The world's first wiki where authorship really matters (Nature Genetics, 2008). Due credit and reputation for authors. Imagine a global collaborative knowledge base for original thoughts. Search thousands of articles and collaborate with scientists around the globe.

wikigene or wiki gene protein drug chemical gene disease author authorship tracking collaborative publishing evolutionary knowledge reputation system wiki2.0 global collaboration genes proteins drugs chemicals diseases compound
Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 

Activated alpha 2-macroglobulin and transforming growth factor-beta 1 induce a synergistic smooth muscle cell proliferative response.

The role that soluble binding proteins might play in regulating transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1)-induced growth of smooth muscle cells (SMC) is unknown. alpha 2-Macroglobulin (alpha 2M) is the major plasma binding protein for TGF-beta. Reaction of alpha 2M with methylamine (alpha 2M-MA) forms " activated" alpha 2M which binds TGF-beta and specific cell surface receptors. The objectives of these studies were to determine whether native alpha 2M or alpha 2M-MA influences growth responses of cultured rat aortic SMC to TGF-beta 1. Results demonstrated that native alpha 2M was not mitogenic. Treatment with alpha 2M-MA or TGF-beta 1 stimulated a 3- or 3.5-fold increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation, respectively. Cotreatment with TGF-beta 1 and alpha 2M-MA resulted in a 70-fold increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation. SMC bound alpha 2M-MA in a specific and saturable manner and expressed alpha 2M receptor/low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein ( LRP). A modified form of alpha 2M-MA (alpha 2M-MA-cis-dichlorodiammine platinum), which bound TGF-beta 1 but did not bind alpha 2M receptors, failed to enhance TGF-beta 1-induced growth. In summary, results demonstrated that alpha 2M-MA enhanced TGF-beta 1- induced growth responses and that this effect was dependent on alpha 2M-MA binding to alpha 2M receptor/ LRP.[1]

References

 
WikiGenes - Universities