To identify neocortical neurons expressing the type 3 serotonergic receptor, here we used transgenic mice expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the 5-HT(3A) promoter (5-HT(3A):GFP mice). By means of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, biocytin labeling, and single-cell reversed-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction on acute brain slices of 5-HT(3A):GFP mi...

Among the 5 HNA systems, HNA-3 was the only one that had yet to be characterized. This effort was critical because antibodies directed to HNA-3a are responsible for causing numerous cases of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), especially fatal TRALI.2-4 Antibodies to HNA-3a cause neutrophil (PMN) agglutination, priming of the PMN oxidase, and PMN-mediated killing of pulmonary endothe...

Fourteen ORFs have been identified in the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) genome. ORF 3a of SARS-CoV codes for a recently identified transmembrane protein, but its function remains unknown. In this study we confirmed the 3a protein expression and investigated its localization at the surface of SARS-CoV-infected or 3a-cDNA-transfected cells. Our experiments sh...

Glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 is a serine/threonine kinase that has been implicated in several aspects in embryonic development and several growth factor signaling cascades. We now report that an inactive phosphorylated pool of the enzyme colocalizes with F-actin in both neuronal and nonneuronal cells. Semaphorin 3A (Sema 3A), a molecule that inhibits axonal growth, activates GSK-3 at the le...

Proteomics was used to identify a protein encoded by ORF 3a in a SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Immuno-blotting revealed that interchain disulfide bonds might be formed between this protein and the spike protein. ELISA indicated that sera from SARS patients have significant positive reactions with synthesized peptides derived from the 3a protein. These results are concordant with that ...

VE-cadherin-mediated cell-cell junction weakening increases paracellular permeability in response to both angiogenic and inflammatory stimuli. Although Semaphorin 3A has emerged as one of the few known anti-angiogenic factors to exhibit pro-permeability activity, little is known about how it triggers vascular leakage. Here we report that Semaphorin 3A induced VE-cadherin serine phosphorylation ...

Amphibian studies have implicated Wnt signaling in the regulation of mesoderm formation, although direct evidence is lacking. We have characterized the expression of 12 mammalian Wnt-genes, identifying three that are expressed during gastrulation. Only one of these, Wnt-3a, is expressed extensively in cells fated to give rise to embryonic mesoderm, at egg cylinder stages. A likely null allele o...

Biacetyl reacts with oxone to give bis-dioxirane [3,3'-dimethyl-3,3'-bidioxirane, 3B] and mono-dioxirane [1-(3-methyl-dioxiran-3-yl)ethanone, 3A)]. Bis-dioxirane 3B is formed when two oxygens are incorporated into biacetyl, while mono-dioxirane 3A incorporated only one. A greater stability is observed in 3B compared to 3A, which is attributed to an alpha-dioxiranyl (anomeric) effect in the form...

Iso-butyric acid as a new, simple, and expensive solvent/catalyst was successfully used for the chemoselective Fischer’s synthesis of indolenines derivatives 3a-r by one-pot condensation reaction of various phenylhydrazines 1a-e with the substituted acetophenones 2a-c at reflux conditions. In this protocol, all products 3a-r were obtained in high yields and short reaction time. The structures o...