Journal of cellular biochemistry
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Water homeostasis of the nervous system is important during neural signal transduction. Astrocytes are crucial in water transport in the central nervous system under both physiological and pathological conditions. To date, five aquaporins (AQP) have been found in rat brain astrocytes. ⋯ The p38 inhibitor can inhibit the AQP4 and AQP9 expressions in cultured astrocytes. AQP expression is directly related to the extracellular hyperosmotic stimuli. Moreover, different AQPs can be regulated by a distinct MAPK signal transduction pathway.
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Comparative Study
The Mycobacterium DosR regulon structure and diversity revealed by comparative genomic analysis.
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which claims approximately two million people annually, remains a global health concern. The non-replicating or dormancy like state of this pathogen which is impervious to anti-tuberculosis drugs is widely recognized as the culprit for this scenario. The dormancy survival regulator (DosR) regulon, composed of 48 co-regulated genes, is held as essential for Mtb persistence. ⋯ The DosR regulon enables the pathogen to persist during lengthy hypoxia. Comparative genomic analysis demonstrated that the DosR regulon is widely distributed among the mycobacterial genomes, ranging from the pathogenic strains to the environmental strains. In-depth studies on the DosR response should provide insights into its role in TB latency in vivo and shape new measures to combat this exceeding recalcitrant pathogen.