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Chimeras
Kinds of Chimeras Terms modified by Chimeras Selected AbstractsOpen Borders: Absurd Chimera or Inevitable Future Policy?INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 5 2010John P. Casey In the current climate of security concerns, the movement of people across borders is becoming increasingly criminalised. Yet there is a parallel political and economic reality in which borders are opening and the movement of people is being liberalised: zones of free movement such as the European Union expand; other bilateral and multilateral agreements include provisions for more fluid cross-border movement; international trade negotiations seek to facilitate the flow of those providing goods and services; developing countries' push for greater access for their citizens to the labour markets of the industrialised world; and a new class of "gold collar" professionals moves with increasing ease around the globe. This paper explores the possibilities of universal open borders as a future policy option. The author accepts realpolitik and understands that the free flow of immigrants is currently impossible, but also maintains that open borders are an inevitable long-term consequence of globalisation, as well as a policy option for addressing North-South inequalities and a moral touchstone for the global extension of human rights. The paper does not advocate for more migration, but instead explores the paradox that the creation of the conditions that would allow for the opening of borders is likely to reduce the incentives for emigration. The paper explores the policy changes needed to achieve open borders. [source] Reliability in Pain Practice: Chimera or Reality?PAIN MEDICINE, Issue 3 2000Rollin M. Gallagher MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] The Scrittoio della Calliope in the Palazzo Vecchio: a Tuscan museumRENAISSANCE STUDIES, Issue 5 2005Andrea M. Gáldy On 13 June 1559 a group of objects , ancient, modern, exotic , were taken to the newly created Scrittoio della Calliope of Cosimo I de' Medici. The scrittoio was part of the new wing of the Palazzo Ducale in Florence, added by Giambattista Tasso and Giorgio Vasari and decorated with an elaborate programme of invenzioni. Some of the pieces in this room had been found with the Chimera in Arezzo in 1553 and were considered Etruscan because of their place of discovery. These objects were complemented in the scrittoio installation by exotic pieces from the far corners of the known world, together with a number of works of all'antica art and of Christian art by modern Tuscan artists. In this investigation of the scrittoio's contents, and the relationship of the different groups of objects to each other, it will be shown how the idea of an artistic and political continuity between ancient Etruria and modern Tuscany was presented in visual form in the Scrittoio della Calliope. (pp. 699,709) [source] Revelationary biology: A review of The Second Tree: Stem Cells, Clones, Chimeras, and Quests for Immortality, by Elaine DewarEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2005Yolanda P. Cruz First page of article [source] Click Chemistry: A Powerful Tool to Create Polymer-Based Macromolecular ChimerasMACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, Issue 12-13 2008Benjamin Le Droumaguet Abstract The combination of polymeric with biological materials, to create biohybrid macromolecules that merge the properties of both the natural and synthetic components, is a flourishing area in both life sciences and biotechnology. The click chemistry philosophy has recently provided a powerful tool in this direction, leading to a plethora of novel, tailor-made biomacromolecules with unprecedented structural characteristics and properties. The different synthetic strategies, using the alkyne,azide click cycloadditions to bioorthogonally achieve the coupling of synthetic polymers with nucleic acids, peptides, sugars, proteins or even viruses and cells is described. The review covers the latest developments in this very dynamic and rapidly expanding field. [source] Treg-Therapy Allows Mixed Chimerism and Transplantation Tolerance Without Cytoreductive ConditioningAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 4 2010N. Pilat Establishment of mixed chimerism through transplantation of allogeneic donor bone marrow (BM) into sufficiently conditioned recipients is an effective experimental approach for the induction of transplantation tolerance. Clinical translation, however, is impeded by the lack of feasible protocols devoid of cytoreductive conditioning (i.e. irradiation and cytotoxic drugs/mAbs). The therapeutic application of regulatory T cells (Tregs) prolongs allograft survival in experimental models, but appears insufficient to induce robust tolerance on its own. We thus investigated whether mixed chimerism and tolerance could be realized without the need for cytoreductive treatment by combining Treg therapy with BM transplantation (BMT). Polyclonal recipient Tregs were cotransplanted with a moderate dose of fully mismatched allogeneic donor BM into recipients conditioned solely with short-course costimulation blockade and rapamycin. This combination treatment led to long-term multilineage chimerism and donor-specific skin graft tolerance. Chimeras also developed humoral and in vitro tolerance. Both deletional and nondeletional mechanisms contributed to maintenance of tolerance. All tested populations of polyclonal Tregs (FoxP3-transduced Tregs, natural Tregs and TGF-, induced Tregs) were effective in this setting. Thus, Treg therapy achieves mixed chimerism and tolerance without cytoreductive recipient treatment, thereby eliminating a major toxic element impeding clinical translation of this approach. [source] Comparison's Chimeras (Biology Unmoored: Melanesian Reflections on Life and Biotechnology, By Sandra Bamford)ANTHROPOLOGY & HUMANISM, Issue 1-2 2008Thomas StrongArticle first published online: 30 OCT 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Understanding the Plasticity of the ,/, Hydrolase Fold: Lid Swapping on the Candida antarctica Lipase B Results in Chimeras with Interesting Biocatalytic PropertiesCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 3 2009Michael Skjøt Dr. Abstract The best of both worlds. Long molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) confirmed the function of helix ,5 as a lid structure. Replacement of the helix with corresponding lid regions from CALB homologues from Neurospora crassa and Gibberella zeae resulted in new CALB chimeras with novel biocatalytic properties. The figure shows a snapshot from the MD simulation. The Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) has found very extensive use in biocatalysis reactions. Long molecular dynamics simulations of CALB in explicit aqueous solvent confirmed the high mobility of the regions lining the channel that leads into the active site, in particular, of helices ,5 and ,10. The simulation also confirmed the function of helix ,5 as a lid of the lipase. Replacing it with corresponding lid regions from the CALB homologues from Neurospora crassa and Gibberella zeae resulted in two new CALB mutants. Characterization of these revealed several interesting properties, including increased hydrolytic activity on simple esters, specifically substrates with C, branching on the carboxylic side, and much increased enantioselectivity in hydrolysis of racemic ethyl 2-phenylpropanoate (E>50), which is a common structure of the profen drug family. [source] Nuclease Stability of LNA Oligonucleotides and LNA-DNA ChimerasCHEMINFORM, Issue 6 2004Miriam Frieden Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source] Synthesis and DNA Binding Properties of DNA-PNA ChimerasCHEMINFORM, Issue 6 2004G. Barone Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source] A FAK/Src chimera with gain-of-function properties promotes formation of large peripheral adhesions associated with dynamic actin assemblyCYTOSKELETON, Issue 1 2008Priscila M. F. Siesser Abstract Formation of a complex between the tyrosine kinases FAK and Src is a key integrin-mediated signaling event implicated in cell motility, survival, and proliferation. Past studies indicate that FAK functions in the complex primarily as a "scaffold," acting to recruit and activate Src within cell/matrix adhesions. To study the cellular impact of FAK-associated Src signaling we developed a novel gain-of-function approach that involves expressing a chimeric protein with the FAK kinase domain replaced by the Src kinase domain. This FAK/Src chimera is subject to adhesion-dependent activation and promotes tyrosine phosphorylation of p130Cas and paxillin to higher steady-state levels than is achieved by wild-type FAK. When expressed in FAK ,/, mouse embryo fibroblasts, the FAK/Src chimera resulted in a striking cellular phenotype characterized by unusual large peripheral adhesions, enhanced adhesive strength, and greatly reduced motility. Live cell imaging of the chimera-expressing FAK ,/, cells provided evidence that the large peripheral adhesions are associated with a dynamic actin assembly process that is sensitive to a Src-selective inhibitor. These findings suggest that FAK-associated Src kinase activity has the capacity to promote adhesion integrity and actin assembly. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Acute effects of desmin mutations on cytoskeletal and cellular integrity in cardiac myocytesCYTOSKELETON, Issue 2 2003Kurt Haubold Mutations in desmin have been associated with a subset of human myopathies. Symptoms typically appear in the second to third decades of life, but in the most severe cases can manifest themselves earlier. How desmin mutations lead to aberrant muscle function, however, remains poorly defined. We created a series of four mutations in rat desmin and tested their in vitro filament assembly properties. RDM-G, a chimera between desmin and green fluorescent protein, formed protofilament-like structures in vitro. RDM-1 and RDM-2 blocked in vitro assembly at the unit-length filament stage, while RDM-3 had more subtle effects on assembly. When expressed in cultured rat neonatal cardiac myocytes via adenovirus infection, these mutant proteins disrupted the endogenous desmin filament to an extent that correlated with their defects in in vitro assembly properties. Disruption of the desmin network by RDM-1 was also associated with disruption of plectin, myosin, and ,-actinin organization in a significant percentage of infected cells. In contrast, expression of RDM-2, which is similar to previously characterized human mutant desmins, took longer to disrupt desmin and plectin organization and had no significant effect on myosin or ,-actinin organization over the 5-day time course of our studies. RDM-3 had the mildest effect on in vitro assembly and no discernable effect on either desmin, plectin, myosin, or ,-actinin organization in vivo. These results indicate that mutations in desmin have both direct and indirect effects on the cytoarchitecture of cardiac myocytes. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 54:105,121, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Successful non-T-cell-depleted HLA-haploidentical 3-loci mismatched bone marrow transplantationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2005Shigeki Yagyu Abstract:, A 17-year-old boy with therapy-related acute myelocytic leukemia (FAB classification-M0) successfully received allogeneic non-T-cell depleted (non-TCD) bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from his 3-loci HLA-mismatch mother, although pre-BMT detection of feto-maternal microchimerism was negative. The BMT was performed with reduced intensity conditioning (total body irradiation; 4 Gy, fludarabine; 20 mg/m2 × 6, and melphalan; 70 mg/m2 × 2) and short-course methotrexate and tacrolimus for GVHD prophylaxis. Complete donor chimera was obtained on day 19, associated with Grade 3 acute GVHD (skin: Stage 1, liver: Stage 0, gut: Stage 3) that was well controlled with immunosuppressive therapies. At day 200 of transplantation, he was in complete remission with no signs of chronic GVHD. Our case suggests that non-TCD HLA-haploidentical 3-loci mismatched BMT can be safely performed from mother to offspring even when feto-maternal microchimerism is barely detectable with the current detection procedure. [source] Involvement of leptin signaling in the survival and maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cellsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 12 2006Kwan Lam, Queenie Abstract Previous studies demonstrated that lymphocyte development is impaired in leptin receptor (Ob - R)-deficient db/db mice. However, it remains unclear whether or not leptin signaling plays a physiological role in dendritic cell (DC) development and function. In this study, we first detected Ob-R expression in murine DC. Using db/db mice at a pre-diabetic stage, we demonstrate that the total number of DC generated from bone marrow (BM) cultures is significantly lower than in WT controls. Similarly, selective blockade of leptin with a soluble mouse Ob-R chimera (Ob-R:Fc) inhibited DC generation in wild-type BM cultures. The reduced DC yield in db/db BM culture was attributed to significantly increased apoptosis, which was associated with dysregulated expression of Bcl-2 family genes. Moreover, db/db DC displayed markedly reduced expression of co-stimulatory molecules and a Th2-type cytokine profile, with a poor capacity to stimulate allogeneic T cell proliferation. Consistent with their impaired DC phenotype and function, db/db DC showed significantly down-regulated activities of the PI3K/Akt pathway as well as STAT-3 and I,B-,. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate the involvement of leptin signaling in DC survival and maturation. See accompanying commentary: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eji.200636770 [source] Inhibition of Notch signaling biases rat thymocyte development towards the NK cell lineageEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 5 2004Jens van den Brandt Abstract Notch receptors are involved in directing the choice between alternative cell fates in developmental scenarios such as thymopoiesis. By pharmacological interference in rat fetal thymus organ culture we show that inhibition of Notch signaling arrests T,cell development at an early double-negative stage and is accompanied by a dramatic increase in the number of NK cells. These cells show an activated phenotype, lack recombination of the TCR, gene locus and express perforin. Similarly, in thymic lobes reconstituted with fetal liver cells, progenitors predominantly develop into NK cells both after pharmacological interference of Notch and after treatment with a recombinant rat Notch1/Fc chimera. Collectively, this identifies the lineage decision of NK/T precursor cells as an important site of Notch action in rat thymocytes. [source] Neuroprotective effect of interleukin-6 and IL6/IL6R chimera in the quinolinic acid rat model of Huntington's syndromeEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2001Jean-Charles Bensadoun Abstract Ciliary neurotrophic factor prevents behavioural deficits and striatal degeneration in rat and primate models of Huntington's disease. Interleukin-6, another member of the cytokine family, and the chimeric molecule (IL6/IL6R) in which interleukin-6 and its soluble receptor are fused, have been shown to exert trophic action on various neuronal populations in the central nervous system. Therefore, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of these two molecules in the quinolinic acid model of Huntington's disease. LacZ-, interleukin-6- and IL6/IL6R-expressing lentiviral vectors were stereotaxically injected into the striatum of Wistar rats. Three weeks later the animals were lesioned through the intrastriatal injection of 180 nmol of quinolinic acid. The extent of the striatal damage was significantly diminished in the rats that had been treated with interleukin-6 or IL6/IL6R. The neuroprotective effect was, however, more pronounced with the IL6/IL6R chimera than with interleukin-6 as indicated by the volume of the lesions (38.6 ± 10% in the IL6/IL6R group, 63.3 ± 3.6% in the IL-6 group and 84.3 ± 2.9% in the control group). Quantitative analysis of striatal interneurons further demonstrated that the IL6/IL6R chimera is more neuroprotective than IL-6 on ChAT- and NADPH-d-immunoreactive neurons. These results suggest that the IL6/IL6R chimera is a potential treatment for Huntington's disease. [source] XNA, (xylo Nucleic Acid): A Summary and New DerivativesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2005B. Ravindra Babu Abstract Fully modified homopyrimidine 2'-deoxy- xylo nucleic acid (dXNA) form triple helixes with complementary DNA/RNA with thermal stabilities comparable to those of the corresponding DNA:DNA and DNA:RNA duplexes. However, a single or few insertions of dXNA monomers in a DNA strand significantly lower duplex stabilities. The dXNA monomers are known to adopt predominantly an N -type furanose conformation in solution. With a desire to increase the binding affinity, seven sugar-modified XNA monomers (H, F, N, M, K, P and Q) have been synthesised and their effect on hybridization towards DNA and RNA complements studied. The introduction of 2'-fluoro and 2'-hydroxy substituents was expected to induce conformational restriction towards C3'- endo -type furanose conformation of monomer F derived from 1-(2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-,- D -xylofuranosyl)thymine and monomer H derived from 1-(,- D -xylofuranosyl)thymine. The presence of functionalites facing the minor groove as in 1-(2'-amino-2'-deoxy-2'- N,4'- C -methylene-,- D -xylofuranosyl)thymine (monomer N), 1-[4- C -(N -methylpiperazinyl)methyl-,- D -xylofuranosyl]thymine (monomer P), 1-(4- C -piperazinylmethyl-,- D -xylofuranosyl)thymine (monomer Q), 1-(4- C -hydroxymethyl-,- D -xylofuranosyl)thymine (monomer M) and 9-(4- C -hydroxymethyl-,- D -xylofuranosyl)adenine (monomer K) was studied, with monomer N being locked in an N -type furanose conformation. Besides, an efficient synthesis of known xylo -LNA phosphoramidite 19, required for the incorporation of 1-(2'- O,4'- C -methylene-,- D -xylofuranosyl)thymine (monomer L) is described. For comparison, hydridization data of various XNAs reported in the literature are included in the discussion section. The thermal denaturation studies show that XNAs containing conformationally locked monomers (N and L) display improved binding affinity, and that partially modified DNA/XNA chimera, or fully modified XNA display preferential hybridization towards RNA complements. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005) [source] Fast set-up of doxycycline-inducible protein expression in human cell lines with a single plasmid based on Epstein,Barr virus replication and the simple tetracycline repressorFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007Markus Bach We have developed a novel plasmid vector, pEBTetD, for full establishment of doxycycline-inducible protein expression by just a single transfection. pEBTetD contains an Epstein,Barr virus origin of replication for stable and efficient episomal propagation in human cell lines, a cassette for continuous expression of the simple tetracycline repressor, and a cytomegalovirus-type 2 tetracycline operator (tetO2)-tetO2 promoter. As there is no integration of vector into the genome, clonal isolation of transfected cells is not necessary. Cells are thus ready for use 1 week after transfection; this contrasts with 3,12 weeks for other systems. Adequate regulation of protein expression was accomplished by abrogation of mRNA polyadenylation. In northern analysis of seven cDNAs coding for transport proteins, pools of transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells showed on/off mRNA ratios in the order of 100 : 1. Cell pools were also analyzed for regulation of protein function. With two transport proteins of the plasma membrane, the on/off activity ratios were 24 : 1 and 34 : 1, respectively. With enhanced green fluorescent protein, a 23 : 1 ratio was observed based on fluorescence intensity data from flow cytometry. The unique advantage of our system rests on the unmodified tetracycline repressor, which is less likely, by relocation upon binding of doxycycline, to cause cellular disturbances than chimera of tetracycline repressor and eukaryotic transactivation domains. Thus, in a comprehensive comparison of on- and off-states, a steady cellular background is provided. Finally, in contrast to a system based on Flp recombinase, the set-up of our system is inherently reliable. [source] Salt-inducible kinase-1 represses cAMP response element-binding protein activity both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasmFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 21 2004Yoshiko Katoh Salt-inducible kinase-1 (SIK1) is phosphorylated at Ser577 by protein kinase A in adrenocorticotropic hormone-stimulated Y1 cells, and the phospho-SIK1 translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The phospho-SIK1 is dephosphorylated in the cytoplasm and re-enters the nucleus several hours later. By using green-fluorescent protein-tagged SIK1 fragments, we found that a peptide region (586,612) was responsible for the nuclear localization of SIK1. The region was named the ,RK-rich region' because of its Arg- and Lys-rich nature. SIK1s mutated in the RK-rich region were localized mainly in the cytoplasm. Because SIK1 represses cAMP-response element (CRE)-mediated transcription of steroidogenic genes, the mutants were examined for their effect on transcription. To our surprise, the cytoplasmic mutants strongly repressed the CRE-binding protein (CREB) activity, the extent of repression being similar to that of SIK1(S577A), a mutant localized exclusively in the nucleus. Several chimeras were constructed from SIK1 and from its isoform SIK2, which was localized mainly in the cytoplasm, and they were examined for intracellular localization as well as CREB-repression activity. A SIK1-derived chimera, where the RK-rich region had been replaced with the corresponding region of SIK2, was found in the cytoplasm, its CREB-modulating activity being similar to that of wild-type SIK1. On the other hand, a SIK2-derived chimera with the RK-rich region of SIK1 was localized in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, and had a CREB-repressing activity similar to that of the wild-type SIK2. Green fluorescent protein-fused transducer of regulated CREB activity 2 (TORC2), a CREB-specific co-activator, was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus of Y1 cells, and, after treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone, cytoplasmic TORC2 entered the nucleus, activating CREB. The SIK1 mutants, having a strong CRE-repressing activity, completely inhibited the adrenocorticotropic hormone-induced nuclear entry of green fluorescent protein-fused TORC2. This suggests that SIK1 may regulate the intracellular movement of TORC2, and as a result modulates the CREB-dependent transcription activity. Together, these results indicate that the RK-rich region of SIK1 is important for determining the nuclear localization and attenuating CREB-repressing activity, but the degree of the nuclear localization of SIK1 itself does not necessarily reflect the degree of SIK1-mediated CREB repression. [source] The role of exon 5 in fibroblast collagenase (MMP-1) substrate specificity and inhibitor selectivityFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2001Vera Knäuper Interstitial collagen is degraded by members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, including MMP-1. Previous work has shown that the region of MMP-1 coded for by exon 5 is implicated both in substrate specificity and inhibitor selectivity. We have constructed a chimeric enzyme, the exon 5 chimera, consisting primarily of MMP-1, with the region coded for by exon 5 replaced with the equivalent region of MMP-3, a noncollagenolytic MMP. Unlike MMP-3, the exon 5 chimera is capable of cleaving type I collagen, but the activity is only 2.2% of trypsin-activated MMP-1. ,Superactivation' of the chimera has no discernible effect, suggesting that the salt bridge formed in ,superactive' MMP-1 is not present. The kinetics for exon 5 chimera cleavage of two synthetic substrates display an MMP-3 phenotype, however, cleavage of gelatin is slightly impaired as compared to the parent enzymes. The Kiapp values for the exon 5 chimera complexed with synthetic inhibitors and N-terminal TIMP-2 also show a more MMP-3-like behaviour. However, the kon values for N-terminal TIMP-1 and N-terminal TIMP-2 are more comparable to those for MMP-1. These data show that the region of MMP-1 coded for by exon 5 is involved in both substrate specificity and inhibitor selectivity and the structural basis for our findings is discussed. [source] Expression of NUP98/TOP1, but not of TOP1/NUP98, in a treatment-related myelodysplastic syndrome with t(10;20;11)(q24;q11;p15)GENES, CHROMOSOMES AND CANCER, Issue 2 2002Ioannis Panagopoulos The t(11;20)(p15;q11) is a rare but recurrent translocation that so far has been described in only four acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs), two treatment-related myelodysplastic syndromes (t-MDSs), and one case of polycythemia vera. Recently, the t(11;20) was shown to result in a fusion of the NUP98 and TOP1 genes, with expression of the NUP98/TOP1 chimera encoded by the der(11)t(11;20), but not of the reciprocal TOP1/NUP98 on the der(20)t(11;20). The genomic breakpoints were subsequently mapped to introns 13 and 7 of NUP98 and TOP1, respectively. We present here a t-MDS with a three-way variant translocation, t(10;20;11)(q24;q11;p15), that generates a der(11)t(11;20) but not a der(20)t(11;20), strongly suggesting that the der(11) harbors the critical genetic rearrangement. Reverse transcriptase,polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed a NUP98/TOP1 fusion in which exon 13 of NUP98 was fused in-frame with exon 8 of TOP1. Extra long (XL) genomic PCR and subsequent sequence analyses showed that the breakpoint in NUP98 occurred at nucleotide (nt) 3461 of intron 13, close to a MER (medium reiteration frequency interspersed repetitive element) repeat, and that the breakpoint in TOP1 was at nt 1436 of intron 7, downstream of a MIR (mammalian-wide interspersed repeats) repetitive element. Genomic XL PCR did not amplify the reciprocal TOP1/NUP98, nor was this chimera expressed, as expected from the cytogenetic finding. The present results provide further support for the involvement of the NUP98/TOP1 transcript, but not of the reciprocal one, in the development of MDS/AML. Furthermore, the three cases genomically characterized to date have all been treatment-related and have all harbored breakpoints in intron 13 of NUP98 and intron 7 of TOP1, suggesting that these introns are susceptible to chemotherapy-induced breakage. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Transgene expression from the Tribolium castaneum Polyubiquitin promoterINSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2002M. D. Lorenzen Abstract The highly conserved Ubiquitin proteins are expressed from genes with strong, constitutively active promoters in many species, making these promoters attractive candidates for use in driving transgene expression. Here we report the cloning and characterization of the Tribolium castaneum Polyubiquitin (TcPUb) gene. We placed the TcPUb promoter upstream of the coding region of the T. castaneum eye-colour gene Tc vermilion (Tcv) and injected this construct into embryos from a Tcv -deficient strain. Transient expression of Tcv during embryogenesis resulted in complete rescue of the larval mutant phenotype. We then incorporated the TcPUb-Tcv chimera into a piggyBac donor. Resulting germline transformants were easily recognized by rescue of eye pigmentation, illustrating the potential of the TcPUb promoter for use in driving transgene expression. [source] Ventrally emigrating neural tube (VENT) cells: a second neural tube-derived cell populationJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 2 2004Douglas P. Dickinson Abstract Two embryological fates for cells of the neural tube are well established. Cells from the dorsal part of the developing neural tube emigrate and become neural crest cells, which in turn contribute to the development of the peripheral nervous system and a variety of non-neural structures. Other neural tube cells form the neurons and glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS). This has led to the neural crest being treated as the sole neural tube-derived emigrating cell population, with the remaining neural tube cells assumed to be restricted to forming the CNS. However, this restriction has not been tested fully. Our investigations of chick, quail and duck embryos utilizing a variety of different labelling techniques (DiI, LacZ, GFP and quail chimera) demonstrate the existence of a second neural tube-derived emigrating cell population. These cells originate from the ventral part of the cranial neural tube, emigrate at the exit/entry site of the cranial nerves, migrate in association with the nerves and populate their target tissues. On the basis of its site of origin and route of migration we have named this cell population the ventrally emigrating neural tube (VENT) cells. VENT cells also differ from neural crest cells in that they emigrate considerably after the emigration of neural crest cells, and lack expression of the neural crest cell antigen HNK-1. VENT cells are multipotent, differentiating into cell types belonging to all four basic tissues in the body: the nerve, muscle, connective and epithelium. Thus, the neural tube provides at least two cell populations , neural crest and VENT cells , that contribute to the development of the peripheral nervous system and various non-neural structures. This review describes the origin of the idea of VENT cells, and discusses evidence for their existence and subsequent fates. [source] Aberrant expression of TRAIL in B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cellsJOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Paola Secchiero Analysis of peripheral blood (>85% CD19+/CD5+ B) lymphocytes, obtained from 44 patients affected by B chronic lymphoid leukemia (B-CLL), showed that surface TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) was expressed in all samples and at higher levels with respect to unfractionated lymphocytes and purified CD19+ B cells, obtained from 15 normal blood donors. Of note, in a subset of B-CLL samples, the addition to B-CLL cultures of a TRAIL-R1-Fc chimera, which binds at high affinity to surface TRAIL, significantly decreased the percentage of viable cells with respect to untreated control B-CLL cells, suggesting that surface TRAIL may play an unexpected role in promoting B-CLL cell survival. In spite of the majority of B-CLL lymphocytes expressed variable surface levels of "death receptors" TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2, the addition in culture of recombinant TRAIL increased (>20% vs. controls) the degree of spontaneous apoptosis in only 11/44 of the B-CLL samples, had no effect in 19/44, while it significantly increased leukemic cell survival in 14/44. Taken together, these findings suggest that an aberrant expression of TRAIL might contribute to the pathogenesis of B-CLL by promoting the survival in a subset of B-CLL cells. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Inducible expression of a MAP kinase phosphatase-3-GFP chimera specifically blunts fibroblast growth and ras-dependent tumor formation in nude mice,JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2004S. Marchetti The p42/p44 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway participates in a wide range of cellular programs including proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival. Specific pharmacological inhibitors, like PD98059 and U0126, are often used to inhibit p42/p44 MAPK signaling. However, these inhibitors are not appropriate to study the function of these kinases in whole organisms. We thus developed an inducible system designed to inhibit p42/p44 MAPK activity through the expression of a phosphatase specific for these two kinases, the MAPK phosphatase 3 (MKP-3). A fibroblast cell line was established in which MKP-3 expression is controlled by tetracycline. Tetracycline-induced MKP-3 resulted in partial de-phosphorylation of p42/p44 MAPKs in serum-stimulated cells. However, we could improve MKP-3 stability and thereby the rate of MAPK de-phosphorylation, when the C-terminal end of MKP-3 was fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Importantly, the fusion of GFP to MKP-3 did not alter the specificity of the phosphatase towards its MAPK substrates. We further show that conditional expression of MKP-3-GFP in this fibroblast cell line results in the inhibition of: (a) the phosphorylation of the p42/p44 MAPK substrates Elk1 and HIF-1,, (b) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cyclin D1, and c-fos gene transcription in response to MAPK pathway activation, and (c) cell proliferation. Finally, the MKP-3-GFP inducible cell line was transformed by Ha-ras and injected into nude mice. Treatment of mice with the tetracycline analog doxycycline resulted in a large delay in tumor emergence and growth as compared to the untreated control group, indicating that MKP-3-GFP activity is maintained in vivo. Altogether, these results show that inducible expression of MKP-3-GFP constitutes a valuable tool to study the role of p42/p44 MAPKs in various cellular responses in both cultured cell and animal models, a tool that may also be used to block unwanted cell growth in pathological conditions. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Decapeptide with fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-5 partial sequence inhibits hair growth suppressing activity of FGF-5JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Chikako Ito Earlier studies demonstrated that knock-out of fibroblast growth factor-5 gene (Fgf-5) prolonged anagen VI phase of hair cycle, resulting long hairs in the mice. We showed the activities on hair growth of the two Fgf-5 gene products, one of which, FGF-5 suppressed hair growth by inhibiting anagen proceeding and inducing the transition from anagen to catagen, and FGF-5S, a shorter polypeptide with FGF-5-antagonizing activity translated from alternatively spliced mRNA, suppressed this activity of FGF-5. As the results suggested that FGF-5 antagonist would increase hair growth, we synthesized various peptides having partial sequences of human FGF-5 and FGF-5S and determined their FGF-5 antagonist activity. Among them, a decapeptide designated P3 (95-VGIGFHLQIY-104) that aligns with receptor binding sites of FGF-1 and FGF-2 suppressed FGF-5-induced proliferation of BALB/3T3 A31 and NIH/3T3 murine fibroblasts, and FGF receptor-1c (FGFR-1c)-transfected Ba/F3 cell line (FR-Ba/F3 cells). IC50s of this peptide on these cell proliferations were 64, 28, 146 ,M, respectively. On the other hand, IC50 of this peptide on binding of FGF-5 to the FGFR-1(IIIc)/Fc chimera was 483 ,M. Examination in dorsal depilated mice revealed that the P3 peptide reduced the activity of FGF-5 to recover hair pigmentation and hair follicle lengths. The classification of histologically observed skin sections showed FGF-5-induced delations of anagen procedure had reduced by the P3 peptide. The anti-Ki67 antibody staining of hair follicles was inhibited by administration of FGF-5, and this inhibition by FGF-5 was recovered by administration of the P3 peptide. The P3 peptide alone did not affect hair follicle length and hair cell proliferation. These results indicate that the decapeptide antagonized FGF-5 activity in vivo, and reduced the inhibition of FGF-5 in hair growth, confirming that FGF-5 inhibitors are promising substances against hair loss and/or for promoting hair growth. J. Cell. Physiol. 197: 272,283, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The core-aldehyde 9-oxononanoyl cholesterol increases the level of transforming growth factor ,1-specific receptors on promonocytic U937 cell membranesAGING CELL, Issue 2 2009Simona Gargiulo Summary Among the broad variety of compounds generated via oxidative reactions in low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and subsequently found in the atherosclerotic plaque are aldehydes that are still esterified to the parent lipid, termed core aldehydes. The most represented cholesterol core aldehyde in LDL is 9-oxononanoyl cholesterol (9-ONC), an oxidation product of cholesteryl linoleate. 9-ONC, at a concentration detectable in biological material, markedly up-regulates mRNA expression and protein level of both the pro-fibrogenic and pro-apoptotic cytokine transforming growth factor ,1 (TGF-,1) and the TGF-, receptor type I (T,RI) in human U937 promonocytic cells. We also observed increased membrane presentation of TGF-, receptor type II (T,RII). Experiments employing the T,RI inhibitor SB431542, or the TGF, antagonist DANFc chimera, have shown that the effect on T,RI is directly induced by 9-ONC, while T,RII up-regulation seems stimulated by its specific ligand, i.e. TGF,1, over-secreted meanwhile by treated cells. Increased levels of the cytokine and of its specific receptors in 9-ONC-treated cells clearly occurs through stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), as demonstrated by ERK1/2 knockdown experiments using mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (MEK1 and MEK2) siRNAs, or PD98059, a selective MEK1/2 inhibitor. 9-ONC might thus sustain further vascular remodeling due to atherosclerosis, not simply by stimulating synthesis of the pro-fibrogenic cytokine TGF-,1 in vascular cells, but also and chiefly by enhancing the TGF-,1 autocrine loop, because of the marked up-regulation of the cytokine's specific receptors T,RI and T,RII. [source] A Microarray Based Genomic Hybridization Method for Identification of New Genes in Plants: Case Analyses of Arabidopsis and OryzaJOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Chuanzhu Fan Abstract To systematically estimate the gene duplication events in closely related species, we have to use comparative genomic approaches, either through genomic sequence comparison or comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). Given the scarcity of complete genomic sequences of plant species, in the present study we adopted an array based CGH to investigate gene duplications in the genus Arabidopsis. Fragment genomic DNA from four species, namely Arabidopsis thaliana, A. lyrata subsp. lyrata, A. lyrata subsp. petraea, and A. halleri, was hybridized to Affymetrix (Santa Clara, CA, USA) tiling arrays that are designed from the genomic sequences of A. thaliana. Pairwise comparisons of signal intensity were made to infer the potential duplicated candidates along each phylo-genetic branch. Ninety-four potential candidates of gene duplication along the genus were identified. Among them, the majority (69 of 94) were A. thaliana lineage specific. This result indicates that the array based CGH approach may be used to identify candidates of duplication in other plant genera containing closely related species, such as Oryza, particularly for the AA genome species. We compared the degree of gene duplication through retrotransposon between O. sativa and A. thaliana and found a strikingly higher number of chimera retroposed genes in rice. The higher rate of gene duplication through retroposition and other mechanisms may indicate that the grass species is able to adapt to more diverse environments. [source] Engineered 5S ribosomal RNAs displaying aptamers recognizing vascular endothelial growth factor and malachite greenJOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 2 2009Xing Zhang Abstract In previous work, Vibrio proteolyticus 5S rRNA was shown to stabilize 13,50 nucleotide "guest" RNA sequences for expression in Escherichia coli. The expressed chimeric RNAs accumulated to high levels in E. coli without being incorporated into ribosomes and without obvious effects on the host cells. In this work, we inserted sequences encoding known aptamers recognizing a protein and an organic dye into the 5S rRNA carrier and showed that aptamer function is preserved in the chimeras. A surface plasmon resonance competitive binding assay demonstrated that a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) aptamer/5S rRNA chimera produced in vitro by transcriptional runoff could compete with a DNA aptamer for VEGF, implying binding of the growth factor by the VEGF "ribosomal RNA aptamer." Separately, a 5S rRNA chimera displaying an aptamer known to increase the fluorescence of malachite green (MG) also enhanced MG fluorescence. Closely related control rRNA molecules showed neither activity. The MG aptamer/5S rRNA chimera, like the original MG aptamer, also increased the fluorescence of other triphenyl methane (TPM) dyes such as crystal violet, methyl violet, and brilliant green, although less effectively than with MG. These results indicate that the molecular recognition properties of aptamers are not lost when they are expressed in the context of a stable 5S rRNA carrier. Inclusion of the aptamer in a carrier may facilitate production of large quantities of RNA aptamers, and may open an approach to screening aptamer libraries in vivo. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Participation of protein kinase C , isoform and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in neurite outgrowth of GT1 hypothalamic neuronsJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2002Youngshik Choe Abstract In the present study, we investigated the selective role of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms on neurite outgrowth of the GT1 hypothalamic neurons using several PKC isoform-selective inhibitors and transfection-based expression of enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP)-fused PKC isoforms. 12- O -Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced neurite outgrowth and growth cone formation, effects that were blocked by GF 109203X (a PKC inhibitor), safingolTM(a PKC,-selective inhibitor), but not by rottlerinTM (a PKC,-selective inhibitor), indicating that PKC, may be selectively involved in neurite outgrowth and cytoskeletal changes of filamentous actin and ,-tubulin. To define the differential localization of PKC isoforms, EGFP-tagged PKC,, PKC,, and PKC, were transfected into GT1 neuronal cells. TPA treatment induced relocalization of PKC,-EGFP to growth cones and cell,cell adhesion sites, PKC,-EGFP to the nucleus, and PKC,-EGFP to the membrane ruffle, respectively. An EGFP chimera of the catalytic domain of PKC, (PKC,-Cat-EGFP), the expression of which was inducible by doxycycline, was employed to directly ascertain the effect of PKC, enzymatic activity on neurite outgrowth of GT1 cells. Transient transfection of PKC,-Cat-EGFP alone increased the neurite-outgrowth and doxycycline treatment further augmented the number of neurite-containing cells. We also examined the involvement of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAP kinase in TPA-induced neurite outgrowth. TPA treatment increased phosphorylated ERK MAP kinase, but not p38 MAP kinase. Specific inhibition of PKC, with safingol blocked the phosphorylation of ERK induced by TPA. More importantly, both neurite outgrowth and phosphorylation of ERK by TPA were blocked by PD 098059, a specific inhibitor of MEK (MAP kinase/ERK kinase-1), but not by SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase. These results demonstrate that PKC, isoform-specific activation is involved in neurite outgrowth of GT1 hypothalamic neuronal cells via ERK, but not the p38 MAP kinase signal pathway. [source] |