Pannexins and gap junction protein diversity

Gap junctions (GJs) are composed of proteins that form a channel connecting the cytoplasm of adjacent cells. Connexins were initially considered to be the only proteins capable of GJ formation. Another family of GJ proteins (innexins) were first found in invertebrates and were proposed to be renamed pannexins after their orthologs were discovered in vertebrates. The lack of both connexins and pannexins in the genomes of some metazoans suggests that other, still undiscovered GJ proteins exist. In vertebrates, connexins and pannexins co-exist. Here we discuss whether vertebrate pannexins have a nonredundant role in animal physiology. Pannexin channels appear to be suited for ATP and calcium signaling and play a role in the maintenance of calcium homeostasis by mechanisms implicating both GJ and nonjunctional function. Suggested roles in the ischemic death of neurons, schizophrenia, inflammation and tumor suppression have drawn much attention to exploring the molecular properties and cellular functions of pannexins. Received 22 April 2007; received after revision 9 September 2007; accepted 19 September 2007     

Ureteral pacemaker potentials recorded with the sucrose gap technique.

Ureteral contractions occur at intervals which are integral multiples of the period of pacemaker potentials recorded in vitro from the renal pelvis with a sucrose gap, suggesting that a gating mechanism in the pyeloureter regulates the rate at which the pacemaker initiates contractions.     

Trans-Golgi network sorting

The trans-Golgi network (TGN) is a major secretory pathway sorting station that directs newly synthesized proteins to different subcellular destinations. The TGN also receives extracellular materials and recycled molecules from endocytic compartments. In this review, we summarize recent progress on understanding TGN structure and the dynamics of trafficking to and from this compartment. Protein sorting into different transport vesicles requires specific interactions between sorting motifs on the cargo molecules and vesicle coat components that recognize these motifs. Current understanding of the various targeting signals and vesicle coat components that are involved in TGN sorting are discussed, as well as the molecules that participate in retrieval to this compartment in both yeast and mammalian cells. Besides proteins, lipids and lipid-modifying enzymes also participate actively in the formation of secretory vesicles. The possible mechanisms of action of these lipid hydrolases and lipid kinases are discussed. Finally, we summarize the fundamentally different apical and basolateral cell surface delivery mechanisms and the current facts and hypotheses on protein sorting from the TGN into the regulated secretory pathway in neuroendocrine cells. Received 2 November 2000; received after revision 19 February 2001; accepted 19 February 2001     

The network of middle meningeal veins in Ponginae (Catarhini, Anthropormorpha)]

The grooves traced by the middle meningeal veins on the endocranial wall in the Ponginae show a particular pattern for each genus, with numerous early characteristics: important frontal branch; anterior branch reduced; occipital origin of the posterior branch and constancy of the petrosquamous sinus.     

基于复杂网络理论的水网节点重要性评价研究

复杂水网节点的重要性排序在工程应用中有重要实践意义,对于水网调度、安全管理有重要借鉴意义.为此,本文在复杂网络理论基础上,以山西大水网节点重要性排序问题为背景,对水网节点重要性评价进行研究.首先从整体角度出发,不考虑水网方向和干支斗毛级别差异,基于水网全局网络拓扑结构,从局部属性、全局属性、传播属性和网络位置四个方面定义了节点重要性评价指标.其次,分别根据这四个指标,对水网节点重要性进行排序分析,结合分析结果对网络位置指标进行了改进.然后,由于单指标评价结果不够全面且适用范围具有很大的局限性,给出了基于TOPSIS的多属性决策方法来综合评价节点的重要性.最后,考虑水网方向和级别差异,提出对水网进行干支斗毛级别划分,基于Page Rank算法对同一级别的有向赋权水网节点重要性评价进行研究.     

Retinoic acid modulates gap junctional intercellular communication in hepatocytes and hepatoma cells

Gap junctional communication permits the direct exchange of small molecules and ions and has been implicated in tissue homeostasis/metabolite exchange. The lack of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) plays important roles in the promotion and progression of carcinogenesis. In the present study, we demonstrate that treatment of human hepatoma Hep G2 cells with retinoic acid (RA) results in increased amounts and phosphorylation of connexins, their stabilisation in plasma membrane plaques and enhanced GJIC. In cultured fetal hepatocytes, which represent a non-transformed, proliferating and incompletely differentiated liver system, the effects of RA are limited to the establishment of connexin in areas of cell-cell contact and the improvement of GJIC. This suggests that modulation of cell-cell channel communication by RA occurs differently in these two experimental models: while RA is able to revert cell transformation in Hep G2 cells, in fetal hepatocytes it may induce the expression of a more differentiated phenotype. Received 19 June 2002; received after revision 29 July 2002; accepted 8 August 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author.     

The development of gene therapy for diseases of the lung

The development of a successful gene therapy has many stages, including preclinical testing in animal models and proof of principle clinical studies. A variety of diseases affect the lung, which are candidates for gene therapy; this review will mainly focus on the diseases that have attracted the most attention and have therefore yielded the most progress, namely lung cancer and the monogenic disorder cystic fibrosis. Knowledge gained from clinical studies could eventually be applied to more complex lung conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and asthma. In addition, increased gene transfer efficiencies could be obtained by appropriate selection of the gene transfer vector and mode of delivery.Received 8 August 2003; received after revision 10 September 2003; accepted 17 September 2003