Zygotic Wnt/beta-catenin signaling preferentially regulates the expression of Myf5 gene in the mesoderm of Xenopus

Zygotic Wnt signaling has been shown to be involved in dorsoventral mesodermal patterning in Xenopus embryos, but how it regulates different myogenic gene expression in the lateral mesodermal domains is not clear. Here, we use transient exposure of embryos or explants to lithium, which mimics Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, as a tool to regulate the activation of this pathway at different times and places during early development. We show that activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling at the early gastrula stage rapidly induces ectopic expression of XMyf5 in both the dorsal and ventral mesoderm. In situ hybridization analysis reveals that the induction of ectopic XMyf5 expression in the dorsal mesoderm occurs within 45 min and is not blocked by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. By contrast, the induction of XMyoD is observed after 2 h of lithium treatment and the normal expression pattern of XMyoD is blocked by cycloheximide. Analysis by RT-PCR of ectodermal explants isolated soon after midblastula transition indicates that lithium also specifically induces XMyf5 expression, which takes place 30 min following lithium treatment and is not blocked by cycloheximide, arguing strongly for an immediate-early response. In the early gastrula, inhibition of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling blocks the expression of XMyf5 and XMyoD, but not of Xbra. We further show that zygotic Wnt/beta-catenin signaling interacts specifically with bFGF and eFGF to promote XMyf5 expression in ectodermal cells. These results suggest that Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is required for regulating myogenic gene expression in the presumptive mesoderm. In particular, it may directly activate the expression of the XMyf5 gene in the muscle precursor cells.     

TRAF6 Contributes to CFA-Induced Spinal Microglial Activation and Chronic Inflammatory Pain in Mice

Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology - Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) has been reported to be expressed in spinal astrocytes and is involved in neuropathic pain. In this...     

Food restriction and refeeding have no effect on cellular and humoral immunity in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)

Small mammals in the temperate area often face fluctuations in food availability. Changes in food availability may have a great influence on an animals' immunity, which is important to their survival. We tested the hypothesis that cellular and humoral immunity would be suppressed by food restriction and restored to control levels by refeeding in Mongolian gerbils Meriones unguiculatus. Forty adult male gerbils were randomly divided into food-restricted (80% of baseline food intake) and food ad lib. groups. Similarly, another 40 adult male gerbils were also randomly assigned to two groups: a group for which food was restricted for 36 d and then provided ad lib. and a group that was continuously fed ad lib. Half of the gerbils in each group were injected with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and keyhole limpet hemocyanin solution to assess cellular and humoral immunity, respectively; the others were injected with sterile saline as control groups. Food-restricted gerbils had significantly lower body mass, body fat mass, dry thymus mass, wet and dry spleen mass, and serum leptin levels than those of the controls, whereas refeeding restored these parameters to the controls. Both food restriction and refeeding had no significant effect on PHA response indicative of cellular immunity, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M concentrations, and white blood cells. We also found that food restriction decreased corticosterone levels in food-restricted gerbils, while refeeding increased corticosterone levels in refed gerbils compared with the controls. Our results suggest that cellular and humoral immunity were not affected by food restriction and refeeding in gerbils.     

Volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying chloride channels are involved in oxidative stress-induced apoptosis of mesangial cells

Volume-sensitive outwardly rectifying (VSOR) Cl- channels have been electrophysiologically identified in human and mouse mesangial cells, but the functional role of VSOR Cl- channels in mesangial cell apoptosis is not clear. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the role of VSOR Cl- channels in oxidative stress-induced mesangial cell apoptosis. H2O2-induced Cl- currents showed phenotypic properties of VSOR Cl- channels, including outward rectification, voltage-dependent inactivation at more positive potentials, sensitivity to hyperosmolarity, and inhibition by VSOR Cl- channel blockers. Moreover, blockage of VSOR Cl- channels by DIDS (100 microM), NPPB (10 microM) or niflumic acid (10 microM) rescued mesangial cell apoptosis induced by H2O2. Treatment with 150 microM H2O2 for 2h resulted in significant reduction of cell volume, in contrast, nuclear condensation and/or fragmentation were not observed and the caspase-3 activity was also not increased. The early-phase alterations in cell volume were markedly abolished by pretreatment with VSOR Cl- channel blockers. We conclude that VSOR Cl- channels are involved in H2O2-induced apoptosis in cultured mesangial cells and its mechanism is associated with apoptotic volume decrease processes.     

剑尾鱼卵子发生的组织学观察

应用光学显微镜对卵胎生硬骨鱼类剑尾鱼(Xiphophorus helleri)卵巢的组织结构进行了观察。结果显示,剑尾鱼卵子的发育过程可划分为6个时相。Ⅰ时相的卵母细胞呈原始分化状态,细胞外具一层细胞质膜。Ⅱ时相卵母细胞外不仅具有质膜,而且还包绕一层滤泡细胞。Ⅲ时相和Ⅳ时相的卵母细胞分化明显,胞质内开始积累脂滴和卵黄颗粒。Ⅴ时相为成熟卵子,卵子的卵膜极薄,胞质内含有丰富的脂滴和卵黄。Ⅵ时相卵母细胞进入退化期,滤泡细胞从卵周向中央突入,卵黄被完全吸收,滤泡细胞自身也变得肥大。结果表明,剑尾鱼卵巢中卵母细胞的发育是不同步的。     

鲤鱼SOCS-4基因克隆、鉴定及表达模式分析

细胞因子是调节机体免疫和神经内分泌功能的生物活性物质,其信号的激发、放大和持续在时间和空间上都受到严格调控。细胞因子信号传导抑制因子(Suppressorof cytokine signaling,SOCS)是细胞因子信号通路的负调节因子,通过负反馈抑制细胞因子的信号传递,防止过度的信号反应干扰机体代谢平衡和细胞功能。在哺乳动物中,SOCS系统对生长激素(GH)、表皮生长因子     

人类新基因C17orf32的电子克隆和编码区序列RT-PCR验证

利用生物信息学与实验验证的技术路线,成功地克隆了人类新基因C17orf32的cDNA(GenBank登记号：AY074907和TPA: BK000260),发现C17orf32的完整开放阅读框架(ORF,31～657 bp）cDNA（627 bp）与人类假定基因LOC124919 ORF(25～807 bp)的25～651位只有一个碱基不同.经RT-PCR验证并cDNA测序、人类表达序列标签(EST)数据库的BLAST检索和基因组成规律分析三方面的结果,均支持C17orf32的序列,而不支持LOC124919的编码序列.C17orf32基因组序列全长4.610 kb,含有6个外显子和5个内含子,cDNA序列全长1 679 bp, ORF横跨全部6个外显子.该基因ORF翻译起始处符合Kozak规则,ORF起始码上游同一相位有终止码,ORF后有2个加尾信号和PolyA尾.C17orf32基因的成功克隆表明,NCBI GENOME Annotation Project在2001年12月预测的人类假定蛋白XP-058865编码基因LOC124919的模式参考序列XM-058865中存在偏差,即在C17orf32基因cDNA的406与407位碱基之间错误插入一个碱基G, 从而导致在插入位点后,ORF编码125位氨基酸以后蛋白质序列的改变,出现260个氨基酸的多肽.因此,应慎重看待计算机注释的人类基因组编码序列.建立的技术路线有助于发现更多新的人类功能基因.     

Highly efficient genome editing using oocyte-specific zcas9 transgenic zebrafish

正Since its first application to induce mutations in mammalian cells (Cong et al., 2013; Mali et al., 2013), CRISPR/Cas9 has rapidly become a routine technique to perform genome editing in a variety of biological systems due to its facile, robust, and multiplexable features (Hwang et al., 2013; Wang et al., 2013; Guo et al., 2014; Liu,     

自然干燥对冬虫夏草寄主蝠蛾卵孵化的影响

研究在室内自然空气湿度下放置的时间长短对冬虫夏草(Cordyceps)寄主昆虫贡嘎蝠蛾Hepialus gonggaensis Fu et Huang卵孵化率的影响。卵早期的研究结果为:第1批、第2批和第3批卵于室内自然空气湿度下保存的时间达26,11和16h后再保湿都可以正常孵化并且孵化率与对照无显著性差异,所孵化幼虫在饲养初期的成活率分别达62.0%,41.4%和43.4%,与对照无显著性差异。卵中期干燥放置36h的孵化率为66.7%,所孵化幼虫在饲养初期的成活率为50.0%,孵化率和成活率都与对照无显著性差异。卵晚期干燥放置24h的孵化率为70.0%,所孵化幼虫在饲养初期的成活率为49.0%,孵化率和成活率都与对照无显著性差异。以上结果表明,经历一定时间的干燥不会对卵的正常孵化有影响。     

Discovery and Characterization of a Small Molecule Inhibitor of the PDZ Domain of Dishevelled

Dishevelled (Dvl) is an essential protein in the Wnt signaling pathways; it uses its PDZ domain to transduce the Wnt signals from the membrane receptor Frizzled to downstream components. Here, we report identifying a drug-like small molecule compound through structure-based ligand screening and NMR spectroscopy and show the compound to interact at low micromolar affinity with the PDZ domain of Dvl. In a Xenopus testing system, the compound could permeate the cell membrane and block the Wnt signaling pathways. In addition, the compound inhibited Wnt signaling and reduced the levels of apoptosis in the hyaloid vessels of eye. Moreover, this compound also suppressed the growth of prostate cancer PC-3 cells. These biological effects suggest that by blocking the PDZ domain of Dvl, the compound identified in our studies effectively inhibits the Wnt signaling and thus provides a useful tool for studies dissecting the Wnt signaling pathways.The Wnt signaling pathways are regulated by a family of secreted Wnt glycoproteins. The canonical Wnt pathway, which is highly conserved, is best understood. In this pathway, Wnt molecules interact with the seven-transmembrane Frizzled (Fz)² proteins (1) by binding to an N-terminal cysteine-rich-domain (2). The signal is then transduced into the cell through an internal sequence of Fz, C-terminal to the seventh transmembrane domain, which binds directly to the PDZ (postsynaptic density-95/discs large/zonula occludens-1) domain of the cytoplasmic protein Dishevelled (Dvl) (3). Dvl then transduces the Wnt signals to downstream components (4). Three Dvl homologs (Dvl-1, -2, and -3) have been identified in humans; all are expressed in both embryonic and adult tissues, including brain, heart, lung, kidney, skeletal muscle, and others (4). Up-regulation and overexpression of Dvl proteins have been reported in many cancers, including those of breast, colon, prostate, mesothelium, and lung (non-small cell) (5–8).The Dvl protein is made up of three conserved domains: an N-terminal DIX domain, a central PDZ domain, and a C-terminal DEP domain (9). The central PDZ domain is of particular interest because of its interaction with Fz and other Wnt pathway proteins (3, 10). The direct interaction between the PDZ domain and Fz peptides is relatively weak, and other factors may play a role to ensure the communication between the two molecules (3). For example, several studies suggest that the DEP domain of Dvl has a membrane-targeting function that may facilitate PDZ-Fz interaction (11–14). However, the weak PDZ-Fz interaction provides an opportunity to block Wnt signaling at the Dvl level by using a small molecule inhibitor. An earlier study in our laboratories used an NMR-assisted virtual ligand screening approach to identify a peptide mimic that can bind to the Dvl PDZ domain (15). We have now used an improved algorithm to conduct an additional structure-based virtual screen of the PDZ domain of Dvl and have discovered a group of drug-like compounds that bind to the PDZ domain with moderate to low micromolar affinity. One of these compounds effectively blocked Wnt signaling in vivo and reduced the growth rate of a prostate cancer cell line.