细胞不对称分裂

细胞不对称分裂是多细胞生物发育的基础。细胞不对称分裂的重要特征是细胞命运决定子在细胞分裂期间的不对称分离。细胞不对称分裂一般要经历4个步骤：在细胞中建立一个极性轴;沿此轴定向并形成纺锤体;细胞命运决定子沿极性轴作极性分布;细胞分裂后,不同的细胞命运决定子指导决定细胞的不同命运。     

Numb与神经发育

不对称性细胞分裂是一个母细胞通过一次分裂,产生两个不同命运的子细胞的分裂方式,是单细胞生物向多细胞生物进化的关键一步。根据现有的证据推论,不称性细胞分裂是在器官发育过程中产生细胞多样化的一种基本方式。Numb是第一个被发现决定多细胞生物不对称细胞分裂的信号蛋白。在果蝇中,Numb通过促进Notch泛素化拮抗Notch信号通路,从而决定子细胞的命运,后来的研究表明Numb是细胞内吞调节蛋白,并用通过内吞参与调节神经细胞的粘附,轴突的生长及细胞迁移等过程;并且发现Numb与肿瘤抑制基因p53、泛素化蛋白HDM2形成三聚体抑制p53的泛素化,从而调节肿瘤的恶性程度。本文系统地分析了Numb发现的历史及后来在脊椎动物中的作用和机制,重点介绍了Numb在神经发育过程中的功能。     

Numb与神经发育

不对称性细胞分裂是一个母细胞通过一次分裂,产生两个不同命运的子细胞的分裂方式,是单细胞生物向多细胞生物进化的关键一步。根据现有的证据推论,不称性细胞分裂是在器官发育过程中产生细胞多样化的一种基本方式。Numb是第一个被发现决定多细胞生物不对称细胞分裂的信号蛋白。在果蝇中,Numb通过促进Notch泛素化拮抗Notch信号通路,从而决定子细胞的命运,后来的研究表明Numb是细胞内吞调节蛋白,并用通过内吞参与调节神经细胞的粘附,轴突的生长及细胞迁移等过程;并且发现Numb与肿瘤抑制基因p53、泛素化蛋白HDM2形成三聚体抑制p53的泛素化,从而调节肿瘤的恶性程度。本文系统地分析了Numb发现的历史及后来在脊椎动物中的作用和机制,重点介绍了Numb在神经发育过程中的功能。     

细胞极性蛋白复合物PAR/aPKC的研究进展

不对称细胞分裂是动物发育过程中用以调控细胞分化的一种进化上保守的基本模式。极性的祖细胞通过不对称分裂产生两个不同命运的子细胞,这一过程涉及细胞命运决定因子的不对称分布、纺锤体的旋转定位等,而这些过程都必须依赖特定细胞极性的存在才能得以正常进行。简要综述了高度保守的蛋白复合物PAR／aPKC在细胞极性建立和维持中的重要作用,以及它如何调控纺锤体定位和命运决定因子不对称分配,并讨论了在该领域的一些新发现和研究进展。     

神经母细胞：一个干细胞不对称分裂的模型

干细胞自我更新的不对称分裂能产生一个与本身相同的子细胞和一个分化的子细胞。近来通过对神经母细胞（Neuroblast,一组神经干细胞,负责产生中枢神经系统中的多种神经元和胶质细胞）的研究,揭示了干细胞这种自我更新的不对称分裂能力的机制,令人振奋不已。人们发现了几个重要的特异定位的细胞命运决定因子。并探索了它们在细胞骨架重组、细胞周期的进程、细胞质分裂和有丝分裂定向等过程中的分离机制。这些发现为理解干细胞分裂的共同机制提供了有益的启示。     

中枢神经系统发育的不对称细胞分裂机制

无论在无脊椎动物还是脊椎动物中,组成中枢神经系统（CNS）的大多数细胞都是由极性神经祖细胞不对称分裂而来。通过简要综述果蝇（Drosophila melanogaste）成神经母细胞（NB）不对称分裂机制,并与近年来在脊椎动物不对称细胞分裂上取得的研究成果相比较,尝试找出两个系统的相似性和相异性。     

命运决定子Numb在神经干/祖细胞不对称分裂及分化中的调控作用 

不对称分裂是干/祖细胞发育分化中的基本过程,膜相关蛋白Numb在其中发挥重要作用.Numb极性分布于细胞一侧,在干/祖细胞有丝分裂时不对等分配至两个子代细胞,使子代细胞产生不同分化命运.如一个保持在干/祖细胞状态,而另一个发育为神经元,这一过程主要通过抑制Notch信号通路发挥作用.近年在哺乳动物中的研究中发现,高强度Notch信号又能够反馈抑制Numb活性.Numb具有维持神经干/祖细胞增殖与促进分化的双重作用,Numb的命运决定作用还与Shh信号通路和p53蛋白等相关.另外,Numb参与调控细胞的粘连、迁移以及神经元轴突的分支与延长.本文主要对Numb在果蝇及哺乳动物神经干/祖细胞中的定位以及其在决定细胞命运和分化中的调控作用进行综述.     

神经祖细胞不对称分裂中纺锤体取向与细胞皮层极性的偶联机制

神经祖细胞的不对称分裂是神经发生的必要环节.近年来关于不对称分裂的研究,为果蝇及哺乳动物中枢神经系统发育期间神经祖细胞的分化机制提供了新的理解.在这一分裂模式中,纺锤体作为细胞结构的支架,受到细胞皮层极性信号的引导而改变取向,保证底部细胞命运决定子(cell fate determinants)的不对称分配.G蛋白亚基、各种接头蛋白及微管相关蛋白组成极性蛋白复合体,在纺锤体取向改变中发挥了有序的调节作用.现在细胞和分子水平探讨不对称分裂纺锤体与细胞皮层极性偶联这一标志性事件.     

外遗调节与神经干细胞分化

神经发生与神经干细胞的分化调控机制是当今神经发育生物学的重要研究热点,在阐明干细胞的可塑性机制和临床治疗神经退行性疾病等方面具有广阔的应用前景。最近研究表明,外遗调节在神经干细胞的生长及分化方面表现出重要作用。这些外遗调节包括组蛋白的乙酰化/去乙酰化,DNA甲基化以及非编码RNAs对细胞命运决定的影响。     

神经发育中的细胞周期时程

哺乳动物的神经发育经历一系列神经前体细胞的形态结构和机能改变,其细胞周期时程也呈现动态变化,从神经发生早期至后期,神经前体细胞的细胞周期时程逐渐延长,并与细胞发育命运转归有关,其调节因素包括周期蛋白复合体、Notch信号通路、原神经基因靶向蛋白、微管与分子马达蛋白等。细胞周期长度假说认为,细胞周期的长度影响到命运决定子的积累,因而决定细胞的命运。文章综述了相关的研究进展。     

Uniform straw-like cell architecture for three-dimensional cell–cell communication assay

ABSTRACT

We fabricated uniform straw-like cell architecture with central lumen using a suture thread within 1 h. The architecture consisting of cancer cells and mature adipocyte was used for cell–cell communication assay, although mature adipocyte could not form spontaneous multi-cellular spheroids. Using the system, it is possible to investigate three-dimensional cell–cell communication as an alternative to animal experiments.     

Programmed cell death in cell cultures

In plants most instances of programmed cell death (PCD) occur in a number of related, or neighbouring, cells in specific tissues. However, recent research with plant cell cultures has demonstrated that PCD can be induced in single cells. The uniformity, accessibility and reduced complexity of cell cultures make them ideal research tools to investigate the regulation of PCD in plants. PCD has now been induced in cell cultures from a wide range of species including many of the so-called model species. We will discuss the establishment of cell cultures, the fractionation of single cells and isolation of protoplasts, and consider the characteristic features of PCD in cultured cells. We will review the wide range of methods to induce cell death in cell cultures ranging from abiotic stress, absence of survival signals, manipulation of signal pathway intermediates, through the induction of defence-related PCD and developmentally induced cell death.     

A transitional cell carcinoma cell line

Summary A transitional cell carcinoma cell line, COLO 232, was derived from a primary urinary bladder tumor in a Caucasian male. In culture, COLO 232 retained distinct uroepithelial phenotypic traits and produced both carcinoembryonic antigen and adrenocorticotropic hormone. COLO 232 had a chromosome mode of 58 and retained the X and Y chromosomes. Ten marker chromosomes were identified. COLO 232 will be of value for biochemical and immunological studies. Presented in part at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Tissue Culture Association, June 7, 1977. This work was supported by Grant No. CA 15018 awarded by the National Cancer Institute, DHEW, and the Mary B. and L. H. Marshall Fund.     

Germ cell sex and cell cycle

Germ cells are the only cells in the body capable of transferring an individual's genetic and epigenetic information to the next generation. However, the developmental processes that provide the foundation for male and female germ line development and later gamete production are complex and poorly understood. In mice the primordial germ cells enter the bipotential gonad at E10.5 and, in response to the testicular or ovarian micro-environment, commit to spermatogenesis or oogenesis. This paper reviews progress in understanding the molecular processes underlying the early stages of male and female germ line development.     

Preformed cell structure and cell heredity

This review will first recall the phenomena of “cortical inheritance” observed and genetically demonstrated in Paramecium 40 years ago, and later in other ciliates (Tetrahymena, Oxytricha, Paraurostyla), and will analyze the deduced concept of “cytotaxis” or “structural memory.” The significance of these phenomena, all related (but not strictly restricted) to the properties of ciliary basal bodies and their mode of duplication, will be interpreted in the light of present knowledge on the mechanism and control of basal body/centriole duplication. Then other phenomena described in a variety of organisms will be analyzed or mentioned which show the relevance of the concept of cytotaxis to other cellular processes, mainly (1) cytoskeleton assembly and organization with examples on ciliates, trypanosome, mammalian cells and plants, and (2) transmission of polarities with examples on yeast, trypanosome and metazoa. Finally, I will discuss some aspects of this particular type of non-DNA inheritance: (1) why so few documented examples if structural memory is a basic parameter in cell heredity, and (2) how are these phenomena (which all rely on protein/protein interactions, and imply a formatting role of preexisting proteinic complexes on neo-formed proteins and their assembly) related to prions?Key words: Paramecium, basal-body, centriole, basal-body duplication, cell polarity, structural inheritance, cytotaxis, cell memory, epigenetics     

Electrostimulated cell fusion in cell engineering

A survey of studies on reconstructions of animal and plant cells which apply a new physical method--electrostimulated fusion, is presented. Effects of different factors of the medium on the efficiency of electrofusion is discussed. A detailed account is given of the authors' studies on zygotes reconstruction by combined methods of microsurgery and electrostimulated cell fusion. Advantages of the latter as compared to the widely distributed methods of fusion by polyethylenglycol and Sendai virus are considered. This physical method can play an important role in the progress of cellular engineering.