Catálogo de publicaciones - revistas

<jats:p> Expression of Agouti protein is normally limited to the skin where it affects pigmentation, but ubiquitous expression causes obesity. An expressed sequence tag was identified that encodes Agouti-related protein, whose RNA is normally expressed in the hypothalamus and whose levels were increased eightfold in <jats:italic>ob/ob</jats:italic> mice. Recombinant Agouti-related protein was a potent, selective antagonist of Mc3r and Mc4r, melanocortin receptor subtypes implicated in weight regulation. Ubiquitous expression of human <jats:italic>AGRP</jats:italic> complementary DNA in transgenic mice caused obesity without altering pigmentation. Thus, Agouti-related protein is a neuropeptide implicated in the normal control of body weight downstream of leptin signaling. </jats:p>

<jats:p>Activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells transcription factor (NF-AT) is a key event underlying lymphocyte action. The CAML (calcium-modulator and cyclophilin ligand) protein is a coinducer of NF-AT activation when overexpressed in Jurkat T cells. A member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily was isolated by virtue of its affinity for CAML. Cross-linking of this lymphocyte-specific protein, designated TACI (transmembrane activator and CAML-interactor), on the surface of transfected Jurkat cells with TACI-specific antibodies led to activation of the transcription factors NF-AT, AP-1, and NFκB. TACI-induced activation of NF-AT was specifically blocked by a dominant-negative CAML mutant, thus implicating CAML as a signaling intermediate.</jats:p>

<jats:p>Chromosome maintenance region 1 (CRM1), a protein that shares sequence similarities with the karyopherin β family of proteins involved in nuclear import pathway, was shown to form a complex with the leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES). This interaction was inhibited by leptomycin B, a drug that prevents the function of the CRM1 protein in yeast. To analyze the role of the CRM1-NES interaction in nuclear export, a transport assay based on semipermeabilized cells was developed. In this system, which reconstituted NES-, cytosol-, and energy-dependent nuclear export, leptomycin B specifically blocked export of NES-containing proteins. Thus, the CRM1 protein could act as a NES receptor involved in nuclear protein export.</jats:p>