Because of its early expression by T cells, LIGHT may be an initiator of fibrotic diseases, but other sources in the immune system could also signify a role for LIGHT in maintaining or perpetuating fibrotic activity.
The addition of exogenous ceramides indeed resulted in fibroblast apoptosis and, strikingly, this form of apoptosis was not only independent of caspase-activity but could also be inhibited by DIDS in a similar fashion as curcumin-induced apoptosis, therefore signifying a role for VDAC in ceramide-induced apoptosis.
In line with previous studies, RO-256981 reduces cell death induced by NMDA, signifying a role for NR2B in NMDA excitotoxicity; this effect was comparable with CXCL12 neuroprotection.
The finding of elevated adipokine levels in women with higher levels of phobic anxiety may signify a role for adipokines in the adaptation to a chronic anxiety state and deserves further study.
Aggrecan degradation facilitated by MMP and ADAMTS enzymes is a process that occurs within normal and arthritic cartilage, signifying a role for these proteases in normal turnover as well as in arthritis [ 16], whereas structural changes in aggrecan occur during healthy aging [ 17].
The bovine ZNF280BY gene family was found to be expressed in different developmental stages of the testis with the sense RNA present in all cell types of seminiferous tubules while the antisense RNA present only in spermatids, signifying a role in spermatogenesis [ 3].
Moreover, miR-29a/b/c overexpression reduced insulin-induced glucose import by 3T3-L1 adipocytesignifyinging a role in insulin resistance, and this was paralleled by a decrease in Akt activation, suggesting that the miR-29 family acts by silencing components of the insulin signalling pathway.
The idea is that when a transcription factor is induced artificially within a gene network, the disruption of the network by the induction signifies a genes role in transcriptional regulation.
Although enzymatic venom constituents do not act stoichiometrically as non-catalytic toxins do, nonetheless, greater abundance necessarily signifies a greater role for the constituent in question in prey immobilization and/or digestion, regardless of the presence or absence of catalytic activity.
