Actinomycin D-sensitive induction of choline kinase by carbon tetrachloride intoxication in rat liver

A single intraperitoneal dose(1 ml/kg body weight) of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) caused a rapid and drastic induction of choline kinase activity in rat liver cytosol. The administration of either cycloheximide or actinomycin D completely blocked the CCl4-mediated induction of choline kinase activity, indicating that the elevated activity could be due to the change in the enzyme level. The pretreatment of rats with phenobarbital did not cause any significant effect on hepatic choline kinase induction by CCl4, suggesting that the induction may not be directly related to the metabolic rate of CCl4. A considerable part of induced form(s) of choline kinase appeared not to be a form present in the liver of untreated rats. The contribution of adrenals to the CCl4-mediated hepatic choline kinase induction could be ruled out.     

小鼠肌母细胞的增殖与分化

通过对小鼠肌母细胞C2C12的培养,研究C2C12细胞的增殖与分化的关系以及胰岛素在细胞分化过程中的作用。在对照组中,C2C12细胞增殖占了明显的优势,细胞形态几乎没有发生变化;而在实验组中,C2C12细胞在换为分化培养基24小时后,就出现了部分细胞衰亡和死亡的现象,尤其是在48小时细胞的死亡率达到最高,存活细胞开始从增殖期进入分化期,72小时出现了少量肌管,在96小时细胞分化效果达到最好。而在添加了胰岛素的分化培养基中的细胞分化效果明显好于没有添加胰岛素的分化培养基中的细胞,结果表明,胰岛素促进C2C12细胞的分化。     

胚胎干细胞体外分化为多巴胺能神经元

近年来,胚胎干细胞在体外分化为多巴胺能神经元方面取得了重大突破,这对神经发生的基础性研究和神经细胞移植具有重要意义。现对胚胎干细胞体外定向诱导分化为多巴胺能神经元的方法、相关细胞因子及检测鉴定等方面进行了分析和比较,并探讨了当前存在的问题和今后发展的方向。     

Muscle Differentiation in Cultured Pineal Body Cells of Neonatal Rats

Dissociated cells of pineal bodies of new-born rats were cultured to see what cell types would be differentiated during culture in vitro for about 4 weeks. In early stages of culture, about 10 days after inoculation, flattened cells with piliform processes, small round cells and small bubbling cells were distinguishable in the cultures. After about 2 weeks, neuronal cells with axon-like processes and multinuclear muscle-like cells were differentiated. On further culture, the latter cells differentiated into mature striated myotubes. The developmental origin of myotube formed in cell cultures of pineal body is discussed.     

Vestigial Is Required during Late-Stage Muscle Differentiation in Drosophila melanogaster Embryos

The somatic muscles of Drosophila develop in a complex pattern that is repeated in each embryonic hemi-segment. During early development, progenitor cells fuse to form a syncytial muscle, which further differentiates via expression of muscle-specific factors that induce specific responses to external signals to regulate late-stage processes such as migration and attachment. Initial communication between somatic muscles and the epidermal tendon cells is critical for both of these processes. However, later establishment of attachments between longitudinal muscles at the segmental borders is largely independent of the muscle–epidermal attachment signals, and relatively little is known about how this event is regulated. Using a combination of null mutations and a truncated version of Sd that binds Vg but not DNA, we show that Vestigial (Vg) is required in ventral longitudinal muscles to induce formation of stable intermuscular attachments. In several muscles, this activity may be independent of Sd. Furthermore, the cell-specific differentiation events induced by Vg in two cells fated to form attachments are coordinated by Drosophila epidermal growth factor signaling. Thus, Vg is a key factor to induce specific changes in ventral longitudinal muscles 1–4 identity and is required for these cells to be competent to form stable intermuscular attachments with each other.     

间充质干细胞体外分化为多巴胺能神经元的研究进展

骨髓间充质干细胞（MSCs）有来源广泛、易于分离培养、不易引起免疫排斥等特点,使其成为细胞治疗和基因治疗的种子细胞,具有广泛的科研和临床应用价值。骨髓MSCs具有多向分化潜能,在特定条件下能诱导分化成神经元甚至是更为特异的多巴胺能神经元,为帕金森病进行细胞移植疗法提供了理想的细胞来源。本文就近年来体外诱导MSCs向多巴胺能神经元定向分化所涉及到的常用诱导因素和诱导方法及途径予以综述。     

脂肪来源干细胞体外成骨和成脂及成神经的诱导分化研究

目的:探讨脂肪来源干细胞体外成骨和成脂及成神经的诱导分化情况。方法:选取10只SPF级雄性SD大鼠,将其不同部位的脂肪组织取出,分别采用不同方法对其向成骨、成脂及成神经等方向进行诱导分化并对其结果进行鉴定。结果:ADSC表达中,CD29占(99.11±0.13)%,CD44占(95.94±0.71)%,CD45占(0.12±0.09)%。经4周的成骨诱导后,茜素红S染色在细胞团中央发现红色钙化结节存在,碱性磷酸酶染色在细胞的胞质内观察到紫红色颗粒,经7d成脂诱导后,油红"O"染色在细胞质内观察到橙红色脂滴;经过6d的神经干培养基诱导后,通过免疫荧光染色证明诱导的Nestin细胞、神经丝蛋白-200以及GFAP等均出现阳性表达。结论:ADSC具备向脂肪、成骨及神经元等细胞进行多向分化的潜能,具有来源广、易于操作、体外增殖快速等优越性,并且不存在免疫排斥及医学伦理学问题,发展前景广阔。     

Actinomycin V as a Potent Differentiation Inducer of F5-5 Friend Leukemia Cells

The cell differentiation system of Friend leukemia cells was applied to screening for new types of antitumor antibiotics. F5-5, Friend leukemia cells, were the most suitable for the assay system due to the stability of their response on repeated culture passages. Antibiotics like mitomycin C, adriamycin and actinomycin D, but not cycloheximide, did not induce detectable benzidine-positive cells among the F5-5 cells in the concentration ranges tested. Among the culture fluids of one thousand and fifty-one streptomycete strains subjected to the assay system, actinomycin V, FL-518 and FL-657 were found to be the most active as inducers. Actinomycin V possessing l-4-ketoproline as a substitute for l-proline of actinomycin D at a concentration of 1.0ng/ml caused 39.7% of the F5-5 cells to become benzidine-positive. Furthermore, actinomycin V inhibited the colony formation of F5-5 cells in the soft agar medium at a concentration of 0.004 ng/ml.     

Skeletal Muscle Proteins Stimulate Cholinergic Differentiation of Human Neuroblastoma Cells

Extracts of rat skeletal muscle contain substances that enhance the development of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the cholinergic human neuroblastoma cell line LA-N-2. The ChAT enhancing activity in muscle extract was purified to homogeneity by preparative gel electrophoresis and reverse-phase HPLC. The active factor is biochemically and immunologically identical to ChAT development factor, (CDF), the skeletal muscle factor that enhances ChAT activity in enriched cultures of embryonic rat motoneurons and rescues motoneurons from naturally occurring cell death in vivo. CDF increases the specific ChAT activity of LA-N-2 cells fivefold after 6 days in culture, but does not affect their growth or metabolic activity. Basic fibroblast growth factor also increases ChAT activity in LA-N-2 cells and its effect is additive with that of CDF. In contrast, neither insulin-like growth factor-1, epidermal growth factor, nor nerve growth factor affected the ChAT activity of LA-N-2 cells. Our study demonstrates for the first time that CDF can directly affect the development of neuronal properties in a homogeneous population of cells, and that the effects of CDF are separate from those of other types of trophic factors.     

骨骼肌卫星细胞的特性及其增殖与分化的调控

成体骨骼肌细胞的数量基本保持恒定,骨骼肌的再生主要依赖肌卫星细胞的增殖与分化。骨骼肌卫星细胞是能够被激活、进而分化为肌细胞的一类成肌细胞。现对肌卫星细胞的发生、体外培养以及增殖与分化的调控进行综述,并对能否通过激活肌卫星细胞的增殖来实现肌肉组织生长的调控进行探讨。     

Cross-Bridges and Periods in Insect Flight Muscle

The periodic structure of the cross-bridge lattice of glycerinatedLethocerus flight muscle has been studied in sections by electronmicroscopy, assisted by optical diffraction, and in unfixedfiber bundles by X-ray diffraction. Diffraction patterns exhibitfirst through ninth orders of 1166 Ä, virtually all ofwhich were found to arise from the lattice of cross-bridges.Diffraction and inspection show that "horizontal" cross-bridgesof relaxation become slanted in rigor, and may push actins towardthe M line in producing the increase in tension seen with theinduction of rigor. Myosin filaments contain unexpected structural features. Cross-bridgeorigins form opposed pairs repeating every 146 Ä; and rotating67.5 degrees with each repeat, thus defining twin, left-handed,helical tracks which require 1 turns (or 8 x 146 Ä) toestablish a meridional repeat of 1166 Ä. Each origin isdual and gives rise to two bridges; thus, the unit groupingof paired origins involves four bridges. One half-turn of themyosin helix requires 388 Ä, matching the actin helix exactlyin pitch. (Actin is, however, right-handed.) The resulting matchseems awkward azimuthally (sixteenfold myosin distributes bridgesto a sixfold envelope of actin filaments), but minimizes axialmismatching between subunits of the myosin and actin and lendscredence to the theory that all bridges may swing synchronouslyduring typical, low-amplitude, oscillatory contractions.     

体外诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向肝细胞样细胞方向分化

探讨成纤维生长因子-2(FGF-2)在体外定向诱导大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞(BM-MSCs)向肝细胞样细胞分化的作用及量化关系。体外分离培养大鼠BM-MSCs,将第3代BM-MSCs采用不同剂量的FGF-2诱导。诱导后,在显微镜下观察细胞形态学的改变;用免疫细胞化学法检测白蛋白和CK19的分泌;Shiff染色法检测糖原的分泌。诱导后BM-MSCs由梭形向多角形、卵圆形方向变化,白蛋白、CK19和糖原12 d即有阳性表达,以后随着诱导时间的延长阳性率逐渐升高。20 ng/mL FGF-2诱导比10 ng/mL FGF-2诱导细胞白蛋白、CK19和糖原的表达量均多。20 ng/mL FGF-2具有较强的诱导BM-MSCs向肝细胞样细胞分化的能力。     

In Vitro Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Neurons of the Dorsal Forebrain

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are able to differentiate into all cell types in the organism including cortical neurons. To follow the dynamic generation of progenitors of the dorsal forebrain in vitro, we generated ESCs from D6-GFP mice in which GFP marks neocortical progenitors and neurons after embryonic day (E) 10.5. We used several cell culture protocols for differentiation of ESCs into progenitors and neurons of the dorsal forebrain. In cell culture, GFP-positive cells were induced under differentiation conditions in quickly formed embryoid bodies (qEBs) after 10–12 day incubation. Activation of Wnt signaling during ESC differentiation further stimulated generation of D6-GFP-positive cortical cells. In contrast, differentiation protocols using normal embryoid bodies (nEBs) yielded only a few D6-GFP-positive cells. Gene expression analysis revealed that multiple components of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway were expressed during the development of embryoid bodies. As shown by immunohistochemistry and quantitative qRT-PCR, D6-GFP-positive cells from qEBs expressed genes that are characteristic for the dorsal forebrain such as Pax6, Dach1, Tbr1, Tbr2, or Sox5. qEBs culture allowed the formation of a D6-GFP positive pseudo-polarized neuroepithelium with the characteristic presence of N-cadherin at the apical pole resembling the structure of the developing neocortex.     

Quantitative Changes in Unscheduled DNA Synthesis in Rat Muscle Cells after Differentiation

THE incorporation of tritiated thymidine (³H-thymidine) into cells not engaged in normal DNA replication has been called unscheduled DNA synthesis¹. The phenomenon has been observed after X-irradiation¹, ultraviolet irradiation² and after exposure to the monofunctional alkylating agent methyl methane sulphonate³ (MMS) and other carcinogens⁴. In all published reports the cells showing unscheduled DNA synthesis had retained their proliferative capacity (and hence at least their potential ability to synthesize DNA). We have investigated whether differentiated cells—that is, cells which presumably will never have to initiate normal DNA synthesis—are still capable of unscheduled DNA synthesis. We used multinucleated rat muscle cells in vitro. Myotubes have been found to form by fusion of separate, mononucleated cells^5,6, the nuclei of which no longer synthesize DNA. YalTe and Gershon⁷ have shown that such cells can reinitiate DNA synthesis after viral infection. They found it necessary, however, for fusion to continue during viral infection; in the absence of further fusion no new DNA synthesis was observed. The trigger for DNA synthesis after viral infection must therefore have come from cells which had been transformed before differentiation and fusion. This left open the question of whether differentiated cells could initiate DNA synthesis in the absence of trigger from transformed cells.     

Self-renewal and Differentiation of Muscle Satellite Cells Are Regulated by the Fas-associated Death Domain

Making the decision between self-renewal and differentiation of adult stem cells is critical for tissue repair and homeostasis. Here we show that the apoptotic adaptor Fas-associated death domain (FADD) regulates the fate decisions of muscle satellite cells (SCs). FADD phosphorylation was specifically induced in cycling SCs, which was high in metaphase and declined in later anaphase. Furthermore, phosphorylated FADD at Ser-191 accumulated in the uncommitted cycling SCs and was asymmetrically localized in the self-renewing daughter SCs. SCs containing a phosphoryl-mimicking mutation at Ser-191 of FADD (FADD-D) expressed higher levels of stem-like markers and reduced commitment-associated markers. Moreover, a phosphoryl-mimicking mutation at Ser-191 of FADD suppressed SC activation and differentiation, which promoted the cycling SCs into a reversible quiescent state. Therefore, these data indicate that FADD regulates the fate determination of cycling SCs.     

Human Skeletal Muscle Cells Synthesise a Neuronotrophic Factor Reactive with Spinal Neurons

Retrograde trophic influences originating in the skeletal musculature have been postulated to be involved in regulating survival and differentiation of embryonic motor neurons and reactive terminal sprouting of mature motor fibres. We have previously described the use of a quantitative immunoassay for neurofilament protein to bioassay in vitro the cell-type-specific neuronotrophic activity of nerve growth factor (NGF) on sensory ganglion neurons. In the present study, the effect of media conditioned by adult human muscle cells (MCM) on the in vitro development of chicken spinal neurons has been studied using a similar approach. Significant increases in neurofilament protein levels in 7-day chicken embryonic spinal cord cultures were found with doses of MCM protein as low as 0.4 microgram/ml, with a dose-response relationship yielding maximal and half-maximal effects at 4 and 1 microgram/ml, respectively. Maximal increases in neurofilament protein levels were associated with an approximate two-fold increase in neuronal cell survival. MCM also induced increases in choline acetyltransferase activity in chick spinal cord cultures. In both the absence and presence of NGF, MCM did not increase neurofilament protein expression in primary cultures of sensory neurons.     

The Role of Hypoxia in the Differentiation of P19 Embryonal Carcinoma Cells into Dopaminergic Neurons

Nervous system development at early stage is in hypoxic environment. Very little is known about the role of hypoxia in neuronal development. P19 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells are a widely used model for studying early neuronal development. In this study we investigated the roles of hypoxia in differentiation of dopaminergic neurons derived from P19 EC cells. Results demonstrate that hypoxia increases the percentage of differentiated neurons, especially neurons of dopaminergic phenotype. To investigate the potential mechanism involved in hypoxia promoted differentiation of dopaminergic neurons, we measured the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), based on its characteristic response to hypoxia. The result shows that HIF-1α mRNA level in P19 EC cells increases after hypoxia treatment. It is known that HIF-1α regulates the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene through binding to its promoter. Therefore, we propose that the underlying mechanism for hypoxia promoted differentiation of dopaminergic neurons was mediated by HIF-1α up-regulation under hypoxia. Yue Wang—Co-first author. Special Issue in honor of Dr. Ji-Sheng Han.