for identifying their physiologically relevant binding partners. We have developed a strategy combining computational prediction of interactions from phage-display ligand consensus sequences with large-scale two-hybrid physical interaction tests.

Unusual binding properties of the SH3 domain of the yeast actin-binding protein Abp1: structural and functional analysis.

Abp1p is an actin-binding protein that plays a central role in the organization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin cytoskeleton. By a combination of two-hybrid and phage-display approaches, we have identified six new ligands of the Abp1-SH3 domain. None of these SH3-mediated novel interactions was detected in recent all genome high throughput protein interaction projects.