Hydrochloric acid (HCl) secretion assists protein digestion by activating pepsinogen to pepsin, renders the stomach sterile against orally-ingested pathogens, prevents bacterial or fungal overgrowth of the small intestine, encourages the flow of bile and pancreatic enzymes, and facilitates the absorption of a variety of nutrients, including folic acid, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, non-heme iro...

Prostaglandin metabolism plays a pivotal role in inflammatory processes and has also been demonstrated to have a role in carcinogenesis, tumor differentiation and tumor growth in breast cancer. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is the key involved enzyme, as it triggers prostaglandin synthesis. We reviewed the current literature regarding the impact of prostaglandin metabolism on breast cancer and illus...

Here, we provide a comprehensive review of current findings concerning the biochemistry and physiological functions of ADAMTS7, a metalloprotease that is known to interact with cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, progranulin, and alpha2-macroglobulin. Such broad substrate specificity and potentially diverse physiological functions make ADAMTS7 an interesting enzyme to study. ADAMTS7 has been s...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 19to 26-nucleotide RNAs that regulate gene expression. Over 700 human miRNAgenes have been identified, with one report predicting close to 1000. Recent computational methods indicatethat up to 92% of human genes may be regulated by miRNA. In this chapter, we discuss recent progress inmiRNA biology and their roles in human disease pathogenesis, as well as o...

The prion protein, PrPC, is a small, cell-surface glycoprotein notable primarily for its critical role in pathogenesis of the neurodegenerative disorders known as prion diseases. A hallmark of prion diseases is the conversion of PrPC into an abnormally folded isoform, which provides a template for further pathogenic conversion of PrPC, allowing disease to spread from cell to cell and, in some c...

Microglia, the resident immune effective cells of the central nervous system, play crucial roles in mediating immune-related process. It becomes activated quickly in response to even minor pathological insults and participates in series of immune responses. Under physiological conditions, most microglia stay in a typical resting state, with ramified processes continuously extending and retracti...

Overexpression of drug extrusion pumps belonging to the ABC (ATP-binding cassette) super family of proteins is one of the most common mechanisms of multidrug resistance in various organisms. Both pathogenic and non-pathogenic yeast cells also become resistant to a variety of drugs by overexpressing genes encoding ABC drug efflux pumps. Recent evidences reveal that not only the well-characterize...

Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) is a key molecule in the Krebs cycle determining the overall rate of the citric acid cycle of the organism. It is a nitrogen scavenger and a source of glutamate and glutamine that stimulates protein synthesis and inhibits protein degradation in muscles. AKG as a precursor of glutamate and glutamine is a central metabolic fuel for cells of the gastrointestinal tract as ...

Phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) is a membrane phospholipid composed of diacylglycerol and a D-myo-inositol head group. In mammals, the hydroxyl groups at the D3, D4 and D5 positions of the inositol ring can be phosphorylated to yield seven phosphoinositide derivatives. PtdIns-3,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(3,5)P2] is the most recently discovered species of phosphoinositide that is generated by the phos...