GRASPing CFTR

CFTR mutations altering CFTR fragmentation

Most CF (cystic fibrosis) results from deletion of a phenylalanine (F508) in the CFTR {CF transmembrane-conductance regulator; ABCC7 [ABC (ATP-binding cassette) sub-family C member 7]} which causes ER (endoplasmic reticulum) degradation of the mutant. Using stably CFTR-expressing BHK (baby-hamster kidney) cell lines we demonstrated that wild-type CTFR and the F508delCFTR mutant are cleaved into...

Cftr

Some studies of CFTR imply that channel activation can be explained by an increase in open probability (P(o)), whereas others suggest that activation involves an increase in the number of CFTR channels (N) in the plasma membrane. Using two-electrode voltage clamp, we tested for changes in N associated with activation of CFTR in Xenopus oocytes using a cysteine-substituted construct (R334C CFTR)...

Extending fingertip grasping to whole body grasping

Grasping neurones

We agree with Robertson that our new view on grasping is a description of motor behaviour rather than offering any insight into the nature of the neural processing underlying this behaviour. However, neurophysiologists might be inspired by our new view to ask other questions, do other experiments, and analyse these differently. In this way, they could generate new insights about the neural cont...

Grasping Complexity

The century of complexity has come. Many people write and speak about complexity. The statement of the great physicist Stephen Hawking, “I think the next century will be the century of complexity,” in his ‘millennium’ interview on January 23, 2000 (San Jose Mercury News) became a widely cited prophecy. The face of science has changed (see cartoon in Fig. 1). Surprisingly, when we start asking a...