scholarly journals The role of mammalian poly(A)-binding proteins in co-ordinating mRNA turnover

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 856-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Brook ◽  
Nicola K. Gray

The function of cytoplasmic PABPs [poly(A)-binding proteins] in promoting mRNA translation has been intensively studied. However, PABPs also have less clearly defined functions in mRNA turnover including roles in default deadenylation, a major rate-limiting step in mRNA decay, as well as roles in the regulation of mRNA turnover by cis-acting control elements and in the detection of aberrant mRNA transcripts. In the present paper, we review our current understanding of the complex roles of PABP1 in mRNA turnover, focusing on recent progress in mammals and highlighting some of the major questions that remain to be addressed.




2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 456 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Hinds ◽  
C. H. Tyndale-Biscoe

The corpus luteum (CL) of the tammar wallaby is inhibited by prolactin during lactation and seasonal quiescence. In seasonal quiescence a daily transient pulse of prolactin (PRL) of less than 2 h duration is sufficient to maintain inhibition. We investigated whether the same inhibition applies in lactation and, if so, how. Our results show that inhibition of the CL during lactation is maintained by a transient pulse of prolactin once a day. They also show that the minimum time without a PRL pulse for the CL to escape inhibition is more than 48 h and less than 72 h. Nevertheless, some animals had a longer refractory period than 72 h, which was reflected in a longer interval to the progesterone peak and birth. These results support the previous conclusion that PRL exercises its effect on a rate-limiting step in progesterone synthesis and secretion rate from the CL, which precedes any increase in its mass. Therefore, we conclude that the role of PRL is to act as a luteostatic agent, an effect that is in marked contrast to its luteotrophic effect in many eutherian species, including rodents.



2002 ◽  
Vol 278 (6) ◽  
pp. 3580-3589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigenobu Kimura ◽  
Masanori Kawamura ◽  
Takashi Iyanagi


2009 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. IJTR.S1022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Nakamura ◽  
Hiroyuki Hasegawa

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) has been implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological functions. Multiple steps of enzyme reactions enable biosynthesis of 5-HT. The first and rate-limiting step of the reaction is the synthesis of 5-hydroxy- L-tryptophan (5-HTP) from L-tryptophan. This step is dictated by an enzyme, tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH). TPH requires 6R- L-erythro-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) as a co-substrate of TPH. 5-HTP has been simply regarded as a precursor of 5-HT and it is believed that the biological significance of 5-HTP is essentially ascribed to the production of 5-HT. However, recent works shed light on the specific functions of 5-HTP in the periphery. In this review article, we focus on the specific roles of exogenous 5-HTP as well as the endogenous 5-HTP in the gut epithelial cells. Since systemic treatment with 5-HTP is applied to patients with lower 5-HT levels, the studies on the specific role of 5-HTP might create an opportunity to explore the effects of exogenously-applied 5-HTP in the gut in man.





2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfang Huang ◽  
Yimin Shao ◽  
Yang Bai ◽  
Qingchun Yuan ◽  
Tingzhen Ming ◽  
...  

Due to the alarming speed of global warming, greenhouse gas removal from atmosphere will be absolutely necessary in the coming decades. Methane is the second most harmful greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. There is an emerging technology proposed to incorporating photocatalysis with solar updraft Towers (SUT) to remove methane from the air at a planetary scale. In this study, we present a deep analysis by calculating the potential of methane removal in relation to the dimensions and configuration of SUT using different photocatalysts. The analysis shows that the methane removal rate increases with the SUT dimensions and can be enhanced by changing the configuration design. More importantly, the low methane removal rate on conventional TiO2 photocatalyst can be significantly improved to, for example, 42.5% on a more effective Ag-doped ZnO photocatalyst in a 200 MW SUT while the photocatalytic reaction is the rate limiting step. The factors that may further affect the removal of methane, such as more efficient photocatalysts, night operation and reaction zone are discussed as possible solutions to further improve the system.



2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delia Hoffmann ◽  
Tereza Dvorakova ◽  
Florence Schramme ◽  
Vincent Stroobant ◽  
Benoit J. Van den Eynde

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) catalyze the rate-limiting step of tryptophan catabolism along the kynurenine pathway, which has important immuno suppressive properties, particularly in tumor cells and dendritic cells. The prominent expression of IDO1 in the placenta also suggested a role in preventing immune rejection of fetal tissues, and pharmacological inhibition of IDO1 induced abortion of allogeneic fetuses in mice. However, this was later challenged by the lack of rejection of allogeneic fetuses in IDO1-KO mice, suggesting that other mechanisms may compensate for IDO1 deficiency. Here we investigated whether TDO could contribute to feto-maternal tolerance and compensate for IDO1 deficiency in IDO1-KO mice. Expression of TDO mRNA was previously detected in placental tissues. We developed a new chimeric rabbit anti-TDO antibody to confirm TDO expression at the protein level and identify the positive cell type by immunohistochemistry in murine placenta. We observed massive TDO expression in decidual stromal cells, starting at day E3.5, peaking at day E6.5 then declining rapidly while remaining detectable until gestation end. IDO1 was also induced in decidual stromal cells, but only at a later stage of gestation when TDO expression declined. To determine whether TDO contributed to feto-maternal tolerance, we mated TDO-KO and double IDO1-TDO-KO females with allogeneic males. However, we did not observe reduced fertility. These results suggest that, despite its expression in decidual stromal cells, TDO is not a dominant mechanism of feto-maternal tolerance able to compensate for the absence of IDO1. Redundant additional mechanisms of immunosuppression likely take over in these KO mice. The massive expression of TDO during decidualization might suggest a role of TDO in angiogenesis or vessel tonicity, as previously described for IDO1.



Author(s):  
Kleanthi Chalkiadaki ◽  
Stella Kouloulia ◽  
Clive R. Bramham ◽  
Christos G. Gkogkas

Regulation of gene expression at the level of mRNA translation is crucial for all the functions our brains carry out. eIF4E binds to the 5′-end of eukaryotic mRNAs and dictates the rate-limiting step of cap-dependent initiation. This chapter reviews the key pathways regulating eIF4E function, but also the less studied and novel mechanisms of eIF4E modulation, linked to synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and nervous system disorders. Understanding how regulation of protein synthesis by eIF4E affects different aspects of brain function is yet elusive.



1964 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 933-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret J. Henderson

This presentation has been restricted to the role of insulin in glucose transport in muscle cells and deals mainly with experiments using the perfused rat heart. The several possible means for glucose transfer into cells, diffusion, pores, pinocytosis, carriers, and dimerization, have been discussed; and arguments in favor of the carrier theory, namely, specificity, kinetics, inhibition, competition, and counterflow, have been elaborated. Glucose uptake has been considered to consist of three sequential steps: (1) passage of glucose from within the capillary to the cell surface, (2) transport across the cell membrane, and (3) metabolism of glucose within the cell. The first is considered to take place by diffusion and not to be significantly limiting under normal conditions, nor to be influenced by insulin. Transport across the cell membrane is thought to be mainly under the control of insulin and is the major rate-limiting step in glucose uptake when the extracellular glucose levels are in the normal range. Metabolism of glucose within the cell is the major rate-limiting step in glucose uptake when intracellular glucose concentration is so high that its phosphorylation is near saturation.



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