CRMP family proteins (CRMPs) are abundantly expressed in the developing nervous system mediating growth cone guidance, neuronal polarity and axon elongation. CRMP‑5 has been indicated to serve a critical role in neurite outgrowth. However, the detailed mechanisms of how CRMP‑5 regulates neurite outgrowth remain unclear. In the current study, co-immunoprecipitation was used to identify the fact ...

PURPOSE TULP1 is a photoreceptor-specific protein of unknown function that, when mutated, can cause retinitis pigmentosa in humans and photoreceptor degeneration in mice. Toward a better understanding of the role of TULP1 in retinal disease, its subcellular localization was sought and the TULP1 protein binding partners identified. METHODS Immunocytochemistry and subcellular fractionation were...

The expression of glutamine synthetase (GS) was studied in cultured quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and during their transformation into myofibroblast-like cells. GS mRNA was detectable in quiescent HSC (1-day culture); however, the enzyme protein was not expressed, as assessed by Western blot analysis, immunocytochemistry and the absence of detectable enzyme activity. Similar findings w...

During development, renal glomerular epithelial cells (podocytes) undergo extensive morphologic changes necessary for creation of the glomerular filtration apparatus. These changes include formation of interdigitating foot processes, replacement of tight junctions with slit diaphragms, and the concomitant opening of intercellular urinary spaces. It was postulated previously and confirmed recent...

BACKGROUND Dupuytren's contracture or disease (DD) is a fibro-proliferative disease of the hand that results in the development of scar-like, collagen-rich disease cords within specific palmar fascia bands. Although the molecular pathology of DD is unknown, recent evidence suggests that beta-catenin may play a role. In this study, collagen matrix cultures of primary disease fibroblasts show enh...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine whether transient hypoxia had an effect on transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1)-induced rabbit corneal keratocyte myofibroblast transformation. METHODS Primary isolated rabbit corneal keratocytes were cultured in a serum-free medium. The effect of transient hypoxia treatment (1% oxygen, 4 h/day) on TGFbeta1 (5 ng/ml)-induced alpha-smoo...

Time-lapse video recording was used to investigate the bidirectional movements of motile varicosities and intervening phase-dense (IPD) inclusions associated with axons of goldfish retinal ganglion cells regenerating in vitro. In addition, analyses of fine structure and immunocytochemical distributions of alpha-spectrin (fodrin), actin, and calmodulin in axonal fields were undertaken. Varicosit...

When stomachs are stimulated to secrete acid, the intracellular canaliculi of the parietal cell increase and there is a concomitant depletion of the cytoplasmic tubulovesicular system. This change is believed to occur through the transformation of tubulovesicular membranes into intracellular canaliculi. This study was undertaken to examine the distribution of the cytoskeletons in rat gastric pa...

The actin cytoskeleton has long been implicated in protein secretion. We investigated whether Rho and Rac, known regulators of the cytoskeleton, are involved in amylase secretion by mouse pancreatic acini. Secretagogues, including cholecystokinin (CCK) and the acetylcholine analog carbachol, increased the amount of GTP-bound RhoA and Rac1 and induced translocation from cytosol to a membrane fra...

Spines may undergo rapid, activity-dependent changes in shape and size, reflecting reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. This remodeling is implicated in development and also in the late phase of long-term potentiation. However, the cellular mechanisms that convert activity into morphological change remain poorly understood, and little is known about the anatomical distribution of the actin...