Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| involvement of rhoa-mediated ca2+ sensitization in antigen-induced bronchial smooth muscle hyperresponsiveness in mice. | it has recently been suggested that rhoa plays an important role in the enhancement of the ca2+ sensitization of smooth muscle contraction. in the present study, a participation of rhoa-mediated ca2+ sensitization in the augmented bronchial smooth muscle (bsm) contraction in a murine model of allergic asthma was examined. | 2005 | 15638941 |
| botr/a and tetr are alternative rna polymerase sigma factors controlling the expression of the neurotoxin and associated protein genes in clostridium botulinum type a and clostridium tetani. | clostridium botulinum and clostridium tetani, respectively, produce potent toxins, botulinum neurotoxin (bont) and tetanus neurotoxin (tetx), which are responsible for severe diseases, botulism and tetanus. neurotoxin synthesis is a regulated process in clostridium. the genes botr/a in c. botulinum a and tetr in c. tetani positively regulate expression of bont/a and associated non-toxic proteins (antps), as well as tetx respectively. the botr/a gene lies in close vicinity of the two operons whic ... | 2005 | 15612931 |
| rhoa and rho-kinase dependent and independent signals mediate tgf-beta-induced pulmonary endothelial cytoskeletal reorganization and permeability. | transforming growth factor (tgf)-beta is a potent inflammatory mediator involved in acute lung injury. tgf-beta directly increases pulmonary endothelial myosin light chain (mlc) phosphorylation, which is associated with increased endothelial stress fiber formation, gap formation, and protein permeability, all hallmarks of pulmonary endothelial responses during acute lung injury. we performed the following experiments in pulmonary endothelial monolayers to determine whether rhoa and rho-kinase me ... | 2005 | 15475381 |
| bcl6 suppresses rhoa activity to alter macrophage morphology and motility. | bcl6 is a potent transcriptional repressor that plays important roles in germinal center formation, t helper cell differentiation and lymphomagenesis and regulates expression of several chemokine genes in macrophages. in a further investigation of its role in macrophages, we show that bcl6 inactivation in primary bone marrow-derived macrophages leads to decreased polarization, motility and cell spreading accompanied by an increase in peripheral focal complexes, anchored f-actin bundles and corti ... | 2005 | 15860730 |
| characterization of the interaction between subunits of the botulinum toxin complex produced by serotype d through tryptic susceptibility of the isolated components and complex forms. | the 650 kda large toxin complex (l-tc) produced by clostridium botulinum serotype d strain 4947 (d-4947) has a subunit structure composed of unnicked components, i.e. neurotoxin (nt), non-toxic non-haemagglutinin (ntnha) and three haemagglutinin subcomponents (ha-70, ha-33 and ha-17). in this study, subunit interactions were investigated through the susceptibilities of the toxin components to limited trypsin proteolysis. additionally, complex forms were reconstituted in vitro by various combinat ... | 2005 | 15870457 |
| a rapid chemiluminescent slot blot immunoassay for the detection and quantification of clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type e, in cultures. | a simple, rapid, cost-effective in vitro slot blot immunoassay was developed for the detection and quantification of botulinum neurotoxin type e (bont/e) in cultures. culture supernatants of 36 strains of clostridia, including 12 strains of clostridium botulinum type e, 12 strains of other c. botulinum neurotoxin serotypes, and 12 strains of other clostridial species were tested. samples containing bont/e were detected using affinity-purified polyclonal rabbit antisera prepared against bont/e wi ... | 2005 | 15878402 |
| a new scaleable method for the purification of botulinum neurotoxin type e. | botulinum neurotoxins belong to the most toxic substances in nature. well-known as a food poisoning agent for almost two centuries, the beneficial aspects of this bacterial metabolite were rediscovered about 30 years ago. these toxins, which are produced by the anaerobic bacterium clostridium botulinum are nowadays used to treat a variety of neuro-muscular disorders. the increased demand requires techniques for the production and purification of these toxins on an industrial scale. the method de ... | 2005 | 15885835 |
| growth and toxin production by clostridium botulinum in steamed rice aseptically packed under modified atmosphere. | sales and consumption of ready-to-eat aseptic steamed rice products have increased manyfold in japan over the past 10 years. to determine the safety of steamed rice (water content 60%, ph 6.5) aseptically packaged under modified atmosphere, challenge studies were performed using a mixture of clostridium botulinum proteolytic strains (five strains of type a and five strains of type b). atmospheric conditions of 0 and 15% oxygen (with 5% co2 and 5% n2 as the balance) were used. no neurotoxins were ... | 2005 | 15895734 |
| strongylophorine-26, a rho-dependent inhibitor of tumor cell invasion that reduces actin stress fibers and induces nonpolarized lamellipodial extensions. | strongylophorine-26, a new meroditerpenoid, was recently identified as an inhibitor of cancer cell invasion. this study was undertaken to characterize its mechanism of action. we find that strongylophorine-26 inhibits the motility of mda-mb-231 breast carcinoma cells on a plastic surface. upon addition of strongylophorine-26, rapid cell contraction and depolarization occurred, followed by spreading and flattening of the entire cell. treated cells exhibited increased membrane ruffling throughout ... | 2005 | 15897241 |
| [botulism, a clinical diagnosis]. | foodborne botulism results from the effect of a neurotoxin produced by a sporulated anaerobic bacillus called clostridium botulinum. the mode of contamination occurs through the consumption of foodstuff, already contaminated by the neurotoxin. following an incubation period that varies from 2 hours to 8 days, the symptoms start with intestinal problems. then paralysis of the cranial nerve pairs sets in, classically manifested by diplopia, dysphagia, dysphonia, areactive mydriasis and ptosis. the ... | 2005 | 15902879 |
| different response of the knockout mice lacking b-series gangliosides against botulinum and tetanus toxins. | we assessed the response in knockout mice lacking the b-series (g(d2), g(d1b), g(t1b) and g(q1b)) gangliosides against clostridium botulinum (types a, b and e) and tetani toxins. we found that botulinum toxins were fully toxic, while tetanus toxin was much less toxic in the knockout mice. combining the present results with our previous finding that tetanus toxin and botulinum types a and b toxins showed essentially no toxic activity in the knockout mice lacking both the a-series and b-series gan ... | 2005 | 15919183 |
| rho and rac promote acinar morphological changes, actin reorganization, and amylase secretion. | supramaximal stimulation of isolated pancreatic acini with specific agonists such as cck induces the formation of large basolateral blebs, redistributes filamentous actin, and inhibits secretion. rho family small g proteins are well documented for their function in actin reorganization that determines cell shape and have been suggested to play a role in secretion. here, we determined whether rho and rac are involved in the morphological changes, actin redistribution, and inhibition of amylase se ... | 2005 | 15920016 |
| mapping of the antibody and t cell recognition profiles of the hn domain (residues 449-859) of the heavy chain of botulinum neurotoxin a in two high-responder mouse strains. | using a set of synthetic overlapping peptides, encompassing the entire n-terminal domain (hn,) of the heavy (h) chain of botulinum neurotoxin serotype a (bont/a), we have mapped on hn, the regions recognized by abs (b cells) and by t cells in two inbred mouse strains. after one bont/a toxoid injection, balb/c t cells mounted a weak in vitro response to a region within overlap 687-705/701-719. the remaining peptides stimulated no detectable responses. after 3 injections, balb/c t cells gave stron ... | 2005 | 15921155 |
| rhoa/rock signaling is critical to fak activation by cyclic stretch in cardiac myocytes. | focal adhesion kinase (fak) has been shown to be activated in cardiac myocytes exposed to mechanical stress. however, details of how mechanical stimuli induce fak activation are unknown. we investigated whether signaling events mediated by the rhoa/rho-associated coiled coil-containing kinase (rock) pathway are involved in regulation of stretch-induced fak phosphorylation at tyr(397) in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (nrvms). immunostaining showed that rhoa localized to regions of myofilament ... | 2005 | 15923313 |
| outgrowth of neurites from nie-115 neuroblastoma cells is prevented on repulsive substrates through the action of pak. | in the central nervous system (cns), damaged axons are inhibited from regeneration by glial scars, where secreted chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (cspg) and tenascin repulse outgrowth of neurites, the forerunners of axons and dendrites. during differentiation, these molecules are thought to form boundaries for guiding neurons to their correct targets. in neuroblastoma nie-115 cells, outgrowth of neurites on laminin could be induced by serum starvation or inhibition of rhoa by clostridium botuli ... | 2005 | 15923637 |
| analysis of active site residues of botulinum neurotoxin e by mutational, functional, and structural studies: glu335gln is an apoenzyme. | clostridial neurotoxins comprising the seven serotypes of botulinum neurotoxins and tetanus neurotoxin are the most potent toxins known to humans. their potency coupled with their specificity and selectivity underscores the importance in understanding their mechanism of action in order to develop a strategy for designing counter measures against them. to develop an effective vaccine against the toxin, it is imperative to achieve an inactive form of the protein which preserves the overall conform ... | 2005 | 15938619 |
| hemagglutinin-33 of type a botulinum neurotoxin complex binds with synaptotagmin ii. | botulinum neurotoxin type a (bont/a), the most toxic substance known to mankind, is produced by clostridium botulinum type a as a complex with a group of neurotoxin-associated proteins (naps) through polycistronic expression of a clustered group of genes. naps are known to protect bont against adverse environmental conditions and proteolytic digestion. hemagglutinin-33 (hn-33) is a 33 kda subcomponent of naps that is resistant to protease digestion, a feature likely to be involved in the protect ... | 2005 | 15943806 |
| methods for detection of clostridium botulinum toxin in foods. | botulism is a deadly disease caused by ingestion of the preformed neurotoxin produced from the anaerobic spore-forming bacteria clostridium botulinum. botulinum neurotoxins are the most poisonous toxins known and have been a concern in the food industry for a long time. therefore, rapid identification of botulinum neurotoxin using molecular and biochemical techniques is an essential component in the establishment of coordinated laboratory response systems and is the focus of current research and ... | 2005 | 15954719 |
| characterization of clostridium botulinum strains associated with an infant botulism case in the united kingdom. | the sixth case of infant botulism in the united kingdom was reported in 2001. the case was caused by a type b strain of clostridium botulinum. strains of c. botulinum were isolated from the baby's feces and from foodstuffs in the household in an attempt to document transmission. the aims of this study were to characterize the strains of c. botulinum associated with the botulism case. this was performed using a variety of techniques, including c. botulinum culture phenotypic properties, neurotoxi ... | 2005 | 15956371 |
| formulation of botulinum neurotoxin heavy chain fragments for vaccine development: mechanisms of adsorption to an aluminum-containing adjuvant. | heavy chain fragments of botulinum neurotoxin serotypes a and b are being developed as a bivalent vaccine for botulism. to potentiate the immune response, an aluminum containing adjuvant will be formulated with the two antigens. the adsorption mechanisms of each antigen to aluminum phosphate and aluminum hydroxide adjuvants were studied. the adsorption of the serotype a antigen to each adjuvant, and the serotype b antigen to aluminum phosphate adjuvant, is dependent on electrostatic attractive f ... | 2005 | 15963360 |
| application of real-time pcr for quantitative detection of clostridium botulinum type a toxin gene in food. | the taqman real-time pcr method for the quantitative detection of c. botulinum type a was developed based on sequence-specific hybridization probes. the validity of this assay was verified by using 10 genera of 20 strains, including reference strains of c. botulinum types a, b, c, d, e and f. the detection limit of this assay was evaluated on c. botulinum type a, using a 10-fold dilution series of dna and spores . the dna and spores were detected up to level of 0.1 ng/ml and 10(2)spores/ml, resp ... | 2005 | 15965297 |
| botulinum neurotoxin type a causes shifts in myosin heavy chain composition in muscle. | botulinum neurotoxin type a has gained widespread use for treatment of a host of neuromuscular conditions. however, the potential effect of this toxin has on the histological and biochemical properties of skeletal muscle remains largely unexplored. the purpose of this study was to characterize the myosin heavy chain (mhc) distribution of adult rat skeletal muscle treated with botulinum neurotoxin type. varying doses of the toxin were injected into the triceps surae muscle group of one hind limb. ... | 2005 | 15975617 |
| comparison of electrochemiluminescence assay and elisa for the detection of clostridium botulinum type b neurotoxin. | we compared the elisa and electrochemiluminescence (ecl) immunoassay technologies for the detection of botulinum type b neurotoxin (botnt b), which requires highly sensitive techniques due to its potent biological activity. botnt b complexes are the naturally secreted form of the toxin, approximately a third of which consists of the neurotoxin itself; they were aliquoted and frozen for this study. results of both techniques were interpreted with the same standard statistical tests (anova and tuk ... | 2005 | 15979637 |
| partial protection against botulinum b neurotoxin-induced blocking of exocytosis by a potent inhibitor of its metallopeptidase activity. | clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (bonts) cause botulism, which is characterized by a flaccid paralysis, through inhibition of acetylcholine release by peripheral cholinergic nerve terminals. this is due to the zinc metallopeptidase activity of the neurotoxin, cleaving one component (synaptobrevin for bont/b) of the exocytosis machinery. yet, there are no specific agents able to control the peptidase-related effects of bont/b. we recently developed the first compounds to inhibit this enzymatic a ... | 2005 | 15988765 |
| generating microbial survival curves during thermal processing in real time. | to develop a method to calculate and record theoretical microbial survival curves during thermal processing of foods and pharmaceutical products simultaneously with the changing temperature. moreover, to demonstrate that the method can be used to calculate nonisothermal survival curves, with widely available software such as microsoft excel. | 2005 | 15659195 |
| [botulism caused by consumption of smoked salmon]. | fresh fish products are exquisitely prone to be the source for food botulism because of primary contamination with clostridium botulinum spores, lack of heat inactivation of c. botulinum spores, frequently used air-tight packaging, lack of preservatives, lack of heat inactivation of already produced botulinum toxin and because of substantial low temperature resistance of c. botulinum type e typically found in fish botulism. we can reporting a 25-year-old patient with food botulism presenting wit ... | 2005 | 15666167 |
| simvastatin inhibits growth factor expression and modulates profibrogenic markers in lung fibroblasts. | simvastatin is best known for its antilipidemic action and use in cardiovascular disease due to its inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzymea (hmg coa) reductase, a key enzyme in the cholesterol synthesis pathway. inhibition of biological precursors in this pathway also enables pleiotrophic immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory capabilities, including modulation of growth factor expression. connective tissue growth factor (ctgf) and persistent myofibroblast formation are major determin ... | 2005 | 15677772 |
| molecular recognition of an adp-ribosylating clostridium botulinum c3 exoenzyme by rala gtpase. | c3 exoenzymes (members of the adp-ribosyltranferase family) are produced by clostridium botulinum (c3bot1 and -2), clostridium limosum (c3lim), bacillus cereus (c3cer), and staphylococcus aureus (c3stau1-3). these exoenzymes lack a translocation domain but are known to specifically inactivate rho gtpases in host target cells. here, we report the crystal structure of c3bot1 in complex with rala (a gtpase of the ras subfamily) and gdp at a resolution of 2.66 a. rala is not adp-ribosylated by c3 ex ... | 2005 | 15809419 |
| elimination of botulinum neurotoxin (bont) type b from drinking water by small-scale (personal-use) water purification devices and detection of bont in water samples. | seven small-scale drinking water purification devices were evaluated for their capacity to eliminate botulinum neurotoxin (bont) type b from drinking water. influent water inoculated with toxic clostridium botulinum cultures and effluent purified water samples were tested for the presence of bont by using a standard mouse bioassay and two commercial rapid enzyme immunoassays (eias). the water purification devices based on filtration through ceramic or membrane filters with a pore size of 0.2 to ... | 2005 | 15812023 |
| clustering of equine grass sickness cases in the united kingdom: a study considering the effect of position-dependent reporting on the space-time k-function. | equine grass sickness (egs) is a largely fatal, pasture-associated dysautonomia. although the aetiology of this disease is unknown, there is increasing evidence that clostridium botulinum type c plays an important role in this condition. the disease is widespread in the united kingdom, with the highest incidence believed to occur in scotland. egs also shows strong seasonal variation (most cases are reported between april and july). data from histologically confirmed cases of egs from england and ... | 2005 | 15816161 |
| acute paralysis following "a bad potato": a case of botulism. | intensivists often encounter patients with respiratory failure as a result of neuromuscular disease, however, acute neuro-muscular syndromes are less common. we present a case of food borne clostridium botulism and discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. | 2005 | 15817444 |
| rhoa signaling is required for respiratory syncytial virus-induced syncytium formation and filamentous virion morphology. | respiratory syncytial virus (rsv) is an important human pathogen that can cause severe and life-threatening respiratory infections in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised adults. rsv infection of hep-2 cells induces the activation of rhoa, a small gtpase. we therefore asked whether rhoa signaling is important for rsv replication or syncytium formation. the treatment of hep-2 cells with clostridium botulinum c3, an enzyme that adp-ribosylates and specifically inactivates rhoa, inhibited rs ... | 2005 | 15827147 |
| neurological syndromes among horses in the netherlands. a 5 year retrospective survey (1999-2004). | the presence of toxins or infectious agents combined with environmental factors in combination with a susceptible host can be the cause for neurological disease in groups of horses. during a 5 year observational period outbreaks of neurological diseases among horses were evaluated. causes of occurring neurological diseases were equine botulism, lolitrem intoxications, equine herpesvirus type 1-associated myelo(encephalo)pathy, and encephalitis caused by (disseminated) streptococcus equi subspeci ... | 2005 | 15835280 |
| clostridium botulinum: a bug with beauty and weapon. | clostridium botulinum, a gram-positive, anaerobic spore-forming bacteria, is distinguished by its significant clinical applications as well as its potential to be used as bioterror agent. growing cells secrete botulinum neurotoxin (bont), the most poisonous of all known poisons. while bont is the causative agent of deadly neuroparalytic botulism, it also serves as a remarkably effective treatment for involuntary muscle disorders such as blepharospasm, strabismus, hemifacial spasm, certain types ... | 2005 | 15839401 |
| botulinum toxin for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms: a review. | to review the available literature on the application of botulinum toxin in the urinary tract, with particular reference to its use in treating detrusor overactivity (do). | 2005 | 15578628 |
| 2-arachidonoylglycerol, an endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, induces rapid actin polymerization in hl-60 cells differentiated into macrophage-like cells. | delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a major psychoactive constituent of marijuana, interacts with specific receptors, i.e. the cannabinoid receptors, thereby eliciting a variety of pharmacological responses. to date, two types of cannabinoid receptors have been identified: the cb1 receptor, which is abundantly expressed in the nervous system, and the cb2 receptor, which is predominantly expressed in the immune system. previously, we investigated in detail the structure-activity relationship of various ... | 2005 | 15456404 |
| clostridium infection resulting in paralysis in a child. | case report: we report an 11-year-old boy who fell from an all terrain vehicle and sustained multiple minor soft tissue contusions and a small midthoracic laceration. irrigation and closure of the small wound was performed at another hospital. there was no history of a penetrating wound. within 48 h of injury, the patient developed profound dysesthesia and paralysis of the lower extremities and was transferred to our hospital. mri disclosed a paraspinal abnormality without bony involvement. at e ... | 2005 | 14872258 |
| [three infants with constipation and muscular weakness: infantile botulism]. | two previously healthy infants, a boy of 10 weeks and a girl of 4 months presented with apathy and muscle weakness. a third previously healthy child, a girl of 6 weeks old was admitted with respiratory insufficiency. none of the three had had a bowel movement for a number of days. after extensive investigations which revealed few abnormalities clostridium botulinum toxin was obtained in serum from all three children. type-b-toxin was shown in the faeces of the older girl and boy; both recovered ... | 2005 | 15850274 |
| clostridium botulinum type a progenitor toxin binds to intestine-407 cells via n-acetyllactosamine moiety. | botulism is a highly fatal disease caused by the botulinum progenitor toxin. in this study, the role of oligosaccharides for the binding of botulinum type a progenitor toxin (type a ptx) to human intestinal cells was investigated. the binding of type a ptx to intestine-407 cells was inhibited by the addition of n-acetyllactosamine, lactose, and galactose. treatment of intestine-407 cells with neuraminidase led to a significant increase in the binding of type a ptx, while further digestion of cel ... | 2005 | 15850798 |
| four molecules of the 33 kda haemagglutinin component of the clostridium botulinum serotype c and d toxin complexes are required to aggregate erythrocytes. | normally, large-sized botulinum toxin complexes (l-tc) of serotype c and d are composed of a single neurotoxin, a single non-toxic non-haemagglutinin, two ha-70 molecules, four ha-33 molecules and four ha-17 molecules that assemble to form a 650 kda l-tc. the 540 and 610 kda tc species (designated here as l-tc2 and l-tc3, respectively) were purified in addition to the 650 kda l-tc from the culture supernatants of serotype d strains (d-4947 and d-cb16) and serotype c strains (c-6814 and c-yoichi) ... | 2005 | 16339931 |
| adult botulism type f in the united states, 1981-2002. | clostridium botulinum neurotoxin types a, b, and e cause most cases of the paralytic disease botulism. little is known about the epidemiology, clinical features, or microbiology of botulism type f. | 2005 | 16344510 |
| wound botulism in injectors of drugs: upsurge in cases in england during 2004. | wound infections due to clostridium botulinum were not recognised in the uk and republic of ireland before 2000. c. botulinum produces a potent neurotoxin which can cause paralysis and death. in 2000 and 2001, ten cases were clinically recognised, with a further 23 in 2002, 15 in 2003 and 40 cases in 2004. all cases occurred in heroin injectors. seventy cases occurred in england; the remainder occurred in scotland (12 cases), wales (2 cases) and the republic of ireland (4 cases). overall, 40 (45 ... | 2005 | 16280612 |
| the genome sequence of clostridium botulinum type c neurotoxin-converting phage and the molecular mechanisms of unstable lysogeny. | botulinum neurotoxins (bontxs) produced by clostridium botulinum are among the most poisonous substances known. of the seven types of bontxs, genes for type c1 and d toxins (bontx/c1 and d) are carried by bacteriophages. the gene for exoenzyme c3 also resides on these phages. here, we present the complete genome sequence of c-st, a representative of bontx/c1-converting phages. the genome is a linear double-stranded dna of 185,682 bp with 404-bp terminal direct repeats, the largest known temperat ... | 2005 | 16287978 |
| [bioterrorism]. | biological terrorism is intentionally to use infectious substances for developing diseases or death in animals or humans, leading to disaster and panic in our community. bioterrorism-associated diseases are mostly rare or eradicated infectious diseases, and recently, we do not have experience to make a clinical and laboratory diagnosis. in particular, these infectious diseases have incubation periods from infection to development of the disease. the staff working at public health institutions, i ... | 2005 | 16296383 |
| botulinum neurotoxin detection and differentiation by mass spectrometry. | botulinum neurotoxins (bonts) are proteases that cleave specific cellular proteins essential for neurotransmitter release. seven bont serotypes (a-g) exist; 4 usually cause human botulism (a, b, e, and f). we developed a rapid, mass spectrometry-based method (endopep-ms) to detect and differentiate active bonts a, b, e, and f. this method uses the highly specific protease activity of the toxins with target peptides specific for each toxin serotype. the product peptides derived from the endopepti ... | 2005 | 16318699 |
| behaviour of the pathogen surrogates listeria innocua and clostridium sporogenes during production of parsley in fields fertilized with contaminated amendments. | the survival and transfer of listeria innocua and clostridium sporogenes, used as surrogates of the food borne pathogens listeria monocytogenes and clostridium botulinum, were quantitatively assessed under field conditions. in the soil, spores of c. sporogenes declined by less than 0.7 log cycles within 16 months and were detected on parsley leaves throughout the experiment. in contrast, l. innocua in the soil declined by 7 log cycles in 90 days and was detected on leaves in low numbers (>0.04 m ... | 2005 | 16332327 |
| sensitive detection of botulinum neurotoxin types c and d with an immunoaffinity chromatographic column test. | a sensitive and specific immunoassay for the simultaneous detection of clostridium botulinum type c (bont/c) and type d neurotoxin was developed. goat anti-mouse immunoglobulin g was bound to polyethylene disks in a small disposable column used for this assay. the sample was preincubated together with monoclonal antibodies specific for the heavy chain of bont/c and d and affinity-purified, biotinylated polyclonal antibodies against these neurotoxins. this complex was captured on the assay disk. ... | 2005 | 16332765 |
| [evaluation of the antimicrobial action of honey against staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermidis, pseudomonas aeruginosa, escherichia coli, salmonella enteritidis, listeria monocytogenes and aspergillus niger. evaluation of its microbiological charge]. | the evaluation of the microbiological charge present in costa rican samples as the evaluation of its antimicrobial activity over different microorganisms, including those associated to wound infections, will allow to emit criteria referred to its use in therapeutic treatments, specially as alternative therapy for cases involving antibiotic resistant bacteria. the microbiological charge of 25 honey samples, acquired in costa rican markets was evaluated through several indicators including total p ... | 2005 | 16335227 |
| [modulation of molecular signaling mechanisms in excitable cells by toxins and bacterial substances]. | the mechanisms of bacterial substances (protein a, peptidoglican staphylococcus aureus), bacterium toxins (st. aureus, corynebacterium diphtheriae, shigella dysenteriae, clostridium botulinum, clostridium tetani, vibrio choleral), transfer factor of immune reactivity to staphylococcus aureus upon the key link (acetylcholine-, atp-, inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate-, ryanodin-sensitive receptors, g-proteins, ca2+, k(+)-transporting systems, second messengers) in the chain of signal conduction of excit ... | 2005 | 16566125 |
| ethyl acetate extract from black tea prevents neuromuscular blockade by botulinum neurotoxin type a in vitro. | botulinum neurotoxin produced by clostridium botulinum is the strongest neurotoxin and causes botulism in mammals. the current study aimed to find an inactivator for botulinum neurotoxin in black, oolong, roasted, and green teas. the ability of the four teas to inactivate the neuromuscular blocking action of botulinum neurotoxin was determined. water extracts from black, oolong, and roasted teas protected against the toxicity of botulinum neurotoxin type a in mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm prepar ... | 2005 | 16638658 |
| pharmacological evidence for activation of phospholipid and small gtp binding protein signalling cascades by nod factors. | the effects of lipo-chitin oligosaccharide nod factors (nodngr[s] from rhizobium sp. ngr234) on root hair deformation in vigna unguiculata (l.) walp. were studied using pharmacological agents to mimic and/or inhibit their action. it was hypothesised that the rearrangement of the cytoskeleton seen during nod factor induced root hair deformation is modulated by protein kinase c, monomeric g proteins of the rho superfamily and the location and amount of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphates (pi3ps). th ... | 2006 | 16647267 |
| comparison of dna fingerprinting methods for use in investigation of type e botulism outbreaks in the canadian arctic. | pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (pfge), randomly amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) analysis, and automated ribotyping were compared for epidemiological typing of clostridium botulinum type e using clinical and food isolates associated with four botulism outbreaks occurring in the canadian arctic. all type e strains previously untypeable by pfge, even with the use of a formaldehyde fixation step, could be typed by the addition of 50 microm thiourea to the electrophoresis running buffer. digestion ... | 2006 | 16672387 |
| high-pressure-mediated survival of clostridium botulinum and bacillus amyloliquefaciens endospores at high temperature. | endospores of proteolytic type b clostridium botulinum tmw 2.357 and bacillus amyloliquefaciens tmw 2.479 are currently described as the most high-pressure-resistant bacterial spores relevant to food intoxication and spoilage in combined pressure-temperature applications. the effects of combined pressure (0.1 to 1,400 mpa) and temperature (70 to 120 degrees c) treatments were determined for these spores. a process employing isothermal holding times was established to distinguish pressure from te ... | 2006 | 16672493 |
| [wound botulism in heroin addicts in germany]. | 5 heroin addicts (aged 31-44 years; 1 female, 4 men) presented with a history of blurred vision and diplopia followed by dysarthria. 3 of the patients also developed respiratory failure requiring long-term ventilatory support. physical examination revealed cranial nerve deficits and abscesses at injection sites in 3 of them. | 2006 | 16673227 |
| regulation of toxin and bacteriocin gene expression in clostridium by interchangeable rna polymerase sigma factors. | the production of major extracellular toxins by pathogenic strains of clostridium botulinum, clostridium tetani and clostridium difficile, and a bacteriocin by clostridium perfringens is dependent on a related group of rna polymerase sigma-factors. these sigma-factors (botr, tetr, tcdr and uvia) were shown to be sufficiently similar that they could substitute for one another in in vitro dna binding and run-off transcription experiments. in cells, however, the sigma-factors fell into two subclass ... | 2006 | 16677313 |
| protective effect of botulinum c/d mosaic toxoid against avian botulism. | avian botulism is a paralytic disease caused by a toxin produced by clostridium botulinum type c. since type c isolates from cases of avian botulism produced a neurotoxin consisting of a mosaic form of parts of type c and d neurotoxins, we examined the antitoxin titers in the convalescent sera of botulism-affected birds which belonged to family anatidae. elisa using the c/d mosaic neurotoxin as an antigen revealed that the antibody was detected in the sera at 2 weeks, but not at 5 weeks after th ... | 2006 | 16679722 |
| galpha12/13- and rho-dependent activation of phospholipase c-epsilon by lysophosphatidic acid and thrombin receptors. | because phospholipase c epsilon (plc-epsilon) is activated by galpha(12/13) and rho family gtpases, we investigated whether these g proteins contribute to the increased inositol lipid hydrolysis observed in cos-7 cells after activation of certain g protein-coupled receptors. stimulation of inositol lipid hydrolysis by endogenous lysophosphatidic acid (lpa) or thrombin receptors was markedly enhanced by the expression of plc-epsilon. expression of the lpa(1) or par1 receptor increased inositol ph ... | 2006 | 16554409 |
| two cases of foodborne botulism with home-preserved asparagus. | botulism is a rare but potentially fatal disease caused by toxins produced by clostridium botulinum. we report botulism in two adult females, one of them just tasting from "bad" asparagus and the other eating the full portion. both patients survived after intermittent mechanical ventilation and trivalent antitoxin administration. the diagnosis was confirmed by detection of botulinum toxin. acute onset of bilateral cranial neuropathies associated with symmetric descending weakness as well as some ... | 2006 | 16557441 |
| wound botulism acquired in the amazonian rain forest of ecuador. | wound botulism results from colonization of a contaminated wound by clostridium botulinum and the anaerobic in situ production of a potent neurotoxin. between 1943, when wound botulism was first recognized, and 1990, 47 laboratory-confirmed cases, mostly trauma-associated, were reported in the united states. since 1990, wound botulism associated with injection drug use emerged as the leading cause of wound botulism in the united states; 210 of 217 cases reported to the centers for disease contro ... | 2006 | 16606997 |
| laboratory diagnostics of botulism. | botulism is a potentially lethal paralytic disease caused by botulinum neurotoxin. human pathogenic neurotoxins of types a, b, e, and f are produced by a diverse group of anaerobic spore-forming bacteria, including clostridium botulinum groups i and ii, clostridium butyricum, and clostridium baratii. the routine laboratory diagnostics of botulism is based on the detection of botulinum neurotoxin in the patient. detection of toxin-producing clostridia in the patient and/or the vehicle confirms th ... | 2006 | 16614251 |
| rapid detection of clostridium botulinum toxins a, b, e, and f in clinical samples, selected food matrices, and buffer using paramagnetic bead-based electrochemiluminescence detection. | sensitive and specific electrochemiluminescence (ecl) assays were used to detect clostridium botulinum neurotoxins serotypes a, b, e, and f in undiluted human serum, undiluted human urine, assay buffer, and selected food matrices (whole milk, apple juice, ground beef, pastry, and raw eggs). these novel assays used paramagnetic bead-based electrochemiluminescent technology in which biotinylated serotype-specific antibodies were bound to streptavidin-coated paramagnetic beads. the beads acted as t ... | 2006 | 16620745 |
| combined pressure-thermal inactivation kinetics of bacillus amyloliquefaciens spores in egg patty mince. | bacillus amyloliquefaciens is a potential surrogate for clostridium botulinum in validation studies involving bacterial spore inactivation by pressure-assisted thermal processing. spores of b. amyloliquefaciens fad 82 were inoculated into egg patty mince (approximately 1.4 x 10(8) spores per g), and the product was treated with combinations of pressure (0.1 to 700 mpa) and heat (95 to 121 degrees c) in a custom-made high-pressure kinetic tester. the values for the inactivation kinetic parameter ... | 2006 | 16629029 |
| persistence of clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type e in tissues from selected freshwater fish species: implications to public health. | rainbow trout (oncorhynchus mykiss), round gobies (neogobius melanostomas), yellow walleye (stizostedion vitreum), and yellow perch (perca flavescens) were given clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type e (bont/e) at four doses (0, 800, 1500, and 4000 mouse lethal doses). bont/e was sought in the fish tissues at death or at the conclusion of the experiment (10 days after treatment). fish were divided into a "fillet" (axial musculature) and a "nonfillet" sample before testing for bont/e toxicity wit ... | 2006 | 16715821 |
| botulinum toxin injections to reduce adiposity: possibility, or fat chance? | obese individuals often suffer from negative self-image. many, even those with a normal body mass index, resort to pharmacotherapy (lipase inhibitors or appetite suppressants), mesotherapy and surgery (gastric volume reduction, liposuction or apronectomy) in a bid to remove excess adipose tissue. these treatments are associated with inherent morbidity and even mortality, and hence should not be undertaken lightly. the observation that denervation of adipose tissue results in lipoatrophy leads us ... | 2006 | 16716533 |
| quantitative detection of gene expression and toxin complex produced by clostridium botulinum serotype d strain 4947. | botulinum toxin is produced by clostridium botulinum as a large toxin complex (l-tc) non-covalently assembled with a neurotoxin (nt), a non-toxic non-hemagglutinin (ntnha) and hemagglutinin subcomponents (ha-70, ha-33, and ha-17). in this study, the gene expressions of five individual l-tc components were examined by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qrt-pcr) in c. botulinum serotype d strain 4947 (d-4947) during cell growth. transcripts for the five component genes w ... | 2006 | 16725219 |
| a cyclic peptide-polymer probe for the detection of clostridium botulinum neurotoxin serotype a. | a botulinum neurotoxin serotype a (bont/a) elisa detection system was developed based upon an 11-mer cyclic peptide, termed c11-019, that was identified through peptide phage display technology. the assay employs a sandwich format using the c11-019 cyclic peptide attached to a pema (poly(ethylene maleic anhydride)) matrix as the capture phase and anti-bont/a polyclonal antibodies as the detection phase. results reported demonstrate that the c11-019 peptide-polymer can specifically bind to bont/a ... | 2006 | 16730044 |
| toxicological, bacteriological and serological diagnosis of botulism in a dog. | 2006 | 16751315 | |
| tlr2 transmodulates monocyte adhesion and transmigration via rac1- and pi3k-mediated inside-out signaling in response to porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae. | we present evidence for a novel tlr2 function in transmodulating the adhesive activities of human monocytes in response to the fimbriae of porphyromonas gingivalis, a pathogen implicated in chronic periodontitis and atherosclerosis. monocyte recruitment into the subendothelium is a crucial step in atherosclerosis, and we investigated the role of p. gingivalis fimbriae in stimulating monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells and transendothelial migration. fimbriae induced cd11b/cd18-dependent adhes ... | 2006 | 16751412 |
| a botulism outbreak from roasted canned mushrooms. | food-borne botulism is a rare disease that results from ingestion of the toxins produced by clostridium botulinum. the most common cause of the disease is the consumption of home-canned foods prepared under inappropriate conditions, especially in rural environments. in this report, a food-borne botulism outbreak potentially caused by roasted home-canned mushrooms is evaluated and the major reasons for delayed diagnosis are emphasized. the clinical features, symptoms and prognosis of the five bot ... | 2006 | 16758770 |
| botulism: the many faces of botulinum toxin and its potential for bioterrorism. | 2006 | 16762741 | |
| differential requirement for rhoa gtpase depending on the cellular localization of protein kinase d. | this study explores the links between the gtpase rhoa and the serine kinase protein kinase d (pkd) during thymocyte development. the rationale is that rhoa and pkd regulate common biological responses during t cell development, but there is nothing known about their interdependence. in fibroblasts, rho function is required for activation of pkd catalytic activity. however, the data show that activation of rho is neither sufficient nor essential for pkd activation in t cells. one alternative expl ... | 2006 | 16772297 |
| infection with replication-deficient adenovirus induces changes in the dynamic instability of host cell microtubules. | adenovirus translocation to the nucleus occurs through a well characterized minus end-directed transport along microtubules. here, we show that the adenovirus infection process has a significant impact on the stability and dynamic behavior of host cell microtubules. adenovirus-infected cells had elevated levels of acetylated and detyrosinated microtubules compared with uninfected cells. the accumulation of modified microtubules within adenovirus-infected cells required active rhoa. adenovirus-in ... | 2006 | 16775012 |
| rhoa signaling modulates cyclin d1 expression in human lung fibroblasts; implications for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. | idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ipf) is a debilitating disease characterized by exaggerated extracellular matrix deposition and aggressive lung structural remodeling. disease pathogenesis is driven by fibroblastic foci formation, consequent on growth factor overexpression and myofibroblast proliferation. we have previously shown that both ctgf overexpression and myofibroblast formation in ipf cell lines are dependent on rhoa signaling. as rhoa-mediated regulation is also involved in cell cycle pr ... | 2006 | 16776827 |
| [overactive bladder: prospects and limitations of botulinum toxin]. | botulinum toxin is the most potent poison known to man. it is produced by clostridium botulinum and consists of a heavy chain which is responsible for the internalization of the toxin into the cytosol and a light chain that has the ability to cleave proteins within the nerve terminal. as those proteins are essential for normal vesicular transport and fusion of acetylcholine, botulinum toxins are able to prevent its release at the presynaptic membrane, resulting in a chemodenervation of the detru ... | 2006 | 16778447 |
| on the enhancement of anti-neurotoxin antibody production by subcomponents ha1 and ha3b of clostridium botulinum type b 16s toxin-haemagglutinin. | 2006 | 16804163 | |
| infant botulism. | 2006 | 16805244 | |
| the detection and prevalence of clostridium botulinum in pig intestinal samples. | to determine the prevalence of clostridium botulinum types a, b, e, and/or f in pig intestinal samples, different pcr-based methods were compared using artificially contaminated faeces. the methods included a multiplex pcr targeted to botulinum neurotoxin genes a, b, e, and f or a nested pcr targeted to toxin genes b, e, and f, combined with different pre-enrichment protocols and forms of templates. a method including the two-step enrichment followed by dna extraction and multiplex pcr yielded t ... | 2006 | 16806550 |
| immunomagnetic beads assay for the detection of botulinum neurotoxin types c and d. | an immunomagnetic beads assay for the simultaneous quantification of botulinum neurotoxin types c and d was developed. specific monoclonal antibodies against the heavy chain of the toxin and affinity-purified biotinylated polyclonal antibodies (pabs) were used. the antibodies were preincubated with the sample. the complex being formed was then captured by magnetic beads coated with antimouse igg. streptavidin-poly-horseradish peroxidase, a signal amplifier, bound to the biotinylated pab. a maxim ... | 2006 | 16839735 |
| a novel type a2 neurotoxin gene cluster in clostridium botulinum strain mascarpone. | the partial nucleotide sequence ( approximately 10 kb) of the cluster of genes encoding the botulinum neurotoxin complex in clostridium botulinum type a strain mascarpone was determined. the analysis revealed six orfs (orfs), which were organized as in the type a2 and type a3 botulinum neurotoxin gene clusters of strains kyoto-f and nctc 2916, respectively. while the orfs at the proximal and distal ends of the sequence (orfx2 and bont/a genes) shared a high level of similarity with the correspon ... | 2006 | 16842364 |
| role of rhoa inactivation in reduced cell proliferation of human airway smooth muscle by simvastatin. | enhanced proliferation of smooth muscle cells contributes to airway remodeling of bronchial asthma. recently, statins, inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme a reductase, have been shown to inhibit proliferation of both vascular and airway smooth muscle cells independently of lowering cholesterol. however, the mechanisms remain to be elucidated. the purpose of this study was to determine molecular processes by which statins inhibit proliferation of human bronchial smooth muscle cells. ... | 2006 | 16858009 |
| sparse bayesian kernel survival analysis for modeling the growth domain of microbial pathogens. | survival analysis is a branch of statistics concerned with the time elapsing before "failure," with diverse applications in medical statistics and the analysis of the reliability of electrical or mechanical components. we introduce a parametric accelerated life survival analysis model based on kernel learning methods that, at least in principal, is able to learn arbitrary dependencies between a vector of explanatory variables and the scale of the distribution of survival times. the proposed kern ... | 2006 | 16566473 |
| botulinum neurotoxins: perspective on their existence and as polyproteins harboring viral proteases. | 2006 | 16598153 | |
| expression of an anti-botulinum toxin a neutralizing single-chain fv recombinant antibody in transgenic tobacco. | botulinum neurotoxins (bonts) are the most poisonous substances known and are thus classified as high-risk threats for use as bioterror agents. to examine the potential of transgenic plants as bioreactors for the production of bont antidotes, we transformed tobacco with an optimized, synthetic gene encoding a botulinum neurotoxin a (bont/a) neutralizing single-chain fv (scfv) recombinant antibody fragment. in vitro mouse muscle twitch assays demonstrated the functional utility of this scfv extra ... | 2006 | 16337316 |
| expression, purification, and characterization of clostridium botulinum type b light chain. | a full-length synthetic gene encoding the light chain of botulinum neurotoxin serotype b, approximately 50 kda (bont/b lc), has been cloned into a bacterial expression vector pet24a+. bont/b lc was expressed in escherichia coli bl21.de3.plyss and isolated from the soluble fraction. the resultant protein was purified to homogeneity by cation chromatography and was determined to be >98% pure as assessed by sds-polyacrylamide gel stained with silverxpress and analyzed by densitometry. mass spectros ... | 2006 | 16297638 |
| suppression of rhoa activity by focal adhesion kinase-induced activation of p190rhogap: role in regulation of endothelial permeability. | the interaction of endothelial cells with extracellular matrix proteins at focal adhesions sites contributes to the integrity of vascular endothelial barrier. although focal adhesion kinase (fak) activation is required for the recovery of the barrier function after increased endothelial junctional permeability, the basis for the recovery remains unclear. we tested the hypothesis that fak activates p190rhogap and, thus, negatively regulates rhoa activity and promotes endothelial barrier restorati ... | 2006 | 16308318 |
| rhoc gtpase is required for pc-3 prostate cancer cell invasion but not motility. | it is projected that in 2005, approximately 220 900 men will be newly diagnosed with carcinoma of the prostate (cap). men who are diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease undergo androgen ablation therapy and most will relapse and progress within 18 months. metastasis to bone is the major clinical concern during cap progression, as it is associated with intractable pain, bone fracture and paralysis resulting from spinal cord compression. therefore, an understanding of the key mechan ... | 2006 | 16314838 |
| expression of botulinum neurotoxins a and e, and associated non-toxin genes, during the transition phase and stability at high temperature: analysis by quantitative reverse transcription-pcr. | production of botulinum neurotoxin a (bont/a) and associated non-toxic proteins (antps), which include a non-toxic non-haemagglutinin (ntnh/a) as well as haemagglutinins (has), was found previously to be dependent upon an rna polymerase alternative sigma factor (botr/a). expression of the botr/a, bont/a and antp genes, monitored by reverse transcription and real-time pcr analysis, occurred concomitantly at the transition between the exponential and stationary growth phases of clostridium botulin ... | 2006 | 16514155 |
| structure of botulinum neurotoxin type d light chain at 1.65 a resolution: repercussions for vamp-2 substrate specificity. | the seven serotypes (a-g) of botulinum neurotoxins (bonts) function through their proteolytic cleavage of one of three proteins (snap-25, syntaxin, and vamp) that form the snare complex required for synaptic vesicle fusion. the different bonts have very specific protease recognition requirements, between 15 and 50 amino acids in length depending on the serotype. however, the structural details involved in substrate recognition remain largely unknown. here is reported the 1.65 a resolution crysta ... | 2006 | 16519520 |
| [botulism in cattle]. | botulism is an intoxication caused by ingestion of feed or water contaminated with the toxin of clostridium botulinum. in cattle, intoxication usually results from the ingestion of feed containing preformed type c or d toxin, either in feed which has been contaminated with toxin-containing carcasses or in feed in which there has been primary multiplication of c. botulinum and toxin production. the initial signs of botulism are progressive difficulty in chewing and swallowing, caused by paralysis ... | 2006 | 16888919 |
| risk of botulism in cattle and sheep arising from contact with broiler litter. | 2006 | 16891429 | |
| quantitative analysis of levels of serum immunoglobulin g against botulinum neurotoxin type d and association with protection in natural outbreaks of cattle botulism. | the recent outbreaks of cattle botulism in vaccinated israeli dairy cattle prompted us to determine vaccine efficacy and reasons for vaccine failure. analysis of clinical signs, feeding practice, vaccination history, and epidemic curves enabled us to define a study population in two outbreaks, where high doses of clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type d (bont/d) were evenly consumed by the affected animal groups. attack rates among unvaccinated 6- to 24-month-old heifers were 96% (55/57) and 85% ... | 2006 | 16893985 |
| essential role of rho/rock-dependent processes and actin dynamics in mediating leptin-induced hypertrophy in rat neonatal ventricular myocytes. | obesity is associated with increased leptin production, which may contribute to cardiac hypertrophy. although leptin has been shown to produce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, its mechanism of action is far from clear. rho proteins have been suggested as major contributors to cardiac hypertrophy, although their potential role in mediating the effect of leptin has not been studied. | 2006 | 16901475 |
| history of science--spores. | bacterial endospores were first studied 130 years ago by cohn in 1876 and independently by koch in the same year. although spore dormancy and resistance have been much studied since then, questions still remain concerning the basic mechanisms and the kinetics of heat inactivation in particular. likewise, the extreme dormancy and longevity of spores was recognized early on and later greatly extended but still evade complete understanding. evidence has accumulated for the involvement of specific s ... | 2006 | 16907801 |
| clostridium botulinum and the safety of minimally heated, chilled foods: an emerging issue? | foodborne botulism is caused by consumption of preformed botulinum neurotoxin, with as little as 30 ng of neurotoxin being potentially lethal. consumption of minute quantities of neurotoxin-containing food can result in botulism. in view of the severity of foodborne botulism, it is essential that new foods be developed safely without an increase in incidence of this disease. minimally heated, chilled foods are a relatively new type of food, sales of which are currently increasing by about 10% pe ... | 2006 | 16907806 |
| fungi and fungal toxins as weapons. | recent aggressive attacks on innocent citizens have resulted in governments increasing security. however, there is a good case for prevention rather than reaction. bioweapons, mycotoxins, fungal biocontrol agents (fbca), and even pharmaceuticals contain, or are, toxins and need to be considered in the context of the new paradigm. is it desirable to discuss such issues? none of the fungi are (a) as toxic as botulinum toxin from clostridium botulinum, and (b) as dangerous as nuclear weapons. one t ... | 2006 | 16908123 |
| food-borne botulism in the united kingdom. | food-borne botulism is a rare but serious disease caused by ingestions of neurotoxin [botulinum neurotoxins (bonts)] produced as a result of the growth of the bacterium clostridium botulinum in foods before consumption. the disease is rare in the united kingdom, and only 62 cases have been recognized between 1922 and 2005. this report provides a brief review of c. botulinum and food-borne botulism as well as descriptions of the six episodes (33 cases with three deaths) of this disease that occur ... | 2006 | 16917124 |
| disulfide bond reduction corresponds to dimerization and hydrophobi-city changes of clostridium botulinum type a neurotoxin. | to determine the structure factors that mediate the intoxication process of botulinum neurotoxin type a (bont/a). | 2006 | 16923346 |
| a structural perspective of the sequence variability within botulinum neurotoxin subtypes a1-a4. | botulinum neurotoxin (bont) is a category a toxin that has been classified within seven serotypes, designated a-g. recently, it has been discovered that sequence variability occurs in bonts produced by serotype a (bont/a) variant strains, designated as subtypes a1 and a2, which have significantly different antibody-binding properties. we have therefore made efforts to understand at the molecular level the diversity and its effects on the biological actions of the toxin, including receptor bindin ... | 2006 | 16938310 |
| rhoa mediates angiotensin ii-induced phospho-ser536 nuclear factor kappab/rela subunit exchange on the interleukin-6 promoter in vsmcs. | the vasoconstrictor angiotensin ii (ang ii) accelerates atherosclerosis by inducing vascular gene expression programs, producing monocyte recruitment, and vascular remodeling. in vascular smooth muscle cells (vsmcs), ang ii signaling activates interleukin (il)-6 expression, a cytokine producing acute-phase inflammation, mediated by the transcription factor nuclear factor kappab (nf-kappab). the classical nf-kappab activation pathway involves cytoplasmic-to-nuclear translocation of the potent rel ... | 2006 | 16960103 |
| actin filaments are involved in the maintenance of golgi cisternae morphology and intra-golgi ph. | here we examine the contribution of actin dynamics to the architecture and ph of the golgi complex. to this end, we have used toxins that depolymerize (cytochalasin d, latrunculin b, mycalolide b, and clostridium botulinum c2 toxin) or stabilize (jasplakinolide) filamentous actin. when various clonal cell lines were examined by epifluorescence microscopy, all of these actin toxins induced compaction of the golgi complex. however, ultrastructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy and e ... | 2006 | 16960891 |