The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a complex protein folding and trafficking organelle. Alteration and discrepancy in the endoplasmic reticulum environment can affect the protein folding process and hence, can result in the production of misfolded proteins. The accumulation of misfolded proteins causes cellular damage and elicits endoplasmic reticulum stress. Under such stress conditions, cells ...

Endoplasmic reticulum stress resulting from abnormal folding of newly synthesized proteins impairs metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and gene expression, and it is a key mechanism of cell injury. Endoplasmic reticulum stress plays an important role in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and diabetes. We evaluated the role for this phenomenon in diabetic peripheral neuro...

Purified plasma membranes, smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, and nuclei were prepared from the livers of rats made either hyperinsulinemic with insulin injections or hypoinsulinemic with streptozotocin. Plasma membranes from insulin-treated animals bound 46% less lz51-insulin, and membranes from diabetic animals 33% more labeled hormone, than membranes from controls. Binding plots indicat...

We have studied the Ca leak pathways in the endoplasmic reticulum of pancreatic acinar cells by directly measuring Ca in the endoplasmic reticulum ([Ca ]ER). Cytosolic Ca 2 ([Ca ]C) was clamped to the resting level by a BAPTA-Ca mixture. Administration of cholecystokinin within the physiological concentration range caused a graded decrease of [Ca ]ER, and the rate of Ca release generated by 10 ...

The malaria parasite exports hundreds of proteins into its host cell. The majority of exported proteins contain a Host-Targeting motif (also known as a Plasmodium export element) that directs them for export. Prior to export, the Host-Targeting motif is cleaved by the endoplasmic reticulum-resident protease Plasmepsin V and the newly generated N-terminus is N-α-acetylated by an unidentified enz...

Inflammation plays an important pathogenic role in a number of metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. The activation of inflammation in these diseases depends at least in part on the combined actions of TLR4 signaling and endoplasmic reticulum stress, which by acting in concert can boost the inflammatory response. Defining the mechanisms involved in this pheno...