| quantifying the relative contributions of different solute carriers to aggregate substrate transport. | determining the contributions of different transporter species to overall cellular transport is fundamental for understanding the physiological regulation of solutes. we calculated the relative activities of solute carrier (slc) transporters using the michaelis-menten equation and global fitting to estimate the normalized maximum transport rate for each transporter (vmax). data input were the normalized measured uptake of the essential neutral amino acid (aa) l-leucine (leu) from concentration-d ... | 2017 | 28091567 |
| high variability of expression profiles of homeologous genes for wnt, hh, notch, and hippo signaling pathways in xenopus laevis. | cell signaling pathways, such as wnt, hedgehog (hh), notch, and hippo, are essential for embryogenesis, organogenesis, and tissue homeostasis. in this study, we analyzed 415 genes involved in these pathways in the allotetraploid frog, xenopus laevis. most genes are retained in two subgenomes called l and s (193 homeologous gene pairs and 29 singletons). this conservation rate of homeologs is much higher than that of all genes in the x. laevis genome (86.9% vs 60.2%). among singletons, 24 genes a ... | 2017 | 28089430 |
| reassessment of glut7 and glut9 as putative fructose and glucose transporters. | although increased dietary fructose consumption is associated with metabolic impairments, the mechanisms and regulation of intestinal fructose absorption are poorly understood. glut5 is considered to be the main intestinal fructose transporter. other glut family members, such as glut7 and glut9 are also expressed in the intestine and were shown to transport fructose and glucose. a conserved isoleucine-containing motif (nxi) was proposed to be essential for fructose transport capacity of glut7 an ... | 2017 | 28083649 |
| calpain-mediated proteolysis of talin and fak regulates adhesion dynamics necessary for axon guidance. | guidance of axons to their proper synaptic target sites requires spatially and temporally precise modulation of biochemical signals within growth cones. ionic calcium (ca2+) is an essential signal for axon guidance that mediates opposing effects on growth cone motility. the diverse effects of ca2+ arise from the precise localization of ca2+ signals into microdomains containing specific ca2+ effectors. for example, differences in the mechanical and chemical composition of the underlying substrata ... | 2017 | 28069919 |
| de novo mutations in smchd1 cause bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome and abrogate nasal development. | bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome (bams) is an extremely rare and striking condition characterized by complete absence of the nose with or without ocular defects. we report here that missense mutations in the epigenetic regulator smchd1 mapping to the extended atpase domain of the encoded protein cause bams in all 14 cases studied. all mutations were de novo where parental dna was available. biochemical tests and in vivo assays in xenopus laevis embryos suggest that these mutations may behav ... | 2017 | 28067911 |
| mefloquine inhibits voltage dependent nav1.4 channel by overlapping the local anaesthetic binding site. | mefloquine constitutes a multitarget antimalaric that inhibits cation currents. however, the effect and the binding site of this compound on na+ channels is unknown. to address the mechanism of action of mefloquine, we employed two-electrode voltage clamp recordings on xenopus laevis oocytes, site-directed mutagenesis of the rat na+ channel, and a combined in silico approach using molecular dynamics and docking protocols. we found that mefloquine: i) inhibited nav1.4 currents (ic50 =60μm), ii) s ... | 2017 | 28057491 |
| eomesodermin-at dawn of cell fate decisions during early embryogenesis. | proteins of the large family of t-box transcription factors are implicated in a broad spectrum of developmental processes. loss-of-function mutations of t-box(tbx) factors frequently cause severe embryonic phenotypes, often resulting from defects in cell fate specification and lineage differentiation. this review summarizes current knowledge on the functions of the t-box transcription factor eomesodermin (eomes) from postfertilization development until gastrulation stages of vertebrate embryos. ... | 2017 | 28057273 |
| mutations in gabrb3: from febrile seizures to epileptic encephalopathies. | to examine the role of mutations in gabrb3 encoding the β3 subunit of the gabaa receptor in individual patients with epilepsy with regard to causality, the spectrum of genetic variants, their pathophysiology, and associated phenotypes. | 2017 | 28053010 |
| global decay of mrna is a hallmark of apoptosis in aging xenopus eggs. | cytoplasmic mrnas are specifically degraded in somatic cells as a part of early apoptotic response. however, no reports have been presented so far concerning mrna fate in apoptotic gametes. in the present study, we analyzed the content of various cytoplasmic mrnas in aging oocytes and eggs of the african clawed frog, xenopus laevis. to circumvent large gene expression variation among the individual oocytes and eggs, single-cell monitoring of transcript levels has been implemented, using multiple ... | 2017 | 28045588 |
| cell repair: revisiting the patch hypothesis. | plasma membrane damage elicits a complex and dynamic cellular response. a vital component of this response, membrane resealing, is thought to arise from fusion of intracellular membranous compartments to form a temporary, impermeant patch at the site of damage; however, this hypothesis has been difficult to confirm visually. by utilizing advanced microscopy technologies with high spatiotemporal resolution in wounded xenopus laevis oocytes, we provide the first direct visualization of the membran ... | 2016 | 28042380 |
| expression profile of rrbp1 genes during embryonic development and in adult tissues of xenopus laevis. | recent studies suggest that ribosome-binding protein 1 (rrbp1) is involved in multiple diseases such as tumorigenesis and cardiomyopathies. however, its function during embryonic development remains largely unknown. we searched xenopus laevis database with human rrbp1 protein sequence and identified two cdna sequences encoding xenopus orthologs of rrbp1 including rrbp1a (nm_001089623) and rrbp1b (nm_001092468). both genes were firstly detected at blastula stage 8 with weak signals in animal hemi ... | 2017 | 28034797 |
| visual experience dependent regulation of neuronal structure and function by histone deacetylase 1 in developing xenopus tectum in vivo. | histone deacetylase 1 (hdac1) is thought to play pivotal roles in neurogenesis and neurodegeneration. however, the role of hdac1 in neuronal growth and structural plasticity in the developing brain in vivo remains unclear. here, we show that in the optic tectum of xenopus laevis, hdac1 knockdown dramatically decreased the frequency of ampar-mediated synaptic currents and increased the frequency of gabaar-mediated currents, whereas hdac1 overexpression significantly decreased the frequency of gab ... | 2017 | 28033671 |
| the amino acid transporter, slc1a3, is plasma membrane-localised in adipocytes and its activity is insensitive to insulin. | the hormone insulin coordinates the catabolism of nutrients by protein phosphorylation. phosphoproteomic analysis identified insulin-responsive phosphorylation of the glu/asp transporter slc1a3/eaat1 in adipocytes. the role of slc1a3 in adipocytes is not well-understood. we show that slc1a3 is localised to the plasma membrane and the major regulator of acidic amino acid uptake in adipocytes. however, its localisation and activity were unaffected by insulin or mutation of the insulin-regulated ph ... | 2017 | 28032905 |
| human neuronal calcium sensor-1 protein avoids histidine residues to decrease ph sensitivity. | ph is highly regulated in mammalian central nervous systems. neuronal calcium sensor-1 (ncs-1) can interact with numerous target proteins. compared to that in the ncs-1 protein of caenorhabditis elegans, evolution has avoided the placement of histidine residues at positions 102 and 83 in the ncs-1 protein of humans and xenopus laevis, possibly to decrease the conformational sensitivity to ph gradients in synaptic processes. we used all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effec ... | 2017 | 28030949 |
| ape2 zf-grf facilitates 3'-5' resection of dna damage following oxidative stress. | the xenopus laevis ape2 (apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 2) nuclease participates in 3'-5' nucleolytic resection of oxidative dna damage and activation of the atr-chk1 dna damage response (ddr) pathway via ill-defined mechanisms. here we report that ape2 resection activity is regulated by dna interactions in its zf-grf domain, a region sharing high homology with ddr proteins topoisomerase 3α (top3α) and neil3 (nei-like dna glycosylase 3), as well as transcription and rna regulatory proteins, ... | 2017 | 28028224 |
| roles of aquaporins in setaria viridis stem development and sugar storage. | setaria viridis is a c4 grass used as a model for bioenergy feedstocks. the elongating internodes in developing s. viridis stems grow from an intercalary meristem at the base, and progress acropetally toward fully expanded cells that store sugar. during stem development and maturation, water flow is a driver of cell expansion and sugar delivery. as aquaporin proteins are implicated in regulating water flow, we analyzed elongating and mature internode transcriptomes to identify putative aquaporin ... | 2016 | 28018372 |
| evolution of vocal patterns: tuning hindbrain circuits during species divergence. | the neural circuits underlying divergent courtship behaviors of closely related species provide a framework for insight into the evolution of motor patterns. in frogs, male advertisement calls serve as unique species identifiers and females prefer conspecific to heterospecific calls. advertisement calls of three relatively recently (∼8.5 mya) diverged species - xenopus laevis, x. petersii and x. victorianus - include rapid trains of sound pulses (fast trills). we show that while fast trills are ... | 2017 | 28011819 |
| regulation of photoreceptor gene transcription via a highly conserved transcriptional regulatory element by vsx gene products. | the photoreceptor conserved element-1 (pce-1) sequence is found in the transcriptional regulatory regions of many genes expressed in photoreceptors. the retinal homeobox (rx or rax) gene product functions by binding to pce-1 sites. however, other transcriptional regulators have also been reported to bind to pce-1. one of these, vsx2, is expressed in retinal progenitor and bipolar cells. the purpose of this study is to identify xenopus laevis vsx gene products and characterize vsx gene product ex ... | 2016 | 28003732 |
| the natural plant product rottlerin activates kv7.1/kcne1 channels. | acquired as well as inherited channelopathies are disorders that are caused by altered ion channel function. a family of channels whose malfunction is associated with different channelopathies is the kv7 k+ channel family; and restoration of normal kv7 channel function by small molecule modulators is a promising approach for treatment of these often fatal diseases. | 2016 | 27997884 |
| subfunctionalization of paralogous aryl hydrocarbon receptors from the frog xenopus laevis: distinct target genes and differential responses to specific agonists in a single cell type. | gene duplication confers genetic redundancy that can facilitate subfunctionalization, the partitioning of ancestral functions between paralogs. we capitalize on a recent genome duplication in xenopus laevis (african clawed frog) to interrogate possible functional differentiation between alloalleles of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr), a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates toxicity of dioxin-like compounds and plays a role in the physiology and development of the cardiovascular ... | 2017 | 27994169 |
| retinoid-like compounds produced by phytoplankton affect embryonic development of xenopus laevis. | teratogenic effects, which were remarkably similar to those induced by retinoic acids, have been seen in wild frogs indicating possible source of retinoids in the environment. recent studies indicate that some cyanobacterial species can contain teratogenic retinoic acids (ras) and their analogues. retinoids are known to regulate important processes such as differentiation, development, and embryogenesis. the study investigated the effects of exudates (extracellular compounds) of two cyanobacteri ... | 2017 | 27992848 |
| bicarbonate sensing in mouse cortical astrocytes during extracellular acid/base disturbances. | the present study suggests that the electrogenic sodium-bicarbonate cotransporter, nbce1, supported by carbonic anhydrase ii, caii, provides an efficient mechanism of bicarbonate sensing in cortical astrocytes. this mechanism is proposed to play a major role in setting the phi responses to extracellular acid/base challenges in astrocytes. a decrease in extracellular [hco3- ] during isocapnic acidosis and isohydric hypocapnia, or an increase in intracellular [hco3- ] during hypercapnic acidosis, ... | 2017 | 27981578 |
| evaluation of a commercial electro-kinetically pumped sheath-flow nanospray interface coupled to an automated capillary zone electrophoresis system. | capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (cze-esi-ms) is attracting renewed attention for proteomic and metabolomic analysis. an important reason for this interest is the maturation and commercialization of interfaces for coupling cze with esi-ms. one of these interfaces is an electro-kinetically pumped sheath flow nanospray interface developed by the dovichi group, in which a very low sheath flow is generated based on electroosmosis within a glass emitter. cmp sc ... | 2017 | 27981343 |
| down-regulation of the na+,cl- coupled creatine transporter creat (slc6a8) by glycogen synthase kinase gsk3ß. | the na+,cl- coupled creatine transporter creat (slc6a8) is expressed in a variety of tissues including the brain. genetic defects of creat lead to mental retardation with seizures. the present study explored the regulation of creat by the ubiquitously expressed glycogen synthase kinase gsk3ß, which contributes to the regulation of neuroexcitation. gsk3ß is phosphorylated and thus inhibited by pkb/akt. moreover, gsk3ß is inhibited by the antidepressant lithium. the present study thus further test ... | 2016 | 27978525 |
| a markovian entropy measure for the analysis of calcium activity time series. | methods to analyze the dynamics of calcium activity often rely on visually distinguishable features in time series data such as spikes, waves, or oscillations. however, systems such as the developing nervous system display a complex, irregular type of calcium activity which makes the use of such methods less appropriate. instead, for such systems there exists a class of methods (including information theoretic, power spectral, and fractal analysis approaches) which use more fundamental propertie ... | 2016 | 27977764 |
| controlling the messenger: regulated translation of maternal mrnas in xenopus laevis development. | the selective translation of maternal mrnas encoding cell-fate determinants drives the earliest decisions of embryogenesis that establish the vertebrate body plan. this chapter will discuss studies in xenopus laevis that provide insights into mechanisms underlying this translational control. xenopus has been a powerful model organism for many discoveries relevant to the translational control of maternal mrnas because of the large size of its oocytes and eggs that allow for microinjection of mole ... | 2017 | 27975270 |
| primary brain calcification causal pit2 transport-knockout variants can exert dominant negative effects on wild-type pit2 transport function in mammalian cells. | primary brain calcification (pbc) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by calcium-phosphate deposits in the basal ganglia and often also other areas of the brain. the prevalent clinical manifestations are cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and movement disorders. in recent years, monoallelic variants in slc20a2, which encodes the type iii sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate (pi) transporter 2 (pit2), have been linked to the familial form of pbc in 40-50% of the families r ... | 2017 | 27943094 |
| xenopus laevis neuronal cell adhesion molecule (nrcam): plasticity of a cam in the developing nervous system. | neuron-glial-related cell adhesion molecule (nrcam) is a neuronal cell adhesion molecule of the l1 immunoglobulin superfamily, which plays diverse roles during nervous system development including axon growth and guidance, synapse formation, and formation of the myelinated nerve. perturbations in nrcam function cause a wide variety of disorders, which can affect wiring and targeting of neurons, or cause psychiatric disorders as well as cancers through abnormal modulation of signaling events. in ... | 2017 | 27942869 |
| β-klotho as a negative regulator of the peptide transporters pept1 and pept2. | β-klotho, a transmembrane protein expressed in several tissues including the brain and the kidney, is critically important for inhibition of 1,25(oh)2d3 formation by fgf23. the extracellular domain of klotho protein could be cleaved off, thus being released into blood or cerebrospinal fluid. soluble klotho is a β-glucuronidase participating in the regulation of several ion channels and carriers. the present study explored the effect of β-klotho protein on the peptide transporters pept1 and pept2 ... | 2016 | 27941311 |
| δβγ-enac is inhibited by cftr but stimulated by camp in xenopus laevis oocytes. | the epithelial sodium channel (enac) and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) chloride channel critically regulate airway surface liquid by driving fluid absorption and secretion, respectively. their functional interplay is complex and incompletely understood. enac is a heteromeric channel with three well-characterized subunits (α, β, and γ). in humans, an additional δ-enac subunit exists in lung and several other tissues, where it may replace the α-subunit to form δβγ- ... | 2017 | 27941075 |
| cellular encoding of cy dyes for single-molecule imaging. | a general method is described for the site-specific genetic encoding of cyanine dyes as non-canonical amino acids (cy-ncaas) into proteins. the approach relies on an improved technique for nonsense suppression with in vitro misacylated orthogonal trna. the data show that cy-ncaas (based on cy3 and cy5) are tolerated by the eukaryotic ribosome in cell-free and whole-cell environments and can be incorporated into soluble and membrane proteins. in the context of the xenopus laevis oocyte expression ... | 2016 | 27938668 |
| thermal ecological physiology of native and invasive frog species: do invaders perform better? | biological invasions are recognized as an important biotic component of global change that threatens the composition, structure and functioning of ecosystems, resulting in loss of biodiversity and displacement of native species. although ecological characteristics facilitating the establishment and spread of non-native species are widely recognized, little is known about organismal attributes underlying invasion success. in this study, we tested the effect of thermal acclimation on thermal toler ... | 2016 | 27933168 |
| development of erythroid progenitors under erythropoietin stimulation in xenopus laevis larval liver. | erythroid progenitors that respond to erythropoietin (epo) are present in the liver of adult xenopus laevis. however, cells responding to epo in the larval liver and through the metamorphosis period under hepatic remodeling have not been characterized. in this study, tadpoles were staged using the tables of nieuwkoop and faber (nf). liver cells from pre- (nf56) or post- (nf66) metamorphic stage were cultured in the presence of epo. β2-globin mrna expression peaked at day 7 after the start of cul ... | 2016 | 27927101 |
| regulation of human cardiac potassium channels by full-length kcne3 and kcne4. | voltage-gated potassium (kv) channels comprise pore-forming α subunits and a multiplicity of regulatory proteins, including the cardiac-expressed and cardiac arrhythmia-linked transmembrane kcne subunits. after recently uncovering novel, n-terminally extended (l) kcne3 and kcne4 isoforms and detecting their transcripts in human atrium, reported here are their functional effects on human cardiac kv channel α subunits expressed in xenopus laevis oocytes. as previously reported for short isoforms k ... | 2016 | 27922120 |
| pth1r mutants found in patients with primary failure of tooth eruption disrupt g-protein signaling. | primary failure of tooth eruption (pfe) is causally linked to heterozygous mutations of the parathyroid hormone receptor (pth1r) gene. the mutants described so far lead to exchange of amino acids or truncation of the protein that may result in structural changes of the expressed pth1r. however, functional effects of these mutations have not been investigated yet. | 2016 | 27898723 |
| sgk3 sensitivity of large-conductance ca2+-activated k+ channel. | large conductance ca2+-activated k+ channels (maxi k+ channels or bk channels) are rapidly activated by increase of cytosolic ca2+ activity. the channels participate in the regulation of diverse functions including neuronal excitation and cell volume. the bk channels may be modified by kinases. channel regulating kinases include the serum & glucocorticoid inducible kinase 3 (sgk3). the present study explored whether sgk3 modifies the activity of bk channels. | 2016 | 27898416 |
| replication, checkpoint suppression and structure of centromeric dna. | human centromeres contain large amounts of repetitive dna sequences known as α satellite dna, which can be difficult to replicate and whose functional role is unclear. recently, we have characterized protein composition, structural organization and checkpoint response to stalled replication forks of centromeric chromatin reconstituted in xenopus laevis egg extract. we showed that centromeric dna has high affinity for smc2-4 subunits of condensins and for cenp-a, it is enriched for dna repair fac ... | 2016 | 27893298 |
| ventx induces expansion of primitive erythroid cells and contributes to the development of acute myeloid leukemia in mice. | homeobox genes are key regulators in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. the human vent-like homeobox gene ventx, a putative homolog of the xenopus laevis xvent-2 gene, was shown to be highly expressed in normal myeloid cells and in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. we now demonstrate that constitutive expression of ventx suppresses expression of genes responsible for terminal erythroid differentiation in normal cd34+ stem and progenitor cells. transplantation of bone marrow progenitor cells ... | 2016 | 27888632 |
| nemo-like kinase 1 (nlk1) and paraxial protocadherin (papc) cooperatively control xenopus gastrulation through regulation of wnt/planar cell polarity (pcp) signaling. | the wnt/planar cell polarity (pcp) pathway directs cell migration during vertebrate gastrulation and is essential for proper embryonic development. paraxial protocadherin (papc, gene symbol pcdh8.2) is an important activator of wnt/pcp signaling during xenopus gastrulation, but how papc activity is controlled is incompletely understood. here we show that nemo-like kinase 1 (nlk1), an atypical mitogen-activated protein (map) kinase, physically associates with the c-terminus of papc. this interact ... | 2017 | 27875771 |
| reversible developmental stasis in response to nutrient availability in the xenopus laevis central nervous system. | many organisms confront intermittent nutrient restriction (nr), but the mechanisms to cope with nutrient fluctuations during development are not well understood. this is particularly true of the brain, the development and function of which is energy intensive. here we examine the effects of nutrient availability on visual system development in xenopus laevis tadpoles. during the first week of development, tadpoles draw nutrients from maternally provided yolk. upon yolk depletion, animals forage ... | 2017 | 27875263 |
| cohesin acetylation and wapl-pds5 oppositely regulate translocation of cohesin along dna. | cohesin is a ring-shaped protein complex that plays a crucial role in sister chromatid cohesion and gene expression. the dynamic association of cohesin with chromatin is essential for these functions. however, the exact nature of cohesin dynamics, particularly cohesin translocation, remains unclear. we evaluated the dynamics of individual cohesin molecules on dna and found that the cohesin core complex possesses an intrinsic ability to traverse dna in an adenosine triphosphatase (atpase)-depende ... | 2016 | 27872142 |
| thyroid hormone-induced activation of notch signaling is required for adult intestinal stem cell development during xenopus laevis metamorphosis. | in xenopus laevis intestine during metamorphosis, the larval epithelial cells are removed by apoptosis, and the adult epithelial stem (ae) cells appear concomitantly. they proliferate and differentiate to form the adult epithelium (ep). thyroid hormone (th) is well established to trigger this remodeling by regulating the expression of various genes including notch receptor. to study the role of notch signaling, we have analyzed the expression of its components, including the ligands (dll and jag ... | 2017 | 27870267 |
| use of xenopus laevis oocytes to study auxin transport. | xenopus laevis oocytes are an expression system that is particularly well suited for the characterization of membrane transporters. oocytes possess only very little endogenous transport systems and therefore transporters can be studied with a high signal-to-noise ratio. this book chapter provides the basic methods to use xenopus oocytes for the characterization of transporters by radiotracer experiments. while the methods described here were established to study auxin transport they can easily b ... | 2017 | 27864772 |
| foxn4 promotes gene expression required for the formation of multiple motile cilia. | multiciliated cell (mcc) differentiation involves extensive organelle biogenesis required to extend hundreds of motile cilia. key transcriptional regulators known to drive the gene expression required for this organelle biogenesis are activated by the related coiled-coil proteins multicilin and gemc1. here we identify foxn4 as a new downstream target of multicilin required for mcc differentiation in xenopus skin. when foxn4 activity is inhibited in xenopus embryos, mccs show transient ciliogenes ... | 2016 | 27864379 |
| 2h-nmr and md simulations reveal membrane-bound conformation of magainin 2 and its synergy with pgla. | magainin 2 (mag2) and pgla are two α-helical antimicrobial peptides found in the skin of the african frog xenopus laevis. they act by permeabilizing bacterial membranes and exhibit an exemplary synergism. here, we determined the detailed molecular alignment and dynamical behavior of mag2 in oriented lipid bilayers by using 2h-nmr on ala-d3-labeled peptides, which yielded orientation-dependent quadrupolar splittings of the labels. the amphiphilic mag2 helix was found to lie flat on the membrane s ... | 2016 | 27851939 |
| afm visualization of sub-50nm polyplex disposition to the nuclear pore complex without compromising the integrity of the nuclear envelope. | it has been questioned as to whether polyplexes in the cytoplasm can reach the nuclear compartment and if so in what form. by applying atomic force microscopy (afm) to the nuclear envelope and the nuclear pore complexes, we demonstrate that disposition of polyethylenimine (pei)/dna polyplexes that were microinjected into the oocytes of xenopus laevis, as an example of a non-dividing cell, is exclusive to the nuclear pore complex (npc). afm images show npcs clogged only with sub-50nm polyplexes. ... | 2016 | 27845193 |
| clustered xenopus keratin genes: a genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analysis. | keratin genes belong to the intermediate filament superfamily and their expression is altered following morphological and physiological changes in vertebrate epithelial cells. keratin genes are divided into two groups, type i and ii, and are clustered on vertebrate genomes, including those of xenopus species. various keratin genes have been identified and characterized by their unique expression patterns throughout ontogeny in xenopus laevis; however, compilation of previously reported and newly ... | 2017 | 27842699 |
| 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 |
| cftr-β-catenin interaction regulates mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation and embryonic development. | cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) is a camp-regulated anion channel capable of conducting both cl- and hco3-, mutations of which cause cystic fibrosis (cf), a common autosomal recessive disease. although cf patients are known to have varied degree of developmental problems, the biological role of cftr in embryonic development remains elusive. here, we show that cftr is functionally expressed in mouse escs. cftr-/- mescs exhibit dramatic defect in mesendoderm differentiat ... | 2017 | 27834953 |
| 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 |
| electrophysiological activity of a neurotoxic fraction from the venom of box jellyfish carybdea marsupialis. | carybdea marsupialis is a widely distributed box jellyfish found in the mediterranean and in the tropical waters of the caribbean sea. its venom is a complex mixture of biologically active compounds that are used to catch prey. in order to evaluate the activity of the neurotoxins in the venom, bioassays were carried out using the marine crab ocypode quadrata. the proteins with neurotoxic effect were partially purified using low-pressure liquid chromatography techniques. gel filtration (sephadex ... | 2017 | 27815048 |
| 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 |
| developmental changes in head movement kinematics during swimming in xenopus laevis tadpoles. | during the post-embryonic developmental growth of animals, a number of physiological parameters such as locomotor performance, dynamics and behavioural repertoire are adjusted to match the requirements determined by changes in body size, proportions and shape. moreover, changes in movement parameters also cause changes in the dynamics of self-generated sensory stimuli, to which motion-detecting sensory systems have to adapt. here, we examined head movements and swimming kinematics of xenopus lae ... | 2017 | 27811303 |
| 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 |
| conservatism and variability of gene expression profiles among homeologous transcription factors in xenopus laevis. | xenopus laevis has an allotetraploid genome of 3.1gb, in contrast to the diploid genome of a closely related species, xenopus tropicalis. here, we identified 412 genes (189 homeolog pairs, one homeologous gene cluster pair, and 28 singletons) encoding transcription factors (tfs) in the x. laevis genome by comparing them with their orthologs from x. tropicalis. those genes include the homeobox gene family (mix/bix, lhx, nkx, paired, pou, and vent), sox, fox, pax, dmrt, hes, gata, t-box, and some ... | 2017 | 27810169 |
| the antidepressant bupropion is a negative allosteric modulator of serotonin type 3a receptors. | the fda-approved antidepressant and smoking cessation drug bupropion is known to inhibit dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake transporters, as well as nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachrs) which are cation-conducting members of the cys-loop superfamily of ion channels, and more broadly pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (plgics). in the present study, we examined the ability of bupropion and its primary metabolite hydroxybupropion to block the function of cation-selective serotonin type 3 ... | 2017 | 27671323 |
| 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 |
| characterization of tilapia (oreochromis niloticus) aldehyde reductase (akr1a1) gene, promoter and expression pattern in benzo-a-pyrene exposed fish. | this study planned to isolation and characterization of akr1a1 cdna from bap injected nile tilapia (oreochromis niloticus), comparison of its characteristic structures with those of other species, characterization of akr1a1 gene and promoter, and investigation of akr1a1 mrna expression in various organs of bap injected tilapia. the cdna was 1172 bp long which includes an open reading frame of 975 bp encoding a 324 amino acids protein and a stop codon. the sequence showed 3' and 5' non-coding reg ... | 2017 | 27800707 |
| 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 |
| a sister chromatid cohesion assay using xenopus egg extracts. | cell-free extracts made from xenopus laevis eggs enable us to recapitulate many chromosomal events associated with cell cycle progression in a test tube. when sperm chromatin is incubated with these extracts, it is first duplicated within an assembled nucleus, and is then transformed into mitotic chromosomes, in each of which sister chromatids are juxtaposed with each other in a cohesin-dependent manner. here we describe our protocols for assembling duplicated chromosomes using egg extracts, alo ... | 2017 | 27797070 |
| characterization of human short chain dehydrogenase/reductase sdr16c family members related to retinol dehydrogenase 10. | all-trans-retinoic acid (ra) is a bioactive derivative of vitamin a that serves as an activating ligand for nuclear transcription factors, retinoic acid receptors. ra biosynthesis is initiated by the enzymes that oxidize retinol to retinaldehyde. it is well established that retinol dehydrogenase 10 (rdh10, sdr16c4), which belongs to the 16c family of the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase (sdr) superfamily of proteins, is the major enzyme responsible for the oxidation of retinol to retinaldehyd ... | 2017 | 27793605 |
| methylmercury induces an initial increase in gaba-evoked currents in xenopus oocytes expressing α1 and α6 subunit-containing gabaa receptors. | early onset effects of methylmercury (mehg) on recombinant α1β2γ2s or α6β2γ2s subunit-containing gabaa receptors were examined. these are two of the most prevalent receptor types found in cerebellum-a consistent target of mehg-induced neurotoxicity. heterologously expressed receptors were used in order to: (1) isolate receptor-mediated events from extraneous effects of mehg due to stimulation of the receptor secondary to increased release of gaba seen with mehg in neurons in situ and (2) limit t ... | 2017 | 27720918 |
| tissue-specific selenium accumulation and toxicity in adult female xenopus laevis chronically exposed to elevated dietary selenomethionine. | selenium (se) is a developmental toxicant that is also capable of altering the bioenergetic and endocrine status of adult fish. to date, aquatic ecotoxicological research has predominantly focused on the toxic effects of se in fish, and minimal information has been published related to amphibians. the objective of the present study was to investigate the potential toxicity associated with chronically elevated dietary se consumption in adult female amphibians utilizing the model species xenopus l ... | 2017 | 27666932 |
| 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 |
| characterization of cadmium chloride-induced bip accumulation in xenopus laevis a6 kidney epithelial cells. | endoplasmic reticulum (er) stress can result in the accumulation of unfolded/misfolded protein in the er lumen, which can trigger the unfolded protein response (upr) resulting in the activation of various genes including immunoglobulin-binding protein (bip; also known as glucose-regulated protein 78 or hspa5). bip, an er heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) family member, binds to unfolded protein, inhibits their aggregation and re-folds them in an atp-dependent manner. while cadmium, an environmental ... | 2017 | 27746171 |
| 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 |
| rhythm generation, coordination, and initiation in the vocal pathways of male african clawed frogs. | central pattern generators (cpgs) in the brain stem are considered to underlie vocalizations in many vertebrate species, but the detailed mechanisms underlying how motor rhythms are generated, coordinated, and initiated remain unclear. we addressed these issues using isolated brain preparations of xenopus laevis from which fictive vocalizations can be elicited. advertisement calls of male x. laevis that consist of fast and slow trills are generated by vocal cpgs contained in the brain stem. brai ... | 2017 | 27760822 |
| 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 |
| the extracellular c-loop domain plays an important role in the cell adhesion function of aquaporin 0. | although aquaporin 0 (aqp0) is a member of the aqp family, it has limited water permeability compared with other members. aqp0 may also have cell adhesion-related functions, but the evidence is still limited. here, we studied the relationship of aqp0 to cell adhesion and determined the region required for cell adhesion. | 2017 | 27754715 |
| 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 |
| identification and comparative analyses of siamois cluster genes in xenopus laevis and tropicalis. | two siamois-related homeobox genes siamois (sia1) and twin (sia2), have been reported in xenopus laevis. these genes are expressed in the blastula chordin- and noggin-expressing (bcne) center and the nieuwkoop center, and have complete secondary axis-inducing activity when over-expressed on the ventral side of the embryo. using whole genome sequences of x. tropicalis and x. laevis, we identified two additional siamois-related genes, which are tandemly duplicated near sia1 and sia2 to form the si ... | 2017 | 27522305 |
| from the cover: functional analysis reveals glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid-gated chloride channels as targets of avermectins in the carmine spider mite. | the carmine spider mite, tetranychus cinnabarinus (boisduval), is one of the most important pests in the agricultural industry. avermectins, as efficient acaricides, have been extensively used in the mite control. the targets for avermectins in mammals, nematodes, and insects had already been identified as γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate chloride channels. however, the targets for avermectins in mites are still not clear. here, we report the cloning of 5 full-length glutamate-gated chloride ch ... | 2017 | 27742867 |
| 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 |
| primordial germ cell isolation from xenopus laevis embryos. | primordial germ cells (pgcs) are the precursors to the gametes and have the unique ability to retain full developmental potential. however, the mechanism(s) and gene-network(s) necessary for their proper specification and development are poorly understood. this is due, in part, to the challenges that must be overcome in order to identify and isolate pgcs during critical stages of development. two distinct mechanisms have been characterized to specify the germ cell lineage in vertebrates: inducti ... | 2017 | 27734352 |
| 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 |