Membrane protein turnover and degradation are required for the function and health of all cells. Neurons may live for the entire lifetime of an organism and are highly polarized cells with spatially segregated axonal and dendritic compartments. Both longevity and morphological complexity represent challenges for regulated membrane protein degradation. To investigate how neurons cope with these ...

The selective degradation of cytosolic proteins in lysosomes by chaperone-mediated autophagy depends, at least in part, on the levels of a substrate receptor at the lysosomal membrane. We have previously identified this receptor as the lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2a (lamp2a) and showed that levels of lamp2a at the lysosomal membrane directly correlate with the activity of the prot...

The molecular components of the quality control system that rapidly degrades abnormal membrane and secretory proteins have not been identified. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an integral membrane protein to which this quality control is stringently applied; approximately 75% of the wild-type precursor and 100% of the delta F508 CFTR variant found in most CF pa...

Autophagy is a cellular homeostatic response that involves degradation of self-components by the double-membraned autophagosome. The biogenesis of autophagosomes has been well described, but the ensuing processes after autophagosome formation are not clear. In our recent study, we proposed a model in which the Golgi complex contributes to the growth of autophagic structures, and that the Drosop...

We have examined the internalization and degradation of a fluorescent analog of phosphatidylcholine after its insertion into the plasma membrane of cultured Chinese hamster fibroblasts. 1-acyl-2-(N-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole)-aminocaproyl phosphatidylcholine (C6-NBD-PC) was incorporated into the cell surface by liposome-cell lipid transfer at 2 degrees C. The fluorescent lipid remained loca...

Modified cellulose acetate (CA) membranes were prepared by dissolving the polymers in a mixture of acetone (AC) and N, N dimethylacetamide (DMAc) (70:30) solvent and deionized (DI) water was used in the coagulation bath. The introduction of polyethylene glycol (PEG) additive and TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) into the casting solution has changed the structures of the resulting membranes during the p...

Objective: Envenomation by heamotoxic snakes constituted a critical health occurrence in the world. Bleeding is the most sever consequence following snake bite with viperid and crothalid snakes. It is believed that the degradation of vascular membrane caused hemorrhage; in contrast, some suggested that direct cytotoxicity has role in endothelial cell disturbances. This study was to evaluate the...

Acetamiprid (ACP) belonging to the neonicotinoid family used against wide array of pests in agriculture and domestic purposes. In this study, we evaluated the attenuating effects of ethanolic extract of Mangifera indica leaves (EEMI) in averting reproductive toxicity caused by ACP in male guinea pigs. Thirty male guinea pigs were randomly assigned to five treatment groups (n = 6). Grou...

Background: The endoplasmic reticulumassociated degradation (ERAD) is a cellular mechanism to eliminate misfolded proteins. Results: Fusion of a target-binding domain to a fragment of the ERAD-associated protein SEL1L induces specific degradation of secretory and membrane-bound target proteins. Conclusion: The new recombinant proteins (degradins) efficiently induce degradation of targets within...