Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P02794 (ferritin)
 17,525 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cytolytic lymphocytes contain specialized lytic granules whose secretion during cell-mediated cytolysis results in target cell death. Using serial section EM of RNK-16, a natural killer cell line, we show that there are structurally distinct types of granules. Each type is composed of varying proportions of a dense core domain and a multivesicular cortical domain. The dense core domains contain secretory proteins thought to play a role in cytolysis, including cytolysin and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. In contrast, the multivesicular domains contain lysosomal proteins, including acid phosphatase, alpha-glucosidase, cathepsin D, and LGP-120. In addition to their protein content, the lytic granules have other properties in common with lysosomes. The multivesicular regions of the granules have an acidic pH, comparable to that of endosomes and lysosomes. The granules take up exogenous cationized ferritin with lysosome-like kinetics, and this uptake is blocked by weak bases and low temperature. The multivesicular domains of the granules are rich in the 270-kD mannose-6-phosphate receptor, a marker which is absent from mature lysosomes but present in earlier endocytic compartments. Thus, the natural killer granules represent an unusual dual-function organelle, where a regulated secretory compartment, the dense core, is contained within a pre-lysosomal compartment, the multivesicular domain.
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PMID:The lytic granules of natural killer cells are dual-function organelles combining secretory and pre-lysosomal compartments. 227 62

Neutral alpha-glucosidase levels as epididymal marker, fructose levels as vesicular marker, zinc, citric acid and prostate specific antigen levels as prostatic markers were measured in the seminal plasma of eight transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemic patients in order to study epididymal and sex accessory gland secretions (eighteen subjects served as controls). FSH and LH as well as total and free testosterone were detected displaying unaltered serum values. Ejaculate of patients showed normal sperm count and low sperm motility, in the meantime seminal plasma exhibited unaltered both neutral alpha-glucosidase and fructose values but low levels of zinc, citric acid and prostate specific antigen were noticed as well. These data suggest an impaired prostatic secretion in the thalassemic patients studied. A local iron toxicity on the prostatic tissue could be supported by the decrease of its specific markers observed only in the subgroup of patients with high ferritin serum levels.
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PMID:Epididymal and sex accessory gland secretions in transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemic patients: evidence of an impaired prostatic function. 922 14