A case of minimal uterine serous carcinoma with distant lymph node metastasis without peritoneal dissemination

A 61-year old woman underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection under the diagnosis of endometrial cancer. Although pelvic lymph nodes were positive for adenocarcinoma with psamomma bodies, no other lesion that was a primary lesion was verified. A postoperative study revealed the existence of para-aortic lymph node and supraclavicular lymph node metastases. Therefore, the endometrial biopsy specimen was reviewed. With the findings of p53 positivity by immunohistochemistry in the papillary part, the final histopathological diagnosis was changed to endometrial serous adenocarcinoma. Postoperative chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy for supraclavicular lymph node metastasis achieved complete response. This type of tumor must be considered in a differential diagnosis when metastatic papillary serous carcinoma is detected, but the primary site remains unknown

Genome evolution in the allotetraploid frog Xenopus laevis

To explore the origins and consequences of tetraploidy in the African clawed frog, we sequenced the Xenopus laevis genome and compared it to the related diploid X. tropicalis genome. We characterize the allotetraploid origin of X. laevis by partitioning its genome into two homoeologous subgenomes, marked by distinct families of ???fossil??? transposable elements. On the basis of the activity of these elements and the age of hundreds of unitary pseudogenes, we estimate that the two diploid progenitor species diverged around 34 million years ago (Ma) and combined to form an allotetraploid around 17-18 Ma. More than 56% of all genes were retained in two homoeologous copies. Protein function, gene expression, and the amount of conserved flanking sequence all correlate with retention rates. The subgenomes have evolved asymmetrically, with one chromosome set more often preserving the ancestral state and the other experiencing more gene loss, deletion, rearrangement, and reduced gene expression.ope

Highly conserved functions of the Brachyury gene on morphogenetic movements: Insight from the early-diverging phylum Ctenophora

Brachyury, a member of the T-box transcription family identified in a diverse array of metazoans, was initially recognized for its function in mesoderm formation and notochord differentiation in vertebrates, however its ancestral role has been suggested to be in control of morphogenetic movements. Here, we show that morpholino oligonucleotide knockdown of Brachyury (MlBra) in embryos of a ctenophore, one of the most ancient groups of animals, prevents the invagination of MlBra expressing stomodeal cells and is rescued with corresponding RNA injections. Injection of RNA encoding a dominant-interfering construct of MlBra causes identical phenotypes to that of RNA encoding a dominant-interfering form of Xenopus Brachyury (Xbra) in Xenopus embryos. Both injected embryos down-regulate Xbra downstream genes, Xbra itself and Xwnt11 but not axial mesodermal markers, resulting in failure to complete gastrulation due to loss of convergent extension movements. Moreover, animal cap assay reveals that MlBra induces Xwnt11 like Xbra. Overall results using Xenopus embryos show that these two genes are functionally interchangeable. These functional experiments demonstrate for the first time in a basal metazoan that the primitive role of Brachyury is to regulate morphogenetic movements, rather than to specify endomesodermal fates, and the role is conserved between non-bilaterian metazoans and vertebrates

Real-time imaging of actin filaments in the zebrafish oocyte and embryo

Dynamic changes of cytoplasmic and cortical actin filaments drive various cellular and developmental processes. Although real-time imaging of actin filaments in living cells has been developed, imaging of actin filaments in specific cells of living organisms remains limited, particularly for the analysis of gamete formation and early embryonic development. Here, we report the production of transgenic zebrafish expressing the C-terminus of Moesin, an actin filament-binding protein, fused with green fluorescent protein or red fluorescent protein (GFP/RFP-MoeC), under the control of a cyclin B1 promoter. GFP/RFP-MoeC was expressed maternally, which labels the cortical actin cytoskeleton of blastula-stage cells. High levels of GFP/RFP fluorescence were detected in the adult ovary and testis. In the ovaries, GFP/RFP-MoeC was expressed in oocytes but not in follicle cells, which allows us to clearly visualize the organization of actin filaments in different stages of the oocyte. Using full-grown oocytes, we revealed the dynamic changes of actin columns assembled in the cortical cytoplasm during oocyte maturation. The number of columns slightly decreased in the early period before germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and then significantly decreased at GVBD, followed by recovery after GVBD. Our transgenic fish are useful for analyzing the dynamics of actin filaments in oogenesis and early embryogenesis