RESUMO
'Secrete-and-sense cells' can communicate by secreting a signaling molecule while also producing a receptor that detects the molecule. The cell can potentially 'talk' to itself ('self-communication') or talk to neighboring cells with the same receptor ('neighbor communication'). The predominant forms of secrete-and-sense cells are self-communicating 'autocrine cells', which are largely found in animals, and neighbor-communicating 'quorum sensing cells', which are mostly associated with bacteria. While assumed to function independently of one another, recent studies have discovered quorum-sensing organs and autocrine-signaling microbes. Moreover, similar types of genetic circuit control many autocrine and quorum-sensing cells. Here, we outline these recent findings and explain how autocrine and quorum sensing are two sides of a many-sided 'dice' created by the versatile secrete-and-sense cell.
Assuntos
Comunicação Autócrina/genética , Bactérias/metabolismo , Retroalimentação Fisiológica , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intercelular/metabolismo , Percepção de Quorum/genética , Receptores de Superfície Celular/metabolismo , Acil-Butirolactonas/metabolismo , Animais , Formigas/genética , Formigas/metabolismo , Bactérias/genética , Proliferação de Células , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intercelular/genética , Receptores de Superfície Celular/genética , Transdução de Sinais , Linfócitos T/citologia , Linfócitos T/metabolismoRESUMO
We have identified the beta-thalassaemia alleles in nearly all known Turkish Cypriot beta-thalassaemia homozygotes and in over 700 Greek Cypriot beta-thalassaemia heterozygotes living on the island of Cyprus. The data confirmed earlier observations that the IVS-I-100 (G-->A) mutation is present for about 74-80%, while three other alleles [IVS-II-745 (C-->G), IVS-I-6 (T-->C), IVS-I-1 (G-->A)] occur at frequencies of 5-8%. Nearly identical percentages were observed for the two Cypriot groups, quite different from those for beta-thalassaemia patients from Greece and Turkey. This suggests close contacts between the two Cypriot communities during many centuries without a major recent influence from Greek or Turkish beta-thalassaemia carriers.
Assuntos
Talassemia/genética , Alelos , Chipre , Grécia/etnologia , Humanos , Mutação , Turquia/etnologiaRESUMO
Using oligonucleotide hybridisation or restriction endonuclease analysis, we have characterised the molecular defect in 94 patients with thalassaemia major and four with thalassaemia intermedia of Turkish Cypriot descent. We found that four mutations, namely beta+ IVS-1 nt 110, beta zero IVS-1 nt, beta+ IVS-1 nt 6, and beta+ IVS-2 nt 745 were prevalent, accounting for 69.9%, 11.7%, 8.7%, and 5.6% respectively of the beta thalassaemia chromosomes. This information may help in the organisation of a large scale prevention programme based on fetal diagnosis of beta thalassaemia by DNA analysis in the Turkish population.
