Differentiation of muscle fibers of various types during postnatal development of the ventral serrate muscle in a rat]

In the denticulate ventral muscle of Wistar rats at the age of 1 day--2 months activity of NAD-N-dehydrogenase, succynic dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase has been determined in transversal cryostat sections. Quantitative estimation of the enzymes activity has been carried on by the plag-method. With age, general tendency to increasing activity of the enzymes mentioned is noted, but the dynamics of the increase is peculiar for every enzyme. Analysing the histograms on muscular fibre distribution according to their optical density, it is possible to estimate the dynamics. Simultaneously, the width of variational series, central statistical moments, indices of asymmetry and excess are also estimated. The whole course of the muscular fibre development, in accordance to the range and moments of distribution, can be devided into four main stages: stable, initial stage, slow increase of events, rapid increase of events and stabilization of the process. The stages mentioned pass gradually one into another making it possible to mark transitional stages (5--11, 15--19, 34--60 days). Using standard indices, it is possible to characterize more strictly the processes occurring in the course of muscular fibre differentiation. Lack of parallelism in the dynamics of asimilarity and excess can be treated as variety in differentiation of muscular fibres with middle and large optic density, and parallelism in dynamics--as their simultaneous differentiation. By comparing the curves it can be concluded that up to the 12--14th days, variety in differentiation of muscular fibres occurs, while after the 14th day their differentiation is more regular and simultaneous. The method of cytophotometry with subsequent mathematical processing of the results helps to determine the stages of muscular fibres differentiation.     

In vitro immune response of partially purified spleen cells: nutritionally distinct stages in differentiation

Partially purified populations of mouse spleen cells have been previously separated by equilibrium centrifugation on bovine serum albumin gradients and it has been suggested that separate fractions which are unique by several criteria contain precursors of plaque-forming cells (PFC) at different stages of differentiation. One of the unique features of these populations was the medium requirements. By making use of permissive and nonpermissive culture conditions, differentiation stages were demonstrable and a mechanism by which cultures regulate the amount of immunogen was detectable. These result are interpreted as being consistent with normal spleen cells having precursors at different stages of differentiation. It is also suggested that there is competition between the triggering of cells by antigen and the sequestration of antigen, presumably by macrophages.     

Asynchronous termination of plasma membrane protein synthesis in erythroid cells.

In this study we focused our attention on the terminal stages of cellular differentiation and asked the question whether the turning off of gene activity is via a general mechanism whereby all proteins are turned off synchronously, or if it is regulated specifically. We examined this problem by measuring the relative rates of synthesis of the plasma membrane proteins in cells that are near the final stages of erythroid differentiation. Our results show that although the rates of synthesis of all proteins decline during maturation the relative rates of decline are different among the various membrane proteins, indicating that the termination of plasma membrane protein synthesis during terminal differentiation is asynchronous.     

Sexual differentiation and sex determination in the Apicomplexa

Protozoan parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa have complex life cycles involving various types of asexual division that allow rapid proliferation of parasites within one or more hosts. Such replication is punctuated by obligate sexual differentiation that produces male and female gametocytes. These stages are transmissible to haematophagous vectors or are necessary ultimately to form resistant cysts that are released into the environment. This article examines the sexual differentiation of apicomplexan parasites as it relates to the timing of commitment and the mechanism of the switch from asexual proliferation to the development of male and female sexual stages.     

N-myc proto-oncogene expression during organogenesis in the developing mouse as revealed by in situ hybridization

The N-myc proto-oncogene is expressed during embryogenesis, suggesting that it plays a role in normal development. Since the myc-family oncogenes have been implicated in the control of cell growth, the embryonic expression may reflect rapid proliferation known to occur in development. Alternatively, N-myc expression may be involved in specific differentiation stages. In many embryonic tissues, early and late differentiation events occur in different locations. By in situ hybridization of tissue sections, we now demonstrate a restricted expression of N-myc mRNA to a few tissues and to areas where the first differentiation stages occur. N-myc expression was most strongly expressed in the developing kidney, hair follicles, and in various parts of the central nervous system. In these tissues, expression was restricted to a few cell lineages. In all lineages, expression was confined to early differentiation stages, and, at onset of overt differentiation, the level of expression decreased dramatically. Several rapidly proliferating tissues showed very little, if any, N-myc expression. In the brain, post-mitotic but not yet differentiated cells expressed high levels of N-myc mRNA. Therefore, N-myc expression is not a simple marker for proliferation in the embryo. Rather, N-myc expression seems to be a feature of early differentiation stages of some cell lineages in kidney, brain, and hair follicles, regardless of the proliferative status of the cell. The results raise the possibility that N-myc may participate in the control of these early differentiation events.     

Evidence for a ligand-mediated positive selection signal in differentiation to a mature B cell

Positive selection is required for B cell differentiation, as indicated by the requirement for expression of the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) and the BCR at the pre-B and immature B cell stages, respectively. Positive selection mediated by a tonic signal from these receptors is sufficient to drive B cell differentiation beyond the pre-B and immature B cell stages, but it is unclear whether additional positive selection signals are required for differentiation to a mature B-2 cell. We have identified a population of Ig transgenic B cells that differentiatively arrest at a transitional B cell stage in the spleen. They exhibit no evidence of Ag encounter or negative selection and can differentiate to mature B-2 cells in vivo upon weak BCR stimulation or adoptive transfer to irradiated hosts. These data are consistent with a requirement for a ligand-mediated BCR signal for differentiation to a mature B-2 cell.     

Na+,K+ -ATPase activity characteristics in human colon adenocarcinoma

To evaluate the enzyme functional changes the Na+,K+-ATPase activity in membrane fraction of human colorectal adenocarcinoma at II and III cancer stages (according to TNM classification) of varying degrees of differentiation has been investigated. The decrease of the Na+,K+-ATPase activity in comparison with conditionally normal tissue of macroscopically unchanged mucosa was revealed in the tumor membrane preparations. Such changes of the Na+,K+-ATPase activity were higher at low differentiation grade and were less pronounced in moderately and highly differentiated adenocarcinomas. At the same time the changes in Na+,K+-ATPase activity have not been revealed between tumor membrane preparations at studied cancer stages when the degree of differentiation was not taken into account. It is supposed that Na+,K+-ATPase functional specificity occurs in colorectal adenocarcinomas and it is associated with tumor differentiation.     

Mesoderm differentiation in explants of carp embryos

An analysis of carp blastoderm development was carried out in culture after isolation from the yolk cell and its yolk syncytial layer (YSL). The blastoderms were separated from the YSL at four different stages of embryogenesis: the blastula, early epiboly, early gastrula and late gastrula stages. Absence of the YSL in explants was checked by scanning electron microscopy. From observations of living embryos and histological examination of tissues which were formed in explants from all stages studied it was observed that they contained notochordal, muscle and neural tissue as signs of dorsal types of differentiation. Only in explants from the early and late gastrula stages were histotypical tissues organized in an embryonic-like body pattern. The data indicate that mesoderm differentiation in fish embryos is independent from the YSL, contrary to normal pattern formation which needs the presence of the YSL before the onset of gastrulation.     

Prolyl isomerase Pin1 regulates neuronal differentiation via β-catenin

The Wnt/β-catenin pathway promotes proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) at early stages and induces neuronal differentiation from NPCs at late stages, but the molecular mechanisms that control this stage-specific response are unclear. Pin1 is a prolyl isomerase that regulates cell signaling uniquely by controlling protein conformation after phosphorylation, but its role in neuronal differentiation is not known. Here we found that whereas Pin1 depletion suppresses neuronal differentiation, Pin1 overexpression enhances it, without any effects on gliogenesis from NPCs in vitro. Consequently, Pin1-null mice have significantly fewer upper layer neurons in the motor cortex and severely impaired motor activity during the neonatal stage. A proteomic approach identified β-catenin as a major substrate for Pin1 in NPCs, in which Pin1 stabilizes β-catenin. As a result, Pin1 knockout leads to reduced β-catenin during differentiation but not proliferation of NPCs in developing brains. Importantly, defective neuronal differentiation in Pin1 knockout NPCs is fully rescued in vitro by overexpression of β-catenin but not a β-catenin mutant that fails to act as a Pin1 substrate. These results show that Pin1 is a novel regulator of NPC differentiation by acting on β-catenin and provides a new postphosphorylation signaling mechanism to regulate developmental stage-specific functioning of β-catenin signaling in neuronal differentiation.     

Fucoxanthin exerts differing effects on 3T3-L1 cells according to differentiation stage and inhibits glucose uptake in mature adipocytes

Progression of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation is divided into early (days 0–2, D0–D2), intermediate (days 2–4, D2–D4), and late stages (day 4 onwards, D4-). In this study, we investigated the effects of fucoxanthin, isolated from the edible brown seaweed Petalonia binghamiae, on adipogenesis during the three differentiation stages of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. When fucoxanthin was applied during the early stage of differentiation (D0–D2), it promoted 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation, as evidenced by increased triglyceride accumulation. At the molecular level, fucoxanthin increased protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP1c), and aP2, and adiponectin mRNA expression, in a dose-dependent manner. However, it reduced the expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP1c during the intermediate (D2–D4) and late stages (D4–D7) of differentiation. It also inhibited the uptake of glucose in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes by reducing the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1). These results suggest that fucoxanthin exerts differing effects on 3T3-L1 cells of different differentiation stages and inhibits glucose uptake in mature adipocytes.     

Analysis of proteasomal proteolysis during the in vitro metacyclogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi

Proteasomes are large protein complexes, whose main function is to degrade unnecessary or damaged proteins. The inhibition of proteasome activity in Trypanosoma cruzi blocks parasite replication and cellular differentiation. We demonstrate that proteasome-dependent proteolysis occurs during the cellular differentiation of T. cruzi from replicative non-infectious epimastigotes to non-replicative and infectious trypomastigotes (metacyclogenesis). No peaks of ubiquitin-mediated degradation were observed and the profile of ubiquitinated conjugates was similar at all stages of differentiation. However, an analysis of carbonylated proteins showed significant variation in oxidized protein levels at the various stages of differentiation and the proteasome inhibition also increased oxidized protein levels. Our data suggest that different proteasome complexes coexist during metacyclogenesis. The 20S proteasome may be free or linked to regulatory particles (PA700, PA26 and PA200), at specific cell sites and the coordinated action of these complexes would make it possible for proteolysis of ubiquitin-tagged proteins and oxidized proteins, to coexist in the cell.     

Target cells for lithium in different forms within a heterogeneous hepatocarcinoma-29 population

Liver cancer is an aggressive and heterogeneous human tumor. Lithium compounds block proliferation and induce apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells, but cannot cause the death of an entire population of tumor cells. The aim of this study was to reveal morphological types of target cells for different lithium preparations on the basis of their action on hepatocarcinoma-29 cells. The viability of hepatocarcinoma-29 cells was assessed by the MTT test. A dose-dependent decrease in viability was revealed upon addition of native and nanosized lithium carbonate and citrate. Target cells for lithium salts were revealed based on the morphological criteria for five differentiation stages of hepatocarcinoma-29 cells. It was shown that hepatocarcinoma- 29 proliferating cells of differentiation stages I and II are the target cells for native and nanosized lithium citrate, while differentiated cells of differentiation stages III and IV are the target cells for nanosized lithium carbonate. It was revealed that hepatocarcinoma-29 cells are more sensitive to nanosized lithium salts rather than to their native forms. This makes it possible to affect tumor growth more effectively.     

EAT/mcl-1 expression in the human embryonal carcinoma cells undergoing differentiation or apoptosis

Differentiation and apoptosis are precisely regulated events in early embryogenesis. Retinoic acid-induced differentiation in the embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line NCR-G3 triggers concurrent induction of apoptosis. Using this system, which serves as a model of early embryogenesis, the expression of various bcl-2-related genes was analyzed as these genes display either positive or negative regulatory effects on apoptosis. EAT/mcl-1, an antiapoptotic bcl-2-related gene and immediate early gene, was dramatically expressed at an early stage of NCR-G3 differentiation. Bcl-xL, another antiapoptotic gene, was induced at a middle stage of differentiation and then gradually decreased to basal level. Expression of Bax, a proapoptotic molecule, was detected at a high level and remained relatively constant. Meanwhile, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xS were below detectable levels throughout the various stages of differentiation. As the balance of bcl-2 genes is a crucial regulatory step in apoptosis, the results suggest that EAT and Bax likely regulate apoptosis in the early stages of differentiation. In later stages of differentiation, down-regulation of EAT was found to coincide with a gradual increase in apoptosis of NCR-G3 cells. Furthermore, use of the monoclonal antibody (3A2) specific to EAT revealed that EAT is localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane in human EC cells. In addition, EAT immunoreactivity was not detected in apoptotic NCR-G3 cells while it was observed in nearly all viable cells. The findings suggest that rapid induction of EAT may prevent NCR-G3 cells from undergoing apoptosis, thereby supporting viability at the early stage of differentiation.     

BTG2基因在大鼠胚胎胰腺不同发育阶段的表达

利用高密度寡核苷酸芯片技术对大鼠胚胎胰腺发育中晚期(E12．5,E18．5,E15．5)调节内外分泌部细胞发育分化及功能代谢的基因的表达趋势进行研究。并用RT-PCR进行验证。用获得的基因信息对:NCBI等公共数据库进行检索,结果发现对细胞的分化、增殖和凋亡起调节作用的BTG2基因在大鼠胚胎胰腺E12．5、E15．5、E18．5天及成年、新生大鼠胰腺中均有表达,且E18．5天的表达量高于其他时期5倍多。推测BTG2可能在大鼠胚胎胰腺内外分泌细胞分化发育的不同阶段起到了促进作用,并参与胚胎胰腺发育晚期的功能代谢完善过程。     

SLC39A14, a LZT protein, is induced in adipogenesis and transports zinc

During adipocyte differentiation, there is an underlying complex series of gene expressions. We have previously isolated many genes whose expression levels are quickly elevated by the addition of inducers to mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells. Here we report the isolation and characterization of SLC39A14, a member of the LZT proteins, one of the subfamilies of ZIP transporters. The expression of the SLC39A14 gene was strongly and rapidly induced at the early stages of differentiation. Moreover, it was highly restricted to the potential differentiation state of 3T3-L1 cells and the expression level was quite low in the nonadipogenic NIH-3T3 cells, indicating a dominant expression in adipocyte differentiation. The zinc uptake assay revealed that SLC39A14 functions as a zinc transporter. Taken together, these results suggest that SLC39A14 plays a role as a zinc transporter during the early stages of adipogenesis.     

Wnt3a is involved in the early stage of miPSC and mESC haemopoietic differentiation

The Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway is important in regulating not only self-renewal of haemopoietic progenitors and stem cells but also haemopoietic differentiation of ESCs (embryonic stem cells). However, it is still not clear how it affects haemopoietic differentiation. We have used a co-culture system for haemopoietic differentiation of mouse ESCs and iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells) in which the Wnt3a gene-modified OP9 cell line is used as stromal cells. The number of both Flk1+ and CD41+ cells generated from both co-cultured mouse ESCs and mouse iPSCs increased significantly, which suggest that Wnt3a is involved in the early stages of haemopoietic differentiation of mouse ESCs and mouse iPSCs in vitro.