65 research outputs found
Alternative splicing: an important mechanism for myometrial gene regulation that can be manipulated to target specific genes associated with preterm labour
Considerable effort has been expended in attempting to distinguish genes that contribute to initiating the onset of term and preterm labour (PTL) from those that change in expression as a consequence of the progression of labour. The ability to define more clearly the genes involved in triggering labour contractions should lead to the development of new effective and safer strategies to prevent preterm birth. There is ample evidence to suggest that specific genes are co-ordinately regulated within the upper and lower regions of the myometrium prior to and during parturition and many of these genes are regulated by alternative pre-mRNA splicing. This mini-review highlights that expression of a range of different splicing factors, with defined roles in pre-mRNA splicing, is both temporally and spatially regulated within the uterine smooth muscle during pregnancy and labour. Moreover, several of these splicing factors play key roles in controlling the differential expression of specific regulatory proteins involved in uterine signalling and uterine quiescence. In addition, antisense morpholino oligonucleotide manipulation of pre-mRNA splicing may have potential in defining and targeting uterine pro-labour genes and thus contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches to prevent PTL
SERPINA3 (ALPHA-1 ANTICHYMOTRYPSIN) IS ESSENTIAL FOR EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX PRODUCTION DURING CARTILAGE FORMATION AND REGULATES THE CHONDROGENIC TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR SOX9
Dictyostelium discoideum as a Model to Study Inositol Polyphosphates and Inorganic Polyphosphate
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has given us much information on the metabolism and function of inositol polyphosphates and inorganic polyphosphate. To expand our knowledge of the metabolic as well as functional connections between inositol polyphosphates and inorganic polyphosphate, we have refined and developed techniques to extract and analyze these molecules in a second eukaryotic experimental model, the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. This amoeba, possessing a well-defined developmental program, is ideal to study physiological changes in the levels of inositol polyphosphates and inorganic polyphosphate, since levels of both molecules increase at late stages of development. We detail here the methods used to extract inositol polyphosphates using perchloric acid and inorganic polyphosphate using acidic phenol. We also present the postextraction procedures to visualize and quantify these molecules by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by malachite green assay
Identification of human myometrial target genes of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway: The role of activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) and a novel spliced isoform ATF2-small
Novel targeting of COX-2 pre-mRNA using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides: Suppression of COX-2 activity in human myometrial cells and amnion-derived wish cells.
Novel targeting of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) pre-mRNA using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides directed to the 3′ acceptor and 5′ donor splice sites of exon 4: Suppression of COX-2 activity in human amnion-derived WISH and myometrial cells
Human myometrial quiescence and activation during gestation and parturition involve dramatic changes in expression and activity of particulate type II (RIIα) protein kinase A holoenzyme
Expression and deoxyribonucleic acid-binding activity of the nuclear factor κB family in the human myometrium during pregnancy and labor
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