Cholesterol Helps Regulate Key Signaling Proteins In The Cell

Main Category: Cholesterol
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 30 Dec 2012 - 0:00 PST Current ratings for:
Cholesterol Helps Regulate Key Signaling Proteins In The Cell

Cholesterol plays a key role in regulating proteins involved in cell signaling and may be important to many other cell processes, an international team of researchers has found.

The results of their study are reported in the journal Nature Communications.

Cholesterol's role in heart disease has given it a bad reputation. But inside the thin membrane of a cell, the tight regulation of cholesterol at high levels (30 to 40 percent) suggests that it plays an important role in cellular processes, says Wonhwa Cho, professor of chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago and principal investigator on the study.

Cho and colleagues had previously found evidence that cholesterol was directly interacting with many proteins found in the interior of the cell. The interaction seemed necessary for the proper functioning of these proteins.

"This was quite a surprising finding," said Cho, because cholesterol resides within the membrane, sandwiched between its inner and outer face. Cell biologists had thought it could only interact with other biomolecules within the membrane.

In the new study, Cho and his colleagues showed how cholesterol interacts with a scaffolding protein, one of a class of proteins that plays an important role in cell signaling. The researchers showed that cholesterol binds to a region on the protein molecule where one of its signaling partners also binds -- and that disrupting cholesterol binding to the protein makes it unable to activate its partner.

The researchers describe in detail how the protein hooks onto and reaches inside the membrane to find and bind cholesterol.

Cho believes that this strategy for interacting with cholesterol may be used by many interior cellular proteins and offers an insight into what is known about the importance of cholesterol to well-functioning cells.

Much of the existing data on the cholesterol-related regulation of cellular processes had been difficult to interpret, he said.

"This is a major finding that will help people understand how cholesterol may regulate other cellular processes," Cho said.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our cholesterol section for the latest news on this subject. Ren Sheng, graduate student in chemistry at UIC, was first author of the paper. Other authors are Yong Chen, Ewa Stec, Heather Melowic, Nichole Blatner and Moe Tun, all of the UIC chemistry department; Morten Kallberg and Hui Lu of the UIC bioengineering department; Heon Yung Gee, Yonjung Kim and Min Goo Lee of the Yonse University College of Medicine in Seoul; Takahiro Fujiwara and Akhiro Kusumi of Kyoto University in Japan; and Ji Hye Hong and Kwang Pyo Kim of Konkuk University in Seoul.

This study was supported by the Chicago Biomedical Consortium with the support of the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust; National Institutes of Health grant GM68849; the World Class University program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; and a grant from the National Project for Personalized Medicine, part of the Korea Health 21 R&D Project of the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare.

University of Illinois at Chicago

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

n.p. "Cholesterol Helps Regulate Key Signaling Proteins In The Cell." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 30 Dec. 2012. Web.
31 Dec. 2012. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'Cholesterol Helps Regulate Key Signaling Proteins In The Cell'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here

How Ganoderma Lucidum Helps Prevent and Stop Allergy and Sinus Problems!

Do you suffer from allergies? Do you have red puffy eyes when you wake up in the morning... that feel like they are full of sand and so itchy that you want to claw out your eyeballs? No manner of scratching or rubbing will help... only make it worse. It drives you crazy! Then the runny nose starts... followed by a hacking cough and a sinus migraine headache that would stop a truck. My headaches would get so bad that I just wanted to die. I would go into my bedroom, shut out the lights, cover my face with the heating pad and pray it would ease some and eventually go away. No amount of sinus medication or allergy pills seemed to help. If anything, it intensified things.

Have you experienced some or all of these uncomfortable symptoms that made life just miserable? Trying to carry on a normal routine, looking after young children, doing my housework, going to my place of employment and trying to be civil to people in the workplace was almost impossible. I worked for a lawyer and trying to take dictation and type on the typewriter (before computers) was horrible. Every pound of the keys sent vibrations throughout my head that were horrific and I just wanted the workday to end so I could go home. But at home things were no better. Most of time it was only the passing of the hours that brought some relief. I just had to bear with it. Not a pleasant experience! Not something you want to see anyone else have to deal with. That is why I am writing this article, hoping it will help someone who is experiencing what I went through find some relief.

In starting my search for answers I found out something I did not know before and it changed the way I addressed my allergy concerns. The following is information that helped me get on track to finding solutions to my problems:

A. Deficiencies of the Immune System:

"When the immune system is deficient or does not function properly, it leaves the body susceptible to a wide array of illnesses. However, allergies and hypersensitivity to certain substances are considered immune system disorders."

B. Allergies are Immune System Disorders:

"Allergies are disorders of the immune system. Most allergic reactions are a result of an immune system that responds to a "false alarm." When a harmless substance such as dust, mold, or pollen is encountered by a person who is allergic to that substance, the immune system may react dramatically, by producing antibodies that "attack" the allergen (substances that produce allergic reactions). The result of an allergen entering a susceptible person's body may include wheezing, itching, runny nose, and watery or itchy eyes, and other symptoms... ." Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

If you have allergies and enter a room where someone has doused themselves with perfume... how long does it take for your nose to let you know it does not like the scent? What about going to a friend's house and their pet cat decides it prefers your lap to any other comfortable place in the room? Much more serious, what if you are allergic to bee stings or Peanuts... that could be life threatening. If you have an immune system disorder all the foregoing are concerns you must be aware of. Allergies can also trigger asthma attacks which can be very serious, even life threatening.

Due to major surgery that depleted my immune system, I developed not only allergies... but an asthmatic condition that was so severe that I was taken to the hospital on several occasions for emergency treatment. I was constantly fighting off allergy attacks and lived in fear of another asthma attack that would send me back to the hospital. After going to an Allergist and Asthma specialist, only to find out that my condition was chronic and would not improve but only get worse over time... I decided to look to alternative treatments and supplements that might help alleviate my condition.

An Answer At Last!

It was not until I clued into the fact that Allergies are caused by Immune disorders did the "light bulb" come on. Neither my doctor nor the specialists I went to provided me with this information. If they had done so, it would have helped me tremendously in my search for a solution. Either they did not know or felt the information would be beyond my comprehension, I am not sure... .but without that information, I would still be suffering today from this problem.

A friend of mine gave me a sample of coffee with an herb in it that had an immediate effect on my immune system's allergy symptoms. At first, I could not understand why one cup of this coffee, with this particular herb, could all of a sudden take away my sinus headache. This herb is called the Red Reishi Mushroom. I started doing some research and this is what I found.

There have been many studies on the effects of Reishi on the immune system, including its Anti-Allergic/Anti-Inflammatory Actions.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Reishi's anti-allergy action became the subject of ongoing research in both China and Japan. Studies showed that Reishi inhibited all four types of allergic reactions, with positive effects on asthma and contact dermatitis. Depression can also be caused by food allergies. Research shows Reishi's dramatic help in clearing food allergies. Reishi revitalizes the blood and helps normalize IgG, an immunoglobulin responsible for triggering many food allergies.

Just What is Ganoderma Lucidum Anyway?

The Red Reishi also known as Ganoderma Lucidum, is primarily grown in the Orient. Those who study the Reishi for it's medicinal purposes are amazed at it versatility in working with the human body. It's adaptogenic properties make it the most powerful herb on the planet... giving it the status of the "King of Herbs" in China. Natural foods like the Reishi exist in nature for a reason, they provide us with the help we need to keep our bodies finetuned, providing antioxidants and nutrients that our diet does not provide. The Orientals practice preventative medicine and the Reishi is on top of their list in the prevention of disease. Do you think we maybe could take a lesson from them?

How Does Ganoderma Work?

I needed to know more about how this amazing herb could be so effective. I did more research and found the answer... I found out that the Reishi supports and builds up the Immune system. It has so many properties that I decided to continue my growth of knowledge about this amazing herb. I have been able to reach many, many people, who after trying this herb, have found it has the ability to provide solutions to their many health concerns. I am in awe of this miraculous mushroom called the Red Reishi and my continual research has increased my appreciation of what nature can provide us and I will continue to pass on this valuable information to everyone who wants to benefit from my findings.

"Life is a precious gift from God. Although fragile, it demands our continual nurturing and should never be taken for granted." Java Joan Maxymuik.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Information provided on our email or company web site and on all publications, packaging, and labels is for general purposes only and designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or health- care professional.

Joan Maxymuik,

Trainer and Coach.

Email: jmaxymuik@cogeco.ca

My name is Joan Maxymuik and I have been on a search for answers to serious health concerns. Why do some people never seem to get sick? Why do other people seem to be sick most of their lives? In an ever-changing world of health care cutbacks and escalating costs, people are looking for answers. It is my hope that I can bring you valuable information that will be of benefit to you and yours. In my research I found an herb that has turned my life around, Ganoderma Lucidum, the Reishi Mushroom.

Joan Maxymuik,
Trainer and Coach,
Personal Website - http://organojavajoan.com
Member of Madison's Who's Who