the major limitation in the application of bioactive molecule is their low permeation across plasma membrane. in 1988 it was discovered, that a natural polycationic protein, the trans-acting activator of transcription (tat) of the human immunodeficiency virus (hiv-1), passed very efficiently through cell membrane of cultured mammalian cells. tat became known as the first cell penetrating peptid...

Thioridazine (TZ) is used mainly in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, hepatotoxicity as a life-threatening adverse effect is associated with its clinical use. In this context, we examined the cytotoxic mechanisms of TZ on freshly isolated rat hepatocytes to better understanding of the pathogenesis of TZ-induced hepatotoxicity. Hepatocytes were prepared by the method of collagenase enzyme...

Guard cells must maintain the integrity of the plasma membrane as they undergo large, rapid changes in volume. It has been assumed that changes in volume are accompanied by changes in surface area, but mechanisms for regulating plasma membrane surface area have not been identified in intact guard cells, and the extent to which surface area of the guard cells changes with volume has never been d...

Mid2p is a plasma membrane protein that functions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a sensor of cell wall stress, activating the PKC1-MPK1 cell integrity pathway via the small GTPase Rho1p during exposure to mating pheromone, calcofluor white, and heat. To examine Mid2p signalling, a global synthetic interaction analysis of a mid2 mutant was performed; this identified 11 interacting genes. These i...

Background: ROS production is a well-established phenomenon during sperm cryopreservation. Therefore, supplementation of freezing media with antioxidant is an inevitable event. The aim of this study was to assess whether a cell permeable superoxide dismutase agent such as MnTE, can further improve the quality of frozen/ thawed semen sample using a commercially optimized sperm cryopreservation m...

Necroptosis is a highly inflammatory form of programmed cell death that results from MLKL-mediated disruption of the cell membrane. In this issue of Cell, Gong et al. challenge the notion that MLKL activation is a point of no return by identifying mechanisms to counterbalance necroptosis, sustain plasma membrane integrity, and prolong cell viability.