Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors including quinapril could exert a protective effect on cardiovascular system through endothelial system in normoglycemic and diabetic rats. The present experimental work was designed to study the vascular reactivity of aortic ring segments isolated from streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats treated for 4 weeks with nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAM...

objective: the greatest challenge in cancer gene therapy is to achieve the high specificity and efficiency in targeting of cancer cells. because the goal of cancer gene therapy is to eradicate cancer cells, many therapeutic genes could be detrimental if unintentionally expressed in normal cells. using promoter of the genes which are expressed specifically in cancer cells or have much more expre...

During cytokinesis, the actomyosin contractile ring drives ingression of the overlying plasma membrane. A recent study has provided mechanistic insight into how the contractile ring might contribute to membrane ingression.

Cytokinesis involves constriction of a contractile actomyosin ring. The mechanisms generating ring tension and setting the constriction rate remain unknown because the organization of the ring is poorly characterized, its tension was rarely measured, and constriction is coupled to other processes. To isolate ring mechanisms, we studied fission yeast protoplasts, in which constriction occurs wit...

Schizosaccharomyces pombe divides by medial fission through the use of an actomyosin-based contractile ring. A division septum is formed centripetally, concomitant with ring constriction. Although several genes essential for cytokinesis have been described previously, enzymes that participate in the assembly of the division septum have not been identified. Here we describe a temperature-sensiti...

In many eukaryotes, cytokinesis requires an actomyosin contractile ring that is crucial for cell constriction and new membrane organization. Two studies in this issue (Onishi et al. 2013. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org.10.1083/jcb.201302001 and Atkins et al. 2013. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org.10.1083/jcb.201301090) establish that precise activation and/or inactivation of Rho1 and Cdc42 GTPa...

During cytokinesis of a eukaryotic cell, following the chromosome movements of anaphase, a contractile ring forms in the cortex midway between the segregating chromosomes and divides the cell into two daughters. Recent studies have provided new insights into the mechanism by which the site of contractile ring assembly is specified.