Acquisition of glial cells missing 2 Enhancers Contributes to a Diversity of Ionocytes in Zebrafish

Glial cells missing 2 (gcm2) encoding a GCM-motif transcription factor is expressed in the parathyroid in amniotes. In contrast, gcm2 is expressed in pharyngeal pouches (a homologous site of the parathyroid), gills, and H +-ATPase–rich cells (HRCs), a subset of ionocytes on the skin surface of the teleost fish zebrafish. Ionocytes are specialized cells that are involved in osmotic homeostasis in aquatic vertebrates. Here, we showed that gcm2 is essential for the development of HRCs and Na +-Cl 2 co-transporter–rich cells (NCCCs), another subset of ionocytes in zebrafish. We also identified gcm2 enhancer regions that control gcm2 expression in ionocytes of zebrafish. Comparisons of the gcm2 locus with its neighboring regions revealed no conserved elements between zebrafish and tetrapods. Furthermore, We observed gcm2 expression patterns in embryos of the teleost fishes Medaka (Oryzias latipes) and fugu (Fugu niphobles), the extant primitive ray-finned fishes Polypterus (Polypterus senegalus) and sturgeon (a hybrid of Huso huso 6 Acipenser ruhenus), and the amphibian Xenopus (Xenopus laevis). Although gcm2-expressing cells were observed on the skin surface of Medaka and fugu, they were not found in Polypterus, sturgeon, or Xenopus. Our results suggest that an acquisition of enhancers for the expression of gcm

Bone Marrow Graft-versus-Host Disease : Evaluation of Its Clinical Impact on Disrupted Hematopoiesis after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Idiopathic cytopenias are frequently observed in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We have previously reported the effect of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on bone marrow (BM) in murine models, indicating that the osteoblast injury mediated by donor T cells was associated with bone marrow suppression and delayed immune reconstitution. In this study, we prospectively evaluated the relevance of these findings in 51 patients. Patients with chronic GVHD manifested the loss of osteoblasts, contributing to cytopenic symptoms (P =.0427 compared with patients without cytopenic symptoms). The loss of osteoblasts was significantly associated with the extensive type of chronic GVHD (P =.012), and flow cytometric analyses revealed lower numbers of CD19(+) B cells and a significantly increased CD4 to CD8 ratio (P.0002) in these patients. Our data, for the first time to our knowledge, summarize the detailed analyses of the effect of GVHD on BM in the clinical allo-HSCT patients. (c) 2014 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

A Report on Overseas Teaching Practicum by Graduate Students in Elementary / Secondary Schools in the United States (II)

This is a second year's report on overseas teaching practicum by Japanese graduate students in elementary / secondary schools in the United States in September 2007. It awaits no discussion that future teachers need to develop enhanced awareness and skills in teaching young global citizens in the future. For this purpose, Global Partnership School Center, Hiroshima University, conducted a second-year overseas teaching practicum by education-major graduate students in the United States. Reviewing the teaching practices and the participants' self reports, it was found that this innovative opportunity helped them raise their cross-cultural awareness and gain confidence in teaching