Pancreas-Specific Cre Driver Lines and Considerations for Their Prudent Use

Cre/LoxP has broad utility for studying the function, development, and oncogenic transformation of pancreatic cells in mice. Here we provide an overview of the Cre driver lines that are available for such studies. We discuss how variegated expression, transgene silencing, and recombination in undesired cell types have conspired to limit the performance of these lines, sometimes leading to serious experimental concerns. We also discuss preferred strategies for achieving high-fidelity driver lines and remind investigators of the continuing need for caution when interpreting results obtained from any Cre/LoxP-based experiment performed in mice

Effect of one variant of Ti3Ni4 particles on stress-induced martensitic transformations in <111>-oriented Ti49.2Ni50.8 single crystals

In the present study the effects of stress-assisted aging of the Ti49.2Ni50.8 single crystals oriented along [11] direction on the stress-induced B2-R-B19' thermoelastic martensitic transformations and superelasticity are investigated. It is experimentally established that aging at 823 K for 1h under compression stress of 150 MPa along [11] direction leads to the precipitation of one crystallographic variant of Ti3Ni4 particles of 350(±30) nm in size. Precipitation the single variant of Ti3Ni4 particle results in an appearance of homogeneous long-range internal stress field || ≈ 65 MPa, that defines the main features of stress-induced B2-R-B19' transformation and determines the increase in the characteristic temperatures of martensitic transformation and the existence of two-way shape memory effect

Evidence for preferential copackaging of Moloney murine leukemia virus genomic RNAs transcribed in the same chromosomal site

BACKGROUND: Retroviruses have a diploid genome and recombine at high frequency. Recombinant proviruses can be generated when two genetically different RNA genomes are packaged into the same retroviral particle. It was shown in several studies that recombinant proviruses could be generated in each round of HIV-1 replication, whereas the recombination rates of SNV and Mo-MuLV are 5 to 10-fold lower. The reason for these differences is not clear. One possibility is that these retroviruses may differ in their ability to copackage genomic RNAs produced at different chromosomal loci. RESULTS: To investigate whether there is a difference in the efficiency of heterodimer formation when two proviruses have the same or different chromosomal locations, we introduced two different Mo-MuLV-based retroviral vectors into the packaging cell line using either the cotransfection or sequential transfection procedure. The comparative study has shown that the frequency of recombination increased about four-fold when the cotransfection procedure was used. This difference was not associated with possible recombination of retroviral vectors during or after cotransfection and the ratios of retroviral virion RNAs were the same for two variants of transfection. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that a mechanism exists to enable the preferential copackaging of Mo-MuLV genomic RNA molecules that are transcribed on the same DNA template. The properties of Mo-MuLV genomic RNAs transport, processing or dimerization might be responsible for this preference. The data presented in this report can be useful when designing methods to study different aspects of replication and recombination of a diploid retroviral genome

A new transcript in the TCRB locus unveils the human ortholog of the mouse pre-Dß1 promoter

Introduction: While most transcripts arising from the human T Cell Receptor locus reflect fully rearranged genes, several germline transcripts have been identified. We describe a new germline transcript arising from the human TCRB locus. Methods: cDNA sequencing, promoter, and gene expression analyses were used to characterize the new transcript. Results: The new germline transcript encoded by the human TCRB locus consists of a new exon of 103bp, which we named TRBX1 (X1), spliced with the first exon of gene segments C ss 1 or C ss 2. X1 is located upstream of gene segment D ss 1 and is therefore deleted from a V-DJ rearranged TCRB locus. The X1-C ss transcripts do not appear to code for a protein. We define their transcription start and minimal promoter. These transcripts are found in populations of mature T lymphocytes from blood or tissues and in T cell clones with a monoallelic TCRB rearrangement. In immature thymocytes, they are already detectable in CD1a(-)CD34(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) cells, therefore before completion of the TCRB rearrangements. Conclusions: The X1 promoter appears to be the ortholog of the mouse pre-D ss 1 promoter (PD ss 1). Like PD ss 1, its activation is regulated by E ss in T cells and might facilitate the TCRB rearrangement process by contributing to the accessibility of the D ss 1 locus

Silver(I) complexes with phenolic Schiff bases: Synthesis, anti-bacterial evaluation and interaction with biomolecules

Novel Ag(I) complexes (2a–2c) with phenolic Schiff bases were synthesized using 4,6-di-tert-butyl-3-(((5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)imino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol (1a), 4,6-di-tert-butyl-3-(((4-mercaptophe­nyl­)­imino)­methyl)benzene-1,2-diol (1b), and 4,6-di-tert-butyl-3-(((3-mercaptophenyl)imino)methyl)­benzene-1,2-diol (1c). They were examined by elemental analysis, FT-IR, UV-Vis, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, XRD, cyclic voltammetry, conductivity measurements, and biological methods. The complexes are characterized by distorted geometry of the coordination cores AgN2S2 (2c), AgNS (2b) and AgS2 (2a). These stable complexes were not typified by the intramolecular redox reaction in organic solvents resulting in the formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Antibacterial activity of 1a–1c and 2a–2c was evaluated in comparison with AgNPs and commonly used antibiotics. All the complexes were more active than the ligands against the bacteria tested (14), but they were less active than AgNPs and commonly used antibiotics. Both 1a–1c and their complexes 2a–2c exhibited the capability for the bovine heart Fe(III)-Cyt c reduction. The ligands 1b and 1c were characterized by the highest reduction rate among the compounds under study, and they showed a higher reducing ability (determined by cyclic voltammetry) as compared with that of their Ag(I) complexes 2b and 2c

Mutagenesis of diploid mammalian genes by gene entrapment

The present study describes a genome-wide method for biallelic mutagenesis in mammalian cells. Novel poly(A) gene trap vectors, which contain features for direct cloning vector–cell fusion transcripts and for post-entrapment genome engineering, were used to generate a library of 979 mutant ES cells. The entrapment mutations generally disrupted gene expression and were readily transmitted through the germline, establishing the library as a resource for constructing mutant mice. Cells homozygous for most entrapment loci could be isolated by selecting for enhanced expression of an inserted neomycin-resistance gene that resulted from losses of heterozygosity (LOH). The frequencies of LOH measured at 37 sites in the genome ranged from 1.3 × 10(−5) to 1.2 × 10(−4) per cell and increased with increasing distance from the centromere, implicating mitotic recombination in the process. The ease and efficiency of obtaining homozygous mutations will (i) facilitate genetic studies of gene function in cultured cells, (ii) permit genome-wide studies of recombination events that result in LOH and mediate a type of chromosomal instability important in carcinogenesis, and (iii) provide new strategies for phenotype-driven mutagenesis screens in mammalian cells

Gene regulatory network subcircuit controlling a dynamic spatial pattern of signaling in the sea urchin embryo

We dissect the transcriptional regulatory relationships coordinating the dynamic expression patterns of two signaling genes, wnt8 and delta, which are central to specification of the sea urchin embryo endomesoderm. cis-Regulatory analysis shows that transcription of the gene encoding the Notch ligand Delta is activated by the widely expressed Runx transcription factor, but spatially restricted by HesC-mediated repression through a site in the delta 5′UTR. Spatial transcription of the hesC gene, however, is controlled by Blimp1 repression. Blimp1 thus represses the repressor of delta, thereby permitting its transcription. The blimp1 gene is itself linked into a feedback circuit that includes the wnt8 signaling ligand gene, and we showed earlier that this circuit generates an expanding torus of blimp1 and wnt8 expression. The finding that delta expression is also controlled at the cis-regulatory level by the blimp1-wnt8 torus-generating subcircuit now explains the progression of Notch signaling from the mesoderm to the endoderm of the developing embryo. Thus the specific cis-regulatory linkages of the gene regulatory network encode the coordinated spatial expression of Wnt and Notch signaling as they sweep outward across the vegetal plate of the embryo