Quantities of proteins in cells are balanced by protein synthesis and degradation. Protein ubiquitination is an important adenosine-triphosphate dependent proteolytic pathway for "short-lived" proteins. We show that soluble steel-factor (SLF) stimulation at 37 degrees C rapidly induced polyubiquitination of c-kit protein in growth-factor-dependent human-myeloid cell line M07e, resulting in smea...

AIM/HYPOTHESIS Recent studies indicate that tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including imatinib, can reverse hyperglycemia in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, a model of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Imatinib inhibits c-Abl, c-Kit, and PDGFRs. Next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors for T1D treatment should maintain activities required for efficacy while sparing inhibition of targets that might otherwise ...

Although primary central nervous system (CNS) germ cell tumors (GCTs) are one of the most treatable types of malignant brain tumor, a subset of patients remain resistant to standard chemotherapy. Gain-of-function mutations of the c-Kit gene, and KIT protein expression, have been observed in a number of GCTs, including testicular seminoma, ovarian dysgerminoma and mediastinal seminoma in various...

BACKGROUND Progenitor cell therapy is emerging as a novel treatment for heart failure. However the molecular mechanisms regulating the generation of cardiac progenitor cells is not fully understood. We hypothesized that cardiac progenitor cells are generated from cardiac explant via a process similar to epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). METHODS/FINDINGS Explant-derived cells were ge...

BACKGROUND Enhanced platelet-derived growth factor receptor a (PDGFRα) signaling pathway activity leads to cardiac fibrosis. However, because of the pleiotropic effects of PDGFR signaling, its role in mediating the cardiac fibrotic response remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of c-Kit in cardiac fibroblasts activated by PDGFRa signaling. MATERIAL AND...

Expression of the c-kit tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor has been reported in some breast tumors; however, no data exist concerning expression of its ligand, stem cell factor. The aim of this study was to determine how frequently the c-kit and stem cell factor genes were coexpressed in breast tumors and tumor-derived cell lines and to determine whether coexpression of c-kit and stem cell ...

PURPOSE This study was conducted to investigate the expression and functional impact of the proto-oncogene c-kit in uveal melanoma. METHODS Based on immunohistochemical (IHC) study of paraffin-embedded specimens from 134 uveal melanomas and Western blot analysis on eight fresh-frozen samples the expression of c-kit in uveal melanoma was studied. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of c-kit and t...