Vitamins and Hormones (eBook)

Cover 1
Contents 8
Preface 12
Chapter 1. Green Tea: Biochemical and Biological Basis for Health Benefits 14
I. Introduction 15
II. Catechins and Other Constituents of Green Tea 17
III. Structure, Pharmacology, and Metabolism of Catechins 18
IV. Chemical and Biochemical Properties of Catechins 22
V. Biological Activity of Green Tea Catechins 27
VI. Molecular and Cellular Bases for Biological Effects of Catechins 65
VII. Epilog 82
References 84
Chapter 2. Proteins Regulating the Biosynthesis and Inactivation of Neuromodulatory Fatty Acid Amides 108
I. Fatty Acid Amides as Endogenous Signaling Molecules 108
II. The Biosynthesis of Fatty Acid Amides 111
III. The Enzymatic Inactivation of Fatty Acid Amides 117
IV. Transport of Fatty Acid Amides 129
V. Conclusions and Future Challenges 134
References 136
Chapter 3. Three-Dimensional Organization of the Aquaporin Water Channel: What Can Structure Tell Us about Function? 146
I. Movement of Water across the Membrane„Discovery of Aquaporin-1 146
II. Mammalian Aquaporins and Their Transport Function 147
III. Investigations of Amino Acid Residues Involved in Solute Transport in Aquaporins 150
IV. Structural Studies of Aquaporins 151
V. Unresolved Questions and Future Directions 171
References 173
Chapter 4. Cytostatic p21 G Protein-Activated Protein Kinase .-PAK 180
I. Background 181
II. Comparison of PAK Proteins 183
III. Autophosphorylation and Activation of .-PAK 186
IV. .-PAK Has Cytostatic Activity 187
V. Activation of .-PAK in Response to Stress 190
VI. The Individual Roles of .-PAK and SAPK/p38 in the Stress Response 198
VII. Substrates for .-PAK 199
VIII. Working Model—A Role for .-PAK as a Master Switch 202
IX. Conclusions and Remaining Questions 204
References 205
Chapter 5. Androgen Receptors and Their Biology 212
I. Mechanism of Androgen Action 212
II. Sexual Development 217
III. Androgen Receptors and Disease 220
IV. Androgen Action and Other Diseases 226
V. Conclusion 232
References 232
Chapter 6. Transcriptional Activation of Genes by 17ß-Estradiol through Estrogen Receptor–Sp1 Interactions 244
I. Introduction 245
II. Transcriptional Activation through Sp1(N)xERE 1/2 and Sp1(N)xERE Motifs 247
III. Transcriptional Activation by E2 through GC-Rich Sites 250
IV. E2-Responsive Genes with Functional GC-Rich Promoter Elements 252
V. ERa/Sp1 Activation by Growth Factors 255
VI. ERa/Sp1 vs ERß/Sp1 Action and Effects of Ligand Structure and Cell Context 256
VII. Summary 257
References 258
Chapter 7. Drug Discovery and the Intracellular Receptor Family 266
I. The History of Intracellular Receptor Ligands as Drugs 267
II. Diseases in Which Intracellular Receptors Play a Role 267
III. Intracellular Receptor Ligands with Therapeutic Utility (Agonists and Antagonists) 268
IV. Partial Agonists of Intracellular Receptors 270
V. Ligand Discovery 273
VI. Direct Measures of Intracellular Receptor Conformation 279
VII. Indirect Methods of Conformation Determination 280
VIII. Cofactor–Receptor Interactions 281
IX. Assays Used to Measure the Function of the Ligand–Receptor Complex 283
X. The in Vitro–in Vivo Connection 285
XI. Conclusion 287
References 287
Index 294