Featured Pathways
Phosphatidylserine (or 1, 2-Diacyl-sn-Glycero-3-Phospho-L-Serine) is the only amino acid-containing glycerophospholipid in animal cells. Although it is distributed widely among animals, plants and microorganisms, it is usually less than 10% of the total phospholipids, the greatest concentration being in myelin from brain tissue. It is an acidic (anionic) phospholipid with three ionizable[..]
Sucrose is produced by plants, algae and cyanobacteria as an end product of photosynthesis. It is the primary sugar transported from the source tissues to sink tissues by the phloem in most plants. In other non-photosynthetic tissues, sucrose serve as raw material for many metabolic pathways (Ref.1).
Sucrose synthesis starts in the cytosol where two triose-phosphates[..]
Phosphoglycerides such as phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine are the major component of lipid bilayer membranes in which their detergent-like properties help to provide membranes the quality of self-assembly. Phosphatidylglycerol is a precursor in the synthesis of both cardiolipin and PI (Phosphatidylinositol). Cardiolipin is a unique dimeric phospholipid found in the heart and[..]
The Toll-like receptors (TLRs), 13 types known to-date, are a group of pattern-recognition receptors that play a crucial role in danger recognition and induction of the innate immune response against bacterial and viral infections. The major adaptors that bind to the intracellular domain of TLR to activate the proinflammatory response are the myeloid differentiation primary response MYD88 and[..]
The cellular responses to DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation include activation of cell cycle checkpoints that delay progression of cells through the cell cycle. Ionizing radiation-induced checkpoints are active at the transition from the G1-phase to the S-phase, in the S-phase, and at the transition from the G2-phase to mitosis (G2/M). The surveillance mechanisms responsible for[..]
Cells are constantly under threat from the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of DNA damaging agents that result from either endogenous sources (cellular metabolic processes) or exogenous sources (environmental factors). Endogenous sources of DNA damage include hydrolysis, oxidation, alkylation, and mismatch of DNA bases; sources for exogenous DNA damage include ionizing radiation (IR),[..]
An upregulation of cellular signaling pathways is observed in multiple cell types upon HCMV(human cytomegalovirus) infection, suggesting that a global feature of HCMV infection is the activation of the host cell. HCMV initiates and maintains cellular signaling through a multitiered process that is dependent on a series of events: (1) the viral glycoprotein ligand interacts with its cognate[..]
Circadian rhythms are daily rhythms of biological processes in behavior or physiology that reoccur approximately every 24 hr. They are determined and modified by environmental cues like light and temperature, but can also persist in the absence of these cues. Although circadian rhythms are present in nearly all living organisms, Drosophila melanogaster is used as model[..]
Phagocytic cells are a critical line of defense against infection. The ability of a pathogen to survive and even replicate within phagocytic cells is a potent method of evading the defense mechanisms of the host. A number of pathogens survive within macrophages after phagocytosis and this contributes to their virulence. Salmonella is one of these pathogens. Salmonella spp are Gram-negative[..]
Circadian clocks are molecular time-keeping mechanisms that reside in a diverse range of cell types in a variety of organisms. The primary role of these cell-autonomous clocks is to maintain their own 24-hour molecular rhythm and to drive the rhythmic expression of genes involved in physiology, metabolism and behavior. The ability of the clock to persist in the absence of environmental cues[..]
