Introduction E-cadherin, the primary cell adhesion molecule within adherens junctions, is essential for maintaining apical-basal polarity in epithelial cells (Takeichi, 1988; Hay, 1995). During epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), loss of E-cadherin expression correlates with a transition to front-end to back-end polarity, leading to subsequent migration of the newly created mesenchymal...

Epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of the medial edge epithelial (MEE) seam creates palatal confluence. This work aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which TGFbeta3 brings about palatal seam EMT. We collected mRNA for PCR analysis from individual transforming MEE cells by laser microdissection techniques and demonstrated that TGFbeta3 stimulates lymphoid-enhancing factor 1 (L...

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the prototypical aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand and a potent immunotoxicant. However, the mechanisms underlying TCDD-induced immunomodulation remain to be defined. Dendritic cells are professional antigen-presenting cells that constitutively express the AhR and are sensitive to TCDD-induced AhR activation. We hypothesized that AhR activation...

The Gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a pivotal role in AIDS pathogenesis as it is the primary site for viral transmission, replication and CD4(+) T cell destruction. Accordingly, GI disease (enteropathy) has become a well-known complication and a driver of AIDS progression. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying GI disease we analyzed global gene expression profiles sequentia...