CD46 is a glycoprotein with important functions in innate and adaptive immune responses. Functionally different isoforms are generated by alternative splicing at exons 7-9 (BC and C isoforms) and exon 13 (CYT-1 and CYT-2 isoforms) giving rise to BC1, BC2, C1 and C2. We developed a novel real-time PCR assay that allows quantitative comparisons between these isoforms. Their relative frequency in ...

We dissected the T cell activation potency and the immunoglobulin (Ig) E-binding properties (allergenicity) of nine isoforms of Bet v 1 (Bet v 1a-Bet v 1l), the major birch pollen allergen. Immunoblot experiments showed that Bet v 1 isoforms differ in their ability to bind IgE from birch pollen-allergic patients. All patients tested displayed similar IgE-binding patterns toward each particular ...

The c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) group and is an essential component of a signaling cascade that is activated by exposure of cells to environmental stress. JNK activation is regulated by phosphorylation on both Thr and Tyr residues by a dual-specificity MAPK kinase (MAPKK). Two MAPKKs, MKK4 and MKK7, have been identified as J...

Stresses from various environmental challenges continually confront plants, and their responses are important for growth and survival. One molecular response to such challenges involves the alternative polyadenylation of mRNA. In plants, it is unclear how stress affects the production and fate of alternative mRNA isoforms. Using a genome-scale approach, we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana, hyp...

CDC25B phosphatases must activate cyclin B-CDK1 complexes to restart the cell cycle after an arrest in G2 phase caused by DNA damage. However, little is known about the precise mechanisms involved in this process, which may exert considerable impact on cancer susceptibility and therapeutic responses. Here we report the discovery of novel N-terminally truncated CDC25B isoforms, referred to as ΔN...

Nesprin-1-giant and nesprin-2-giant regulate nuclear positioning by the interaction of their C-terminal KASH domains with nuclear membrane SUN proteins and their N-terminal calponin-homology domains with cytoskeletal actin. A number of short isoforms lacking the actin-binding domains are produced by internal promotion. We have evaluated the significance of these shorter isoforms using quantitat...

Most cell types express several tropomyosin isoforms, the individual functions of which are poorly understood. In rat fibroblasts there are at least six isoforms; TM-1, TM-2, TM-3, TM-4, TM-5a, and TM-5b. TM-1 is the product of the beta gene. TM-4 is produced from the TM-4 gene, and TMs 2, 3, 5a, and 5b are the products of the alpha gene. To begin to study the localization and function of the i...

the chitinase producing ability of pseudomonas fluorescens strains viz., pf1, pb2 and fp7 was evaluated in a culture medium with and without a chitin source. the addition of 1% (v/v) chitin in culture medium significantly increased the bacterial population and chitinase activity. among three strains tested, fp7 responded well to the addition of chitin by producing 31.2% increased chitinase in c...

Alternative splicing allows a single gene to produce multiple transcript-level splice isoforms from which the translated proteins may show differences in their expression and function. Identifying the major functional or canonical isoform is important for understanding gene and protein functions. Identification and characterization of splice isoforms is a stated goal of the HUPO Human Proteome ...