Tag: Elisabetta Zinellu
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Dynorphin B Is an Agonist of Nuclear Opioid Receptors Coupling Nuclear Protein Kinase C Activation to the Transcription of Cardiogenic Genes in GTR1 Embryonic Stem Cells
Carlo Ventura, Elisabetta Zinellu, Emiliana Maninchedda, Margherita MaioliAbstract—The cardiac differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells was found to involve prodynorphin gene and dynorphinB expression and was associated with the interaction of secreted dynorphin B with cell surface opioid receptors coupledwith protein kinase C (PKC) signaling and complex subcellular redistribution patterning of selected PKC isozymes.Here, confocal…
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Protein Kinase C Signaling Transduces Endorphin-Primed Cardiogenesis in GTR1 Embryonic Stem Cells
Carlo Ventura, Elisabetta Zinellu, Emiliana Maninchedda, Marina Fadda, Margherita MaioliAbstract—The prodynorphin gene and its product, dynorphin B, have been found to promote cardiogenesis in embryoniccells by inducing the expression of GATA-4 and Nkx-2.5, two transcription factor– encoding genes essential forcardiogenesis. The molecular mechanism(s) underlying endorphin-induced cardiogenesis remain unknown. In thepresent study, we found that GTR1…