Hematological- and Neurological-Expressed Sequence 1 Gene Products in Progenitor Cells during Newt Retinal Development

Urodele amphibians such as Japanese common newts have a remarkable ability to regenerate their injured neural retina, even as adults. We found that hematological- and neurological-expressed sequence 1 (Hn1) gene was induced in depigmented retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and its expression was maintained at later stages of newt retinal regeneration. In this study, we investigated the distribution of the HN1 protein, the product of the Hn1 gene, in the developing retinas. Our immunohistochemical analyses suggested that the HN1 protein was highly expressed in an immature retina, and the subcellular localization changed during this retinogenesis as observed in newt retinal regeneration. We also found that the expression of Hn1 gene was not induced in mouse after retinal removal. Our results showed that Hn1 gene can be useful for detection of undifferentiated and dedifferentiated cells during both newt retinal development and regeneration

Two types of arrestins expressed in medaka rod photoreceptors

AbstractSimilar to visual arrestins of other vertebrates, two subtypes of medaka visual arrestins, KfhArr-R1 and KfhArr-C, are selectively expressed in rods and cones, respectively [Hisatomi et al. (1997) FEBS Lett. 411, 12–18]. We isolated a cDNA encoding the third arrestin, KfhArr-R2, from a medaka retinal cDNA library. Phylogenetic analysis of arrestin sequences suggests that KfhArr-R2 is classified into the rod arrestin subtype. In situ hybridization indicated that KfhArr-R2 mRNA is localized in most of the rod photoreceptors, suggesting that both KfhArr-R1 and -R2 are co-expressed in rods. Antisera against KfhArr-R2 recognized outer segments, but anti-KfhArr-R1 antisera reacted with cell bodies and synaptic termini in light-adapted rods. It seems likely that KfhArr-R1 and -R2 play different roles in rod photoreceptors

Two Guanylate Cyclase Activating Proteins in Medaka Retina

Guanylate cyclase activating protein (GCAP1 and 2) is a Ca2+-sensitive regulator of the retinal membrane guanylate cyclases (GCs). In mammalian retina, GCAP1 is localized in cones and GCAP2 is present in rods, cones and other retinal cells. Here we isolated two kinds of cDNAs encoding putative medaka GCAPs (OlGCAP1 and OlGCAP2). Sequence analysis and characterization of recombinant proteins indicate that OlGCAP1 and 2 are closely related to mammalian GCAP1 and 2, respectively, and that OlGCAP1 and 2 appear to regulate GCs in a manner similar to that of mammalian GCAPs. However, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry suggest that both OlGCAP1 and 2 coexist mainly in rods, and that OlGCAP1, but not OlGCAP2, is present in the inner nuclear layer and ganglion cell layer, indicating that localization of these medaka GCAPs is totally different from that of mammalian GCAPs. The Ca2+-feedback system in vertebrate retinal phototransduction may be evolved in the expression of GCs and GCAPs in photoreceptors

Distribution of blue-sensitive photoreceptors in amphibian retinas

AbstractPreviously, we reported that an opsin (Rc-MS) belonging to the SWS2 group opsins is expressed in bullfrog green rods [Hisatomi, O. et al., FEBS Lett., 1999, 447, 44–48]. An anti-Rc-MS antiserum recognized the cones of the Japanese common newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, which has no green rods. We isolated a cDNA encoding an SWS2 group opsin (Cp-SWS2) from this newt and found that Cp-SWS2 is expressed in a small population of the cones. Our results suggest that SWS2 opsins can be expressed in either green rods or cones of caudata. It seems reasonable to suppose that green rods arose before amphibia were divided into caudata and anura

Simultaneous staining of Ki-67 and chromosome 8 in invasive ductal carcinoma: association with prognosis

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate an approach that uses simultaneous staining to estimate malignant potential. This approach combines immunofluorescence (IF) staining for Ki-67 expression with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for copy number aberrations (CNA) of chromosome 8 in breast cancer cells.Methods: In 50 specimens of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), we examined a method that simultaneously combined immunostaining (Ki-67) and FISH with a chromosome 8 centromere-specific probe. Breast cancer cells were classified into Group 1, Ki-67 positive and chromosomal aberrant; Group 2, Ki-67 negative and chromosomal aberrant; Group 3, Ki-67 positive and chromosomal wild; Group 4, Ki-67 negative and chromosomal wild.Results: The frequency of Group 1 was significantly associated with nodal metastasis (p<0.05) and patient prognosis (p<0.05); however, it was not associated with age, tumor size, estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, or histological type. Furthermore, Group 1-positive cases showed a significantly worse prognosis, as shown by the Kaplan-Meier method.Conclusions: We successfully stained for Ki-67 expression and CNA of chromosome 8 in breast tumor sections (n=50). This approach indicated that Ki-67-positive cells with aberrant chromosome 8 were associated with malignant potential in IDC

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Associated with Papillary Serous Carcinoma of the Peritoneum, Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and Angiomyolipoma

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is associated with benign and malignant tumors, including lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) and angiomyolipoma (AML). We herein describe the TSC case of a 50-year-old woman having a papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum (PSCP), LAM, and AML. On microscopic examination, the PSCP cells showed a cuboidal to columnar shape, proliferated into the papillae, and infiltrated into the peritoneal cavity and anterior thoracic wall. On immunohistochemical evaluation, the tumor cells were positive for epithelial membrane antigen, human epidermal cytokeratins, and progesterone receptor, but negative for calretinin, carcinoembryonic antigen, MCF-7 cell line (Ber-EP4), and estrogen receptor