(c) 2008 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) M33 gene is conserved among all betaherpesviruses and encodes a homologue of seven-transmembrane receptors (7TMR) with the capacity for constitutive signaling. Previous studies have demonstrated that M33 is important for MCMV dissemination to or replication within the salivary glands. In this study, we probed N- and C-terminal regions of

M33 as well as known 7TMR signature motifs in transmembrane (TM) II and TM III to determine the impact on cell surface expression, constitutive signaling, and in vivo phenotype. The region between amino acids R-340 and A(353) of the C terminus was found to be important for CREB- and NFAT-mediated SB202190 in vitro signaling, Ro 61-8048 manufacturer although not essential for phosphatidylinositol turnover. Tagging or truncation of the N terminus of M33 resulted in loss of cell surface expression. Within TM II, an F79D mutation abolished constitutive signaling, demonstrating a role, as in other cellular and viral 7TMR, of TM II in receptor activation. In TM III, the arginine (but not the asparagine)

residue of the NRY motif (the counterpart of the common DRY motif in cellular 7TMR) was found to be essential for constitutive signaling. Selected mutations incorporated into recombinant MCMV showed that disruption of constitutive signaling for a viral 7TMR homologue resulted in a reduced capacity to disseminate to or replicate in the salivary glands. In addition, HCMV UL33 was found to partially compensate for the lack of M33 in vivo, suggesting conserved biological roles of the UL33 Exoribonuclease gene family.”
“Two P loop domain potassium (K2P or KCNK) channels

produce transmitter-modulated K(+) currents that could influence brain development. We mapped by in situ hybridization the expression of the K2P gene family in the developing mouse brain. All the K2P genes had different expression patterns, and it is likely that many neuronal types change their K2P channel subunit composition during development. Fitting with a possible role in the control of cell division, three K2P genes (r) under bar andem of P domains in a (w) under bar eak (i) under bar nwardly-rectifying (K) under bar (+) channel-(re) under bar lated (K) under bar (+) channel (TREK) -1, TREK-2 and (w) under bar eak (i) under bar nwardly-rectifying (K) under bar (+) channel-related (a) under bar cid-(s) under bar ensitive (K) under bar (+) channel (TASK) -2) had high expression in the embryonic subventricular and ventricular zones, and the (t) under bar andem of P domains in a (w) under bar eak (i) under bar nwardly-rectifying (K) under bar (+) channel (TWIK) -1, TREK-1, TREK-2 and TASK-3 genes were significantly expressed in the external cerebellar granule cell layer.