Featured Pathways
Catecholamine is the common term for the important hormones Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline), Epinephrine (Adrenaline) and Dopamine. Chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla are the key site of catecholamine synthesis and collections of these cells are also found in heart, liver, kidney, gonads, adrenergic neurons of the postganglionic sympathetic system, and CNS (Central Nervous System). The[..]
Iodide, which is ingested in food and water, is actively concentrated by the thyroid gland, converted to organic iodine by TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase also known as Iodide Peroxidase), and incorporated into tyrosine in intrafollicular thyroglobulin within the colloid at the basal cell surface of the thyroid follicular cell. The tyrosines are iodinated at one (Monoiodotyrosine) or two[..]
Asparagine, a non essential amino acid, synthesized form oxaloacetic acid. It is an amide of a amino acid Aspartate. The enzymes ASPG (asparaginase) and ASRGL1 (asparaginase and isoaspartyl peptidase 1) catalyze the hydrolysis of Asparagine to Aspartate and Ammonia. The[..]
The liver is the major organ responsible for the conversion of excess dietary carbohydrate into triglycerides. Ins (Insulin) and Glucagon (a pancreatic hormone) play critical roles in homeostatsis of Glucose and triglycerides in humans as well as in R. norvegicus (Rattus norvegicus). Glucose serves as a signal independent of hormones in activation of more than 15 enzyme genes in the lipogenic[..]
DNA damage checkpoints are critical for preventing tumorigenesis and regulating the response of cells to genotoxic agents. When cells are exposed to DNA damaging agents, they respond by undergoing cell cycle arrest or programmed cell death. 14-3-3 proteins play particularly important roles in coordinating progression of cells through the cell cycle, regulating their response to DNA damage, and[..]
The gastrointestinal tract represents an important barrier between human hosts and microbial populations. One potential consequence of host-microbial interactions is the development of mucosal inflammation. A paradigm for such chronic host-microbial relationships is carriage of Helicobacter pylori, Gram-negative bacteria that colonize the stomachs of humans and primates. H. pylori colonization[..]
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that affects both adults and children. MS is characterized by the formation of multiple lesions along the nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Inflammation of the white and gray matter tissues in the CNS due to focal immune cell infiltration and their[..]
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic symmetric polyarticular joint disease that primarily affects the small joints of the hands and feet. The inflammatory process is characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells into the joints, leading to proliferation of synoviocytes and destruction of cartilage and bone.This is a chronic debilitating autoimmune disease of unknown etiology affecting[..]
Blood vessel growth and stability are under the exquisite control of a network of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors. Disruption of the balance between these factors is a characteristic of tumor growth and many vascular diseases. Endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors, particularly those that act broadly at the earliest stages, are excellent pharmacological tools in combating pathogenic vessel[..]
Various lipid molecules serve as second messengers for transducing signals from the cell surface to the cell interior and trigger specific cellular responses. Sphingolipids represent a complex group of lipids that have recently emerged as new transducers in eukaryotic cells. Sphingolipids are found in all mammalian cells and are mostly located in the plasma membrane. They all contain as a[..]
Various lipid molecules serve as second messengers for transducing signals from the cell surface to the cell interior and trigger specific cellular responses. Recently, several sphingolipids have emerged as cellular constituents that are able to promote, mediate or counterbalance apoptosis. Sphingolipids are a family of membrane lipids whose structure is made up of a long-chain sphingoid base[..]
