Physicochemical characterization and phylogenetic comparison of fish lens proteins.

The composition of soluble eye lens proteins from four chondropterygiian and fourteen teleostean fishes were analyzed for heterogeneity in MW and pI. Lens proteins from all the fish species studies are distributed in the pI range 4.3-9.0 with polypeptides in the range 17,500-31,000 Da. Phylogenetic trees are constructed based on the observations.     

Ctdnep1 and Eps8L2 regulate dorsal actin cables for nuclear positioning during cell migration

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Effect of prostaglandins on the in vitro steroidogenesis in human ovarian tissues

Although prostaglandins are luteolytic in some species, in $\text{in vitro}$ conditions they stimulate progesterone production in the corpus luteum (1). Apart from this effect prostaglandins may also stimulate other steps in the steroidogenic sequence e.g. corticosteroidogenesis in superfused rat adrenal glands (2) and aromatization of testosterone by perfused human placenta (3). With this possibility in view and also because of paucity of data on the effect of prostaglandins on steroidogenesis in human ovarian tissues we have been studying under $\text{in vitro}$ conditions the effect of prostaglandins on progesterone formation in human corpora lutea and on the utilization of C₂₁ steroids by the luteal and follicular compartments of the ovary. These studies are still in progress. However, the data obtained so far indicates that in addition to stimulating progesterone synthesis in the corpus luteum prostaglandins may also affect other steps in steroidogenesis in human ovarian tissues. We wish to report here in brief these preliminary results.     

Stable suppression of myostatin gene expression in goat fetal fibroblast cells by lentiviral vector‐mediated RNAi

Myostatin (MSTN) is a secreted growth factor that negatively regulates skeletal muscle mass, and therefore, strategies to block myostatin‐signaling pathway have been extensively pursued to increase the muscle mass in livestock. Here, we report a lentiviral vector‐based delivery of shRNA to disrupt myostatin expression into goat fetal fibroblasts (GFFs) that were commonly used as karyoplast donors in somatic‐cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) studies. Sh‐RNA positive cells were screened by puromycin selection. Using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we demonstrated efficient knockdown of endogenous myostatin mRNA with 64% down‐regulation in sh2 shRNA‐treated GFF cells compared to GFF cells treated by control lentivirus without shRNA. Moreover, we have also demonstrated both the induction of interferon response and the expression of genes regulating myogenesis in GFF cells. The results indicate that myostatin‐targeting siRNA produced endogenously could efficiently down‐regulate myostatin expression. Therefore, targeted knockdown of the MSTN gene using lentivirus‐mediated shRNA transgenics would facilitate customized cell engineering, allowing potential use in the establishment of stable cell lines to produce genetically engineered animals. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:452–459, 2015