Evolution of Otx paralogue usages in early patterning of the vertebrate head

AbstractTo assess evolutional changes in the expression pattern of Otx paralogues, expression analyses were undertaken in fugu, bichir, skate and lamprey. Together with those in model vertebrates, the comparison suggested that a gnathostome ancestor would have utilized all of Otx1, Otx2 and Otx5 paralogues in organizer and anterior mesendoderm for head development. In this animal, Otx1 and Otx2 would have also functioned in specification of the anterior neuroectoderm at presomite stage and subsequent development of forebrain/midbrain at somite stage, while Otx5 expression would have already been specialized in epiphysis and eyes. Otx1 and Otx2 functions in anterior neuroectoderm and brain of the gnathostome ancestor would have been differentially maintained by Otx1 in a basal actinopterygian and by Otx2 in a basal sarcopterygian. Otx5 expression in head organizer and anterior mesendoderm seems to have been lost in the teleost lineage after divergence of bichir, and also from the amniotes after divergence of amphibians as independent events. Otx1 expression was lost from the organizer in the tetrapod lineage. In contrast, in a teleost ancestor prior to whole genome duplication, Otx1 and Otx2 would have both been expressed in the dorsal margin of blastoderm, embryonic shield, anterior mesendoderm, anterior neuroectoderm and forebrain/midbrain, at respective stages of head development. Subsequent whole genome duplication and the following genome changes would have caused different Otx paralogue usages in each teleost lineage. Lampreys also have three Otx paralogues; their sequences are highly diverged from gnathostome cognates, but their expression pattern is well related to those of skate Otx cognates

Chrono-topos of manga expressions (1) : Layer decomposition, panels in shoujo manga and kansei-cognitive semiotics of manga expressions.

マンガは、複数のコマからなる折衷的、総合的な視覚表現のメデイアである。マンガでは、コマにさまざまな絵と言業がおさめられ、ページ内の並置的なコマ配置をつうじて物語りの時空が、視覚的に表現される。本論文では、こうしたマンガの表現の全体的な特徴を、心理学、メデイア論、記号論などの観点から分析をこころみる。第一部では、コマを構成する人物、背景、形喩、音喩、会話、叙述などの諸要索をレイヤーとして分解、抽出し、代表的な作品の表現の特徴を分析した。つづいて、分解した諸要素を複数の声部、コマを小節として、マンガの総譜表記をこころみた。第二部では、日本の少女マンガで複雑に発達した、コマ構成の歴史が概観され、最近多くみられるコマとコマの間に間白をつくらないコマ構成の意義の検討がおこなわれた。第三部では、構造記号論、夏目らのマンガ表現論、マクラウドのマンガ表現論などが批判的に検討され、マンガ表現論の枠組みとして、感性認知記号論の概要が提示された。Manga is an eclectic and synthetic visual medium consisting of multiple panels. In manga, the chronotopos of stories are visually expressed through the spatially arranged panels which contain several pictures and words. This paper tries to analyze the characteristics of these manga expressions from the standpoints of psychology, media studies and semiotics. In part I components of the panel, i. e., characters, backgrounds, formophors, sonophors, conversations in balloons, and narrations, are extracted as layers. Characteristics of typical manga works are analyzed through the layer decomposition. Score descriptions of manga similar to musical scores are also provided based on this layer decomposition. Japanese girls\u27 comics often show very complex panel compositions. In part II the history of panel compositions in shoujo manga are described with special emphasis on recent frameless panel expressions. In part III notable studies of manga expressions, i. e., structural semiotics, Natsume et al\u27s theory and McCloud\u27s treatise are critically examined and a framework of kansei cognitive semiotics on manga expressions is proposed

Effects of Myostatin on Nuclear Morphology at the Myotendinous Junction

Myostatin (Myo) is known to suppress skeletal muscle growth, and was recently reported to control tendon homeostasis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the regulatory involvement of Myo in the myotendinous junction (MTJ) in vivo and in vitro. After Achilles tendon injury in mice, we identified unexpected cell accumulation on the tendon side of the MTJ. At postoperative day 7 (POD7), the nuclei had an egg-like profile, whereas at POD28 they were spindle-shaped. The aspect ratio of nuclei on the tendon side of the MTJ differed significantly between POD7 and POD28 (p = 4.67 × 10−34). We then investigated Myo expression in the injured Achilles tendon. At the MTJ, Myo expression was significantly increased at POD28 relative to POD7 (p = 0.0309). To investigate the action of Myo in vitro, we then prepared laminated sheets of myoblasts (C2C12) and fibroblasts (NIH3T3) (a pseudo MTJ model). Myo did not affect the expression of Pax7 and desmin (markers of muscle development), scleraxis and temonodulin (markers of tendon development), or Sox9 (a common marker of muscle and tendon development) in the cell sheets. However, Myo changed the nuclear morphology of scleraxis-positive cells arrayed at the boundary between the myoblast sheet and the fibroblast sheet (aspect ratio of the cell nuclei, myostatin(+) vs. myostatin(-): p = 0.000134). Myo may strengthen the connection at the MTJ in the initial stages of growth and wound healing

HBV preS deletion mapping using deep sequencing demonstrates a unique association with viral markers.

AimDeletions are observed frequently in the preS1/S2 region of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome, in association with liver disease advancement. However, the most significant preS1/S2 region and its influences on viral markers are unclear.MethodsThe preS1/S2 HBV regions of 90 patients without antiviral therapy were subjected to deep sequencing and deleted regions influencing viral markers were investigated.ResultsFrom the deletion frequency analysis in each patient, deletions were observed most frequently in the preS2 codon 132-141 region. When the patients were divided into three groups (0-0.1%: n = 27, 0.1%-10%: n = 34, 10-100%: n = 29), based on the deletion frequency, FIB-4 (p ConclusionThe preS codon.132-141 deletions have a significant influence on the clinical characteristics and viral markers, even when present as a minor population. Importantly, the preS codon 132-141 deletions have a clear influence on the viral life cycle and pathogenesis

Acquirement of Oocyte-activating Factor in Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) Spermatogenic Cells, Assessed by Meiosis Resumption of Microinseminated Mouse Oocytes

ArticleJournal of mammalian ova research. 21(3): 149-156 (2004)journal articl