Our aim is to investigate the role of the AKT/PKB (protein kinase B) signaling pathway acting via orexin receptor 1 (OX1R) and the effects of orexin A (OXA) on cell proliferation in the insulin-secreting beta-cell line (INS-1 cells). Rat INS-1 cells were exposed to different concentrations of OXA in vitro and treated with OX1R antagonist (SB334867), PI3K antagonist (wortmannin), AKT antagonist ...

Using a permeabilization strategy to introduce Ins(3,4,5,6) P(4) into mesophyll protoplasts of Commelina communis, we have identified Ins(3,4,5,6) P(4) 1-kinase activity in mesophyll cells. Multiple InsP(3) isomers were identified in Spirodela polyrhiza and Arabidopsis. Only two of these, Ins(1,2,3) P(3) and Ins(3,4,6) P(3), have previously been identified in plants and only in monocots. The is...

Translation initiation from the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) mRNA can occur through a cap or an IRES dependent mechanism. Cap-dependent translation initiation of the HIV-1 mRNA can be inhibited by the instability element (INS)-1, a cis-acting regulatory element present within the gag open reading frame (ORF). In this study we evaluated the impact of the INS-1 on HIV-1 IRES-mediat...

Randomly selected 320 fingerling of Labeo rohita were collected from Faheem fish farm, Mattital Road, Multan. Groups of 40 fish each were exposed to subleathal concentration of imidacloprid (120 mg L-1) under short (2, 4 and 8 days) and long term (16, 32 and 64 days) conditions to access the effect of this most extensively used pesticide on the body composition parameters of economically most i...

Transformation of Rat-1 fibroblasts with the v-src oncogene leads to a 6- to 8-fold enhancement of the activity of the Ins(1,4,5)P3 3-kinase in cytosolic extracts [Johnson, Wasilenko, Mattingly, Weber and Garrison (1989) Science 246, 121-124]. This study confirms these results using another v-src-transformed Rat-1 cell line (B31 cells) and investigates the molecular mechanism by which pp60v-src...

AIM We previously found that chronic tuberous sclerosis protein 2 (TSC2) deletion induces activation of mammalian target of rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) and leads to hypertrophy of pancreatic beta cells from pancreatic beta cell-specific TSC2 knockout (βTSC2(-/-)) mice. The present study examines the effects of TSC2 ablation on insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. METHODS Isolated is...

The link between Ca(2+) influx through the L-type calcium channels Ca(v)1.2 or Ca(v)1.3 and glucose- or KCl-induced [Ca(2+)](i) mobilization in INS-1 cells was assessed using the calcium indicator indo-1. Cells responded to 18 mM glucose or 50 mM KCl stimulation with different patterns in [Ca(2+)](i) increases, although both were inhibited by 10 microM nifedipine. Although KCl elicited a prolon...