Publications

corrigendum: fertilization competence of the egg-coating envelope is regulated by direct interaction of dicalcin and gp41, the xenopus laevis zp3.		2015	26488680
in vivo study of dynamics and stability of dendritic spines on olfactory bulb interneurons in xenopus laevis tadpoles.	dendritic spines undergo continuous remodeling during development of the nervous system. their stability is essential for maintaining a functional neuronal circuit. spine dynamics and stability of cortical excitatory pyramidal neurons have been explored extensively in mammalian animal models. however, little is known about spiny interneurons in non-mammalian vertebrate models. in the present study, neuronal morphology was visualized by single-cell electroporation. spiny neurons were surveyed in ...	2015	26485435
the hydroxyl side chain of a highly conserved serine residue is required for cation selectivity and substrate transport in the glial glutamate transporter glt-1/slc1a2.	glutamate transporters maintain synaptic concentration of the excitatory neurotransmitter below neurotoxic levels. their transport cycle consists of cotransport of glutamate with three sodium ions and one proton, followed by countertransport of potassium. structural studies proposed that a highly conserved serine located in the binding pocket of the homologous gltph coordinates l-aspartate as well as the sodium ion na1. to experimentally validate these findings, we generated and characterized se ...	2015	26483543
functional characterization of a transition metal ion transporter, oszip6 from rice (oryza sativa l.).	micronutrients are important for the growth and development of plants, which deploy families of transporters for their uptake and distribution. we have functionally characterized a novel transition metal ion transporter from rice, oszip6 (oryza sativa zinc regulated transporter, iron regulated transporter-like protein 6). the transporter was found to be transcriptionally activated in shoot and root tissues in response to deficiency in fe(2+), zn(2+) and mn(2+). oszip6 was expressed in xenopus la ...	2015	26476396
cell cycle control in the early embryonic development of aquatic animal species.	the cell cycle is integrated with many aspects of embryonic development. not only is proper control over the pace of cell proliferation important, but also the timing of cell cycle progression is coordinated with transcription, cell migration, and cell differentiation. due to the ease with which the embryos of aquatic organisms can be observed and manipulated, they have been a popular choice for embryologists throughout history. in the cell cycle field, aquatic organisms have been extremely impo ...	2015	26475527
glutamate cycling may drive organic anion transport on the basal membrane of human placental syncytiotrophoblast.	the organic anion transporter oat4 (slc22a11) and organic anion transporting polypeptide oatp2b1 (slco2b1) are expressed in the basal membrane of the placental syncytiotrophoblast. these transporters mediate exchange whereby uptake of one organic anion is coupled to efflux of a counter-ion. in placenta, these exchangers mediate placental uptake of substrates for oestrogen synthesis as well as clearing waste products and xenobiotics from the fetal circulation. however, the identity of the counter ...	2015	26277985
xenopus pkdcc1 and pkdcc2 are two new tyrosine kinases involved in the regulation of jnk dependent wnt/pcp signaling pathway.	protein kinase domain containing, cytoplasmic (pkdcc) is a protein kinase which has been implicated in longitudinal bone growth through regulation of chondrocytes formation. nevertheless, the mechanism by which this occurs remains unknown. here, we identified two new members of the pkdcc family, pkdcc1 and pkdcc2 from xenopus laevis. interestingly, our knockdown experiments revealed that these two proteins are both involved on blastopore and neural tube closure during gastrula and neurula stages ...	2015	26270962
concentration-dependent effects of nuclear lamins on nuclear size in xenopus and mammalian cells.	a fundamental question in cell biology concerns the regulation of organelle size. while nuclear size is exquisitely controlled in different cell types, inappropriate nuclear enlargement is used to diagnose and stage cancer. clarifying the functional significance of nuclear size necessitates an understanding of the mechanisms and proteins that control nuclear size. one structural component implicated in the regulation of nuclear morphology is the nuclear lamina, a meshwork of intermediate lamin f ...	2015	26429910
identification of amino acids involved in histamine potentiation of gaba a receptors.	histamine is a neurotransmitter involved in a number of physiological and neuronal functions. in mammals, such as humans, and rodents, the histaminergic neurons found in the tuberomamillary nucleus project widely throughout the central nervous system. histamine acts as positive modulator of gabaa receptors (gabaars) and, in high concentrations (10 mm), as negative modulator of the strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor. however, the exact molecular mechanisms by which histamine acts on gabaars ar ...	2015	26074818
recovery capabilities of xenopus laevis after exposure to cadmium and zinc.	the present investigation evaluates the recovery capabilities of xenopus laevis following 12days of exposure to 30μg cdl(-1) and 1000μg znl(-1) alone or mixed, followed by a depuration phase in laboratory conditions. focused endpoints, which were investigated at different times of depuration, are bioaccumulation of cd and zn, micronucleus induction, quantification of metallothioneins (mts), and expression of genes involved in metal toxicity mechanisms. the results show that at the end of the con ...	2015	26073702
molecular polymorphism and divergence of duplicated genes in tetraploid african clawed frogs (xenopus).	genome duplication creates redundancy in proteins and their interaction networks, and subsequent smaller-scale gene duplication can further amplify genetic redundancy. mutations then lead to the loss, maintenance or functional divergence of duplicated genes. genome duplication occurred many times in african clawed frogs (genus xenopus), and almost all extant species in this group evolved from a polyploid ancestor. to better understand the nature of selective constraints in a polyploid genome, we ...	2015	26066830
high incidence of functional ion-channel abnormalities in a consecutive long qt cohort with novel missense genetic variants of unknown significance.	the long qt syndrome (lqts) is a disorder characterized by a prolongation of the qt interval and a propensity to ventricular tachyarrhythmias, which may lead to syncope, cardiac arrest, or sudden death. our objective was to (1) determine the incidence of variants with unknown significance (vus) in a cohort of consecutive lqts patients and (2) to determine the percentage of those with novel missense vus that have demonstrable functional channel abnormalities from a single referral center. we perf ...	2015	26066609
intracellular microrna profiles form in the xenopus laevis oocyte that may contribute to asymmetric cell division.	asymmetric distribution of fate determinants within cells is an essential biological strategy to prepare them for asymmetric division. in this work we measure the intracellular distribution of 12 maternal micrornas (mirna) along the animal-vegetal axis of the xenopus laevis oocyte using qpcr tomography. we find the mirnas have distinct intracellular profiles that resemble two out of the three profiles we previously observed for mrnas. our results suggest that mirnas in addition to proteins and m ...	2015	26059897
netrin-1 directs dendritic growth and connectivity of vertebrate central neurons in vivo.	netrins are a family of extracellular proteins that function as chemotropic guidance cues for migrating cells and axons during neural development. in the visual system, netrin-1 has been shown to play a key role in retinal ganglion cell (rgc) axon growth and branching at the target, where presynaptic rgc axons form partnerships with the dendrites of tectal neurons. however, the signals that guide the connections between rgc axons and their postsynaptic partners are yet unknown. here, we explored ...	2015	26058786
peptoid-substituted hybrid antimicrobial peptide derived from papiliocin and magainin 2 with enhanced bacterial selectivity and anti-inflammatory activity.	antimicrobial peptides (amps) are important components of the host innate immune system. papiliocin is a 37-residue amp purified from larvae of the swallowtail butterfly papilio xuthus. magainin 2 is a 23-residue amp purified from the skin of the african clawed frog xenopus laevis. we designed an 18-residue hybrid peptide (papma) incorporating n-terminal residues 1-8 of papiliocin and n-terminal residues 4-12 of magainin 2, joined by a proline (pro) hinge. papma showed high antimicrobial activit ...	2015	26053120
usp18 sensitivity of peptide transporters pept1 and pept2.	usp18 (ubiquitin-like specific protease 18) is an enzyme cleaving ubiquitin from target proteins. usp18 plays a pivotal role in antiviral and antibacterial immune responses. on the other hand, ubiquitination participates in the regulation of several ion channels and transporters. usp18 sensitivity of transporters has, however, never been reported. the present study thus explored, whether usp18 modifies the activity of the peptide transporters pept1 and pept2, and whether the peptide transporters ...	2015	26046984
regulation of neuronal high-voltage activated ca(v)2 ca(2+) channels by the small gtpase rhoa.	high-voltage-activated (hva) ca(2+) channels are known regulators of synapse formation and transmission and play fundamental roles in neuronal pathophysiology. small gtpases of rho and rgk families, via their action on both cytoskeleton and ca(2+) channels are key molecules for these processes. while the effects of rgk gtpases on neuronal hva ca(2+) channels have been widely studied, the effects of rhoa on the hva channels remains however elusive. using heterologous expression in xenopus laevis ...	2015	26044639
locomotor corollary activation of trigeminal motoneurons: coupling of discrete motor behaviors.	during motor behavior, corollary discharges of the underlying motor commands inform sensory-motor systems about impending or ongoing movements. these signals generally limit the impact of self-generated sensory stimuli but also induce motor reactions that stabilize sensory perception. here, we demonstrate in isolated preparations of xenopus laevis tadpoles that locomotor corollary discharge provokes a retraction of the mechanoreceptive tentacles during fictive swimming. in the absence of sensory ...	2015	26041033
probing the redox states of sodium channel cysteines at the binding site of μo§-conotoxin gviij.	μo§-conotoxin gviij is a 35-amino acid peptide that readily blocks six of eight tested nav1 subunit isoforms of voltage-gated sodium channels. μo§-gviij is unusual in having an s-cysteinylated cysteine (at residue 24). a proposed reaction scheme involves the peptide-channel complex stabilized by a disulfide bond formed via thiol-disulfide exchange between cys24 of the peptide and a cys residue at neurotoxin receptor site 8 in the pore module of the channel (specifically, cys910 of rat nav1.2). t ...	2015	26039939
an endocannabinoid system is present in the mouse olfactory epithelium but does not modulate olfaction.	endocannabinoids modulate a diverse array of functions including progenitor cell proliferation in the central nervous system, and odorant detection and food intake in the mammalian central olfactory system and larval xenopus laevis peripheral olfactory system. however, the presence and role of endocannabinoids in the peripheral olfactory epithelium have not been examined in mammals. we found the presence of cannabinoid type 1 (cb1) and cannabinoid type 2 (cb2) receptor protein and mrna in the ol ...	2015	26037800
toxicological aspects of photocatalytic degradation of selected xenobiotics with nano-sized mn-doped tio2.	the toxic effects of two selected xenobiotics, bisphenol a (bpa) and atrazine (atz), were evaluated after photocatalytic degradation using nano-sized, mn-doped tio2. undoped and mn-doped tio2 nanoparticles were synthesized. the samples were characterized by x-ray diffractometry (xrd), scanning electron microscopy (sem), uv-vis-diffuse reflectance spectra (drs), x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (xrf), and bet surface area. the photocatalytic efficiency of the undoped and mn-doped tio2 was evaluate ...	2015	26037099
investigation of blood flow and the effect of vasoactive substances in cutaneous blood vessels of xenopus laevis.	in the present study, a preparation of frog skin was presented, which can be used to demonstrate the basic concepts of blood flow regulation in a very clear and attractive way to high school and university students. in a freshly euthanized xenopus, a patch of abdominal skin was exposed from the internal side and viewed with a usb microscope while it remained connected to a functioning circulatory system. in this way, it was possible to obtain sharp images of arteries and veins and to visualize b ...	2015	26031724
inhibition of monocarboxylate transporter by n-cyanosulphonamide s0859.	the synthetic compound n-cyanosulphonamide s0859 has been described as a selective inhibitor of sodium-bicarbonate cotransporters (nbc, slc4) in mammalian heart (ch'en et al., 2008). first, for comparison, the electrogenic human nbce1 (slc4a4) was heterologously expressed in xenopus laevis oocytes, where its transport activity was inhibited by s0859 with an ic50 of 9µm. the activity of monocarboxylate transporter (mct) isoforms 1, 2, and 4 (slc16a1, slc16a7, slc16a3), which transport lactate, py ...	2015	26027796
[comparative characteristics of free-living ultramicroscopical bacteria obtained from extremal biotopes].	we isolated 50 strains of free-living ultrasmall bacteria with a cell volume that varies from 0.02 to 1.3 microm3 from a range of extremal natural biotopes, namely permafrost soils, oil slime, soils, lake silt, thermal swamp moss, and the skin integuments of the clawed frog, xenopus laevis. of them, 15 isolates, characterized by a cell size of less than 0.1 microm3 and a genome size from 1.5 to 2.4 mb, were subsumed to ultramicrobacteria belonging to different philogenetic groups (alphaproteobac ...	2015	26027350
g-quadruplex dna and ligand interaction in living cells using nmr spectroscopy.	gathering structural information from biologically relevant molecules inside living cells has always been a challenging task. in this work, we have used multidimensional nmr spectroscopy to probe dna g-quadruplexes inside living xenopus laevis oocytes. some of these structures can be found in key regions of chromosomes. g-quadruplexes are considered potential anticancer therapeutic targets and several lines of evidence indirectly point out roles in key biological processes, such as cell prolifer ...	2015	28706695
desformylflustrabromine modulates α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor high- and low-sensitivity isoforms at allosteric clefts containing the β2 subunit.	alterations in expression patterns of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have been demonstrated to alter cholinergic neurotransmission and are implicated in neurologic disorders, including autism, nicotine addiction, alzheimer's disease, and parkinson's disease. positive allosteric modulators (pams) represent promising new leads in the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of these disorders. this study investigates the involvement of the β2-containing subunit interfaces of α4β ...	2015	26025967
anp and cnp activate cftr expressed in xenopus laevis oocytes by direct activation of pka.	acting through different receptors, natriuretic peptides (atrial natriuretic peptide [anp], brain type natriuretic peptide [bnp] and c-type natriuretic peptide [cnp]) increase intracellular cgmp, which then stimulates different pathways that activate fluid secretion.	2015	26016495
centrin-2 (cetn2) mediated regulation of fgf/fgfr gene expression in xenopus.	centrins (cetns) are highly conserved, widely expressed, and multifunctional ca(2+)-binding eukaryotic signature proteins best known for their roles in ciliogenesis and as critical components of the global genome nucleotide excision repair system. two distinct cetn subtypes, cetn2-like and cetn3-like, have been recognized and implicated in a range of cellular processes. in the course of morpholino-based loss of function studies in xenopus laevis, we have identified a previously unreported cetn2- ...	2015	26014913
xenopus tacc1 is a microtubule plus-end tracking protein that can regulate microtubule dynamics during embryonic development.	microtubule plus-end dynamics are regulated by a family of proteins called plus-end tracking proteins (+tips). we recently demonstrated that the transforming acidic coiled-coil (tacc) domain family member, tacc3, can function as a +tip to regulate microtubule dynamics in xenopus laevis embryonic cells. although it has been previously reported that tacc3 is the only tacc family member that exists in xenopus, our examination of its genome determined that xenopus, like all other vertebrates, contai ...	2015	26012630
bimodal interaction of mammalian polo-like kinase 1 and a centrosomal scaffold, cep192, in the regulation of bipolar spindle formation.	serving as microtubule-organizing centers, centrosomes play a key role in forming bipolar spindles. the mechanism of how centrosomes promote bipolar spindle assembly in various organisms remains largely unknown. a recent study with xenopus laevis egg extracts suggested that the plk1 ortholog plx1 interacts with the phospho-t46 (p-t46) motif of xenopus cep192 (xcep192) to form an xcep192-mediated xaura-plx1 cascade that is critical for bipolar spindle formation. here, we demonstrated that in cult ...	2015	26012549
paraxis is required for somite morphogenesis and differentiation in xenopus laevis.	in most vertebrates, the segmentation of the paraxial mesoderm involves the formation of metameric units called somites through a mesenchymal-epithelial transition. however, this process is different in xenopus laevis because it does not form an epithelial somite. xenopus somitogenesis is characterized by a complex cells rearrangement that requires the coordinated regulation of cell shape, adhesion, and motility. the molecular mechanisms that control these cell behaviors underlying somite format ...	2015	26010523
identification of distal enhancers for six2 expression in pronephros.	the embryonic nephric mesenchyme contains pluripotent progenitor cells. six2, a homeodomain transcription factor, is expressed in a subset of the nephric mesenchyme, and it functions to maintain a progenitor state by suppressing nephrogenesis. despite the functional significance of six2 in nephric development, its regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. to identify the cis-regulatory elements for six2, we focused on the evolutionarily conserved sequences known as conserved noncoding sequences (cns ...	2015	26009236
preparation of xenopus laevis retinal cryosections for electron microscopy.	transmission electron microscopy is the gold standard for examination of photoreceptor outer segment morphology and photoreceptor outer segment abnormalities in transgenic animal models of retinal disease. small vertebrates such as zebrafish and xenopus laevis tadpoles have been used to generate retinal disease models and to study outer segment processes such as protein trafficking, and their breeding capabilities facilitate experiments involving large numbers of animals and conditions. however, ...	2015	26008144
protein-carbohydrate interaction between sperm and the egg-coating envelope and its regulation by dicalcin, a xenopus laevis zona pellucida protein-associated protein.	protein-carbohydrate interaction regulates multiple important processes during fertilization, an essential biological event where individual gametes undergo intercellular recognition to fuse and generate a zygote. in the mammalian female reproductive tract, sperm temporarily adhere to the oviductal epithelium via the complementary interaction between carbohydrate-binding proteins on the sperm membrane and carbohydrates on the oviductal cells. after detachment from the oviductal epithelium at the ...	2015	26007194
dynein-based accumulation of membranes regulates nuclear expansion in xenopus laevis egg extracts.	nuclear size changes dynamically during development and has long been observed to correlate with the space surrounding the nucleus, as well as with the volume of the cell. here we combine an in vitro cell-free system of xenopus laevis egg extract with microfluidic devices to systematically analyze the effect of spatial constraints. the speed of nuclear expansion depended on the available space surrounding the nucleus up to a threshold volume in the nanoliter range, herein referred to as the nucl ...	2015	26004509
formation of a new limb bud at the boundary between a transplanted limb bud and the tail surface of xenopus tadpoles.	through transplantation experiments with xenopus laevis tadpoles, we found a new morphogenetic phenomenon consisting of limb bud formation at the boundary between transplanted whole limb buds and the tail surface. this phenomenon occurs without limb-limb stump interaction and has a number of unique features: (1) only one extra limb bud was formed per transplant and the new limb and the transplanted limb were bilaterally symmetrical, forming a pair of limb girdles. (2) extra new limb bud formatio ...	2015	26003976
asymmetrical allocation of jak1 mrna during spermatogonial stem cell division in xenopus laevis.	during xenopus spermatogenesis, each primary spermatogonium (pg), the largest single cell in the testis, undergoes mitotic divisions with a concomitant decrease in size to produce smaller differentiating spermatogonia. the spermatogonial stem cells (sscs) occur in this pg population. taking advantage of identifiable and isolatable properties of xenopus sscs, we examined jak1 gene expression during the spermatogenesis because there have been reports on the important role of jak/stat pathway in re ...	2015	25988600
in vitro and in vivo evidence for active brain uptake of the ghb analog hocpca by the monocarboxylate transporter subtype 1.	γ-hydroxybutyric acid (ghb) is a recreational drug, a clinically prescribed drug in narcolepsy and alcohol dependence, and an endogenous substance that binds to both high- and low-affinity sites in the brain. for studying the molecular mechanisms and the biologic role of the ghb high-affinity binding sites, ligands with high and specific affinity are essential. the conformationally restricted ghb analog hocpca (3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid) is one such compound. the objective of this ...	2015	25986445
expressing and characterizing mechanosensitive channels in xenopus oocytes.	the oocytes of the african clawed frog (xenopus laevis) comprise one of the most widely used membrane protein expression systems. while frequently used for studies of transporters and ion channels, the application of this system to the study of mechanosensitive ion channels has been overlooked, perhaps due to a relative abundance of native expression systems. recent advances, however, have illustrated the advantages of the oocyte system for studying plant and bacterial mechanosensitive channels. ...	2015	25981775
ethanol modulation is quantitatively determined by the transmembrane domain of human α1 glycine receptors.	mutagenesis and labeling studies have identified amino acids from the human α1 glycine receptor (glyr) extracellular, transmembrane (tm), and intracellular domains in mediating ethanol (etoh) potentiation. however, limited high-resolution structural data for physiologically relevant receptors in this cys-loop receptor superfamily have made pinpointing the critical amino acids difficult. homologous ion channels from lower organisms provide conserved models for structural and functional properties ...	2015	25973519
labeling strategy and signal broadening mechanism of protein nmr spectroscopy in xenopus laevis oocytes.	we used xenopus laevis oocytes, a paradigm for a variety of biological studies, as a eukaryotic model system for in-cell protein nmr spectroscopy. the small globular protein gb1 was one of the first studied in xenopus oocytes, but there have been few reports since then of high-resolution spectra in oocytes. the scarcity of data is at least partly due to the lack of good labeling strategies and the paucity of information on resonance broadening mechanisms. here, we systematically evaluate isotope ...	2015	25965532
conformational rearrangements in the transmembrane domain of cnga1 channels revealed by single-molecule force spectroscopy.	cyclic nucleotide-gated (cng) channels are activated by binding of cyclic nucleotides. although structural studies have identified the channel pore and selectivity filter, conformation changes associated with gating remain poorly understood. here we combine single-molecule force spectroscopy (smfs) with mutagenesis, bioinformatics and electrophysiology to study conformational changes associated with gating. by expressing functional channels with smfs fingerprints in xenopus laevis oocytes, we we ...	2015	25963832
positive modulation of synaptic and extrasynaptic gabaa receptors by an antagonist of the high affinity benzodiazepine binding site.	gabaa receptors are the major inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in the brain and are the target for many clinically important drugs such as the benzodiazepines. benzodiazepines act at the high-affinity binding site at the α+/γ- subunit interface. previously, an additional low affinity binding site for diazepam located in the transmembrane (tm) domain has been described. the compound sjm-3 was recently identified in a prospective screening of ligands for the benzodiazepine binding site and in ...	2015	25963418
xenopus laevis oocyte maturation is affected by metal chlorides.	few studies have been conducted using xenopus laevis germ cells as oocytes, though these cells offer many advantages allowing both electrophysiological studies and morphological examination. our aim was to investigate the effects of metal (cadmium, lead, cobalt and zinc) exposures using cell biology approaches. first, cell survival was evaluated with both phenotypical and electrophysiological approaches. secondly, the effect of metals on oocyte maturation was assessed with morphological observat ...	2015	25957907
building the microtubule cytoskeleton piece by piece.	the microtubule (mt) cytoskeleton gives cells their shape, organizes the cellular interior, and segregates chromosomes. these functions rely on the precise arrangement of mts, which is achieved by the coordinated action of mt-associated proteins (maps). we highlight the first and most important examples of how different map activities are combined in vitro to create an ensemble function that exceeds the simple addition of their individual activities, and how the xenopus laevis egg extract system ...	2015	25957410
in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo determination of thyroid hormone modulating activity of benzothiazoles.	as in vitro assays are increasingly used to screen chemicals for their potential to produce endocrine disrupting adverse effects, it is important to understand their predictive capacity. the potential for a set of 6 benzothiazoles to affect endpoints related to thyroid hormone synthesis inhibition were assessed using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo assays. inhibition of thyroid peroxidase (tpo) derived from pig thyroid glands was determined for benzothiazole (btz), 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (mbt), ...	2015	25953703
subchronic and chronic developmental effects of copper oxide (cuo) nanoparticles on xenopus laevis.	metal oxide nanoparticles, such as copper oxide (cuo), are mass produced for use in a variety of products like coatings and ceramics. acute exposure to cuo nanoparticles has caused toxicity to many aquatic organisms, yet there is no information on the effect of prolonged cuo nanomaterial exposures. this study examined effects of chronic exposure to cuo nanoparticles on xenopus laevis growth and development. experiments included a 14 d subchronic exposure and a 47 d chronic exposure throughout me ...	2015	25950410
mgcracgap restricts active rhoa at the cytokinetic furrow and both rhoa and rac1 at cell-cell junctions in epithelial cells.	localized activation of rho gtpases is essential for multiple cellular functions, including cytokinesis and formation and maintenance of cell-cell junctions. although mgcracgap (mgc) is required for spatially confined rhoa-gtp at the equatorial cortex of dividing cells, both the target specificity of mgc's gap activity and the involvement of phosphorylation of mgc at ser-386 are controversial. in addition, mgc's function at cell-cell junctions remains unclear. here, using gastrula-stage xenopus ...	2015	25947135
structural insights into thyroid hormone transport mechanisms of the l-type amino acid transporter 2.	thyroid hormones (ths) are transported across cell membranes by different transmembrane transporter proteins. in previous studies, we showed marked 3,3'-diiodothyronine (3,3'-t2) but moderate t3 uptake by the l-type amino acid transporter 2 (lat2). we have now studied the structure-function relationships of this transporter and th-like molecules. our lat2 homology model is based on 2 crystal structures of the homologous 12-transmembrane helix transporters arginine/agmatine antiporter and amino a ...	2015	25945809
single-cell mass spectrometry reveals small molecules that affect cell fates in the 16-cell embryo.	spatial and temporal changes in molecular expression are essential to embryonic development, and their characterization is critical to understand mechanisms by which cells acquire different phenotypes. although technological advances have made it possible to quantify expression of large molecules during embryogenesis, little information is available on metabolites, the ultimate indicator of physiological activity of the cell. here, we demonstrate that single-cell capillary electrophoresis-electr ...	2015	25941375
controlled surface topography regulates collective 3d migration by epithelial-mesenchymal composite embryonic tissues.	cells in tissues encounter a range of physical cues as they migrate. probing single cell and collective migratory responses to physically defined three-dimensional (3d) microenvironments and the factors that modulate those responses are critical to understanding how tissue migration is regulated during development, regeneration, and cancer. one key physical factor that regulates cell migration is topography. most studies on surface topography and cell mechanics have been carried out with single ...	2015	25933063
regulation of hbpip2;3, a latex-abundant water transporter, is associated with latex dilution and yield in the rubber tree (hevea brasiliensis muell. arg.).	rubber tree (hevea brasiliensis) latex, the source of natural rubber, is synthesised in the cytoplasm of laticifers. efficient water inflow into laticifers is crucial for latex flow and production since it is the determinant of the total solid content of latex and its fluidity after tapping. as the mature laticifer vessel rings are devoid of plasmodesmata, water exchange between laticifers and surrounding cells is believed to be governed by plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (pips). to identify ...	2015	25927524
quantum dot assisted tracking of the intracellular protein cyclin e in xenopus laevis embryos.	luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots (qd), possess highly desirable optical properties that account for development of a variety of exciting biomedical techniques. these properties include long-term stability, brightness, narrow emission spectra, size tunable properties and resistance to photobleaching. qd have many promising applications in biology and the list is constantly growing. these applications include dna or protein tagging for in vitro assays, deep-tissue ...	2015	25925383
disruption of the rice nitrate transporter osnpf2.2 hinders root-to-shoot nitrate transport and vascular development.	plants have evolved to express some members of the nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (npf) to uptake and transport nitrate. however, little is known of the physiological and functional roles of this family in rice (oryza sativa l.). here, we characterized the vascular specific transporter osnpf2.2. functional analysis using cdna-injected xenopus laevis oocytes revealed that osnpf2.2 is a low-affinity, ph-dependent nitrate transporter. use of a green fluorescent protein tagged osnp ...	2015	25923512
hplc-based activity profiling for herg channel inhibitors in the south african medicinal plant galenia africana.	the human ether-a-go-go-related gene channel is a voltage-activated k(+) channel involved in cardiac action potential. its inhibition can lead to qt prolongation, and eventually to potentially fatal arrhythmia. therefore, it is considered a primary antitarget in safety pharmacology. to assess the risk of human ether-a-go-go-related gene channel inhibition by medicinal plants, 700 extracts from different parts of 142 medicinal plants collected in southern africa were screened on xenopus laevis oo ...	2015	25922911
homeolog-specific targeted mutagenesis in xenopus laevis using talens.	transcription activator-like effector nucleases (talens) have previously been used for targeted genome editing in various organisms including xenopus laevis. however, because of genomic polyploidization, x. laevis usually possess homeologous genes (homeologs) with quite similar sequences that make the analysis of gene function difficult. in the present study, we show methodological examples of targeted gene modification of x. laevis homeologs. the x. laevis cytoglobin gene (cygb) consists of two ...	2015	25920501
desflurane increased the activity of excitatory amino-acid carrier 1 (eaac1) expressed in xenopus oocytes.	desflurane is a volatile anaesthetic agent with neuroprotective properties. excitatory amino-acid carrier 1 (eaac1) may be neuroprotective by taking up glutamate and cysteine. therefore, the effects of desflurane on eaac1 activity were investigated in this study. eaac1 was expressed in xenopus laevis oocytes. two-electrode voltage-clamping technique was used to record membrane currents upon exposure to l-glutamate (30 μm) in the presence or absence of desflurane (0.4, 1.0, 2.0, 2.6, or 3.2mm). c ...	2015	25840279
in vivo investigation of cilia structure and function using xenopus.	cilia are key organelles in development and homeostasis. the ever-expanding complement of cilia associated proteins necessitates rapid and tractable models for in vivo functional investigation. xenopus laevis provides an attractive model for such studies, having multiple ciliated populations, including primary and multiciliated tissues. the rapid external development of xenopus and the large cells make it an especially excellent platform for imaging studies. here we present embryological and cel ...	2015	25837389
reproductive strategies of the kangaroo leech, marsupiobdella africana (glossiphoniidae).	the kangaroo leech, marsupiobdella africana, is a hermaphroditic organism, with insemination taking place by the planting of a spermatophore on another leech. spermatophores are mostly planted on the anterior of the recipient leech, but not always. several spermatophores may be planted by different leeches on a single recipient. the spermatophore consists of two side by side lobes. within minutes from planting of the spermatophore, the contents are squeezed out and into the body of the recipient ...	2015	25830114
evidence for a revised ion/substrate coupling stoichiometry of gaba transporters.	plasma membrane γ-aminobutyric acid (gaba) transporters (gats) are electrogenic transport proteins that couple the cotranslocation of na(+), cl(-), and gaba across the plasma membrane of neurons and glia. a fundamental property of the transporter that determines its ability to concentrate gaba in cells and, hence, regulate synaptic and extra-synaptic gaba concentrations, is the ion/substrate coupling stoichiometry. here, we scrutinized the currently accepted 2 na(+):1 cl(-):1 gaba stoichiometry ...	2015	25824654
a 90 day safety assessment of genetically modified rice expressing cry1ab/1ac protein using an aquatic animal model.	in fields of transgenic bt rice, frogs are exposed to bt proteins through consumption of both target and nontarget insects. in the present study, we assessed the risk posed by transgenic rice expressing a cry1ab/1ac fusion protein (huahui 1, hh1) on the development of xenopus laevis. for 90 days, froglets were fed a diet with 30% hh1 rice, 30% parental rice (minghui 63, mh63), or no rice as a control. body weight and length were measured every 15 days. after sacrificing the froglets, we performe ...	2015	25822065
toxicity evaluation of a new zn-doped cuo nanocomposite with highly effective antibacterial properties.	the increased resistances to conventional antibiotics determine a strong need for new antibacterials, and specific syntheses at the nanoscale promise to be helpful in this field. a novel zinc-doped copper oxide nanocomposite (nzn-cuo) has been recently sonochemically synthesized and successfully tested also against multi-drug resistant bacteria. after synthesis and characterization of the physicochemical properties, the new nzn-cuo is here evaluated by the frog embyo teratogenesis assay-xenopus ...	2015	25820130
17α-ethinylestradiol can disrupt hemoglobin catabolism in amphibians.	different chemical substances, which enter the environment due to anthropogenic influences, can affect the endocrine system and influence development and physiology of aquatic animals. one of these endocrine disrupting chemicals is the synthetic estrogen, 17α-ethinylestradiol (ee2), which is a main component of various oral contraceptives and demonstrably affects many different aquatic vertebrates at extremely low concentrations by feminization phenomena. the aim of the present study was to inve ...	2015	25819740
an in vivo screen to identify candidate neurogenic genes in the developing xenopus visual system.	neurogenesis in the brain of xenopus laevis continues throughout larval stages of development. we developed a 2-tier screen to identify candidate genes controlling neurogenesis in xenopus optic tectum in vivo. first, microarray and nanostring analyses were used to identify candidate genes that were differentially expressed in sox2-expressing neural progenitor cells or their neuronal progeny. then an in vivo, time-lapse imaging-based screen was used to test whether morpholinos against 34 candidat ...	2015	25818835
crystal structure of a xenopus laevis skin proto-type galectin, close to but distinct from galectin-1.	xenopus laevis (african clawed frog) has two types of proto-type galectins that are similar to mammalian galectin-1 in amino acid sequence. one type, comprising xgalectin-ia and -ib, is regarded as being equivalent to galectin-1, and the other type, comprising xgalectin-va and -vb, is expected to be a unique galectin subgroup. the latter is considerably abundant in frog skin; however, its biological function remains unclear. we determined the crystal structures of two proto-type galectins, xgale ...	2015	25804418
functional characterization of the 1,5-benzodiazepine clobazam and its major active metabolite n-desmethylclobazam at human gaba(a) receptors expressed in xenopus laevis oocytes.	the 1,5-benzodiazepine clobazam is indicated for the adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with lennox-gastaut syndrome in patients 2 years of age or older in the united states, and for treatment of anxiety and various forms of epilepsy elsewhere. clobazam has been reported to exhibit different in vivo adverse effects and addiction liability profile than the classic 1,4-benzodiazepines. in this study, it was investigated whether the in vitro pharmacological properties of clobazam and its m ...	2015	25798598
regeneration of xenopus laevis spinal cord requires sox2/3 expressing cells.	spinal cord regeneration is very inefficient in humans, causing paraplegia and quadriplegia. studying model organisms that can regenerate the spinal cord in response to injury could be useful for understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that explain why this process fails in humans. here, we use xenopus laevis as a model organism to study spinal cord repair. histological and functional analyses showed that larvae at pre-metamorphic stages restore anatomical continuity of the spinal co ...	2015	25797152
apoptosis and differentiation of xenopus tail-derived myoblasts by thyroid hormone.	the metamorphosis of anuran amphibians is induced by thyroid hormone (th). to study the molecular mechanisms underlying tail regression during metamorphosis, we established a cell line, xl-b4, from a xenopus laevis tadpole tail at a premetamorphic stage. the cells expressed myoblast markers and differentiated into myotubes in differentiation medium. xl-b4 cells expressing fluorescent proteins were transplanted into tadpole tails. at 5 days post-transplantation, fluorescence was observed in myotu ...	2015	25791374
ensemble-based virtual screening for cannabinoid-like potentiators of the human glycine receptor α1 for the treatment of pain.	the human glycine receptors (hglyrs) are chloride-selective ion channels that mediate inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain stem and spinal cord. they are also targets for compounds of potential use in analgesic therapies. here, we develop a strategy to discover analgesic drugs via structure-based virtual screening based on the recently published nmr structure of the hglyr-α1 transmembrane domain (pdb id: 2m6i ) and the critical role of residue s296 in hglyr-α1 potentiation by δ(9)-tetrahydr ...	2015	25790278
hdac1 regulates the proliferation of radial glial cells in the developing xenopus tectum.	in the developing central nervous system (cns), progenitor cells differentiate into progeny to form functional neural circuits. radial glial cells (rgs) are a transient progenitor cell type that is present during neurogenesis. it is thought that a combination of neural trophic factors, neurotransmitters and electrical activity regulates the proliferation and differentiation of rgs. however, it is less clear how epigenetic modulation changes rg proliferation. we sought to explore the effect of hi ...	2015	25789466
species-specific loss of sexual dimorphism in vocal effectors accompanies vocal simplification in african clawed frogs (xenopus).	phylogenetic studies can reveal patterns of evolutionary change, including the gain or loss of elaborate courtship traits in males. male african clawed frogs generally produce complex and rapid courtship vocalizations, whereas female calls are simple and slow. in a few species, however, male vocalizations are also simple and slow, suggesting loss of male-typical traits. here, we explore features of the male vocal organ that could contribute to loss in two species with simple, slow male calls. in ...	2015	25788725
ear manipulations reveal a critical period for survival and dendritic development at the single-cell level in mauthner neurons.	second-order sensory neurons are dependent on afferents from the sense organs during a critical period in development for their survival and differentiation. past research has mostly focused on whole populations of neurons, hampering progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying these critical phases. to move toward a better understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of afferent-dependent neuronal development, we developed a new model to study the effects of ear removal on a single ...	2015	25787878
a gustatory receptor tuned to d-fructose in antennal sensilla chaetica of helicoverpa armigera.	insect gustatory systems play important roles in food selection and feeding behaviors. in spite of the enormous progress in understanding gustation in drosophila, for other insects one of the key elements in gustatory signaling, the gustatory receptor (gr), is still elusive. in this study, we report that fructose elicits behavioral and physiological responses in helicoverpa armigera (harm) to fructose and identify the gustatory receptor for this sugar. using the proboscis extension reflex (per) ...	2015	25784630
papc mediates self/non-self-distinction during snail1-dependent tissue separation.	cleft-like boundaries represent a type of cell sorting boundary characterized by the presence of a physical gap between tissues. we studied the cleft-like ectoderm-mesoderm boundary in xenopus laevis and zebrafish gastrulae. we identified the transcription factor snail1 as being essential for tissue separation, showed that its expression in the mesoderm depends on noncanonical wnt signaling, and demonstrated that it enables paraxial protocadherin (papc) to promote tissue separation through two n ...	2015	25778923
unique gene expression profile of the proliferating xenopus tadpole tail blastema cells deciphered by rna-sequencing analysis.	organ regenerative ability depends on the animal species and the developmental stage. the molecular bases for variable organ regenerative ability, however, remain unknown. previous studies have identified genes preferentially expressed in the blastema tissues in various animals, but transcriptome analysis of the isolated proliferating blastema cells has not yet been reported. in the present study, we used rna-sequencing analysis to analyze the gene expression profile of isolated proliferating bl ...	2015	25775398
developmentally regulated post-translational modification of nucleoplasmin controls histone sequestration and deposition.	nucleoplasmin (npm) is an abundant histone chaperone in vertebrate oocytes and embryos. during embryogenesis, regulation of npm histone binding is critical for its function in storing and releasing maternal histones to establish and maintain the zygotic epigenome. here, we demonstrate that xenopus laevis npm post-translational modifications (ptms) specific to the oocyte and egg promote either histone deposition or sequestration, respectively. mass spectrometry and npm phosphomimetic mutations us ...	2015	25772360
endogenous gradients of resting potential instructively pattern embryonic neural tissue via notch signaling and regulation of proliferation.	biophysical forces play important roles throughout embryogenesis, but the roles of spatial differences in cellular resting potentials during large-scale brain morphogenesis remain unknown. here, we implicate endogenous bioelectricity as an instructive factor during brain patterning in xenopus laevis. early frog embryos exhibit a characteristic hyperpolarization of cells lining the neural tube; disruption of this spatial gradient of the transmembrane potential (vmem) diminishes or eliminates the ...	2015	25762681
proteomics analysis of xenopus laevis gonad tissue following chronic exposure to atrazine.	atrazine is the most commonly detected pesticide contaminant in ground and surface water. previous studies have shown that atrazine is an endocrine disruptor owing to its adverse effects on the male reproductive system in several vertebrates, but very few molecular mechanisms for these effects have been revealed. in the present study, xenopus laevis were exposed to 100 ppb of atrazine for 120 d, and then the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (itraq) technique was used to detec ...	2015	25760937
cloning of interleukin-10 from african clawed frog (xenopus tropicalis), with the finding of il-19/20 homologue in the il-10 locus.	interleukin-10 (il-10) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays an important role in immune system. in the present study, the il-10 gene of african clawed frog (xenopus tropicalis) was first cloned, and its expression pattern and 3d structure were also analyzed. the frog il-10 mrna encoded 172 amino acids which possessed several conserved features found in il-10s from other species, including five-exon/four-intron genomic structure, conserved four cysteine residues, il-10 family motif, and six α-hel ...	2015	25759841
direct observation of ca(2+) -induced calmodulin conformational transitions in intact xenopus laevis oocytes by (19) f nmr spectroscopy.	the ca(2+) -mediated conformational transition of the protein calmodulin (cam) is essential to a variety of signal transduction pathways. whether the transition in living cells is similar to that observed in buffer is not known. here, we report the direct observation by (19) f nmr spectroscopy of the transition of the ca(2+) -free and -bound forms in xenopus laevis oocytes at different ca(2+) levels. we find that the ca(2+) -bound cam population increased greatly upon binding the target protein ...	2015	25753548
efficient retina formation requires suppression of both activin and bmp signaling pathways in pluripotent cells.	retina formation requires the correct spatiotemporal patterning of key regulatory factors. while it is known that repression of several signaling pathways lead to specification of retinal fates, addition of only noggin, a known bmp antagonist, can convert pluripotent xenopus laevis animal cap cells to functional retinal cells. the aim of this study is to determine the intracellular molecular events that occur during this conversion. surprisingly, blocking bmp signaling alone failed to mimic nogg ...	2015	25750435
phospholipase c and d regulation of src, calcium release and membrane fusion during xenopus laevis development.	this review emphasizes how lipids regulate membrane fusion and the proteins involved in three developmental stages: oocyte maturation to the fertilizable egg, fertilization and during first cleavage. decades of work show that phosphatidic acid (pa) releases intracellular calcium, and recent work shows that the lipid can activate src tyrosine kinase or phospholipase c during xenopus fertilization. numerous reports are summarized to show three levels of increase in lipid second messengers inositol ...	2015	25748412
more similar than you think: frog metamorphosis as a model of human perinatal endocrinology.	hormonal control of development during the human perinatal period is critically important and complex with multiple hormones regulating fetal growth, brain development, and organ maturation in preparation for birth. genetic and environmental perturbations of such hormonal control may cause irreversible morphological and physiological impairments and may also predispose individuals to diseases of adulthood, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. endocrine and molecular mechanisms that reg ...	2015	25744725
xenopus laevis oocytes as a model system for studying the interaction between asbestos fibres and cell membranes.	the mode of interaction of asbestos fibres with cell membranes is still debatable. one reason is the lack of a suitable and convenient cellular model to investigate the causes of asbestos toxicity. we studied the interaction of asbestos fibres with xenopus laevis oocytes, using electrophysiological and morphological methods. oocytes are large single cells, with a limited ability to endocytose molecular ligands; we therefore considered these cells to be a good model for investigating the nature o ...	2015	25745069
rns60, a charge-stabilized nanostructure saline alters xenopus laevis oocyte biophysical membrane properties by enhancing mitochondrial atp production.	we have examined the effects of rns60, a 0.9% saline containing charge-stabilized oxygen nanobubble-based structures. rns60 is generated by subjecting normal saline to taylor-couette-poiseuille (tcp) flow under elevated oxygen pressure. this study, implemented in xenopus laevis oocytes, addresses both the electrophysiological membrane properties and parallel biological processes in the cytoplasm. intracellular recordings from defolliculated x. laevis oocytes were implemented in: (1) air oxygenat ...	2015	25742953
manipulation and in vitro maturation of xenopus laevis oocytes, followed by intracytoplasmic sperm injection, to study embryonic development.	amphibian eggs have been widely used to study embryonic development. early embryonic development is driven by maternally stored factors accumulated during oogenesis. in order to study roles of such maternal factors in early embryonic development, it is desirable to manipulate their functions from the very beginning of embryonic development. conventional ways of gene interference are achieved by injection of antisense oligonucleotides (oligos) or mrna into fertilized eggs, enabling under- or over ...	2015	25742326
a regression-based differential expression detection algorithm for microarray studies with ultra-low sample size.	global gene expression analysis using microarrays and, more recently, rna-seq, has allowed investigators to understand biological processes at a system level. however, the identification of differentially expressed genes in experiments with small sample size, high dimensionality, and high variance remains challenging, limiting the usability of these tens of thousands of publicly available, and possibly many more unpublished, gene expression datasets. we propose a novel variable selection algorit ...	2015	25738861
allosteric modulation of the glycine receptor activated by agonists differing in efficacy.	the glycine receptor (glyr) is the predominant inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor in the brainstem and spinal cord but is also found in higher brain regions. glyr function is affected by a variety of allosteric modulators including drugs of abuse, such as ethanol and inhalants and the ubiquitous divalent cation zinc. two-electrode voltage-clamp experiments were conducted on xenopus laevis oocytes expressing wild-type α1 homomeric glycine receptors to compare the degree of enhancement produced ...	2015	25721789
[on a contribution of boris balinsky to the comparative and ecological embryology of amphibians].	the outstanding embryologist boris ivanovich balinsky (1905-1997) worked in the soviet union up to 1941 and in south africa since 1949. his experimental studies fulfilled during the soviet period of his scientific career mainly on the embryos of the caudate amphibians are widely known. after moving to africa (johannesburg), he continued the research of amphibian development, with using those possibilities, which were offered by the diverse fauna of local anura. other embryologists started comple ...	2015	25720271
ferritin h subunit gene is specifically expressed in melanophore precursor-derived white pigment cells in which reflecting platelets are formed from stage ii melanosomes in the periodic albino mutant of xenopus laevis.	"white pigment cells" are derived from melanophore precursors and contain both melanophore-specific and iridophore-specific pigment organelles. whereas melanophores differentiate in the wild type regenerating tail, white pigment cells appear in the regenerating tail in the periodic albino mutant (a(p)/a(p)) of xenopus laevis. the localization and density of white pigment cells in the mutant regenerating tail are similar to those of melanophores in the wild type regenerating tail. here, white pig ...	2015	25715760
histone titration against the genome sets the dna-to-cytoplasm threshold for the xenopus midblastula transition.	during early development, animal embryos depend on maternally deposited rna until zygotic genes become transcriptionally active. before this maternal-to-zygotic transition, many species execute rapid and synchronous cell divisions without growth phases or cell cycle checkpoints. the coordinated onset of transcription, cell cycle lengthening, and cell cycle checkpoints comprise the midblastula transition (mbt). a long-standing model in the frog, xenopus laevis, posits that mbt timing is controlle ...	2015	25713373
histone h2a and h4 n-terminal tails are positioned by the mep50 wd repeat protein for efficient methylation by the prmt5 arginine methyltransferase.	the protein arginine methyltransferase prmt5 is complexed with the wd repeat protein mep50 (also known as wdr77 or androgen coactivator p44) in vertebrates in a tetramer of heterodimers. mep50 is hypothesized to be required for protein substrate recruitment to the catalytic domain of prmt5. here we demonstrate that the cross-dimer mep50 is paired with its cognate prmt5 molecule to promote histone methylation. we employed qualitative methylation assays and a novel ultrasensitive continuous assay ...	2015	25713080
molecular mechanism of chrdl1-mediated x-linked megalocornea in humans and in xenopus model.	chordin-like 1 (chrdl1) mutations cause non-syndromic x-linked megalocornea (xmc) characterized by enlarged anterior eye segments. mosaic corneal degeneration, presenile cataract and secondary glaucoma are associated with xmc. beside that chrdl1 encodes ventroptin, a secreted bone morphogenetic protein (bmp) antagonist, the molecular mechanism of xmc is not well understood yet. in a family with broad phenotypic variability of xmc, we identified the novel chrdl1 frameshift mutation c.807_808deltc ...	2015	25712132
valproate-induced neurodevelopmental deficits in xenopus laevis tadpoles.	autism spectrum disorder (asd) is increasingly thought to result from low-level deficits in synaptic development and neural circuit formation that cascade into more complex cognitive symptoms. however, the link between synaptic dysfunction and behavior is not well understood. by comparing the effects of abnormal circuit formation and behavioral outcomes across different species, it should be possible to pinpoint the conserved fundamental processes that result in disease. here we use a novel mode ...	2015	25698756
mismatch repair-dependent metabolism of o6-methylguanine-containing dna in xenopus laevis egg extracts.	the cytotoxicity of sn1-type alkylating agents such as n-methyl-n'-nitrosourea (mnu), n-methyl-n'-nitro-n-nitrosoguanidine (mnng), or the cancer chemotherapeutics temozolomide, dacarbazine and streptozotocin has been ascribed to the persistence of o(6)-methylguanine ((me)g) in genomic dna. one hypothesis posits that (me)g toxicity is caused by futile attempts of the mismatch repair (mmr) system to process (me)g/c or (me)g/t mispairs arising during replication, while an alternative proposal sugge ...	2015	25697728
monitoring of rhodopsin trafficking and mistrafficking in live photoreceptors.	outer segment (os) directed trafficking is required for accomplishing the extremely high concentration of rhodopsin and explicitly high photon sensitivity of rod photoreceptor cells. aberrant targeting of rhodopsin often leads to blinding disorders, due to various mechanisms causing rhodopsin mislocalization. until recently, it has been challenging to monitor the dynamics of rhodopsin biogenesis and trafficking. here, we describe a new method to visualize rhodopsin trafficking in living and unfi ...	2015	25697531
patterns of hypothalamic regionalization in amphibians and reptiles: common traits revealed by a genoarchitectonic approach.	most studies in mammals and birds have demonstrated common patterns of hypothalamic development highlighted by the combination of developmental regulatory genes (genoarchitecture), supporting the notion of the hypothalamus as a component of the secondary prosencephalon, topologically rostral to the diencephalon. in our comparative analysis we have summarized the data on the expression patterns of different transcription factors and neuroactive substances, used as anatomical markers, in the devel ...	2015	25691860
one-pot refolding of core histones from bacterial inclusion bodies allows rapid reconstitution of histone octamer.	we report an optimized method to purify and reconstitute histone octamer, which utilizes high expression of histones in inclusion bodies but eliminates the time consuming steps of individual histone purification. in the newly modified protocol, xenopus laevis h2a, h2b, h3, and h4 are expressed individually into inclusion bodies of bacteria, which are subsequently mixed together and denatured in 8m guanidine hydrochloride. histones are refolded and reconstituted into soluble octamer by dialysis a ...	2015	25687285
a functional correlate of severity in alternating hemiplegia of childhood.	mutations in atp1a3, the gene that encodes the α3 subunit of the na(+)/k(+) atpase, are the primary cause of alternating hemiplegia of childhood (ahc). correlations between different mutations and ahc severity were recently reported, with e815k identified in severe and d801n and g947r in milder cases. this study aims to explore the molecular pathological mechanisms in ahc and to identify functional correlates for mutations associated with different levels of disease severity.	2015	25681536
development of a new approach for targeted gene editing in primordial germ cells using talens in xenopus.	a gene of interest can be efficiently modified using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (talens) (christian et al., 2010;li et al., 2011). however, if a target gene is essential for development, growth and fertility, use of talens with high mutagenic activity in f0 frogs could result in developmental disorders or sterility, which would reduce the number of f1 progeny and make f1 phenotypical analysis difficult. we used the 3' untranslated region of deadsouth gene (ds-3') of xenopus ...	2015	25661867