background:estrogens play a substantial role in the proliferation, progression and treatment of breast cancer by binding with two estrogen receptors, alpha and beta (erα and erβ). resistance to endocrine therapy is a major problem in the treatment of breast cancers and, in some cases, may be related to loss of er gene expression. we have already showed that erα methylation occurs in high freque...

GnRH regulates pituitary gonadotropin gene expression through GnRH receptor activation of the protein kinase C (PKC) and calcium signaling cascades. The pulsatile pattern of GnRH release is crucial for induction of LHbeta-subunit (LHbeta) gene expression; however, continuous prolonged GnRH exposure leads to repression of LHbeta gene transcription. Although in part, long-term repression may be d...

Mammalian GRP78/BiP is a stress-inducible 78-kDa endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein with molecular chaperone and calcium-binding properties. The transactivation of grp78 by the calcium ionophore A23187 provides a model system with which to study the signal transduction that allows mammalian cells to sense calcium depletion in intracellular stores and activate transcription of specific genes. Li...

Calcification is an undesirable disorder, which frequently occurs in the heart vessels. In general, the formation of calcific vascular lesions involves complex physicochemical and molecular events. Calcification (hydroxyapatite) is initiated by injury and is progressed by promoter factors and/or the deficit of inhibitory signals. Myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (phytate, InsP6) is found in organs...

TCR/CD28 engagement triggers the initiation of a variety of signal transduction pathways that lead to changes in gene transcription. Although reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton is required for T cell activation, the molecular pathways controlled by the actin cytoskeleton are ill defined. To this end, we analyzed TCR/CD28-stimulated signaling pathways in cytochalasin D-treated T cells to d...

Nitric oxide (NO) and cGMP have been implicated in many neuronal functions, including regulation of gene expression, but little is known about the downstream targets of NO/cGMP in the nervous system. We found that type II cGMP-dependent protein kinase (G-kinase), which is widely expressed in the brain, mediated NO- and cGMP-induced activation of the fos promoter in cells of neuronal and glial o...

TATA binding protein (TBP) is a general transcription factor that plays an important role in initiation of transcription. TBP gene is located in chromosome 6q27 and contains a CAG/CAA trinucleotide repeat region in its 5’ end, which encodes a polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. Spinocerebellar ataxias type 17 (SCA17) is an autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia caused by TBP gene with an expanded polyQ ...