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Selected AbstractsEmbryonic dermal condensation and adult dermal papilla induce hair follicles in adult glabrous epidermis through different mechanismsDEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION, Issue 2 2006Mutsumi Inamatsu Hair induction in the adult glabrous epidermis by the embryonic dermis was compared with that by the adult dermis. Recombinant skin, composed of the adult sole epidermis and the embryonic dermis containing dermal condensations (DC), was transplanted onto the back of nude mice. The epidermis of transplants formed hairs. Histology on the induction process demonstrated the formation of placode-like tissues, indicating that the transplant produces hair follicles through a mechanism similar to that underlying hair follicle development in the embryonic skin. An isolated adult rat sole skin piece, inserted with either an aggregate of cultured dermal papilla (DP) cells or an intact DP between its epidermis and dermis, was similarly transplanted. The transplant produced hair follicles. Histology showed that the epidermis in both cases surrounded the aggregates of DP cells. The epidermis never formed placode-like tissues. Thus, it was concluded that the adult epidermal cells recapitulate the embryonic process of hair follicle development when exposed to DC, whereas they get directly into the anagen of the hair cycle when exposed to DP. The expression pattern of Edar and Shh genes, and P-cadherin protein during the hair follicle development in the two types of transplants supported the above conclusion. [source] Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone attenuates behavioral effects of corticotropin-releasing factor in isolated guinea pig pupsDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Patricia A. Schiml-Webb Abstract During a 3-hr period of social isolation in a novel environment, guinea pig pups exhibit an initial active phase of behavioral responsiveness, characterized primarily by vocalizing, which is then followed by a stage of passive responsiveness in which pups display a distinctive crouch, eye-closing, and extensive piloerection. Prior treatment of pups with alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (,-MSH) reduces each of the passive behaviors. The onset of passive responding during separation can be accelerated with peripheral injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). To examine whether CRF produces its effects through a mechanism similar to that of prolonged separation, we examined the effect of administering ,-MSH to pups injected with CRF. As expected, CRF markedly enhanced passive responding during a 60-min period of separation. ,-MSH delivered by either intracerebroventricular infusion or intraperitoneal injection significantly reduced each of the passive behavioral responses without significantly affecting active behavior. These findings, together with previous results indicating that it is the anti-inflammatory property of ,-MSH that is responsible for its behavioral effects during prolonged separation, suggest that peripheral CRF speeds the induction of passive responding through a mechanism involving enhanced proinflammatory activity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 51: 399,407, 2009. [source] Estrogenic activity of lambda-cyhalothrin in the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2008Meirong Zhao Abstract Synthetic pyrethroids are widely used in both agricultural and urban environments for insect control. Lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) is one of the most common pyrethroids and is used mainly for controlling mosquitoes, fleas, cockroaches, flies, and ants around households. Previous studies have addressed the environmental behaviors and acute toxicities of LCT, but little is known about its chronic toxicity, such as estrogen-like activity. In the present study, the estrogenic potential of LCT was evaluated using the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line. The in vitro E-screen assay showed that 10,7 M LCT could significantly promote MCF-7 cell proliferation, with a relative proliferative effect ratio of 45%. The cell proliferation induced by LCT could be blocked completely, however, by the addition of 10,9 M of the estrogen receptor (ER)-antagonist ICI 182,780. The semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results showed that the Trefoil factor 1 (pS2) and progesterone receptor gene expression were up-regulated by 10,7 M LCT for 2- and 1.5-fold, respectively. On the other hand, RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescent assay demonstrated that LCT significantly repressed the mRNA and protein expression levels of ER, and ER,. These observations indicate that LCT possesses estrogenic properties and may function as a xenoestrogen, likely via a mechanism similar to that of 17,-estradiol. The endocrine-disruption potential of LCT should be considered when assessing the safety of this compound in sensitive environmental compartments. [source] Contact-dependent aggregation of functional Ca2+ channels, synaptic vesicles and postsynaptic receptors in active zones of a neuromuscular junctionEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2001David A. DiGregorio Abstract To examine whether Ca2+ channels aggregate in a contact-dependent manner, we characterized the distribution of synaptic vesicles and postsynaptic receptors, and compared it to the location of Ca2+ entry sites, in a Xenopus laevis nerve-muscle coculture preparation using a localized Ca2+ detection method. The majority (75%) of Ca2+ entry sites at spontaneously formed nerve,muscle contacts were associated with enhanced immunofluorescence to the synaptic vesicle protein, SV2. In contrast, only 11% of recorded sites without Ca2+ transients exhibited significant SV2 immunofluorescence. When comparing the spatial distribution of synaptic markers with that of Ca2+ entry sites, we found that the majority of Ca2+ entry sites (61%) were associated with both enhanced SV2 immunofluorescence and R-BTX fluorescence, thereby identifying putative neurotransmitter release sites where Ca2+ channels, synaptic vesicles and postsynaptic receptors are colocalized. Using polystyrene beads coated with a heparin binding protein known to mediate in vitro postsynaptic receptor clustering, we show that the location of Ca2+ domains was associated with enhanced SV2 immunofluorescence at neurite-to-bead contacts. We conclude that the localization of functional Ca2+ channels to putative active zones follows a contact-dependent signalling mechanism similar to that known to mediate vesicle aggregation and AChR clustering. [source] Analysis of DNA-binding sites on Mhr1, a yeast mitochondrial ATP-independent homologous pairing proteinFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2010Tokiha Masuda The Mhr1 protein is necessary for mtDNA homologous recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Homologous pairing (HP) is an essential reaction during homologous recombination, and is generally catalyzed by the RecA/Rad51 family of proteins in an ATP-dependent manner. Mhr1 catalyzes HP through a mechanism similar, at the DNA level, to that of the RecA/Rad51 proteins, but without utilizing ATP. However, it has no sequence homology with the RecA/Rad51 family proteins or with other ATP-independent HP proteins, and exhibits different requirements for DNA topology. We are interested in the structural features of the functional domains of Mhr1. In this study, we employed the native fluorescence of Mhr1's Trp residues to examine the energy transfer from the Trp residues to etheno-modified ssDNA bound to Mhr1. Our results showed that two of the seven Trp residues (Trp71 and Trp165) are spatially close to the bound DNA. A systematic analysis of mutant Mhr1 proteins revealed that Asp69 is involved in Mg2+ -dependent DNA binding, and that multiple Lys and Arg residues located around Trp71 and Trp165 are involved in the DNA-binding activity of Mhr1. In addition, in vivo complementation analyses showed that a region around Trp165 is important for the maintenance of mtDNA. On the basis of these results, we discuss the function of the region surrounding Trp165. [source] The chromosome translocation t(7;11)(p15;p15) in acute myeloid leukemia results in fusion of the NUP98 gene with a HOXA cluster gene, HOXA13, but not HOXA9GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 4 2002Takeshi Taketani The nucleoporin gene NUP98 has been reported to be fused to 9 partner genes in hematologic malignancies with 11p15 translocations. The NUP98-HOXA9 fusion gene has been identified in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myelogenous leukemia with t(7;11)(p15;p15). We report here a novel NUP98 partner gene, HOXA13, in a patient with de novo AML having t(7;11)(p15;p15). The HOXA13 gene is part of the HOXA cluster genes and contains 2 exons, encoding a protein of 338 amino acids with a homeodomain. The NUP98-HOXA13 fusion protein consists of the N-terminal phenylalanine-glycine repeat motif of NUP98 and the C-terminal homeodomain of HOXA13, similar to the NUP98-HOXA9 fusion protein. Reverse transcriptase,polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis in various leukemic cell lines showed that the HOXA13 gene was expressed significantly more frequently in acute monocytic leukemic cell lines than in other leukemic cell lines (P = 0.039). HOXA13 and three HOXA cluster genes (A9, A10, A11) located at the 5, end of the HOXA9 gene were frequently expressed in myeloid leukemic cell lines. Our results revealed that t(7;11)(p15;p15) was not a single chromosomal abnormality at the molecular level. The protein encoded by the NUP98-HOXA13 fusion gene is similar to that encoded by NUP98-HOXA9, and the expression pattern of the HOXA13 gene in leukemic cell lines is similar to that of the HOXA9 gene, suggesting that the NUP98-HOXA13 fusion protein may play a role in leukemogenesis through a mechanism similar to that of the NUP98-HOXA9 fusion protein. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Cover Picture: Colloidal Synthesis of Hollow Cobalt Sulfide Nanocrystals (Adv. Funct.ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 11 2006Mater. Abstract Hollow nanocrystals have been synthesized through a mechanism analogous to the Kirkendall Effect. When a cobalt nanocrystal reacts with sulfur in solution, the outward diffusion of cobalt atoms is faster than the inward diffusion of sulfur atoms through the sulfide shell. The dominating outward diffusion of cobalt cations produces vacancies that can condense into a single void in the center of the nanocrystal at high temperatures. This process provides a general route to the synthesis of hollow nanostructures of a large number of compounds and is described in the Full Paper by A.,P. Alivisatos and co-workers on p.,1389. Formation of cobalt sulfide hollow nanocrystals through a mechanism similar to the Kirkendall Effect has been investigated in detail. It is found that performing the reaction at >,120,°C leads to fast formation of a single void inside each shell, whereas at room temperature multiple voids are formed within each shell, which can be attributed to strongly temperature-dependent diffusivities for vacancies. The void formation process is dominated by outward diffusion of cobalt cations; still, the occurrence of significant inward transport of sulfur anions can be inferred as the final voids are smaller in diameter than the original cobalt nanocrystals. Comparison of volume distributions for initial and final nanostructures indicates excess apparent volume in shells, implying significant porosity and/or a defective structure. Indirect evidence for fracture of shells during growth at lower temperatures was observed in shell-size statistics and transmission electron microscopy images of as-grown shells. An idealized model of the diffusional process imposes two minimal requirements on material parameters for shell growth to be obtainable within a specific synthetic system. [source] Facebook and Online Privacy: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Unintended ConsequencesJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 1 2009Bernhard Debatin This article investigates Facebook users' awareness of privacy issues and perceived benefits and risks of utilizing Facebook. Research found that Facebook is deeply integrated in users' daily lives through specific routines and rituals. Users claimed to understand privacy issues, yet reported uploading large amounts of personal information. Risks to privacy invasion were ascribed more to others than to the self. However, users reporting privacy invasion were more likely to change privacy settings than those merely hearing about others' privacy invasions. Results suggest that this lax attitude may be based on a combination of high gratification, usage patterns, and a psychological mechanism similar to third-person effect. Safer use of social network services would thus require changes in user attitude. [source] Ethanol Enhances Taurine-Activated Glycine Receptor FunctionALCOHOLISM, Issue 9 2010Brian T. Welsh Background:, Emerging evidence suggests that taurine acts as a partial agonist on glycine receptors (GlyR) in vitro and in vivo. Ethanol acts as an allosteric modulator on the GlyR producing a leftward shift of the glycine concentration,response curve, with no enhancing effects observed at saturating glycine concentrations. However, to date, no electrophysiological studies have been performed on ethanol modulation of taurine-activated GlyR. Methods:, Wild-type ,1 GlyR, or those bearing a serine-267 to isoleucine replacement (S267I), were homomerically expressed in Xenopus oocytes and voltage clamped at ,70 mV. Ethanol was co-applied with varying concentrations of glycine or taurine and the enhancing effects of ethanol compared. Results:, Ethanol potentiated glycine- and taurine-activated GlyR responses in a concentration-dependent manner. It shifted taurine and glycine concentration,response curves to the left, having no effects at saturating agonist concentrations. Chelation of zinc by tricine decreased ethanol enhancement of taurine-gated GlyR function. The S267I mutation prevented ethanol enhancement of taurine-mediated responses as previously also reported for glycine. Conclusion:, Ethanol modulates taurine activation of GlyR function by a mechanism similar to that of the full agonist glycine. The lack of effect of ethanol at saturating taurine concentrations provides mechanistic information on alcohol actions at the GlyR. [source] Tuning the Properties of Functional Pyrrolidinium Polymers by (Co)polymerization of Diallyldimethylammonium Ionic LiquidsMACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 18 2010V. Jovanovski Abstract The synthesis and polymerization of novel diallyldimethylammonium ionic liquid monomers is described. A free-radical polymerization follows a ring-closing cyclopolymerization mechanism similar to the one observed previously for diallyldimethylammonium halides that leads to pyrrolidinium functional polymers. As previously observed in other families of polymeric ionic liquids, their physico-chemical properties are seriously affected by the nature of the counter-anion. As an example, the thermal stability increases following the trend SCN,,<,,<,,<,bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide. Interestingly, this polymerization route may lead to the synthesis of a new family of random copolymers that have a similar poly(diallyldimethylammonium) backbone and a mixture of counter-anions determined by the comonomer selection. [source] Preparation of Functionalized Polysilsesquioxane and Polysilsesquioxane-Metal Nanoparticle Composite Spheres,MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 15 2006Young Baek Kim Abstract Summary: Network polysilsesquioxane spheres made solely of poly(vinylsilsesquioxane) (PVSQ) and poly(3-mercaptopropylsilsesquioxane) (PMPSQ) were prepared from heterogeneous mixtures of triethylamine (TEA), water, and either vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS), or 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The microscopic, macroscopic observations, and the relationship between the diameters of spheres and the amount of each ingredient in the reaction system, showed that spheres formed via a mechanism similar to emulsion polymerization and suspension polymerization, depending on the reaction conditions. Diameters of spheres could be controlled from tens of nanometers to a few micrometers by adjusting the amounts of TEA, water, and a surfactant. Heating aqueous solutions of metal ions with these spheres produced polysilsesquioxanes (PSQ)-metal nanoparticle composite spheres. The spheres prepared in this study were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, solid state NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential thermal analysis. These spheres would be useful in recovering metals from their ionic solutions and probes after chemical modifications. An image of the spheres of poly(vinylsilsesquioxane)-gold nanoparticle composite. [source] Characterization of heat shock protein 90 in the shrimp Metapenaeus ensis: Evidence for its role in the regulation of vitellogenin synthesisMOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2008Long Tao Wu Abstract Estrogen hormones play a vital role in the regulation of female reproductive maturation. In oviparous vertebrates, the synthesis of vitellogenin (VTG) is tightly controlled by estrogen hormone signal transduction pathway, which is mediated by estrogen receptor and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). In order to investigate whether a similar mechanism exists in crustaceans, the Hsp90 gene was cloned and isolated from the shrimp Metapenaeus ensis by homology cloning strategy. The Hsp90 is 2,524 bp in length, containing an open reading frame of 2,163 bp that encodes a 720 amino acid polypeptide (83 kD). The Hsp90 -coding region is interrupted by four introns. MeHsp90 is differentially expressed in eyestalk, ovary, and hepatopancreas at different ovarian maturation stages, and consistently expressed in other tissues including heart, gill, gut, muscle, and central nervous system. In vitro ovary explant assay reveals that MeHsp90 expression in immature ovary can be induced by the addition of exogenous estradiol-17,, but expression in fully mature ovary exhibits no response to estradiol-17, treatment. In situ hybridization shows that MeHsp90 is highly expressed in previtellogenic oocytes and its expression decreases with the progress of maturation, and finally stops in late-vitellogenic oocytes. Our results indicate a strong correlation between estrogen hormones and Hsp90 expression in shrimp, suggesting that the expression of VTG may be under the regulation of estrogen hormones through a mechanism similar to that in vertebrates. The result provides insights on the control of vitellogenesis in invertebrates. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 952,959, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Structures of alternatively spliced isoforms of human ketohexokinaseACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 3 2009Chi H. Trinh A molecular understanding of the unique aspects of dietary fructose metabolism may be the key to understanding and controlling the current epidemic of fructose-related obesity, diabetes and related adverse metabolic states in Western populations. Fructose catabolism is initiated by its phosphorylation to fructose 1-phosphate, which is performed by ketohexokinase (KHK). Here, the crystal structures of the two alternatively spliced isoforms of human ketohexokinase, hepatic KHK-C and the peripheral isoform KHK-A, and of the ternary complex of KHK-A with the substrate fructose and AMP-PNP are reported. The structure of the KHK-A ternary complex revealed an active site with both the substrate fructose and the ATP analogue in positions ready for phosphorylation following a reaction mechanism similar to that of the pfkB family of carbohydrate kinases. Hepatic KHK deficiency causes the benign disorder essential fructosuria. The effects of the disease-causing mutations (Gly40Arg and Ala43Thr) have been modelled in the context of the KHK structure. [source] Mechanisms influencing the evolution of resistance to Qo inhibitor fungicides,,PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 9 2002Ulrich Gisi Abstract Fungicides inhibiting the mitochondrial respiration of plant pathogens by binding to the cytochrome bc1 enzyme complex (complex III) at the Qo site (Qo inhibitors, QoIs) were first introduced to the market in 1996. After a short time period, isolates resistant to QoIs were detected in field populations of a range of important plant pathogens including Blumeria graminis Speer f sp tritici, Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schlecht ex Fr) Poll, Plasmopara viticola (Berk & MA Curtis ex de Bary) Berl & de Toni, Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk & MA Curtis) Rost, Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet and Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) Wint. In most cases, resistance was conferred by a point mutation in the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene leading to an amino-acid change from glycine to alanine at position 143 (G143A), although additional mutations and mechanisms have been claimed in a number of organisms. Transformation of sensitive protoplasts of M fijiensis with a DNA fragment of a resistant M fijiensis isolate containing the mutation yielded fully resistant transformants, demonstrating that the G143A substitution may be the most powerful transversion in the cyt b gene conferring resistance. The G143A substitution is claimed not to affect the activity of the enzyme, suggesting that resistant individuals may not suffer from a significant fitness penalty, as was demonstrated in B graminis f sp tritici. It is not known whether this observation applies also for other pathogen species expressing the G143A substitution. Since fungal cells contain a large number of mitochondria, early mitotic events in the evolution of resistance to QoIs have to be considered, such as mutation frequency (claimed to be higher in mitochondrial than nuclear DNA), intracellular proliferation of mitochondria in the heteroplasmatic cell stage, and cell to cell donation of mutated mitochondria. Since the cyt b gene is located in the mitochondrial genome, inheritance of resistance in filamentous fungi is expected to be non-Mendelian and, therefore, in most species uniparental. In the isogamous fungus B graminis f sp tritici, crosses of sensitive and resistant parents yielded cleistothecia containing either sensitive or resistant ascospores and the segregation pattern for resistance in the F1 progeny population was 1:1. In the anisogamous fungus V inaequalis, donation of resistance was maternal and the segregation ratio 1:0. In random mating populations, the sex ratio (mating type distribution) is generally assumed to be 1:1. Therefore, the overall proportion of sensitive and resistant individuals in unselected populations is expected to be 1:1. Evolution of resistance to QoIs will depend mainly on early mitotic events; the selection process for resistant mutants in populations exposed to QoI treatments may follow mechanisms similar to those described for resistance controlled by single nuclear genes in other fungicide classes. It will remain important to understand how the mitochondrial nature of QoI resistance and factors such as mutation, recombination, selection and migration might influence the evolution of QoI resistance in different plant pathogens. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||