[
Sci STKE,
2000]
Notch proteins are receptors that are important in mediating several developmental processes. Notch receptors are activated upon binding transmembrane ligands, the DSL proteins. Notch is cleaved at several sites and activation of Notch leads to the cleavage of the intracellular domain, which then is translocated to the nucleus and regulates the transcription of target genes. Kramer discusses how binding of Notch to the DSL ligand, Delta, leads to cleavage and trans-endocytosis of the Notch extracellular domain into the Delta-expressing cell. This trans-endocytosis event contributes to the cleavage and release of the active Notch intracellular domain. The Perspective is accompanied by a movie illustrating the trans-endocytosis of Notch.
[
Adv Exp Med Biol,
1988]
Parasite-specific putrescine-N-acetyltransferase and polyamine oxidase, both involved in the reversed pathway of polyamine metabolism, were demonstrated for Ascaris suum and Onchocerca volvulus. Berenil-treatment was found to be correlated with accumulation of polyamines, especially spermine, obviously due to blockaded polyamine interconversion. Furthermore it was shown that added spermine to the culture medium led to the death of worms. These specificities might be exploited for chemotherapy of filarial infections. Polyamines are widely distributed in the nature. They are found in higher and lower eucaryotes and in procaryotes as well as in viruses (Tabor and Tabor, 1984). During the last years there have been many approaches to examine the role of polyamines in cell growth and differentiation in vertebrates (Tabor and Tabor, 1984; Pegg, 1986). The polyamine metabolism of parasites also has attracted increasing interest, e.g. in African trypanosomes the initial enzyme of polyamine synthesis - ornithine decarboxylase - has been exploited as a target for chemotherapy by using DFMO (DL alpha-difluoromethylornithine) (Bacchi et al., 1980; Bacchi et al., 1983; Fairlamb et al., 1985; Giffin et al., 1986). The polyamine metabolism of filaria and other helminths is still a neglected area of research, although there are reports about distribution pattern of polyamines and some peculiarities of polyamine metabolism in filarial worms (Srivastava et al., 1980; Wittich et al., 1987; Walter, 1988). DFMO and MGBG (methylglyoxal bis-(guanylhydrazone], both of which are potent inhibitors of polyamine synthesis in mammals, do not significantly effect the viability of filarial worms (Wittich et al., 1987).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)