| two tier hox collinearity mediates vertebrate axial patterning. | a two tier mechanism mediates hox collinearity. besides the familiar collinear chromatin modification within each hox cluster (nanocollinearity), there is also a macrocollinearity tier. individual hox clusters and individual cells are coordinated and synchronized to generate multiscale (macro and nano) collinearity in the early vertebrate embryo. macro-collinearity is mediated by three non-cell autonomous hox-hox interactions. these mediate temporal collinearity in early nom (non-organizer mesod ... | 2018 | 30234110 |
| dscam differentially modulates pre- and postsynaptic structural and functional central connectivity during visual system wiring. | proper patterning of dendritic and axonal arbors is a critical step in the formation of functional neuronal circuits. developing circuits rely on an array of molecular cues to shape arbor morphology, but the underlying mechanisms guiding the structural formation and interconnectivity of pre- and postsynaptic arbors in real time remain unclear. here we explore how down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (dscam) differentially shapes the dendritic morphology of central neurons and their presynaptic r ... | 2018 | 30219101 |
| systematic variation of the benzoylhydrazine moiety of the glun2a selective nmda receptor antagonist tcn-201. | glun2a containing n-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (nmdars) are important ion channels in the central nervous system and highly involved in several different neurophysiological but also neuropathophysiological processes. however, current understanding of the contribution of glun2a containing nmdars in these processes is incomplete. therefore, highly selective compounds are required to further investigate these ion channels. in 2010, tcn-201 (2), one of the first selective negative allosteric modul ... | 2018 | 30218911 |
| bighead is a wnt antagonist secreted by the xenopus spemann organizer that promotes lrp6 endocytosis. | the xenopus laevis embryo has been subjected to almost saturating screens for molecules specifically expressed in dorsal spemann organizer tissue. in this study, we performed high-throughput rna sequencing of ectodermal explants, called animal caps, which normally give rise to epidermis. we analyzed dissociated animal cap cells that, through sustained activation of mapk, differentiate into neural tissue. we also microinjected mrnas for cerberus, chordin, fgf8, bmp4, wnt8, and xnr2, which induce ... | 2018 | 30209221 |
| a review of interventions against fetal alcohol spectrum disorder targeting oxidative stress. | fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is caused by maternal ethanol exposure; it causes physical, behavioral, cognitive, and neural impairments (murawski et al., 2015). mechanisms of fasd causing damage are not yet fully elucidated. oxidative stress might be one of its mechanisms (henderson et al., 1995). yet no effective treatment against fasd has been found other than ethanol abstention (long et al., 2010). | 2018 | 30205148 |
| in vitro analyses of novel hcn4 gene mutations. | the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel hcn4 contributes significantly to the generation of basic cardiac electrical activity in the sinus node and is a mediator of modulation by β-adrenergic stimulation. heterologous expression of sick sinus syndrome (sss) and bradycardia associated mutations within the human hcn4 gene results in altered channel function. the main aim was to describe the functional characterization of three (two novel and one known) missense mutat ... | 2018 | 30196304 |
| inward rectifier potassium (kir) channels in the soybean aphid aphis glycines: functional characterization, pharmacology, and toxicology. | inward rectifier k+ (kir) channels contribute to a variety of physiological processes in insects and are emerging targets for insecticide development. previous studies on insect kir channels have primarily focused on dipteran species (e.g., mosquitoes, fruit flies). here we identify and functionally characterize kir channel subunits in a hemipteran insect, the soybean aphid aphis glycines, which is an economically important insect pest and vector of soybeans. from the transcriptome and genome of ... | 2018 | 30196125 |
| a dual-app nucleoside probe provides structural insights into the human telomeric overhang in live cells. | understanding the topology adopted by individual g-quadruplex (gq)-forming sequences in vivo and targeting a specific gq motif among others in the genome will have a profound impact on gq-directed therapeutic strategies. however, this remains a major challenge as most of the tools poorly distinguish different gq conformations and are not suitable for both cell-free and in-cell analysis. here, we describe an innovative probe design to investigate gq conformations and recognition in both cell-free ... | 2018 | 30192541 |
| multiscale analysis of architecture, cell size and the cell cortex reveals cortical f-actin density and composition are major contributors to mechanical properties during convergent extension. | the large-scale movements that construct complex three-dimensional tissues during development are governed by universal physical principles. fine-grained control of both mechanical properties and force production is crucial to the successful placement of tissues and shaping of organs. embryos of the frog xenopus laevis provide a dramatic example of these physical processes, as dorsal tissues increase in young's modulus by six-fold to 80 pascal over 8 h as germ layers and the central nervous syst ... | 2018 | 30190279 |
| draft genome of dugesia japonica provides insights into conserved regulatory elements of the brain restriction gene nou-darake in planarians. | planarians are non-parasitic platyhelminthes (flatworms) famous for their regeneration ability and for having a well-organized brain. dugesia japonica is a typical planarian species that is widely distributed in the east asia. extensive cellular and molecular experimental methods have been developed to identify the functions of thousands of genes in this species, making this planarian a good experimental model for regeneration biology and neurobiology. however, no genome-level information is ava ... | 2018 | 30181897 |
| the cytoskeletal protein zyxin interacts with the zinc-finger transcription factor zic1 and plays the role of a scaffold for gli1 and zic1 interactions during early development of xenopus laevis. | we have shown recently that the cytoskeletal protein zyxin participates in the fine tuning of the neural plate pattering in xenopus laevis embryos by modulating activity of one of the effectors of hedgehog (shh) signaling cascade, the transcription factor gli1. in the present work, we show that zyxin can also interact with the potential modulator of the shh pathway, the transcription factor zic1. the interaction of proteins occurs primarily by mean of the zinc-finger domain of zic1 and 2nd lim d ... | 2018 | 30180953 |
| a single xlf dimer bridges dna ends during nonhomologous end joining. | nonhomologous end joining (nhej) is the primary pathway of dna double-strand-break repair in vertebrate cells, yet how nhej factors assemble a synaptic complex that bridges dna ends remains unclear. to address the role of xrcc4-like factor (xlf) in synaptic-complex assembly, we used single-molecule fluorescence imaging in xenopus laevis egg extract, a system that efficiently joins dna ends. we found that a single xlf dimer binds dna substrates just before the formation of a ligation-competent sy ... | 2018 | 30177755 |
| expression cloning human and rat renal cortex na/pi cotransporters: behind the scenes in the murer laboratory. | in the pre-genomic era, the cloning of a cdna represented a significant achievement, particularly if the gene of interest encoded a membrane protein. at the time, molecular probes such as partial peptide sequences, suitable nucleic acid sequences, or antibodies were unavailable for most proteins and the "sodium-phosphate transporter" was no exception. in contrast, brush-border membrane vesicles and epithelial cell culture experiments had established a reliable set of functional hallmarks that de ... | 2019 | 30175377 |
| ras-dva small gtpases lost during evolution of amniotes regulate regeneration in anamniotes. | in contrast to amniotes (reptiles, birds and mammals), anamniotes (fishes and amphibians) can effectively regenerate body appendages such as fins, limbs and tails. why such a useful capability was progressively lost in amniotes remains unknown. as we have hypothesized recently, one of the reasons for this could be loss of some genes regulating the regeneration in evolution of amniotes. here, we demonstrate the validity of this hypothesis by showing that genes of small gtpases ras-dva1 and ras-dv ... | 2018 | 30158598 |
| isolation and primary culture methods of adult and larval myogenic cells from xenopus laevis. | during amphibian metamorphosis, larval-to-adult conversion of the myogenic system occurs and there are two distinct types of muscle stem cells; larval myogenic cells have a death-fate by apoptosis in the presence of thyroid hormone t3, and adult myogenic cells have a life-fate under the same conditions. here, we describe isolation and culture methods for adult and larval myogenic cells from the frog, xenopus laevis. both types of cultured myogenic cells undergo cell division and cell differentia ... | 2018 | 30151775 |
| isolation and culture of amphibian (xenopus laevis) sub-capsular liver and bone marrow cells. | the x. laevis sub-capsular liver is thought to be the principal hematopoietic site of xenopodinae species from early development and, in case of certain species, into adulthood. the xenopus bone marrow appears to be comprised of precursor cells committed to myeloid lineages, such as macrophage- and granulocyte-progenitor cells. with alarming increases in the contribution of pathogenic infections to the global amphibian declines, now more than ever a better understanding of the mechanisms control ... | 2018 | 30151774 |
| x-fact: xenopus-fast clearing technique. | accessibility and imaging of cell compartments in big specimens are crucial for cellular biological research but also a matter of contention. confocal imaging and tissue clearing on whole organs allow for 3d imaging of cellular structures after being subjected to in-toto immunohistochemistry. lately, the passive clarity technique (pact) has been adapted to clear and immunolabel large specimens or individual organs of several aquatic species. we recently demonstrated tissue clearing on one-week o ... | 2018 | 30151770 |
| dye electroporation and imaging of calcium signaling in xenopus nervous system. | electroporation is an efficient method of transferring charged macromolecules into living cells in order to study their morphology, function, and connectivity within neuronal networks. labeling cells with fluorophore-coupled macromolecules can be used to trace projections of whole neuronal ensembles, as well as the fine morphology of single cells. here, we present a protocol to visualize pre- and postsynaptic components of a sensory relay synapse in the brain, using the olfactory system of xenop ... | 2018 | 30151769 |
| quantitative proteomics for xenopus embryos ii, data analysis. | the oocytes, embryos, and cell-free lysates of the frog xenopus laevis have emerged as powerful models for quantitative proteomic experiments. in the accompanying paper (chapter 13) we describe how to prepare samples and acquire multiplexed proteomics spectra from those. as an illustrative example we use a 10-stage developmental time series from the egg to stage 35 (just before hatching). here, we outline how to convert the ~700,000 acquired mass spectra from this time series into protein expres ... | 2018 | 30151768 |
| quantitative proteomics of xenopus embryos i, sample preparation. | xenopus oocytes and embryos are model systems optimally suited for quantitative proteomics. this is due to the availability of large amount of protein material and the ease of physical manipulation. furthermore, facile in vitro fertilization provides superbly synchronized embryos for cell cycle and developmental stages. here, we detail protocols developed over the last few years for sample preparation of multiplexed proteomics with tmt-tags followed by quantitative mass spectrometry analysis usi ... | 2018 | 30151767 |
| a simple knock-in system for xenopus via microhomology mediated end joining repair. | following completion of the genome sequences of xenopus tropicalis and x. laevis, gene targeting techniques have become increasingly important for the further development of xenopus research in the life sciences. gene knockout using programmable nucleases, such as talen and crispr/cas9, has reached a level whereby we can readily and routinely perform loss-of-function analysis of genes of interest in these species. however, there is still room for improvement in gene knock-in techniques owing to ... | 2018 | 30151761 |
| generation and care of xenopus laevis and xenopus tropicalis embryos. | robust and efficient protocols for fertilization and early embryo care of xenopus laevis and xenopus tropicalis are essential for experimental success, as well as maintenance and propagation of precious animal stocks. the rapid growth of the national xenopus resource has required effective implementation and optimization of these protocols. here, we discuss the procedures used at the national xenopus resource, which we found helpful for generation and early upkeep of xenopus embryos and tadpoles ... | 2018 | 30151756 |
| husbandry, general care, and transportation of xenopus laevis and xenopus tropicalis. | maintenance of optimal conditions such as water parameters, diet, and feeding is essential to a healthy xenopus laevis and xenopus tropicalis colony and thus to the productivity of the lab. our prior husbandry experience as well as the rapid growth of the national xenopus resource has given us a unique insight into identifying and implementing these optimal parameters into our husbandry operations. here, we discuss our standard operating procedures that will be of use to both new and established ... | 2018 | 30151755 |
| evaluating iodide recycling inhibition as a novel molecular initiating event for thyroid axis disruption in amphibians. | the enzyme iodotyrosine deiodinase (dehalogenase, iyd) catalyzes iodide recycling and promotes iodide retention in thyroid follicular cells. loss of function or chemical inhibition of iyd reduces available iodide for thyroid hormone synthesis, which leads to hormone insufficiency in tissues and subsequent negative developmental consequences. iyd activity is especially critical under conditions of lower dietary iodine and in low iodine environments. our objective was to evaluate the toxicological ... | 2018 | 30137636 |
| kv12.1 channels are not sensitive to gqpcr-triggered activation of phospholipase cβ. | kv12.1 k+ channels are expressed in several brain areas, but no physiological function could be attributed to these subunits so far. as genetically-modified animal models are not available, identification of native kv12.1 currents must rely on characterization of distinct channel properties. recently, it was shown in xenopus laevis oocytes that kv12.1 channels were modulated by membrane pi(4,5)p2. however, it is not known whether these channels are also sensitive to physiologically-relevant pi(4 ... | 2018 | 30136882 |
| developmental dependence for functional eye regrowth in xenopus laevis. | | 2018 | 30136686 |
| photocatalytic degradation of azo dye using core@shell nano-tio2 particles to reduce toxicity. | clean and safe water is fundamental for human and environmental health. traditional remediation of textile dye-polluted water with chemical, physical, and biological processes has many disadvantages. due to this, nano-engineered materials are drawing more attention to this area. however, the widespread use of nano-particles for this purpose may lead to photocatalytic degradation of xenobiotics, while increasing the risk of nano-particle-induced ecotoxicity. therefore, we comparatively evaluated ... | 2018 | 30136182 |
| cross-limb communication during xenopus hindlimb regenerative response: non-local bioelectric injury signals. | regeneration of damaged body parts requires coordination of size, shape, location and orientation of tissue with the rest of the body. it is not currently known to what extent injury sites communicate with the remaining soma during repair, or what information may emanate from the injury site and reach other regions. we examined the bioelectric properties (resting potential gradients in the epidermis) of xenopus laevis froglets undergoing hindlimb amputation and observed that the contralateral (u ... | 2018 | 30126906 |
| molecular characterization of wdr68 gene in embryonic development of xenopus laevis. | wdr68, also known as dcaf7, is a wd40 repeated domain protein highly conserved in eukaryotic organisms in both plants and animals. this protein participates in numerous cellular processes and exerts its function through interaction with other proteins. in the present work, we isolated, sequenced and characterized cdna corresponding to the wdr68 gene in embryos of the amphibian xenopus laevis. syntenic analysis revealed high conservation of the genomic region containing the wdr68 locus in amniote ... | 2018 | 30125741 |
| in vitro expression and functional characterization of npa motifs in aquaporins of nosema bombycis. | nosema bombycis contains functional aquaporins (nbaqps), which are key targets for exploring the mechanism of n. bombycis infection; however, the regulation of these nbaqps remains unknown. the two highly conserved asparagine-proline-alanine sequences (npa motifs) play important roles in aqp biogenesis. as part of this study, we constructed a series of nbaqp mutants (nbaqp_npa1, nbaqp_npa2, and nbaqp_npa1,2) and expressed them in bmn cells. the results showed that mutations in either npa motif o ... | 2018 | 30105406 |
| lymphocyte deficiency induced by sublethal irradiation in xenopus. | in many studies of diseases affecting amphibians, it is important to determine to what extent lymphocyte-mediated defenses are involved. for example, in studies of the nature of the immune response of xenopus laevis to the amphibian chytrid fungus, batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, it was essential to determine if mucosal antimicrobial peptides or lymphocyte-mediated immunity was most important for resistance to this skin pathogen. in this protocol, we describe a method for sublethal irradiation t ... | 2019 | 30104411 |
| mass spectrometry-based absolute quantification of single xenopus embryo proteomes. | early xenopus development is characterized by a poor correlation between global mrna and protein abundances due to maternal mrna and protein loading. therefore, proteome profiling is necessary to study gene expression dynamics during early xenopus development. in contrast to mammals, single xenopus eggs and embryos contain enough protein to allow identification and quantification of thousands of proteins using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. in addition to investigating developmental process ... | 2019 | 30104410 |
| regulation of melanopsin signaling: key interactions of the nonvisual photopigment. | melanopsin is a g protein-coupled receptor with a peak sensitivity in the blue part of the spectrum, which plays a key role in nonvisual light-mediated signaling. recently, its importance in forming visual pathway as well as its role in blood vessels photorelaxation was also revealed. melanopsin was discovered in 1998 in xenopus leavis. since then, the melanopsin presence was demonstrated across the species. the existence of two melanopsin genes (opn4m and opn4x) as well as melanopsin isoforms r ... | 2019 | 30102761 |
| inward- and outward-facing homology modeling of human concentrative nucleoside transporter 3 (hcnt3) predicts an elevator-type transport mechanism. | the human slc28 family of concentrative (na+-dependent) nucleoside transporters has three members, hcnt1, hcnt2 and hcnt3. previously, we have used heterologous expression in xenopus laevis oocytes in combination with an engineered cysteine-less hcnt3 protein hcnt3(c-) to undertake systematic substituted cysteine accessibility method (scam) analysis of the transporter using the membrane-impermeant thiol reactive reagent p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate (pcmbs). a continuous sequence of more than ... | 2018 | 30096006 |
| apoptosis propagates through the cytoplasm as trigger waves. | apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved form of programmed cell death critical for development and tissue homeostasis in animals. the apoptotic control network includes several positive feedback loops that may allow apoptosis to spread through the cytoplasm in self-regenerating trigger waves. we tested this possibility in cell-free xenopus laevis egg extracts and observed apoptotic trigger waves with speeds of ~30 micrometers per minute. fractionation and inhibitor studies implicated multiple f ... | 2018 | 30093599 |
| the age-regulated zinc finger factor znf367 is a new modulator of neuroblast proliferation during embryonic neurogenesis. | global population aging is one of the major social and economic challenges of contemporary society. during aging the progressive decline in physiological functions has serious consequences for all organs including brain. the age-related incidence of neurodegenerative diseases coincides with the sharp decline of the amount and functionality of adult neural stem cells. recently, we identified a short list of brain age-regulated genes by means of next-generation sequencing. among them znf367 codes ... | 2018 | 30087422 |
| gli2 is required for the induction and migration of xenopus laevis neural crest. | the neural crest (nc) is a multipotent migratory embryonic population that is formed during late gastrulation and gives rise to a wide array of derivatives, including cells from the peripheral nervous system (pns), the craniofacial bones and cartilages, peripheral glial cells, and melanocyte cells, among others. in this work we analyzed the role of the hedgehog signaling pathway effector gli2 in xenopus nc. we provide evidence that the gli2 gene is expressed in the prospective, premigratory and ... | 2018 | 30086335 |
| spatial and temporal analysis of pcp protein dynamics during neural tube closure. | planar cell polarity (pcp) controls convergent extension and axis elongation in all vertebrates. although asymmetric localization of pcp proteins is central to their function, we understand little about pcp protein localization during convergent extension. here, we use quantitative live imaging to simultaneously monitor cell intercalation behaviors and pcp protein dynamics in the xenopus laevis neural plate epithelium. we observed asymmetric enrichment of pcp proteins, but more interestingly, we ... | 2018 | 30080139 |
| tectal crfr1 receptors modulate food intake and feeding behavior in the south african clawed frog xenopus laevis. | the optic tectum and superior colliculus rapidly inhibit food intake when a visual threat is present. previous work indicates that crf, acting on crfr1 receptors, may play a role in tectal inhibition of feeding behavior and food intake. here we test the hypothesis that tectal crfr1 receptors modulate food intake and feeding behavior in juvenile xenopus laevis. we performed five experiments to test the following questions: 1) does tectal crf injection decrease food intake/feeding behavior? 2) doe ... | 2018 | 30077740 |
| differential modulation of human gabac-ρ1 receptor by sulfur-containing compounds structurally related to taurine. | the amino acid taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) modulates inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors. this study aimed to determine if the dual action of taurine on gabac-ρ1r relates to its structure. to address this, we tested the ability of the structurally related compounds homotaurine, hypotaurine, and isethionic acid to modulate gabac-ρ1r. | 2018 | 30075755 |
| a simple decision to move in response to touch reveals basic sensory memory and mechanisms for variable response times. | short-term working memory and decision-making are usually studied in the cerebral cortex; in many models of simple decision making, sensory signals build slowly and noisily to threshold to initiate a motor response after long, variable delays. when touched, hatchling frog tadpoles decide whether to swim; we define the long and variable delays to swimming and use whole-cell recordings to uncover the neurons and processes responsible. firing in sensory and sensory pathway neurons is short latency, ... | 2018 | 30074236 |
| disruption of amino acid homeostasis by novel asct2 inhibitors involves multiple targets. | the glutamine transporter asct2 (slc1a5) is actively investigated as an oncological target, but the field lacks efficient asct2 inhibitors. a new group of asct2 inhibitors, 2-amino-4-bis(aryloxybenzyl)aminobutanoic acids (aaba), were developed recently and shown to suppress tumor growth in preclinical in vivo models. to test its specificity, we deleted asct2 in two human cancer cell lines. surprisingly, growth of parental and asct2-knockout cells was equally sensitive to aaba compounds. aaba com ... | 2018 | 30072900 |
| nucleotide receptor p2ry4 is required for head formation via induction and maintenance of head organizer in xenopus laevis. | vertebrates have unique head structures that are mainly composed of the central nervous system, the neural crest, and placode cells. these head structures are brought about initially by the neural induction between the organizer and the prospective neuroectoderm at early gastrula stage. purinergic receptors are activated by nucleotides released from cells and influence intracellular signaling pathways, such as phospholipase c and adenylate cyclase signaling pathways. as p2y receptor is vertebrat ... | 2019 | 30069871 |
| cloning and functional characterisation of the duplicated rdl subunits from the pea aphid, acyrthosiphon pisum. | the insect gaba receptor, rdl (resistance to dieldrin), is a cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel (cyslgic) that plays a central role in neuronal signaling, and is the target of several classes of insecticides. many insects studied to date possess one rdl gene; however, there is evidence of two rdls in aphids. to characterise further this insecticide target from pests that cause millions of dollars' worth of crop damage each year, we identified the complete cyslgic gene superfamily of the pea aphid ... | 2018 | 30065178 |
| α1-fangs: protein ligands selective for the α-bungarotoxin site of the α1-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. | nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachrs) are pentameric ligand-gated ion channels that play a central role in neuronal and neuromuscular signal transduction. here, we have developed fang ligands, fibronectin antibody-mimetic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-generated ligands, using mrna display. we generated a 1 trillion-member primary e10fniii library to target a stabilized α1 nicotinic subunit (α211). this library yielded 270000 independent potential protein binding ligands. the lead sequenc ... | 2018 | 30059207 |
| altered thyroid hormone levels affect body condition at metamorphosis in larvae of xenopus laevis. | chemical, physical and biological environmental stressors may affect the endocrine system, such as the thyroid hormone (th) axis in larval amphibians with consequences for energy partitioning among development, growth and metabolism. we studied the effects of two th level affecting compounds, exogenous l-thyroxine (t4 ) and sodium perchlorate (sp), on various measures of development and body condition in larvae of the african clawed frog (xenopus laevis). we calculated the scaled mass index, hep ... | 2018 | 30058724 |
| tight junction-associated protein gef-h1 in the neighbours of dividing epithelial cells is essential for adaptation of cell-cell membrane during cytokinesis. | animal cells divide by a process called cytokinesis which relies on the constriction of a contractile actomyosin ring leading to the production of two daughter cells. cytokinesis is an intrinsic property of cells which occurs even for artificially isolated cells. during division, isolated cells undergo dramatic changes in shape such as rounding and membrane deformation as the division furrow ingresses. however, cells are often embedded in tissues and thus are surrounded by neighbouring cells. ho ... | 2018 | 30056063 |
| nosip functions during vertebrate eye and cranial cartilage development. | the nitric oxide synthase interacting protein (nosip) has been associated with diverse human diseases including psychological disorders. in line, early neurogenesis of mouse and xenopus is impaired upon nosip deficiency. nosip knockout mice show craniofacial defects and the down-regulation of nosip in the mouse and xenopus leads to microcephaly. until now, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms of these malformations were still unknown. | 2018 | 30055071 |
| a cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, hvcngc2-3, is activated by the co-presence of na⁺ and k⁺ and permeable to na⁺ and k⁺ non-selectively. | cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (cngcs) have been postulated to contribute significantly in plant development and stress resistance. however, their electrophysiological properties remain poorly understood. here, we characterized barley cngc2-3 (hvcngc2-3) by the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique in the xenopus laevis oocyte heterologous expression system. current was not observed in x. laevis oocytes injected with hvcngc2-3 complementary rna (crna) in a bathing solution containing either na ... | 2018 | 30049942 |
| copper uptake mechanism of arabidopsis thaliana high-affinity copt transporters. | copper (cu) is an essential plant micronutrient. under scarcity, cu2+ is reduced to cu+ and taken up through specific high-affinity transporters (copts). in arabidopsis, the copt family consists of six members, either located at the plasma membrane (copt1, copt2, and copt6) or in internal membranes (copt3 and copt5). cu uptake by copt proteins has been mainly assessed through complementation studies in corresponding yeast mutants, but the mechanism of this transport has not been elucidated. to t ... | 2019 | 30043153 |
| following endocrine-disrupting effects on gene expression in xenopus laevis. | endocrine-disrupting chemicals (edcs), found in all categories of chemicals, are suspected to be a cause of declining well-being and human health, both as single molecules and as mixtures. it is therefore necessary to develop high throughput methods to assess the endocrine-disrupting potential of multiple chemicals currently on the market that are as yet untested. an advantage of in vivo chemical screening is that it provides a full spectrum of physiological impacts exerted by a given chemical. ... | 2019 | 30042138 |
| assessing antibody responses to pathogens or model antigens in xenopus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa). | xenopus laevis-specific monoclonal antibodies recognize igm and igy antibodies not only from x. laevis but also x. tropicalis as well as a variety of amphibian species including ranidae, bufonidae, and even some salamanders. these reagents are very useful to assess antibody responses from the serum or other animal secretions (e.g., peritoneal fluid). we present here an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) optimized for amphibians that permits users to detect and titrate the presence of each ... | 2019 | 30042135 |
| rare coding variants in genes encoding gabaa receptors in genetic generalised epilepsies: an exome-based case-control study. | genetic generalised epilepsy is the most common type of inherited epilepsy. despite a high concordance rate of 80% in monozygotic twins, the genetic background is still poorly understood. we aimed to investigate the burden of rare genetic variants in genetic generalised epilepsy. | 2018 | 30033060 |
| des-formylflustrabromine (dfbr): a structure-activity study on its ability to potentiate the action of acetylcholine at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. | the naturally occurring indole alkaloid des-formylflustrabromine (dfbr; 1) is one of the first agents shown to act as a selective positive allosteric modulator (pam) at α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachrs). we previously deconstructed this agent to determine which of its structural features contribute to its actions and have identified an agent that might serve as the basis for a " working pharmacophore". here, we elaborate the dfbr (1; ec50 = 0.2 μm) structure to identify how various ... | 2018 | 30028943 |
| transplantation of ears provides insights into inner ear afferent pathfinding properties. | numerous tissue transplantations have demonstrated that otocysts can develop into normal ears in any location in all vertebrates tested thus far, though the pattern of innervation of these transplanted ears has largely been understudied. here, expanding on previous findings that transplanted ears demonstrate capability of local brainstem innervation and can also be innervated themselves by efferents, we show that inner ear afferents grow toward the spinal cord mostly along existing afferent and ... | 2018 | 30027559 |
| amphibian (xenopus laevis) tadpoles and adult frogs differ in their use of expanded repertoires of type i and type iii interferon cytokines. | while amphibians around the globe are facing catastrophic declines, in part because of infections with pathogens such as the frog virus 3 (fv3) ranavirus; the mechanisms governing amphibian susceptibility and resistance to such pathogens remain poorly understood. the type i and type iii interferon (ifn) cytokines represent a cornerstone of vertebrate antiviral immunity, while our recent work indicates that tadpoles and adult frogs of the amphibian xenopus laevis may differ in their ifn responses ... | 2018 | 30018186 |
| the b-hlh transcription factor hes3 participates in neural plate border formation by interfering with wnt/β-catenin signaling. | hes3 belongs to the hes basic helix-loop-helix family of transcriptional repressors that play central roles in maintaining progenitor cells and regulating binary cell fate decisions in the embryo. during xenopus laevis development, hes3 is expressed in the embryonic ectoderm in a horseshoe shape domain at the edge of the developing neural pate. hes3 mis-expression at early neurula stage blocks neural crest (snai2, sox8, sox9 and sox10) and cranial placode (six1 and dmrta1) gene expression, and p ... | 2018 | 30016640 |
| plc and ip3-evoked ca2+ release initiate the fast block to polyspermy in xenopus laevis eggs. | the prevention of polyspermy is essential for the successful progression of normal embryonic development in most sexually reproducing species. in external fertilizers, the process of fertilization induces a depolarization of the egg's membrane within seconds, which inhibits supernumerary sperm from entering an already-fertilized egg. this fast block requires an increase of intracellular ca2+ in the african clawed frog, xenopus laevis, which in turn activates an efflux of cl- that depolarizes the ... | 2018 | 30012841 |
| comprehensive substrate characterization of 22 antituberculosis drugs for multiple solute carrier (slc) uptake transporters in vitro. | the substrate potentials of antituberculosis drugs on solute carrier (slc) transporters are not well characterized to date, despite a well-established understanding of their drug dispositions and pharmacokinetics. in this study, we investigated comprehensively the substrate potentials of the 22 currently available antituberculosis drugs for slc family transporter-mediated uptake, using xenopus laevis oocytes and stably transfected hek-293 cells in vitro the result suggested that ethambutol, ison ... | 2018 | 30012768 |
| a gene regulatory network underlying the formation of pre-placodal ectoderm in xenopus laevis. | the neural plate border ectoderm gives rise to key developmental structures during embryogenesis, including the neural crest and the preplacodal ectoderm. many sensory organs and ganglia of vertebrates develop from cranial placodes, which themselves arise from preplacodal ectoderm, defined by expression of transcription factor six1 and its coactivator eya1. here we elucidate the gene regulatory network underlying the specification of the preplacodal ectoderm in xenopus, and the functional intera ... | 2018 | 30012125 |
| water contaminants associated with unconventional oil and gas extraction cause immunotoxicity to amphibian tadpoles. | chemicals associated with unconventional oil and gas (uog) operations have been shown to contaminate surface and ground water with a variety of endocrine disrupting compounds (edcs) inducing multiple developmental alteration in mice. however, little is known about the impacts of uog-associated contaminants on amphibian health and resistance to an emerging ranavirus infectious disease caused by viruses in the genus ranavirus, especially at the vulnerable tadpole stage. here we used tadpoles of th ... | 2018 | 30011011 |
| thiodipeptides targeting the intestinal oligopeptide transporter as a general approach to improving oral drug delivery. | the broad substrate capacity of the intestinal oligopeptide transporter, pept1, has made it a key target of research into drug delivery. whilst the substrate capacity of this transporter is broad, studies have largely been limited to small peptides and peptide-like drugs. here, we demonstrate for the first time that a diverse range of drugs can be targeted towards transport by pept1 using a hydrolysis resistant carrier. eleven prodrugs were synthesized by conjugating modified dipeptides containi ... | 2018 | 30006163 |
| pharmacological and toxicological activity of rsd921, a novel sodium channel blocker. | rsd921, the r,r enantiomer of the kappa (k) agonist pd117,302, lacks significant activity on opioid receptors. | 2018 | 29990839 |
| human mutations in slc2a9 (glut9) affect transport capacity for urate. | slc2a9 or glut9 is a voltage sensitive urate transporter, mainly expressed in the kidneys, the liver, and the intestine. human glut9 loss-of-function mutations were identified in familial hypouricemia, and several single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) were associated with lower serum urate, further indicating that glut9 is a major determinant of serum uric acid level. to get insights in glut9 transport characteristics, we systematically analyzed the function of known human glut9 mutants using 1 ... | 2018 | 29967582 |
| the fungal alkaloid okaramine-b activates an l-glutamate-gated chloride channel from ixodes scapularis, a tick vector of lyme disease. | a novel l-glutamate-gated anion channel (iscaglucl1) has been cloned from the black-legged tick, ixodes scapularis, which transmits multiple pathogens including the agents of lyme disease and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. when mrna encoding iscaglucl1 was expressed in xenopus laevis oocytes, we detected robust 50-400 na currents in response to 100 μm l-glutamate. responses to l-glutamate were concentration-dependent (pec50 3.64 ± 0.11). ibotenate was a partial agonist on iscaglucl1. we detect ... | 2018 | 29957333 |
| multiple massive domestication and recent amplification of kolobok superfamily transposons in the clawed frog xenopus. | dna transposons are generally destroyed by mutations and have short lifespans in hosts, as they are neutral or harmful to the host and therefore not conserved by natural selection. the clawed frog xenopus harbors many dna transposons and certain families, such as t2-mite, have extremely long lives. these have ancient origins, but have shown recent transposition activity. in addition, certain transposase genes may have been "domesticated" by xenopus and conserved over long time periods by natural ... | 2018 | 29946483 |
| adamts9, a member of the adamts family, in xenopus development. | extracellular matrix (ecm) remodeling by metalloproteinases is crucial during development. the adamts (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type i motifs) enzymes are secreted, multi-domain matrix-associated zinc metalloendopeptidases that have diverse roles in tissue morphogenesis and patho-physiological remodeling. the human family includes 19 members. in this study we identified the 19 members of the adamts family in xenopus laevis and xenopus tropicalis. gene identificatio ... | 2018 | 29935379 |
| influenza d virus m2 protein exhibits ion channel activity in xenopus laevis oocytes. | a new type of influenza virus, known as type d, has recently been identified in cattle and pigs. influenza d virus infection in cattle is typically asymptomatic; however, its infection in swine can result in clinical disease. swine can also be infected with all other types of influenza viruses, namely a, b, and c. consequently, swine can serve as a "mixing vessel" for highly pathogenic influenza viruses, including those with zoonotic potential. currently, the only antiviral drug available target ... | 2018 | 29927982 |
| probing proline residues in the prokaryotic ligand-gated ion channel, elic. | erwinia ligand-gated ion channel (elic) is a bacterial homologue of vertebrate pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (plgics) and has proven to be a valuable model for understanding the structure and function of this important protein family. there is nevertheless still a question about whether molecular details can be accurately extrapolated from this protein to those found in eukaryotes. here we explore the role of proline residues (pros) in elic by creating mutant receptors, expressing them in ... | 2018 | 29927250 |
| nuclear arp2/3 drives dna break clustering for homology-directed repair. | dna double-strand breaks repaired by non-homologous end joining display limited dna end-processing and chromosomal mobility. by contrast, double-strand breaks undergoing homology-directed repair exhibit extensive processing and enhanced motion. the molecular basis of this movement is unknown. here, using xenopus laevis cell-free extracts and mammalian cells, we establish that nuclear actin, wasp, and the actin-nucleating arp2/3 complex are recruited to damaged chromatin undergoing homology-direc ... | 2018 | 29925947 |
| gitelman's syndrome: characterization of a novel c.1181g>a point mutation and functional classification of the known mutations. | we have investigated the mechanisms by which a novel missense point mutation (c.1181g>a) found in two sisters causes gitelman's syndrome by impairing the sodium chloride co-transporter (ncc, encoded by slc12a3 gene) function. the cdna and in vitro transcribed mrna of either wild-type or mutated slc12a3 were transfected into hek293 cells and injected into xenopus laevis oocytes, respectively. the expression, maturation, trafficking, and function of the mutated and wild-type ncc were assessed by w ... | 2018 | 29925901 |
| regulation of nuclear factor of activated t cells (nfat) and downstream myogenic proteins during dehydration in the african clawed frog. | xenopus laevis, otherwise known as the african clawed frog, undergoes natural dehydration of up to 30% of its total body water during the dry season in sub-saharan africa. to survive under these conditions, a variety of physiological and biochemical changes take place in x. laevis. we were interested in understanding the role that the calcineurin-nfat pathway plays during dehydration stress response in the skeletal muscles of x. laevis. immunoblotting was performed to characterize the protein le ... | 2018 | 29923155 |
| semicircular canal influences on the developmental tuning of the translational vestibulo-ocular reflex. | vestibulo-ocular reflexes (vors) rely on neuronal computations that transform vestibular sensory signals into spatio-temporally appropriate extraocular motor commands. the motoneuronal discharge for contractions of the superior oblique eye muscle during linear translation derives from a utricular epithelial sector that is spatially aligned with the pulling direction of this muscle. in xenopus laevis, the alignment is gradually achieved during larval development and requires motion-related semici ... | 2018 | 29922219 |
| a wide variety of mitf transcript variants are expressed in the xenopus laevis periodic albino mutant. | the periodic albino mutant of xenopus laevis has been used to study the development of pigment cells because both the retinal pigment epithelium (rpe) and melanophores are affected. in this mutant, "white pigment cells" containing both melanophore-specific and iridophore-specific pigment organelles appear. the present experiments were designed to investigate the structural organization and expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (mitf) in the mutant since mitf is known to re ... | 2018 | 29920861 |
| a sodium transporter hvhkt1;1 confers salt tolerance in barley via regulating tissue and cell ion homeostasis. | our previous studies showed that high salt tolerance in tibetan wild barley accessions was associated with hvhkt1;1, a member of the high-affinity potassium transporter family. however, molecular mechanisms of hvhkt1;1 for salt tolerance and its roles in k+/na+ homeostasis remain to be elucidated. functional characterization of hvhkt1;1 was conducted in the present study. nacl-induced transcripts of hvhkt1;1 were significantly higher in the roots of tibetan wild barley xz16 relative to other gen ... | 2018 | 29917153 |
| isolation and functional characterization of cslsi2, a cucumber silicon efflux transporter gene. | silicon has been proven to exert beneficial effects on plant growth and stress tolerance, and silicon accumulation varies among different plant species. cucumber (cucumis sativus) is a widely used dicot model for silicon accumulation, but little is known about the molecular mechanism of its silicon uptake. previously, we isolated and characterized cslsi1, a silicon influx transporter gene from cucumber. in this study, we cloned a putative silicon efflux transporter gene, cslsi2, from cucumber an ... | 2018 | 29905780 |
| the rna-binding complex escrt-ii in xenopus laevis eggs recognizes purine-rich sequences through its subunit, vps25. | rna-binding proteins (rbp) are critical regulators of gene expression. recent studies have uncovered hundreds of mrna-binding proteins that do not contain annotated rna-binding domains and have well-established roles in other cellular processes. investigation of these nonconventional rbps is critical for revealing novel rna-binding domains and may disclose connections between rna regulation and other aspects of cell biology. the endosomal sorting complex required for transport ii (escrt-ii) is a ... | 2018 | 29903915 |
| transcriptome of xenopus andrei, an octoploid frog, during embryonic development. | although polyploidy occurs throughout the fish and amphibian lineages, the xenopus genus exhibits a high incidence of polyploidy, with 25 out of the 26 known species being polyploid. however, transcriptomic information is currently available for only one of these species, the tetraploid xenopus laevis. xenopus andrei, an octoploid species within the xenopus genus, offers an opportunity for assessing a novel polyploid transcriptome during vertebrate development. rna-seq data was generated at nine ... | 2018 | 29900348 |
| validation and bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed circrnas involved in developing male xenopus laevis chronically exposed to atrazine. | the data presented here are related to the research article titled "identification of circular rnas and their alterations involved in developing male xenopus laevis chronically exposed to atrazine" (sai et al., 2018) [1]. circular rnas (circrnas) are implicated in multiple developmental anomalies (bachmayr-heyda et al., 2015; li et al., 2015) [2], [3]. this report describes the differentially expressed circrnas involved in developing male xenopus laevis (x. laevis) chronically exposed to atrazin ... | 2018 | 29900306 |
| visualization of gene expression patterns by in situ hybridization on early stages of development of xenopus laevis. | in situ hybridization performed using whole fixed embryos provides accurate and detailed visualization of gene expression patterns. these patterns are useful for investigating spatial patterns of gene expression in normally developing embryos but can also be useful in investigating the effects of genetic or environmental changes on expression of genetic markers characteristic of particular tissues, organs, or genetic pathways. our lab's protocol for whole-mount in situ hybridization is presented ... | 2018 | 29896701 |
| evaluation of teratogenicity of pharmaceuticals using fetax. | pharmaceuticals are chemical compounds which are used to preserve human and animal health. once administered, these compounds are metabolized or can remain unaltered until excreted. therefore, a mixture of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites enters municipal sewers and wastewater treatment plants where, depending on their polarity, water solubility, and persistence, they cannot be completely removed or transformed during the treatment process, so that unaltered pharmaceuticals and/or their met ... | 2018 | 29896699 |
| studies of limb regeneration in larval xenopus. | a basic protocol is given for animal maintenance and surgery in studies of hindlimb regeneration in larval xenopus laevis unlike urodele limbs, those of larval frogs typically show much more variation in the extent of regeneration after amputation. such variation can be reduced by optimizing the conditions of larval maintenance to regulate the rates of growth and development, by selecting only larvae with normal rates of growth and morphological development for experimental use, and by attention ... | 2019 | 29895566 |
| investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of wound healing in xenopus oocytes and embryos. | the african clawed frog xenopus has remarkable capacities to heal wounds rapidly and to regenerate complex tissues. because of its experimental tractability, studies using xenopus oocytes, embryos, and larvae have contributed extensively to our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning wound healing and tissue regeneration. in this protocol, we describe wound-healing assays following mechanical or laser injuries of oocytes and multicellular epithelia in xenopus laevis e ... | 2019 | 29895564 |
| ex vivo eye tissue culture methods for xenopus. | lens regeneration can be studied in whole animals following removal of the original lens (lentectomy). however, culturing a whole animal can be impractical for assays involving small molecule inhibitors or proteins. ex vivo eye tissue culture is an alternative approach for examining lens regeneration. the ex vivo culture system offers certain advantages when compared to the in vivo regeneration assay, as the percentage of cases showing lens differentiation can exceed that seen in whole animals. ... | 2019 | 29895561 |
| role of thyroid hormone receptor in amphibian development. | the amphibian xenopus laevis has long been used as a model for studying vertebrate cell and developmental biology largely due to the easiness to manipulate this system in vivo and in vitro. while most of the developmental studies have been on xenopus embryogenesis, considerable efforts have been made to understand its metamorphosis, a process mimicking postembryonic development in mammals when many organs mature into their adult forms in the presence of high levels of thyroid hormone (t3). amphi ... | 2018 | 29892830 |
| evaluating thyroid disrupting chemicals in vivo using xenopus laevis. | using in vivo animal model systems for chemical screening can permit evaluation of the signaling pathways implicated. xenopus laevis is an ideal model organism to test thyroid axis disruption as thyroid hormones are highly conserved across vertebrates. here, we describe a high-throughput assay using non-feeding embryonic stage transgenic x. laevis (th/bzip) to screen for thyroid disrupting chemicals using a 3 day exposure protocol. we further describe a protocol to detect endocrine disruption of ... | 2018 | 29892825 |
| atrial fibrillation and heart failure-associated remodeling of two-pore-domain potassium (k2p) channels in murine disease models: focus on task-1. | understanding molecular mechanisms involved in atrial tissue remodeling and arrhythmogenesis in atrial fibrillation (af) is essential for developing specific therapeutic approaches. two-pore-domain potassium (k2p) channels modulate cellular excitability, and task-1 (k2p3.1) currents were recently shown to alter atrial action potential duration in af and heart failure (hf). finding animal models of af that closely resemble pathophysiological alterations in human is a challenging task. this study ... | 2018 | 29881975 |
| pou3f transcription factor expression during embryonic development highlights distinct pou3f3 and pou3f4 localization in the xenopus laevis kidney. | the pou (pit-oct-unc) genes encode a large transcription factor family comprising 6 classes (pou1f to pou6f ) involved in many developmental processes, such as cell commitment and differentiation. the pou3f class contains four members (pou3f1, pou3f2, pou3f3, pou3f4) characterized by expression in ectodermal tissue derivatives, such as nervous system and otic vesicle, during mammalian development. in order to obtain insights into the potential conservation of this class of transcription factors ... | 2018 | 29877572 |
| lrpap1 as a specific marker of proximal pronephric kidney tubuli in xenopus laevis embryos. | lrpap1, also known as receptor associated protein (rap) is a small protein of 40 kda associated with six of the seven members of the evolutionary conserved family of ldl receptors. numerous studies showed that lrpap1 has a dual function, initially as a chaperone insuring proper formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds during biogenesis of low density lipoprotein (ldl) receptors and later as an escort protein during trafficking through the endoplasmic reticulum and the early golgi compartment, ... | 2018 | 29877571 |
| genome-wide transcriptomics analysis of genes regulated by gata4, 5 and 6 during cardiomyogenesis in xenopus laevis. | the transcription factors gata4, gata5 and gata6 play important roles in heart muscle differentiation. the data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "genome-wide transcriptomics analysis identifies sox7 and sox18 as specifically regulated by gata4 in cardiomyogenesis" (afouda et al., 2017) [1]. the present study identifies genes regulated by these individual cardiogenic gata factors using genome-wide transcriptomics analysis. we have presented genes that are spe ... | 2018 | 29876429 |
| mechanism of how augmin directly targets the γ-tubulin ring complex to microtubules. | microtubules (mts) must be generated from precise locations to form the structural frameworks required for cell shape and function. mts are nucleated by the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-turc), but it remains unclear how γ-turc gets to the right location. augmin has been suggested to be a γ-turc targeting factor and is required for mt nucleation from preexisting mts. to determine augmin's architecture and function, we purified xenopus laevis augmin from insect cells. we demonstrate that augmin is su ... | 2018 | 29875259 |
| premotor neuron divergence reflects vocal evolution. | to identify mechanisms of behavioral evolution, we investigated the hindbrain circuit that generates distinct vocal patterns in two closely related frog species. male xenopus laevis and xenopus petersii produce courtship calls that include a fast trill: trains of ∼60 hz sound pulses. although fast trill rates are similar, x. laevis fast trills have a longer duration and period than those of x. petersii to pinpoint the neural basis of these differences, we used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings i ... | 2018 | 29875228 |
| molecular insights into variable electron transfer in amphibian cryptochrome. | cryptochrome proteins are activated by the absorption of blue light, leading to the formation of radical pairs through electron transfer in the active site. recent experimental studies have shown that once some of the amino acid residues in the active site of xenopus laevis cryptochrome dash are mutated, radical-pair formation is still observed. in this study, we computationally investigate electron-transfer pathways in the x. laevis cryptochrome dash by extensively equilibrating a previously es ... | 2018 | 29874607 |
| spiral waves and vertebrate embryonic handedness. | during early embryonic development, the vertebrate main body axis is segmented from head-to-tail into somites. somites emerge sequentially from the presomitic mesoderm (psm) as a consequence of oscillatory waves of genetic activity, called somitogenesis waves. here, we discuss the implications of the dynamic patterns of early x-delta-2 expression in the prospective somites (somitomeres) of xenopus laevis. we report that right somitomeres normally emerge before left to form chiral structures (i.e ... | 2018 | 29872025 |
| akt signaling displays multifaceted functions in neural crest development. | akt signaling is an essential intracellular pathway controlling cell homeostasis, cell proliferation and survival, as well as cell migration and differentiation in adults. alterations impacting the akt pathway are involved in many pathological conditions in human disease. similarly, during development, multiple transmembrane molecules, such as fgf receptors, pdgf receptors or integrins, activate akt to control embryonic cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and also cell fate decisions ... | 2018 | 29859890 |
| n-terminal and central domains of apc function to regulate branch number, length and angle in developing optic axonal arbors in vivo. | during formation of neuronal circuits, axons navigate long distances to reach their target locations in the brain. when axons arrive at their target tissues, in many cases, they extend collateral branches and/or terminal arbors that serve to increase the number of synaptic connections they make with target neurons. here, we investigated how adenomatous polyposis coli (apc) regulates terminal arborization of optic axons in living xenopus laevis tadpoles. the n-terminal and central domains of apc ... | 2018 | 29856981 |
| in vivo mitotic spindle scaling can be modulated by changing the levels of a single protein: the microtubule polymerase xmap215. | in many organisms, early embryonic development is characterized by a series of reductive cell divisions that result in rapid increases in cell number and concomitant decreases in cell size. intracellular organelles, such as the nucleus and mitotic spindle, also become progressively smaller during this developmental window, but the molecular and mechanistic underpinnings of these scaling relationships are not fully understood. for the mitotic spindle, changes in cytoplasmic volume are sufficient ... | 2018 | 29851557 |
| the calcium-sensing receptor increases activity of the renal ncc through the wnk4-spak pathway. | background hypercalciuria can result from activation of the basolateral calcium-sensing receptor (casr), which in the thick ascending limb of henle's loop controls ca2+ excretion and nacl reabsorption in response to extracellular ca2+ however, the function of casr in the regulation of nacl reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule (dct) is unknown. we hypothesized that casr in this location is involved in activating the thiazide-sensitive nacl cotransporter (ncc) to prevent nacl loss.methods ... | 2018 | 29848507 |
| asymmetric distribution of biomolecules of maternal origin in the xenopus laevis egg and their impact on the developmental plan. | asymmetric cell division is a ubiquitous feature during the development of higher organisms. asymmetry is achieved by differential localization or activities of biological molecules such as proteins, and coding and non-coding rnas. here, we present subcellular transcriptomic and proteomic analyses along the animal-vegetal axis of xenopus laevis eggs. more than 98% of the maternal mrnas could be categorized into four localization profile groups: animal, vegetal, extremely vegetal, and a newly des ... | 2018 | 29844480 |
| living xenopus oocytes, eggs, and embryos as models for cell division. | xenopus laevis has long been a popular model for studies of development and, based on the use of cell-free extracts derived from its eggs, as a model for reconstitution of cell cycle regulation and other basic cellular processes. however, work over the last several years has shown that intact xenopus eggs and embryos are also powerful models for visualization and characterization of cell cycle-regulated cytoskeletal dynamics. these findings were something of a surprise, given that the relatively ... | 2018 | 29804672 |