Compartmentalised expression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Delta-like 1</Emphasis> in epithelial somites is required for the formation of intervertebral joints

Background  

Expression of the mouse Delta-like 1 (Dll1) gene in the presomitic mesoderm and in the caudal halves of somites of the developing embryo is required for the formation of epithelial somites and for the maintenance of caudal somite identity, respectively. The rostro-caudal polarity of somites is initiated early on within the presomitic mesoderm in nascent somites. Here we have investigated the requirement of restricted Dll1 expression in caudal somite compartments for the maintenance of rostro-caudal somite polarity and the morphogenesis of the axial skeleton. We did this by overexpressing a functional copy of the Dll1 gene throughout the paraxial mesoderm, in particular in anterior somite compartments, during somitogenesis in transgenic mice.     

Hypochondroplasia due to FGFR3 gene mutation (N540K) and mosaic form of Down syndrome in the same patient

The simultaneous presence of Down syndrome and achondroplasia has rarely been reported in the literature, and our search revealed only six patients with such an association. We are reporting the first case of a patient with Down syndrome and hypochondroplasia. In this patient, Down syndrome was clinically recognised and confirmed by the cytogenetic finding of mosaic karyotype (47,XX,+21/46,XX) shortly after birth. She was subsequently diagnosed with hypochondroplasia at the age of 6 years when disproportional short stature, stocky habitus and macrocephaly were observed. These phenotypic findings were later confirmed by the presence of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene mutation N540K. The overlapping common clinical features of Down syndrome and hypochondroplasia resulted in delayed diagnosis of hypochondroplasia in our patient and the associated deleterious effect on her linear growth. Her final height is 126.5 cm, which is −3.76 standard deviations (SD) lower than the median height in patients with Down syndrome, and is under the lower borderline of the adult height range for women with hypochondroplasia.     

Resistenzverhalten einiger Maissorten und -hybriden auf künstlich erzeugte Kolbenmykosen unter Berücksichtigung der im Bernburger Raum häufig an Maiskolben auftretenden Pilzflora

Ohne ZusammenfassungHerrn Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c.H. Stubbe zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Untersuchungen zur vitalen Fluorochromierung pflanzlicher Zellen mit Neutralrot

Ohne ZusammenfassungDer Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft danken wir für die Unterstützung unserer Arbeiten. Ferner danken wir Frau Ingeborg v. Tippelskirch und Fräulein Annemarie Pagels für ihre Hilfe.     

Eine Wirkung von Chloralhydrat auf Spirillen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Fluorescenz- und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen an Beggiatoa alba und Thiothrix nivea

Ohne Zusammenfassung