Antibody catalog

TRAIL-R1: A Trail of Death and Destruction

Cells undergo apoptotic programmed cell death in response to various stimuli. The process is required for morphogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and host defense. Certain cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and Fas ligand signal through death domain-containing receptors such as tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and Fas.

PRMT6: One Function, Many Roles

Protein arginine methylation is a prevalent posttranslational modification in eukaryotic cells. It regulates RNA processing, trafficking and nascent pre-RNA metabolism, receptor-mediated signal transduction, and transcriptional activation processes. PRMT6 was originally identified through a genome-wide search for human protein arginine N-methyltransferase (PRMT) family members. This particular enzyme has type I PRMT activity and with regards to substrate specificity, is functionally distinct from two other previously characterized type I enzymes - PRMT1 and PRMT4.

CXCR4 Studies on Neural and Stem Cells

The CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4) protein is one member of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR1) family. As a multipass membrane protein that is found in several tissues, it is the receptor for the C-X-C chemokine CXCL12/SDF-1. The CXCR4 ligand works by modulating intracellular calcium ion levels and activating the MAPK1/MAPK3 signal pathways. CXCR4 is also a receptor for extracellular ubiquitin, which produces enhanced levels of intracellular calcium and reduced levels of cellular cAMP.

Nur77 Activation and Tumor Suppression

Nur77 is a member of the steroid/thyroid hormone phosphoprotein receptor superfamily. It is heavily post-translationally modified and rapidly induced in response to androgens and growth factors. It governs fundamental processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. For some time, it was classified as an orphan receptor with no identifiable or known ligand, but scientists finally were able to identify a novel class of methylene-substituted diindolylmethanes (C-DIM) as its endogenous ligand.

AKT1, Scene 1: The Cell Must Go On

Akt1 is a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase involved in many cellular signaling pathways. The major function of this kinase is to mediate cell survival, but it also plays key roles in various other cellular functions such as glycogen synthesis and cell growth. Akt1 acts as a transducer for growth factor receptors that modulate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity. Akt is believed to be a factor in cancer as the tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was found to antagonize both PI-3 kinase and Akt kinase activity.

Livin: On a Prayer

Livin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) family that regulates programmed cell death. The Livin protein contains a single baculovirus IAP repeat (BIR) essential for function, along with a COOH-terminal RING-type zinc finger domain. In general, IAP proteins block apoptosis by binding and inhibiting caspases through this BIR domain. Two Livin splicing variants, alpha and beta, have been identified, and each has different anti-apoptotic properties. With Livin expression low in adult tissues, it is somewhat higher in developmental tissues.

TLR1

TLR1 belongs to the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, and is a key player in the recognition of pathogens as well as the activation of the innate immunity system. TLRs are highly conserved proteins with a high degree of structural and functional homology from Drosophila to humans. By recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are exhibited across a spectrum of ligands, including infectious agents, TLRs modulate cellular cytokine production needed for efficient innate immunity development.

RANK and RANKL: Climbing the Ranks of Bone Metabolism

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a normal component of cellular differentiation and the development of multicellular organisms. Receptor activator of NF-kB (RANK) lacks significant homology with the other family members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily. The cytoplasmic domain of RANK interacts with the tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factors, adaptor proteins such as TRAF2, TRAF5 and TRAF6.

Slicing and Dicing RNA with Dicer

Dicer is an RNaseIII-like enzyme capable of cleaving double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into smaller 21-23 nt RNA fragments known as short interfering RNA (siRNAs). It targets the selective degradation of complementary RNAs in a posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) manner and is key for cell differentiation and development. Unlike long-dsRNA-dependent PTGS which is limited to certain cell types, siRNA can act in a wide variety of cells.

Caspase 9: The Suicidal Cell Whisperer

Cell death via apoptosis is a key cellular function triggered by the cell death receptor family and their ligands which signal through downstream adaptor molecules and the caspase protease family. Among the subclass of initiator caspases that include subtypes -2, -8 and -9, caspase 9 is expressed in a variety of human tissues.

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