Exon 1 and 2 may serve as alternative first exons, like the alternative exons 1, 1A and 1B found in the PTCH1 gene [ 23].
It is possible also that trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and/or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) may serve as alternative electron acceptors.
Both may serve as alternative lipid precursors for the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways [ 6].
A few studies have reported that only ~24% of CNVs are overlapped with SDs [ 15, 22], implying that CNVs may serve as alternative repository of duplicons.
In contrast, BCL6 expression and PRDM1 hypermethylation in the former may serve as alternative mechanisms to inhibit PRDM1 expression in the setting of PRDM1-inducing signals during latency I (see also Discussion).
Because of the high conservation among these regulatory components, it is hard to exclude the possibility that some of them may serve as alternative sensors for detecting the AI-2.
Since ARPC1/p41 is not necessary for the overall cohesiveness of the Arp2/3 subunits [ 45], we can hypothesize this protein may serve an alternative function outside of the Arp2/3 complex in Plasmodium and Cryptosporidium.
Interestingly, in the woozy mutant mice, GRP78 is upregulated in the PCs, 3 and other co-chaperones such as GRP170 (also known as ORP150) and P58IPK (also known as DNAJc3) may serve as alternative nucleotide exchange factors for GRP78.
In conclusion, the enhanced expression of INHA or INHBB detected in 80% of our HCC patients may serve as alternative or additional regulators besides follistatin, fstl3 and cripto, overriding the antiproliferative and proapoptotic action of activin A. Expression of INHBB in normal human liver was as high as in testis, one of the organs with known high expression (Roberts, 1997; Vejda et al, 2002).
The inhibition of these enzymes, which were involved in the digestion of carbohydrates, can significantly reduce postprandial elevations of blood glucose and, therefore, may serve as alternative strategy in the management of blood glucose level especially in type 2 DM [ 22].
