Publications

cadmium but not lead exposure affects xenopus laevis fertilization and embryo cleavage.	among the toxicological and ecotoxicological studies, few have investigated the effects on germ cells, gametes or embryos, while an impact at these stages will result in serious damage at a population level. thus, it appeared essential to characterize consequences of environmental contaminant exposures at these stages. therefore, we proposed to assess the effects of exposure to cadmium and lead ions, alone or in a binary mixture, on early stages of xenopus laevis life cycle. fertilization and ce ...	2016	27218424
the cardiac-restricted protein adp-ribosylhydrolase-like 1 is essential for heart chamber outgrowth and acts on muscle actin filament assembly.	adprhl1, a member of the adp-ribosylhydrolase protein family, is expressed exclusively in the developing heart of all vertebrates. in the amphibian xenopus laevis, distribution of its mrna is biased towards actively growing chamber myocardium. morpholino oligonucleotide-mediated knockdown of all adprhl1 variants inhibits striated myofibril assembly and prevents outgrowth of the ventricle. the resulting ventricles retain normal electrical conduction and express markers of chamber muscle different ...	2016	27217161
novel positive allosteric modulators of gabaa receptors with anesthetic activity.	gabaa receptors are the main inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the brain and are targets for numerous clinically important drugs such as benzodiazepines, anxiolytics and anesthetics. we previously identified novel ligands of the classical benzodiazepine binding pocket in α1β2γ2 gabaa receptors using an experiment-guided virtual screening (egvs) method. this screen also identified novel ligands for intramembrane low affinity diazepam site(s). in the current study we have further characteri ...	2016	27198062
identification and characterization of mitotic spindle-localized transcripts.	rnas associate with the mitotic spindle in a variety of organisms, where they can spatially regulate protein production, ensure their proper segregation during cell division, or perform translation-independent roles in spindle formation. the identification of spindle-associated rnas is an important first step in understanding the biological consequences of this phenomenon. in this chapter, we describe a method to use xenopus laevis egg extracts to assemble and isolate mitotic spindles and to ide ...	2016	27193857
assays to study mitotic centrosome and spindle pole assembly and regulation.	faithful chromosome segregation during cell division requires proper bipolar spindle assembly and critically depends on spindle pole integrity. in most animal cells, spindle poles form as the result of the concerted action of various factors operating in two independent pathways of microtubule assembly mediated by chromatin/rangtp and by centrosomes. mutation or deregulation of a number of spindle pole-organizing proteins has been linked to human diseases, including cancer and microcephaly. our ...	2016	27193852
encapsulation of xenopus egg and embryo extract spindle assembly reactions in synthetic cell-like compartments with tunable size.	methods are described for preparing xenopus laevis egg and embryo cytoplasm and encapsulating extract spindle assembly reactions in cell-like compartments to investigate the effects of cell size on intracellular assembly. cytoplasm prepared from the eggs or embryos of individual frogs is screened for the ability to form interphase nuclei and metaphase spindles, and subsequently packaged, along with dna, into droplets of varying size using microfluidics. the dimensions of these cell-like droplets ...	2016	27193845
visualizing and analyzing branching microtubule nucleation using meiotic xenopus egg extracts and tirf microscopy.	mitotic and meiotic spindles consist primarily of microtubules, which originate from centrosomes and within the vicinity of chromatin. indirect evidence suggested that microtubules also originate throughout the spindle, but the high microtubule density within the spindle precludes the direct observation of this phenomenon. by using meiotic xenopus laevis egg extract and employing total internal reflection (tirf) microscopy, microtubule nucleation from preexisting microtubules could be demonstrat ...	2016	27193844
mechanical roles of apical constriction, cell elongation, and cell migration during neural tube formation in xenopus.	neural tube closure is an important and necessary process during the development of the central nervous system. the formation of the neural tube structure from a flat sheet of neural epithelium requires several cell morphogenetic events and tissue dynamics to account for the mechanics of tissue deformation. cell elongation changes cuboidal cells into columnar cells, and apical constriction then causes them to adopt apically narrow, wedge-like shapes. in addition, the neural plate in xenopus is s ...	2016	27193152
from meiosis to mitosis - the sperm centrosome defines the kinetics of spindle assembly after fertilization in xenopus.	bipolar spindle assembly in the vertebrate oocyte relies on a self-organization chromosome-dependent pathway. upon fertilization, the male gamete provides a centrosome, and the first and subsequent embryonic divisions occur in the presence of duplicated centrosomes that act as dominant microtubule organizing centres (mtocs). the transition from meiosis to embryonic mitosis involves a necessary adaptation to integrate the dominant chromosome-dependent pathway with the centrosomes to form the bipo ...	2016	27179073
lateral line scene analysis in the purely aquatic frog xenopus laevis daudin (pipidae).	the ability to locate and discriminate water surface waves that impinge simultaneously from multiple directions was studied in the clawed frog, xenopus laevis. monofrequency waves of 5-30 hz were presented from point sources at a distance of 10 cm from the frog, unless stated otherwise, and the animal's response turn towards the wave origin examined. two-choice conditioning with two simultaneous frontal waves at a 90-degree inter-wave angle revealed discrimination thresholds lower than 1 hz for ...	2016	27172931
with no lysine l-wnk1 isoforms are negative regulators of the k+-cl- cotransporters.	the k(+)-cl(-) cotransporters (kcc1-kcc4) encompass a branch of the slc12 family of electroneutral cation-coupled chloride cotransporters that translocate ions out of the cell to regulate various factors, including cell volume and intracellular chloride concentration, among others. l-wnk1 is an ubiquitously expressed kinase that is activated in response to osmotic stress and intracellular chloride depletion, and it is implicated in two distinct hereditary syndromes: the renal disease pseudohypoa ...	2016	27170636
neural activity-dependent regulation of radial glial filopodial motility is mediated by glial cgmp-dependent protein kinase 1 and contributes to synapse maturation in the developing visual system.	radial glia in the developing optic tectum extend highly dynamic filopodial protrusions within the tectal neuropil, the motility of which has previously been shown to be sensitive to neural activity and nitric oxide (no) release. using in vivo two-photon microscopy, we performed time-lapse imaging of radial glial cells and measured filopodial motility in the intact albino xenopus laevis tadpole. application of mk801 to block neuronal nmda receptor (nmdar) currents confirmed a significant reducti ...	2016	27170125
technique to target microinjection to the developing xenopus kidney.	the embryonic kidney of xenopus laevis (frog), the pronephros, consists of a single nephron, and can be used as a model for kidney disease. xenopus embryos are large, develop externally, and can be easily manipulated by microinjection or surgical procedures. in addition, fate maps have been established for early xenopus embryos. targeted microinjection into the individual blastomere that will eventually give rise to an organ or tissue of interest can be used to selectively overexpress or knock d ...	2016	27168375
trialkyltin rexinoid-x receptor agonists selectively potentiate thyroid hormone induced programs of xenopus laevis metamorphosis.	the trialkyltins tributyltin (tbt) and triphenyltin (tpt) can function as rexinoid-x receptor (rxr) agonists. we recently showed that rxr agonists can alter thyroid hormone (th) signaling in a mammalian pituitary th-responsive reporter cell line, gh3.tre-luc. the prevalence of tbt and tpt in the environment prompted us to test whether they could also affect th signaling. both trialkyltins induced the integrated luciferase reporter alone and potentiated th activation at low doses. trimethyltin, w ...	2016	27167774
assessing primary neurogenesis in xenopus embryos using immunostaining.	primary neurogenesis is a dynamic and complex process during embryonic development that sets up the initial layout of the central nervous system. during this process, a portion of neural stem cells undergo differentiation and give rise to the first populations of differentiated primary neurons within the nascent central nervous system. several vertebrate model organisms have been used to explore the mechanisms of neural cell fate specification, patterning, and differentiation. among these is the ...	2016	27166855
deep-brain photoreception links luminance detection to motor output in xenopus frog tadpoles.	nonvisual photoreceptors are widely distributed in the retina and brain, but their roles in animal behavior remain poorly understood. here we document a previously unidentified form of deep-brain photoreception in xenopus laevis frog tadpoles. the isolated nervous system retains sensitivity to light even when devoid of input from classical eye and pineal photoreceptors. these preparations produce regular bouts of rhythmic swimming activity in ambient light but fall silent in the dark. this sensi ...	2016	27166423
delineating the grin1 phenotypic spectrum: a distinct genetic nmda receptor encephalopathy.	to determine the phenotypic spectrum caused by mutations in grin1 encoding the nmda receptor subunit glun1 and to investigate their underlying functional pathophysiology.	2016	27164704
novel exon 1 protein-coding regions n-terminally extend human kcne3 and kcne4.	the 5 human (h)kcne β subunits each regulate various cation channels and are linked to inherited cardiac arrhythmias. reported here are previously undiscovered protein-coding regions in exon 1 of hkcne3 and hkcne4 that extend their encoded extracellular domains by 44 and 51 residues, which yields full-length proteins of 147 and 221 residues, respectively. full-length hkcne3 and hkcne4 transcript and protein are expressed in multiple human tissues; for hkcne4, only the longer protein isoform is d ...	2016	27162025
three-step test system for the identification of novel gabaa receptor modulating food plants.	potentiation of γ-amino butyric acid (gaba)-induced gabaa receptor (gabaar) activation is a common pathway to achieve sedative, sleep-enhancing, anxiolytic, and antidepressant effects. presently, a three-component test system was established for the identification of novel gabaar modulating food plants. in the first step, potentiation of gaba-induced response of the gabaar was analysed by two-electrode voltage clamp (tevc) for activity on human α1β2-gabaar expressed in xenopus laevis oocytes. po ...	2016	27392961
platelet derived growth factor b gene expression in the xenopus laevis developing central nervous system.	platelet-derived growth factor b (pdgf-b) belongs to the mitogen and growth factor family and like the other members it has many roles in cell differentiation, proliferation and migration during development, adult life and in pathological conditions. among them it has been observed that aberrant pdgf signalling is frequently linked to glioma development and progression, and pdgf-b over-expression in mouse neural progenitors leads to the formation of gliomas. despite this evidence, the mechanisms ...	2016	27389987
noggin 1 overexpression in retinal progenitors affects bipolar cell generation.	waves of bone morphogenetic proteins (bmps) and their antagonists are present during initial eye development, but their possible roles in retinogenesis are still unknown. we have recently shown that noggin 1, a bmp antagonist, renders pluripotent cells able to differentiate into retinal precursors, and might be involved in the maintenance of retinal structures in the adult vertebrate eye. here, we report that noggin 1, differently from noggin 2 and noggin 4, is expressed during all phases of xen ...	2016	27389985
comparative expression study of sipa family members during early xenopus laevis development.	the signal-induced proliferation-associated (sipa) protein family belongs to the rapgap protein superfamily. previous studies mainly focused on the expression and function of sipa genes in vertebrate neuronal tissue. only limited data about the embryonic expression pattern of the genes are currently available. our study provides the first expression analysis of sipa1, sipa1l1, sipa1l2, and sipa1l3 during early development of the vertebrate organism xenopus laevis. in silico, analysis revealed th ...	2016	27384056
in-cell protein structures from 2d nmr experiments.	in-cell nmr spectroscopy provides atomic resolution insights into the structural properties of proteins in cells, but it is rarely used to solve entire protein structures de novo. here, we introduce a paramagnetic lanthanide-tag to simultaneously measure protein pseudocontact shifts (pcss) and residual dipolar couplings (rdcs) to be used as input for structure calculation routines within the rosetta program. we employ this approach to determine the structure of the protein g b1 domain (gb1) in i ...	2016	27379949
loss of function of napiiia causes nephrocalcinosis and possibly kidney insufficiency.	inherited metabolic disorders associated with nephrocalcinosis are rare conditions. the aim of this study was to identify the genetic cause of an israeli-arab boy from a consanguineous family with severe nephrocalcinosis and kidney insufficiency.	2016	27378183
the enigma of the dichotomic pressure response of glun1-4a/b splice variants of nmda receptor: experimental and statistical analyses.	professional deep-water divers, exposed to hyperbaric pressure (hp) above 1.1 mpa, develop high pressure neurological syndrome (hpns), which is associated with central nervous system (cns) hyperexcitability. it was previously reported that hp augments n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (nmdar) synaptic response, increases neuronal excitability and potentially causes irreversible neuronal damage. our laboratory has reported differential current responses under hp conditions in nmdar subtypes that cont ...	2016	27375428
evolution of innate-like t cells and their selection by mhc class i-like molecules.	until recently, major histocompatibility complex (mhc) class i-like-restricted innate-like αβt (it) cells expressing an invariant or semi-invariant t cell receptor (tcr) repertoire were thought to be a recent evolutionary acquisition restricted to mammals. however, molecular and functional studies in xenopus laevis have demonstrated that it cells, defined as mhc class i-like-restricted innate-like αβt cells with a semi-invariant tcr, are evolutionarily conserved and prominent from early developm ...	2016	27368412
expression and localization of the xenopus laevis small heat shock protein, hspb6 (hsp20), in a6 kidney epithelial cells.	small heat shock proteins (shsps) are molecular chaperones that bind to unfolded protein, inhibit the formation of toxic aggregates and facilitate their refolding and/or degradation. previously, the only shsps that have been studied in detail in the model frog system, xenopus laevis, were members of the hsp30 family and hspb1 (hsp27). we now report the analysis of x. laevis hspb6, an ortholog of mammalian hspb6. x. laevis hspb6 cdna encodes a 168 aa protein that contains an α-crystallin domain, ...	2016	27354198
phosphocholine - an agonist of metabotropic but not of ionotropic functions of α9-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.	we demonstrated previously that phosphocholine and phosphocholine-modified macromolecules efficiently inhibit atp-dependent release of interleukin-1β from human and murine monocytes by a mechanism involving nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachr). interleukin-1β is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine of innate immunity that plays pivotal roles in host defence. control of interleukin-1β release is vital as excessively high systemic levels cause life threatening inflammatory diseases. in spite of ...	2016	27349288
maintenance of the epithelial barrier and remodeling of cell-cell junctions during cytokinesis.	epithelial integrity and barrier function must be maintained during the complex cell shape changes that occur during cytokinesis in vertebrate epithelial tissue. here, we investigate how adherens junctions and bicellular and tricellular tight junctions are maintained and remodeled during cell division in the xenopus laevis embryo. we find that epithelial barrier function is not disrupted during cytokinesis and is mediated by sustained tight junctions. using fluorescence recovery after photobleac ...	2016	27345163
increased apoptosis and abnormal visual behavior by histone modifications with exposure to para-xylene in developing xenopus.	xylene and its derivatives are raw materials widely used in industry and known to be toxic to animals. however, the mechanism underlying the neurotoxicity of para-xylene (px) to the central nervous system (cns) in vivo is less clear. here, we exposed xenopus laevis tadpoles to sub-lethal concentrations of px during the critical period of brain development to determine the effects of px on xenopus development and visual behavior. we found that the abnormality rate was significantly increased with ...	2016	27343828
interaction of atorvastatin with the human glial transporter slc16a1.	solute carrier (slc) 16a1 is a ph-dependent carrier of 5-oxoproline, a derivative of the amino acid. slc16a1 interacts with carboxylate group-containing substrates, which are also present in atorvastatin, and might be the reason for its ability to interact with atorvastatin. does atorvastatin interact with the carrier? does it also interact with the carrier via the substrate recognition site? this study was carried out to answer these questions. polymerase chain reaction was used to determine th ...	2016	27341998
overexpression of leap2 impairs xenopus embryonic development and modulates fgf and activin signals.	besides its widely described function in the innate immune response, no other clear physiological function has been attributed so far to the liver-expressed-antimicrobial-peptide 2 (leap2). we used the xenopus embryo model to investigate potentially new functions for this peptide. we identified the amphibian leap2 gene which is highly related to its mammalian orthologues at both structural and sequence levels. the gene is expressed in the embryo mostly in the endoderm-derived tissues. accordingl ...	2016	27335344
wide and high resolution tension measurement using fret in embryo.	during embryonic development, physical force plays an important role in morphogenesis and differentiation. stretch sensitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer (fret) has the potential to provide non-invasive tension measurements inside living tissue. in this study, we introduced a fret-based actinin tension sensor into xenopus laevis embryos and demonstrated that this sensor captures variation of tension across differentiating ectoderm. the actinin tension sensor, containing mcherry and egf ...	2016	27335157
metabolic cost of osmoregulation in a hypertonic environment in the invasive african clawed frog xenopus laevis.	studies of aquatic invertebrates reveal that salinity affects feeding and growth rates, reproduction, survival, and diversity. little is known, however, about how salinity impacts the energy budget of vertebrates and amphibians in particular. the few studies focused on this topic in vertebrates suggest that the ingestion of salts and the resulting osmoregulatory activity is energetically expensive. we analyzed the effect of saline acclimation on standard metabolic rates (smr) and the activities ...	2016	27334694
sumoylation of dna topoisomerase iiα regulates histone h3 kinase haspin and h3 phosphorylation in mitosis.	dna topoisomerase ii (top2) plays a pivotal role in faithful chromosome separation through its strand-passaging activity that resolves tangled genomic dna during mitosis. additionally, top2 controls progression of mitosis by activating cell cycle checkpoints. recent work showed that the enzymatically inert c-terminal domain (ctd) of top2 and its posttranslational modification are critical to this checkpoint regulation. however, the molecular mechanism has not yet been determined. by using xenopu ...	2016	27325792
molecular mode of action of cgs 9895 at α1 β2 γ2 gabaa receptors.	γ-aminobutyric type a (gabaa ) receptors are the main inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the brain and are targets for numerous clinically important drugs such as benzodiazepines, anxiolytics, and anesthetics. previously, pyrazoloquinoline 2-p-methoxyphenylpyrazolo [4,3-c] quinolin-3(5h)-one (cgs 9895) was described as a positive allosteric modulator acting through the α+/β- interface in the extracellular domain of gabaa receptors. the localization of the binding site was based on a steric ...	2016	27319298
a recurrent mutation in kcna2 as a novel cause of hereditary spastic paraplegia and ataxia.	the hereditary spastic paraplegias (hsps) are heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders with over 50 known causative genes. we identified a recurrent mutation in kcna2 (c.881g>a, p.r294h), encoding the voltage-gated k(+) -channel, kv 1.2, in two unrelated families with hsp, intellectual disability (id), and ataxia. follow-up analysis of > 2,000 patients with various neurological phenotypes identified a de novo p.r294h mutation in a proband with ataxia and id. two-electrode voltage-clamp recordin ...	2016	27543892
gamma-tubulin coordinates nuclear envelope assembly around chromatin.	the cytosolic role of γ-tubulin as a microtubule organizer has been studied thoroughly, but its nuclear function is poorly understood. here, we show that γ-tubulin is located throughout the chromatin of demembranated xenopus laevis sperm and, as the nucleus is formed, γ-tubulin recruits lamin b3 and nuclear membranes. immunodepletion of γ-tubulin impairs x. laevis assembly of both the lamina and the nuclear membrane. during nuclear formation in mammalian cell lines, γ-tubulin establishes a cellu ...	2016	27699285
xenopus tacc2 is a microtubule plus end-tracking protein that can promote microtubule polymerization during embryonic development.	microtubule dynamics is regulated by plus end-tracking proteins (+tips), which localize to the plus ends of microtubules (mts). we previously showed that tacc1 and tacc3, members of the transforming acidic coiled-coil protein family, can act as +tips to regulate mt dynamics in xenopus laevis here we characterize tacc2 as a +tip that localizes to mt plus ends in front of eb1 and overlapping with tacc1 and tacc3 in multiple embryonic cell types. we also show that tacc2 can promote mt polymerizatio ...	2016	27559128
protein rs1 (rsc1a1) downregulates the exocytotic pathway of glucose transporter sglt1 at low intracellular glucose via inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase.	na+-d-glucose cotransporter 1 (sglt1) is rate-limiting for glucose absorption in the small intestine. shortly after intake of glucose-rich food, sglt1 abundance in the luminal membrane of the small intestine is increased. this upregulation occurs via glucose-induced acceleration of the release of sglt1-containing vesicles from the trans-golgi network (tgn), which is regulated by a domain of protein rs1 (rsc1a1) named rs1-reg. dependent on phosphorylation, rs1-reg blocks release of vesicles conta ...	2016	27555600
the aryl hydrocarbon receptor controls cyclin o to promote epithelial multiciliogenesis.	epithelia function as barriers against environmental insults and express the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr). however, ahr function in these tissues is unknown. here we show that ahr regulates multiciliogenesis in both murine airway epithelia and in xenopus laevis epidermis. in air-exposed airway epithelia, induction of factors required for multiciliogenesis, including cyclin o (ccno) and multicilin (mcidas), is ahr dependent, and air exposure induces ahr binding to the ccno ...	2016	27554288
thyroid hormone regulation of adult intestinal stem cells: implications on intestinal development and homeostasis.	organ-specific adult stem cells are essential for organ homeostasis, tissue repair and regeneration. the formation of such stem cells often takes place during postembryonic development, a period around birth in mammals when plasma thyroid hormone concentration is high. the life-long self-renewal of the intestinal epithelium has made mammalian intestine a valuable model to study the function and regulation and adult stem cells. on the other hand, much less is known about how the adult intestinal ...	2016	27554108
de novo and inherited mutations in the x-linked gene clcn4 are associated with syndromic intellectual disability and behavior and seizure disorders in males and females.	variants in clcn4, which encodes the chloride/hydrogen ion exchanger cic-4 prominently expressed in brain, were recently described to cause x-linked intellectual disability and epilepsy. we present detailed phenotypic information on 52 individuals from 16 families with clcn4-related disorder: 5 affected females and 2 affected males with a de novo variant in clcn4 (6 individuals previously unreported) and 27 affected males, 3 affected females and 15 asymptomatic female carriers from 9 families wi ...	2016	27550844
the proteins of vent-family and their mrnas are located in different areas of the tails of zebrafish and xenopus embryos.	in molecular embryology, by tacit consent, a presence or absence of the specific mrna in the cell indicates the presence or absence of the corresponding protein. however, there are lots of evidences that mrna may be associated with inactive non-translated ribonucleoprotein complexes. here we for the first time compared the temporal and spatial distribution of the vent-family transcription factors and their mrnas in the tails of embryos of two biological species-xenopus laevis and zebrafish (dani ...	2016	27620076
determining the optimal developmental stages of xenopus laevis for initiating exposures to chemicals for sensitively detecting their feminizing effects on gonadal differentiation.	xenopus laevis is an important model for detecting feminizing effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (edcs) on amphibians because its genetic males can be induced to phenotypic females by estrogenic chemicals. it is crucial that chemical exposures begin at sensitive developmental stages for gonadal sex-reversal in x. laevis. to determine the optimal stages for initiating exposures, we investigated gonadal sex-reversal induced by low concentrations of 17α-ethinylestradiol (ee2) when exposures ...	2016	27611864
sequential turnovers of sex chromosomes in african clawed frogs (xenopus) suggest some genomic regions are good at sex determination.	sexual differentiation is fundamentally important for reproduction, yet the genetic triggers of this developmental process can vary, even between closely related species. recent studies have uncovered, for example, variation in the genetic triggers for sexual differentiation within and between species of african clawed frogs (genus xenopus). here, we extend these discoveries by demonstrating that yet another sex determination system exists in xenopus, specifically in the species x. borealis this ...	2016	27605520
reconstitution of the cytoplasmic regulation of the wnt signaling pathway using xenopus egg extracts.	the regulation of β-catenin turnover is the central mechanism governing activation of the wnt signaling pathway. all components of the pathway are present in the early embryo of xenopus laevis, and xenopus egg extracts have been used to recapitulate complex biological reactions such as microtubule dynamics, dna replication, chromatin assembly, and phases of the cell cycle. herein, we describe a biochemical method for analyzing β-catenin degradation using radiolabeled and luciferase-fusion protei ...	2016	27590156
mitochondrial trafficking through rhot1 is involved in the aggregation of germinal granule components during primordial germ cell formation in xenopus embryos.	in many animals, the germ plasm is sufficient and necessary for primordial germ cell (pgc) formation. it contains germinal granules and abundant mitochondria (germline-mt). however, the role of germline-mt in germ cell formation remains poorly understood. in xenopus, the germ plasm is distributed as many small islands at the vegetal pole, which gradually aggregates to form a single large mass in each of the four vegetal pole cells at the early blastula stage. polymerized microtubules and the ada ...	2016	27585825
a cell-free assay using xenopus laevis embryo extracts to study mechanisms of nuclear size regulation.	a fundamental question in cell biology is how cell and organelle sizes are regulated. it has long been recognized that the size of the nucleus generally scales with the size of the cell, notably during embryogenesis when dramatic reductions in both cell and nuclear sizes occur. mechanisms of nuclear size regulation are largely unknown and may be relevant to cancer where altered nuclear size is a key diagnostic and prognostic parameter. in vivo approaches to identifying nuclear size regulators ar ...	2016	27584618
functionomics of ncc mutations in gitelman syndrome using a novel mammalian cell-based activity assay.	gitelman syndrome (gs) is an autosomal recessive salt-wasting tubular disorder resulting from loss-of-function mutations in the thiazide-sensitive nacl cotransporter (ncc). functional analysis of these mutations has been limited to the use of xenopus laevis oocytes. the aim of the present study was, therefore, to analyze the functional consequences of ncc mutations in a mammalian cell-based assay, followed by analysis of mutated ncc protein expression as well as glycosylation and phosphorylation ...	2016	27582097
galvanic vestibular stimulation: cellular substrates and response patterns of neurons in the vestibulo-ocular network.	galvanic vestibular stimulation (gvs) uses modulated currents to evoke neuronal activity in vestibular endorgans in the absence of head motion. gvs is typically used for a characterization of vestibular pathologies; for studies on the vestibular influence of gaze, posture, and locomotion; and for deciphering the sensory-motor transformation underlying these behaviors. at variance with the widespread use of this method, basic aspects such as the activated cellular substrate at the sensory periphe ...	2016	27581452
microvascularization of the spleen in larval and adult xenopus laevis: histomorphology and scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts.	microvascular anatomy and histomorphology of larval and adult spleens of the clawed toad, xenopus laevis were studied by light microscopy of paraplast embedded serial tissue sections and scanning electron microscopy (sem) of vascular corrosion casts (vccs). histology showed i) that white and red pulp are present at the onset of metamorphic climax (stage 57) and ii) that splenic vessels penetrated deeply into the splenic parenchyma at the height of metamorphic climax (stage 64). scanning electron ...	2016	27581201
tbx3 represses bmp4 expression and, with pax6, is required and sufficient for retina formation.	vertebrate eye formation begins in the anterior neural plate in the eye field. seven eye field transcription factors (eftfs) are expressed in eye field cells and when expressed together are sufficient to generate retina from pluripotent cells. the eftf tbx3 can regulate the expression of some eftfs; however, its role in retina formation is unknown. here, we show that tbx3 represses bmp4 transcription and is required in the eye field for both neural induction and normal eye formation in xenopus l ...	2016	27578778
dissecting the pre-placodal transcriptome to reveal presumptive direct targets of six1 and eya1 in cranial placodes.	the pre-placodal ectoderm, marked by the expression of the transcription factor six1 and its co-activator eya1, develops into placodes and ultimately into many cranial sensory organs and ganglia. using rna-seq in xenopus laevis we screened for presumptive direct placodal target genes of six1 and eya1 by overexpressing hormone-inducible constructs of six1 and eya1 in pre-placodal explants, and blocking protein synthesis before hormone-inducing nuclear translocation of six1 or eya1. comparing the ...	2016	27576864
the lens regenerative competency of limbal vs. central regions of mature xenopus cornea epithelium.	the frog, xenopus laevis, is capable of completely regenerating a lens from the cornea epithelium. because this ability appears to be limited to the larval stages of xenopus, virtually all the work to understand the mechanisms regulating this process has been limited to pre-metamorphic tadpoles. it has been reported that the post-metamorphic cornea is competent to regenerate under experimental conditions, despite the fact that the in vivo capacity to regenerate is lost; however, that work didn't ...	2016	27569373
embryonic expression of endothelins and their receptors in lamprey and frog reveals stem vertebrate origins of complex endothelin signaling.	neural crest cells (nccs) are highly patterned embryonic cells that migrate along stereotyped routes to give rise to a diverse array of adult tissues and cell types. modern nccs are thought to have evolved from migratory neural precursors with limited developmental potential and patterning. how this occurred is poorly understood. endothelin signaling regulates several aspects of ncc development, including their migration, differentiation, and patterning. in jawed vertebrates, endothelin signalin ...	2016	27677704
gain-of-function defects of astrocytic kir4.1 channels in children with autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy.	dysfunction of the inwardly-rectifying potassium channels kir4.1 (kcnj10) represents a pathogenic mechanism contributing to autism-epilepsy comorbidity. to define the role of kir4.1 variants in the disorder, we sequenced kcnj10 in a sample of affected individuals, and performed genotype-phenotype correlations. the effects of mutations on channel activity, protein trafficking, and astrocyte function were investigated in xenopus laevis oocytes, and in human astrocytoma cell lines. an in vivo model ...	2016	27677466
expression of the insulinoma-associated 1 (insm1) gene in xenopus laevis tadpole retina and brain.	the insulinoma-associated 1 (insm1) gene is involved in the differentiation of several neuronal and endoderm derived cell types. insm1 is expressed in the retina and brain of several vertebrates including xenopus laevis. we report the detailed expression pattern of insm1 in the x. laevis tadpole retina and brain. x. laevis insm1 is expressed in most of the ciliary marginal zone of the mature retina and the optic tectum, dorsal pallium, hypothalamus and preoptic areas of the developing tadpole br ...	2016	27670931
chlorpyrifos exposure affects fgf8, sox9, and bmp4 expression required for cranial neural crest morphogenesis and chondrogenesis in xenopus laevis embryos.	chlorpyrifos (cpf) is an organophosphate insecticide used primarily to control foliage and soil-borne insect pests on a variety of food and feed crops. in mammals, maternal exposure to cpf has been reported to induce dose-related abnormalities such as slower brain growth and cerebral cortex thinning. in lower vertebrates, for example, fish and amphibians, teratogenic activity of this compound is correlated with several anatomical alterations. little is known about the effects of cpf on mrna expr ...	2016	27669663
the e3 ubiquitin ligase hace1 is required for early embryonic development in xenopus laevis.	hect domain and ankyrin repeat containing e3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (hace1) regulates a wide variety of cellular processes. it has been shown that one of the targets of hace1 is the gtp-bound form of the small gtpase rac1. however, the role of hace1 in early development remains unknown.	2016	27653971
overland movement in african clawed frogs (xenopus laevis): a systematic review.	african clawed frogs (xenopus laevis) are often referred to as 'purely aquatic' but there are many publications which suggest extensive overland movements. previous reviews which considered the topic have not answered the following questions: (1) is there evidence for overland dispersal in native and invasive ranges; (2) what is the range of distances moved overland; (3) when does overland movement occur; and (4) is there evidence of breeding migratory behaviour? a systematic review was chosen t ...	2016	27688972
thyroid hormone acts locally to increase neurogenesis, neuronal differentiation, and dendritic arbor elaboration in the tadpole visual system.	thyroid hormone (th) regulates many cellular events underlying perinatal brain development in vertebrates. whether and how th regulates brain development when neural circuits are first forming is less clear. furthermore, although the molecular mechanisms that impose spatiotemporal constraints on th action in the brain have been described, the effects of local th signaling are poorly understood. we determined the effects of manipulating th signaling on development of the optic tectum in stage 46- ...	2016	27707971
hdac3 but not hdac2 mediates visual experience-dependent radial glia proliferation in the developing xenopus tectum.	radial glial cells (rgs) are one of the important progenitor cells that can differentiate into neurons or glia to form functional neural circuits in the developing central nervous system (cns). histone deacetylases (hdacs) has been associated with visual activity dependent changes in brdu-positive progenitor cells in the developing brain. we previously have shown that hdac1 is involved in the experience-dependent proliferation of rgs. however, it is less clear whether two other members of class ...	2016	27729849
over 4100 protein identifications from a xenopus laevis fertilized egg digest using reversed-phase chromatographic prefractionation followed by capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.	a tryptic digest generated from xenopus laevis fertilized embryos was fractionated by rplc. one set of 30 fractions was analyzed by 100-min cze-esi-ms/ms separations (50 h total instrument time), and a second set of 15 fractions was analyzed by 3-h uplc-esi-ms/ms separations (45 h total instrument time). cze-ms/ms produced 70% as many protein ids (4134 versus 5787) and 60% as many peptide ids (22 535 versus 36 848) as uplc-ms/ms with similar instrument time (50 h versus 45 h) but with 50 times s ...	2016	27723263
pathogenic variants in kctd7 perturb neuronal k+ fluxes and glutamine transport.	progressive myoclonus epilepsy is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by myoclonic and tonic-clonic seizures, ataxia and cognitive decline. we here present two affected brothers. at 9 months of age the elder brother developed ataxia and myoclonic jerks. in his second year he lost the ability to walk and talk, and he developed drug-resistant progressive myoclonus epilepsy. the cerebrospinal fluid level of glutamate was decreased while glutamine was increased. his younger brother mani ...	2016	27742667
adaption of a dermal in vitro method to investigate the uptake of chemicals across amphibian skin.	literature data indicate that terrestrial life stages of amphibians may be more sensitive to xenobiotics than birds or mammals. it is hypothesized that dermal exposure could potentially be a significant route of exposure for amphibians, as there is evidence that their skin is more permeable than the skin of other vertebrate species. thus, higher amounts of xenobiotics might enter systemic circulation by dermal uptake resulting in adverse effects. heretofore, no guidelines exist to investigate de ...	2016	27752445
chromatin assembly and transcriptional cross-talk in xenopus laevis oocyte and egg extracts.	chromatin, primarily a complex of dna and histone proteins, is the physiological form of the genome. chromatin is generally repressive for transcription and other information transactions that occur on dna. a wealth of post-translational modifications on canonical histones and histone variants encode regulatory information to recruit or repel effector proteins on chromatin, promoting and further repressing transcription and thereby form the basis of epigenetic information. during metazoan oogene ...	2016	27759158
flexibility vs. robustness in cell cycle regulation of timing of m-phase entry in xenopus laevis embryo cell-free extract.	during the cell cycle, cyclin dependent kinase 1 (cdk1) and protein phosphatase 2a (pp2a) play major roles in the regulation of mitosis. cdk1 phosphorylates a series of substrates triggering m-phase entry. most of these substrates are dephosphorylated by pp2a. to allow phosphorylation of cdk1 substrates, pp2a is progressively inactivated upon m-phase entry. we have shown previously that the interplay between these two activities determines the timing of m-phase entry. slight diminution of cdk1 a ...	2016	27759157
chaperone-mediated chromatin assembly and transcriptional regulation in xenopus laevis.	chromatin is the complex of dna and histone proteins that is the physiological form of the eukaryotic genome. chromatin is generally repressive for transcription, especially so during early metazoan development when maternal factors are explicitly in control of new zygotic gene expression. in the important model organism xenopus laevis, maturing oocytes are transcriptionally active with reduced rates of chromatin assembly, while laid eggs and fertilized embryos have robust rates of chromatin ass ...	2016	27759155
aurora-a: an expedition to the pole of the spindle in xenopus egg extracts.	the aim of this short review is to describe the contribution of xenopus laevis egg extracts to the discovery and understanding of the regulation and function of the serine/threonine kinase aurora-a. the power of these extracts to recapitulate cell cycle events makes them a precious tool to decipher complex biological processes at the molecular level, including the mechanisms that affect aurora-a (post-translational modifications) and mechanisms in which aurora-a plays a crucial role (bipolar spi ...	2016	27759154
studying essential dna metabolism proteins in xenopus egg extract.	the correct duplication of genetic information is essential to maintain genome stability, which is lost in cancer cells. replication fork integrity is ensured by a number of dna metabolism proteins that assist replication of chromatin regions difficult to replicate due to their intrinsic dna sequence composition, coordinate repair of dna molecules resulting from aberrant replication events or protect replication forks in the presence of lesions impairing their progression. some dna metabolism ge ...	2016	27759152
two light-activated neuroendocrine circuits arising in the eye trigger physiological and morphological pigmentation.	two biological processes regulate light-induced skin colour change. a fast 'physiological pigmentation change' (i.e. circadian variations or camouflage) involves alterations in the distribution of pigment containing granules in the cytoplasm of chromatophores, while a slower 'morphological pigmentation change' (i.e. seasonal variations) entails changes in the number of pigment cells or pigment type. although linked processes, the neuroendocrine coordination triggering each response remains large ...	2016	27557040
ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis in xenopus extract.	the small protein modifier, ubiquitin, can be covalently attached to proteins in the process of ubiquitylation, resulting in a variety of functional outcomes. in particular, the most commonly-associated and well-studied fate for proteins modified with ubiquitin is their ultimate destruction: degradation by the 26s proteasome via the ubiquitin-proteasome system, or digestion in lysosomes by proteolytic enzymes. from the earliest days of ubiquitylation research, a reliable and versatile "cell-in-a ...	2016	27528041
reprogramming of somatic cells and nuclei by xenopus oocyte and egg extracts.	differentiated somatic cells and nuclei can be reprogrammed to a pluripotent undifferentiated state in the cytoplasm of oocytes and eggs. the ability of the gamete cells to induce reprogramming is not species-specific, so the extracts prepared from the oocytes and eggs of the african clawed frog xenopus laevis can reprogram somatic mammalian cells. thus, xenopus egg extract-mediated reprogramming may constitute an alternative or complement other experimental reprogramming approaches, such as nuc ...	2016	27251073
cell-free xenopus egg extracts for studying dna damage response pathways.	in response to a variety of dna replication stress or dna damaging agents, the dna damage response (ddr) pathways are triggered for cells to coordinate dna repair, cell cycle checkpoints, apoptosis, and senescence. cell-free xenopus egg extracts, derived from the eggs of african clawed frogs (xenopus laevis), have been widely used for studies concerning ddr pathways. in this review, we focus on how different experimental systems have been established using xenopus egg extracts to investigate the ...	2016	27160070
novel kcnq3 mutation in a large family with benign familial neonatal epilepsy: a rare cause of neonatal seizures.	benign familial neonatal seizures (bfns) present a rare familial epilepsy syndrome caused by genetic alterations in the voltage-gated potassium channels kv7.2 and kv7.3, encoded by kcnq2 and kcnq3. while most bfns families carry alterations in kcnq2, mutations in kcnq3 appear to be less common. here, we describe a family with 6 individuals presenting with neonatal focal and generalized seizures. genetic testing revealed a novel kcnq3 variant, c.835g>t, cosegregating with seizures in 4 tested ind ...	2016	27781029
spatiotemporal development of the orexinergic (hypocretinergic) system in the central nervous system of xenopus laevis.	the present immunohistochemical study represents a detailed spatiotemporal analysis of the localization of orexin-immunoreactive (ox-ir) cells and fibers throughout development in the brain of the anuran amphibian xenopus laevis, a model frequently used in developmental studies. anurans undergo remarkable physiological changes during the early life stages, and very little is known about the ontogeny and the localization of the centers that control functions such as appetite and feed ingestion in ...	2016	27771730
p,p'-dichlordiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-dde) can elicit antiandrogenic and estrogenic modes of action in the amphibian xenopus laevis.	p,p'-dichlordiphenyldichloroethylene (dde) is a metabolite of the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ddt), an organochloride which was massively used from its discovery in 1939 until the early 1970's. due to the tremendous half-life of ddt and dde, both substances are to date environmentally relevant. furthermore, ddt is still employed in many african countries in the context of the who's antimalaria campaign. in amphibians, dde was found to act as antiandrogenic endocrine disrupting c ...	2016	27640133
mechanism of antineoplastic activity of lonidamine.	lonidamine (lnd) was initially introduced as an antispermatogenic agent. it was later found to have anticancer activity sensitizing tumors to chemo-, radio-, and photodynamic-therapy and hyperthermia. although the mechanism of action remained unclear, lnd treatment has been known to target metabolic pathways in cancer cells. it has been reported to alter the bioenergetics of tumor cells by inhibiting glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration, while indirect evidence suggested that it also inhibit ...	2016	27497601
genome evolution in the allotetraploid frog xenopus laevis.	to explore the origins and consequences of tetraploidy in the african clawed frog, we sequenced the xenopus laevis genome and compared it to the related diploid x. tropicalis genome. we characterize the allotetraploid origin of x. laevis by partitioning its genome into two homoeologous subgenomes, marked by distinct families of 'fossil' transposable elements. on the basis of the activity of these elements and the age of hundreds of unitary pseudogenes, we estimate that the two diploid progenitor ...	2016	27762356
high-sensitivity mass spectrometry for probing gene translation in single embryonic cells in the early frog (xenopus) embryo.	direct measurement of protein expression with single-cell resolution promises to deepen the understanding of the basic molecular processes during normal and impaired development. high-resolution mass spectrometry provides detailed coverage of the proteomic composition of large numbers of cells. here we discuss recent mass spectrometry developments based on single-cell capillary electrophoresis that extend discovery proteomics to sufficient sensitivity to enable the measurement of proteins in sin ...	2016	27761436
one special glomerulus in the olfactory bulb of xenopus laevis tadpoles integrates a broad range of amino acids and mechanical stimuli.	the olfactory system senses odors, but not exclusively, as shown over the past years. it also registers other modalities such as temperature and pressure. however, it remains unknown how widespread these sensitivities are across species and how strongly their processing is interconnected with the processing of odors. here, we present data on the β-glomerulus in the olfactory bulb of xenopus laevis tadpoles. we show that this glomerulus possesses an unusually broad response pattern to a large num ...	2016	27798179
effects of the biocide methylisothiazolinone on xenopus laevis wound healing and tail regeneration.	the south african clawed frog, xenopus laevis, has a strong history as a suitable model for environmental studies. its embryos and transparent tadpoles are highly sensitive to the environment and their developmental processes are well described. it is also amenable for molecular studies. these characteristics enable its use for rapid identification and understanding of exposure-induced defects. to investigate the consequences of chemical exposure on aquatic animals, xenopus laevis embryos and ta ...	2016	27810491
n6-methyladenosine sequencing highlights the involvement of mrna methylation in oocyte meiotic maturation and embryo development by regulating translation in xenopus laevis.	during the oogenesis of xenopus laevis, oocytes accumulate maternal materials for early embryo development. as the transcription activity of the oocyte is silenced at the fully grown stage and the global genome is reactivated only by the mid-blastula embryo stage, the translation of maternal mrnas accumulated during oocyte growth should be accurately regulated. previous evidence has illustrated that the poly(a) tail length and rna binding elements mediate rna translation regulation in the oocyte ...	2016	27613873
boric acid is reproductively toxic to adult xenopus laevis, but not endocrine active.	the potential reproductive and endocrine toxicity of boric acid (ba) in the african clawed frog, xenopus laevis, was evaluated using a 30-day exposure of adult frogs. adult female and male frogs established as breeders were exposed to a culture water control and 4 target (nominal) test concentrations [5.0, 7.5, 10.0, and 15 mg boron (b)/l, equivalent to 28.5, 42.8, 57.0, and 85.5 mg ba/l] using flow-through diluter exposure system. the primary endpoints measured were adult survival, growth (weig ...	2016	27466210
tagging of individual embryos with electronic p-chips.	collecting information about biochemical processes occurring inside a single cell or embryo is traditionally done either using fluorescent dyes with microscopy or via microelectrode voltage-clamp techniques. this paper demonstrates that a more direct method - transmission of information using an electronic chip implanted in an embryo - is feasible. a light-activated microtransponder with dimensions 250 μm × 250 μm × 100 μm (a "p-chip") was implanted into a blastula-stage frog (xenopus laevis) em ...	2016	27787762
molecular determinants of transport function in zebrafish slc34a na-phosphate transporters.	the epithelial na+-coupled phosphate cotransporter family slc34a (napi-ii) is well conserved in vertebrates and plays an essential role in maintaining whole body levels of inorganic phosphate (pi). a three-dimensional model of the transport protein has recently been proposed with defined substrate coordination sites. zebrafish express two napi-ii isoforms with high sequence identity but a 10-fold different apparent km for pi ([formula: see text]). we took advantage of the two zebrafish isoforms ...	2016	27784684
survival fraction and phenotype alterations of xenopus laevis embryos at 3 gy, 150 kv x-ray irradiation.	to determine the radiosensitivity of xenopus laevis embryos, aquatic organism model, for toxicity studies utilizing x-rays at acute high dose levels, by analysing its survival fraction and phenotype alterations under one-exposure integral dose. we used the standard frog embryo teratogenesis assay xenopus test during the early stages of x. laevis development. the embryos were harvested until st. 46 when they were irradiated. the radiation effects were checked daily for a week and the survival, ma ...	2016	27793665
acute phase response in amputated tail stumps and neural tissue-preferential expression in tail bud embryos of the xenopus neuronal pentraxin i gene.	regeneration of lost organs involves complex processes, including host defense from infection and rebuilding of lost tissues. we previously reported that xenopus neuronal pentraxin i (xnp1) is expressed preferentially in regenerating xenopus laevis tadpole tails. to evaluate xnp1 function in tail regeneration, and also in tail development, we analyzed xnp1 expression in tailbud embryos and regenerating/healing tails following tail amputation in the 'regeneration' period, as well as in the 'refra ...	2016	27804121
tril targets smad7 for degradation to allow hematopoietic specification in xenopus embryos.	in xenopus laevis, bone morphogenetic proteins (bmps) induce expression of the transcription factor gata2 during gastrulation, and gata2 is required in both ectodermal and mesodermal cells to enable mesoderm to commit to a hematopoietic fate. here, we identify tril as a gata2 target gene that is required in both ectoderm and mesoderm for primitive hematopoiesis to occur. tril is a transmembrane protein that functions as a co-receptor for toll-like receptors to mediate innate immune responses in ...	2016	27633996
functional assessment of slc4a11, an integral membrane protein mutated in corneal dystrophies.	slc4a11, a member of the slc4 family of bicarbonate transporters, is a widely expressed integral membrane protein, abundant in kidney and cornea. mutations of slc4a11 cause some cases of the blinding corneal dystrophies, congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy, and fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. these diseases are marked by fluid accumulation in the corneal stroma, secondary to defective fluid reabsorption by the corneal endothelium. the role of slc4a11 in these corneal dystrophies is ...	2016	27558157
data on micrornas and microrna-targeted mrnas in xenopus ectoderm.	small rnas from early neural (i.e., noggin-expressing, or nog) and epidermal (expressing a constitutively active bmp4 receptor, cabr) ectoderm in xenopus laevis were sequenced to identify micrornas (mirs) expressed in each tissue. argonaute-associated mrnas were isolated and sequenced to identify genes that are regulated by micrornas in these tissues. interactions between these ectodermal mirs and selected mir-regulated mrnas were predicted using the pita algorithm; pita predictions for over 600 ...	2016	27812534
the biosynthetic gene cluster for the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin in sorghum bicolor contains its co-expressed vacuolar mate transporter.	genomic gene clusters for the biosynthesis of chemical defence compounds are increasingly identified in plant genomes. we previously reported the independent evolution of biosynthetic gene clusters for cyanogenic glucoside biosynthesis in three plant lineages. here we report that the gene cluster for the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin in sorghum bicolor additionally contains a gene, sbmate2, encoding a transporter of the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (mate) family, which is co-expressed w ...	2016	27841372
dietary exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ether 47 (bde-47) inhibits development and alters thyroid hormone-related gene expression in the brain of xenopus laevis tadpoles.	few studies have investigated the thyroid-disrupting effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (pbdes) across multiple levels of biological organization in anurans, despite their suitability for the screening of thyroid disruptors. therefore, the present study evaluated the effects of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (bde-47) on development, thyroid histology and thyroid hormone-related gene expression in xenopus laevis exposed to 0 (control), 50 (low), 500 (medium) or 5000μg bde-47/g food (hi ...	2016	27838513
gulo acts as a de novo marker for pronephric tubules in xenopus laevis.	vitamin c is an antioxidant and acts as a cofactor for several key enzymatic catalytic reactions in animals. amphibians produce vitamin c in their kidneys, as opposed to mammals that produce vitamin c in their liver. gulo serves as a crucial enzyme for vitamin c synthesis in mammals, but the characteristics and localization of its homologous genes during kidney development in xenopus laevis, an amphibian, remains unknown.	2016	27832650
early bioelectric activities mediate redox-modulated regeneration.	reactive oxygen species (ros) and electric currents modulate regeneration; however, the interplay between biochemical and biophysical signals during regeneration remains poorly understood. we investigate the interactions between redox and bioelectric activities during tail regeneration in xenopus laevis tadpoles. we show that inhibition of nadph oxidase-mediated production of ros, or scavenging or blocking their diffusion into cells, impairs regeneration and consistently regulates the dynamics o ...	2016	27827821
knock-down of a tonoplast localized low-affinity nitrate transporter osnpf7.2 affects rice growth under high nitrate supply.	the large nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (npf) has been shown to transport diverse substrates, including nitrate, amino acids, peptides, phytohormones, and glucosinolates. however, the rice (oryza sativa) root-specific family member osnpf7.2 has not been functionally characterized. here, our data show that osnpf7.2 is a tonoplast localized low-affinity nitrate transporter, that affects rice growth under high nitrate supply. expression analysis showed that osnpf7.2 was mainly ex ...	2016	27826301
two p2x1 receptor transcripts able to form functional channels are present in most human monocytes.	to characterize the presence and general properties of p2x1 receptors in single human monocytes we used rt-pcr, flow cytometry, and the patch-clamp and the two-electrode voltage-clamp techniques. most human monocytes expressed the canonical p2x1 (90%) and its splicing variant p2x1del (88%) mrnas. p2x1 receptor immunoreactivity was also observed in 70% of these cells. currents mediated by p2x1 (ec50=1.9±0.8µm) and p2x1del (ec50 >1000µm) channels, expressed in xenopus leavis oocytes, have differen ...	2016	27823931
from cytoskeletal dynamics to organ asymmetry: a nonlinear, regulative pathway underlies left-right patterning.	consistent left-right (lr) asymmetry is a fundamental aspect of the bodyplan across phyla, and errors of laterality form an important class of human birth defects. its molecular underpinning was first discovered as a sequential pathway of left- and right-sided gene expression that controlled positioning of the heart and visceral organs. recent data have revised this picture in two important ways. first, the physical origin of chirality has been identified; cytoskeletal dynamics underlie the asym ...	2016	27821521
soybean tip gene family analysis and characterization of gmtip1;5 and gmtip2;5 water transport activity.	soybean, one of the most important crops worldwide, is severely affected by abiotic stress. drought and flooding are the major abiotic stresses impacting soybean yield. in this regard, understanding water uptake by plants, its utilization and transport has great importance. in plants, water transport is mainly governed by channel forming aquaporin proteins (aqps). tonoplast intrinsic proteins (tips) belong to the plant-specific aqp subfamily and are known to have a role in abiotic stress toleran ...	2016	27818669