RATIONALE:: ABCC6 plays a crucial role in ectopic calcification; mutations of the gene cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum and general arterial calcification of infancy. To elucidate the role of ABCC6 in cellular physiology and ...

Plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPases are key calcium exporter proteins in most tissues, and PMCA4b is the main calcium transporter in the human red blood cells (RBCs). In order to assess the expression level of PMCA4b, we have ...

Titin is a giant protein that provides elasticity to muscle. As the sarcomere is stretched, titin extends hierarchically according to the mechanics of its segments. Whether titin's globular domains unfold during this ...

Recent research demonstrated that exposure of mice to both inhomogeneous (3-477 mT) and homogeneous (145 mT) static magnetic fields (SMF) generated an analgesic effect toward visceral pain elicited by the intraperitoneal ...

Hemostasis is a complex process that relies on the sensitive balance between the formation and breakdown of the thrombus, a three-dimensional polymer network of the fibrous protein fibrin. Neither the details of the ...

A fundamental requirement of cells is their ability to transduce and interpret their mechanical environment. This ability contributes to regulation of growth, differentiation and adaptation in many cell types. The intermediate ...

Desmin forms the intermediate filament system of muscle cells where it plays important role in maintaining mechanical integrity and elasticity. Although the importance of intermediate-filament elasticity in cellular mechanics ...

Mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease 1 (MASP-1), the most abundant enzyme of the complement lectin pathway, is able to stimulate human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to alter the expression of several ...