To regulate lineage-specific gene expression in many cell types, members of the myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF-2) family of transcription factors cooperate with basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins, which show only limited intrinsic DNA binding specificity. We investigated the DNA binding properties of MEF-2C in vitro and show that the inherent bendability of the MEF site is one of the princi...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) phenomena can significantly increase the spectroscopic signals to realize sophisticated biological detection. However, integrating SERS MEF onto one single plasmonic platform...

Although X chromosome transfer experiments indicated that tumor suppressor genes are present on the X chromosome, they have not been previously identified. In this report, we show that the ETS transcription factor MEF (ELF4), which is located on chromosome Xq26.1, possesses tumor suppressive capability. MEF expression was up-regulated by 5-azacytidine in some cancer cell lines. MEF overexpressi...

Although X chromosome transfer experiments indicated that tumor suppressor genes are present on the X chromosome, they have not been previously identified. In this report, we show that the ETS transcription factor MEF (ELF4), which is located on chromosome Xq26.1, possesses tumor suppressive capability. MEF expression was up-regulated by 5-azacytidine in some cancer cell lines. MEF overexpressi...

The presence of a novel macrolide efflux system in streptococci was first described and firmly established in 1996 by Sutcliffe et al. (81). This system was phenotypically recognized and characterized to confer low-level resistance (MICs, 1 to 32 g/ml) to 14and 15-membered macrolides but not to 16membered macrolides, lincosamides, or streptogramin B (or their analogues). This phenotypic pattern...

Anhydromannose (anMan)-containing heparan sulfate (HS) derived from S-nitrosylated glypican-1 is generated in endosomes by an endogenously or ascorbate induced S-nitrosothiol-catalyzed reaction. Expression and processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) is required to initiate formation and endosome-to-nucleus translocation of anMan-containing HS in wild-type mouse embryonic fibroblasts (WT M...

The production of a macrophage migration enhancement factor (MEF) has been achieved as a consequence of administering a desensitizing dose of purified protein derivative (PPD) to Mycobacterium bovis BCG-sensitized rabbits. The migration-enhancing effect was first demonstrated when alveolar macrophages (AM) harvested from desensitized rabbits exhibited marked migration stimulation; whereas maxim...

BACKGROUND Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a negative regulator of proinflammatory cytokine expression in macrophages, and ATF3 deficient mice are more susceptible to endotoxic shock. This study addresses the role of ATF3 in the Kdo(2)-Lipid A-induced Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF). Kdo(2)-Lipid A upregulates ATF3 expression in wil...

Overexpression of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle enhances whole-body insulin action. Exercise increases GLUT4 gene and protein expression, and a binding site for the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF-2) is required on the GLUT4 promoter for this response. However, the molecular mechanisms involved remain elusive. In various cell systems, MEF-2 regulation is a balance between transcriptional repression b...

Of 120 erythromycin-resistant pneumococci isolated in Italian hospitals, 39 (32.5%) were M-type isolates, carrying the mef gene alone. The mef gene was also detected, together with erm(AM), in one constitutively resistant isolate and in five isolates of the partially inducible phenotype. Among the 45 mef-positive isolates, 25 (55.6%) carried mef(A) and 20 (44.4%) carried mef(E) as observed from...