The last few years have seen the identification of brown adipose tissue capable of metabolic activation in adult humans, the possibility of recruiting ‘beige’ adipocytes to increase energy expenditure,

and the implication of molecules such as FGF21 and irisin in inducing increases in energy expenditure in adipose tissue. The translation of these findings into human trials to deliver safe, efficacious medicines remains a challenge. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The type I transmembrane protein crumbs (Crb) plays critical roles in the establishment and maintenance of cell polarities in diverse tissues. As such, mutations of Crb can cause different forms of cancers. The cell intrinsic role of Crb in cell polarity is governed by its conserved, 37-residue cytoplasmic tail (Crb-CT) via binding to moesin and protein associated with Lin7-1 (PALS1). However, the detailed mechanism AZD6094 governing the Crb center dot moesin interaction and the balance of Crb in binding to moesin and PALS1 are not well understood. Here we report the 1.5 angstrom resolution crystal structure of the moesin proin 4.1/ez-rin/radixin/moesin (FERM)center dot Crb-CT complex, revealing that both the canonical FERM binding motif and the postsynaptic

density protein-95/Disc large-1/Zonula occludens-1 (PDZ) binding motif of Crb contribute to the Crb Selleckchem EVP4593 center dot moesin interaction. We further demonstrate that phosphorylation of Crb-CT by atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) disrupts the Crb center dot moesin association but has no impact on the Crb center dot PALS1 interaction. The above results indicate that, upon the establishment of the apical-basal polarity in epithelia, apical-localized aPKC can actively prevent the Crb center dot moesin complex

formation and thereby shift Crb to form complex with PALS1 at apical junctions. Therefore, Crb may serve as an aPKC-mediated sensor in coordinating contact-dependent cell growth inhibition in epithelial tissues.”
“Acid-sensitive outwardly rectifying anion channels (ASOR) have been described in several mammalian cell types. The find more present whole-cell patch-clamp study elucidated whether those channels are expressed in erythrocytes. To this end whole-cell recordings were made in human erythrocytes from healthy donors treated with low pH and high osmotic pressure. When the pipette solution had a reduced Cl(-) concentration, treatment of the cells with Cl(-)-containing normal and hyperosmotic (addition of sucrose and polyethelene glycol 1000 [PEG-1000] to the Ringer) media with low pH significantly increased the conductance of the cells at positive voltages. Channel activity was highest in the PEG-1000 media (95 and 300 mM PEG-1000, pH 4.5 and 4.3, respectively) where the current-voltage curves demonstrated strong outward rectification and reversed at -40 mV.