The liver is a central regulator of systemic energy homeostasis and has a pivotal role in glucose and lipid metabolism. Impaired gluconeogenesis and dyslipidemia are often observed in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The liver is now recognized to be an endocrine organ that secretes hepatokines, which are proteins that regulate systemic metabolism and energy homeostasis. ...

Amyloidosis results from extracellular deposition of fibril-forming proteins and currently ~30 different proteins have been found to be amyloidogenic. Recently, a novel type of amyloidosis with a high incidence on Hispanic population has been described to be derived from leukocyte chemotactic factor 2 (ALECT2). The objective of the present article is to raise awareness on the presence of this e...

Chondromodulin I (ChM-I) was supposed from its limited expression in cartilage and its functions in cultured chondrocytes as a major regulator in cartilage development. Here, we generated mice deficient in ChM-I by targeted disruption of the ChM-I gene. No overt abnormality was detected in endochondral bone formation during embryogenesis and cartilage development during growth stages of ChM-I(-...

Ligand receptor interactions instruct axon guidance during development. How dendrites are guided to specific targets is less understood. The C. elegans PVD sensory neuron innervates muscle-skin interface with its elaborate dendritic branches. Here, we found that LECT-2, the ortholog of leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin-2 (LECT2), is secreted from the muscles and required for muscle innervation ...