The molecular machinery that enables life has evolved in water, yet many of the organisms
around us are able to survive even extreme desiccation. Especially remarkable are single …

The ability to control cell volume is pivotal for cell function. Cell volume perturbation elicits a
wide array of signaling events, leading to protective (eg, cytoskeletal rearrangement) and …

Control of the electrochemical environment in living cells is typically attributed to ion
channels. Here, we show that the formation of biomolecular condensates can modulate the …

All microorganisms possess a positive turgor, and maintenance of this outward-directed
pressure is essential since it is generally considered as the driving force for cell expansion …

The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) family of transcription factors, which includes
NFAT1, NFAT2, and NFAT4, are well-known to play important roles in T cell activation. Most …

Cells in the renal inner medulla are normally exposed to extraordinarily high levels of NaCl
and urea. The osmotic stress causes numerous perturbations because of the hypertonic …

Combinatorial regulation is a powerful mechanism that enables tight control of gene
expression, via integration of multiple signaling pathways that induce different transcription …

This chapter critically examines the concept of the polyol pathway and how it relates to the
pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The two enzymes of the polyol pathway …

We have analyzed the transcriptional response to osmotic shock in the yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The mRNA level of 186 genes increased at least 3-fold after a …

Diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite numerous
treatments for cardiovascular disease (CVD), for patients with diabetes, these therapies …