Calcium everywhere The structure of S100B complexed with the p53 peptide provides the first glimpse of how an EF-hand protein recognizes a transcription factor in order to regulate transcriptional activity. Other examples of EF-hand proteins involving transcription regulation include the down-stream regulatory element antagonist modulator DREAM, which functions as a Ca2+dependent DNA-binding tr...

BACKGROUND S100B is a dimeric protein that can form tetramers, hexamers and higher order oligomers. These forms have been suggested to play a role in RAGE activation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Oligomerization was found to require a low molecular weight trigger/cofactor and could not be detected for highly pure dimer, irrespective of handling. Imidazol was identified as a substance that c...

S100B is a calcium binding peptide produced predominantly by astroglial cells in the central nervous system. S100B paradoxically has neurotrophic and apoptotic effects, dependent on extracellular concentration. This study investigated the relationship between serum S100B levels and neuropsychological performance across a range of cognitive domains in healthy older aged adults. A cohort of 219 p...

OBJECTIVE S100B is a neurotrophic factor that is involved in neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is disrupted in depression; however, treatment with antidepressants can restore neuroplasticity. S100B has previously been used as a biological marker for neuropathology and neuroplasticity; therefore, in this study, we compared serum S100B levels in depressive patients to those of normal controls. In ...

Following brain injury, S100B is released from damaged astrocytes but also yields repair mechanisms. We measured S100B in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum (Cobas e411 electrochemiluminescence assay, Roche) longitudinally in a large cohort of patients treated with a ventricular drainage following traumatic brain injury (TBI) or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Statistical analysis was perfo...

INTRODUCTION Biomarkers of brain damage and head injury are potentially useful tools in the management of afflicted patients. Particularly S100B has received much attention and has been adapted into clinical guidelines. Alcohol intoxication and higher age (65 years and over) have been used as risk factors for serious complications following head injury. The effect of these factors on S100B leve...

S100B is a calcium-binding protein with both extracellular and intracellular regulatory activities in the mammalian brain. We have identified a novel interaction between S100B and the dopamine D2 receptor. Our results also suggest that the binding of S100B to the dopamine D2 receptor enhances receptor signaling. This conclusion is based on the following observations: 1) S100B and the third cyto...

Head injury is the leading cause of death and disability in trauma patients, and alcohol misuse is often associated with such injuries. Despite modern diagnostic facilities, the extent of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is difficult to assess and supplementary diagnostic tools are warranted. The contribution of alcohol misuse to traumas also needs to be elucidated, as the role of different pattern...

Elevated blood levels of S100B in schizophrenia have so far been mainly attributed to glial pathology, as S100B is produced by astro- and oligodendroglial cells and is thought to act as a neurotrophic factor with effects on synaptogenesis, dopaminergic and glutamatergic neutrotransmission. However, adipocytes are another important source of S100B since the concentration of S100B in adipose tiss...

Recently, extensive efforts have been made to understand the rate of energy expenditure and the weight gain associated with atypical antipsychotic treatment, including identification of markers of obesity risk. In recent years, leptin, an adipocyte hormone, has gained significant interest in psychiatric disorders. S100B has been considered as a surrogate marker for astrocyte-specific damage in ...