Current Genomics - Volume 7, Issue 5, 2006

Cytochromes P450 (P450s or CYPs) constitute a superfamily of heme-containing monooxygenases and have been shown to play a major role in both xenobiotic and endogenous metabolism. Thanks to the Human Genome Project, the current list of human CYPs should be exhaustive and so far 57 P450 encoding genes have been identified. To date, fif-teen of them, generally called "orphans" cytochromes P450, which were m Read More

Despite substantial recent progress, gene structural prediction remains a challenging problem in bioinformatics. The importance of a detailed understanding of gene splicing can be underlined by noting that ∼10-15% of human genetic diseases are caused by mutations that affect splice junctions. We briefly introduce the problem, mention the existing ap-proaches to gene structural annotation and provide overview of cur Read More

Gene expression profiling of a number of distinct brain regions under different behavioral and biological states was analyzed using DNA microarray technology. These included hippocampal development, aging process, environ-mental enrichment, fear conditioning, and calorie restriction. Our results identified numerous genes and signal pathways that may play critical roles in learning and memory, brain aging and longevity. Fu Read More

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent cell signaling and effector molecule that participates in numerous physiological and pathophysiological events in a variety of cell types and tissues. NO derived from all major isoforms of NO synthase can S-nitrosylate cysteine thiols in target proteins, potentially altering their functional activities in a redox-dependent, cGMP-independent manner. Formation of protein S-nitrosocysteine adducts app Read More

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are a common form of DNA damage and double-strand break rejoining is a fundamental mechanism of genome protection to prevent chromosomal fragmentation, translocation and deletions. DSBs may be induced by exogenous agents, such as ionizing radiation, but also occur spontaneously during cellular processes e.g. in the rearrangement of gene segments during V(D)J [variable (V), Read More

Integrins are composed of a variety of binding subunits that are responsible for interacting with the extracellu-lar matrix and intracellular signaling pathways. Among their various functions, integrins have the ability to augment cellu-lar adhesion, influence cytoskeletal architecture, activate tyrosine kinase and affect cell survival. Many investigations have demonstrated a correlation between the regulation of integrin expressi Read More