Mutual interaction between endothelial cells and mural cells enhances BMP9 signaling in endothelial cells.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is characterized by the formation of abnormal vascular networks and caused by the mutation of genes involved in BMP9 signaling. It is also known that the interaction between endothelial cells (ECs) and mural cells (MCs) is critical to maintain vessel integrity. However, it has not yet fully been uncovered whether the EC-MC interaction affects BMP9 signaling or not.

Site-specific modification of positively-charged surfaces on human serum albumin by malondialdehyde.

Malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation product, reacts with lysine residues in proteins. Human serum albumin (HSA) is a major target of MDA-modification of serum proteins. To identify, the modification sites of HSA by MDA in vitro, MDA-treated HSA was digested with a protease and the resulting peptides were subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Ebselen, a seleno-organic antioxidant, as an electrophile.

Ebselen [2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one], a seleno-organic compound showing glutathione peroxidase-like activity, is one of the promising synthetic antioxidants. In the present study, we investigated the electrophilic potential of this antioxidant and established the mechanism of the cysteine-targeted oxidation of protein. In addition, using ebselen as an electrophilic probe, we characterized the cysteine residues required for posttranslational modification into an electrophile sensor protein in the phase 2 detoxification response.

Mass spectroscopic characterization of protein modification by malondialdehyde.

Malondialdehyde (MDA), a naturally occurring dialdehyde produced in the membrane by lipid peroxidation, is a strong alkylating agent of primary amino groups. We recently raised a monoclonal antibody (mAb1F83) directed to the lipofuscin-like MDA--lysine adduct and demonstrated the presence of immunoreactivity to the antibody in the atherosclerotic lesions, in which intense positivity was associated primarily with macrophage-derived foam cells (Yamada et al., (2001) J.

Oxidative modification of proteasome: identification of an oxidation-sensitive subunit in 26 S proteasome.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have the potential to damage cellular components, such as protein, resulting in loss of function and structural alteration of proteins. The oxidative process affects a variety of side amino acid groups, some of which are converted to carbonyl compounds. We have previously shown that a prostaglandin D2 metabolite, 15-deoxy-delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), is the potent inducer of intracellular oxidative stress on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells [Kondo, M.