These nodes could have the role of a mobile sensor, of a "data mule" node enabling or assisting communication across disconnected parts of the network or of a mobile sink node.
The results led us to the identification of the surface-exposed Trp114 residue of TrxR1 essentially serving the role of a redox sensor, as it is suggested to communicate with the FAD of TrxR1, become easily oxidized and affecting both enzymatic activity and oligomerization state of the enzyme in response to oxidation.
It thus seems that undifferentiated mammalian cells do indeed have structural elements that may play the role of a "gravitational sensor" and "sense" the intensity of a mechanical tension and that many intracellular processes (adhesion, proliferation, survival, contractility, migration, extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture, gene expression, etc).
As this surface-exposed Trp114 residue in oxidized form promotes oligomerization, thereby lowering the TrxR1 activity, this makes the residue perfectly poised to serve the role of an irreversible sensor for excessive oxidative stress.
The MRN complex plays a crucial role as a sensor of DSBs, in activating the signal transduction cascades that lead to cell cycle checkpoints and in regulating the DNA repair pathway selection.
In view of these observations, it is reasonable to assume that the protective role of BiP against water dehydration may not be associated with its molecular chaperone activity, but rather it may be linked to its regulatory role as a sensor of the ER stress signal [ 14, 26].
As shown in Figure 2b, WT Ankrd2, but not nonphosphorylatable Ser99Ala-Ankrd2, inhibited NF- κB activity both during proliferation and differentiation, demonstrating that Akt can inhibit NF- κB-regulated inflammatory genes via phosphorylation of Ankrd2 and suggesting a role of Ankrd2 as a sensor of the oxidative state through impairment of NF- κB activation.
The different behaviour of titin and MYOM3 can be due to the particular role of titin as a sensor of mechanical load (66).
The dispute regarding the role of TRPA1 as a sensor of mechanical stimuli and noxious cold (< 17°C) remains unresolved [36].
Our data enforce the role of ATM as a sensor of oxidative stress that could be important for protection against oxLDL-mediated cellular toxicity.
