Mena [mammalian Ena (Enabled)]/VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein) proteins are the homologues of Drosophila Ena. In Drosophila, Ena is a substrate of the tyrosine kinase DAbl (Drosophila Abl). However, the link between Abl and the Mena/VASP family is not fully understood in mammals. We previously reported that Abi-1 (Abl interactor 1) promotes phosphorylation of Mena and BCAP (B-cell ...

The cytosolic domain of the beta-amyloid precursor protein APP interacts with three PTB (phosphotyrosine binding domain)-containing adaptor proteins, Fe65, X11, and mDab1. Through these adaptors, other molecules can be recruited at the cytodomain of APP; one of them is Mena, that binds to the WW domain (a protein module with two conserved tryptophans) of Fe65. The enabled and disabled genes of ...

BACKGROUND The epidemiology of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is not well characterized despite increasing recognition of its expanding infection and disease burden in recent years. METHODOLOGY / PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Following Cochrane Collaboration guidelines and reporting our findings following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed records describ...

BACKGROUND The Rho GTPases Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 regulate the organization of the actin cytoskeleton by interacting with multiple, distinct downstream effector proteins. Cdc42 controls the formation of actin bundle-containing filopodia at the cellular periphery. The molecular mechanism for this remains as yet unclear. RESULTS We report here that Cdc42 interacts with IRSp53/BAP2 alpha, an SH3 do...

It is seldom the primary tumour that proves fatal in cancer, with metastasis the fundamental pathological process for disease progression. Upregulation of Mena, a member of the evolutionarily conserved Ena/VASP family of actin cytoskeletal regulators, promotes metastasis and invasive motility of breast cancer cells in vivo. To complement in vitro studies of Ena/VASP function in fibroblasts, we ...

INTRODUCTION The status of HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among incarcerated populations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the links between prisons and the HIV epidemic are poorly understood. This review synthesized available HIV and HCV data in prisons in MENA and highlighted opportunities for action. METHODS The review was based on data generated through the system...

National, regional and international competitiveness of an economy is increasingly connected to the presence of an environment supportive of innovation and risktaking. Innovation is gaining prominence on agendas of governments throughout the world who increasingly appreciate the need to develop knowledge-based economies as a prerequisite to competitiveness and growth. Given this recognition, it...

This paper projects the future of knowledge economy (KE) in SSA and MENA countries using the four components of the World Bank’s Knowledge Economy Index (KEI): economic incentive, education, ICTs and innovation. The empirical evidence provides the speeds of integration as well as the time necessary to achieve full integration. Findings broadly indicate SSA and MENA countries with low levels in ...

The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are highly endemic but patchily distributed among the 20 countries and almost 400 million people of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and disproportionately affect an estimated 65 million people living on less than US$2 per day. Egypt has the largest number of people living in poverty of any MENA nation, while Yemen has the highest prevalence...