Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
 31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to enhance paracellular and transcellular Ca transport across human intestinal-like Caco-2 cell monolayers. The mechanisms of action, however, are still unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying CLA-induced stimulation of Ca transport by use of preliminary microarray data together with more detailed and comprehensive quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis. While molecular expression of junctional adhesion molecule (JAM), ZO-2, ZO-3, claudin 2 and claudin 3 were unaltered, ZO-1, occludin, and claudin 4 were all up-regulated (1.6, 1.6, 2.4-fold, respectively; P<0.001-0.01) and claudin 1 down-regulated (2.5-fold; P<0.05) by trans-10, cis-12 CLA, which may underpin its effects on tight-junction function and paracellular Ca transport. On the other hand, expression of key genes involved in transcellular Ca transport (CaT1, ECaC1, calbindin D(9k), vitamin D receptor and PMCA) were unaffected by trans-10, cis-12 CLA. The mechanism by which CLA enhances transcellular Ca transport remains unclear.
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PMID:Conjugated linoleic acid enhances transepithelial calcium transport in human intestinal-like Caco-2 cells: an insight into molecular changes. 1665 Jul 47

Tight junctions (TJs) are essential for normal function of epithelia, restricting paracellular diffusion and contributing to the maintenance of cell surface polarity. Superficial cells of the urothelium develop TJs, the basis for the paracellular permeability barrier of the bladder against diffusion of urinary solutes. Focusing on the superficial cell layer of stratified cell cultures of an immortalized human ureteral cell line, TEU-2 cells, we have examined the presence of TJ and TJ-associated proteins. TEU-2 cells were treated with calcium chloride and fetal bovine serum culture conditions used to induce stratification that resembles the normal transitional epithelial phenotype. Cultures were examined for TJ and TJ-associated proteins by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and evaluated for TJ mRNA by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). TEU-2 cultures exhibited immunoreactivity at intercellular margins for claudins 1, 4, 5, 7, 14, and 16 whereas claudins 2, 8, and 12 were intracellular. RT-PCR corroborated the presence of these claudins at the mRNA level. The TJ-associated proteins occludin, JAM-1, and zonula occludens (ZO-1, ZO-2, and ZO-3) were localized at cell margins. We have found that numerous TJs and TJ-associated proteins are expressed in stratified TEU-2 cultures. Further, we propose TEU-2s provide a useful ureteral model for future studies on the involvement of TJs proteins in the normal and pathological physiology of the human urinary system.
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PMID:Characterization of tight junction proteins in cultured human urothelial cells. 1855 12

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes endow epithelial cells with enhanced migratory/invasive properties and are therefore likely to contribute to tumor invasion and metastatic spread. Because of the difficulty in following EMT processes in human tumors, we have developed and characterized an animal model with transplantable human breast tumor cells (MDA-MB-468) uniquely showing spontaneous EMT events to occur. Using vimentin as a marker of EMT, heterogeneity was revealed in the primary MDA-MB-468 xenografts with vimentin-negative and vimentin-positive areas, as also observed on clinical human invasive breast tumor specimens. Reverse transcriptase-PCR after microdissection of these populations from the xenografts revealed EMT traits in the vimentin-positive zones characterized by enhanced 'mesenchymal gene' expression (Snail, Slug and fibroblast-specific protein-1) and diminished expression of epithelial molecules (E-cadherin, ZO-3 and JAM-A). Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were detected in the blood as soon as 8 days after s.c. injection, and lung metastases developed in all animals injected as examined by in vivo imaging analyses and histology. High levels of vimentin RNA were detected in CTCs by reverse transcriptase-quantitative PCR as well as, to a lesser extent, Snail and Slug RNA. Von Willebrand Factor/vimentin double immunostainings further showed that tumor cells in vascular tumoral emboli all expressed vimentin. Tumoral emboli in the lungs also expressed vimentin whereas macrometastases displayed heterogenous vimentin expression, as seen in the primary xenografts. In conclusion, our data uniquely demonstrate in an in vivo context that EMT occurs in the primary tumors, and associates with an enhanced ability to intravasate and generate CTCs. They further suggest that mesenchymal-to-epithelial phenomena occur in secondary organs, facilitating the metastatic growth.
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PMID:A dynamic in vivo model of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions in circulating tumor cells and metastases of breast cancer. 2212 Jul 22