33 research outputs found

    Tissue Origins and Interactions in the Mammalian Skull Vault

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    AbstractDuring mammalian evolution, expansion of the cerebral hemispheres was accompanied by expansion of the frontal and parietal bones of the skull vault and deployment of the coronal (fronto-parietal) and sagittal (parietal–parietal) sutures as major growth centres. Using a transgenic mouse with a permanent neural crest cell lineage marker, Wnt1-Cre/R26R, we show that both sutures are formed at a neural crest–mesoderm interface: the frontal bones are neural crest-derived and the parietal bones mesodermal, with a tongue of neural crest between the two parietal bones. By detailed analysis of neural crest migration pathways using X-gal staining, and mesodermal tracing by DiI labelling, we show that the neural crest–mesodermal tissue juxtaposition that later forms the coronal suture is established at E9.5 as the caudal boundary of the frontonasal mesenchyme. As the cerebral hemispheres expand, they extend caudally, passing beneath the neural crest–mesodermal interface within the dermis, carrying with them a layer of neural crest cells that forms their meningeal covering. Exposure of embryos to retinoic acid at E10.0 reduces this meningeal neural crest and inhibits parietal ossification, suggesting that intramembranous ossification of this mesodermal bone requires interaction with neural crest-derived meninges, whereas ossification of the neural crest-derived frontal bone is autonomous. These observations provide new perspectives on skull evolution and on human genetic abnormalities of skull growth and ossification

    Marylosides A-G, Norcycloartane Glycosides from Leaves of Cymbidium Great Flower ‘Marylaurencin’

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    Seven novel norcycloartane glycosides, maryloside A–G (1–7), were isolated from the leaves of Cymbidium Great Flower ‘Marylaurencin’, along with a known norcycloartane glycoside, cymbidoside (8). These structures were determined on the basis of mainly NMR experiments as well as chemical degradation and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The isolated compounds (1–6 and 8) were evaluated for the inhibitory activity on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells. Consequently, 1 and 3 exhibited moderate activity

    Distinct and overlapping roles of ARID3A and ARID3B in regulating E2F‑dependent transcription via direct binding to E2F target genes

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    The AT-rich interacting domain (ARID) family of DNA-binding proteins is involved in various biological processes, including the regulation of gene expression during cell proliferation, differentiation and development. ARID3A and ARID3B are involved in chromatin remodeling and can bind to E2F1 and retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein(RB), respectively. However, their role in regulating E2F target gene expression remains poorly understood. E2F transcription factors are critical regulators of cell cycle progression and are modulated by RB. Herein, putative ARID3-binding sites (BSs) in E2F target genes were identified, including Cdc2, cyclin E1 and p107, and it was found that ARID3A and ARID3B bound to these BSs in living cells. The mutation of ARID3 BSs reduced Cdc2 promoter activity, while ARID3A and ARID3B overexpression increased the promoter activity, depending on both ARID3 and E2F BSs. ARID3B knockdown blocked the transcription of Cdc2, cyclin E1 and p107 in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs), whereas the effects of ARID3A knockdown varied depending on the target genes. ARID3B overexpression, but not that of ARID3A, upregulated the transcription of E2F target genes, and activated cyclin E1 transcription and induced cell death with E2F1 assistance. Finally, ARID3A and ARID3B knockdown attenuated the cell cycle progression of NHDFs and T98G cells, and suppressed tumor cell growth. On the whole, these results indicate that ARID3A and ARID3B play distinct and overlapping roles in E2F-dependent transcription by directly binding to the E2F target genes. The present study provides novel insight into the mechanisms underlying the E2F dysregulation caused by ARID3A and ARID3B overexpression, which may have a significant influence on the progression of tumorigenesis

    Role of fibroblast growth factors in bone regeneration

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    Abstract Bone is a metabolically active organ that undergoes continuous remodeling throughout life. However, many complex skeletal defects such as large traumatic bone defects or extensive bone loss after tumor resection may cause failure of bone healing. Effective therapies for these conditions typically employ combinations of cells, scaffolds, and bioactive factors. In this review, we pay attention to one of the three factors required for regeneration of bone, bioactive factors, especially the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. This family is composed of 22 members and associated with various biological functions including skeletal formation. Based on the phenotypes of genetically modified mice and spatio-temporal expression levels during bone fracture healing, FGF2, FGF9, and FGF18 are regarded as possible candidates useful for bone regeneration. The role of these candidate FGFs in bone regeneration is also discussed in this review

    Effects of the curly tail genotype on neuroepithelial integrity and cell proliferation during late stages of primary neurulation

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    The curly tail (ct/ct) mouse mutant shows a high frequency of delay or failure of neural tube closure, and is a good model for human neural tube defects, particularly spina bifida. In a previous study we defined distinct domains of gene expression in the caudal region of non-mutant embryos during posterior (caudal) neuropore closure (Gofflot et al. Developmental Dynamics210, 431–445, 1997). Here we use BrdU incorporation into S-phase nuclei to investigate the relationship between cell proliferation and the previously described gene expression domains in ct/ct mutant embryos. The BrdU-immunostained sections were also examined for abnormalities of tissue structure; immunohistochemical detection of perlecan (an extracellular heparan sulphate proteoglycan) was used as an indicator of neuroepithelial basement membrane structure and function. Quantitation of BrdU uptake revealed that at early stages of neurulation, cell proliferation was specifically reduced in the paraxial mesoderm of all ct/ct embryos compared with wild type controls, but at later stages (more cranial levels) it was increased. Those ct/ct embryos with enlarged posterior neuropore (indicating delay of closure) additionally showed an increased BrdU labelling index within the open neuroepithelium at all axial levels; however, this tissue was highly abnormal with respect to cell and nuclear morphology. It showed cell death and loss of cells from the apical surface, basement membrane defects including increased perlecan immunoreactivity, and increased separation from the underlying mesenchyme and notochord. These observations suggest that the mechanism of delay or failure of neuroepithelial curvature that leads to neural tube defects in curly tail embryos involves abnormalities of neuroepithelial-mesenchymal interactions that may be initiated by abnormal cellular function within the neuroepithelium. Minor histological and proliferation abnormalities are present in all ct/ct embryos, regardless of phenotype

    Tissue origins and interactions in the mammalian skull vault

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    During mammalian evolution, expansion of the cerebral hemispheres was accompanied by expansion of the frontal and parietal bones of the skull vault and deployment of the coronal (fronto-parietal) and sagittal (parietal–parietal) sutures as major growth centres. Using a transgenic mouse with a permanent neural crest cell lineage marker, Wnt1-Cre/R26R, we show that both sutures are formed at a neural crest–mesoderm interface: the frontal bones are neural crest-derived and the parietal bones mesodermal, with a tongue of neural crest between the two parietal bones. By detailed analysis of neural crest migration pathways using X-gal staining, and mesodermal tracing by DiI labelling, we show that the neural crest–mesodermal tissue juxtaposition that later forms the coronal suture is established at E9.5 as the caudal boundary of the frontonasal mesenchyme. As the cerebral hemispheres expand, they extend caudally, passing beneath the neural crest–mesodermal interface within the dermis, carrying with them a layer of neural crest cells that forms their meningeal covering. Exposure of embryos to retinoic acid at E10.0 reduces this meningeal neural crest and inhibits parietal ossification, suggesting that intramembranous ossification of this mesodermal bone requires interaction with neural crest-derived meninges, whereas ossification of the neural crest-derived frontal bone is autonomous. These observations provide new perspectives on skull evolution and on human genetic abnormalities of skull growth and ossification.</p

    Critical role of ARID3B in the expression of pro-apoptotic p53-target genes and apoptosis

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    ARID3A and ARID3B are transcriptional targets of p53. Recently, it has been reported that ARID3A plays a critical role in the transcriptional activation of pro-arrest p21 in response to DNA damage. However, the role of ARID3B in the p53 regulatory pathway remains poorly understood. Here we show that ARID3A and ARID3B specifically bind to putative ARID3-binding sites in p53 target genes in vitro and in vivo. ARID3B and, to a lesser extent, ARID3A silencing blocked transcriptional activation of pro-apoptotic p53 target genes, such as PUMA, PIG3, and p53. Furthermore, ectopic ARID3B, to a lesser extent, ARID3A expression activated the pro-apoptotic gene expression, and only ARID3B induced apoptosis. Finally, ARID3B but not ARID3A silencing blocked apoptosis induction following DNA damage. These results indicated that, although ARID3B and ARID3A share overlapping functions, ARID3B play a key role in the expression of pro-apoptotic p53-target genes and apoptosis
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