Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.31 (beta-glucuronidase)
 7,680 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

According to our previous studies the Arabidopsis gene AthH2 which is inducible by blue light and phytohormones codes for an intrinsic membrane protein. It bears a resemblance to several distinct channel proteins of plant and animal species classified as the MIP/NOD-26/GlpF family. In the present study biochemical analyses and electron microscopic immunochemistry were used to elucidate the subcellular location of the AthH2 protein. The results clearly demonstrate that it is an exclusive constituent of the plasmalemma. Furthermore, the expression of the AthH2 gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants containing the promoter region of AthH2 fused to the beta-glucuronidase (gus) reporter gene was studied. The in situ localization of gus activity revealed that the specific promoter is temporally activated by light in expanding and/or differentiating cells comprising newly formed tissues and organs: root elongation zone, guard cells of stomata, vascular bundle sheaths, filaments of stamen and young siliques. Several sites of gus expression coincide spatially with those of in situ hybridization and the immunocytochemical reaction, respectively, suggesting that the AthH2 promoter had correctly responded to light as an important exogenous factor with relevance to the complex pattern of differentiation. Studies with protoplasts from plants transformed with an antisense construct revealed a water transport capacity of the AthH2 protein.
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PMID:The blue light-responsive AthH2 gene of Arabidopsis thaliana is primarily expressed in expanding as well as in differentiating cells and encodes a putative channel protein of the plasmalemma. 753 55

The first epithelial surface encountered by inhaled materials is the epithelium of the respiratory tract. The epithelium is lined by a fluid (ELF) that can be sampled by a saline wash (lavage) of the area of interest. This technique, known as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), provides a means of sampling a body fluid that can provide valuable information on the reaction of the lung to inhaled materials. The most common responses measured are indicators of an inflammatory response, the most sensitive of which is an influx of neutrophils. In the extracellular fluid, levels of beta-glucuronidase activity indicate activation of macrophages, and lactate dehydrogenase activity indicates cytotoxicity. Other pro- and anti-inflammatory soluble factors that can be measured in BAL fluid include secretory products of macrophages and epithelial cells, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, fibronectin, interleukin-1, various chemotactic factors (including IL-8, MIP-2), growth factors, proteases, and antiproteases. Oxidative stress can be measured by the levels of reduced glutathione in ELF, and increased levels of alkaline phosphatase indicate increased Type II cell secretions. Allergic responses are indicated by increased eosinophils and factors such as histamine and arachidonate metabolites in BAL fluid. BAL analysis can be used as a complementary technique with more traditional measures of lung injury, such as histopathology or radiology. The advantage of BAL analysis is that one can pick up early indicators of biochemical changes leading to later morphological changes in a disease process. A second advantage is that the BAL fluid analyses are quantitative, and dose-response measures can be obtained. In large animals, one can do repeated lavages to follow a disease process; in small animals, one can use serial sacrifices in similarly exposed rodents to achieve the same goal. Research related to the use of BAL fluid analyses to detect lung damage has been conducted at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute with funding from various sources including the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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PMID:Use of bronchoalveolar lavage to detect respiratory tract toxicity of inhaled material. 1609 23

Sphingosine kinase (SPHK) has been implicated as an important element in neutrophil responses to diverse stimulatory agents. To get more insight into the role of the type 1 and 2 isoforms of SPHK in neutrophil functions, we made use of the respective SPHK knockout mice. Neutrophils isolated from the bone marrow of these mice showed normal increase of intracellular Ca(2+) when stimulated in vitro by fMLP, platelet-activating factor, the anaphylatoxin C5a, or ATP, and normal migration towards fMLP and C5a. Also, recruitment of neutrophils into the peritoneum towards the chemokines KC and MIP-2 or to LPS, and into the peripheral blood after fMLP injection was similar in SPHK knockout strains and wild-type animals. An in vivo model of bacterial lung infection revealed an accelerated progression of disease in SPHK2 (but not SPHK1) knockout mice as compared to wild-type controls. However, effector functions of SPHK-deficient neutrophils, such as superoxide production, beta-glucuronidase release and their capacity to kill bacteria were unchanged as compared to wild-type cells. To conclude, the data derived from SPHK knockout mice do not support the hypothesis that any of the two lipid kinases plays a crucial role in signalling downstream of various neutrophil stimuli; SPHKs appear not to be essential for neutrophil recruitment and effector functions.
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PMID:Normal neutrophil functions in sphingosine kinase type 1 and 2 knockout mice. 1729 73