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Sample records for neural crest nc

  1. Neural crest stem cell multipotency requires Foxd3 to maintain neural potential and repress mesenchymal fates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundell, Nathan A; Labosky, Patricia A

    2011-02-01

    Neural crest (NC) progenitors generate a wide array of cell types, yet molecules controlling NC multipotency and self-renewal and factors mediating cell-intrinsic distinctions between multipotent versus fate-restricted progenitors are poorly understood. Our earlier work demonstrated that Foxd3 is required for maintenance of NC progenitors in the embryo. Here, we show that Foxd3 mediates a fate restriction choice for multipotent NC progenitors with loss of Foxd3 biasing NC toward a mesenchymal fate. Neural derivatives of NC were lost in Foxd3 mutant mouse embryos, whereas abnormally fated NC-derived vascular smooth muscle cells were ectopically located in the aorta. Cranial NC defects were associated with precocious differentiation towards osteoblast and chondrocyte cell fates, and individual mutant NC from different anteroposterior regions underwent fate changes, losing neural and increasing myofibroblast potential. Our results demonstrate that neural potential can be separated from NC multipotency by the action of a single gene, and establish novel parallels between NC and other progenitor populations that depend on this functionally conserved stem cell protein to regulate self-renewal and multipotency.

  2. Gene array analysis of neural crest cells identifies transcription factors necessary for direct conversion of embryonic fibroblasts into neural crest cells

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    Tsutomu Motohashi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Neural crest cells (NC cells are multipotent cells that emerge from the edge of the neural folds and migrate throughout the developing embryo. Although the gene regulatory network for generation of NC cells has been elucidated in detail, it has not been revealed which of the factors in the network are pivotal to directing NC identity. In this study we analyzed the gene expression profile of a pure NC subpopulation isolated from Sox10-IRES-Venus mice and investigated whether these genes played a key role in the direct conversion of Sox10-IRES-Venus mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs into NC cells. The comparative molecular profiles of NC cells and neural tube cells in 9.5-day embryos revealed genes including transcription factors selectively expressed in developing trunk NC cells. Among 25 NC cell-specific transcription factor genes tested, SOX10 and SOX9 were capable of converting MEFs into SOX10-positive (SOX10+ cells. The SOX10+ cells were then shown to differentiate into neurons, glial cells, smooth muscle cells, adipocytes and osteoblasts. These SOX10+ cells also showed limited self-renewal ability, suggesting that SOX10 and SOX9 directly converted MEFs into NC cells. Conversely, the remaining transcription factors, including well-known NC cell specifiers, were unable to convert MEFs into SOX10+ NC cells. These results suggest that SOX10 and SOX9 are the key factors necessary for the direct conversion of MEFs into NC cells.

  3. Stage-specific control of neural crest stem cell proliferation by the small rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuchs, Sebastian; Herzog, Dominik; Sumara, Grzegorz

    2009-01-01

    -renewal and proliferation of later stage, but not early migratory NCSCs. This stage-specific requirement for small Rho GTPases is due to changes in NCSCs that, during development, acquire responsiveness to mitogenic EGF acting upstream of both Cdc42 and Rac1. Thus, our data reveal distinct mechanisms for growth control......The neural crest (NC) generates a variety of neural and non-neural tissues during vertebrate development. Both migratory NC cells and their target structures contain cells with stem cell features. Here we show that these populations of neural crest-derived stem cells (NCSCs) are differentially...

  4. The neural crest, a multifaceted structure of the vertebrates.

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    Dupin, Elisabeth; Le Douarin, Nicole M

    2014-09-01

    In this review, several features of the cells originating from the lateral borders of the primitive neural anlagen, the neural crest (NC) are considered. Among them, their multipotentiality, which together with their migratory properties, leads them to colonize the developing body and to participate in the development of many tissues and organs. The in vitro analysis of the developmental capacities of single NC cells (NCC) showed that they present several analogies with the hematopoietic cells whose differentiation involves the activity of stem cells endowed with different arrays of developmental potentialities. The permanence of such NC stem cells in the adult organism raises the problem of their role at that stage of life. The NC has appeared during evolution in the vertebrate phylum and is absent in their Protocordates ancestors. The major role of the NCC in the development of the vertebrate head points to a critical role for this structure in the remarkable diversification and radiation of this group of animals. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Isolation and culture of neural crest cells from embryonic murine neural tube.

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    Pfaltzgraff, Elise R; Mundell, Nathan A; Labosky, Patricia A

    2012-06-02

    The embryonic neural crest (NC) is a multipotent progenitor population that originates at the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, undergoes an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrates throughout the embryo, giving rise to diverse cell types. NC also has the unique ability to influence the differentiation and maturation of target organs. When explanted in vitro, NC progenitors undergo self-renewal, migrate and differentiate into a variety of tissue types including neurons, glia, smooth muscle cells, cartilage and bone. NC multipotency was first described from explants of the avian neural tube. In vitro isolation of NC cells facilitates the study of NC dynamics including proliferation, migration, and multipotency. Further work in the avian and rat systems demonstrated that explanted NC cells retain their NC potential when transplanted back into the embryo. Because these inherent cellular properties are preserved in explanted NC progenitors, the neural tube explant assay provides an attractive option for studying the NC in vitro. To attain a better understanding of the mammalian NC, many methods have been employed to isolate NC populations. NC-derived progenitors can be cultured from post-migratory locations in both the embryo and adult to study the dynamics of post-migratory NC progenitors, however isolation of NC progenitors as they emigrate from the neural tube provides optimal preservation of NC cell potential and migratory properties. Some protocols employ fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate a NC population enriched for particular progenitors. However, when starting with early stage embryos, cell numbers adequate for analyses are difficult to obtain with FACS, complicating the isolation of early NC populations from individual embryos. Here, we describe an approach that does not rely on FACS and results in an approximately 96% pure NC population based on a Wnt1-Cre activated lineage reporter. The method presented here is adapted from

  6. Neural crest contributions to the lamprey head

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    McCauley, David W.; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne

    2003-01-01

    The neural crest is a vertebrate-specific cell population that contributes to the facial skeleton and other derivatives. We have performed focal DiI injection into the cranial neural tube of the developing lamprey in order to follow the migratory pathways of discrete groups of cells from origin to destination and to compare neural crest migratory pathways in a basal vertebrate to those of gnathostomes. The results show that the general pathways of cranial neural crest migration are conserved throughout the vertebrates, with cells migrating in streams analogous to the mandibular and hyoid streams. Caudal branchial neural crest cells migrate ventrally as a sheet of cells from the hindbrain and super-pharyngeal region of the neural tube and form a cylinder surrounding a core of mesoderm in each pharyngeal arch, similar to that seen in zebrafish and axolotl. In addition to these similarities, we also uncovered important differences. Migration into the presumptive caudal branchial arches of the lamprey involves both rostral and caudal movements of neural crest cells that have not been described in gnathostomes, suggesting that barriers that constrain rostrocaudal movement of cranial neural crest cells may have arisen after the agnathan/gnathostome split. Accordingly, neural crest cells from a single axial level contributed to multiple arches and there was extensive mixing between populations. There was no apparent filling of neural crest derivatives in a ventral-to-dorsal order, as has been observed in higher vertebrates, nor did we find evidence of a neural crest contribution to cranial sensory ganglia. These results suggest that migratory constraints and additional neural crest derivatives arose later in gnathostome evolution.

  7. Recycling signals in the neural crest

    OpenAIRE

    Taneyhill, Lisa A.; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne E.

    2006-01-01

    Vertebrate neural crest cells are multipotent and differentiate into structures that include cartilage and the bones of the face, as well as much of the peripheral nervous system. Understanding how different model vertebrates utilize signaling pathways reiteratively during various stages of neural crest formation and differentiation lends insight into human disorders associated with the neural crest.

  8. Recycling signals in the neural crest.

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    Taneyhill, Lisa A; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne

    2005-01-01

    Vertebrate neural crest cells are multipotent and differentiate into structures that include cartilage and the bones of the face, as well as much of the peripheral nervous system. Understanding how different model vertebrates utilize signaling pathways reiteratively during various stages of neural crest formation and differentiation lends insight into human disorders associated with the neural crest.

  9. Inca: a novel p21-activated kinase-associated protein required for cranial neural crest development.

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    Luo, Ting; Xu, Yanhua; Hoffman, Trevor L; Zhang, Tailin; Schilling, Thomas; Sargent, Thomas D

    2007-04-01

    Inca (induced in neural crest by AP2) is a novel protein discovered in a microarray screen for genes that are upregulated in Xenopus embryos by the transcriptional activator protein Tfap2a. It has no significant similarity to any known protein, but is conserved among vertebrates. In Xenopus, zebrafish and mouse embryos, Inca is expressed predominantly in the premigratory and migrating neural crest (NC). Knockdown experiments in frog and fish using antisense morpholinos reveal essential functions for Inca in a subset of NC cells that form craniofacial cartilage. Cells lacking Inca migrate successfully but fail to condense into skeletal primordia. Overexpression of Inca disrupts cortical actin and prevents formation of actin "purse strings", which are required for wound healing in Xenopus embryos. We show that Inca physically interacts with p21-activated kinase 5 (PAK5), a known regulator of the actin cytoskeleton that is co-expressed with Inca in embryonic ectoderm, including in the NC. These results suggest that Inca and PAK5 cooperate in restructuring cytoskeletal organization and in the regulation of cell adhesion in the early embryo and in NC cells during craniofacial development.

  10. SOXE neofunctionalization and elaboration of the neural crest during chordate evolution

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    Tai, Andrew; Cheung, Martin; Huang, Yong-Heng; Jauch, Ralf; Bronner, Marianne E.; Cheah, Kathryn S. E.

    2016-01-01

    During chordate evolution, two genome-wide duplications facilitated acquisition of vertebrate traits, including emergence of neural crest cells (NCCs), in which neofunctionalization of the duplicated genes are thought to have facilitated development of craniofacial structures and the peripheral nervous system. How these duplicated genes evolve and acquire the ability to specify NC and their derivatives are largely unknown. Vertebrate SoxE paralogues, most notably Sox9/10, are essential for NC induction, delamination and lineage specification. In contrast, the basal chordate, amphioxus, has a single SoxE gene and lacks NC-like cells. Here, we test the hypothesis that duplication and divergence of an ancestral SoxE gene may have facilitated elaboration of NC lineages. By using an in vivo expression assay to compare effects of AmphiSoxE and vertebrate Sox9 on NC development, we demonstrate that all SOXE proteins possess similar DNA binding and homodimerization properties and can induce NCCs. However, AmphiSOXE is less efficient than SOX9 in transactivation activity and in the ability to preferentially promote glial over neuronal fate, a difference that lies within the combined properties of amino terminal and transactivation domains. We propose that acquisition of AmphiSoxE expression in the neural plate border led to NCC emergence while duplication and divergence produced advantageous mutations in vertebrate homologues, promoting elaboration of NC traits. PMID:27734831

  11. Neural crest cells: from developmental biology to clinical interventions.

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    Noisa, Parinya; Raivio, Taneli

    2014-09-01

    Neural crest cells are multipotent cells, which are specified in embryonic ectoderm in the border of neural plate and epiderm during early development by interconnection of extrinsic stimuli and intrinsic factors. Neural crest cells are capable of differentiating into various somatic cell types, including melanocytes, craniofacial cartilage and bone, smooth muscle, and peripheral nervous cells, which supports their promise for cell therapy. In this work, we provide a comprehensive review of wide aspects of neural crest cells from their developmental biology to applicability in medical research. We provide a simplified model of neural crest cell development and highlight the key external stimuli and intrinsic regulators that determine the neural crest cell fate. Defects of neural crest cell development leading to several human disorders are also mentioned, with the emphasis of using human induced pluripotent stem cells to model neurocristopathic syndromes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. DNA methyltransferase 3b is dispensable for mouse neural crest development.

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    Bridget T Jacques-Fricke

    Full Text Available The neural crest is a population of multipotent cells that migrates extensively throughout vertebrate embryos to form diverse structures. Mice mutant for the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3b exhibit defects in two neural crest derivatives, the craniofacial skeleton and cardiac ventricular septum, suggesting that DNMT3b activity is necessary for neural crest development. Nevertheless, the requirement for DNMT3b specifically in neural crest cells, as opposed to interacting cell types, has not been determined. Using a conditional DNMT3b allele crossed to the neural crest cre drivers Wnt1-cre and Sox10-cre, neural crest DNMT3b mutants were generated. In both neural crest-specific and fully DNMT3b-mutant embryos, cranial neural crest cells exhibited only subtle migration defects, with increased numbers of dispersed cells trailing organized streams in the head. In spite of this, the resulting cranial ganglia, craniofacial skeleton, and heart developed normally when neural crest cells lacked DNMT3b. This indicates that DNTM3b is not necessary in cranial neural crest cells for their development. We conclude that defects in neural crest derivatives in DNMT3b mutant mice reflect a requirement for DNMT3b in lineages such as the branchial arch mesendoderm or the cardiac mesoderm that interact with neural crest cells during formation of these structures.

  13. Pax7 lineage contributions to the mammalian neural crest.

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    Barbara Murdoch

    Full Text Available Neural crest cells are vertebrate-specific multipotent cells that contribute to a variety of tissues including the peripheral nervous system, melanocytes, and craniofacial bones and cartilage. Abnormal development of the neural crest is associated with several human maladies including cleft/lip palate, aggressive cancers such as melanoma and neuroblastoma, and rare syndromes, like Waardenburg syndrome, a complex disorder involving hearing loss and pigment defects. We previously identified the transcription factor Pax7 as an early marker, and required component for neural crest development in chick embryos. In mammals, Pax7 is also thought to play a role in neural crest development, yet the precise contribution of Pax7 progenitors to the neural crest lineage has not been determined.Here we use Cre/loxP technology in double transgenic mice to fate map the Pax7 lineage in neural crest derivates. We find that Pax7 descendants contribute to multiple tissues including the cranial, cardiac and trunk neural crest, which in the cranial cartilage form a distinct regional pattern. The Pax7 lineage, like the Pax3 lineage, is additionally detected in some non-neural crest tissues, including a subset of the epithelial cells in specific organs.These results demonstrate a previously unappreciated widespread distribution of Pax7 descendants within and beyond the neural crest. They shed light regarding the regionally distinct phenotypes observed in Pax3 and Pax7 mutants, and provide a unique perspective into the potential roles of Pax7 during disease and development.

  14. AKT signaling displays multifaceted functions in neural crest development.

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    Sittewelle, Méghane; Monsoro-Burq, Anne H

    2018-05-31

    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. While many studies in mouse embryos have clearly implicated AKT signaling in the differentiation of several neural crest derivatives, information on AKT functions during the earliest steps of neural crest development had remained relatively scarce until recently. However, recent studies on known and novel regulators of AKT signaling demonstrate that this pathway plays critical roles throughout the development of neural crest progenitors. Non-mammalian models such as fish and frog embryos have been instrumental to our understanding of AKT functions in neural crest development, both in neural crest progenitors and in the neighboring tissues. This review combines current knowledge acquired from all these different vertebrate animal models to describe the various roles of AKT signaling related to neural crest development in vivo. We first describe the importance of AKT signaling in patterning the tissues involved in neural crest induction, namely the dorsal mesoderm and the ectoderm. We then focus on AKT signaling functions in neural crest migration and differentiation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Fibronectin promotes differentiation of neural crest progenitors endowed with smooth muscle cell potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costa-Silva, Bruno; Coelho da Costa, Meline; Melo, Fernanda Rosene; Neves, Cynara Mendes; Alvarez-Silva, Marcio; Calloni, Giordano Wosgrau; Trentin, Andrea Goncalves

    2009-01-01

    The neural crest (NC) is a model system used to investigate multipotency during vertebrate development. Environmental factors control NC cell fate decisions. Despite the well-known influence of extracellular matrix molecules in NC cell migration, the issue of whether they also influence NC cell differentiation has not been addressed at the single cell level. By analyzing mass and clonal cultures of mouse cephalic and quail trunk NC cells, we show for the first time that fibronectin (FN) promotes differentiation into the smooth muscle cell phenotype without affecting differentiation into glia, neurons, and melanocytes. Time course analysis indicated that the FN-induced effect was not related to massive cell death or proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Finally, by comparing clonal cultures of quail trunk NC cells grown on FN and collagen type IV (CLIV), we found that FN strongly increased both NC cell survival and the proportion of unipotent and oligopotent NC progenitors endowed with smooth muscle potential. In contrast, melanocytic progenitors were prominent in clonogenic NC cells grown on CLIV. Taken together, these results show that FN promotes NC cell differentiation along the smooth muscle lineage, and therefore plays an important role in fate decisions of NC progenitor cells

  16. Skeletogenic fate of zebrafish cranial and trunk neural crest.

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    Erika Kague

    Full Text Available The neural crest (NC is a major contributor to the vertebrate craniofacial skeleton, detailed in model organisms through embryological and genetic approaches, most notably in chick and mouse. Despite many similarities between these rather distant species, there are also distinct differences in the contribution of the NC, particularly to the calvariae of the skull. Lack of information about other vertebrate groups precludes an understanding of the evolutionary significance of these differences. Study of zebrafish craniofacial development has contributed substantially to understanding of cartilage and bone formation in teleosts, but there is currently little information on NC contribution to the zebrafish skeleton. Here, we employ a two-transgene system based on Cre recombinase to genetically label NC in the zebrafish. We demonstrate NC contribution to cells in the cranial ganglia and peripheral nervous system known to be NC-derived, as well as to a subset of myocardial cells. The indelible labeling also enables us to determine NC contribution to late-forming bones, including the calvariae. We confirm suspected NC origin of cartilage and bones of the viscerocranium, including cartilages such as the hyosymplectic and its replacement bones (hymandibula and symplectic and membranous bones such as the opercle. The cleithrum develops at the border of NC and mesoderm, and as an ancestral component of the pectoral girdle was predicted to be a hybrid bone composed of both NC and mesoderm tissues. However, we find no evidence of a NC contribution to the cleithrum. Similarly, in the vault of the skull, the parietal bones and the caudal portion of the frontal bones show no evidence of NC contribution. We also determine a NC origin for caudal fin lepidotrichia; the presumption is that these are derived from trunk NC, demonstrating that these cells have the ability to form bone during normal vertebrate development.

  17. The neural crest migrating into the 21st century

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    Bronner, Marianne E.; Simões-Costa, Marcos

    2016-01-01

    From the initial discovery of the neural crest over 150 years ago to the seminal studies of Le Douarin and colleagues in the latter part of the 20th century, understanding of the neural crest has moved from the descriptive to the experimental. Now, in the 21st century, neural crest research has migrated into the genomic age. Here we reflect upon the major advances in neural crest biology and the open questions that will continue to make research on this incredible vertebrate cell type an important subject in developmental biology for the century to come. PMID:26970616

  18. Insights into neural crest development from studies of avian embryos

    OpenAIRE

    Gandhi, Shashank; Bronner, Marianne E.

    2018-01-01

    The neural crest is a multipotent and highly migratory cell type that contributes to many of the defining features of vertebrates, including the skeleton of the head and most of the peripheral nervous system. 150 years after the discovery of the neural crest, avian embryos remain one of the most important model organisms for studying neural crest development. In this review, we describe aspects of neural crest induction, migration and axial level differences, highlighting what is known about ...

  19. Xenopus reduced folate carrier regulates neural crest development epigenetically.

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    Jiejing Li

    Full Text Available Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy causes birth neurocristopathic malformations resulting from aberrant development of neural crest cells. The Reduced folate carrier (RFC is a membrane-bound receptor for facilitating transfer of reduced folate into the cells. RFC knockout mice are embryonic lethal and develop multiple malformations, including neurocristopathies. Here we show that XRFC is specifically expressed in neural crest tissues in Xenopus embryos and knockdown of XRFC by specific morpholino results in severe neurocristopathies. Inhibition of RFC blocked the expression of a series of neural crest marker genes while overexpression of RFC or injection of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate expanded the neural crest territories. In animal cap assays, knockdown of RFC dramatically reduced the mono- and trimethyl-Histone3-K4 levels and co-injection of the lysine methyltransferase hMLL1 largely rescued the XRFC morpholino phenotype. Our data revealed that the RFC mediated folate metabolic pathway likely potentiates neural crest gene expression through epigenetic modifications.

  20. Utility of Phox2b immunohistochemical stain in neural crest tumours and non-neural crest tumours in paediatric patients.

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    Warren, Mikako; Matsuno, Ryosuke; Tran, Henry; Shimada, Hiroyuki

    2018-03-01

    This study evaluated the utility of Phox2b in paediatric tumours. Previously, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was the most widely utilised sympathoadrenal marker specific for neural crest tumours with neuronal/neuroendocrine differentiation. However, its sensitivity is insufficient. Recently Phox2b has emerged as another specific marker for this entity. Phox2b immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on 159 paediatric tumours, including (group 1) 65 neural crest tumours with neuronal differentiation [peripheral neuroblastic tumours (pNT)]: 15 neuroblastoma undifferentiated (NB-UD), 10 NB poorly differentiated (NB-PD), 10 NB differentiating (NB-D), 10 ganglioneuroblastoma intermixed (GNBi), 10 GNB nodular (GNBn) and 10 ganglioneuroma (GN); (group 2) 23 neural crest tumours with neuroendocrine differentiation [pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PCC/PG)]; (group 3) 27 other neural crest tumours including one composite rhabdomyosarcoma/neuroblastoma; and (group 4) 44 non-neural crest tumours. TH IHC was performed on groups 1, 2 and 3. Phox2b was expressed diffusely in pNT (n = 65 of 65), strongly in NB-UD and NB-PD and with less intensity in NB-D, GNB and GN. Diffuse TH was seen in all NB-PD, NB-D, GNB and GN, but nine of 15 NB-UD and a nodule in GNBn did not express TH (n = 55 of 65). PCC/PG expressed diffuse Phox2b (n = 23 of 23) and diffuse TH, except for one tumour (n = 22 of 23). In composite rhabdomyosarcoma, TH was expressed only in neuroblastic cells and Phox2b was diffusely positive in neuroblastic cells and focally in rhabdomyosarcoma. All other tumours were negative for Phox2b (n = none of 44). Phox2b was a specific and sensitive marker for pNT and PCC/PG, especially useful for identifying NB-UD often lacking TH. Our study also presented a composite rhabdomyosarcoma/neuroblastoma of neural crest origin. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Stephen L. Gans Distinguished Overseas Lecture. The neural crest in pediatric surgery.

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    Tovar, Juan A

    2007-06-01

    This review highlights the relevance of the neural crest (NC) as a developmental control mechanism involved in several pediatric surgical conditions and the investigative interest of following some of its known signaling pathways. The participation of the NC in facial clefts, ear defects, branchial fistulae and cysts, heart outflow tract and aortic arch anomalies, pigmentary disorders, abnormal enteric innervation, neural tumors, hemangiomas, and vascular anomalies is briefly reviewed. Then, the literature on clinical and experimental esophageal atresia-tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is reviewed for the presence of associated NC defects. Finally, some of the molecular signaling pathways involved in both conditions (sonic hedgehog, Hox genes, and retinoids) are summarized. The association of facial, cardiovascular, thymic, parathyroid, and C-cell defects together with anomalies of extrinsic and intrinsic esophageal innervation in babies and/or animals with both EA-TEF and CDH strongly supports the hypothesis that NC is involved in the pathogenesis of these malformative clusters. On the other hand, both EA-TEF and CDH are observed in mice mutant for genes involved in the previously mentioned signaling pathways. The investigation of NC-related molecular pathogenic pathways involved in malformative associations like EA-TEF and CDH that are induced by chromosomal anomalies, chemical teratogens, and engineered mutations is a promising way of clarifying why and how some pediatric surgical conditions occur. Pediatric surgeons should be actively involved in these investigations.

  2. Review: the role of neural crest cells in the endocrine system.

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    Adams, Meghan Sara; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne

    2009-01-01

    The neural crest is a pluripotent population of cells that arises at the junction of the neural tube and the dorsal ectoderm. These highly migratory cells form diverse derivatives including neurons and glia of the sensory, sympathetic, and enteric nervous systems, melanocytes, and the bones, cartilage, and connective tissues of the face. The neural crest has long been associated with the endocrine system, although not always correctly. According to current understanding, neural crest cells give rise to the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, chief cells of the extra-adrenal paraganglia, and thyroid C cells. The endocrine tumors that correspond to these cell types are pheochromocytomas, extra-adrenal paragangliomas, and medullary thyroid carcinomas. Although controversies concerning embryological origin appear to have mostly been resolved, questions persist concerning the pathobiology of each tumor type and its basis in neural crest embryology. Here we present a brief history of the work on neural crest development, both in general and in application to the endocrine system. In particular, we present findings related to the plasticity and pluripotency of neural crest cells as well as a discussion of several different neural crest tumors in the endocrine system.

  3. The Neural Border: Induction, Specification and Maturation of the territory that generates Neural Crest cells.

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    Pla, Patrick; Monsoro-Burq, Anne H

    2018-05-28

    The neural crest is induced at the edge between the neural plate and the nonneural ectoderm, in an area called the neural (plate) border, during gastrulation and neurulation. In recent years, many studies have explored how this domain is patterned, and how the neural crest is induced within this territory, that also participates to the prospective dorsal neural tube, the dorsalmost nonneural ectoderm, as well as placode derivatives in the anterior area. This review highlights the tissue interactions, the cell-cell signaling and the molecular mechanisms involved in this dynamic spatiotemporal patterning, resulting in the induction of the premigratory neural crest. Collectively, these studies allow building a complex neural border and early neural crest gene regulatory network, mostly composed by transcriptional regulations but also, more recently, including novel signaling interactions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. Robo signaling regulates the production of cranial neural crest cells.

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    Li, Yan; Zhang, Xiao-Tan; Wang, Xiao-Yu; Wang, Guang; Chuai, Manli; Münsterberg, Andrea; Yang, Xuesong

    2017-12-01

    Slit/Robo signaling plays an important role in the guidance of developing neurons in developing embryos. However, it remains obscure whether and how Slit/Robo signaling is involved in the production of cranial neural crest cells. In this study, we examined Robo1 deficient mice to reveal developmental defects of mouse cranial frontal and parietal bones, which are derivatives of cranial neural crest cells. Therefore, we determined the production of HNK1 + cranial neural crest cells in early chick embryo development after knock-down (KD) of Robo1 expression. Detection of markers for pre-migratory and migratory neural crest cells, PAX7 and AP-2α, showed that production of both was affected by Robo1 KD. In addition, we found that the transcription factor slug is responsible for the aberrant delamination/EMT of cranial neural crest cells induced by Robo1 KD, which also led to elevated expression of E- and N-Cadherin. N-Cadherin expression was enhanced when blocking FGF signaling with dominant-negative FGFR1 in half of the neural tube. Taken together, we show that Slit/Robo signaling influences the delamination/EMT of cranial neural crest cells, which is required for cranial bone development. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  5. Development of teeth in chick embryos after mouse neural crest transplantations.

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    Mitsiadis, Thimios A; Chéraud, Yvonnick; Sharpe, Paul; Fontaine-Pérus, Josiane

    2003-05-27

    Teeth were lost in birds 70-80 million years ago. Current thinking holds that it is the avian cranial neural crest-derived mesenchyme that has lost odontogenic capacity, whereas the oral epithelium retains the signaling properties required to induce odontogenesis. To investigate the odontogenic capacity of ectomesenchyme, we have used neural tube transplantations from mice to chick embryos to replace the chick neural crest cell populations with mouse neural crest cells. The mouse/chick chimeras obtained show evidence of tooth formation showing that avian oral epithelium is able to induce a nonavian developmental program in mouse neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells.

  6. Requirement for Foxd3 in the maintenance of neural crest progenitors.

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    Teng, Lu; Mundell, Nathan A; Frist, Audrey Y; Wang, Qiaohong; Labosky, Patricia A

    2008-05-01

    Understanding the molecular mechanisms of stem cell maintenance is crucial for the ultimate goal of manipulating stem cells for the treatment of disease. Foxd3 is required early in mouse embryogenesis; Foxd3(-/-) embryos fail around the time of implantation, cells of the inner cell mass cannot be maintained in vitro, and blastocyst-derived stem cell lines cannot be established. Here, we report that Foxd3 is required for maintenance of the multipotent mammalian neural crest. Using tissue-specific deletion of Foxd3 in the neural crest, we show that Foxd3(flox/-); Wnt1-Cre mice die perinatally with a catastrophic loss of neural crest-derived structures. Cranial neural crest tissues are either missing or severely reduced in size, the peripheral nervous system consists of reduced dorsal root ganglia and cranial nerves, and the entire gastrointestinal tract is devoid of neural crest derivatives. These results demonstrate a global role for this transcriptional repressor in all aspects of neural crest maintenance along the anterior-posterior axis, and establish an unprecedented molecular link between multiple divergent progenitor lineages of the mammalian embryo.

  7. Leader Cells Define Directionality of Trunk, but Not Cranial, Neural Crest Cell Migration

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    Jo Richardson

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Collective cell migration is fundamental for life and a hallmark of cancer. Neural crest (NC cells migrate collectively, but the mechanisms governing this process remain controversial. Previous analyses in Xenopus indicate that cranial NC (CNC cells are a homogeneous population relying on cell-cell interactions for directional migration, while chick embryo analyses suggest a heterogeneous population with leader cells instructing directionality. Our data in chick and zebrafish embryos show that CNC cells do not require leader cells for migration and all cells present similar migratory capacities. In contrast, laser ablation of trunk NC (TNC cells shows that leader cells direct movement and cell-cell contacts are required for migration. Moreover, leader and follower identities are acquired before the initiation of migration and remain fixed thereafter. Thus, two distinct mechanisms establish the directionality of CNC cells and TNC cells. This implies the existence of multiple molecular mechanisms for collective cell migration.

  8. Development of teeth in chick embryos after mouse neural crest transplantations

    OpenAIRE

    Mitsiadis, Thimios A.; Chéraud, Yvonnick; Sharpe, Paul; Fontaine-Pérus, Josiane

    2003-01-01

    Teeth were lost in birds 70–80 million years ago. Current thinking holds that it is the avian cranial neural crest-derived mesenchyme that has lost odontogenic capacity, whereas the oral epithelium retains the signaling properties required to induce odontogenesis. To investigate the odontogenic capacity of ectomesenchyme, we have used neural tube transplantations from mice to chick embryos to replace the chick neural crest cell populations with mouse neural crest cells. The mouse/chick ...

  9. Adipose stromal cells contain phenotypically distinct adipogenic progenitors derived from neural crest.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshihiro Sowa

    Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs contain phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous subpopulations of cells, but their developmental origin and their relative differentiation potential remain elusive. In the present study, we aimed at investigating how and to what extent the neural crest contributes to ASCs using Cre-loxP-mediated fate mapping. ASCs harvested from subcutaneous fat depots of either adult P0-Cre/or Wnt1-Cre/Floxed-reporter mice contained a few neural crest-derived ASCs (NCDASCs. This subpopulation of cells was successfully expanded in vitro under standard culture conditions and their growth rate was comparable to non-neural crest derivatives. Although NCDASCs were positive for several mesenchymal stem cell markers as non-neural crest derivatives, they exhibited a unique bipolar or multipolar morphology with higher expression of markers for both neural crest progenitors (p75NTR, Nestin, and Sox2 and preadipocytes (CD24, CD34, S100, Pref-1, GATA2, and C/EBP-delta. NCDASCs were able to differentiate into adipocytes with high efficiency but their osteogenic and chondrogenic potential was markedly attenuated, indicating their commitment to adipogenesis. In vivo, a very small proportion of adipocytes were originated from the neural crest. In addition, p75NTR-positive neural crest-derived cells were identified along the vessels within the subcutaneous adipose tissue, but they were negative for mural and endothelial markers. These results demonstrate that ASCs contain neural crest-derived adipocyte-restricted progenitors whose phenotype is distinct from that of non-neural crest derivatives.

  10. Establishing neural crest identity: a gene regulatory recipe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simões-Costa, Marcos; Bronner, Marianne E.

    2015-01-01

    The neural crest is a stem/progenitor cell population that contributes to a wide variety of derivatives, including sensory and autonomic ganglia, cartilage and bone of the face and pigment cells of the skin. Unique to vertebrate embryos, it has served as an excellent model system for the study of cell behavior and identity owing to its multipotency, motility and ability to form a broad array of cell types. Neural crest development is thought to be controlled by a suite of transcriptional and epigenetic inputs arranged hierarchically in a gene regulatory network. Here, we examine neural crest development from a gene regulatory perspective and discuss how the underlying genetic circuitry results in the features that define this unique cell population. PMID:25564621

  11. Neural crest contribution to lingual mesenchyme, epithelium and developing taste papillae and taste buds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hong-Xiang; Komatsu, Yoshihiro; Mishina, Yuji; Mistretta, Charlotte M

    2012-08-15

    The epithelium of mammalian tongue hosts most of the taste buds that transduce gustatory stimuli into neural signals. In the field of taste biology, taste bud cells have been described as arising from "local epithelium", in distinction from many other receptor organs that are derived from neurogenic ectoderm including neural crest (NC). In fact, contribution of NC to both epithelium and mesenchyme in the developing tongue is not fully understood. In the present study we used two independent, well-characterized mouse lines, Wnt1-Cre and P0-Cre that express Cre recombinase in a NC-specific manner, in combination with two Cre reporter mouse lines, R26R and ZEG, and demonstrate a contribution of NC-derived cells to both tongue mesenchyme and epithelium including taste papillae and taste buds. In tongue mesenchyme, distribution of NC-derived cells is in close association with taste papillae. In tongue epithelium, labeled cells are observed in an initial scattered distribution and progress to a clustered pattern between papillae, and within papillae and early taste buds. This provides evidence for a contribution of NC to lingual epithelium. Together with previous reports for the origin of taste bud cells from local epithelium in postnatal mouse, we propose that NC cells migrate into and reside in the epithelium of the tongue primordium at an early embryonic stage, acquire epithelial cell phenotypes, and undergo cell proliferation and differentiation that is involved in the development of taste papillae and taste buds. Our findings lead to a new concept about derivation of taste bud cells that include a NC origin. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Modelling collective cell migration of neural crest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabó, András; Mayor, Roberto

    2016-10-01

    Collective cell migration has emerged in the recent decade as an important phenomenon in cell and developmental biology and can be defined as the coordinated and cooperative movement of groups of cells. Most studies concentrate on tightly connected epithelial tissues, even though collective migration does not require a constant physical contact. Movement of mesenchymal cells is more independent, making their emergent collective behaviour less intuitive and therefore lending importance to computational modelling. Here we focus on such modelling efforts that aim to understand the collective migration of neural crest cells, a mesenchymal embryonic population that migrates large distances as a group during early vertebrate development. By comparing different models of neural crest migration, we emphasize the similarity and complementary nature of these approaches and suggest a future direction for the field. The principles derived from neural crest modelling could aid understanding the collective migration of other mesenchymal cell types. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Germ layers, the neural crest and emergent organization in development and evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Brian K

    2018-04-10

    Discovered in chick embryos by Wilhelm His in 1868 and named the neural crest by Arthur Milnes Marshall in 1879, the neural crest cells that arise from the neural folds have since been shown to differentiate into almost two dozen vertebrate cell types and to have played major roles in the evolution of such vertebrate features as bone, jaws, teeth, visceral (pharyngeal) arches, and sense organs. I discuss the discovery that ectodermal neural crest gave rise to mesenchyme and the controversy generated by that finding; the germ layer theory maintained that only mesoderm could give rise to mesenchyme. A second topic of discussion is germ layers (including the neural crest) as emergent levels of organization in animal development and evolution that facilitated major developmental and evolutionary change. The third topic is gene networks, gene co-option, and the evolution of gene-signaling pathways as key to developmental and evolutionary transitions associated with the origin and evolution of the neural crest and neural crest cells. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Delamination of neural crest cells requires transient and reversible Wnt inhibition mediated by Dact1/2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabadán, M Angeles; Herrera, Antonio; Fanlo, Lucia; Usieto, Susana; Carmona-Fontaine, Carlos; Barriga, Elias H; Mayor, Roberto; Pons, Sebastián; Martí, Elisa

    2016-06-15

    Delamination of neural crest (NC) cells is a bona fide physiological model of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that is influenced by Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Using two in vivo models, we show that Wnt/β-catenin signalling is transiently inhibited at the time of NC delamination. In attempting to define the mechanism underlying this inhibition, we found that the scaffold proteins Dact1 and Dact2, which are expressed in pre-migratory NC cells, are required for NC delamination in Xenopus and chick embryos, whereas they do not affect the motile properties of migratory NC cells. Dact1/2 inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signalling upstream of the transcriptional activity of T cell factor (TCF), which is required for EMT to proceed. Dact1/2 regulate the subcellular distribution of β-catenin, preventing β-catenin from acting as a transcriptional co-activator to TCF, yet without affecting its stability. Together, these data identify a novel yet important regulatory element that inhibits β-catenin signalling, which then affects NC delamination. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  15. Role of the extracellular matrix during neural crest cell migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perris, R; Perissinotto, D

    2000-07-01

    Once specified to become neural crest (NC), cells occupying the dorsal portion of the neural tube disrupt their cadherin-mediated cell-cell contacts, acquire motile properties, and embark upon an extensive migration through the embryo to reach their ultimate phenotype-specific sites. The understanding of how this movement is regulated is still rather fragmentary due to the complexity of the cellular and molecular interactions involved. An additional intricate aspect of the regulation of NC cell movement is that the timings, modes and patterns of NC cell migration are intimately associated with the concomitant phenotypic diversification that cells undergo during their migratory phase and the fact that these changes modulate the way that moving cells interact with their microenvironment. To date, two interplaying mechanisms appear central for the guidance of the migrating NC cells through the embryo: one involves secreted signalling molecules acting through their cognate protein kinase/phosphatase-type receptors and the other is contributed by the multivalent interactions of the cells with their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). The latter ones seem fundamental in light of the central morphogenetic role played by the intracellular signals transduced through the cytoskeleton upon integrin ligation, and the convergence of these signalling cascades with those triggered by cadherins, survival/growth factor receptors, gap junctional communications, and stretch-activated calcium channels. The elucidation of the importance of the ECM during NC cell movement is presently favoured by the augmenting knowledge about the macromolecular structure of the specific ECM assembled during NC development and the functional assaying of its individual constituents via molecular and genetic manipulations. Collectively, these data propose that NC cell migration may be governed by time- and space-dependent alterations in the expression of inhibitory ECM components; the relative ratio

  16. EGF–FGF2 stimulates the proliferation and improves the neuronal commitment of mouse epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bressan, Raul Bardini; Melo, Fernanda Rosene; Almeida, Patricia Alves; Bittencourt, Denise Avani; Visoni, Silvia; Jeremias, Talita Silva; Costa, Ana Paula; Leal, Rodrigo Bainy; Trentin, Andrea Gonçalves

    2014-01-01

    Epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs), which reside in the bulge of hair follicles, are attractive candidates for several applications in cell therapy, drug screening and tissue engineering. As suggested remnants of the embryonic neural crest (NC) in an adult location, EPI-NCSCs are able to generate a wide variety of cell types and are readily accessible by a minimally invasive procedure. Since the combination of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor type 2 (FGF 2 ) is mitogenic and promotes the neuronal commitment of various stem cell populations, we examined its effects in the proliferation and neuronal potential of mouse EPI-NCSCs. By using a recognized culture protocol of bulge whiskers follicles, we were able to isolate a population of EPI-NCSCs, characterized by the migratory potential, cell morphology and expression of phenotypic markers of NC cells. EPI-NCSCs expressed neuronal, glial and smooth muscle markers and exhibited the NC-like fibroblastic morphology. The treatment with the combination EGF and FGF 2 , however, increased their proliferation rate and promoted the acquisition of a neuronal-like morphology accompanied by reorganization of neural cytoskeletal proteins βIII-tubulin and nestin, as well as upregulation of the pan neuronal marker βIII-tubulin and down regulation of the undifferentiated NC, glial and smooth muscle cell markers. Moreover, the treatment enhanced the response of EPI-NCSCs to neurogenic stimulation, as evidenced by induction of GAP43, and increased expression of Mash-1 in neuron-like cell, both neuronal-specific proteins. Together, the results suggest that the combination of EGF–FGF2 stimulates the proliferation and improves the neuronal potential of EPI-NCSCs similarly to embryonic NC cells, ES cells and neural progenitor/stem cells of the central nervous system and highlights the advantage of using EGF–FGF 2 in neuronal differentiation protocols. - Highlights: • EPI-NCSCs express

  17. EGF–FGF{sub 2} stimulates the proliferation and improves the neuronal commitment of mouse epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bressan, Raul Bardini; Melo, Fernanda Rosene; Almeida, Patricia Alves; Bittencourt, Denise Avani; Visoni, Silvia; Jeremias, Talita Silva [Departamento de Biologia Celular, Embriologia e Genética, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário – Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis SC (Brazil); Costa, Ana Paula; Leal, Rodrigo Bainy [Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário – Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis SC (Brazil); Trentin, Andrea Gonçalves, E-mail: andrea.trentin@ufsc.br [Departamento de Biologia Celular, Embriologia e Genética, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário – Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis SC (Brazil)

    2014-09-10

    Epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs), which reside in the bulge of hair follicles, are attractive candidates for several applications in cell therapy, drug screening and tissue engineering. As suggested remnants of the embryonic neural crest (NC) in an adult location, EPI-NCSCs are able to generate a wide variety of cell types and are readily accessible by a minimally invasive procedure. Since the combination of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor type 2 (FGF{sub 2}) is mitogenic and promotes the neuronal commitment of various stem cell populations, we examined its effects in the proliferation and neuronal potential of mouse EPI-NCSCs. By using a recognized culture protocol of bulge whiskers follicles, we were able to isolate a population of EPI-NCSCs, characterized by the migratory potential, cell morphology and expression of phenotypic markers of NC cells. EPI-NCSCs expressed neuronal, glial and smooth muscle markers and exhibited the NC-like fibroblastic morphology. The treatment with the combination EGF and FGF{sub 2}, however, increased their proliferation rate and promoted the acquisition of a neuronal-like morphology accompanied by reorganization of neural cytoskeletal proteins βIII-tubulin and nestin, as well as upregulation of the pan neuronal marker βIII-tubulin and down regulation of the undifferentiated NC, glial and smooth muscle cell markers. Moreover, the treatment enhanced the response of EPI-NCSCs to neurogenic stimulation, as evidenced by induction of GAP43, and increased expression of Mash-1 in neuron-like cell, both neuronal-specific proteins. Together, the results suggest that the combination of EGF–FGF2 stimulates the proliferation and improves the neuronal potential of EPI-NCSCs similarly to embryonic NC cells, ES cells and neural progenitor/stem cells of the central nervous system and highlights the advantage of using EGF–FGF{sub 2} in neuronal differentiation protocols. - Highlights: • EPI

  18. Amphioxus and lamprey AP-2 genes: implications for neural crest evolution and migration patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meulemans, Daniel; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne

    2002-01-01

    The neural crest is a uniquely vertebrate cell type present in the most basal vertebrates, but not in cephalochordates. We have studied differences in regulation of the neural crest marker AP-2 across two evolutionary transitions: invertebrate to vertebrate, and agnathan to gnathostome. Isolation and comparison of amphioxus, lamprey and axolotl AP-2 reveals its extensive expansion in the vertebrate dorsal neural tube and pharyngeal arches, implying co-option of AP-2 genes by neural crest cells early in vertebrate evolution. Expression in non-neural ectoderm is a conserved feature in amphioxus and vertebrates, suggesting an ancient role for AP-2 genes in this tissue. There is also common expression in subsets of ventrolateral neurons in the anterior neural tube, consistent with a primitive role in brain development. Comparison of AP-2 expression in axolotl and lamprey suggests an elaboration of cranial neural crest patterning in gnathostomes. However, migration of AP-2-expressing neural crest cells medial to the pharyngeal arch mesoderm appears to be a primitive feature retained in all vertebrates. Because AP-2 has essential roles in cranial neural crest differentiation and proliferation, the co-option of AP-2 by neural crest cells in the vertebrate lineage was a potentially crucial event in vertebrate evolution.

  19. PDGF controls contact inhibition of locomotion by regulating N-cadherin during neural crest migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahm, Isabel; Barriga, Elias H; Frolov, Antonina; Theveneau, Eric; Frankel, Paul; Mayor, Roberto

    2017-07-01

    A fundamental property of neural crest (NC) migration is contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL), a process by which cells change their direction of migration upon cell contact. CIL has been proven to be essential for NC migration in amphibians and zebrafish by controlling cell polarity in a cell contact-dependent manner. Cell contact during CIL requires the participation of the cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin, which starts to be expressed by NC cells as a consequence of the switch between E- and N-cadherins during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the mechanism that controls the upregulation of N-cadherin remains unknown. Here, we show that platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα) and its ligand platelet-derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) are co-expressed in migrating cranial NC. Inhibition of PDGF-A/PDGFRα blocks NC migration by inhibiting N-cadherin and, consequently, impairing CIL. Moreover, we identify phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT as a downstream effector of the PDGFRα cellular response during CIL. Our results lead us to propose PDGF-A/PDGFRα signalling as a tissue-autonomous regulator of CIL by controlling N-cadherin upregulation during EMT. Finally, we show that once NC cells have undergone EMT, the same PDGF-A/PDGFRα works as an NC chemoattractant, guiding their directional migration. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  20. Neural crest stem cell population in craniomaxillofacial development and tissue repair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M La Noce

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Neural crest cells, delaminating from the neural tube during migration, undergo an epithelial-mesenchymal transition and differentiate into several cell types strongly reinforcing the mesoderm of the craniofacial body area – giving rise to bone, cartilage and other tissues and cells of this human body area. Recent studies on craniomaxillofacial neural crest-derived cells have provided evidence for the tremendous plasticity of these cells. Actually, neural crest cells can respond and adapt to the environment in which they migrate and the cranial mesoderm plays an important role toward patterning the identity of the migrating neural crest cells. In our experience, neural crest-derived stem cells, such as dental pulp stem cells, can actively proliferate, repair bone and give rise to other tissues and cytotypes, including blood vessels, smooth muscle, adipocytes and melanocytes, highlighting that their use in tissue engineering is successful. In this review, we provide an overview of the main pathways involved in neural crest formation, delamination, migration and differentiation; and, in particular, we concentrate our attention on the translatability of the latest scientific progress. Here we try to suggest new ideas and strategies that are needed to fully develop the clinical use of these cells. This effort should involve both researchers/clinicians and improvements in good manufacturing practice procedures. It is important to address studies towards clinical application or take into consideration that studies must have an effective therapeutic prospect for humans. New approaches and ideas must be concentrated also toward stem cell recruitment and activation within the human body, overcoming the classical grafting.

  1. Animal models for studying neural crest development: is the mouse different?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barriga, Elias H; Trainor, Paul A; Bronner, Marianne; Mayor, Roberto

    2015-05-01

    The neural crest is a uniquely vertebrate cell type and has been well studied in a number of model systems. Zebrafish, Xenopus and chick embryos largely show consistent requirements for specific genes in early steps of neural crest development. By contrast, knockouts of homologous genes in the mouse often do not exhibit comparable early neural crest phenotypes. In this Spotlight article, we discuss these species-specific differences, suggest possible explanations for the divergent phenotypes in mouse and urge the community to consider these issues and the need for further research in complementary systems. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  2. Regulation of Msx genes by a Bmp gradient is essential for neural crest specification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tribulo, Celeste; Aybar, Manuel J; Nguyen, Vu H; Mullins, Mary C; Mayor, Roberto

    2003-12-01

    There is evidence in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos that the neural crest/neural folds are specified at the border of the neural plate by a precise threshold concentration of a Bmp gradient. In order to understand the molecular mechanism by which a gradient of Bmp is able to specify the neural crest, we analyzed how the expression of Bmp targets, the Msx genes, is regulated and the role that Msx genes has in neural crest specification. As Msx genes are directly downstream of Bmp, we analyzed Msx gene expression after experimental modification in the level of Bmp activity by grafting a bead soaked with noggin into Xenopus embryos, by expressing in the ectoderm a dominant-negative Bmp4 or Bmp receptor in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos, and also through Bmp pathway component mutants in the zebrafish. All the results show that a reduction in the level of Bmp activity leads to an increase in the expression of Msx genes in the neural plate border. Interestingly, by reaching different levels of Bmp activity in animal cap ectoderm, we show that a specific concentration of Bmp induces msx1 expression to a level similar to that required to induce neural crest. Our results indicate that an intermediate level of Bmp activity specifies the expression of Msx genes in the neural fold region. In addition, we have analyzed the role that msx1 plays on neural crest specification. As msx1 has a role in dorsoventral pattering, we have carried out conditional gain- and loss-of-function experiments using different msx1 constructs fused to a glucocorticoid receptor element to avoid an early effect of this factor. We show that msx1 expression is able to induce all other early neural crest markers tested (snail, slug, foxd3) at the time of neural crest specification. Furthermore, the expression of a dominant negative of Msx genes leads to the inhibition of all the neural crest markers analyzed. It has been previously shown that snail is one of the earliest genes acting in the neural crest

  3. Temporally Regulated Neural Crest Transcription Factors Distinguish Neuroectodermal Tumors of Varying Malignancy and Differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Timothy R. Gershon

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Neuroectodermal tumor cells, like neural crest (NC cells, are pluripotent, proliferative, and migratory. We tested the hypothesis that genetic programs essential to NC development are activated in neuroectodermal tumors. We examined the expression of transcription factors PAX3, PAX7, AP-2α, and SOX10 in human embryos and neuroectodermal tumors: neurofibroma, schwannoma, neuroblastoma, malignant nerve sheath tumor, melanoma, medulloblastoma, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor, and Ewing's sarcoma. We also examined the expression of P0, ERBB3, and STX, targets of SOX10, AP-2α, and PAX3, respectively. PAX3, AP-2α, and SOX10 were expressed sequentially in human NC development, whereas PAX7 was restricted to mesoderm. Tumors expressed PAX3, AP-2α, SOX10, and PAX7 in specific combinations. SOX10 and AP-2α were expressed in relatively differentiated neoplasms. The early NC marker, PAX3, and its homologue, PAX7, were detected in poorly differentiated tumors and tumors with malignant potential. Expression of NC transcription factors and target genes correlated. Transcription factors essential to NC development are thus present in neuroectodermal tumors. Correlation of specific NC transcription factors with phenotype, and with expression of specific downstream genes, provides evidence that these transcription factors actively influence gene expression and tumor behavior. These findings suggest that PAX3, PAX7, AP-2α, and SOX10 are potential markers of prognosis and targets for therapeutic intervention.

  4. Aebp2 as an epigenetic regulator for neural crest cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hana Kim

    Full Text Available Aebp2 is a potential targeting protein for the mammalian Polycomb Repression Complex 2 (PRC2. We generated a mutant mouse line disrupting the transcription of Aebp2 to investigate its in vivo roles. Aebp2-mutant homozygotes were embryonic lethal while heterozygotes survived to adulthood with fertility. In developing mouse embryos, Aebp2 is expressed mainly within cells of neural crest origin. In addition, many heterozygotes display a set of phenotypes, enlarged colon and hypopigmentation, similar to those observed in human patients with Hirschsprung's disease and Waardenburg syndrome. These phenotypes are usually caused by the absence of the neural crest-derived ganglia in hindguts and melanocytes. ChIP analyses demonstrated that the majority of the genes involved in the migration and development process of neural crest cells are downstream target genes of AEBP2 and PRC2. Furthermore, expression analyses confirmed that some of these genes are indeed affected in the Aebp2 heterozygotes. Taken together, these results suggest that Aebp2 may regulate the migration and development of the neural crest cells through the PRC2-mediated epigenetic mechanism.

  5. Anosmin-1 is essential for neural crest and cranial placodes formation in Xenopus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Chang-Joon; Hong, Chang-Soo; Saint-Jeannet, Jean-Pierre

    2018-01-15

    During embryogenesis vertebrates develop a complex craniofacial skeleton associated with sensory organs. These structures are primarily derived from two embryonic cell populations the neural crest and cranial placodes, respectively. Neural crest cells and cranial placodes are specified through the integrated action of several families of signaling molecules, and the subsequent activation of a complex network of transcription factors. Here we describe the expression and function of Anosmin-1 (Anos1), an extracellular matrix protein, during neural crest and cranial placodes development in Xenopus laevis. Anos1 was identified as a target of Pax3 and Zic1, two transcription factors necessary and sufficient to generate neural crest and cranial placodes. Anos1 is expressed in cranial neural crest progenitors at early neurula stage and in cranial placode derivatives later in development. We show that Anos1 function is required for neural crest and sensory organs development in Xenopus, consistent with the defects observed in Kallmann syndrome patients carrying a mutation in ANOS1. These findings indicate that anos1 has a conserved function in the development of craniofacial structures, and indicate that anos1-depleted Xenopus embryos represent a useful model to analyze the pathogenesis of Kallmann syndrome. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. File list: Pol.PSC.20.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Pol.PSC.20.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests hg19 RNA polymerase Pluripotent stem cell hESC derived neural... crests http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/hg19/assembled/Pol.PSC.20.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests.bed ...

  7. File list: Pol.PSC.05.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Pol.PSC.05.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests hg19 RNA polymerase Pluripotent stem cell hESC derived neural... crests http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/hg19/assembled/Pol.PSC.05.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests.bed ...

  8. File list: Pol.PSC.10.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Pol.PSC.10.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests hg19 RNA polymerase Pluripotent stem cell hESC derived neural... crests http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/hg19/assembled/Pol.PSC.10.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests.bed ...

  9. Adrenergic innervation of the developing chick heart: neural crest ablations to produce sympathetically aneural hearts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirby, M.; Stewart, D.

    1984-01-01

    Ablation of various regions of premigratory trunk neural crest which gives rise to the sympathetic trunks was used to remove sympathetic cardiac innervation. Neuronal uptake of [ 3 H]-norepinephrine was used as an index of neuronal development in the chick atrium. Following ablation of neural crest over somites 10-15 or 15-20, uptake was significantly decreased in the atrium at 16 and 17 days of development. Ablation of neural crest over somites 5-10 and 20-25 caused no decrease in [ 3 H]-norepinephrine uptake. Removal of neural crest over somites 5-25 or 10-20 caused approximately equal depletions of [ 3 H]-norepinephrine uptake in the atrium. Cardiac norepinephrine concentration was significantly depressed following ablation of neural crest over somites 5-25 but not over somites 10-20. Light-microscopic and histofluorescent preparations confirmed the absence of sympathetic trunks in the region of the normal origin of the sympathetic cardiac nerves following neural crest ablation over somites 10-20. The neural tube and dorsal root ganglia were damaged in the area of the neural-crest ablation; however, all of these structures were normal cranial and caudal to the lesioned area. Development of most of the embryos as well as the morphology of all of the hearts was normal following the lesion. These results indicate that it is possible to produce sympathetically aneural hearts by neural-crest ablation; however, sympathetic cardiac nerves account for an insignificant amount of cardiac norepinephrine

  10. File list: Unc.PSC.20.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Unc.PSC.20.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests hg19 Unclassified Pluripotent stem cell hESC derived neural... crests SRX059366 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/hg19/assembled/Unc.PSC.20.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests.bed ...

  11. File list: Unc.PSC.05.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Unc.PSC.05.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests hg19 Unclassified Pluripotent stem cell hESC derived neural... crests SRX059366 http://dbarchive.biosciencedbc.jp/kyushu-u/hg19/assembled/Unc.PSC.05.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests.bed ...

  12. Retinoic acid temporally orchestrates colonization of the gut by vagal neural crest cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uribe, Rosa A; Hong, Stephanie S; Bronner, Marianne E

    2018-01-01

    The enteric nervous system arises from neural crest cells that migrate as chains into and along the primitive gut, subsequently differentiating into enteric neurons and glia. Little is known about the mechanisms governing neural crest migration en route to and along the gut in vivo. Here, we report that Retinoic Acid (RA) temporally controls zebrafish enteric neural crest cell chain migration. In vivo imaging reveals that RA loss severely compromises the integrity and migration of the chain of neural crest cells during the window of time window when they are moving along the foregut. After loss of RA, enteric progenitors accumulate in the foregut and differentiate into enteric neurons, but subsequently undergo apoptosis resulting in a striking neuronal deficit. Moreover, ectopic expression of the transcription factor meis3 and/or the receptor ret, partially rescues enteric neuron colonization after RA attenuation. Collectively, our findings suggest that retinoic acid plays a critical temporal role in promoting enteric neural crest chain migration and neuronal survival upstream of Meis3 and RET in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Neural crest does not contribute to the neck and shoulder in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Epperlein, Hans-Henning; Khattak, Shahryar; Knapp, Dunja; Tanaka, Elly M; Malashichev, Yegor B

    2012-01-01

    A major step during the evolution of tetrapods was their transition from water to land. This process involved the reduction or complete loss of the dermal bones that made up connections to the skull and a concomitant enlargement of the endochondral shoulder girdle. In the mouse the latter is derived from three separate embryonic sources: lateral plate mesoderm, somites, and neural crest. The neural crest was suggested to sustain the muscle attachments. How this complex composition of the endochondral shoulder girdle arose during evolution and whether it is shared by all tetrapods is unknown. Salamanders that lack dermal bone within their shoulder girdle were of special interest for a possible contribution of the neural crest to the endochondral elements and muscle attachment sites, and we therefore studied them in this context. We grafted neural crest from GFP+ fluorescent transgenic axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) donor embryos into white (d/d) axolotl hosts and followed the presence of neural crest cells within the cartilage of the shoulder girdle and the connective tissue of muscle attachment sites of the neck-shoulder region. Strikingly, neural crest cells did not contribute to any part of the endochondral shoulder girdle or to the connective tissue at muscle attachment sites in axolotl. Our results in axolotl suggest that neural crest does not serve a general function in vertebrate shoulder muscle attachment sites as predicted by the "muscle scaffold theory," and that it is not necessary to maintain connectivity of the endochondral shoulder girdle to the skull. Our data support the possibility that the contribution of the neural crest to the endochondral shoulder girdle, which is observed in the mouse, arose de novo in mammals as a developmental basis for their skeletal synapomorphies. This further supports the hypothesis of an increased neural crest diversification during vertebrate evolution.

  14. Neural crest does not contribute to the neck and shoulder in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans-Henning Epperlein

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A major step during the evolution of tetrapods was their transition from water to land. This process involved the reduction or complete loss of the dermal bones that made up connections to the skull and a concomitant enlargement of the endochondral shoulder girdle. In the mouse the latter is derived from three separate embryonic sources: lateral plate mesoderm, somites, and neural crest. The neural crest was suggested to sustain the muscle attachments. How this complex composition of the endochondral shoulder girdle arose during evolution and whether it is shared by all tetrapods is unknown. Salamanders that lack dermal bone within their shoulder girdle were of special interest for a possible contribution of the neural crest to the endochondral elements and muscle attachment sites, and we therefore studied them in this context. RESULTS: We grafted neural crest from GFP+ fluorescent transgenic axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum donor embryos into white (d/d axolotl hosts and followed the presence of neural crest cells within the cartilage of the shoulder girdle and the connective tissue of muscle attachment sites of the neck-shoulder region. Strikingly, neural crest cells did not contribute to any part of the endochondral shoulder girdle or to the connective tissue at muscle attachment sites in axolotl. CONCLUSIONS: Our results in axolotl suggest that neural crest does not serve a general function in vertebrate shoulder muscle attachment sites as predicted by the "muscle scaffold theory," and that it is not necessary to maintain connectivity of the endochondral shoulder girdle to the skull. Our data support the possibility that the contribution of the neural crest to the endochondral shoulder girdle, which is observed in the mouse, arose de novo in mammals as a developmental basis for their skeletal synapomorphies. This further supports the hypothesis of an increased neural crest diversification during vertebrate evolution.

  15. Influence and timing of arrival of murine neural crest on pancreatic beta cell development and maturation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plank, Jennifer L; Mundell, Nathan A; Frist, Audrey Y; LeGrone, Alison W; Kim, Thomas; Musser, Melissa A; Walter, Teagan J; Labosky, Patricia A

    2011-01-15

    Interactions between cells from the ectoderm and mesoderm influence development of the endodermally-derived pancreas. While much is known about how mesoderm regulates pancreatic development, relatively little is understood about how and when the ectodermally-derived neural crest regulates pancreatic development and specifically, beta cell maturation. A previous study demonstrated that signals from the neural crest regulate beta cell proliferation and ultimately, beta cell mass. Here, we expand on that work to describe timing of neural crest arrival at the developing pancreatic bud and extend our knowledge of the non-cell autonomous role for neural crest derivatives in the process of beta cell maturation. We demonstrated that murine neural crest entered the pancreatic mesenchyme between the 26 and 27 somite stages (approximately 10.0 dpc) and became intermingled with pancreatic progenitors as the epithelium branched into the surrounding mesenchyme. Using a neural crest-specific deletion of the Forkhead transcription factor Foxd3, we ablated neural crest cells that migrate to the pancreatic primordium. Consistent with previous data, in the absence of Foxd3, and therefore the absence of neural crest cells, proliferation of insulin-expressing cells and insulin-positive area are increased. Analysis of endocrine cell gene expression in the absence of neural crest demonstrated that, although the number of insulin-expressing cells was increased, beta cell maturation was significantly impaired. Decreased MafA and Pdx1 expression illustrated the defect in beta cell maturation; we discovered that without neural crest, there was a reduction in the percentage of insulin-positive cells that co-expressed Glut2 and Pdx1 compared to controls. In addition, transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed decreased numbers of characteristic insulin granules and the presence of abnormal granules in insulin-expressing cells from mutant embryos. Together, these data demonstrate that

  16. File list: NoD.PSC.10.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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  17. File list: NoD.PSC.20.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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  18. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor-MET signaling in neural crest-derived melanocyte development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kos, L; Aronzon, A; Takayama, H; Maina, F; Ponzetto, C; Merlino, G; Pavan, W

    1999-02-01

    The mechanisms governing development of neural crest-derived melanocytes, and how alterations in these pathways lead to hypopigmentation disorders, are not completely understood. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) signaling through the tyrosine-kinase receptor, MET, is capable of promoting the proliferation, increasing the motility, and maintaining high tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis of melanocytes in vitro. In addition, transgenic mice that ubiquitously overexpress HGF/SF demonstrate hyperpigmentation in the skin and leptomenigenes and develop melanomas. To investigate whether HGF/ SF-MET signaling is involved in the development of neural crest-derived melanocytes, transgenic embryos, ubiquitously overexpressing HGF/SF, were analyzed. In HGF/SF transgenic embryos, the distribution of melanoblasts along the characteristic migratory pathway was not affected. However, additional ectopically localized melanoblasts were also observed in the dorsal root ganglia and neural tube, as early as 11.5 days post coitus (p.c.). We utilized an in vitro neural crest culture assay to further explore the role of HGF/SF-MET signaling in neural crest development. HGF/SF added to neural crest cultures increased melanoblast number, permitted differentiation into pigmented melanocytes, promoted melanoblast survival, and could replace mast-cell growth factor/Steel factor (MGF) in explant cultures. To examine whether HGF/SF-MET signaling is required for the proper development of melanocytes, embryos with a targeted Met null mutation (Met-/-) were analysed. In Met-/- embryos, melanoblast number and location were not overtly affected up to 14 days p.c. These results demonstrate that HGF/SF-MET signaling influences, but is not required for, the initial development of neural crest-derived melanocytes in vivo and in vitro.

  19. File list: InP.PSC.05.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

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  20. File list: InP.PSC.50.AllAg.hESC_derived_neural_crests [Chip-atlas[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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  1. SOX10-Nano-Lantern Reporter Human iPS Cells; A Versatile Tool for Neural Crest Research.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomoko Horikiri

    Full Text Available The neural crest is a source to produce multipotent neural crest stem cells that have a potential to differentiate into diverse cell types. The transcription factor SOX10 is expressed through early neural crest progenitors and stem cells in vertebrates. Here we report the generation of SOX10-Nano-lantern (NL reporter human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPS by using CRISPR/Cas9 systems, that are beneficial to investigate the generation and maintenance of neural crest progenitor cells. SOX10-NL positive cells are produced transiently from hiPS cells by treatment with TGFβ inhibitor SB431542 and GSK3 inhibitor CHIR99021. We found that all SOX10-NL-positive cells expressed an early neural crest marker NGFR, however SOX10-NL-positive cells purified from differentiated hiPS cells progressively attenuate their NL-expression under proliferation. We therefore attempted to maintain SOX10-NL-positive cells with additional signaling on the plane and sphere culture conditions. These SOX10-NL cells provide us to investigate mass culture with neural crest cells for stem cell research.

  2. Characterization of Pax3 and Sox10 transgenic Xenopus laevis embryos as tools to study neural crest development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkobtawi, Mansour; Ray, Heather; Barriga, Elias H; Moreno, Mauricio; Kerney, Ryan; Monsoro-Burq, Anne-Helene; Saint-Jeannet, Jean-Pierre; Mayor, Roberto

    2018-03-06

    The neural crest is a multipotent population of cells that originates a variety of cell types. Many animal models are used to study neural crest induction, migration and differentiation, with amphibians and birds being the most widely used systems. A major technological advance to study neural crest development in mouse, chick and zebrafish has been the generation of transgenic animals in which neural crest specific enhancers/promoters drive the expression of either fluorescent proteins for use as lineage tracers, or modified genes for use in functional studies. Unfortunately, no such transgenic animals currently exist for the amphibians Xenopus laevis and tropicalis, key model systems for studying neural crest development. Here we describe the generation and characterization of two transgenic Xenopus laevis lines, Pax3-GFP and Sox10-GFP, in which GFP is expressed in the pre-migratory and migratory neural crest, respectively. We show that Pax3-GFP could be a powerful tool to study neural crest induction, whereas Sox10-GFP could be used in the study of neural crest migration in living embryos. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Synthesis on accumulation of putative neurotransmitters by cultured neural crest cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maxwell, G.D.; Sietz, P.D.; Rafford, C.E.

    1982-01-01

    The events mediating the differentiation of embryonic neural crest cells into several types of neurons are incompletely understood. In order to probe one aspect of this differentiation, we have examined the capacity of cultured quail trunk neural crest cells to synthesize, from radioactive precursors, and store several putative neurotransmitter compounds. These neural crest cultures develop the capacity to synthesize and accumulate acetylcholine and the catecholamines norepinephrine and dopamine. In contrast, detectable but relatively little synthesis and accumulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine gamma-aminobutyric acid, or octopamine from the appropriate radiolabeled precursors were observed. The capacity for synthesis and accumulation of radiolabeled acetylcholine and catecholamines is very low or absent at 2 days in vitro. Between 3 and 7 days in vitro, there is a marked rise in both catecholamine and acetylcholine accumulation in the cultures. These findings suggest that, under the particular conditions used in these experiments, the development of neurotransmitter biosynthesis in trunk neural crest cells ijs restricted and resembles, at least partially, the pattern observed in vivo. The development of this capacity to synthesize and store radiolabeled acetylcholine and catecholamines from the appropriate radioactive precursors coincides closely with the development of the activities of the synthetic enzymes choline acetyltransferase and dopamine beta-hydroxylase reported by others

  4. Evolution of neural crest and placodes: amphioxus as a model for the ancestral vertebrate?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holland, L. Z.; Holland, N. D.

    2001-01-01

    Recent studies of protochordates (ascidian tunicates and amphioxus) have given insights into possible ancestors of 2 of the characteristic features of the vertebrate head: neural crest and placodes. The neural crest probably evolved from cells on either side of the neural plate-epidermis boundary in a protochordate ancestral to the vertebrates. In amphioxus, homologues of several vertebrate neural crest marker genes (BMP2/4, Pax3/7, Msx, Dll and Snail) are expressed at the edges of the neural plate and/or adjacent nonneural ectoderm. Some of these markers are also similarly expressed in tunicates. In protochordates, however, these cells, unlike vertebrate neural crest, neither migrate as individuals through embryonic tissues nor differentiate into a wide spectrum of cell types. Therefore, while the protochordate ancestor of the vertebrates probably had the beginnings of a genetic programme for neural crest formation, this programme was augmented in the earliest vertebrates to attain definitive neural crest. Clear homologues of vertebrate placodes are lacking in protochordates. However, both amphioxus and tunicates have ectodermal sensory cells. In tunicates these are all primary neurons, sending axons to the central nervous system, while in amphioxus, the ectodermal sensory cells include both primary neurons and secondary neurons lacking axons. Comparisons of developmental gene expression suggest that the anterior ectoderm in amphioxus may be homologous to the vertebrate olfactory placode, the only vertebrate placode with primary, not secondary, neurons. Similarly, biochemical, morphological and gene expression data suggest that amphioxus and tunicates also have homologues of the adenohypophysis, one of the few vertebrate structures derived from nonneurogenic placodes. In contrast, the origin of the other vertebrate placodes is very uncertain.

  5. Twist1 Controls a Cell-Specification Switch Governing Cell Fate Decisions within the Cardiac Neural Crest

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincentz, Joshua W.; Firulli, Beth A.; Lin, Andrea; Spicer, Douglas B.; Howard, Marthe J.; Firulli, Anthony B.

    2013-01-01

    Neural crest cells are multipotent progenitor cells that can generate both ectodermal cell types, such as neurons, and mesodermal cell types, such as smooth muscle. The mechanisms controlling this cell fate choice are not known. The basic Helix-loop-Helix (bHLH) transcription factor Twist1 is expressed throughout the migratory and post-migratory cardiac neural crest. Twist1 ablation or mutation of the Twist-box causes differentiation of ectopic neuronal cells, which molecularly resemble sympathetic ganglia, in the cardiac outflow tract. Twist1 interacts with the pro-neural factor Sox10 via its Twist-box domain and binds to the Phox2b promoter to repress transcriptional activity. Mesodermal cardiac neural crest trans-differentiation into ectodermal sympathetic ganglia-like neurons is dependent upon Phox2b function. Ectopic Twist1 expression in neural crest precursors disrupts sympathetic neurogenesis. These data demonstrate that Twist1 functions in post-migratory neural crest cells to repress pro-neural factors and thereby regulate cell fate determination between ectodermal and mesodermal lineages. PMID:23555309

  6. Neural Crest-Derived Mesenchymal Cells Require Wnt Signaling for Their Development and Drive Invagination of the Telencephalic Midline

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choe, Youngshik; Zarbalis, Konstantinos S.; Pleasure, Samuel J.

    2014-01-01

    Embryonic neural crest cells contribute to the development of the craniofacial mesenchyme, forebrain meninges and perivascular cells. In this study, we investigated the function of ß-catenin signaling in neural crest cells abutting the dorsal forebrain during development. In the absence of ß-catenin signaling, neural crest cells failed to expand in the interhemispheric region and produced ectopic smooth muscle cells instead of generating dermal and calvarial mesenchyme. In contrast, constitutive expression of stabilized ß-catenin in neural crest cells increased the number of mesenchymal lineage precursors suggesting that ß-catenin signaling is necessary for the expansion of neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells. Interestingly, the loss of neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) leads to failure of telencephalic midline invagination and causes ventricular system defects. This study shows that ß-catenin signaling is required for the switch of neural crest cells to MSCs and mediates the expansion of MSCs to drive the formation of mesenchymal structures of the head. Furthermore, loss of these structures causes striking defects in forebrain morphogenesis. PMID:24516524

  7. Neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells require Wnt signaling for their development and drive invagination of the telencephalic midline.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youngshik Choe

    Full Text Available Embryonic neural crest cells contribute to the development of the craniofacial mesenchyme, forebrain meninges and perivascular cells. In this study, we investigated the function of ß-catenin signaling in neural crest cells abutting the dorsal forebrain during development. In the absence of ß-catenin signaling, neural crest cells failed to expand in the interhemispheric region and produced ectopic smooth muscle cells instead of generating dermal and calvarial mesenchyme. In contrast, constitutive expression of stabilized ß-catenin in neural crest cells increased the number of mesenchymal lineage precursors suggesting that ß-catenin signaling is necessary for the expansion of neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells. Interestingly, the loss of neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs leads to failure of telencephalic midline invagination and causes ventricular system defects. This study shows that ß-catenin signaling is required for the switch of neural crest cells to MSCs and mediates the expansion of MSCs to drive the formation of mesenchymal structures of the head. Furthermore, loss of these structures causes striking defects in forebrain morphogenesis.

  8. Differentiation defect in neural crest-derived smooth muscle cells in patients with aortopathy associated with bicuspid aortic valves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiao Jiao

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Individuals with bicuspid aortic valves (BAV are at a higher risk of developing thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA than patients with trileaflet aortic valves (TAV. The aneurysms associated with BAV most commonly involve the ascending aorta and spare the descending aorta. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs in the ascending and descending aorta arise from neural crest (NC and paraxial mesoderm (PM, respectively. We hypothesized defective differentiation of the neural crest stem cells (NCSCs-derived SMCs but not paraxial mesoderm cells (PMCs-derived SMCs contributes to the aortopathy associated with BAV. When induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs from BAV/TAA patients were differentiated into NCSC-derived SMCs, these cells demonstrated significantly decreased expression of marker of SMC differentiation (MYH11 and impaired contraction compared to normal control. In contrast, the PMC-derived SMCs were similar to control cells in these aspects. The NCSC-SMCs from the BAV/TAA also showed decreased TGF-β signaling based on phosphorylation of SMAD2, and increased mTOR signaling. Inhibition of mTOR pathway using rapamycin rescued the aberrant differentiation. Our data demonstrates that decreased differentiation and contraction of patient's NCSC-derived SMCs may contribute to that aortopathy associated with BAV.

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    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

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  17. Role of cranial neural crest cells in visceral arch muscle positioning and morphogenesis in the Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ericsson, Rolf; Cerny, Robert; Falck, Pierre; Olsson, Lennart

    2004-10-01

    The role of cranial neural crest cells in the formation of visceral arch musculature was investigated in the Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum. DiI (1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine, perchlorate) labeling and green fluorescent protein (GFP) mRNA injections combined with unilateral transplantations of neural folds showed that neural crest cells contribute to the connective tissues but not the myofibers of developing visceral arch muscles in the mandibular, hyoid, and branchial arches. Extirpations of individual cranial neural crest streams demonstrated that neural crest cells are necessary for correct morphogenesis of visceral arch muscles. These do, however, initially develop in their proper positions also in the absence of cranial neural crest. Visceral arch muscles forming in the absence of neural crest cells start to differentiate at their origins but fail to extend toward their insertions and may have a frayed appearance. Our data indicate that visceral arch muscle positioning is controlled by factors that do not have a neural crest origin. We suggest that the cranial neural crest-derived connective tissues provide directional guidance important for the proper extension of the cranial muscles and the subsequent attachment to the insertion on the correct cartilage. In a comparative context, our data from the Mexican axolotl support the view that the cranial neural crest plays a fundamental role in the development of not only the skeleton of the vertebrate head but also in the morphogenesis of the cranial muscles and that this might be a primitive feature of cranial development in vertebrates. 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  18. Apoptosis in neural crest cells by functional loss of APC tumor suppressor gene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasegawa, Sumitaka; Sato, Tomoyuki; Akazawa, Hiroshi; Okada, Hitoshi; Maeno, Akiteru; Ito, Masaki; Sugitani, Yoshinobu; Shibata, Hiroyuki; Miyazaki, Jun-ichi; Katsuki, Motoya; Yamauchi, Yasutaka; Yamamura, Ken-ichi; Katamine, Shigeru; Noda, Tetsuo

    2002-01-01

    Apc is a gene associated with familial adenomatous polyposis coli (FAP) and its inactivation is a critical step in colorectal tumor formation. The protein product, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), acts to down-regulate intracellular levels of β-catenin, a key signal transducer in the Wnt signaling. Conditional targeting of Apc in the neural crest of mice caused massive apoptosis of cephalic and cardiac neural crest cells at about 11.5 days post coitum, resulting in craniofacial and cardiac anomalies at birth. Notably, the apoptotic cells localized in the regions where β-catenin had accumulated. In contrast to its role in colorectal epithelial cells, inactivation of APC leads to dysregulation of β-catenin/Wnt signaling with resultant apoptosis in certain tissues including neural crest cells. PMID:11756652

  19. Lack of beta1 integrins in enteric neural crest cells leads to a Hirschsprung-like phenotype

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Breau, Marie A; Pietri, Thomas; Eder, Olivier

    2006-01-01

    The enteric nervous system arises mainly from vagal and sacral neural crest cells that colonise the gut between 9.5 and 14 days of development in mice. Using the Cre-LoxP system, we removed beta1 integrins in the neural crest cells when they emerge from the neural tube. beta1-null enteric neural...

  20. Histone deacetylase 1 and 2 are essential for murine neural crest proliferation, pharyngeal arch development, and craniofacial morphogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milstone, Zachary J; Lawson, Grace; Trivedi, Chinmay M

    2017-12-01

    Craniofacial anomalies involve defective pharyngeal arch development and neural crest function. Copy number variation at 1p35, containing histone deacetylase 1 (Hdac1), or 6q21-22, containing Hdac2, are implicated in patients with craniofacial defects, suggesting an important role in guiding neural crest development. However, the roles of Hdac1 and Hdac2 within neural crest cells remain unknown. The neural crest and its derivatives express both Hdac1 and Hdac2 during early murine development. Ablation of Hdac1 and Hdac2 within murine neural crest progenitor cells cause severe hemorrhage, atrophic pharyngeal arches, defective head morphogenesis, and complete embryonic lethality. Embryos lacking Hdac1 and Hdac2 in the neural crest exhibit decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis in both the neural tube and the first pharyngeal arch. Mechanistically, loss of Hdac1 and Hdac2 upregulates cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors Cdkn1a, Cdkn1b, Cdkn1c, Cdkn2b, Cdkn2c, and Tp53 within the first pharyngeal arch. Our results show that Hdac1 and Hdac2 function redundantly within the neural crest to regulate proliferation and the development of the pharyngeal arches by means of repression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. Developmental Dynamics 246:1015-1026, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Effects of epidermal growth factor on neural crest cells in tissue culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erickson, C.A.; Turley, E.A.

    1987-01-01

    Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates the release of hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) from quail trunk neural crest cultures in a dose-dependent fashion. It also promotes the expression of cell-associated heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) as detected by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation of the 3 H-labeled proteoglycan. Furthermore, EGF stimulates [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation into total cell DNA. These results raise the possibility that EGF or an analogous growth factor is involved in regulation of neural crest cell morphogenesis

  2. Krox20 defines a subpopulation of cardiac neural crest cells contributing to arterial valves and bicuspid aortic valve.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odelin, Gaëlle; Faure, Emilie; Coulpier, Fanny; Di Bonito, Maria; Bajolle, Fanny; Studer, Michèle; Avierinos, Jean-François; Charnay, Patrick; Topilko, Piotr; Zaffran, Stéphane

    2018-01-03

    Although cardiac neural crest cells are required at early stages of arterial valve development, their contribution during valvular leaflet maturation remains poorly understood. Here, we show in mouse that neural crest cells from pre-otic and post-otic regions make distinct contributions to the arterial valve leaflets. Genetic fate-mapping analysis of Krox20-expressing neural crest cells shows a large contribution to the borders and the interleaflet triangles of the arterial valves. Loss of Krox20 function results in hyperplastic aortic valve and partially penetrant bicuspid aortic valve formation. Similar defects are observed in neural crest Krox20 -deficient embryos. Genetic lineage tracing in Krox20 -/- mutant mice shows that endothelial-derived cells are normal, whereas neural crest-derived cells are abnormally increased in number and misplaced in the valve leaflets. In contrast, genetic ablation of Krox20 -expressing cells is not sufficient to cause an aortic valve defect, suggesting that adjacent cells can compensate this depletion. Our findings demonstrate a crucial role for Krox20 in arterial valve development and reveal that an excess of neural crest cells may be associated with bicuspid aortic valve. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  3. Expression of cardiac neural crest and heart genes isolated by modified differential display.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinsen, Brad J; Groebner, Nathan J; Frasier, Allison J; Lohr, Jamie L

    2003-08-01

    The invasion of the cardiac neural crest (CNC) into the outflow tract (OFT) and subsequent outflow tract septation are critical events during vertebrate heart development. We have performed four modified differential display screens in the chick embryo to identify genes that may be involved in CNC, OFT, secondary heart field, and heart development. The screens included differential display of RNA isolated from three different axial segments containing premigratory cranial neural crest cells; of RNA from distal outflow tract, proximal outflow tract, and atrioventricular tissue of embryonic chick hearts; and of RNA isolated from left and right cranial tissues, including the early heart fields. These screens have resulted in the identification of the five cDNA clones presented here, which are expressed in the cardiac neural crest, outflow tract and developing heart in patterns that are unique in heart development.

  4. Diprosopia revisited in light of the recognized role of neural crest cells in facial development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carles, D; Weichhold, W; Alberti, E M; Léger, F; Pigeau, F; Horovitz, J

    1995-01-01

    The aim of this study is to compare the theory of embryogenesis of the face with human diprosopia. This peculiar form of conjoined twinning is of great interest because 1) only the facial structures are duplicated and 2) almost all cases have a rather monomorphic pattern. The hypothesis is that an initial duplication of the notochord leads to two neural plates and subsequently duplicated neural crests. In those conditions, derivatives of the neural crests will be partially or totally duplicated; therefore, in diprosopia, the duplicated facial structures would be considered to be neural crest derivatives. If these structures are identical to those that are experimentally demonstrated to be neural crest derivatives in animals, these findings are an argument to apply this theory of facial embryogenesis in man. Serial horizontal sections of the face of two diprosopic fetuses (11 and 21 weeks gestation) were studied macro- and microscopically to determine the external and internal structures that are duplicated. Complete postmortem examination was performed in search for additional malformations. The face of both fetuses showed a very similar morphologic pattern with duplication of ocular, nasal, and buccal structures. The nasal fossae and the anterior part of the tongue were also duplicated, albeit the posterior part and the pharyngolaryngeal structures were unique. Additional facial clefts were present in both fetuses. Extrafacial anomalies were represented by a craniorachischisis, two fused vertebral columns and, in the older fetus, by a complex cardiac malformation morphologically identical to malformations induced by removal or grafting of additional cardiac neural crest cells in animals. These pathological findings could identify the facial structures that are neural crest derivatives in man. They are similar to those experimentally demonstrated to be neural crest derivatives in animals. In this respect, diprosopia could be considered as the end of a spectrum

  5. Constitutively active Notch1 converts cranial neural crest-derived frontonasal mesenchyme to perivascular cells in vivo

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    Sophie R. Miller

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Perivascular/mural cells originate from either the mesoderm or the cranial neural crest. Regardless of their origin, Notch signalling is necessary for their formation. Furthermore, in both chicken and mouse, constitutive Notch1 activation (via expression of the Notch1 intracellular domain is sufficient in vivo to convert trunk mesoderm-derived somite cells to perivascular cells, at the expense of skeletal muscle. In experiments originally designed to investigate the effect of premature Notch1 activation on the development of neural crest-derived olfactory ensheathing glial cells (OECs, we used in ovo electroporation to insert a tetracycline-inducible NotchΔE construct (encoding a constitutively active mutant of mouse Notch1 into the genome of chicken cranial neural crest cell precursors, and activated NotchΔE expression by doxycycline injection at embryonic day 4. NotchΔE-targeted cells formed perivascular cells within the frontonasal mesenchyme, and expressed a perivascular marker on the olfactory nerve. Hence, constitutively activating Notch1 is sufficient in vivo to drive not only somite cells, but also neural crest-derived frontonasal mesenchyme and perhaps developing OECs, to a perivascular cell fate. These results also highlight the plasticity of neural crest-derived mesenchyme and glia.

  6. The hypoxia factor Hif-1α controls neural crest chemotaxis and epithelial to mesenchymal transition

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    Barriga, Elias H.; Maxwell, Patrick H.

    2013-01-01

    One of the most important mechanisms that promotes metastasis is the stabilization of Hif-1 (hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1). We decided to test whether Hif-1α also was required for early embryonic development. We focused our attention on the development of the neural crest, a highly migratory embryonic cell population whose behavior has been likened to cancer metastasis. Inhibition of Hif-1α by antisense morpholinos in Xenopus laevis or zebrafish embryos led to complete inhibition of neural crest migration. We show that Hif-1α controls the expression of Twist, which in turn represses E-cadherin during epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of neural crest cells. Thus, Hif-1α allows cells to initiate migration by promoting the release of cell–cell adhesions. Additionally, Hif-1α controls chemotaxis toward the chemokine SDF-1 by regulating expression of its receptor Cxcr4. Our results point to Hif-1α as a novel and key regulator that integrates EMT and chemotaxis during migration of neural crest cells. PMID:23712262

  7. Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Neural Crest Cells in Craniofacial Skeletal Research

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    Satoru Morikawa

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Craniofacial skeletal tissues are composed of tooth and bone, together with nerves and blood vessels. This composite material is mainly derived from neural crest cells (NCCs. The neural crest is transient embryonic tissue present during neural tube formation whose cells have high potential for migration and differentiation. Thus, NCCs are promising candidates for craniofacial tissue regeneration; however, the clinical application of NCCs is hindered by their limited accessibility. In contrast, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs are easily accessible in adults, have similar potential for self-renewal, and can differentiate into skeletal tissues, including bones and cartilage. Therefore, MSCs may represent good sources of stem cells for clinical use. MSCs are classically identified under adherent culture conditions, leading to contamination with other cell lineages. Previous studies have identified mouse- and human-specific MSC subsets using cell surface markers. Additionally, some studies have shown that a subset of MSCs is closely related to neural crest derivatives and endothelial cells. These MSCs may be promising candidates for regeneration of craniofacial tissues from the perspective of developmental fate. Here, we review the fundamental biology of MSCs in craniofacial research.

  8. Regeneration of neural crest derivatives in the Xenopus tadpole tail

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    Slack Jonathan MW

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background After amputation of the Xenopus tadpole tail, a functionally competent new tail is regenerated. It contains spinal cord, notochord and muscle, each of which has previously been shown to derive from the corresponding tissue in the stump. The regeneration of the neural crest derivatives has not previously been examined and is described in this paper. Results Labelling of the spinal cord by electroporation, or by orthotopic grafting of transgenic tissue expressing GFP, shows that no cells emigrate from the spinal cord in the course of regeneration. There is very limited regeneration of the spinal ganglia, but new neurons as well as fibre tracts do appear in the regenerated spinal cord and the regenerated tail also contains abundant peripheral innervation. The regenerated tail contains a normal density of melanophores. Cell labelling experiments show that melanophores do not arise from the spinal cord during regeneration, nor from the mesenchymal tissues of the skin, but they do arise by activation and proliferation of pre-existing melanophore precursors. If tails are prepared lacking melanophores, then the regenerates also lack them. Conclusion On regeneration there is no induction of a new neural crest similar to that seen in embryonic development. However there is some regeneration of neural crest derivatives. Abundant melanophores are regenerated from unpigmented precursors, and, although spinal ganglia are not regenerated, sufficient sensory systems are produced to enable essential functions to continue.

  9. Modeling initiation of Ewing sarcoma in human neural crest cells.

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    Cornelia von Levetzow

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Ewing sarcoma family tumors (ESFT are aggressive bone and soft tissue tumors that express EWS-ETS fusion genes as driver mutations. Although the histogenesis of ESFT is controversial, mesenchymal (MSC and/or neural crest (NCSC stem cells have been implicated as cells of origin. For the current study we evaluated the consequences of EWS-FLI1 expression in human embryonic stem cell-derived NCSC (hNCSC. Ectopic expression of EWS-FLI1 in undifferentiated hNCSC and their neuro-mesenchymal stem cell (hNC-MSC progeny was readily tolerated and led to altered expression of both well established as well as novel EWS-FLI1 target genes. Importantly, whole genome expression profiling studies revealed that the molecular signature of established ESFT is more similar to hNCSC than any other normal tissue, including MSC, indicating that maintenance or reactivation of the NCSC program is a feature of ESFT pathogenesis. Consistent with this hypothesis, EWS-FLI1 induced hNCSC genes as well as the polycomb proteins BMI-1 and EZH2 in hNC-MSC. In addition, up-regulation of BMI-1 was associated with avoidance of cellular senescence and reversible silencing of p16. Together these studies confirm that, unlike terminally differentiated cells but consistent with bone marrow-derived MSC, NCSC tolerate expression of EWS-FLI1 and ectopic expression of the oncogene initiates transition to an ESFT-like state. In addition, to our knowledge this is the first demonstration that EWS-FLI1-mediated induction of BMI-1 and epigenetic silencing of p16 might be critical early initiating events in ESFT tumorigenesis.

  10. Modeling Cerebrovascular Pathophysiology in Amyloid-β Metabolism using Neural-Crest-Derived Smooth Muscle Cells

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    Christine Cheung

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Summary: There is growing recognition of cerebrovascular contributions to neurodegenerative diseases. In the walls of cerebral arteries, amyloid-beta (Aβ accumulation is evident in a majority of aged people and patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Here, we leverage human pluripotent stem cells to generate vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs from neural crest progenitors, recapitulating brain-vasculature-specific attributes of Aβ metabolism. We confirm that the lipoprotein receptor, LRP1, functions in our neural-crest-derived SMCs to mediate Aβ uptake and intracellular lysosomal degradation. Hypoxia significantly compromises the contribution of SMCs to Aβ clearance by suppressing LRP1 expression. This enabled us to develop an assay of Aβ uptake by using the neural crest-derived SMCs with hypoxia as a stress paradigm. We then tested several vascular protective compounds in a high-throughput format, demonstrating the value of stem-cell-based phenotypic screening for novel therapeutics and drug repurposing, aimed at alleviating amyloid burden. : The contribution of blood vessel pathologies to neurodegenerative disorders is relatively neglected, partly due to inadequate human tissues for research. By using human stem cells, Cheung et al. establish a method of generating vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs from neural crest progenitors, the primary precursors that give rise to brain blood vessels. These stem-cell-derived SMCs display defective amyloid processing under chronic hypoxia, a phenomenon well documented in the cerebral vasculatures of aged people and patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

  11. Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting of EGFP-Labeled Neural Crest Cells From Murine Embryonic Craniofacial Tissue

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    Saurabh Singh

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available During the early stages of embryogenesis, pluripotent neural crest cells (NCC are known to migrate from the neural folds to populate multiple target sites in the embryo where they differentiate into various derivatives, including cartilage, bone, connective tissue, melanocytes, glia, and neurons of the peripheral nervous system. The ability to obtain pure NCC populations is essential to enable molecular analyses of neural crest induction, migration, and/or differentiation. Crossing Wnt1-Cre and Z/EG transgenic mouse lines resulted in offspring in which the Wnt1-Cre transgene activated permanent EGFP expression only in NCC. The present report demonstrates a flow cytometric method to sort and isolate populations of EGFP-labeled NCC. The identity of the sorted neural crest cells was confirmed by assaying expression of known marker genes by TaqMan Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (QRT-PCR. The molecular strategy described in this report provides a means to extract intact RNA from a pure population of NCC thus enabling analysis of gene expression in a defined population of embryonic precursor cells critical to development.

  12. Neural Crest Cells Isolated from the Bone Marrow of Transgenic Mice Express JCV T-Antigen.

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    Jennifer Gordon

    Full Text Available JC virus (JCV, a common human polyomavirus, is the etiological agent of the demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML. In addition to its role in PML, studies have demonstrated the transforming ability of the JCV early protein, T-antigen, and its association with some human cancers. JCV infection occurs in childhood and latent virus is thought to be maintained within the bone marrow, which harbors cells of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic lineages. Here we show that non-hematopoietic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs isolated from the bone marrow of JCV T-antigen transgenic mice give rise to JCV T-antigen positive cells when cultured under neural conditions. JCV T-antigen positive cells exhibited neural crest characteristics and demonstrated p75, SOX-10 and nestin positivity. When cultured in conditions typical for mesenchymal cells, a population of T-antigen negative cells, which did not express neural crest markers arose from the MSCs. JCV T-antigen positive cells could be cultured long-term while maintaining their neural crest characteristics. When these cells were induced to differentiate into neural crest derivatives, JCV T-antigen was downregulated in cells differentiating into bone and maintained in glial cells expressing GFAP and S100. We conclude that JCV T-antigen can be stably expressed within a fraction of bone marrow cells differentiating along the neural crest/glial lineage when cultured in vitro. These findings identify a cell population within the bone marrow permissible for JCV early gene expression suggesting the possibility that these cells could support persistent viral infection and thus provide clues toward understanding the role of the bone marrow in JCV latency and reactivation. Further, our data provides an excellent experimental model system for studying the cell-type specificity of JCV T-antigen expression, the role of bone marrow-derived stem cells in the pathogenesis of JCV-related diseases

  13. The F-box protein Cdc4/Fbxw7 is a novel regulator of neural crest development in Xenopus laevis

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    Hartley Rebecca S

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The neural crest is a unique population of cells that arise in the vertebrate ectoderm at the neural plate border after which they migrate extensively throughout the embryo, giving rise to a wide range of derivatives. A number of proteins involved in neural crest development have dynamic expression patterns, and it is becoming clear that ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation is partly responsible for this. Results Here we demonstrate a novel role for the F-box protein Cdc4/Fbxw7 in neural crest development. Two isoforms of Xenopus laevis Cdc4 were identified, and designated xCdc4α and xCdc4β. These are highly conserved with vertebrate Cdc4 orthologs, and the Xenopus proteins are functionally equivalent in terms of their ability to degrade Cyclin E, an established vertebrate Cdc4 target. Blocking xCdc4 function specifically inhibited neural crest development at an early stage, prior to expression of c-Myc, Snail2 and Snail. Conclusions We demonstrate that Cdc4, an ubiquitin E3 ligase subunit previously identified as targeting primarily cell cycle regulators for proteolysis, has additional roles in control of formation of the neural crest. Hence, we identify Cdc4 as a protein with separable but complementary functions in control of cell proliferation and differentiation.

  14. Specific and spatial labeling of P0-Cre versus Wnt1-Cre in cranial neural crest in early mouse embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Guiqian; Ishan, Mohamed; Yang, Jingwen; Kishigami, Satoshi; Fukuda, Tomokazu; Scott, Greg; Ray, Manas K; Sun, Chenming; Chen, Shi-You; Komatsu, Yoshihiro; Mishina, Yuji; Liu, Hong-Xiang

    2017-06-01

    P0-Cre and Wnt1-Cre mouse lines have been widely used in combination with loxP-flanked mice to label and genetically modify neural crest (NC) cells and their derivatives. Wnt1-Cre has been regarded as the gold standard and there have been concerns about the specificity of P0-Cre because it is not clear about the timing and spatial distribution of the P0-Cre transgene in labeling NC cells at early embryonic stages. We re-visited P0-Cre and Wnt1-Cre models in the labeling of NC cells in early mouse embryos with a focus on cranial NC. We found that R26-lacZ Cre reporter responded to Cre activity more reliably than CAAG-lacZ Cre reporter during early embryogenesis. Cre immunosignals in P0-Cre and reporter (lacZ and RFP) activity in P0-Cre/R26-lacZ and P0-Cre/R26-RFP embryos was detected in the cranial NC and notochord regions in E8.0-9.5 (4-19 somites) embryos. P0-Cre transgene expression was observed in migrating NC cells and was more extensive in the forebrain and hindbrain but not apparent in the midbrain. Differences in the Cre distribution patterns of P0-Cre and Wnt1-Cre were profound in the midbrain and hindbrain regions, that is, extensive in the midbrain of Wnt1-Cre and in the hindbrain of P0-Cre embryos. The difference between P0-Cre and Wnt1-Cre in labeling cranial NC may provide a better explanation of the differential distributions of their NC derivatives and of the phenotypes caused by Cre-driven genetic modifications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. A negative modulatory role for rho and rho-associated kinase signaling in delamination of neural crest cells

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    Kalcheim Chaya

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Neural crest progenitors arise as epithelial cells and then undergo a process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition that precedes the generation of cellular motility and subsequent migration. We aim at understanding the underlying molecular network. Along this line, possible roles of Rho GTPases that act as molecular switches to control a variety of signal transduction pathways remain virtually unexplored, as are putative interactions between Rho proteins and additional known components of this cascade. Results We investigated the role of Rho/Rock signaling in neural crest delamination. Active RhoA and RhoB are expressed in the membrane of epithelial progenitors and are downregulated upon delamination. In vivo loss-of-function of RhoA or RhoB or of overall Rho signaling by C3 transferase enhanced and/or triggered premature crest delamination yet had no effect on cell specification. Consistently, treatment of explanted neural primordia with membrane-permeable C3 or with the Rock inhibitor Y27632 both accelerated and enhanced crest emigration without affecting cell proliferation. These treatments altered neural crest morphology by reducing stress fibers, focal adhesions and downregulating membrane-bound N-cadherin. Reciprocally, activation of endogenous Rho by lysophosphatidic acid inhibited emigration while enhancing the above. Since delamination is triggered by BMP and requires G1/S transition, we examined their relationship with Rho. Blocking Rho/Rock function rescued crest emigration upon treatment with noggin or with the G1/S inhibitor mimosine. In the latter condition, cells emigrated while arrested at G1. Conversely, BMP4 was unable to rescue cell emigration when endogenous Rho activity was enhanced by lysophosphatidic acid. Conclusion Rho-GTPases, through Rock, act downstream of BMP and of G1/S transition to negatively regulate crest delamination by modifying cytoskeleton assembly and intercellular adhesion.

  16. The lamprey: a jawless vertebrate model system for examining origin of the neural crest and other vertebrate traits.

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    Green, Stephen A; Bronner, Marianne E

    2014-01-01

    Lampreys are a group of jawless fishes that serve as an important point of comparison for studies of vertebrate evolution. Lampreys and hagfishes are agnathan fishes, the cyclostomes, which sit at a crucial phylogenetic position as the only living sister group of the jawed vertebrates. Comparisons between cyclostomes and jawed vertebrates can help identify shared derived (i.e. synapomorphic) traits that might have been inherited from ancestral early vertebrates, if unlikely to have arisen convergently by chance. One example of a uniquely vertebrate trait is the neural crest, an embryonic tissue that produces many cell types crucial to vertebrate features, such as the craniofacial skeleton, pigmentation of the skin, and much of the peripheral nervous system (Gans and Northcutt, 1983). Invertebrate chordates arguably lack unambiguous neural crest homologs, yet have cells with some similarities, making comparisons with lampreys and jawed vertebrates essential for inferring characteristics of development in early vertebrates, and how they may have evolved from nonvertebrate chordates. Here we review recent research on cyclostome neural crest development, including research on lamprey gene regulatory networks and differentiated neural crest fates. Copyright © 2014 International Society of Differentiation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Changes in cholinergic parameters associated with failure of conotruncal septation in embryonic chick hearts after neural crest ablation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirby, M.L.; Aronstam, R.S.; Buccafusco, J.J.

    1985-01-01

    Cells from the neural crest over occipital somites migrate to the heart, where they give rise to parasympathetic postganglionic neurons as well as ectomesenchymal elements which contribute to conotruncal septation. With a microcautery needle, the neural crest over occipital somites was ablated bilaterally in chicken embryos at an early stage of development. Histological examination on incubation day 15 revealed conotruncal malformations, involving malformation or absence of the conotruncal septum in all embryos. Two peaks of embryo mortality were observed. One peak (incubation days 6-8) occurred at the same time as conotruncal septal closure; the second peak (incubation days 11-13) was concurrent with the onset of functional parasympathetic innervation. A disruption of parasympathetic innervation was indicated by: (1) a decrease in acetylcholinesterase staining, (2) a decrease (27%) in the number of ganglion cells in the conotruncus, (3) decreases in the acetylcholine content of atrium (31%) and ventricle (39%), and (4) a decrease (21%) in muscarinic acetylcholine receptor density on incubation day 15. Radiolabeled ligand-binding studies revealed no change in the affinity of cardiac muscarinic receptors for [ 3 H]methylscopolamine (K/sub D/ . 0.17-0.21 nM). Agonist-binding affinity and sensitivity to guanine nucleotides were similarly unaffected. The reasons for the limited extent of the parasympathetic lesion are unclear, but may involve recruitment of precursor cells from other regions of the neural crest, partial regeneration of the neural crest following surgical removal, or an alteration in the contribution of incoming sympathetic or preganglionic parasympathetic elements. No such plasticity was associated with neural crest contributions to the structural development of the conotruncus. Malformations were observed in all lesioned embryos

  18. Cut loose and run: The complex role of ADAM proteases during neural crest cell development.

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    Alfandari, Dominique; Taneyhill, Lisa A

    2018-02-24

    ADAM metalloproteases have been shown to play critical roles during development. In this review, we will describe functional evidence that implicates ADAM proteins during the genesis, migration and differentiation of neural crest cells. We will restrict our analysis to the transmembrane ADAMs as other reviews have addressed the role of extracellular metalloproteases (Christian et al. [2013] Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 48:544-560). This review will describe advances that have been obtained mainly through the use of two vertebrate model systems, the frog, and avian embryos. The role of the principal substrates of ADAMs, the cadherins, has been extensively described in other reviews, most recently in (Cousin [1997] Mechanisms of Development 148:79-88; Taneyhill and Schiffmacher [2017] Genesis, 55). The function of ADAMs in the migration of other cell types, including the immune system, wound healing and cancer has been described previously in (Dreymueller et al. [2017] Mediators of Inflammation 2017: 9621724). Our goal is to illustrate both the importance of ADAMs in controlling neural crest behavior and how neural crest cells have helped us understand the molecular interactions, substrates, and functions of ADAM proteins in vivo. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Meis2 is essential for cranial and cardiac neural crest development

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Machoň, Ondřej; Mašek, Jan; Machoňová, Olga; Krauss, S.; Kozmik, Zbyněk

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 15, Nov 6 (2015) ISSN 1471-213X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP305/12/2042; GA MŠk(CZ) LK11214 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Meis2 * Persistent truncus arteriosus * Neural crest * Craniofacial skeleton * Cranial nerves Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.096, year: 2015

  20. Musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and neurocristopathies: dermatan sulfate is required for Xenopus neural crest cells to migrate and adhere to fibronectin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gouignard, Nadège; Maccarana, Marco; Strate, Ina; von Stedingk, Kristoffer; Malmström, Anders; Pera, Edgar M

    2016-06-01

    Of all live births with congenital anomalies, approximately one-third exhibit deformities of the head and face. Most craniofacial disorders are associated with defects in a migratory stem and progenitor cell population, which is designated the neural crest (NC). Musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (MCEDS) is a heritable connective tissue disorder with distinct craniofacial features; this syndrome comprises multiple congenital malformations that are caused by dysfunction of dermatan sulfate (DS) biosynthetic enzymes, including DS epimerase-1 (DS-epi1; also known as DSE). Studies in mice have extended our understanding of DS-epi1 in connective tissue maintenance; however, its role in fetal development is not understood. We demonstrate that DS-epi1 is important for the generation of isolated iduronic acid residues in chondroitin sulfate (CS)/DS proteoglycans in early Xenopus embryos. The knockdown of DS-epi1 does not affect the formation of early NC progenitors; however, it impairs the correct activation of transcription factors involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and reduces the extent of NC cell migration, which leads to a decrease in NC-derived craniofacial skeleton, melanocytes and dorsal fin structures. Transplantation experiments demonstrate a tissue-autonomous role for DS-epi1 in cranial NC cell migration in vivo Cranial NC explant and single-cell cultures indicate a requirement of DS-epi1 in cell adhesion, spreading and extension of polarized cell processes on fibronectin. Thus, our work indicates a functional link between DS and NC cell migration. We conclude that NC defects in the EMT and cell migration might account for the craniofacial anomalies and other congenital malformations in MCEDS, which might facilitate the diagnosis and development of therapies for this distressing condition. Moreover, the presented correlations between human DS-epi1 expression and gene sets of mesenchymal character, invasion and metastasis in

  1. Musculocontractural Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and neurocristopathies: dermatan sulfate is required for Xenopus neural crest cells to migrate and adhere to fibronectin

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    Nadège Gouignard

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Of all live births with congenital anomalies, approximately one-third exhibit deformities of the head and face. Most craniofacial disorders are associated with defects in a migratory stem and progenitor cell population, which is designated the neural crest (NC. Musculocontractural Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (MCEDS is a heritable connective tissue disorder with distinct craniofacial features; this syndrome comprises multiple congenital malformations that are caused by dysfunction of dermatan sulfate (DS biosynthetic enzymes, including DS epimerase-1 (DS-epi1; also known as DSE. Studies in mice have extended our understanding of DS-epi1 in connective tissue maintenance; however, its role in fetal development is not understood. We demonstrate that DS-epi1 is important for the generation of isolated iduronic acid residues in chondroitin sulfate (CS/DS proteoglycans in early Xenopus embryos. The knockdown of DS-epi1 does not affect the formation of early NC progenitors; however, it impairs the correct activation of transcription factors involved in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT and reduces the extent of NC cell migration, which leads to a decrease in NC-derived craniofacial skeleton, melanocytes and dorsal fin structures. Transplantation experiments demonstrate a tissue-autonomous role for DS-epi1 in cranial NC cell migration in vivo. Cranial NC explant and single-cell cultures indicate a requirement of DS-epi1 in cell adhesion, spreading and extension of polarized cell processes on fibronectin. Thus, our work indicates a functional link between DS and NC cell migration. We conclude that NC defects in the EMT and cell migration might account for the craniofacial anomalies and other congenital malformations in MCEDS, which might facilitate the diagnosis and development of therapies for this distressing condition. Moreover, the presented correlations between human DS-epi1 expression and gene sets of mesenchymal character, invasion and

  2. Properties of Neural Crest-Like Cells Differentiated from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Křivánek, J.; Švandová, Eva; Králik, J.; Hajda, S.; Fedr, Radek; Vinařský, V.; Jaroš, J.; Souček, Karel

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 60, č. 2014 (2014), s. 30-38 ISSN 0015-5500 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP304/11/1418 Institutional support: RVO:68081707 Keywords : stem cell differentiation * neural crest * odontogenesis Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics; ED - Physiology (UZFG-Y) Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2014

  3. Imidacloprid Exposure Suppresses Neural Crest Cells Generation during Early Chick Embryo Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao-Jie; Wang, Guang; Wang, Xiao-Yu; Liu, Meng; Chuai, Manli; Lee, Kenneth Ka Ho; He, Xiao-Song; Lu, Da-Xiang; Yang, Xuesong

    2016-06-15

    Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid pesticide that is widely used in the control pests found on crops and fleas on pets. However, it is still unclear whether imidacloprid exposure could affect early embryo development-despite some studies having been conducted on the gametes. In this study, we demonstrated that imidacloprid exposure could lead to abnormal craniofacial osteogenesis in the developing chick embryo. Cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) are the progenitor cells of the chick cranial skull. We found that the imidacloprid exposure retards the development of gastrulating chick embryos. HNK-1, PAX7, and Ap-2α immunohistological stainings indicated that cranial NCCs generation was inhibited after imidacloprid exposure. Double immunofluorescent staining (Ap-2α and PHIS3 or PAX7 and c-Caspase3) revealed that imidacloprid exposure inhibited both NCC proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, it inhibited NCCs production by repressing Msx1 and BMP4 expression in the developing neural tube and by altering expression of EMT-related adhesion molecules (Cad6B, E-Cadherin, and N-cadherin) in the developing neural crests. We also determined that imidacloprid exposure suppressed cranial NCCs migration and their ability to differentiate. In sum, we have provided experimental evidence that imidacloprid exposure during embryogenesis disrupts NCCs development, which in turn causes defective cranial bone development.

  4. I131-meta-iodobenzylguanidine in the diagnosis and treatment of neural crest tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoefnagel, C.A.; Hartog Jager, F.C.A. den; Taal, B.G.; Engelsman, E.; Kraker, J. de; Voute, P.A.

    1988-01-01

    Iodine-131-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I-131-MIBG) was used for scintigraphic detection and therapy of neural crest tumours. The methodology of both techniques is described. Based upon experience with I-131-MIBG-scintigraphy in 170 patients with neural crest tumours, of whom 46 received multiple therapeutic doses of I-131-MIBG, and upon the cumulative reports in the literature, the role of I-131-MIBG in diagnosis and treatment of each of these diseases is indicated. I-131-MIBG-scintigraphy is one of the most sensitive and specific techniques for the diagnosis, staging and follow-up of phaeochromocytoma and neuroblastoma and I-131-MIBG-therapy may induce remission in a number of these patients. In carcinoid and medullary thyroid carcinoma the diagnostic sensitivity is less; however, once the diagnosis has been made, it is useful to establish that the tumour concentrates I-131-MIBG, to see if the patients at some point in time may be amenable to I-131-MIBG-therapy

  5. In vivo transplantation of enteric neural crest cells into mouse gut; Engraftment, functional integration and long-term safety

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    J.E. Cooper (Julie E.); C. Mccann; D. Natarajan (Dipa); S. Choudhury; W. Boesmans (Werend); J.-M. Delalande (Jean-Marie); P.V. Berghe (Pieter Vanden); A.J. Burns (Alan); N. Thapar (Nikhil)

    2016-01-01

    textabstractObjectives: Enteric neuropathies are severe gastrointestinal disorders with unsatisfactory outcomes. We aimed to investigate the potential of enteric neural stem cell therapy approaches for such disorders by transplanting mouse enteric neural crest cells (ENCCs) into ganglionic and

  6. Phenothiourea sensitizes zebrafish cranial neural crest and extraocular muscle development to changes in retinoic acid and IGF signaling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda L Bohnsack

    Full Text Available 1-Phenyl 2-thiourea (PTU is a tyrosinase inhibitor commonly used to block pigmentation and aid visualization of zebrafish development. At the standard concentration of 0.003% (200 µM, PTU inhibits melanogenesis and reportedly has minimal other effects on zebrafish embryogenesis. We found that 0.003% PTU altered retinoic acid and insulin-like growth factor (IGF regulation of neural crest and mesodermal components of craniofacial development. Reduction of retinoic acid synthesis by the pan-aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor diethylbenzaldehyde, only when combined with 0.003% PTU, resulted in extraocular muscle disorganization. PTU also decreased retinoic acid-induced teratogenic effects on pharyngeal arch and jaw cartilage despite morphologically normal appearing PTU-treated controls. Furthermore, 0.003% PTU in combination with inhibition of IGF signaling through either morpholino knockdown or pharmacologic inhibition of tyrosine kinase receptor phosphorylation, disrupted jaw development and extraocular muscle organization. PTU in and of itself inhibited neural crest development at higher concentrations (0.03% and had the greatest inhibitory effect when added prior to 22 hours post fertilization (hpf. Addition of 0.003% PTU between 4 and 20 hpf decreased thyroxine (T4 in thyroid follicles in the nasopharynx of 96 hpf embryos. Treatment with exogenous triiodothyronine (T3 and T4 improved, but did not completely rescue, PTU-induced neural crest defects. Thus, PTU should be used with caution when studying zebrafish embryogenesis as it alters the threshold of different signaling pathways important during craniofacial development. The effects of PTU on neural crest development are partially caused by thyroid hormone signaling.

  7. Tcf7l1 protects the anterior neural fold from adopting the neural crest fate

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mašek, Jan; Machoň, Ondřej; Kořínek, Vladimír; Taketo, M.M.; Kozmik, Zbyněk

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 143, č. 12 (2016), s. 2206-2216 ISSN 0950-1991 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP305/12/2042; GA ČR(CZ) GA14-33952S; GA MŠk(CZ) LK11214; GA MŠk LO1419; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Tcf/Lef * Wnt dignaling * neural crest * forebrain * mouse * zebrafish Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.843, year: 2016

  8. Embryonic cell-cell adhesion: a key player in collective neural crest migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barriga, Elias H; Mayor, Roberto

    2015-01-01

    Cell migration is essential for morphogenesis, adult tissue remodeling, wound healing, and cancer cell migration. Cells can migrate as individuals or groups. When cells migrate in groups, cell-cell interactions are crucial in order to promote the coordinated behavior, essential for collective migration. Interestingly, recent evidence has shown that cell-cell interactions are also important for establishing and maintaining the directionality of these migratory events. We focus on neural crest cells, as they possess extraordinary migratory capabilities that allow them to migrate and colonize tissues all over the embryo. Neural crest cells undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition at the same time than perform directional collective migration. Cell-cell adhesion has been shown to be an important source of planar cell polarity and cell coordination during collective movement. We also review molecular mechanisms underlying cadherin turnover, showing how the modulation and dynamics of cell-cell adhesions are crucial in order to maintain tissue integrity and collective migration in vivo. We conclude that cell-cell adhesion during embryo development cannot be considered as simple passive resistance to force, but rather participates in signaling events that determine important cell behaviors required for cell migration. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Differences in neural crest sensitivity to ethanol account for the infrequency of anterior segment defects in the eye compared with craniofacial anomalies in a zebrafish model of fetal alcohol syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eason, Jessica; Williams, Antionette L; Chawla, Bahaar; Apsey, Christian; Bohnsack, Brenda L

    2017-09-01

    Ethanol (ETOH) exposure during pregnancy is associated with craniofacial and neurologic abnormalities, but infrequently disrupts the anterior segment of the eye. In these studies, we used zebrafish to investigate differences in the teratogenic effect of ETOH on craniofacial, periocular, and ocular neural crest. Zebrafish eye and neural crest development was analyzed by means of live imaging, TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) assay, immunostaining, detection of reactive oxygen species, and in situ hybridization. Our studies demonstrated that foxd3-positive neural crest cells in the periocular mesenchyme and developing eye were less sensitive to ETOH than sox10-positive craniofacial neural crest cells that form the pharyngeal arches and jaw. ETOH increased apoptosis in the retina, but did not affect survival of periocular and ocular neural crest cells. ETOH also did not increase reactive oxygen species within the eye. In contrast, ETOH increased ventral neural crest apoptosis and reactive oxygen species production in the facial mesenchyme. In the eye and craniofacial region, sod2 showed high levels of expression in the anterior segment and in the setting of Sod2 knockdown, low levels of ETOH decreased migration of foxd3-positive neural crest cells into the developing eye. However, ETOH had minimal effect on the periocular and ocular expression of transcription factors (pitx2 and foxc1) that regulate anterior segment development. Neural crest cells contributing to the anterior segment of the eye exhibit increased ability to withstand ETOH-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. These studies explain the rarity of anterior segment dysgenesis despite the frequent craniofacial abnormalities in fetal alcohol syndrome. Birth Defects Research 109:1212-1227, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. ADAM13 Induces Cranial Neural Crest by Cleaving Class B Ephrins and Regulating Wnt Signaling

    OpenAIRE

    Wei, Shuo; Xu, Guofeng; Bridges, Lance C.; Williams, Phoebe; White, Judith M.; DeSimone, Douglas W.

    2010-01-01

    The cranial neural crest (CNC) are multipotent embryonic cells that contribute to craniofacial structures and other cells and tissues of the vertebrate head. During embryogenesis, CNC is induced at the neural plate boundary through the interplay of several major signaling pathways. Here we report that the metalloproteinase activity of ADAM13 is required for early induction of CNC in Xenopus. In both cultured cells and X. tropicalis embryos, membrane-bound Ephrins (Efns) B1 and B2 were identif...

  11. Sonic Hedgehog promotes the survival of neural crest cells by limiting apoptosis induced by the dependence receptor CDON during branchial arch development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delloye-Bourgeois, Céline; Rama, Nicolas; Brito, José; Le Douarin, Nicole; Mehlen, Patrick

    2014-09-26

    Cell-adhesion molecule-related/Downregulated by Oncogenes (CDO or CDON) was identified as a receptor for the classic morphogen Sonic Hedgehog (SHH). It has been shown that, in cell culture, CDO also behaves as a SHH dependence receptor: CDO actively triggers apoptosis in absence of SHH via a proteolytic cleavage in CDO intracellular domain. We present evidence that CDO is also pro-apoptotic in the developing neural tube where SHH is known to act as a survival factor. SHH, produced by the ventral foregut endoderm, was shown to promote survival of facial neural crest cells (NCCs) that colonize the first branchial arch (BA1). We show here that the survival activity of SHH on neural crest cells is due to SHH-mediated inhibition of CDO pro-apoptotic activity. Silencing of CDO rescued NCCs from apoptosis observed upon SHH inhibition in the ventral foregut endoderm. Thus, the pair SHH/dependence receptor CDO may play an important role in neural crest cell survival during the formation of the first branchial arch. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Dissecting CNBP, a zinc-finger protein required for neural crest development, in its structural and functional domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armas, Pablo; Agüero, Tristán H; Borgognone, Mariana; Aybar, Manuel J; Calcaterra, Nora B

    2008-10-17

    Cellular nucleic-acid-binding protein (CNBP) plays an essential role in forebrain and craniofacial development by controlling cell proliferation and survival to mediate neural crest expansion. CNBP binds to single-stranded nucleic acids and displays nucleic acid chaperone activity in vitro. The CNBP family shows a conserved modular organization of seven Zn knuckles and an arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) box between the first and second Zn knuckles. The participation of these structural motifs in CNBP biochemical activities has still not been addressed. Here, we describe the generation of CNBP mutants that dissect the protein into regions with structurally and functionally distinct properties. Mutagenesis approaches were followed to generate: (i) an amino acid replacement that disrupted the fifth Zn knuckle; (ii) N-terminal deletions that removed the first Zn knuckle and the RGG box, or the RGG box alone; and (iii) a C-terminal deletion that eliminated the three last Zn knuckles. Mutant proteins were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and used to analyze their biochemical features in vitro, or overexpressed in Xenopus laevis embryos to study their function in vivo during neural crest cell development. We found that the Zn knuckles are required, but not individually essential, for CNBP biochemical activities, whereas the RGG box is essential for RNA-protein binding and nucleic acid chaperone activity. Removal of the RGG box allowed CNBP to preserve a weak single-stranded-DNA-binding capability. A mutant mimicking the natural N-terminal proteolytic CNBP form behaved as the RGG-deleted mutant. By gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments in Xenopus embryos, we confirmed the participation of CNBP in neural crest development, and we demonstrated that the CNBP mutants lacking the N-terminal region or the RGG box alone may act as dominant negatives in vivo. Based on these data, we speculate about the existence of a specific proteolytic mechanism for the

  13. A role for chemokine signaling in neural crest cell migration and craniofacial development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Killian, Eugenia C. Olesnicky; Birkholz, Denise A.; Artinger, Kristin Bruk

    2009-01-01

    Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a unique population of multipotent cells that migrate along defined pathways throughout the embryo and give rise to many diverse cell types including pigment cells, craniofacial cartilage and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Aberrant migration of NCCs results in a wide variety of congenital birth defects including craniofacial abnormalities. The chemokine Sdf1 and its receptors, Cxcr4 and Cxcr7, have been identified as key components in the regulation of cell migration in a variety of tissues. Here we describe a novel role for the zebrafish chemokine receptor Cxcr4a in the development and migration of cranial NCCs (CNCCs). We find that loss of Cxcr4a, but not Cxcr7b results in aberrant CNCC migration, defects in the neurocranium, as well as cranial ganglia dismorphogenesis. Moreover, overexpression of either Sdf1b or Cxcr4a causes aberrant CNCC migration and results in ectopic craniofacial cartilages. We propose a model in which Sdf1b signaling from the pharyngeal arch endoderm and optic stalk to Cxcr4a expressing CNCCs is important for both the proper condensation of the CNCCs into pharyngeal arches and the subsequent patterning and morphogenesis of the neural crest derived tissues. PMID:19576198

  14. ADAM10 is essential for cranial neural crest-derived maxillofacial bone development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tan, Yu, E-mail: tanyu2048@163.com; Fu, Runqing, E-mail: furunqing@sjtu.edu.cn; Liu, Jiaqiang, E-mail: liujqmj@163.com; Wu, Yong, E-mail: wyonger@gmail.com; Wang, Bo, E-mail: wb228@126.com; Jiang, Ning, E-mail: 179639060@qq.com; Nie, Ping, E-mail: nieping1011@sina.com; Cao, Haifeng, E-mail: 0412chf@163.com; Yang, Zhi, E-mail: wcums1981@163.com; Fang, Bing, E-mail: fangbing@sjtu.edu.cn

    2016-07-08

    Growth disorders of the craniofacial bones may lead to craniofacial deformities. The majority of maxillofacial bones are derived from cranial neural crest cells via intramembranous bone formation. Any interruption of the craniofacial skeleton development process might lead to craniofacial malformation. A disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM)10 plays an essential role in organ development and tissue integrity in different organs. However, little is known about its function in craniofacial bone formation. Therefore, we investigated the role of ADAM10 in the developing craniofacial skeleton, particularly during typical mandibular bone development. First, we showed that ADAM10 was expressed in a specific area of the craniofacial bone and that the expression pattern dynamically changed during normal mouse craniofacial development. Then, we crossed wnt1-cre transgenic mice with adam10-flox mice to generate ADAM10 conditional knockout mice. The stereomicroscopic, radiographic, and von Kossa staining results showed that conditional knockout of ADAM10 in cranial neural crest cells led to embryonic death, craniofacial dysmorphia and bone defects. Furthermore, we demonstrated that impaired mineralization could be triggered by decreased osteoblast differentiation, increased cell death. Overall, these findings show that ADAM10 plays an essential role in craniofacial bone development. -- Highlights: •We firstly reported that ADAM10 was essentially involved in maxillofacial bone development. •ADAM10 cKO mice present craniofacial dysmorphia and bone defects. •Impaired osteoblast differentiation,proliferation and apoptosis underlie the bone deformity.

  15. ADAM10 is essential for cranial neural crest-derived maxillofacial bone development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tan, Yu; Fu, Runqing; Liu, Jiaqiang; Wu, Yong; Wang, Bo; Jiang, Ning; Nie, Ping; Cao, Haifeng; Yang, Zhi; Fang, Bing

    2016-01-01

    Growth disorders of the craniofacial bones may lead to craniofacial deformities. The majority of maxillofacial bones are derived from cranial neural crest cells via intramembranous bone formation. Any interruption of the craniofacial skeleton development process might lead to craniofacial malformation. A disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM)10 plays an essential role in organ development and tissue integrity in different organs. However, little is known about its function in craniofacial bone formation. Therefore, we investigated the role of ADAM10 in the developing craniofacial skeleton, particularly during typical mandibular bone development. First, we showed that ADAM10 was expressed in a specific area of the craniofacial bone and that the expression pattern dynamically changed during normal mouse craniofacial development. Then, we crossed wnt1-cre transgenic mice with adam10-flox mice to generate ADAM10 conditional knockout mice. The stereomicroscopic, radiographic, and von Kossa staining results showed that conditional knockout of ADAM10 in cranial neural crest cells led to embryonic death, craniofacial dysmorphia and bone defects. Furthermore, we demonstrated that impaired mineralization could be triggered by decreased osteoblast differentiation, increased cell death. Overall, these findings show that ADAM10 plays an essential role in craniofacial bone development. -- Highlights: •We firstly reported that ADAM10 was essentially involved in maxillofacial bone development. •ADAM10 cKO mice present craniofacial dysmorphia and bone defects. •Impaired osteoblast differentiation,proliferation and apoptosis underlie the bone deformity.

  16. Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transitions during Neural Crest and Somite Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaya Kalcheim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT is a central process during embryonic development that affects selected progenitor cells of all three germ layers. In addition to driving the onset of cellular migrations and subsequent tissue morphogenesis, the dynamic conversions of epithelium into mesenchyme and vice-versa are intimately associated with the segregation of homogeneous precursors into distinct fates. The neural crest and somites, progenitors of the peripheral nervous system and of skeletal tissues, respectively, beautifully illustrate the significance of EMT to the above processes. Ongoing studies progressively elucidate the gene networks underlying EMT in each system, highlighting the similarities and differences between them. Knowledge of the mechanistic logic of this normal ontogenetic process should provide important insights to the understanding of pathological conditions such as cancer metastasis, which shares some common molecular themes.

  17. Zebrafish msxB, msxC and msxE function together to refine the neural-nonneural border and regulate cranial placodes and neural crest development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, Bryan T; Kwon, Hye-Joo; Melton, Colt; Houghtaling, Paul; Fritz, Andreas; Riley, Bruce B

    2006-06-15

    The zebrafish muscle segment homeobox genes msxB, msxC and msxE are expressed in partially overlapping domains in the neural crest and preplacodal ectoderm. We examined the roles of these msx genes in early development. Disrupting individual msx genes causes modest variable defects, whereas disrupting all three produces a reproducible severe phenotype, suggesting functional redundancy. Neural crest differentiation is blocked at an early stage. Preplacodal development begins normally, but placodes arising from the msx expression domain later show elevated apoptosis and are reduced in size. Cell proliferation is normal in these tissues. Unexpectedly, Msx-deficient embryos become ventralized by late gastrulation whereas misexpression of msxB dorsalizes the embryo. These effects appear to involve Distal-less (Dlx) protein activity, as loss of dlx3b and dlx4b suppresses ventralization in Msx-depleted embryos. At the same time, Msx-depletion restores normal preplacodal gene expression to dlx3b-dlx4b mutants. These data suggest that mutual antagonism between Msx and Dlx proteins achieves a balance of function required for normal preplacodal differentiation and placement of the neural-nonneural border.

  18. Expression of the capacity to release [3H]norepinephrine by neural crest cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maxwell, G.D.; Sietz, P.D.

    1983-01-01

    Cultures of trunk neural crest cells from quail embryos were tested for their ability to release [ 3 H]norepinephrine [( 3 H]NE) in response to depolarization. After 7 days in vitro, exposure of the cultures to either the alkaloid veratridine or 40 mM K+ results in the evoked release of [ 3 H]NE. The release evoked by veratridine is blocked in the presence of tetrodotoxin. The release evoked by increased K+ is blocked by the calcium antagonist cobalt. Release in response to the nicotinic cholinergic agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazine was also observed. The amount of evoked release is highly correlated with the number of histochemically demonstrable catecholamine-containing cells in a given culture. Autoradiography reveals that the radioactivity taken up by these cultures is located in a subpopulation of cells whose morphology resembles that of the histochemically detectable catecholamine-containing cell population. Whereas capacity for the release of [ 3 H] NE is readily detectable after 7 days in vitro, it is detectable only with difficulty after 4 days in vitro. There is a greater than 6-fold increase in uptake capacity over the period of 4 to 7 days in vitro. These results demonstrate that neural crest cultures grown without their normal synaptic inputs or targets can exhibit the capacity for stimulus secretion coupling characteristic of synaptic neurotransmitter release

  19. Dental anomalies in different cleft groups related to neural crest developmental fields contributes to the understanding of cleft aetiology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riis, Louise Claudius; Kjær, Inger; Mølsted, Kirsten

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To analyze dental deviations in three cleft groups and relate findings to embryological neural crest fields (frontonasal, maxillary, and palatal). The overall purpose was to evaluate how fields are involved in different cleft types. DESIGN: Retrospective audit of clinical photographs...

  20. Interaction of adult human neural crest-derived stem cells with a nanoporous titanium surface is sufficient to induce their osteogenic differentiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthias Schürmann

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Osteogenic differentiation of various adult stem cell populations such as neural crest-derived stem cells is of great interest in the context of bone regeneration. Ideally, exogenous differentiation should mimic an endogenous differentiation process, which is partly mediated by topological cues. To elucidate the osteoinductive potential of porous substrates with different pore diameters (30 nm, 100 nm, human neural crest-derived stem cells isolated from the inferior nasal turbinate were cultivated on the surface of nanoporous titanium covered membranes without additional chemical or biological osteoinductive cues. As controls, flat titanium without any topological features and osteogenic medium was used. Cultivation of human neural crest-derived stem cells on 30 nm pores resulted in osteogenic differentiation as demonstrated by alkaline phosphatase activity after seven days as well as by calcium deposition after 3 weeks of cultivation. In contrast, cultivation on flat titanium and on membranes equipped with 100 nm pores was not sufficient to induce osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, we demonstrate an increase of osteogenic transcripts including Osterix, Osteocalcin and up-regulation of Integrin β1 and α2 in the 30 nm pore approach only. Thus, transplantation of stem cells pre-cultivated on nanostructured implants might improve the clinical outcome by support of the graft adherence and acceleration of the regeneration process.

  1. The Melanocyte Fate in Neural Crest is Triggered by Myb Proteins through Activation of c-kit

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Karafiát, Vít; Dvořáková, Marta; Pajer, Petr; Čermák, Vladimír; Dvořák, Michal

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 64, č. 21 (2007), s. 2975-2984 ISSN 1420-682X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06061; GA ČR GA204/06/1728 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : c-myb proto-oncogene * v-mybAMV oncogene * neural crest * cell fate determination * melanocytes * c-kit signal Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.239, year: 2007

  2. PSA-NCAM-Negative Neural Crest Cells Emerging during Neural Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells Cause Mesodermal Tumors and Unwanted Grafts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dongjin R.; Yoo, Jeong-Eun; Lee, Jae Souk; Park, Sanghyun; Lee, Junwon; Park, Chul-Yong; Ji, Eunhyun; Kim, Han-Soo; Hwang, Dong-Youn; Kim, Dae-Sung; Kim, Dong-Wook

    2015-01-01

    Summary Tumorigenic potential of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is an important issue in clinical applications. Despite many efforts, PSC-derived neural precursor cells (NPCs) have repeatedly induced tumors in animal models even though pluripotent cells were not detected. We found that polysialic acid-neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM)− cells among the early NPCs caused tumors, whereas PSA-NCAM+ cells were nontumorigenic. Molecular profiling, global gene analysis, and multilineage differentiation of PSA-NCAM− cells confirm that they are multipotent neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) that could differentiate into both ectodermal and mesodermal lineages. Transplantation of PSA-NCAM− cells in a gradient manner mixed with PSA-NCAM+ cells proportionally increased mesodermal tumor formation and unwanted grafts such as PERIPHERIN+ cells or pigmented cells in the rat brain. Therefore, we suggest that NCSCs are a critical target for tumor prevention in hPSC-derived NPCs, and removal of PSA-NCAM− cells eliminates the tumorigenic potential originating from NCSCs after transplantation. PMID:25937368

  3. Pa2G4 is a novel Six1 co-factor that is required for neural crest and otic development☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neilson, Karen M.; Abbruzzesse, Genevieve; Kenyon, Kristy; Bartolo, Vanessa; Krohn, Patrick; Alfandari, Dominique; Moody, Sally A.

    2016-01-01

    Mutations in SIX1 and in its co-factor, EYA1, underlie Branchiootorenal Spectrum disorder (BOS), which is characterized by variable branchial arch, otic and kidney malformations. However, mutations in these two genes are identified in only half of patients. We screened for other potential co-factors, and herein characterize one of them, Pa2G4 (aka Ebp1/Plfap). In human embryonic kidney cells, Pa2G4 binds to Six1 and interferes with the Six1-Eya1 complex. In Xenopus embryos, knock-down of Pa2G4 leads to down-regulation of neural border zone, neural crest and cranial placode genes, and concomitant expansion of neural plate genes. Gain-of-function leads to a broader neural border zone, expanded neural crest and altered cranial placode domains. In loss-of-function assays, the later developing otocyst is reduced in size, which impacts gene expression. In contrast, the size of the otocyst in gain-of-function assays is not changed but the expression domains of several otocyst genes are reduced. Together these findings establish an interaction between Pa2G4 and Six1, and demonstrate that it has an important role in the development of tissues affected in BOS. Thereby, we suggest that pa2g4 is a potential candidate gene for BOS. PMID:27940157

  4. Stem cell property of postmigratory cranial neural crest cells and their utility in alveolar bone regeneration and tooth development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Il-Hyuk; Yamaza, Takayoshi; Zhao, Hu; Choung, Pill-Hoon; Shi, Songtao; Chai, Yang

    2009-04-01

    The vertebrate neural crest is a multipotent cell population that gives rise to a variety of different cell types. We have discovered that postmigratory cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) maintain mesenchymal stem cell characteristics and show potential utility for the regeneration of craniofacial structures. We are able to induce the osteogenic differentiation of postmigratory CNCCs, and this differentiation is regulated by bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and transforming growth factor-beta signaling pathways. After transplantation into a host animal, postmigratory CNCCs form bone matrix. CNCC-formed bones are distinct from bones regenerated by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. In addition, CNCCs support tooth germ survival via BMP signaling in our CNCC-tooth germ cotransplantation system. Thus, we conclude that postmigratory CNCCs preserve stem cell features, contribute to craniofacial bone formation, and play a fundamental role in supporting tooth organ development. These findings reveal a novel function for postmigratory CNCCs in organ development, and demonstrate the utility of these CNCCs in regenerating craniofacial structures.

  5. Postotic and preotic cranial neural crest cells differently contribute to thyroid development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, Kazuhiro; Asai, Rieko; Maruyama, Kazuaki; Kurihara, Yukiko; Nakanishi, Toshio; Kurihara, Hiroki; Miyagawa-Tomita, Sachiko

    2016-01-01

    Thyroid development and formation vary among species, but in most species the thyroid morphogenesis consists of five stages: specification, budding, descent, bilobation and folliculogenesis. The detailed mechanisms of these stages have not been fully clarified. During early development, the cranial neural crest (CNC) contributes to the thyroid gland. The removal of the postotic CNC (corresponding to rhombomeres 6, 7 and 8, also known as the cardiac neural crest) results in abnormalities of the cardiovascular system, thymus, parathyroid glands, and thyroid gland. To investigate the influence of the CNC on thyroid bilobation process, we divided the CNC into two regions, the postotic CNC and the preotic CNC (from the mesencephalon to rhombomere 5) regions and examined. We found that preotic CNC-ablated embryos had a unilateral thyroid lobe, and confirmed the presence of a single lobe or the absence of lobes in postotic CNC-ablated chick embryos. The thyroid anlage in each region-ablated embryos was of a normal size at the descent stage, but at a later stage, the thyroid in preotic CNC-ablated embryos was of a normal size, conflicting with a previous report in which the thyroid was reduced in size in the postotic CNC-ablated embryos. The postotic CNC cells differentiated into connective tissues of the thyroid in quail-to-chick chimeras. In contrast, the preotic CNC cells did not differentiate into connective tissues of the thyroid. We found that preotic CNC cells encompassed the thyroid anlage from the specification stage to the descent stage. Finally, we found that endothelin-1 and endothelin type A receptor-knockout mice and bosentan (endothelin receptor antagonist)-treated chick embryos showed bilobation anomalies that included single-lobe formation. Therefore, not only the postotic CNC, but also the preotic CNC plays an important role in thyroid morphogenesis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. SiNC: Saliency-injected neural codes for representation and efficient retrieval of medical radiographs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamil Ahmad

    Full Text Available Medical image collections contain a wealth of information which can assist radiologists and medical experts in diagnosis and disease detection for making well-informed decisions. However, this objective can only be realized if efficient access is provided to semantically relevant cases from the ever-growing medical image repositories. In this paper, we present an efficient method for representing medical images by incorporating visual saliency and deep features obtained from a fine-tuned convolutional neural network (CNN pre-trained on natural images. Saliency detector is employed to automatically identify regions of interest like tumors, fractures, and calcified spots in images prior to feature extraction. Neuronal activation features termed as neural codes from different CNN layers are comprehensively studied to identify most appropriate features for representing radiographs. This study revealed that neural codes from the last fully connected layer of the fine-tuned CNN are found to be the most suitable for representing medical images. The neural codes extracted from the entire image and salient part of the image are fused to obtain the saliency-injected neural codes (SiNC descriptor which is used for indexing and retrieval. Finally, locality sensitive hashing techniques are applied on the SiNC descriptor to acquire short binary codes for allowing efficient retrieval in large scale image collections. Comprehensive experimental evaluations on the radiology images dataset reveal that the proposed framework achieves high retrieval accuracy and efficiency for scalable image retrieval applications and compares favorably with existing approaches.

  7. In vivo impact of Dlx3 conditional inactivation in Neural Crest-Derived Craniofacial Bones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duverger, Olivier; Isaac, Juliane; Zah, Angela; Hwang, Joonsung; Berdal, Ariane; Lian, Jane B.; Morasso, Maria I.

    2012-01-01

    Mutations in DLX3 in humans lead to defects in craniofacial and appendicular bones, yet the in vivo activity related to Dlx3 function during normal skeletal development have not been fully elucidated. Here we used a conditional knockout approach to analyze the effects of neural crest deletion of Dlx3 on craniofacial bones development. At birth, mutant mice exhibit a normal overall positioning of the skull bones, but a change in the shape of the calvaria was observed. Molecular analysis of the genes affected in the frontal bones and mandibles from these mice identified several bone markers known to affect bone development, with a strong prediction for increased bone formation and mineralization in vivo. Interestingly, while a subset of these genes were similarly affected in frontal bones and mandibles (Sost, Mepe, Bglap, Alp, Ibsp, Agt), several genes, including Lect1 and Calca, were specifically affected in frontal bones. Consistent with these molecular alterations, cells isolated from the frontal bone of mutant mice exhibited increased differentiation and mineralization capacities ex vivo, supporting cell autonomous defects in neural crest cells. However, adult mutant animals exhibited decreased bone mineral density in both mandibles and calvaria, as well as a significant increase in bone porosity. Together, these observations suggest that mature osteoblasts in the adult respond to signals that regulate adult bone mass and remodeling. This study provides new downstream targets for Dlx3 in craniofacial bone, and gives additional evidence of the complex regulation of bone formation and homeostasis in the adult skeleton. PMID:22886599

  8. ADAM13 Induces Cranial Neural Crest by Cleaving Class B Ephrins and Regulating Wnt Signaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Shuo; Xu, Guofeng; Bridges, Lance C.; Williams, Phoebe; White, Judith M.; DeSimone, Douglas W.

    2010-01-01

    SUMMARY The cranial neural crest (CNC) are multipotent embryonic cells that contribute to craniofacial structures and other cells and tissues of the vertebrate head. During embryogenesis, CNC is induced at the neural plate boundary through the interplay of several major signaling pathways. Here we report that the metalloproteinase activity of ADAM13 is required for early induction of CNC in Xenopus. In both cultured cells and X. tropicalis embryos, membrane-bound Ephrins (Efns) B1 and B2 were identified as substrates for ADAM13. ADAM13 upregulates canonical Wnt signaling and early expression of the transcription factor snail2, whereas EfnB1 inhibits the canonical Wnt pathway and snail2 expression. We propose that by cleaving class B Efns, ADAM13 promotes canonical Wnt signaling and early CNC induction. PMID:20708595

  9. Search for the Missing lncs: Gene Regulatory Networks in Neural Crest Development and Long Non-coding RNA Biomarkers of Hirschsprung's Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR), a birth defect characterized by variable aganglionosis of the gut, affects about 1 in 5000 births, and is a consequence of abnormal development of neural crest cells, from which enteric ganglia derive. In the companion article in this issue (Shen et...

  10. Transcrition factor c-Myb is involved in the regulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the avian neural crest

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Karafiát, Vít; Dvořáková, Marta; Krejčí, E.; Králová, Jarmila; Pajer, Petr; Šnajdr, P.; Mandíková, Sonja; Bartůněk, Petr; Grim, M.; Dvořák, Michal

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 62, č. 21 (2005), s. 2516-2525 ISSN 1420-682X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA304/03/0463; GA AV ČR IAA5052309 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : c-myb gene * epithelial-mesenchymal transition * neural crest Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.582, year: 2005

  11. Neuronal regeneration in injured rat spinal cord after human dental pulp derived neural crest stem cell transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabatas, S; Demir, C S; Civelek, E; Yilmaz, I; Kircelli, A; Yilmaz, C; Akyuva, Y; Karaoz, E

    2018-01-01

    This study aimed to analyze the effect of human Dental Pulp-Neural Crest Stem Cells (hDP-NCSCs) delivery on lesion site after spinal cord injury (SCI), and to observe the functional recovery after transplantation. Neural Crest Stem Cells (NCSCs) were isolated from human Dental Pulp (hDP). The experimental rat population was divided into four groups (n = 6/24). Their behavioral motility was scored regularly. After 4-weeks, rats were sacrificed, and their spinal cords were examined for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) labeled hDP-NCSCs by immunofluorescence (IF) staining. In early post-injury (p.i) period, the ultrastructure of spinal cord tissue was preserved in Group 4. The majority of cells forming the ependymal region around the central canal were found to be hDP-NCSCs. While the grey-and-white-matter around the ependymal region was composed of e.g. GFP cells, with astrocytic-like appearance. The scores showed significant motor recovery in hind limb functions in Group 4. However, no obvious change was observed in other groups. Cells e.g., mesenchymal (Vimentin+) which express GFP+ cells in the gray-and-white-matter around the ependymal region could indicate the potential to self-renewal and plasticity. Thus, transplantation of hDP-NCSCs might be an effective strategy to improve functional recovery following spinal cord trauma (Fig. 10, Ref. 32).

  12. Distinct functional and temporal requirements for zebrafish Hdac1 during neural crest-derived craniofacial and peripheral neuron development.

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    Myron S Ignatius

    Full Text Available The regulation of gene expression is accomplished by both genetic and epigenetic means and is required for the precise control of the development of the neural crest. In hdac1(b382 mutants, craniofacial cartilage development is defective in two distinct ways. First, fewer hoxb3a, dlx2 and dlx3-expressing posterior branchial arch precursors are specified and many of those that are consequently undergo apoptosis. Second, in contrast, normal numbers of progenitors are present in the anterior mandibular and hyoid arches, but chondrocyte precursors fail to terminally differentiate. In the peripheral nervous system, there is a disruption of enteric, DRG and sympathetic neuron differentiation in hdac1(b382 mutants compared to wildtype embryos. Specifically, enteric and DRG-precursors differentiate into neurons in the anterior gut and trunk respectively, while enteric and DRG neurons are rarely present in the posterior gut and tail. Sympathetic neuron precursors are specified in hdac1(b382 mutants and they undergo generic neuronal differentiation but fail to undergo noradrenergic differentiation. Using the HDAC inhibitor TSA, we isolated enzyme activity and temporal requirements for HDAC function that reproduce hdac1(b382 defects in craniofacial and sympathetic neuron development. Our study reveals distinct functional and temporal requirements for zebrafish hdac1 during neural crest-derived craniofacial and peripheral neuron development.

  13. Distinct functional and temporal requirements for zebrafish Hdac1 during neural crest-derived craniofacial and peripheral neuron development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ignatius, Myron S; Unal Eroglu, Arife; Malireddy, Smitha; Gallagher, Glen; Nambiar, Roopa M; Henion, Paul D

    2013-01-01

    The regulation of gene expression is accomplished by both genetic and epigenetic means and is required for the precise control of the development of the neural crest. In hdac1(b382) mutants, craniofacial cartilage development is defective in two distinct ways. First, fewer hoxb3a, dlx2 and dlx3-expressing posterior branchial arch precursors are specified and many of those that are consequently undergo apoptosis. Second, in contrast, normal numbers of progenitors are present in the anterior mandibular and hyoid arches, but chondrocyte precursors fail to terminally differentiate. In the peripheral nervous system, there is a disruption of enteric, DRG and sympathetic neuron differentiation in hdac1(b382) mutants compared to wildtype embryos. Specifically, enteric and DRG-precursors differentiate into neurons in the anterior gut and trunk respectively, while enteric and DRG neurons are rarely present in the posterior gut and tail. Sympathetic neuron precursors are specified in hdac1(b382) mutants and they undergo generic neuronal differentiation but fail to undergo noradrenergic differentiation. Using the HDAC inhibitor TSA, we isolated enzyme activity and temporal requirements for HDAC function that reproduce hdac1(b382) defects in craniofacial and sympathetic neuron development. Our study reveals distinct functional and temporal requirements for zebrafish hdac1 during neural crest-derived craniofacial and peripheral neuron development.

  14. The neuro-glial properties of adipose-derived adult stromal (ADAS) cells are not regulated by Notch 1 and are not derived from neural crest lineage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wrage, Philip C; Tran, Thi; To, Khai; Keefer, Edward W; Ruhn, Kelly A; Hong, John; Hattangadi, Supriya; Treviño, Isaac; Tansey, Malú G

    2008-01-16

    We investigated whether adipose-derived adult stromal (ADAS) are of neural crest origin and the extent to which Notch 1 regulates their growth and differentiation. Mouse ADAS cells cultured in media formulated for neural stem cells (NSC) displayed limited capacity for self-renewal, clonogenicity, and neurosphere formation compared to NSC from the subventricular zone in the hippocampus. Although ADAS cells expressed Nestin, GFAP, NSE and Tuj1 in vitro, exposure to NSC differentiation supplements did not induce mature neuronal marker expression. In contrast, in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) media, ADAS cells retained their ability to proliferate and differentiate beyond 20 passages and expressed high levels of Nestin. In neuritizing cocktails, ADAS cells extended processes, downregulated Nestin expression, and displayed depolarization-induced Ca(2+) transients but no spontaneous or evoked neural network activity on Multi-Electrode Arrays. Deletion of Notch 1 in ADAS cell cultures grown in NSC proliferation medium did not significantly alter their proliferative potential in vitro or the differentiation-induced downregulation of Nestin. Co-culture of ADAS cells with fibroblasts that stably expressed the Notch ligand Jagged 1 or overexpression of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) did not alter ADAS cell growth, morphology, or cellular marker expression. ADAS cells did not display robust expression of neural crest transcription factors or genes (Sox, CRABP2, and TH); and lineage tracing analyses using Wnt1-Cre;Rosa26R-lacZ or -EYFP reporter mice confirmed that fewer than 2% of the ADAS cell population derived from a Wnt1-positive population during development. In summary, although media formulations optimized for MSCs or NSCs enable expansion of mouse ADAS cells in vitro, we find no evidence that these cells are of neural crest origin, that they can undergo robust terminal differentiation into functionally mature neurons, and that Notch 1 is likely to be a key

  15. Bmps and id2a act upstream of Twist1 to restrict ectomesenchyme potential of the cranial neural crest.

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    Ankita Das

    Full Text Available Cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs have the remarkable capacity to generate both the non-ectomesenchyme derivatives of the peripheral nervous system and the ectomesenchyme precursors of the vertebrate head skeleton, yet how these divergent lineages are specified is not well understood. Whereas studies in mouse have indicated that the Twist1 transcription factor is important for ectomesenchyme development, its role and regulation during CNCC lineage decisions have remained unclear. Here we show that two Twist1 genes play an essential role in promoting ectomesenchyme at the expense of non-ectomesenchyme gene expression in zebrafish. Twist1 does so by promoting Fgf signaling, as well as potentially directly activating fli1a expression through a conserved ectomesenchyme-specific enhancer. We also show that Id2a restricts Twist1 activity to the ectomesenchyme lineage, with Bmp activity preferentially inducing id2a expression in non-ectomesenchyme precursors. We therefore propose that the ventral migration of CNCCs away from a source of Bmps in the dorsal ectoderm promotes ectomesenchyme development by relieving Id2a-dependent repression of Twist1 function. Together our model shows how the integration of Bmp inhibition at its origin and Fgf activation along its migratory route would confer temporal and spatial specificity to the generation of ectomesenchyme from the neural crest.

  16. E-cigarette aerosol exposure can cause craniofacial defects in Xenopus laevis embryos and mammalian neural crest cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Allyson E; Kandalam, Suraj; Olivares-Navarrete, Rene; Dickinson, Amanda J G

    2017-01-01

    Since electronic cigarette (ECIG) introduction to American markets in 2007, vaping has surged in popularity. Many, including women of reproductive age, also believe that ECIG use is safer than traditional tobacco cigarettes and is not hazardous when pregnant. However, there are few studies investigating the effects of ECIG exposure on the developing embryo and nothing is known about potential effects on craniofacial development. Therefore, we have tested the effects of several aerosolized e-cigarette liquids (e-cigAM) in an in vivo craniofacial model, Xenopus laevis, as well as a mammalian neural crest cell line. Results demonstrate that e-cigAM exposure during embryonic development induces a variety of defects, including median facial clefts and midface hypoplasia in two of e-cigAMs tested e-cigAMs. Detailed quantitative analyses of the facial morphology revealed that nicotine is not the main factor in inducing craniofacial defects, but can exacerbate the effects of the other e-liquid components. Additionally, while two different e-cigAMs can have very similar consequences on facial appearances, there are subtle differences that could be due to the differences in e-cigAM components. Further assessment of embryos exposed to these particular e-cigAMs revealed cranial cartilage and muscle defects and a reduction in the blood supply to the face. Finally, the expression of markers for vascular and cartilage differentiation was reduced in a mammalian neural crest cell line corroborating the in vivo effects. Our work is the first to show that ECIG use could pose a potential hazard to the developing embryo and cause craniofacial birth defects. This emphasizes the need for more testing and regulation of this new popular product.

  17. E-cigarette aerosol exposure can cause craniofacial defects in Xenopus laevis embryos and mammalian neural crest cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allyson E Kennedy

    Full Text Available Since electronic cigarette (ECIG introduction to American markets in 2007, vaping has surged in popularity. Many, including women of reproductive age, also believe that ECIG use is safer than traditional tobacco cigarettes and is not hazardous when pregnant. However, there are few studies investigating the effects of ECIG exposure on the developing embryo and nothing is known about potential effects on craniofacial development. Therefore, we have tested the effects of several aerosolized e-cigarette liquids (e-cigAM in an in vivo craniofacial model, Xenopus laevis, as well as a mammalian neural crest cell line. Results demonstrate that e-cigAM exposure during embryonic development induces a variety of defects, including median facial clefts and midface hypoplasia in two of e-cigAMs tested e-cigAMs. Detailed quantitative analyses of the facial morphology revealed that nicotine is not the main factor in inducing craniofacial defects, but can exacerbate the effects of the other e-liquid components. Additionally, while two different e-cigAMs can have very similar consequences on facial appearances, there are subtle differences that could be due to the differences in e-cigAM components. Further assessment of embryos exposed to these particular e-cigAMs revealed cranial cartilage and muscle defects and a reduction in the blood supply to the face. Finally, the expression of markers for vascular and cartilage differentiation was reduced in a mammalian neural crest cell line corroborating the in vivo effects. Our work is the first to show that ECIG use could pose a potential hazard to the developing embryo and cause craniofacial birth defects. This emphasizes the need for more testing and regulation of this new popular product.

  18. Are neural crest stem cells the missing link between hematopoietic and neurogenic niches?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cécile eCoste

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Hematopoietic niches are defined as cellular and molecular microenvironments that regulate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC function together with stem cell autonomous mechanisms. Many different cell types have been characterized as contributors to the formation of HSC niches, such as osteoblasts, endothelial cells, Schwann cells, and mesenchymal progenitors. These mesenchymal progenitors have themselves been classified as CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL12-abundant reticular (CAR cells, stem cell factor expressing cells, or nestin-positive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs, which have been recently identified as neural crest-derived cells (NCSCs. Together, these cells are spatially associated with HSCs and believed to provide appropriate microenvironments for HSC self-renewal, differentiation, mobilization and hibernation both by cell-to-cell contact and soluble factors. Interestingly, it appears that regulatory pathways governing the hematopoietic niche homeostasis are operating in the neurogenic niche as well. Therefore, this review paper aims to compare both the regulation of hematopoietic and neurogenic niches, in order to highlight the role of NCSCs and nervous system components in the development and the regulation of the hematopoietic system.

  19. Are neural crest stem cells the missing link between hematopoietic and neurogenic niches?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coste, Cécile; Neirinckx, Virginie; Gothot, André; Wislet, Sabine; Rogister, Bernard

    2015-01-01

    Hematopoietic niches are defined as cellular and molecular microenvironments that regulate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function together with stem cell autonomous mechanisms. Many different cell types have been characterized as contributors to the formation of HSC niches, such as osteoblasts, endothelial cells, Schwann cells, and mesenchymal progenitors. These mesenchymal progenitors have themselves been classified as CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL) 12-abundant reticular (CAR) cells, stem cell factor expressing cells, or nestin-positive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have been recently identified as neural crest-derived cells (NCSCs). Together, these cells are spatially associated with HSCs and believed to provide appropriate microenvironments for HSC self-renewal, differentiation, mobilization and hibernation both by cell-cell contact and soluble factors. Interestingly, it appears that regulatory pathways governing the hematopoietic niche homeostasis are operating in the neurogenic niche as well. Therefore, this review paper aims to compare both the regulation of hematopoietic and neurogenic niches, in order to highlight the role of NCSCs and nervous system components in the development and the regulation of the hematopoietic system.

  20. CREST Revealed

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rapp, Hermann; Parisi, Cristiana; Bridgeman, Alfia

    This report covers the period from 1993 when the CREST project was initiated, to its launch in 1996, and considers the environment that prompted its instigation. The report looks at the massive cooperation of Government, industry and a range of different service providers that all came together......, under the central control of the CREST project team. It proposes five reasons why the CREST project was successful and examines why the CREST system continues to be at the heart of UK settlement, 20 years on....

  1. Enteric neural crest cells regulate vertebrate stomach patterning and differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faure, Sandrine; McKey, Jennifer; Sagnol, Sébastien; de Santa Barbara, Pascal

    2015-01-15

    In vertebrates, the digestive tract develops from a uniform structure where reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal interactions pattern this complex organ into regions with specific morphologies and functions. Concomitant with these early patterning events, the primitive GI tract is colonized by the vagal enteric neural crest cells (vENCCs), a population of cells that will give rise to the enteric nervous system (ENS), the intrinsic innervation of the GI tract. The influence of vENCCs on early patterning and differentiation of the GI tract has never been evaluated. In this study, we report that a crucial number of vENCCs is required for proper chick stomach development, patterning and differentiation. We show that reducing the number of vENCCs by performing vENCC ablations induces sustained activation of the BMP and Notch pathways in the stomach mesenchyme and impairs smooth muscle development. A reduction in vENCCs also leads to the transdifferentiation of the stomach into a stomach-intestinal mixed phenotype. In addition, sustained Notch signaling activity in the stomach mesenchyme phenocopies the defects observed in vENCC-ablated stomachs, indicating that inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway is essential for stomach patterning and differentiation. Finally, we report that a crucial number of vENCCs is also required for maintenance of stomach identity and differentiation through inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway. Altogether, our data reveal that, through the regulation of mesenchyme identity, vENCCs act as a new mediator in the mesenchymal-epithelial interactions that control stomach development. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  2. Enteric Neuron Imbalance and Proximal Dysmotility in Ganglionated Intestine of the Sox10Dom/+ Hirschsprung Mouse ModelSummary

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa A. Musser

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background & Aims: In Hirschsprung disease (HSCR, neural crest-derived progenitors (NCPs fail to completely colonize the intestine so that the enteric nervous system is absent from distal bowel. Despite removal of the aganglionic region, many HSCR patients suffer from residual intestinal dysmotility. To test the hypothesis that inappropriate lineage segregation of NCPs in proximal ganglionated regions of the bowel could contribute to such postoperative disease, we investigated neural crest (NC-derived lineages and motility in ganglionated, postnatal intestine of the Sox10Dom/+ HSCR mouse model. Methods: Cre-mediated fate-mapping was applied to evaluate relative proportions of NC-derived cell types. Motility assays were performed to assess gastric emptying and small intestine motility while colonic inflammation was assessed by histopathology for Sox10Dom/+ mutants relative to wild-type controls. Results: Sox10Dom/+ mice showed regional alterations in neuron and glia proportions as well as calretinin+ and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS+ neuronal subtypes. In the colon, imbalance of enteric NC derivatives correlated with the extent of aganglionosis. All Sox10Dom/+ mice exhibited reduced small intestinal transit at 4 weeks of age; at 6 weeks of age, Sox10Dom/+ males had increased gastric emptying rates. Sox10Dom/+ mice surviving to 6 weeks of age had little or no colonic inflammation when compared with wild-type littermates, suggesting that these changes in gastrointestinal motility are neurally mediated. Conclusions: The Sox10Dom mutation disrupts the balance of NC-derived lineages and affects gastrointestinal motility in the proximal, ganglionated intestine of adult animals. This is the first report identifying alterations in enteric neuronal classes in Sox10Dom/+ mutants, which suggests a previously unrecognized role for Sox10 in neuronal subtype specification. Keywords: Aganglionosis, Enteric Nervous System, Neural Crest

  3. Impaired Cellular Immunity in the Murine Neural Crest Conditional Deletion of Endothelin Receptor-B Model of Hirschsprung's Disease.

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    Ankush Gosain

    Full Text Available Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR is characterized by aganglionosis from failure of neural crest cell (NCC migration to the distal hindgut. Up to 40% of HSCR patients suffer Hirschsprung's-associated enterocolitis (HAEC, with an incidence that is unchanged from the pre-operative to the post-operative state. Recent reports indicate that signaling pathways involved in NCC migration may also be involved in the development of secondary lymphoid organs. We hypothesize that gastrointestinal (GI mucosal immune defects occur in HSCR that may contribute to enterocolitis. EdnrB was deleted from the neural crest (EdnrBNCC-/- resulting in mutants with defective NCC migration, distal colonic aganglionosis and the development of enterocolitis. The mucosal immune apparatus of these mice was interrogated at post-natal day (P 21-24, prior to histological signs of enterocolitis. We found that EdnrBNCC-/- display lymphopenia of their Peyer's Patches, the major inductive site of GI mucosal immunity. EdnrBNCC-/- Peyer's Patches demonstrate decreased B-lymphocytes, specifically IgM+IgDhi (Mature B-lymphocytes, which are normally activated and produce IgA following antigen presentation. EdnrBNCC-/- animals demonstrate decreased small intestinal secretory IgA, but unchanged nasal and bronchial airway secretory IgA, indicating a gut-specific defect in IgA production or secretion. In the spleen, which is the primary source of IgA-producing Mature B-lymphocytes, EdnrBNCC-/- animals display decreased B-lymphocytes, but an increase in Mature B-lymphocytes. EdnrBNCC-/- spleens are also small and show altered architecture, with decreased red pulp and a paucity of B-lymphocytes in the germinal centers and marginal zone. Taken together, these findings suggest impaired GI mucosal immunity in EdnrBNCC-/- animals, with the spleen as a potential site of the defect. These findings build upon the growing body of literature that suggests that intestinal defects in HSCR are not restricted

  4. The Wnt Co-Receptor Lrp5 Is Required for Cranial Neural Crest Cell Migration in Zebrafish.

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    Bernd Willems

    Full Text Available During vertebrate neurulation, cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs undergo epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT, delaminate from the neural plate border, and migrate as separate streams into different cranial regions. There, they differentiate into distinct parts of the craniofacial skeleton. Canonical Wnt signaling has been shown to be essential for this process at different levels but the involved receptors remained unclear. Here we show that the frizzled co-receptor low-density-lipoprotein (LDL receptor-related protein 5 (Lrp5 plays a crucial role in CNCC migration and morphogenesis of the cranial skeleton. Early during induction and migration of CNCCs, lrp5 is expressed ubiquitously but later gets restricted to CNCC derivatives in the ventral head region besides different regions in the CNS. A knock-down of lrp5 does not interfere with induction of CNCCs but leads to reduced proliferation of premigratory CNCCs. In addition, cell migration is disrupted as CNCCs are found in clusters at ectopic positions in the dorsomedial neuroepithelium after lrp5 knock-down and transient CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. These migratory defects consequently result in malformations of the craniofacial skeleton. To date, Lrp5 has mainly been associated with bone homeostasis in mammals. Here we show that in zebrafish, lrp5 also controls cell migration during early morphogenetic processes and contributes to shaping the craniofacial skeleton.

  5. In vitro cementoblast-like differentiation of postmigratory neural crest-derived p75+ stem cells with dental follicle cell conditioned medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen, Xiujie; Liu, Luchuan; Deng, Manjing; Liu, Rui; Zhang, Li; Nie, Xin

    2015-01-01

    Cranial neural crest-derived cells (CNCCs) play important role in epithelial–mesenchymal interactions during tooth morphogenesis. However, the heterogeneity of CNCCs and their tendency to spontaneously differentiate along smooth muscle or osteoblast lineages in vitro limit further understanding of their biological properties. We studied the differentiation properties of isolated rat embryonic postmigratory CNCCs, expressing p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). These p75NTR positive (p75 + ) CNCCs, isolated using fluorescence activated cell sorter, exhibited fibroblast-like morphology and characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells. Incubation of p75 + CNCCs in dental follicle cell conditioned medium (DFCCM) combined with dentin non-collagenous proteins (dNCPs), altered their morphological features to cementoblast-like appearance. These cells also showed low proliferative activity, high ALP activity and significantly increased calcified nodule formation. Markers related to mineralization or specific to cementoblast lineage were highly expressed in dNCPs/DFCCM-treated p75 + cells, suggesting their differentiation along cementoblast-like lineage. p75 + stem cells selected from postmigratory CNCCs represent a pure stem cell population and could be used as a stem cell model for in vitro studies due to their intrinsic ability to differentiate to neuronal cells and transform from neuroectoderm to ectomesenchyme. They can provide a potential stem cell resource for tooth engineering studies and help to further investigate mechanisms of epithelial–mesenchymal interactions in tooth morphogenesis. - Highlights: • Cranial neural crest-derived cells (CNCCs) take part in tooth morphogenesis. • positive (p75 + ) CNCCs are fibroblast-like and resemble mesenchymal stem cells. • p75 + CNCCs in dental follicle cell medium (DFCCM/dNCP) appear like cementoblasts. • DFCCM/dNCP-treated p75 + cells express cementoblast specific mineralization markers. • p75 + cells are pure stem

  6. Zebrafish Adar2 Edits the Q/R site of AMPA receptor Subunit gria2α transcript to ensure normal development of nervous system and cranial neural crest cells.

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    I-Chen Li

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Adar2 deaminates selective adenosines to inosines (A-to-I RNA editing in the double-stranded region of nuclear transcripts. Although the functions of mouse Adar2 and its biologically most important substrate gria2, encoding the GluA2 subunit of AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor, have been extensively studied, the substrates and functions of zebrafish Adar2 remain elusive. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Expression of Adar2 was perturbed in the adar2 morphant (adar2MO, generated by antisense morpholio oligonucleotides. The Q/R editing of gria2α was reduced in the adar2MO and was enhanced by overexpression of Adar2, demonstrating an evolutionarily conserved activity between zebrafish and mammalian Adar2 in editing the Q/R site of gria2. To delineate the role of Q/R editing of gria2α in the developmental defects observed in the adar2MO, the Q/R editing of gria2α was specifically perturbed in the gria2αQRMO, generated by a morpholio oligonucleotide complementary to the exon complementary sequence (ECS required for the Q/R editing. Analogous to the adar2-deficient and Q/R-editing deficient mice displaying identical neurological defects, the gria2αQRMO and adar2MO displayed identical developmental defects in the nervous system and cranial cartilages. Knockdown p53 abolished apoptosis and partially suppressed the loss of spinal cord motor neurons in these morphants. However, reducing p53 activity neither replenished the brain neuronal populations nor rescued the developmental defects. The expressions of crestin and sox9b in the neural crest cells were reduced in the adar2MO and gria2αQRMO. Overexpressing the edited GluA2αR in the adar2MO restored normal expressions of cresting and sox9b. Moreover, overexpressing the unedited GluA2αQ in the wild type embryos resulted in reduction of crestin and sox9b expressions. These results argue that an elevated GluA2αQ level is sufficient for generating the

  7. The SWI/SNF BAF-A complex is essential for neural crest development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandler, Ronald L; Magnuson, Terry

    2016-03-01

    Growing evidence indicates that chromatin remodeler mutations underlie the pathogenesis of human neurocristopathies or disorders that affect neural crest cells (NCCs). However, causal relationships among chromatin remodeler subunit mutations and NCC defects remain poorly understood. Here we show that homozygous loss of ARID1A-containing, SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes (BAF-A) in NCCs results in embryonic lethality in mice, with mutant embryos succumbing to heart defects. Strikingly, monoallelic loss of ARID1A in NCCs led to craniofacial defects in adult mice, including shortened snouts and low set ears, and these defects were more pronounced following homozygous loss of ARID1A, with the ventral cranial bones being greatly reduced in size. Early NCC specification and expression of the BRG1 NCC target gene, PLEXINA2, occurred normally in the absence of ARID1A. Nonetheless, mutant embryos displayed incomplete conotruncal septation of the cardiac outflow tract and defects in the posterior pharyngeal arteries, culminating in persistent truncus arteriosus and agenesis of the ductus arteriosus. Consistent with this, migrating cardiac NCCs underwent apoptosis within the circumpharyngeal ridge. Our data support the notion that multiple, distinct chromatin remodeling complexes govern genetically separable events in NCC development and highlight a potential pathogenic role for NCCs in the human BAF complex disorder, Coffin-Siris Syndrome. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Neuropilin-1 interacts with the second branchial arch microenvironment to mediate chick neural crest cell dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, Rebecca; Kulesa, Paul M.

    2011-01-01

    Cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) require neuropilin signaling to reach and invade the branchial arches. Here, we use an in vivo chick model to investigate whether the neuropilin-1 knockdown phenotype is specific to the second branchial arch (ba2), changes in NCC behaviors and phenotypic consequences, and whether neuropilins work together to facilitate entry into and invasion of ba2. We find that cranial NCCs with reduced neuropilin-1 expression displayed shorter protrusions and decreased cell body and nuclear length-to-width ratios characteristic of a loss in polarity and motility, after specific interaction with ba2. Directed NCC migration was rescued by transplantation of transfected cells into rhombomere 4 of younger hosts. Lastly, reduction of neuropilin-2 expression by shRNA either solely or with reduction of neuropilin-1 expression did not lead to a stronger head phenotype. Thus, NCCs, independent of rhombomere origin, require neuropilin-1, but not neuropilin-2 to maintain polarity and directed migration into ba2. PMID:20503363

  9. Dicer activity in neural crest cells is essential for craniofacial organogenesis and pharyngeal arch artery morphogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Xuguang; Wang, Qin; Jiao, Kai

    2014-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in regulating gene expression during numerous biological/pathological processes. Dicer encodes an RNase III endonuclease that is essential for generating most, if not all, functional miRNAs. In this work, we applied a conditional gene inactivation approach to examine the function of Dicer during neural crest cell (NCC) development. Mice with NCC-specific inactivation of Dicer died perinatally. Cranial and cardiac NCC migration into target tissues was not affected by Dicer disruption, but their subsequent development was disturbed. NCC derivatives and their associated mesoderm-derived cells displayed massive apoptosis, leading to severe abnormalities during craniofacial morphogenesis and organogenesis. In addition, the 4th pharyngeal arch artery (PAA) remodeling was affected, resulting in interrupted aortic arch artery type B (IAA-B) in mutant animals. Taken together, our results show that Dicer activity in NCCs is essential for craniofacial development and pharyngeal arch artery morphogenesis. PMID:21256960

  10. In Vivo Transplantation of Enteric Neural Crest Cells into Mouse Gut; Engraftment, Functional Integration and Long-Term Safety.

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    Julie E Cooper

    Full Text Available Enteric neuropathies are severe gastrointestinal disorders with unsatisfactory outcomes. We aimed to investigate the potential of enteric neural stem cell therapy approaches for such disorders by transplanting mouse enteric neural crest cells (ENCCs into ganglionic and aganglionic mouse gut in vivo and analysing functional integration and long-term safety.Neurospheres generated from yellow fluorescent protein (YFP expressing ENCCs selected from postnatal Wnt1-cre;R26R-YFP/YFP murine gut were transplanted into ganglionic hindgut of wild-type littermates or aganglionic hindgut of Ednrbtm1Ywa mice (lacking functional endothelin receptor type-B. Intestines were then assessed for ENCC integration and differentiation using immunohistochemistry, cell function using calcium imaging, and long-term safety using PCR to detect off-target YFP expression.YFP+ ENCCs engrafted, proliferated and differentiated into enteric neurons and glia within recipient ganglionic gut. Transplanted cells and their projections spread along the endogenous myenteric plexus to form branching networks. Electrical point stimulation of endogenous nerve fibres resulted in calcium transients (F/F0 = 1.16 ± 0.01;43 cells, n = 6 in YFP+ transplanted ENCCs (abolished with TTX. Long-term follow-up (24 months showed transplanted ENCCs did not give rise to tumours or spread to other organs (PCR negative in extraintestinal sites. In aganglionic gut ENCCs similarly spread and differentiated to form neuronal and glial networks with projections closely associated with endogenous neural networks of the transition zone.Transplanted ENCCs successfully engrafted into recipient ganglionic and aganglionic gut showing appropriate spread, localisation and, importantly, functional integration without any long-term safety issues. This study provides key support for the development and use of enteric neural stem cell therapies.

  11. Enteric Neural Cells From Hirschsprung Disease Patients Form Ganglia in Autologous Aneuronal ColonSummary

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    Benjamin N. Rollo

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background & Aims: Hirschsprung disease (HSCR is caused by failure of cells derived from the neural crest (NC to colonize the distal bowel in early embryogenesis, resulting in absence of the enteric nervous system (ENS and failure of intestinal transit postnatally. Treatment is by distal bowel resection, but neural cell replacement may be an alternative. We tested whether aneuronal (aganglionic colon tissue from patients may be colonized by autologous ENS-derived cells. Methods: Cells were obtained and cryopreserved from 31 HSCR patients from the proximal resection margin of colon, and ENS cells were isolated using flow cytometry for the NC marker p75 (nine patients. Aneuronal colon tissue was obtained from the distal resection margin (23 patients. ENS cells were assessed for NC markers immunohistologically and by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and mitosis was detected by ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine labeling. The ability of human HSCR postnatal ENS-derived cells to colonize the embryonic intestine was demonstrated by organ coculture with avian embryo gut, and the ability of human postnatal HSCR aneuronal colon muscle to support ENS formation was tested by organ coculture with embryonic mouse ENS cells. Finally, the ability of HSCR patient ENS cells to colonize autologous aneuronal colon muscle tissue was assessed. Results: ENS-derived p75-sorted cells from patients expressed multiple NC progenitor and differentiation markers and proliferated in culture under conditions simulating Wnt signaling. In organ culture, patient ENS cells migrated appropriately in aneural quail embryo gut, and mouse embryo ENS cells rapidly spread, differentiated, and extended axons in patient aneuronal colon muscle tissue. Postnatal ENS cells derived from HSCR patients colonized autologous aneuronal colon tissue in cocultures, proliferating and differentiating as neurons and glia. Conclusions: NC-lineage cells can be obtained from HSCR

  12. In vitro cementoblast-like differentiation of postmigratory neural crest-derived p75{sup +} stem cells with dental follicle cell conditioned medium

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    Wen, Xiujie; Liu, Luchuan; Deng, Manjing; Liu, Rui; Zhang, Li; Nie, Xin, E-mail: dr.xinnie@gmail.com

    2015-09-10

    Cranial neural crest-derived cells (CNCCs) play important role in epithelial–mesenchymal interactions during tooth morphogenesis. However, the heterogeneity of CNCCs and their tendency to spontaneously differentiate along smooth muscle or osteoblast lineages in vitro limit further understanding of their biological properties. We studied the differentiation properties of isolated rat embryonic postmigratory CNCCs, expressing p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). These p75NTR positive (p75{sup +}) CNCCs, isolated using fluorescence activated cell sorter, exhibited fibroblast-like morphology and characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells. Incubation of p75{sup +} CNCCs in dental follicle cell conditioned medium (DFCCM) combined with dentin non-collagenous proteins (dNCPs), altered their morphological features to cementoblast-like appearance. These cells also showed low proliferative activity, high ALP activity and significantly increased calcified nodule formation. Markers related to mineralization or specific to cementoblast lineage were highly expressed in dNCPs/DFCCM-treated p75{sup +} cells, suggesting their differentiation along cementoblast-like lineage. p75{sup +} stem cells selected from postmigratory CNCCs represent a pure stem cell population and could be used as a stem cell model for in vitro studies due to their intrinsic ability to differentiate to neuronal cells and transform from neuroectoderm to ectomesenchyme. They can provide a potential stem cell resource for tooth engineering studies and help to further investigate mechanisms of epithelial–mesenchymal interactions in tooth morphogenesis. - Highlights: • Cranial neural crest-derived cells (CNCCs) take part in tooth morphogenesis. • positive (p75{sup +}) CNCCs are fibroblast-like and resemble mesenchymal stem cells. • p75{sup +} CNCCs in dental follicle cell medium (DFCCM/dNCP) appear like cementoblasts. • DFCCM/dNCP-treated p75{sup +} cells express cementoblast specific mineralization

  13. A key role for poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 3 in ectodermal specification and neural crest development.

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    Michèle Rouleau

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The PARP family member poly(ADP-ribose polymerase 3 (PARP3 is structurally related to the well characterized PARP1 that orchestrates cellular responses to DNA strand breaks and cell death by the synthesis of poly(ADP-ribose. In contrast to PARP1 and PARP2, the functions of PARP3 are undefined. Here, we reveal critical functions for PARP3 during vertebrate development.We have used several in vitro and in vivo approaches to examine the possible functions of PARP3 as a transcriptional regulator, a function suggested from its previously reported association with several Polycomb group (PcG proteins. We demonstrate that PARP3 gene occupancy in the human neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-SH occurs preferentially with developmental genes regulating cell fate specification, tissue patterning, craniofacial development and neurogenesis. Addressing the significance of this association during zebrafish development, we show that morpholino oligonucleotide-directed inhibition of parp3 expression in zebrafish impairs the expression of the neural crest cell specifier sox9a and of dlx3b/dlx4b, the formation of cranial sensory placodes, inner ears and pectoral fins. It delays pigmentation and severely impedes the development of the median fin fold and tail bud.Our findings demonstrate that Parp3 is crucial in the early stages of zebrafish development, possibly by exerting its transcriptional regulatory functions as early as during the specification of the neural plate border.

  14. HNK-1 immunoreactivity during early morphogenesis of the head region in a nonmodel vertebrate, crocodile embryo

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    Kundrát, Martin

    2008-11-01

    The present study examines HNK-1 immunoidentification of a population of the neural crest (NC) during early head morphogenesis in the nonmodel vertebrate, the crocodile ( Crocodylus niloticus) embryos. Although HNK-1 is not an exclusive NC marker among vertebrates, temporospatial immunoreactive patterns found in the crocodile are almost consistent with NC patterns derived from gene expression studies known in birds (the closest living relatives of crocodiles) and mammals. In contrast to birds, the HNK-1 epitope is immunoreactive in NC cells at the neural fold level in crocodile embryos and therefore provides sufficient base to assess early migratory events of the cephalic NC. I found that crocodile NC forms three classic migratory pathways in the head: mandibular, hyoid, and branchial. Further, I demonstrate that, besides this classic phenotype, there is also a forebrain-derived migratory population, which consolidates into a premandibular stream in the crocodile. In contrast to the closely related chick model, crocodilian premandibular and mandibular NC cells arise from the open neural tube suggesting that species-specific heterochronic behavior of NC may be involved in the formation of different vertebrate facial phenotypes.

  15. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated from P0-Cre;Z/EG Transgenic Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Yasuhiro; Eto, Akira; Miyake, Chisato; Tsuchida, Nana; Miyake, Haruka; Takaku, Yasuhiro; Hagiwara, Hiroaki; Oishi, Kazuhiko

    2015-01-01

    Neural crest (NC) cells are a migratory, multipotent cell population that arises at the neural plate border, and migrate from the dorsal neural tube to their target tissues, where they differentiate into various cell types. Abnormal development of NC cells can result in severe congenital birth defects. Because only a limited number of cells can be obtained from an embryo, mechanistic studies are difficult to perform with directly isolated NC cells. Protein zero (P0) is expressed by migrating NC cells during the early embryonic period. In the P0-Cre;Z/EG transgenic mouse, transient activation of the P0 promoter induces Cre-mediated recombination, indelibly tagging NC-derived cells with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers new opportunities for both mechanistic studies and development of stem cell-based therapies. Here, we report the generation of iPSCs from the P0-Cre;Z/EG mouse. P0-Cre;Z/EG mouse-derived iPSCs (P/G-iPSCs) exhibited pluripotent stem cell properties. In lineage-directed differentiation studies, P/G-iPSCs were efficiently differentiated along the neural lineage while expressing EGFP. These results suggest that P/G-iPSCs are useful to study NC development and NC-associated diseases.

  16. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated from P0-Cre;Z/EG Transgenic Mice.

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    Yasuhiro Ogawa

    Full Text Available Neural crest (NC cells are a migratory, multipotent cell population that arises at the neural plate border, and migrate from the dorsal neural tube to their target tissues, where they differentiate into various cell types. Abnormal development of NC cells can result in severe congenital birth defects. Because only a limited number of cells can be obtained from an embryo, mechanistic studies are difficult to perform with directly isolated NC cells. Protein zero (P0 is expressed by migrating NC cells during the early embryonic period. In the P0-Cre;Z/EG transgenic mouse, transient activation of the P0 promoter induces Cre-mediated recombination, indelibly tagging NC-derived cells with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC technology offers new opportunities for both mechanistic studies and development of stem cell-based therapies. Here, we report the generation of iPSCs from the P0-Cre;Z/EG mouse. P0-Cre;Z/EG mouse-derived iPSCs (P/G-iPSCs exhibited pluripotent stem cell properties. In lineage-directed differentiation studies, P/G-iPSCs were efficiently differentiated along the neural lineage while expressing EGFP. These results suggest that P/G-iPSCs are useful to study NC development and NC-associated diseases.

  17. Differentiation of neural crest stem cells from nasal mucosa into motor neuron-like cells.

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    Bagher, Zohreh; Kamrava, Seyed Kamran; Alizadeh, Rafieh; Farhadi, Mohammad; Absalan, Moloud; Falah, Masoumeh; Faghihi, Faezeh; Zare-Sadeghi, Arash; Komeili, Ali

    2018-05-25

    Cell transplantation is a potential therapeutic approach for repairing neuropathological and neurodegenerative disorders of central nervous system by replacing the degenerated cells with new ones. Among a variety of stem cell candidates to provide these new cells, olfactory ectomesenchymal stem cells (OE-MSCs) have attracted a great attention due to their neural crest origin, easy harvest, high proliferation, and autologous transplantation. Since there is no report on differentiation potential of these cells into motor neuron-like cells, we evaluated this potential using Real-time PCR, flowcytometry and immunocytochemistry after the treatment with differentiation cocktail containing retinoic acid and Sonic Hedgehog. Immunocytochemistry staining of the isolated OE-MSCs demonstrated their capability to express nestin and vimentin, as the two markers of primitive neuroectoderm. The motor neuron differentiation of OE-MSCs resulted in changing their morphology into bipolar cells with high expression of motor neuron markers of ChAT, Hb-9 and Islet-1 at the level of mRNA and protein. Consequently, we believe that the OE-MSCs have great potential to differentiate into motor neuron-like cells and can be an ideal stem cell source for the treatment of motor neuron-related disorders of central nervous system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. A Human Neural Crest Stem Cell-Derived Dopaminergic Neuronal Model Recapitulates Biochemical Abnormalities in GBA1 Mutation Carriers

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    Shi-Yu Yang

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Numerically the most important risk factor for the development of Parkinson's disease (PD is the presence of mutations in the glucocerebrosidase GBA1 gene. In vitro and in vivo studies show that GBA1 mutations reduce glucocerebrosidase (GCase activity and are associated with increased α-synuclein levels, reflecting similar changes seen in idiopathic PD brain. We have developed a neural crest stem cell-derived dopaminergic neuronal model that recapitulates biochemical abnormalities in GBA1 mutation-associated PD. Cells showed reduced GCase protein and activity, impaired macroautophagy, and increased α-synuclein levels. Advantages of this approach include easy access to stem cells, no requirement to reprogram, and retention of the intact host genome. Treatment with a GCase chaperone increased GCase protein levels and activity, rescued the autophagic defects, and decreased α-synuclein levels. These results provide the basis for further investigation of GCase chaperones or similar drugs to slow the progression of PD.

  19. The neural crest is a source of mesenchymal stem cells with specialized hematopoietic stem cell niche function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isern, Joan; García-García, Andrés; Martín, Ana M; Arranz, Lorena; Martín-Pérez, Daniel; Torroja, Carlos; Sánchez-Cabo, Fátima; Méndez-Ferrer, Simón

    2014-09-25

    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteolineage cells contribute to the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche in the bone marrow of long bones. However, their developmental relationships remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that different MSC populations in the developing marrow of long bones have distinct functions. Proliferative mesoderm-derived nestin(-) MSCs participate in fetal skeletogenesis and lose MSC activity soon after birth. In contrast, quiescent neural crest-derived nestin(+) cells preserve MSC activity, but do not generate fetal chondrocytes. Instead, they differentiate into HSC niche-forming MSCs, helping to establish the HSC niche by secreting Cxcl12. Perineural migration of these cells to the bone marrow requires the ErbB3 receptor. The neonatal Nestin-GFP(+) Pdgfrα(-) cell population also contains Schwann cell precursors, but does not comprise mature Schwann cells. Thus, in the developing bone marrow HSC niche-forming MSCs share a common origin with sympathetic peripheral neurons and glial cells, and ontogenically distinct MSCs have non-overlapping functions in endochondrogenesis and HSC niche formation.

  20. Dataset of TWIST1-regulated genes in the cranial mesoderm and a transcriptome comparison of cranial mesoderm and cranial neural crest

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    Heidi Bildsoe

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This article contains data related to the research article entitled “Transcriptional targets of TWIST1 in the cranial mesoderm regulate cell-matrix interactions and mesenchyme maintenance” by Bildsoe et al. (2016 [1]. The data presented here are derived from: (1 a microarray-based comparison of sorted cranial mesoderm (CM and cranial neural crest (CNC cells from E9.5 mouse embryos; (2 comparisons of transcription profiles of head tissues from mouse embryos with a CM-specific loss-of-function of Twist1 and control mouse embryos collected at E8.5 and E9.5; (3 ChIP-seq using a TWIST1-specific monoclonal antibody with chromatin extracts from TWIST1-expressing MDCK cells, a model for a TWIST1-dependent mesenchymal state.

  1. Effect of low dose 131I-MIBG therapy in metastatic neural crest tumors: Evaluation by RECIST and quality of life questionnaire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basu, S.; Joseph, J.K.

    2004-01-01

    Full text: The primary aim of 131I-MIBG therapy in advanced metastatic or recurrent neural crest tumors is palliation i.e. disease control and improvement of health related quality of life. No clear guidelines regarding the dosage and schedule of 131I-MIBG therapy in neural crest tumors exist at present. In general, a fixed dose of 100-300 mCi has been suggested for each therapy. We share our experience of 131I-MIBG therapy in various subgroups of neural crest tumors and discuss the response assessed by the RECIST and the quality of life questionnaire. A total number of 14 patients were treated with indigenously produced 131I-MIBG, which was administered as continuous intravenous infusion over a period of 2-4 hours. Patient isolation according to guidelines set by the national regulatory authority and thyroid blockade with Lugol's iodide were strictly adhered to. Antihypertensive measures were undertaken in case of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma to prevent effects of catecholamine release during or following 131I-MIBG infusion. The primaries included neuroblastoma (n=7), pheochromocytoma (n=5) and paraganglioma (n=2). The cases of neuroblastoma included patients with progressive disease where the conventional chemotherapy had failed, while those of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma were cases with recurrent / metastatic disease following surgery. In cases of multiple therapies, the minimum interval between two consecutive therapies was 12 weeks. Regular renal and haematological profiles were monitored in all the cases. Response to therapy was assessed by RECIST. The findings of 131I-MIBG scintigraphy were incorporated with CT scan in assessing the target lesions. Biochemical response was evaluated by 24 hours urinary VMA estimation. The quality of life status was evaluated by the conventional questionnaire. A total of 27 therapies were administered in 14 patients. In five treated cases of pheochromocytoma, three received multiple therapies. Follow up results

  2. Derivation of corneal endothelial cell-like cells from rat neural crest cells in vitro.

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    Chengqun Ju

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of inducing rat neural crest cells (NCC to differentiate to functional corneal endothelial cell (CEC-like cells in vitro. Rat NCC were induced with adult CEC-derived conditioned medium. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and real time RT-PCR assay were used to detect expression of the corneal endothelium differentiation marker N-cadherin and transcription factors FoxC1 and Pitx2. CFDA SE-labeled CEC-like cells were transplanted to the corneal endothelium of a rat corneal endothelium deficiency model, and an eye-down position was maintained for 24 hours to allow cell attachment. The animals were observed for as long as 2 months after surgery and underwent clinical and histological examination. Spindle-like NCC turned to polygonal CEC-like after induction and expressed N-cadherin, FoxC1, Pitx2, zonula occludens-1 and sodium-potassium pump Na(+/K(+ ATPase. The corneas of the experimental group were much clearer than those of the control group and the mean corneal thickness in the experimental group was significantly less than in the control group7, 14, 21 and 28 days after surgery. Confocal microscopy through focusing and histological analysis confirmed that green fluorescence-positive CEC-like cells formed a monolayer covering the Descemet's membrane in the experimental group. In conclusion, CEC-like cells derived from NCCs displayed characters of native CEC, and the induction protocol provides guidance for future human CEC induction from NCC.

  3. E-cadherin is required for cranial neural crest migration in Xenopus laevis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Chaolie; Kratzer, Marie-Claire; Wedlich, Doris; Kashef, Jubin

    2016-03-15

    The cranial neural crest (CNC) is a highly motile and multipotent embryonic cell population, which migrates directionally on defined routes throughout the embryo, contributing to facial structures including cartilage, bone and ganglia. Cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion is known to play a crucial role in the directional migration of CNC cells. However, migrating CNC co-express different cadherin subtypes, and their individual roles have yet to be fully explored. In previous studies, the expression of individual cadherin subtypes has been analysed using different methods with varying sensitivities, preventing the direct comparison of expression levels. Here, we provide the first comprehensive and comparative analysis of the expression of six cadherin superfamily members during different phases of CNC cell migration in Xenopus. By applying a quantitative RT-qPCR approach, we can determine the copy number and abundance of each expressed cadherin through different phases of CNC migration. Using this approach, we show for the first time expression of E-cadherin and XB/C-cadherin in CNC cells, adding them as two new members of cadherins co-expressed during CNC migration. Cadherin co-expression during CNC migration in Xenopus, in particular the constant expression of E-cadherin, contradicts the classical epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) model postulating a switch in cadherin expression. Loss-of-function experiments further show that E-cadherin is required for proper CNC cell migration in vivo and also for cell protrusion formation in vitro. Knockdown of E-cadherin is not rescued by co-injection of other classical cadherins, pointing to a specific function of E-cadherin in mediating CNC cell migration. Finally, through reconstitution experiments with different E-cadherin deletion mutants in E-cadherin morphant embryos, we demonstrate that the extracellular domain, but not the cytoplasmic domain, of E-cadherin is sufficient to rescue CNC cell migration in vivo

  4. Gene expression profiling analysis of the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural crest stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Bin; Zou, Yang; Xu, Zhiling; Lv, Yonggang

    2017-11-01

    Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a noninvasive technique that has been shown to affect cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation and promote the regeneration of damaged peripheral nerve. Our previous studies had proved that LIPUS can significantly promote the neural differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural crest stem cells (iPSCs-NCSCs) and enhance the repair of rat-transected sciatic nerve. To further explore the underlying mechanisms of LIPUS treatment of iPSCs-NCSCs, this study reported the gene expression profiling analysis of iPSCs-NCSCs before and after LIPUS treatment using the RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) method. It was found that expression of 76 genes of iPSCs-NCSCs cultured in a serum-free neural induction medium and expression of 21 genes of iPSCs-NCSCs cultured in a neuronal differentiation medium were significantly changed by LIPUS treatment. The differentially expressed genes are related to angiogenesis, nervous system activity and functions, cell activities, and so on. The RNA-seq results were further verified by a quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). High correlation was observed between the results obtained from qRT-PCR and RNA-Seq. This study presented new information on the global gene expression patterns of iPSCs-NCSCs after LIPUS treatment and may expand the understanding of the complex molecular mechanism of LIPUS treatment of iPSCs-NCSCs. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  5. Augmented Indian hedgehog signaling in cranial neural crest cells leads to craniofacial abnormalities and dysplastic temporomandibular joint in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ling; Gu, Shuping; Ye, Wenduo; Song, Yingnan; Chen, YiPing

    2016-04-01

    Extensive studies have pinpointed the crucial role of Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling in the development of the appendicular skeleton and the essential function of Ihh in the formation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In this study, we have investigated the effect of augmented Ihh signaling in TMJ development. We took a transgenic gain-of-function approach by overexpressing Ihh in the cranial neural crest (CNC) cells using a conditional Ihh transgenic allele and the Wnt1-Cre allele. We found that Wnt1-Cre-mediated tissue-specific overexpression of Ihh in the CNC lineage caused severe craniofacial abnormalities, including cleft lip/palate, encephalocele, anophthalmos, micrognathia, and defective TMJ development. In the mutant TMJ, the glenoid fossa was completely absent, whereas the condyle and the articular disc appeared relatively normal with slightly delayed chondrocyte differentiation. Our findings thus demonstrate that augmented Ihh signaling is detrimental to craniofacial development, and that finely tuned Ihh signaling is critical for TMJ formation. Our results also provide additional evidence that the development of the condyle and articular disc is independent of the glenoid fossa.

  6. Generation and characterization of Kctd15 mutations in zebrafish.

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    Alison Heffer

    Full Text Available Potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 15 (Kctd15 was previously found to have a role in early neural crest (NC patterning, specifically delimiting the region where NC markers are expressed via repression of transcription factor AP-2a and inhibition of Wnt signaling. We used transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs to generate null mutations in zebrafish kctd15a and kctd15b paralogs to study the in vivo role of Kctd15. We found that while deletions producing frame-shift mutations in each paralog showed no apparent phenotype, kctd15a/b double mutant zebrafish are smaller in size and show several phenotypes including some affecting the NC, such as expansion of the early NC domain, increased pigmentation, and craniofacial defects. Both melanophore and xanthophore pigment cell numbers and early markers are up-regulated in the double mutants. While we find no embryonic craniofacial defects, adult mutants have a deformed maxillary segment and missing barbels. By confocal imaging of mutant larval brains we found that the torus lateralis (TLa, a region implicated in gustatory networks in other fish, is absent. Ablation of this brain tissue in wild type larvae mimics some aspects of the mutant growth phenotype. Thus kctd15 mutants show deficits in the development of both neural crest derivatives, and specific regions within the central nervous system, leading to a strong reduction in normal growth rates.

  7. Occipital cephalocele with neural crest remnants? Radiological and pathological findings in a newborn boy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arishima, Hidetaka; Neishi, Hiroyuki; Kikuta, Ken-Ichiro

    2016-06-01

    A cephalocele is a congenital anomaly involving the herniation of intracranial tissue from a skull defect. The sac containing the central nervous system (CNS) with the ventricle system is called the encephalocystocele. An atretic cephalocele is thought to be an abortive form of cephalocele, and the essential nature is still controversial. Here, we report the case of a newborn boy with an occipital cephalocele containing a small cystic component which was composed of ependymal cells and the immature CNS tissue. A newborn boy was admitted to our hospital because of an occipital mass, which was about 2.5 cm in diameter, located at the posterior midline, and covered with alopetic skin without CSF leakage. He had a cleft palate. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly showed an occipital cephalocele with a tiny cystic component connecting to the subarachnoid space. MRI also showed mild hydrocephalus, hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and tentorium cerebelli, dropping down of the bilateral occipital lobes and vermicular agenesis. We performed the extirpation of the subscalp module under general anesthesia and histologically examined the resected mass. On immunohistopathological examination, most part of the subscalp module was fibrous tissue with numerous vessels and meningeal origin cells. In a small part of the innermost layer, we found a small island consisting of CNS tissue and a tiny cyst lined with a single layer of ependymal cells. Based on radiological and immunohistopathological findings, we speculate that the cystic component at the base of the nodule seems to correspond to neural crest remnants but not to true herniation of the brain and cerebral ventricles.

  8. Numerical Simulation of 3-D Wave Crests

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    YU Dingyong; ZHANG Hanyuan

    2003-01-01

    A clear definition of 3-D wave crest and a description of the procedures to detect the boundary of wave crest are presented in the paper. By using random wave theory and directional wave spectrum, a MATLAB-platformed program is designed to simulate random wave crests for various directional spectral conditions in deep water. Statistics of wave crests with different directional spreading parameters and different directional functions are obtained and discussed.

  9. Dlx proteins position the neural plate border and determine adjacent cell fates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woda, Juliana M; Pastagia, Julie; Mercola, Mark; Artinger, Kristin Bruk

    2003-01-01

    The lateral border of the neural plate is a major source of signals that induce primary neurons, neural crest cells and cranial placodes as well as provide patterning cues to mesodermal structures such as somites and heart. Whereas secreted BMP, FGF and Wnt proteins influence the differentiation of neural and non-neural ectoderm, we show here that members of the Dlx family of transcription factors position the border between neural and non-neural ectoderm and are required for the specification of adjacent cell fates. Inhibition of endogenous Dlx activity in Xenopus embryos with an EnR-Dlx homeodomain fusion protein expands the neural plate into non-neural ectoderm tissue whereas ectopic activation of Dlx target genes inhibits neural plate differentiation. Importantly, the stereotypic pattern of border cell fates in the adjacent ectoderm is re-established only under conditions where the expanded neural plate abuts Dlx-positive non-neural ectoderm. Experiments in which presumptive neural plate was grafted to ventral ectoderm reiterate induction of neural crest and placodal lineages and also demonstrate that Dlx activity is required in non-neural ectoderm for the production of signals needed for induction of these cells. We propose that Dlx proteins regulate intercellular signaling across the interface between neural and non-neural ectoderm that is critical for inducing and patterning adjacent cell fates.

  10. Sagittal crest formation in great apes and gibbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balolia, Katharine L; Soligo, Christophe; Wood, Bernard

    2017-06-01

    The frequency of sagittal crest expression and patterns of sagittal crest growth and development have been documented in hominoids, including some extinct hominin taxa, and the more frequent expression of the sagittal crest in males has been traditionally linked with the need for larger-bodied individuals to have enough attachment area for the temporalis muscle. In the present study, we investigate sagittal cresting in a dentally mature sample of four hominoid taxa (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus and Hylobates lar). We investigate whether sagittal crest size increases with age beyond dental maturity in males and females of G. g. gorilla and Po. pyg. pygmaeus, and whether these taxa show sex differences in the timing of sagittal crest development. We evaluate the hypothesis that the larger sagittal crest of males may not be solely due to the requirement for a larger surface area than the un-crested cranial vault can provide for the attachment of the temporalis muscle, and present data on sex differences in temporalis muscle attachment area and sagittal crest size relative to cranial size. Gorilla g. gorilla and Po. pyg. pygmaeus males show significant relationships between tooth wear rank and sagittal crest size, and they show sagittal crest size differences between age groups that are not found in females. The sagittal crest emerges in early adulthood in the majority of G. g. gorilla males, whereas the percentage of G. g. gorilla females possessing a sagittal crest increases more gradually. Pongo pyg. pygmaeus males experience a three-fold increase in the number of specimens exhibiting a sagittal crest in mid-adulthood, consistent with a secondary growth spurt. Gorilla g. gorilla and Po. pyg. pygmaeus show significant sex differences in the size of the temporalis muscle attachment area, relative to cranial size, with males of both taxa showing positive allometry not shown in females. Gorilla g

  11. Multivalent binding of PWWP2A to H2A.Z regulates mitosis and neural crest differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pünzeler, Sebastian; Link, Stephanie; Wagner, Gabriele; Keilhauer, Eva C; Kronbeck, Nina; Spitzer, Ramona Mm; Leidescher, Susanne; Markaki, Yolanda; Mentele, Edith; Regnard, Catherine; Schneider, Katrin; Takahashi, Daisuke; Kusakabe, Masayuki; Vardabasso, Chiara; Zink, Lisa M; Straub, Tobias; Bernstein, Emily; Harata, Masahiko; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Mann, Matthias; Rupp, Ralph Aw; Hake, Sandra B

    2017-08-01

    Replacement of canonical histones with specialized histone variants promotes altering of chromatin structure and function. The essential histone variant H2A.Z affects various DNA-based processes via poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we determine the comprehensive interactome of H2A.Z and identify PWWP2A as a novel H2A.Z-nucleosome binder. PWWP2A is a functionally uncharacterized, vertebrate-specific protein that binds very tightly to chromatin through a concerted multivalent binding mode. Two internal protein regions mediate H2A.Z-specificity and nucleosome interaction, whereas the PWWP domain exhibits direct DNA binding. Genome-wide mapping reveals that PWWP2A binds selectively to H2A.Z-containing nucleosomes with strong preference for promoters of highly transcribed genes. In human cells, its depletion affects gene expression and impairs proliferation via a mitotic delay. While PWWP2A does not influence H2A.Z occupancy, the C-terminal tail of H2A.Z is one important mediator to recruit PWWP2A to chromatin. Knockdown of PWWP2A in Xenopus results in severe cranial facial defects, arising from neural crest cell differentiation and migration problems. Thus, PWWP2A is a novel H2A.Z-specific multivalent chromatin binder providing a surprising link between H2A.Z, chromosome segregation, and organ development. © 2017 The Authors.

  12. Whistler wave trapping in a density crest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugai, H.; Niki, H.; Inutake, M.; Takeda, S.

    1979-11-01

    The linear trapping process of whistler waves in a field-aligned density crest is investigated theoretically and experimentally below ω = ωsub(c)/2 (half gyrofrequency). The conditions of the crest trapping are derived in terms of the frequency ω/ωsub(c), the incident wave-normal angle theta sub(i), and the density ratio n sub(i)/n sub(o), where n sub(i) and n sub(o) denote the density at the incident point and that at the ridge, respectively. The oscillation length of the trapped ray path is calculated for a parabolic density profile. The experiment on antenna-excited whistler wave has been performed in a large magnetized plasma with the density crest. The phase and amplitude profile of the whistler wave is measured along and across the crest. The measurement has verified characteristic behaviors of the crest trapping. (author)

  13. hESC Differentiation toward an Autonomic Neuronal Cell Fate Depends on Distinct Cues from the Co-Patterning Vasculature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisette M. Acevedo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available To gain insight into the cellular and molecular cues that promote neurovascular co-patterning at the earliest stages of human embryogenesis, we developed a human embryonic stem cell model to mimic the developing epiblast. Contact of ectoderm-derived neural cells with mesoderm-derived vasculature is initiated via the neural crest (NC, not the neural tube (NT. Neurovascular co-patterning then ensues with specification of NC toward an autonomic fate requiring vascular endothelial cell (EC-secreted nitric oxide (NO and direct contact with vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs via T-cadherin-mediated homotypic interactions. Once a neurovascular template has been established, NT-derived central neurons then align themselves with the vasculature. Our findings reveal that, in early human development, the autonomic nervous system forms in response to distinct molecular cues from VSMCs and ECs, providing a model for how other developing lineages might coordinate their co-patterning.

  14. Sagittal crest formation in great apes and gibbons

    OpenAIRE

    Balolia, K. L.; Soligo, C.; Wood, B.

    2017-01-01

    The frequency of sagittal crest expression and patterns of sagittal crest growth and development have been documented in hominoids, including some extinct hominin taxa, and the more frequent expression of the sagittal crest in males has been traditionally linked with the need for larger-bodied individuals to have enough attachment area for the temporalis muscle. In the present study, we investigate sagittal cresting in a dentally mature sample of four hominoid taxa (Pan troglodytes schweinfur...

  15. Disruption of Smad4 in neural crest cells leads to mid-gestation death with pharyngeal arch, craniofacial and cardiac defects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Xuguang; Deng, Chu-xia; Wang, Qin; Jiao, Kai

    2008-01-01

    TGFβ/BMP signaling pathways are essential for normal development of neural crest cells (NCCs). Smad4 encodes the only common Smad protein in mammals, which is a critical nuclear mediator of TGFβ/BMP signaling. In this work, we sought to investigate the roles of Smad4 for development of NCCs. To overcome the early embryonic lethality of Smad4 null mice, we specifically disrupted Smad4 in NCCs using a Cre/loxP system. The mutant mice died at mid-gestation with defects in facial primordia, pharyngeal arches, outflow tract and cardiac ventricles. Further examination revealed that mutant embryos displayed severe molecular defects starting from E9.5. Expression of multiple genes, including Msx1, 2, Ap-2α, Pax3, and Sox9, which play critical roles for NCC development, was downregulated by NCC disruption of Smad4. Moreover, increased cell death was observed in pharyngeal arches from E10.5. However, the cell proliferation rate in these areas was not substantially altered. Taken together, these findings provide compelling genetic evidence that Smad4-mediated activities of TGFβ/BMP signals are essential for appropriate NCC development. PMID:18334251

  16. Augmented BMPRIA-mediated BMP signaling in cranial neural crest lineage leads to cleft palate formation and delayed tooth differentiation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Li

    Full Text Available The importance of BMP receptor Ia (BMPRIa mediated signaling in the development of craniofacial organs, including the tooth and palate, has been well illuminated in several mouse models of loss of function, and by its mutations associated with juvenile polyposis syndrome and facial defects in humans. In this study, we took a gain-of-function approach to further address the role of BMPR-IA-mediated signaling in the mesenchymal compartment during tooth and palate development. We generated transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active form of BmprIa (caBmprIa in cranial neural crest (CNC cells that contributes to the dental and palatal mesenchyme. Mice bearing enhanced BMPRIa-mediated signaling in CNC cells exhibit complete cleft palate and delayed odontogenic differentiation. We showed that the cleft palate defect in the transgenic animals is attributed to an altered cell proliferation rate in the anterior palatal mesenchyme and to the delayed palatal elevation in the posterior portion associated with ectopic cartilage formation. Despite enhanced activity of BMP signaling in the dental mesenchyme, tooth development and patterning in transgenic mice appeared normal except delayed odontogenic differentiation. These data support the hypothesis that a finely tuned level of BMPRIa-mediated signaling is essential for normal palate and tooth development.

  17. Overflow Characteristic of Cylindrical Shape Crest Weirs Over Horizontal Bed

    OpenAIRE

    Emad4 AbdulGabbar

    2013-01-01

    The most common types of weirs are the broad-crested weir, the sharp-crested weir, the circular crested weir and the ogee crested weir. Advantages of the cylindrical weir shape include the stable overflow pattern, the ease to pass floating debris, the simplicity of design compared to ogee crest design and the associated lower costs. In present study, it was investigated the overflow characteristics of circular weirs in laboratory for various cylinder radii of three sizes (11.4, 9.0, 6.3 cm), ...

  18. CREST--classification resources for environmental sequence tags.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anders Lanzén

    Full Text Available Sequencing of taxonomic or phylogenetic markers is becoming a fast and efficient method for studying environmental microbial communities. This has resulted in a steadily growing collection of marker sequences, most notably of the small-subunit (SSU ribosomal RNA gene, and an increased understanding of microbial phylogeny, diversity and community composition patterns. However, to utilize these large datasets together with new sequencing technologies, a reliable and flexible system for taxonomic classification is critical. We developed CREST (Classification Resources for Environmental Sequence Tags, a set of resources and tools for generating and utilizing custom taxonomies and reference datasets for classification of environmental sequences. CREST uses an alignment-based classification method with the lowest common ancestor algorithm. It also uses explicit rank similarity criteria to reduce false positives and identify novel taxa. We implemented this method in a web server, a command line tool and the graphical user interfaced program MEGAN. Further, we provide the SSU rRNA reference database and taxonomy SilvaMod, derived from the publicly available SILVA SSURef, for classification of sequences from bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. Using cross-validation and environmental datasets, we compared the performance of CREST and SilvaMod to the RDP Classifier. We also utilized Greengenes as a reference database, both with CREST and the RDP Classifier. These analyses indicate that CREST performs better than alignment-free methods with higher recall rate (sensitivity as well as precision, and with the ability to accurately identify most sequences from novel taxa. Classification using SilvaMod performed better than with Greengenes, particularly when applied to environmental sequences. CREST is freely available under a GNU General Public License (v3 from http://apps.cbu.uib.no/crest and http://lcaclassifier.googlecode.com.

  19. Degradation processes and the methods of securing wall crests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maciej Trochonowicz

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The protection of historical ruins requires solution of doctrinal and technical problems. Technical problems concern above all preservation of walls, which are exposed to the influence of atmospheric factors. The problem that needs to be solved in any historic ruin is securing of wall crests. Form of protection of the wall crests depends on many factors, mainly technical features of the wall and architectural and conservatory vision. The following article presents three aspects important for protection of wall crests. Firstly, analysis of features of the wall as a structure, secondly the characteristics of destructive agents, thirdly forms of protection of wall crests. In the summary of the following article, advantages and disadvantages of each method of preservation of the wall crests were presented.

  20. Crest syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, B.; Roedl, W.

    1988-01-01

    If a patient has peri- and intra-articular calcinosis, as well as acro-osteolysis and esophageal hypomotility, and rheumatic symptoms, Crest syndrome should be considered as a manifestation of progressive systemic sclerosis. In connection with relevant symptoms on the skin and visceral involvement, radiological studies offer the possibility of classifying progressive systemic sclerosis more accurately. (orig.) [de

  1. A career at the interface of cell and developmental biology: a view from the crest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronner, Marianne E

    2012-11-01

    Just as neural crest cells migrate great distances through the embryo, my journey has taken me from a childhood in a distant land to a career as a biologist. My mentoring relationships have shaped not only the careers of my trainees, but also the trajectory of my own science. One of the most satisfying aspects of mentoring comes from helping to empower the next generation of scientists to do more tomorrow than is possible today. This, together with a passion for discovery and learning new things, motivates me and makes science such a rewarding career.

  2. Lessons learned from the EU project T-CREST

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schoeberl, Martin

    2016-01-01

    A three year EU project, such a T-CREST, with partners from all over Europe and with backgrounds from different domains is a challenging endeavor. Successful execution of such a project depends on more factors than simply performing excellent research. Within the three-year project T-CREST eight...... partners from academia and industry developed and evaluated a time-predictable multi-core processor with an accompanying compiler and a worst-case execution time analysis tool. The tight cooperation of the partners and the shared vision of the need of new computer architectures for future real-time systems...... enabled the successful completion of the T-CREST project. The T-CREST platform is now available, with most components in open source, to be used for future real-time systems and as a platform for further research....

  3. Inductive differentiation of two neural lineages reconstituted in a microculture system from Xenopus early gastrula cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitani, S; Okamoto, H

    1991-05-01

    Neural induction of ectoderm cells has been reconstituted and examined in a microculture system derived from dissociated early gastrula cells of Xenopus laevis. We have used monoclonal antibodies as specific markers to monitor cellular differentiation from three distinct ectoderm lineages in culture (N1 for CNS neurons from neural tube, Me1 for melanophores from neural crest and E3 for skin epidermal cells from epidermal lineages). CNS neurons and melanophores differentiate when deep layer cells of the ventral ectoderm (VE, prospective epidermis region; 150 cells/culture) and an appropriate region of the marginal zone (MZ, prospective mesoderm region; 5-150 cells/culture) are co-cultured, but not in cultures of either cell type on their own; VE cells cultured alone yield epidermal cells as we have previously reported. The extent of inductive neural differentiation in the co-culture system strongly depends on the origin and number of MZ cells initially added to culture wells. The potency to induce CNS neurons is highest for dorsal MZ cells and sharply decreases as more ventrally located cells are used. The same dorsoventral distribution of potency is seen in the ability of MZ cells to inhibit epidermal differentiation. In contrast, the ability of MZ cells to induce melanophores shows the reverse polarity, ventral to dorsal. These data indicate that separate developmental mechanisms are used for the induction of neural tube and neural crest lineages. Co-differentiation of CNS neurons or melanophores with epidermal cells can be obtained in a single well of co-cultures of VE cells (150) and a wide range of numbers of MZ cells (5 to 100). Further, reproducible differentiation of both neural lineages requires intimate association between cells from the two gastrula regions; virtually no differentiation is obtained when cells from the VE and MZ are separated in a culture well. These results indicate that the inducing signals from MZ cells for both neural tube and neural

  4. The neural crest and neural crest cells

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    PRAKASH KUMAR

    papers and independent studies in the 1920s and '30s by. Landacre ..... Four possibilities, which are not mutually exclusive, could explain evolutionary changes in gene function: .... description of the results of the chief course of events in the.

  5. Neural Crossroads in the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niche.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwala, Sobhika; Tamplin, Owen J

    2018-05-29

    The hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche supports steady-state hematopoiesis and responds to changing needs during stress and disease. The nervous system is an important regulator of the niche, and its influence is established early in development when stem cells are specified. Most research has focused on direct innervation of the niche, however recent findings show there are different modes of neural control, including globally by the central nervous system (CNS) and hormone release, locally by neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells, and intrinsically by hematopoietic cells that express neural receptors and neurotransmitters. Dysregulation between neural and hematopoietic systems can contribute to disease, however new therapeutic opportunities may be found among neuroregulator drugs repurposed to support hematopoiesis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Long-term culture and differentiation of CNS precursors derived from anterior human neural rosettes following exposure to ventralizing factors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colleoni, Silvia; Galli, Cesare; Giannelli, Serena G.; Armentero, Marie-Therese; Blandini, Fabio; Broccoli, Vania; Lazzari, Giovanna

    2010-01-01

    In this study we demonstrated that neural rosettes derived from human ES cells can give rise either to neural crest precursors, following expansion in presence of bFGF and EGF, or to dopaminergic precursors after exposure to ventralizing factors Shh and FGF8. Both regionalised precursors are capable of extensive proliferation and differentiation towards the corresponding terminally differentiated cell types. In particular, peripheral neurons, cartilage, bone, smooth muscle cells and also pigmented cells were obtained from neural crest precursors while tyrosine hydroxylase and Nurr1 positive dopaminergic neurons were derived from FGF8 and Shh primed rosette cells. Gene expression and immunocytochemistry analyses confirmed the expression of dorsal and neural crest genes such as Sox10, Slug, p75, FoxD3, Pax7 in neural precursors from bFGF-EGF exposed rosettes. By contrast, priming of rosettes with FGF8 and Shh induced the expression of dopaminergic markers Engrailed1, Pax2, Pitx3, floor plate marker FoxA2 and radial glia markers Blbp and Glast, the latter in agreement with the origin of dopaminergic precursors from floor plate radial glia. Moreover, in vivo transplant of proliferating Shh/FGF8 primed precursors in parkinsonian rats demonstrated engraftment and terminal dopaminergic differentiation. In conclusion, we demonstrated the derivation of long-term self-renewing precursors of selected regional identity as potential cell reservoirs for cell therapy applications, such as CNS degenerative diseases, or for the development of toxicological tests.

  7. Long-term culture and differentiation of CNS precursors derived from anterior human neural rosettes following exposure to ventralizing factors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Colleoni, Silvia, E-mail: silviacolleoni@avantea.it [Laboratorio di Tecnologie della Riproduzione, Avantea, Via Porcellasco 7/f, 26100 Cremona (Italy); Galli, Cesare [Laboratorio di Tecnologie della Riproduzione, Avantea, Via Porcellasco 7/f, 26100 Cremona (Italy); Dipartimento Clinico Veterinario, Universita di Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia (Italy); Giannelli, Serena G. [Stem Cells and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan (Italy); Armentero, Marie-Therese; Blandini, Fabio [Laboratory of Functional Neurochemistry, Interdepartmental Research Center for Parkinson' s Disease, Neurological Institute C. Mondino, Via Mondino 2, 27100 Pavia (Italy); Broccoli, Vania, E-mail: broccoli.vania@hsr.it [Stem Cells and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan (Italy); Lazzari, Giovanna, E-mail: giovannalazzari@avantea.it [Laboratorio di Tecnologie della Riproduzione, Avantea, Via Porcellasco 7/f, 26100 Cremona (Italy)

    2010-04-15

    In this study we demonstrated that neural rosettes derived from human ES cells can give rise either to neural crest precursors, following expansion in presence of bFGF and EGF, or to dopaminergic precursors after exposure to ventralizing factors Shh and FGF8. Both regionalised precursors are capable of extensive proliferation and differentiation towards the corresponding terminally differentiated cell types. In particular, peripheral neurons, cartilage, bone, smooth muscle cells and also pigmented cells were obtained from neural crest precursors while tyrosine hydroxylase and Nurr1 positive dopaminergic neurons were derived from FGF8 and Shh primed rosette cells. Gene expression and immunocytochemistry analyses confirmed the expression of dorsal and neural crest genes such as Sox10, Slug, p75, FoxD3, Pax7 in neural precursors from bFGF-EGF exposed rosettes. By contrast, priming of rosettes with FGF8 and Shh induced the expression of dopaminergic markers Engrailed1, Pax2, Pitx3, floor plate marker FoxA2 and radial glia markers Blbp and Glast, the latter in agreement with the origin of dopaminergic precursors from floor plate radial glia. Moreover, in vivo transplant of proliferating Shh/FGF8 primed precursors in parkinsonian rats demonstrated engraftment and terminal dopaminergic differentiation. In conclusion, we demonstrated the derivation of long-term self-renewing precursors of selected regional identity as potential cell reservoirs for cell therapy applications, such as CNS degenerative diseases, or for the development of toxicological tests.

  8. Connexin 43-mediated modulation of polarized cell movement and the directional migration of cardiac neural crest cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xin; Francis, Richard; Wei, Chih Jen; Linask, Kaari L; Lo, Cecilia W

    2006-09-01

    Connexin 43 knockout (Cx43alpha1KO) mice have conotruncal heart defects that are associated with a reduction in the abundance of cardiac neural crest cells (CNCs) targeted to the heart. In this study, we show CNCs can respond to changing fibronectin matrix density by adjusting their migratory behavior, with directionality increasing and speed decreasing with increasing fibronectin density. However, compared with wild-type CNCs, Cx43alpha1KO CNCs show reduced directionality and speed, while CNCs overexpressing Cx43alpha1 from the CMV43 transgenic mice show increased directionality and speed. Altered integrin signaling was indicated by changes in the distribution of vinculin containing focal contacts, and altered temporal response of Cx43alpha1KO and CMV43 CNCs to beta1 integrin function blocking antibody treatment. High resolution motion analysis showed Cx43alpha1KO CNCs have increased cell protrusive activity accompanied by the loss of polarized cell movement. They exhibited an unusual polygonal arrangement of actin stress fibers that indicated a profound change in cytoskeletal organization. Semaphorin 3A, a chemorepellent known to inhibit integrin activation, was found to inhibit CNC motility, but in the Cx43alpha1KO and CMV43 CNCs, cell processes failed to retract with semaphorin 3A treatment. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses suggested close interactions between Cx43alpha1, vinculin and other actin-binding proteins. However, dye coupling analysis showed no correlation between gap junction communication level and fibronectin plating density. Overall, these findings indicate Cx43alpha1 may have a novel function in mediating crosstalk with cell signaling pathways that regulate polarized cell movement essential for the directional migration of CNCs.

  9. Novel migrating mouse neural crest cell assay system utilizing P0-Cre/EGFP fluorescent time-lapse imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kawakami Minoru

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Neural crest cells (NCCs are embryonic, multipotent stem cells. Their long-range and precision-guided migration is one of their most striking characteristics. We previously reported that P0-Cre/CAG-CAT-lacZ double-transgenic mice showed significant lacZ expression in tissues derived from NCCs. Results In this study, by embedding a P0-Cre/CAG-CAT-EGFP embryo at E9.5 in collagen gel inside a culture glass slide, we were able to keep the embryo developing ex vivo for more than 24 hours; this development was with enough NCC fluorescent signal intensity to enable single-cell resolution analysis, with the accompanying NCC migration potential intact and with the appropriate NCC response to the extracellular signal maintained. By implantation of beads with absorbed platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA, we demonstrated that PDGF-AA acts as an NCC-attractant in embryos. We also performed assays with NCCs isolated from P0-Cre/CAG-CAT-EGFP embryos on culture plates. The neuromediator 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT has been known to regulate NCC migration. We newly demonstrated that dopamine, in addition to 5-HT, stimulated NCC migration in vitro. Two NCC populations, with different axial levels of origins, showed unique distribution patterns regarding migration velocity and different dose-response patterns to both 5-HT and dopamine. Conclusions Although avian species predominated over the other species in the NCC study, our novel system should enable us to use mice to assay many different aspects of NCCs in embryos or on culture plates, such as migration, division, differentiation, and apoptosis.

  10. FGF8 signaling sustains progenitor status and multipotency of cranial neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells in vivo and in vitro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Meiying; Liu, Chao; Song, Yingnan; Ye, Wenduo; He, Wei; Yuan, Guohua; Gu, Shuping; Lin, Congxin; Ma, Liang; Zhang, Yanding; Tian, Weidong; Hu, Tao; Chen, YiPing

    2015-01-01

    The cranial neural crest (CNC) cells play a vital role in craniofacial development and regeneration. They are multi-potent progenitors, being able to differentiate into various types of tissues. Both pre-migratory and post-migratory CNC cells are plastic, taking on diverse fates by responding to different inductive signals. However, what sustains the multipotency of CNC cells and derivatives remains largely unknown. In this study, we present evidence that FGF8 signaling is able to sustain progenitor status and multipotency of CNC-derived mesenchymal cells both in vivo and in vitro. We show that augmented FGF8 signaling in pre-migratory CNC cells prevents cell differentiation and organogenesis in the craniofacial region by maintaining their progenitor status. CNC-derived mesenchymal cells with Fgf8 overexpression or control cells in the presence of exogenous FGF8 exhibit prolonged survival, proliferation, and multi-potent differentiation capability in cell cultures. Remarkably, exogenous FGF8 also sustains the capability of CNC-derived mesenchymal cells to participate in organogenesis such as odontogenesis. Furthermore, FGF8-mediated signaling strongly promotes adipogenesis but inhibits osteogenesis of CNC-derived mesenchymal cells in vitro. Our results reveal a specific role for FGF8 in the maintenance of progenitor status and in fate determination of CNC cells, implicating a potential application in expansion and fate manipulation of CNC-derived cells in stem cell-based craniofacial regeneration. PMID:26243590

  11. Lack of the central nervous system- and neural crest-expressed forkhead gene Foxs1 affects motor function and body weight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heglind, Mikael; Cederberg, Anna; Aquino, Jorge; Lucas, Guilherme; Ernfors, Patrik; Enerbäck, Sven

    2005-07-01

    To gain insight into the expression pattern and functional importance of the forkhead transcription factor Foxs1, we constructed a Foxs1-beta-galactosidase reporter gene "knock-in" (Foxs1beta-gal/beta-gal) mouse, in which the wild-type (wt) Foxs1 allele has been inactivated and replaced by a beta-galactosidase reporter gene. Staining for beta-galactosidase activity reveals an expression pattern encompassing neural crest-derived cells, e.g., cranial and dorsal root ganglia as well as several other cell populations in the central nervous system (CNS), most prominently the internal granule layer of cerebellum. Other sites of expression include the lachrymal gland, outer nuclear layer of retina, enteric ganglion neurons, and a subset of thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei. In the CNS, blood vessel-associated smooth muscle cells and pericytes stain positive for Foxs1. Foxs1beta-gal/beta-gal mice perform significantly better (P fat diet, and we speculate that dorsomedial hypothalamic neurons, expressing Foxs1, could play a role in regulating body weight via regulation of sympathetic outflow. In support of this, we observed increased levels of uncoupling protein 1 mRNA in Foxs1beta-gal/beta-gal mice. This points toward a role for Foxs1 in the integration and processing of neuronal signals of importance for energy turnover and motor function.

  12. Decreased proliferative, migrative and neuro-differentiative potential of postnatal rat enteric neural crest-derived cells during culture in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Hui; Pan, Wei-Kang; Zheng, Bai-Jun; Wang, Huai-Jie; Chen, Xin-Lin; Liu, Yong; Gao, Ya

    2016-01-01

    A growing body of evidence supports the potential use of enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) as a cell replacement therapy for Hirschsprung's disease. Based on previous observations of robust propagation of primary ENCCs, as opposed to their progeny, it is suggested that their therapeutic potential after in vitro expansion may be restricted. We therefore examined the growth and differentiation activities and phenotypic characteristics of continuous ENCC cultures. ENCCs were isolated from the intestines of postnatal rats and were identified using an immunocytochemical approach. During continuous ENCC culture expansion, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation potentials were monitored. The Cell Counting Kit-8 was used for assessment of ENCC vitality, Transwell inserts for cell migration, immunocytochemistry for cell counts and identification, and flow cytometry for apoptosis. Over six continuous generations, ENCC proliferation potency was reduced and with prolonged culture, the ratio of migratory ENCCs was decreased. The percentage of apoptosis showed an upward trend with prolonged intragenerational culture, but showed a downward trend with prolonged culture of combined generations. Furthermore, the percentage of peripherin"+ cells decreased whilst the percentage of GFAP"+ cells increased with age. The results demonstrated that alterations in ENCC growth characteristics occur with increased culture time, which may partially account for the poor results of proposed cell therapies. - Highlights: • Differences were identified between primary and daughter ENCCs. • Daughter ENCCs had reduced proliferation, migration and differentiation. • Daughter ENCCs also had increased apoptosis. • These altered characteristics warrant further investigation.

  13. Decreased proliferative, migrative and neuro-differentiative potential of postnatal rat enteric neural crest-derived cells during culture in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Hui [Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 157, Xi Wu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi (China); Institute of Neurobiology, Environment and Genes Related to Diseases Key Laboratory of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 96, Yan Ta Xi Road, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi (China); Pan, Wei-Kang; Zheng, Bai-Jun; Wang, Huai-Jie [Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 157, Xi Wu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi (China); Chen, Xin-Lin; Liu, Yong [Institute of Neurobiology, Environment and Genes Related to Diseases Key Laboratory of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 96, Yan Ta Xi Road, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi (China); Gao, Ya, E-mail: ygao@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 157, Xi Wu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi (China)

    2016-05-01

    A growing body of evidence supports the potential use of enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) as a cell replacement therapy for Hirschsprung's disease. Based on previous observations of robust propagation of primary ENCCs, as opposed to their progeny, it is suggested that their therapeutic potential after in vitro expansion may be restricted. We therefore examined the growth and differentiation activities and phenotypic characteristics of continuous ENCC cultures. ENCCs were isolated from the intestines of postnatal rats and were identified using an immunocytochemical approach. During continuous ENCC culture expansion, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation potentials were monitored. The Cell Counting Kit-8 was used for assessment of ENCC vitality, Transwell inserts for cell migration, immunocytochemistry for cell counts and identification, and flow cytometry for apoptosis. Over six continuous generations, ENCC proliferation potency was reduced and with prolonged culture, the ratio of migratory ENCCs was decreased. The percentage of apoptosis showed an upward trend with prolonged intragenerational culture, but showed a downward trend with prolonged culture of combined generations. Furthermore, the percentage of peripherin{sup +} cells decreased whilst the percentage of GFAP{sup +} cells increased with age. The results demonstrated that alterations in ENCC growth characteristics occur with increased culture time, which may partially account for the poor results of proposed cell therapies. - Highlights: • Differences were identified between primary and daughter ENCCs. • Daughter ENCCs had reduced proliferation, migration and differentiation. • Daughter ENCCs also had increased apoptosis. • These altered characteristics warrant further investigation.

  14. Enteric neurospheres are not specific to neural crest cultures : Implications for neural stem cell therapies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Binder, E. (Ellen); D. Natarajan (Dipa); J.E. Cooper (Julie E.); Kronfli, R. (Rania); Cananzi, M. (Mara); J.-M. Delalande (Jean-Marie); C. Mccann; A.J. Burns (Alan); N. Thapar (Nikhil)

    2015-01-01

    textabstractObjectives Enteric neural stem cells provide hope of curative treatment for enteric neuropathies. Current protocols for their harvesting from humans focus on the generation of 'neurospheres' from cultures of dissociated gut tissue. The study aims to better understand the derivation,

  15. Cell reprogramming by 3D bioprinting of human fibroblasts in polyurethane hydrogel for fabrication of neural-like constructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Lin; Hsu, Shan-Hui

    2018-04-01

    3D bioprinting is a technique which enables the direct printing of biodegradable materials with cells into 3D tissue. So far there is no cell reprogramming in situ performed with the 3D bioprinting process. Forkhead box D3 (FoxD3) is a transcription factor and neural crest marker, which was reported to reprogram human fibroblasts into neural crest stem-like cells. In this study, we synthesized a new biodegradable thermo-responsive waterborne polyurethane (PU) gel as a bioink. FoxD3 plasmids and human fibroblasts were co-extruded with the PU hydrogel through the syringe needle tip for cell reprogramming. The rheological properties of the PU hydrogel including the modulus, gelation time, and shear thinning were optimized for the transfection effect of FoxD3 in situ. The corresponding shear rate and shear stress were examined. Results showed that human fibroblasts could be reprogrammed into neural crest stem-like cells with high cell viability during the extrusion process under an average shear stress ∼190 Pa. We further translated the method to the extrusion-based 3D bioprinting, and demonstrated that human fibroblasts co-printed with FoxD3 in the thermo-responsive PU hydrogel could be reprogrammed and differentiated into a neural-tissue like construct at 14 days after induction. The neural-like tissue construct produced by 3D bioprinting from human fibroblasts may be applied to personalized drug screening or neuroregeneration. There is no study so far on cell reprogramming in situ with 3D bioprinting. In this manuscript, a new thermoresponsive polyurethane bioink was developed and employed to deliver FoxD3 plasmid into human fibroblasts by the extrusion-based bioprinting. When the polyurethane gel was extruded through the syringe tip, the shear stress generated may have caused the transient membrane permeability for transfection. The shear stress was optimized for transfection in situ by 3D bioprinting. We demonstrated that human fibroblasts could be

  16. The CREST reactive-burn model for explosives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maheswaran M-A.

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available CREST is an innovative reactive-burn model that has been developed at AWE for simulating shock initiation and detonation propagation behaviour in explosives. The model has a different basis from other reactive-burn models in that its reaction rate is independent of local flow variables behind the shock wave e.g. pressure and temperature. The foundation for CREST, based on a detailed analysis of data from particle-velocity gauge experiments, is that the reaction rate depends only on the local shock strength and the time since the shock passed. Since a measure of shock strength is the entropy of the non-reacted explosive, which remains constant behind a shock, CREST uses an entropy-dependent reaction rate. This paper will provide an overview of the CREST model and its predictive capability. In particular, it will be shown that the model can predict a wide range of experimental phenomena for both shock initiation (e.g. the effects of porosity and initial temperature on sustained-shock and thin-flyer initiation and detonation propagation (e.g. the diameter effect curve and detonation failure cones using a single set of coefficients.

  17. Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis in a patient with CREST syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurst, Rebecca L; Berianu, Florentina; Ginsburg, William W; Klein, Christopher J; Englestad, Janean K; Kennelly, Kathleen D

    2014-10-01

    Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis is a rare entity. Although it has been reported in diffuse systemic sclerosis, it has not been reported in calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly and telangiectasia (CREST) syndrome. We report a patient with cryoglobulinemic vasculitis with CREST syndrome who did not have typical clinical features of vasculitis. This 58-year-old woman presented with mild generalized weakness and a diagnosis of CREST syndrome, which included Raynaud's syndrome, dysphagia and telangiectasias. She was positive for serum cryoglobulins, which led to a sural nerve biopsy. The biopsy results were consistent with cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis has not been previously reported in CREST syndrome to our knowledge. Additionally, the patient also had limited clinical symptoms. Our patient displays the importance of checking for cryoglobulins and obtaining a nerve biopsy when the serum is positive. Both of these diagnostic tests were integral for directing appropriate treatment for this patient. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Contribution of Underlying Connective Tissue Cells to Taste Buds in Mouse Tongue and Soft Palate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mederacke, Ingmar; Komatsu, Yoshihiro; Stice, Steve; Schwabe, Robert F.; Mistretta, Charlotte M.; Mishina, Yuji; Liu, Hong-Xiang

    2016-01-01

    Taste buds, the sensory organs for taste, have been described as arising solely from the surrounding epithelium, which is in distinction from other sensory receptors that are known to originate from neural precursors, i.e., neural ectoderm that includes neural crest (NC). Our previous study suggested a potential contribution of NC derived cells to early immature fungiform taste buds in late embryonic (E18.5) and young postnatal (P1-10) mice. In the present study we demonstrated the contribution of the underlying connective tissue (CT) to mature taste buds in mouse tongue and soft palate. Three independent mouse models were used for fate mapping of NC and NC derived connective tissue cells: (1) P0-Cre/R26-tdTomato (RFP) to label NC, NC derived Schwann cells and derivatives; (2) Dermo1-Cre/RFP to label mesenchymal cells and derivatives; and (3) Vimentin-CreER/mGFP to label Vimentin-expressing CT cells and derivatives upon tamoxifen treatment. Both P0-Cre/RFP and Dermo1-Cre/RFP labeled cells were abundant in mature taste buds in lingual taste papillae and soft palate, but not in the surrounding epithelial cells. Concurrently, labeled cells were extensively distributed in the underlying CT. RFP signals were seen in the majority of taste buds and all three types (I, II, III) of differentiated taste bud cells, with the neuronal-like type III cells labeled at a greater proportion. Further, Vimentin-CreER labeled cells were found in the taste buds of 3-month-old mice whereas Vimentin immunoreactivity was only seen in the CT. Taken together, our data demonstrate a previously unrecognized origin of taste bud cells from the underlying CT, a conceptually new finding in our knowledge of taste bud cell derivation, i.e., from both the surrounding epithelium and the underlying CT that is primarily derived from NC. PMID:26741369

  19. Contribution of Underlying Connective Tissue Cells to Taste Buds in Mouse Tongue and Soft Palate.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin Boggs

    Full Text Available Taste buds, the sensory organs for taste, have been described as arising solely from the surrounding epithelium, which is in distinction from other sensory receptors that are known to originate from neural precursors, i.e., neural ectoderm that includes neural crest (NC. Our previous study suggested a potential contribution of NC derived cells to early immature fungiform taste buds in late embryonic (E18.5 and young postnatal (P1-10 mice. In the present study we demonstrated the contribution of the underlying connective tissue (CT to mature taste buds in mouse tongue and soft palate. Three independent mouse models were used for fate mapping of NC and NC derived connective tissue cells: (1 P0-Cre/R26-tdTomato (RFP to label NC, NC derived Schwann cells and derivatives; (2 Dermo1-Cre/RFP to label mesenchymal cells and derivatives; and (3 Vimentin-CreER/mGFP to label Vimentin-expressing CT cells and derivatives upon tamoxifen treatment. Both P0-Cre/RFP and Dermo1-Cre/RFP labeled cells were abundant in mature taste buds in lingual taste papillae and soft palate, but not in the surrounding epithelial cells. Concurrently, labeled cells were extensively distributed in the underlying CT. RFP signals were seen in the majority of taste buds and all three types (I, II, III of differentiated taste bud cells, with the neuronal-like type III cells labeled at a greater proportion. Further, Vimentin-CreER labeled cells were found in the taste buds of 3-month-old mice whereas Vimentin immunoreactivity was only seen in the CT. Taken together, our data demonstrate a previously unrecognized origin of taste bud cells from the underlying CT, a conceptually new finding in our knowledge of taste bud cell derivation, i.e., from both the surrounding epithelium and the underlying CT that is primarily derived from NC.

  20. Contribution of Underlying Connective Tissue Cells to Taste Buds in Mouse Tongue and Soft Palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boggs, Kristin; Venkatesan, Nandakumar; Mederacke, Ingmar; Komatsu, Yoshihiro; Stice, Steve; Schwabe, Robert F; Mistretta, Charlotte M; Mishina, Yuji; Liu, Hong-Xiang

    2016-01-01

    Taste buds, the sensory organs for taste, have been described as arising solely from the surrounding epithelium, which is in distinction from other sensory receptors that are known to originate from neural precursors, i.e., neural ectoderm that includes neural crest (NC). Our previous study suggested a potential contribution of NC derived cells to early immature fungiform taste buds in late embryonic (E18.5) and young postnatal (P1-10) mice. In the present study we demonstrated the contribution of the underlying connective tissue (CT) to mature taste buds in mouse tongue and soft palate. Three independent mouse models were used for fate mapping of NC and NC derived connective tissue cells: (1) P0-Cre/R26-tdTomato (RFP) to label NC, NC derived Schwann cells and derivatives; (2) Dermo1-Cre/RFP to label mesenchymal cells and derivatives; and (3) Vimentin-CreER/mGFP to label Vimentin-expressing CT cells and derivatives upon tamoxifen treatment. Both P0-Cre/RFP and Dermo1-Cre/RFP labeled cells were abundant in mature taste buds in lingual taste papillae and soft palate, but not in the surrounding epithelial cells. Concurrently, labeled cells were extensively distributed in the underlying CT. RFP signals were seen in the majority of taste buds and all three types (I, II, III) of differentiated taste bud cells, with the neuronal-like type III cells labeled at a greater proportion. Further, Vimentin-CreER labeled cells were found in the taste buds of 3-month-old mice whereas Vimentin immunoreactivity was only seen in the CT. Taken together, our data demonstrate a previously unrecognized origin of taste bud cells from the underlying CT, a conceptually new finding in our knowledge of taste bud cell derivation, i.e., from both the surrounding epithelium and the underlying CT that is primarily derived from NC.

  1. Design Guidelines for Low Crested Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burcharth, H. F.; Lamberti, Alberto

    2004-01-01

    1998-2002. The Guidelines comprise engineering aspects related to morphological impact and structure stability, biological aspects related to ecological impact, and socio-economical aspects related to the implementation of LCS-schemes. The guidelines are limited to submerged and regularly overtopped......The paper presents an overview of the design guidelines for low crested structures (LCS's) to be applied in coastal protection schemes. The design guidelines are formulated as a part of the research project: Environmental Design of Low Crested Coastal Defence Structures (DELOS) within the EC 5FP...

  2. Renal excretion of iodine-131 labelled meta-iodobenzylguanidine and metabolites after therapeutic doses in patients suffering from different neural crest-derived tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wafelman, A.R.; Hoefnagel, C.A.; Maessen, H.J.M.; Maes, R.A.A.; Beijnen, J.H.

    1997-01-01

    Iodine-131 labelled meta-iodobenzylguanidine ([ 131 I[MIBG) is used for diagnostic scintigraphy and radionuclide therapy of neural crest-derived tumours. After administration of therapeutic doses of [ 131 I[MIBG (3.1-7.5 GBq) to 17 patients (n=32 courses), aged 2-73 years, 56%±10%, 73%±11%, 80%±10% and 83%±10% of the dose was cumulatively excreted as total radioactivity in urine at t=24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h, respectively. Except for two adult patients, who showed excretion of 14%-18% of [ 131 I[meta-iodohippuric acid ([ 131 I[MIHA), the cumulatively excreted radioactivity consisted of >85% [ 131 I[MIBG, with 6% of the dose excreted as free [ 131 I[iodide, 4% as [ 131 I[MIHA and 2.5% as an unknown iodine-131 labelled metabolite. Cumulative renal excretion rates of total radioactivity and of [ 131 I[MIBG appeared to be higher in neuroblastoma and phaeochromocytoma patients than in carcinoid patients. Based on the excretion of small amounts of [ 131 I[meta-iodobenzoic acid in two patients, a possible metabolic pathway for [ 131 I[MIBG is suggested. The degree of metabolism was not related to the extent of liver uptake of radioactivity. (orig.). With 2 figs., 5 tabs

  3. Creative Copper Crests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knab, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the author discusses how to create an art activity that would link the computer-created business cards of fourth-grade students with an upcoming school-wide medieval event. Creating family crests from copper foil would be a great connection, since they, like business cards, are an individual's way to identify themselves to others.…

  4. Overflow Characteristic of Cylindrical Shape Crest Weirs Over Horizontal Bed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emad4 AbdulGabbar

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The most common types of weirs are the broad-crested weir, the sharp-crested weir, the circular crested weir and the ogee crested weir. Advantages of the cylindrical weir shape include the stable overflow pattern, the ease to pass floating debris, the simplicity of design compared to ogee crest design and the associated lower costs. In present study, it was investigated the overflow characteristics of circular weirs in laboratory for various cylinder radii of three sizes (11.4, 9.0, 6.3 cm, and the models fixed on the channel bed vertically to the direction of flow. The result shows that the increase in the ratio of head to weir radius ratio (Hw/R value causes an increase in discharge coefficient (Cd value for the same height of weir. It was observed that the cylinder size (i.e. radius of cylindrical weir (R has an effect on the (Cd. The flow magnification factor (qw/qs increases with an increase in (Hw/R value and values of (qw/qs were always higher than one for all values of (Hw/R, this means that weirs of cylindrical shape performed better than those of sharp crest for any value of weir radius tested in this study.

  5. Upregulation of the Nr2f1-A830082K12Rik gene pair in murine neural crest cells results in a complex phenotype reminiscent of Waardenburg syndrome type 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergeron, Karl-F; Nguyen, Chloé M A; Cardinal, Tatiana; Charrier, Baptiste; Silversides, David W; Pilon, Nicolas

    2016-11-01

    Waardenburg syndrome is a neurocristopathy characterized by a combination of skin and hair depigmentation, and inner ear defects. In the type 4 form, these defects show comorbidity with Hirschsprung disease, a disorder marked by an absence of neural ganglia in the distal colon, triggering functional intestinal obstruction. Here, we report that the Spot mouse line - obtained through an insertional mutagenesis screen for genes involved in neural crest cell (NCC) development - is a model for Waardenburg syndrome type 4. We found that the Spot insertional mutation causes overexpression of an overlapping gene pair composed of the transcription-factor-encoding Nr2f1 and the antisense long non-coding RNA A830082K12Rik in NCCs through a mechanism involving relief of repression of these genes. Consistent with the previously described role of Nr2f1 in promoting gliogenesis in the central nervous system, we further found that NCC-derived progenitors of the enteric nervous system fail to fully colonize Spot embryonic guts owing to their premature differentiation in glial cells. Taken together, our data thus identify silencer elements of the Nr2f1-A830082K12Rik gene pair as new candidate loci for Waardenburg syndrome type 4. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  6. Upregulation of the Nr2f1-A830082K12Rik gene pair in murine neural crest cells results in a complex phenotype reminiscent of Waardenburg syndrome type 4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karl-F. Bergeron

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Waardenburg syndrome is a neurocristopathy characterized by a combination of skin and hair depigmentation, and inner ear defects. In the type 4 form, these defects show comorbidity with Hirschsprung disease, a disorder marked by an absence of neural ganglia in the distal colon, triggering functional intestinal obstruction. Here, we report that the Spot mouse line – obtained through an insertional mutagenesis screen for genes involved in neural crest cell (NCC development – is a model for Waardenburg syndrome type 4. We found that the Spot insertional mutation causes overexpression of an overlapping gene pair composed of the transcription-factor-encoding Nr2f1 and the antisense long non-coding RNA A830082K12Rik in NCCs through a mechanism involving relief of repression of these genes. Consistent with the previously described role of Nr2f1 in promoting gliogenesis in the central nervous system, we further found that NCC-derived progenitors of the enteric nervous system fail to fully colonize Spot embryonic guts owing to their premature differentiation in glial cells. Taken together, our data thus identify silencer elements of the Nr2f1-A830082K12Rik gene pair as new candidate loci for Waardenburg syndrome type 4.

  7. The 'Unicorn' dinosaur that wasn't: a new reconstruction of the crest of Tsintaosaurus and the early evolution of the lambeosaurine crest and rostrum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albert Prieto-Márquez

    Full Text Available The lambeosaurine Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus has traditionally been reconstructed with an elevated, hollow, spike-like crest composed entirely of the nasal bones, although this has been disputed. Here, we provide a new reconstruction of the skull of this species based on reexamination and reinterpretation of the morphology and articular relationships of the type and Paratype skulls and a fragmentary crest. We confirm the presence of a supracranial crest composed of the elevated nasal bones, but also including the premaxillae. We hypothesize that the crest is a tall, lobate, hollow structure that projects dorsally and slightly caudally a distance greater than the height of the skull along the quadrate. In our reconstruction, the nasal passage passes through the crest, but enters the skull rostral to the tubular process of the nasals, not through it. Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus is rediagnosed on the basis of a suite of cranial autapomorphies including a circumnarial fossa subdivided into three accessory fossae, prefrontal with ascending rostral process and lateral flange, nasals fused sagittally to form elongate tubular process that rises dorsally from skull roof, each nasal being expanded rostrocaudally into a rhomboid distal process, and medial processes of premaxillae at the summit of the cranial crest inserted between rhomboid processes of nasals. Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus lacks characters that are present in more derived lambeosaurines (parasaurolophins and lambeosaurins, such as rotation of the caudal margin of the crest to an acute angle with the skull roof, lateral processes of the nasals that enclose part of the intracranial cavity and participate in the formation of the walls of the common median chamber, and a smooth narial fossa lacking ridges and accessory fossae. We hypothesize that ancestrally the rostrum of lambeosaurines may have been more similar to that in Saurolophinae, and became subsequently reduced in complexity during

  8. The 'Unicorn' dinosaur that wasn't: a new reconstruction of the crest of Tsintaosaurus and the early evolution of the lambeosaurine crest and rostrum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto-Márquez, Albert; Wagner, Jonathan R

    2013-01-01

    The lambeosaurine Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus has traditionally been reconstructed with an elevated, hollow, spike-like crest composed entirely of the nasal bones, although this has been disputed. Here, we provide a new reconstruction of the skull of this species based on reexamination and reinterpretation of the morphology and articular relationships of the type and Paratype skulls and a fragmentary crest. We confirm the presence of a supracranial crest composed of the elevated nasal bones, but also including the premaxillae. We hypothesize that the crest is a tall, lobate, hollow structure that projects dorsally and slightly caudally a distance greater than the height of the skull along the quadrate. In our reconstruction, the nasal passage passes through the crest, but enters the skull rostral to the tubular process of the nasals, not through it. Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus is rediagnosed on the basis of a suite of cranial autapomorphies including a circumnarial fossa subdivided into three accessory fossae, prefrontal with ascending rostral process and lateral flange, nasals fused sagittally to form elongate tubular process that rises dorsally from skull roof, each nasal being expanded rostrocaudally into a rhomboid distal process, and medial processes of premaxillae at the summit of the cranial crest inserted between rhomboid processes of nasals. Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus lacks characters that are present in more derived lambeosaurines (parasaurolophins and lambeosaurins), such as rotation of the caudal margin of the crest to an acute angle with the skull roof, lateral processes of the nasals that enclose part of the intracranial cavity and participate in the formation of the walls of the common median chamber, and a smooth narial fossa lacking ridges and accessory fossae. We hypothesize that ancestrally the rostrum of lambeosaurines may have been more similar to that in Saurolophinae, and became subsequently reduced in complexity during evolution of the group.

  9. 33 CFR 80.525 - Cape Lookout, NC to Cape Fear, NC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Cape Lookout, NC to Cape Fear, NC... INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION RULES COLREGS DEMARCATION LINES Fifth District § 80.525 Cape Lookout, NC to Cape Fear... southeast side of the Inlet. (g) Except as provided elsewhere in this section from Cape Lookout to Cape Fear...

  10. Hydraulic model tests of an innovative dike crest design

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verhagen, H.J.; Kortenhaus, A.; Bollinger, K.; Dassayanake, D.

    2007-01-01

    Report on laboratory tests on a crest drainage dike; investigation if a channel in the crest of the dike is able to decrease the amount of overtopping over the dike. Chapter 2 provides details about findings from previous studies and the relevance of those findings to this research project.

  11. ADAM13 function is required in the 3 dimensional context of the embryo during cranial neural crest cell migration in Xenopus laevis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cousin, Hélène; Abbruzzese, Genevieve; McCusker, Catherine; Alfandari, Dominique

    2012-01-01

    The cranial neural crest (CNC) is a population of cells that arises from the lateral part of the developing brain, migrates ventrally and coordinates the entire craniofacial development of vertebrates. Many molecules are involved in CNC migration including the transmembrane metalloproteases ADAM13 and 19. We have previously shown that these ADAMs cleave a number of extracellular proteins and modify the transcription of a number of genes, and that both of these activities are important for cell migration. Here we show that the knock down of ADAM13 inhibits CNC migration in vivo but not in vitro, indicating that ADAM13 function is required in the 3-dimentional context of the embryo. We further show that the migration of CNC that do not express ADAM13 and ADAM19 can be rescued in vivo by co-grafting wild type CNC. Furthermore, the migration of CNC lacking ADAM13 can be rescued by mechanically separating the CNC from the surrounding ectoderm and mesoderm. Finally, we show that ADAM13 function is autonomous to CNC tissue, as the migration of morphant CNC can only be rescued by ADAM13 expression in the CNC and not the surrounding tissues. Together our results suggest that ADAM13 changes CNC interaction with the extracellular environment and that this change is necessary for their migration in vivo. PMID:22683825

  12. msh/Msx gene family in neural development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Casto; Robert, Benoît

    2005-11-01

    The involvement of Msx homeobox genes in skull and tooth formation has received a great deal of attention. Recent studies also indicate a role for the msh/Msx gene family in development of the nervous system. In this article, we discuss the functions of these transcription factors in neural-tissue organogenesis. We will deal mainly with the interactions of the Drosophila muscle segment homeobox (msh) gene with other homeobox genes and the repressive cascade that leads to neuroectoderm patterning; the role of Msx genes in neural-crest induction, focusing especially on the differences between lower and higher vertebrates; their implication in patterning of the vertebrate neural tube, particularly in diencephalon midline formation. Finally, we will examine the distinct activities of Msx1, Msx2 and Msx3 genes during neurogenesis, taking into account their relationships with signalling molecules such as BMP.

  13. Dual embryonic origin of the hyobranchial apparatus in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidian, Asya; Malashichev, Yegor

    2013-01-01

    Traditionally, the cartilaginous viscerocranium of vertebrates is considered as neural crest (NC)-derived. Morphological work carried out on amphibian embryos in the first half of the XX century suggested potentially mesodermal origin for some hyobranchial elements. Since then, the embryonic sources of the hyobranchial apparatus in amphibians has not been investigated due to lack of an appropriate long-term labelling system. We performed homotopic transplantations of neural folds along with the majority of cells of the presumptive NC, and/or fragments of the head lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) from transgenic GFP+ into white embryos. In these experiments, the NC-derived GFP+ cells contributed to all hyobranchial elements, except for basibranchial 2, whereas the grafting of GFP+ head mesoderm led to a reverse labelling result. The grafting of only the most ventral part of the head LPM resulted in marking of the basibranchial 2 and the heart myocardium, implying their origin from a common mesodermal region. This is the first evidence of contribution of LPM of the head to cranial elements in any vertebrate. If compared to fish, birds, and mammals, in which all branchial skeletal elements are NC-derived, the axolotl (probably this is true for all amphibians) demonstrates an evolutionary deviation, in which the head LPM replaces NC cells in a hyobranchial element. This implies that cells of different embryonic origin may have the same developmental program, leading to the formation of identical (homologous) elements of the skeleton.

  14. Mef2c-F10N enhancer driven β-galactosidase (LacZ) and Cre recombinase mice facilitate analyses of gene function and lineage fate in neural crest cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aoto, Kazushi; Sandell, Lisa L; Butler Tjaden, Naomi E; Yuen, Kobe C; Watt, Kristin E Noack; Black, Brian L; Durnin, Michael; Trainor, Paul A

    2015-06-01

    Neural crest cells (NCC) comprise a multipotent, migratory stem cell and progenitor population that gives rise to numerous cell and tissue types within a developing embryo, including craniofacial bone and cartilage, neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system, and melanocytes within the skin. Here we describe two novel stable transgenic mouse lines suitable for lineage tracing and analysis of gene function in NCC. Firstly, using the F10N enhancer of the Mef2c gene (Mef2c-F10N) linked to LacZ, we generated transgenic mice (Mef2c-F10N-LacZ) that express LacZ in the majority, if not all migrating NCC that delaminate from the neural tube. Mef2c-F10N-LacZ then continues to be expressed primarily in neurogenic, gliogenic and melanocytic NCC and their derivatives, but not in ectomesenchymal derivatives. Secondly, we used the same Mef2c-F10N enhancer together with Cre recombinase to generate transgenic mice (Mef2c-F10N-Cre) that can be used to indelibly label, or alter gene function in, migrating NCC and their derivatives. At early stages of development, Mef2c-F10N-LacZ and Mef2c-F10N-Cre label NCC in a pattern similar to Wnt1-Cre mice, with the exception that Mef2c-F10N-LacZ and Mef2c-F10N-Cre specifically label NCC that have delaminated from the neural plate, while premigratory NCC are not labeled. Thus, our Mef2c-F10N-LacZ and Mef2c-F10N-Cre transgenic mice provide new resources for tracing migratory NCC and analyzing gene function in migrating and differentiating NCC independently of NCC formation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. The ‘Unicorn’ Dinosaur That Wasn’t: A New Reconstruction of the Crest of Tsintaosaurus and the Early Evolution of the Lambeosaurine Crest and Rostrum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto-Márquez, Albert; Wagner, Jonathan R.

    2013-01-01

    The lambeosaurine Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus has traditionally been reconstructed with an elevated, hollow, spike-like crest composed entirely of the nasal bones, although this has been disputed. Here, we provide a new reconstruction of the skull of this species based on reexamination and reinterpretation of the morphology and articular relationships of the type and Paratype skulls and a fragmentary crest. We confirm the presence of a supracranial crest composed of the elevated nasal bones, but also including the premaxillae. We hypothesize that the crest is a tall, lobate, hollow structure that projects dorsally and slightly caudally a distance greater than the height of the skull along the quadrate. In our reconstruction, the nasal passage passes through the crest, but enters the skull rostral to the tubular process of the nasals, not through it. Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus is rediagnosed on the basis of a suite of cranial autapomorphies including a circumnarial fossa subdivided into three accessory fossae, prefrontal with ascending rostral process and lateral flange, nasals fused sagittally to form elongate tubular process that rises dorsally from skull roof, each nasal being expanded rostrocaudally into a rhomboid distal process, and medial processes of premaxillae at the summit of the cranial crest inserted between rhomboid processes of nasals. Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus lacks characters that are present in more derived lambeosaurines (parasaurolophins and lambeosaurins), such as rotation of the caudal margin of the crest to an acute angle with the skull roof, lateral processes of the nasals that enclose part of the intracranial cavity and participate in the formation of the walls of the common median chamber, and a smooth narial fossa lacking ridges and accessory fossae. We hypothesize that ancestrally the rostrum of lambeosaurines may have been more similar to that in Saurolophinae, and became subsequently reduced in complexity during evolution of the group

  16. Conditional deletion of AP-2β in mouse cranial neural crest results in anterior segment dysgenesis and early-onset glaucoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vanessa B. Martino

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD encompasses a group of developmental disorders in which a closed angle phenotype in the anterior chamber of the eye can occur and 50% of patients develop glaucoma. Many ASDs are thought to involve an inappropriate patterning and migration of the periocular mesenchyme (POM, which is derived from cranial neural crest cells (NCCs and mesoderm. Although, the mechanism of this disruption is not well understood, a number of transcriptional regulatory molecules have previously been implicated in ASDs. Here, we investigate the function of the transcription factor AP-2β, encoded by Tfap2b, which is expressed in NCCs and their derivatives. Wnt1-Cre-mediated conditional deletion of Tfap2b in NCCs resulted in post-natal ocular defects typified by opacity. Histological data revealed that the conditional AP-2β NCC knockout (KO mutants exhibited dysgenesis of multiple structures in the anterior segment of the eye including defects in the corneal endothelium, corneal stroma, ciliary body and disruption in the iridocorneal angle with adherence of the iris to the cornea. We further show that this phenotype leads to a significant increase in intraocular pressure and a subsequent loss of retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve degeneration, features indicative of glaucoma. Overall, our findings demonstrate that AP-2β is required in the POM for normal development of the anterior segment of the eye and that the AP-2β NCC KO mice might serve as a new and exciting model of ASD and glaucoma that is fully penetrant and with early post-natal onset.

  17. An amphioxus Msx gene expressed predominantly in the dorsal neural tube.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharman, A C; Shimeld, S M; Holland, P W

    1999-04-01

    Genomic and cDNA clones of an Msx class homeobox gene were isolated from amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae). The gene, AmphiMsx, is expressed in the neural plate from late gastrulation; in later embryos it is expressed in dorsal cells of the neural tube, excluding anterior and posterior regions, in an irregular reiterated pattern. There is transient expression in dorsal cells within somites, reminiscent of migrating neural crest cells of vertebrates. In larvae, mRNA is detected in two patches of anterior ectoderm proposed to be placodes. Evolutionary analyses show there is little phylogenetic information in Msx protein sequences; however, it is likely that duplication of Msx genes occurred in the vertebrate lineage.

  18. Flow characteristics at trapezoidal broad-crested side weir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Říha Jaromír

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Broad-crested side weirs have been the subject of numerous hydraulic studies; however, the flow field at the weir crest and in front of the weir in the approach channel still has not been fully described. Also, the discharge coefficient of broad-crested side weirs, whether slightly inclined towards the stream or lateral, still has yet to be clearly determined. Experimental research was carried out to describe the flow characteristics at low Froude numbers in the approach flow channel for various combinations of in- and overflow discharges. Three side weir types with different oblique angles were studied. Their flow characteristics and discharge coefficients were analyzed and assessed based on the results obtained from extensive measurements performed on a hydraulic model. The empirical relation between the angle of side weir obliqueness, Froude numbers in the up- and downstream channels, and the coefficient of obliqueness was derived.

  19. Prediction and characterisation of a highly conserved, remote and cAMP responsive enhancer that regulates Msx1 gene expression in cardiac neural crest and outflow tract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Kerry Ann; Davidson, Scott; Liaros, Angela; Barrow, John; Lear, Marissa; Heine, Danielle; Hoppler, Stefan; MacKenzie, Alasdair

    2008-05-15

    Double knockouts of the Msx1 and Msx2 genes in the mouse result in severe cardiac outflow tract malformations similar to those frequently found in newborn infants. Despite the known role of the Msx genes in cardiac formation little is known of the regulatory systems (ligand receptor, signal transduction and protein-DNA interactions) that regulate the tissue-specific expression of the Msx genes in mammals during the formation of the outflow tract. In the present study we have used a combination of multi-species comparative genomics, mouse transgenic analysis and in-situ hybridisation to predict and validate the existence of a remote ultra-conserved enhancer that supports the expression of the Msx1 gene in migrating mouse cardiac neural crest and the outflow tract primordia. Furthermore, culturing of embryonic explants derived from transgenic lines with agonists of the PKC and PKA signal transduction systems demonstrates that this remote enhancer is influenced by PKA but not PKC dependent gene regulatory systems. These studies demonstrate the efficacy of combining comparative genomics and transgenic analyses and provide a platform for the study of the possible roles of Msx gene mis-regulation in the aetiology of congenital heart malformation.

  20. Combination of exogenous cell transplantation and 5-HT4 receptor agonism induce endogenous enteric neural crest-derived cells in a rat hypoganglionosis model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hui; Zheng, Bai-Jun; Pan, Wei-Kang; Wang, Huai-Jie; Xie, Chong; Zhao, Yu-Ying; Chen, Xin-Lin; Liu, Yong; Gao, Ya

    2017-02-01

    Enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) can migrate into endogenous ganglia and differentiate into progeny cells, and have even partially rescued bowel function; however, poor reliability and limited functional recovery after ENCC transplantation have yet to be addressed. Here, we investigated the induction of endogenous ENCCs by combining exogenous ENCC transplantation with a 5-HT 4 receptor agonist mosapride in a rat model of hypoganglionosis, established by benzalkonium chloride treatment. ENCCs, isolated from the gut of newborn rats, were labeled with a lentiviral eGFP reporter. ENCCs and rats were treated with the 5-HT 4 receptor agonist/antagonist. The labeled ENCCs were then transplanted into the muscular layer of benzalkonium chloride-treated colons. At given days post-intervention, colonic tissue samples were removed for histological analysis. ENCCs and neurons were detected by eGFP expression and immunoreactivity to p75 NTR and peripherin, respectively. eGFP-positive ENCCs and neurons could survive and maintain levels of fluorescence after transplantation. With longer times post-intervention, the number of peripherin-positive cells gradually increased in all groups. Significantly more peripherin-positive cells were found following ENCCs plus mosapride treatment, compared with the other groups. These results show that exogenous ENCCs combined with the 5-HT 4 receptor agonist effectively induced endogenous ENCCs proliferation and differentiation in a rat hypoganglionosis model. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Comparison of mechanical behavior of TiN, TiNC, CrN/TiNC, TiN/TiNC films on 9Cr18 steel by PVD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Xingguo; Zhang, Yanshuai; Hu, Hanjun; Zheng, Yugang; Zhang, Kaifeng; Zhou, Hui

    2017-11-01

    TiN, TiNC, CrN/TiNC and TiN/TiNC films were deposited on 9Cr18 steel using magnetron sputtering technique. The morphology, composition, chemical state and crystalline structure of the films were observed and analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Hardness and adhesion force were tested by nanoindentation and scratch tester, respectively. The friction and wear behavior of TiN, TiNC, CrN/TiNC and TiN/TiNC films sliding against GCr15 balls were investigated and compared synthetically using ball-on-disk tribometer. It was found that Tisbnd N, Tisbnd C, Tisbnd Nsbnd C and Csbnd C bonds were formed. The TiN/TiNC film was composed of TiN, TiC and TiNC phases. Hardness and adhesion force results indicated that although the TiN film possessed the highest hardness, its adhesion force was lowest among all the films. Tribological test results showed that the friction coefficient of TiN/TiNC was much lower than that of TiN and the wear rate decreases remarkably from 2.3 × 10-15 m3/Nm to 7.1 × 10-16 m3/Nm, which indicated the TiN/TiNC film has better wear resistance.

  2. Concentration profiling of minerals in iliac crest bone tissue of opium addicted humans using inductively coupled plasma and discriminant analysis techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mani-Varnosfaderani, Ahmad; Jamshidi, Mahbobeh; Yeganeh, Ali; Mahmoudi, Mani

    2016-02-20

    Opium addiction is one of the main health problems in developing countries and induces serious defects on the human body. In this work, the concentrations of 32 minerals including alkaline, heavy and toxic metals have been determined in the iliac crest bone tissue of 22 opium addicted individuals using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The bone tissues of 30 humans with no physiological and metabolomic diseases were used as the control group. For subsequent analyses, the linear and quadratic discriminant analysis techniques have been used for classification of the data into "addicted" and "non-addicted" groups. Moreover, the counter-propagation artificial neural network (CPANN) has been used for clustering of the data. The results revealed that the CPANN is a robust model and thoroughly classifies the data. The area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic curve for this model was more than 0.91. Investigation of the results revealed that the opium consumption causes a deficiency in the level of Calcium, Phosphate, Potassium and Sodium in iliac crest bone tissue. Moreover, this type of addiction induces an increment in the level of toxic and heavy metals such as Co, Cr, Mo and Ni in iliac crest tissue. The correlation analysis revealed that there were no significant dependencies between the age of the samples and the mineral content of their iliac crest, in this study. The results of this work suggest that the opium addicted individuals need thorough and restricted dietary and medical care programs after recovery phases, in order to have healthy bones. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. The Effects of Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells on Local Inflammation Microenvironment in the Defected Sciatic Nerve of Rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue Li

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Cell-based therapy is a promising strategy for the repair of peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs. epidermal neural crest stems cells (EPI-NCSCs are thought to be important donor cells for repairing PNI in different animal models. Following PNI, inflammatory response is important to regulate the repair process. However, the effects of EPI-NCSCs on regulation of local inflammation microenviroment have not been investigated extensively. In the present study, these effects were studied by using 10 mm defected sciatic nerve, which was bridged with 15 mm artificial nerve composed of EPI-NCSCs, extracellular matrix (ECM and poly (lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA. Then the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, polarization of macrophages, regulation of fibroblasts and shwann cells (SCs were assessed by western blot, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining at 1, 3, 7 and 21 days after bridging. The structure and the function of the bridged nerve were determined by observation under light microscope and by examination of right lateral foot retraction time (LFRT, sciatic function index (SFI, gastrocnemius wet weight and electrophysiology at 9 weeks. After bridging with EPI-NCSCs, the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13 was increased, but decreased for pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α compared to the control bridging, which was consistent with increase of M2 macrophages and decrease of M1 macrophages at 7 days after transplantation. Likewise, myelin-formed SCs were significantly increased, but decreased for the activated fibroblasts in their number at 21 days. The recovery of structure and function of nerve bridged with EPI-NCSCs was significantly superior to that of DMEM. These results indicated that EPI-NCSCs could be able to regulate and provide more suitable inflammation microenvironment for the repair of defected sciatic nerve.

  4. Derivation of mesenchymal stromal cells from pluripotent stem cells through a neural crest lineage using small molecule compounds with defined media.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Makoto Fukuta

    Full Text Available Neural crest cells (NCCs are an embryonic migratory cell population with the ability to differentiate into a wide variety of cell types that contribute to the craniofacial skeleton, cornea, peripheral nervous system, and skin pigmentation. This ability suggests the promising role of NCCs as a source for cell-based therapy. Although several methods have been used to induce human NCCs (hNCCs from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs, such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs, further modifications are required to improve the robustness, efficacy, and simplicity of these methods. Chemically defined medium (CDM was used as the basal medium in the induction and maintenance steps. By optimizing the culture conditions, the combination of the GSK3β inhibitor and TGFβ inhibitor with a minimum growth factor (insulin very efficiently induced hNCCs (70-80% from hPSCs. The induced hNCCs expressed cranial NCC-related genes and stably proliferated in CDM supplemented with EGF and FGF2 up to at least 10 passages without changes being observed in the major gene expression profiles. Differentiation properties were confirmed for peripheral neurons, glia, melanocytes, and corneal endothelial cells. In addition, cells with differentiation characteristics similar to multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs were induced from hNCCs using CDM specific for human MSCs. Our simple and robust induction protocol using small molecule compounds with defined media enabled the generation of hNCCs as an intermediate material producing terminally differentiated cells for cell-based innovative medicine.

  5. A Comparative Study of Growth Patterns in Crested Langurs and Vervet Monkeys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Debra R. Bolter

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The physical growth patterns of crested langurs and vervet monkeys are investigated for several unilinear dimensions. Long bone lengths, trunk height, foot length, epiphyseal fusion of the long bones and the pelvis, and cranial capacity are compared through six dental growth stages in male Trachypithecus cristatus (crested langurs and Cercopithecus aethiops (vervet monkeys. Results show that the body elements of crested langurs mature differently than those of vervets. In some dimensions, langurs and vervets grow comparably, in others vervets attain adult values in advance of crested langurs, and in one feature the langurs are accelerated. Several factors may explain this difference, including phylogeny, diet, ecology, and locomotion. This study proposes that locomotor requirements affect differences in somatic growth between the species.

  6. Flow structure in front of the broad-crested weir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zachoval Zbyněk

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with research focused on description of flow structure in front of broad-crested weir. Based on experimental measurement, the flow structure in front of the weir (the recirculation zone of flow and tornado vortices and flow structure on the weir crest has been described. The determined flow character has been simulated using numerical model and based on comparing results the suitable model of turbulence has been recommended.

  7. Degradation processes and the methods of securing wall crests

    OpenAIRE

    Maciej Trochonowicz; Bogusław Szmygin

    2017-01-01

    The protection of historical ruins requires solution of doctrinal and technical problems. Technical problems concern above all preservation of walls, which are exposed to the influence of atmospheric factors. The problem that needs to be solved in any historic ruin is securing of wall crests. Form of protection of the wall crests depends on many factors, mainly technical features of the wall and architectural and conservatory vision. The following article presents three aspects important for ...

  8. Microscale architecture in biomaterial scaffolds for spatial control of neural cell behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meco, Edi; Lampe, Kyle J.

    2018-02-01

    Biomaterial scaffolds mimic aspects of the native central nervous system (CNS) extracellular matrix (ECM) and have been extensively utilized to influence neural cell (NC) behavior in in vitro and in vivo settings. These biomimetic scaffolds support NC cultures, can direct the differentiation of NCs, and have recapitulated some native NC behavior in an in vitro setting. However, NC transplant therapies and treatments used in animal models of CNS disease and injury have not fully restored functionality. The observed lack of functional recovery occurs despite improvements in transplanted NC viability when incorporating biomaterial scaffolds and the potential of NC to replace damaged native cells. The behavior of NCs within biomaterial scaffolds must be directed in order to improve the efficacy of transplant therapies and treatments. Biomaterial scaffold topography and imbedded bioactive cues, designed at the microscale level, can alter NC phenotype, direct migration, and differentiation. Microscale patterning in biomaterial scaffolds for spatial control of NC behavior has enhanced the capabilities of in vitro models to capture properties of the native CNS tissue ECM. Patterning techniques such as lithography, electrospinning and 3D bioprinting can be employed to design the microscale architecture of biomaterial scaffolds. Here, the progress and challenges of the prevalent biomaterial patterning techniques of lithography, electrospinning, and 3D bioprinting are reported. This review analyzes NC behavioral response to specific microscale topographical patterns and spatially organized bioactive cues.

  9. The ectodomain of cadherin-11 binds to erbB2 and stimulates Akt phosphorylation to promote cranial neural crest cell migration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ketan Mathavan

    Full Text Available During development, a multi-potent group of cells known as the cranial neural crest (CNC migrate to form craniofacial structures. Proper migration of these cells requires proteolysis of cell adhesion molecules, such as cadherins. In Xenopus laevis, preventing extracellular cleavage of cadherin-11 impairs CNC migration. However, overexpression of the soluble cleavage product (EC1-3 is capable of rescuing this phenotype. The mechanism by which EC1-3 promotes CNC migration has not been investigated until now. Here we show that EC1-3 stimulates phosphorylation of Akt, a target of PI3K, in X.laevis CNC. Through immunoprecipitation experiments, we determined that EC1-3 interacts with all ErbB receptors, PDGFRα, and FGFR1. Of these receptors, only ErbB2 was able to produce an increase in Akt phosphorylation upon treatment with a recombinant EC1-3. This increase was abrogated by mubritinib, an inhibitor of ErbB2. We were able to recapitulate this decrease in Akt phosphorylation in vivo by knocking down ErbB2 in CNC cells. Knockdown of the receptor also significantly reduced CNC migration in vivo. We confirmed the importance of ErbB2 and ErbB receptor signaling in CNC migration using mubritinib and canertinib, respectively. Mubritinib and the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 significantly decreased cell migration while canertinib nearly prevented it altogether. These data show that ErbB2 and Akt are important for CNC migration and implicate other ErbB receptors and Akt-independent signaling pathways. Our findings provide the first example of a functional interaction between the extracellular domain of a type II classical cadherin and growth factor receptors.

  10. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Loaded PS80 PBCA Nanocarrier for In Vitro Neural Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiu-Yen Chung

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF can induce neural differentiation in stem cells and has the potential for repair of the nervous system. In this study, a polysorbate 80-coated polybutylcyanoacrylate nanocarrier (PS80 PBCA NC was constructed to deliver plasmid DNAs (pDNAs containing BDNF gene attached to a hypoxia-responsive element (HRE-cmvBDNF. The hypoxia-sensing mechanism of BDNF expression and inductiveness of the nano-formulation on mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs to differentiate into neurons following hypoxia was tested in vitro with immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting. The HRE-cmvBDNF appeared to adsorb onto the surface of PS80 PBCA NC, with a resultant mean diameter of 92.6 ± 1.0 nm and zeta potential of −14.1 ± 1.1 mV. HIF-1α level in iPSCs was significantly higher in hypoxia, which resulted in a 51% greater BDNF expression when transfected with PS80 PBCA NC/HRE-cmvBDNF than those without hypoxia. TrkB and phospho-Akt were also elevated which correlated with neural differentiation. The findings suggest that PS80 PBCA NC too can be endocytosed to serve as an efficient vector for genes coupled to the HRE in hypoxia-sensitive cells, and activation of the PI3/Akt pathway in iPSCs by BDNF is capable of neural lineage specification.

  11. Genotyping-by-sequencing data of 272 crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum genotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pingchuan Li

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum L. (Gaertn.] is an important cool-season forage grass widely used for early spring grazing. However, the genomic resources for this non-model plant are still lacking. Our goal was to generate the first set of next generation sequencing data using the genotyping-by-sequencing technique. A total of 272 crested wheatgrass plants representing seven breeding lines, five cultivars and five geographically diverse accessions were sequenced with an Illumina MiSeq instrument. These sequence datasets were processed using different bioinformatics tools to generate contigs for diploid and tetraploid plants and SNPs for diploid plants. Together, these genomic resources form a fundamental basis for genomic studies of crested wheatgrass and other wheatgrass species. The raw reads were deposited into Sequence Read Archive (SRA database under NCBI accession SRP115373 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra?term=SRP115373 and the supplementary datasets are accessible in Figshare (10.6084/m9.figshare.5345092. Keywords: Crested wheatgrass, Genotyping-by-sequencing, Diploid, Tetraploid, Raw sequence data

  12. Murine craniofacial development requires Hdac3-mediated repression of Msx gene expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Nikhil; Gupta, Mudit; Trivedi, Chinmay M; Singh, Manvendra K; Li, Li; Epstein, Jonathan A

    2013-05-15

    Craniofacial development is characterized by reciprocal interactions between neural crest cells and neighboring cell populations of ectodermal, endodermal and mesodermal origin. Various genetic pathways play critical roles in coordinating the development of cranial structures by modulating the growth, survival and differentiation of neural crest cells. However, the regulation of these pathways, particularly at the epigenomic level, remains poorly understood. Using murine genetics, we show that neural crest cells exhibit a requirement for the class I histone deacetylase Hdac3 during craniofacial development. Mice in which Hdac3 has been conditionally deleted in neural crest demonstrate fully penetrant craniofacial abnormalities, including microcephaly, cleft secondary palate and dental hypoplasia. Consistent with these abnormalities, we observe dysregulation of cell cycle genes and increased apoptosis in neural crest structures in mutant embryos. Known regulators of cell cycle progression and apoptosis in neural crest, including Msx1, Msx2 and Bmp4, are upregulated in Hdac3-deficient cranial mesenchyme. These results suggest that Hdac3 serves as a critical regulator of craniofacial morphogenesis, in part by repressing core apoptotic pathways in cranial neural crest cells. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Microscale Architecture in Biomaterial Scaffolds for Spatial Control of Neural Cell Behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edi Meco

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Biomaterial scaffolds mimic aspects of the native central nervous system (CNS extracellular matrix (ECM and have been extensively utilized to influence neural cell (NC behavior in in vitro and in vivo settings. These biomimetic scaffolds support NC cultures, can direct the differentiation of NCs, and have recapitulated some native NC behavior in an in vitro setting. However, NC transplant therapies and treatments used in animal models of CNS disease and injury have not fully restored functionality. The observed lack of functional recovery occurs despite improvements in transplanted NC viability when incorporating biomaterial scaffolds and the potential of NC to replace damaged native cells. The behavior of NCs within biomaterial scaffolds must be directed in order to improve the efficacy of transplant therapies and treatments. Biomaterial scaffold topography and imbedded bioactive cues, designed at the microscale level, can alter NC phenotype, direct migration, and differentiation. Microscale patterning in biomaterial scaffolds for spatial control of NC behavior has enhanced the capabilities of in vitro models to capture properties of the native CNS tissue ECM. Patterning techniques such as lithography, electrospinning and three-dimensional (3D bioprinting can be employed to design the microscale architecture of biomaterial scaffolds. Here, the progress and challenges of the prevalent biomaterial patterning techniques of lithography, electrospinning, and 3D bioprinting are reported. This review analyzes NC behavioral response to specific microscale topographical patterns and spatially organized bioactive cues.

  14. Ontogeny in the tube-crested dinosaur Parasaurolophus (Hadrosauridae and heterochrony in hadrosaurids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew A. Farke

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The tube-crested hadrosaurid dinosaur Parasaurolophus is remarkable for its unusual cranial ornamentation, but little is known about its growth and development, particularly relative to well-documented ontogenetic series for lambeosaurin hadrosaurids (such as Corythosaurus, Lambeosaurus, and Hypacrosaurus. The skull and skeleton of a juvenile Parasaurolophus from the late Campanian-aged (∼75.5 Ma Kaiparowits Formation of southern Utah, USA, represents the smallest and most complete specimen yet described for this taxon. The individual was approximately 2.5 m in body length (∼25% maximum adult body length at death, with a skull measuring 246 mm long and a femur 329 mm long. A histological section of the tibia shows well-vascularized, woven and parallel-fibered primary cortical bone typical of juvenile ornithopods. The histological section revealed no lines of arrested growth or annuli, suggesting the animal may have still been in its first year at the time of death. Impressions of the upper rhamphotheca are preserved in association with the skull, showing that the soft tissue component for the beak extended for some distance beyond the limits of the oral margin of the premaxilla. In marked contrast with the lengthy tube-like crest in adult Parasaurolophus, the crest of the juvenile specimen is low and hemicircular in profile, with an open premaxilla-nasal fontanelle. Unlike juvenile lambeosaurins, the nasal passages occupy nearly the entirety of the crest in juvenile Parasaurolophus. Furthermore, Parasaurolophus initiated development of the crest at less than 25% maximum skull size, contrasting with 50% of maximum skull size in hadrosaurs such as Corythosaurus. This early development may correspond with the larger and more derived form of the crest in Parasaurolophus, as well as the close relationship between the crest and the respiratory system. In general, ornithischian dinosaurs formed bony cranial ornamentation at a relatively younger age

  15. Short-crested waves in deep water: a numerical investigation of recent laboratory experiments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuhrman, David R.; Madsen, Per A.

    2006-01-01

    A numerical study of quasi-steady, doubly-periodic monochromatic short-crested wave patterns in deep water is conducted using a high-order Boussinesq-type model. Simulations using linear wavemaker conditions in the nonlinear model are initially used to approximate conditions from recent laboratory...... experiments. The computed patterns share many features with those observed in wavetanks, including bending (both frontwards and backwards) of the wave crests, dipping at the crest centerlines, and a pronounced long modulation in the direction of propagation. A new and simple explanation for these features...

  16. MR imaging findings of medial tibial crest friction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klontzas, Michail E.; Akoumianakis, Ioannis D.; Vagios, Ilias; Karantanas, Apostolos H.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Medial tibial condyle bone marrow edema (BME), associated with soft tissue edema (STe) surrounding the medial collateral ligament, was incidentally observed in MRI examinations of young and athletic individuals. The aim of the present study was to 1. Prospectively investigate the association between these findings and coexistence of localized pain, and 2. Explore the possible contribution of the tibial morphology to its pathogenesis. Methods: The medial tibial condyle crest was evaluated in 632 knee MRI examinations. The angle and depth were measured by two separate evaluators. The presence of STe and BME was recorded. A third evaluator blindly assessed the presence of pain at this site. Results: BME associated with STe was found in 24 patients (with no history of previous trauma, osteoarthritis, tumor or pes anserine bursitis). The mean crest angle was 151.3° (95%CI 147.4–155.3°) compared to 159.4° (95%CI 158.8–160°) in controls (Mann–Whitney test, P < 0.0001). MRI findings were highly predictive of localized pain (sensitivity 92% specificity 99%, Fisher's exact test, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Friction at the medial tibial condyle crest is a painful syndrome. MRI is a highly specific and sensitive imaging modality for its diagnosis

  17. MR imaging findings of medial tibial crest friction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klontzas, Michail E., E-mail: miklontzas@gmail.com; Akoumianakis, Ioannis D., E-mail: ioannis.akoumianakis@gmail.com; Vagios, Ilias, E-mail: iliasvagios@gmail.com; Karantanas, Apostolos H., E-mail: akarantanas@gmail.com

    2013-11-01

    Objective: Medial tibial condyle bone marrow edema (BME), associated with soft tissue edema (STe) surrounding the medial collateral ligament, was incidentally observed in MRI examinations of young and athletic individuals. The aim of the present study was to 1. Prospectively investigate the association between these findings and coexistence of localized pain, and 2. Explore the possible contribution of the tibial morphology to its pathogenesis. Methods: The medial tibial condyle crest was evaluated in 632 knee MRI examinations. The angle and depth were measured by two separate evaluators. The presence of STe and BME was recorded. A third evaluator blindly assessed the presence of pain at this site. Results: BME associated with STe was found in 24 patients (with no history of previous trauma, osteoarthritis, tumor or pes anserine bursitis). The mean crest angle was 151.3° (95%CI 147.4–155.3°) compared to 159.4° (95%CI 158.8–160°) in controls (Mann–Whitney test, P < 0.0001). MRI findings were highly predictive of localized pain (sensitivity 92% specificity 99%, Fisher's exact test, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Friction at the medial tibial condyle crest is a painful syndrome. MRI is a highly specific and sensitive imaging modality for its diagnosis.

  18. TeV electron measurement with CREST experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Nahee; Anderson, T.; Bower, C.; Coutu, S.; Gennaro, J.; Geske, M.; Muller, D.; Musser, J.; Nutter, S.

    CREST, the Cosmic Ray Electron Synchrotron Telescope is a balloon-borne experiment de-signed to measure the spectrum of multi-TeV electrons by the detection of the x-ray synchrotron photons generated in the magnetic field of the Earth. Electrons in the TeV range are expected to reflect the properties of local sources because fluxes from remote locations are suppressed by radiative losses during propagation. Since CREST needs to intersect only a portion of the kilometers-long trail of photons generated by the high-energy electron, the method yields a larger effective area than the physical size of the detector, boosting detection areas. The in-strument is composed of an array of 1024 BaF2 crystals and a set of scintillating veto counters. A long duration balloon flight in Antarctica is currently planned for the 2010-11 season.

  19. Stability of Cubipod Armoured Roundheads in Short Crested Waves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burcharth, Hans F.; Andersen, Thomas Lykke; Medina, Josep R.

    2011-01-01

    The paper presents a comparison of the stability of concrete cube armour and Cubipod armour in a breakwater roundhead with slope 1:1.5, exposed to both 2-D (long-crested) and 3-D (short-crested) waves. The model tests were performed at the Hydraulics and Coastal Engineering Laboratory at Aalborg...... University, Denmark. The model tests showed that Cubipod armour is more stable than cube armour when exposed to longer waves (steepness approx. 0.025) and has equal stability to cubes in shorter waves. The Cubipod armour layer contained due to its high porosity approximately 6-17% less concrete than the cube...

  20. A new fossil dolphin Dilophodelphis fordycei provides insight into the evolution of supraorbital crests in Platanistoidea (Mammalia, Cetacea)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boersma, Alexandra T.; McCurry, Matthew R.; Pyenson, Nicholas D.

    2017-05-01

    Many odontocete groups have developed enlarged facial crests, although these crests differ in topography, composition and function. The most elaborate crests occur in the South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica), in which they rise dorsally as delicate, pneumatized wings anterior of the facial bones. Their position wrapping around the melon suggests their involvement in sound propagation for echolocation. To better understand the origin of crests in this lineage, we examined facial crests among fossil and living Platanistoidea, including a new taxon, Dilophodelphis fordycei, nov. gen. and sp., described herein, from the Early Miocene Astoria Formation of Oregon, USA. We measured the physical extent and thickness of platanistoid crests, categorized their relative position and used computed tomography scans to examine their internal morphology and relative bone density. Integrating these traits in a phylogenetic context, we determined that the onset of crest elaboration or enlargement and the evolution of crest pneumatization among the platanistoids were separate events, with crest enlargement beginning in the Oligocene. However, we find no evidence for pneumatization until possibly the Early Miocene, although certainly by the Middle Miocene. Such an evolutionary context, including data from the fossil record, should inform modelling efforts that seek to understand the diversity of sound generation morphology in Odontoceti.

  1. Adenocarcinoma of the third portion of the duodenum in a man with CREST syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fragulidis Georgios

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background CREST (Calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, Esophageal dysmotility, Sclerodactyly and Telangiectasias syndrome has been rarely associated with other malignancies (lung, esophagus.This is the first report of a primary adenocarcinoma of the third portion of the duodenum in a patient with CREST syndrome. Case presentation A 54-year-old male patient with CREST syndrome presented with colicky postprandial pain of the upper abdomen, diminished food uptake and a 6-Kg-body weight loss during the previous 2 months. An ulcerative lesion in the third portion of the duodenum was revealed during duodenoscopy, with a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma on biopsy specimen histology. The patient underwent a partial pancreatoduodenectomy. No adjuvant therapy was instituted and follow-up is negative for local recurrence or metastases 21 months postoperatively. Conclusion CREST syndrome has been associated with colon cancer, gastric polyps, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP syndrome and Crohn's disease; however, this is the first report of a primary adenocarcinoma of the duodenum in a patient with CREST syndrome. However, any etiologic relationship remains to be further investigated.

  2. The detection of great crested newts year round via environmental DNA analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, Helen C; Baker, Claire A; Gardner, David S; Maddison, Ben C; Gough, Kevin C

    2017-07-26

    Analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) is a method that has been used for the detection of various species within water bodies. The great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) has a short eDNA survey season (mid-April to June). Here we investigate whether this season could be extended into other months using the current methodology as stipulated by Natural England. Here we present data to show that in monthly water samples taken from two ponds (March 2014-February 2015) we were able to detect great crested newt DNA in all months in at least one of the ponds. Similar levels of great crested newt eDNA (i.e. highly positive identification) were detected through the months of March-August, suggesting it may be possible to extend the current survey window. In order to determine how applicable these observations are for ponds throughout the rest of the UK, further work in multiple other ponds over multiple seasons is suggested. Nevertheless, the current work clearly demonstrates, in two ponds, the efficacy and reproducibility of eDNA detection for determining the presence of great crested newts.

  3. A comparative evaluation of the in vitro penetration performance of the improved Crest complete toothbrush versus the Current Crest complete toothbrush, the Colgate Precision toothbrush and the Oral-B P40 toothbrush.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volpenhein, D W; Handel, S E; Hughes, T J; Wild, J

    1996-01-01

    Removal of plaque and debris from interproximal surfaces during toothbrushing has generally been difficult to achieve, in large part because traditional flat-bristled toothbrushes do not offer good interproximal penetration. As a result, a number of varying bristle designs have been developed, with the rippled-design brush shown to be particularly effective at removing interproximal plaque. Recently, an existing brush, the original Crest Complete, was modified to offer a more deeply rippled version. This study evaluated the interproximal penetration of four bristle designs: rippled pattern (original Crest Complete), deeper rippled pattern (improved Crest Complete), multi-level (Colgate Precision), and flat-tufted (Oral-B P40). The study used a previously reported in vitro model for determining interproximal penetration of manual toothbrushes (J Clin Dent 5:27-33, 1994). In order to effectively mimic the in-use characteristics of toothbrushing, this model is based on analysis of videotaped consumer brushing habits, tooth morphology, and in vivo plaque tenacity characteristics and uses the three most predominantly used brushing techniques (circular, up-and-down, and back-and-forth, with the brush held at both 45 and 90 degrees to the tooth surface). In addition, the model's brush stroke length, brush force, and brush speed are likewise based on analysis of consumer brushing patterns. The results of the study indicate that the new Crest Complete with deeper rippled bristles provided significantly superior (p Colgate Precision and Oral-B brushes overall and for three of the four brush strokes tested. In addition, the new Crest Complete was found to provide significantly superior interproximal penetration to the original Crest Complete overall and in circular and up-and-down strokes, and the original Crest Complete provided superior overall interproximal penetration to the Colgate and Oral-B brushes.

  4. Structural studies of n-type nc-Si-QD thin films for nc-Si solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Debajyoti; Kar, Debjit

    2017-12-01

    A wide optical gap nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) dielectric material is a basic requirement at the n-type window layer of nc-Si solar cells in thin film n-i-p structure on glass substrates. Taking advantage of the high atomic-H density inherent to the planar inductively coupled low-pressure (SiH4 + CH4)-plasma, development of an analogous material in P-doped nc-Si-QD/a-SiC:H network has been tried. Incorporation of C in the Si-network extracted from the CH4 widens the optical band gap; however, at enhanced PH3-dilution of the plasma spontaneous miniaturization of the nc-Si-QDs below the dimension of Bohr radius (∼4.5 nm) further enhances the band gap by virtue of the quantum size effect. At increased flow rate of PH3, dopant induced continuous amorphization of the intrinsic crystalline network is counterbalanced by the further crystallization promoted by the supplementary atomic-H extracted from PH3 (1% in H2) in the plasma, eventually holding a moderately high degree of crystallinity. The n-type wide band gap (∼1.93 eV) window layer with nc-Si-QDs in adequate volume fraction (∼52%) could furthermore be instrumental as an effective seed layer for advancing sequential crystallization in the i-layer of nc-Si solar cells with n-i-p structure in superstrate configuration.

  5. Structural Stability Of Detached Low Crested Breakwaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Burcharth, Hans F.; Kramer, Morten; Lamberti, Alberto

    2006-01-01

    The aim of the paper is to describe hydraulic stability of rock-armoured low-crested structures on the basis of new experimental tests and prototype observations. Rock armour stability results from earlier model tests under non-depth-limited long-crested head-on waves are reviewed. Results from new...... determining armour stone size in shallow water conditions is given together with a rule of thumb for the required stone size in depth-limited design waves. Rock toe stability is discussed on the basis of prototype experience, hard bottom 2-D tests in depth-limited waves and an existing hydraulic stability...... formula. Toe damage predicted by the formula is in agreement with experimental results. In field sites, damage at the toe induced by scour or by sinking is observed and the volume of the berm is often insufficient to avoid regressive erosion of the armour layer. Stone sinking and settlement in selected...

  6. CREST Calcinosis Affecting the Lumbar and Cervical Spine and the Use of Minimally-Invasive Surgery

    OpenAIRE

    Faraj, Kassem; Perez-Cruet, Kristin; Perez-Cruet, Mick

    2017-01-01

    Calcinosis in CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia) syndrome can affect the spinal and paraspinal areas. We present the first case to our knowledge where a CREST syndrome patient required surgery for spinal calcinosis in both the cervical and lumbar areas.?A 66-year-old female with a history of CREST syndrome presented with right-sided lower extremity radicular pain. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed bilateral lumbar masses (5...

  7. Non-leptonic kaon decays at large Nc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donini, Andrea; Hernández, Pilar; Pena, Carlos; Romero-López, Fernando

    2018-03-01

    We study the scaling with the number of colors Nc of the weak amplitudes mediating kaon mixing and decay, in the limit of light charm masses (mu = md = ms = mc). The amplitudes are extracted directly on the lattice for Nc = 3 - 7 (with preliminar results for Nc = 8 and 17) using twisted mass QCD. It is shown that the (sub-leading) 1 /Nc corrections to B\\hatk are small and that the naive Nc → ∞ limit, B\\hatk = 3/4, seems to be recovered. On the other hand, the O (1/Nc) corrections in K → ππ amplitudes (derived from K → π matrix elements) are large and fully anti-correlated in the I = 0 and I = 2 channels. This may have some implications for the understanding of the ΔI = 1/2 rule.

  8. Quill injury - cause od death of captive indian crested porcupine(Hystrix indica, Kerr, 1792

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanja Švara

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica is a member of the family of Old World porcupines (Hystricidae. Its body is covered with multiple layers of quills, which serve for warning and attack if animal is threatened. However, the literature data on injuries caused by Indian crested porcupine are absent. We describe pathomorphological lesions in an Indian crested porcupine from the Ljubljana Zoo, which died after a fight with a younger male that caused a perforative quill injury of the thoracic wall, followed by septicaemia. Macroscopic, microscopic and bacteriological findings were detailed

  9. Convergent Evolution of Head Crests in Two Domesticated Columbids Is Associated with Different Missense Mutations in EphB2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vickrey, Anna I.; Domyan, Eric T.; Horvath, Martin P.; Shapiro, Michael D.

    2015-01-01

    Head crests are important display structures in wild bird species and are also common in domesticated lineages. Many breeds of domestic rock pigeon (Columba livia) have crests of reversed occipital feathers, and this recessive trait is associated with a nonsynonymous coding mutation in the intracellular kinase domain of EphB2 (Ephrin receptor B2). The domestic ringneck dove (Streptopelia risoria) also has a recessive crested morph with reversed occipital feathers, and interspecific crosses between crested doves and pigeons produce crested offspring, suggesting a similar genetic basis for this trait in both species. We therefore investigated EphB2 as a candidate for the head crest phenotype of ringneck doves and identified a nonsynonymous coding mutation in the intracellular kinase domain that is significantly associated with the crested morph. This mutation is over 100 amino acid positions away from the crest mutation found in rock pigeons, yet both mutations are predicted to negatively affect the function of ATP-binding pocket. Furthermore, bacterial toxicity assays suggest that “crest” mutations in both species severely impact kinase activity. We conclude that head crests are associated with different mutations in the same functional domain of the same gene in two different columbid species, thereby representing striking evolutionary convergence in morphology and molecules. PMID:26104009

  10. Combination of exogenous cell transplantation and 5-HT4 receptor agonism induce endogenous enteric neural crest-derived cells in a rat hypoganglionosis model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Hui; Zheng, Bai-Jun; Pan, Wei-Kang; Wang, Huai-Jie; Xie, Chong; Zhao, Yu-Ying; Chen, Xin-Lin; Liu, Yong; Gao, Ya

    2017-01-01

    Enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) can migrate into endogenous ganglia and differentiate into progeny cells, and have even partially rescued bowel function; however, poor reliability and limited functional recovery after ENCC transplantation have yet to be addressed. Here, we investigated the induction of endogenous ENCCs by combining exogenous ENCC transplantation with a 5-HT 4 receptor agonist mosapride in a rat model of hypoganglionosis, established by benzalkonium chloride treatment. ENCCs, isolated from the gut of newborn rats, were labeled with a lentiviral eGFP reporter. ENCCs and rats were treated with the 5-HT 4 receptor agonist/antagonist. The labeled ENCCs were then transplanted into the muscular layer of benzalkonium chloride-treated colons. At given days post-intervention, colonic tissue samples were removed for histological analysis. ENCCs and neurons were detected by eGFP expression and immunoreactivity to p75 NTR and peripherin, respectively. eGFP-positive ENCCs and neurons could survive and maintain levels of fluorescence after transplantation. With longer times post-intervention, the number of peripherin-positive cells gradually increased in all groups. Significantly more peripherin-positive cells were found following ENCCs plus mosapride treatment, compared with the other groups. These results show that exogenous ENCCs combined with the 5-HT 4 receptor agonist effectively induced endogenous ENCCs proliferation and differentiation in a rat hypoganglionosis model. - Highlights: • Survival and differentiation of exogenous ENCCs in treated colons. • With longer times post-intervention, the number of ENCCs and their progeny cells gradually increased. • Exogenous ENCCs combined with the 5-HT4 receptor agonist ffectively induced ENCCs proliferation and differentiation.

  11. The Effect of Iliac Crest Autograft on the Outcome of Fusion in the Setting of Degenerative Spondylolisthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radcliff, Kristen; Hwang, Raymond; Hilibrand, Alan; Smith, Harvey E.; Gruskay, Jordan; Lurie, Jon D.; Zhao, Wenyan; Albert, Todd; Weinstein, James

    2012-01-01

    Background: There is considerable controversy about the long-term morbidity associated with the use of posterior autologous iliac crest bone graft for lumbar spine fusion procedures compared with the use of bone-graft substitutes. The hypothesis of this study was that there is no long-term difference in outcome for patients who had posterior lumbar fusion with or without iliac crest autograft. Methods: The study population includes patients enrolled in the degenerative spondylolisthesis cohort of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial who underwent lumbar spinal fusion. Patients were divided according to whether they had or had not received posterior autologous iliac crest bone graft. Results: There were 108 patients who had fusion with iliac crest autograft and 246 who had fusion without iliac crest autograft. There were no baseline differences between groups in demographic characteristics, comorbidities, or baseline clinical scores. At baseline, the group that received iliac crest bone graft had an increased percentage of patients who had multilevel fusions (32% versus 21%; p = 0.033) and L5-S1 surgery (37% versus 26%; p = 0.031) compared with the group without iliac crest autograft. Operative time was higher in the iliac crest bone-graft group (233.4 versus 200.9 minutes; p case-by-case basis for lumbar spinal fusion. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. PMID:22878599

  12. Diversification of crested wheatgrass stands in Utah

    Science.gov (United States)

    April Hulet

    2009-01-01

    Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertner (crested wheatgrass) continues to be seeded on burned wildlands. Effective control methods need to be developed to convert these seedings to more diverse native plant communities. This research was designed to determine effective ways to control A. cristatum and establish native species while...

  13. Long-throated flumes and broad-crested weirs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bos, M.G.

    1985-01-01

    Vital for water management are structures that can measure the flow in a wide variety of channels. Chapter 1 introduces the long-throated flume and the broad-crested weir; it explains why this family of structures can meet the boundary conditions and hydraulic demands of most measuring

  14. The CREST Simulation Development Process: Training the Next Generation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweet, Robert M

    2017-04-01

    The challenges of training and assessing endourologic skill have driven the development of new training systems. The Center for Research in Education and Simulation Technologies (CREST) has developed a team and a methodology to facilitate this development process. Backwards design principles were applied. A panel of experts first defined desired clinical and educational outcomes. Outcomes were subsequently linked to learning objectives. Gross task deconstruction was performed, and the primary domain was classified as primarily involving decision-making, psychomotor skill, or communication. A more detailed cognitive task analysis was performed to elicit and prioritize relevant anatomy/tissues, metrics, and errors. Reference anatomy was created using a digital anatomist and clinician working off of a clinical data set. Three dimensional printing can facilitate this process. When possible, synthetic or virtual tissue behavior and textures were recreated using data derived from human tissue. Embedded sensors/markers and/or computer-based systems were used to facilitate the collection of objective metrics. A learning Verification and validation occurred throughout the engineering development process. Nine endourology-relevant training systems were created by CREST with this approach. Systems include basic laparoscopic skills (BLUS), vesicourethral anastomosis, pyeloplasty, cystoscopic procedures, stent placement, rigid and flexible ureteroscopy, GreenLight PVP (GL Sim), Percutaneous access with C-arm (CAT), Nephrolithotomy (NLM), and a vascular injury model. Mixed modalities have been used, including "smart" physical models, virtual reality, augmented reality, and video. Substantial validity evidence for training and assessment has been collected on systems. An open source manikin-based modular platform is under development by CREST with the Department of Defense that will unify these and other commercial task trainers through the common physiology engine, learning

  15. Follow-the-leader cell migration requires biased cell–cell contact and local microenvironmental signals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wynn, Michelle L; Rupp, Paul; Trainor, Paul A; Kulesa, Paul M; Schnell, Santiago

    2013-01-01

    Directed cell migration often involves at least two types of cell motility that include multicellular streaming and chain migration. However, what is unclear is how cell contact dynamics and the distinct microenvironments through which cells travel influence the selection of one migratory mode or the other. The embryonic and highly invasive neural crest (NC) are an excellent model system to study this question since NC cells have been observed in vivo to display both of these types of cell motility. Here, we present data from tissue transplantation experiments in chick and in silico modeling that test our hypothesis that cell contact dynamics with each other and the microenvironment promote and sustain either multicellular stream or chain migration. We show that when premigratory cranial NC cells (at the pre-otic level) are transplanted into a more caudal region in the head (at the post-otic level), cells alter their characteristic stream behavior and migrate in chains. Similarly, post-otic NC cells migrate in streams after transplantation into the pre-otic hindbrain, suggesting that local microenvironmental signals dictate the mode of NC cell migration. Simulations of an agent-based model (ABM) that integrates the NC cell behavioral data predict that chain migration critically depends on the interplay of biased cell–cell contact and local microenvironment signals. Together, this integrated modeling and experimental approach suggests new experiments and offers a powerful tool to examine mechanisms that underlie complex cell migration patterns. (paper)

  16. Follow-the-leader cell migration requires biased cell-cell contact and local microenvironmental signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wynn, Michelle L.; Rupp, Paul; Trainor, Paul A.; Schnell, Santiago; Kulesa, Paul M.

    2013-06-01

    Directed cell migration often involves at least two types of cell motility that include multicellular streaming and chain migration. However, what is unclear is how cell contact dynamics and the distinct microenvironments through which cells travel influence the selection of one migratory mode or the other. The embryonic and highly invasive neural crest (NC) are an excellent model system to study this question since NC cells have been observed in vivo to display both of these types of cell motility. Here, we present data from tissue transplantation experiments in chick and in silico modeling that test our hypothesis that cell contact dynamics with each other and the microenvironment promote and sustain either multicellular stream or chain migration. We show that when premigratory cranial NC cells (at the pre-otic level) are transplanted into a more caudal region in the head (at the post-otic level), cells alter their characteristic stream behavior and migrate in chains. Similarly, post-otic NC cells migrate in streams after transplantation into the pre-otic hindbrain, suggesting that local microenvironmental signals dictate the mode of NC cell migration. Simulations of an agent-based model (ABM) that integrates the NC cell behavioral data predict that chain migration critically depends on the interplay of biased cell-cell contact and local microenvironment signals. Together, this integrated modeling and experimental approach suggests new experiments and offers a powerful tool to examine mechanisms that underlie complex cell migration patterns.

  17. Multiscale mechanisms of cell migration during development: theory and experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, Rebecca; Dyson, Louise; Prather, Katherine W; Morrison, Jason A; Baker, Ruth E; Maini, Philip K; Kulesa, Paul M

    2012-08-01

    Long-distance cell migration is an important feature of embryonic development, adult morphogenesis and cancer, yet the mechanisms that drive subpopulations of cells to distinct targets are poorly understood. Here, we use the embryonic neural crest (NC) in tandem with theoretical studies to evaluate model mechanisms of long-distance cell migration. We find that a simple chemotaxis model is insufficient to explain our experimental data. Instead, model simulations predict that NC cell migration requires leading cells to respond to long-range guidance signals and trailing cells to short-range cues in order to maintain a directed, multicellular stream. Experiments confirm differences in leading versus trailing NC cell subpopulations, manifested in unique cell orientation and gene expression patterns that respond to non-linear tissue growth of the migratory domain. Ablation experiments that delete the trailing NC cell subpopulation reveal that leading NC cells distribute all along the migratory pathway and develop a leading/trailing cellular orientation and gene expression profile that is predicted by model simulations. Transplantation experiments and model predictions that move trailing NC cells to the migratory front, or vice versa, reveal that cells adopt a gene expression profile and cell behaviors corresponding to the new position within the migratory stream. These results offer a mechanistic model in which leading cells create and respond to a cell-induced chemotactic gradient and transmit guidance information to trailing cells that use short-range signals to move in a directional manner.

  18. Can FDG-PET/CT replace blind bone marrow biopsy of the posterior iliac crest in Ewing sarcoma?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kasalak, Oemer; Glaudemans, Andor W.J.M.; Overbosch, Jelle; Kwee, Thomas C.; Jutte, Paul C.

    2018-01-01

    To determine and compare the value of 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) to blind bone marrow biopsy (BMB) of the posterior iliac crest in detecting metastatic bone marrow involvement in newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma. This retrospective study included 20 patients with newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma who underwent pretreatment FDG-PET/CT and a total of 38 blind BMBs (two unilateral and 18 bilateral) of the posterior iliac crest. FDG-PET/CT scans were evaluated for bone marrow involvement, both in the posterior iliac crest and other sites, and compared to blind BMB results. FDG-PET/CT was positive for bone marrow involvement in 7/38 posterior iliac crests, whereas BMB was positive in 5/38 posterior iliac crests. FDG-PET/CT and BMB results in the posterior iliac crest agreed in 36/38 cases (94.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 82.7-98.5%). On a patient level, FDG-PET/CT was positive for bone marrow involvement in 4/20 patients, whereas BMB of the posterior iliac crest was positive in 3/20 patients. On a patient level, FDG-PET/CT and BMB results agreed in 19/20 patients (95.0%, 95% CI: 76.4-99.1%). The only discrepancies between FDG-PET/CT and BMB were observed in two BMBs of one patient. Both BMBs in this patient were negative, whereas FDG-PET/CT indicated bilateral posterior iliac crest involvement and also extensive bone marrow involvement elsewhere. FDG-PET/CT appears to be a valuable method for metastatic bone marrow assessment in newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma. The routine use of blind BMB of the posterior iliac crest should be reconsidered when FDG-PET/CT is available. (orig.)

  19. Can FDG-PET/CT replace blind bone marrow biopsy of the posterior iliac crest in Ewing sarcoma?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kasalak, Oemer; Glaudemans, Andor W.J.M.; Overbosch, Jelle; Kwee, Thomas C. [University of Groningen, Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands); Jutte, Paul C. [University of Groningen, Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands)

    2018-03-15

    To determine and compare the value of {sup 18}F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) to blind bone marrow biopsy (BMB) of the posterior iliac crest in detecting metastatic bone marrow involvement in newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma. This retrospective study included 20 patients with newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma who underwent pretreatment FDG-PET/CT and a total of 38 blind BMBs (two unilateral and 18 bilateral) of the posterior iliac crest. FDG-PET/CT scans were evaluated for bone marrow involvement, both in the posterior iliac crest and other sites, and compared to blind BMB results. FDG-PET/CT was positive for bone marrow involvement in 7/38 posterior iliac crests, whereas BMB was positive in 5/38 posterior iliac crests. FDG-PET/CT and BMB results in the posterior iliac crest agreed in 36/38 cases (94.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 82.7-98.5%). On a patient level, FDG-PET/CT was positive for bone marrow involvement in 4/20 patients, whereas BMB of the posterior iliac crest was positive in 3/20 patients. On a patient level, FDG-PET/CT and BMB results agreed in 19/20 patients (95.0%, 95% CI: 76.4-99.1%). The only discrepancies between FDG-PET/CT and BMB were observed in two BMBs of one patient. Both BMBs in this patient were negative, whereas FDG-PET/CT indicated bilateral posterior iliac crest involvement and also extensive bone marrow involvement elsewhere. FDG-PET/CT appears to be a valuable method for metastatic bone marrow assessment in newly diagnosed Ewing sarcoma. The routine use of blind BMB of the posterior iliac crest should be reconsidered when FDG-PET/CT is available. (orig.)

  20. A vaccine formulation combining rhoptry proteins NcROP40 and NcROP2 improves pup survival in a pregnant mouse model of neosporosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pastor-Fernández, Iván; Arranz-Solís, David; Regidor-Cerrillo, Javier; Álvarez-García, Gema; Hemphill, Andrew; García-Culebras, Alicia; Cuevas-Martín, Carmen; Ortega-Mora, Luis M

    2015-01-30

    Currently there are no effective vaccines for the control of bovine neosporosis. During the last years several subunit vaccines based on immunodominant antigens and other proteins involved in adhesion, invasion and intracellular proliferation of Neospora caninum have been evaluated as targets for vaccine development in experimental mouse infection models. Among them, the rhoptry antigen NcROP2 and the immunodominant NcGRA7 protein have been assessed with varying results. Recent studies have shown that another rhoptry component, NcROP40, and NcNTPase, a putative dense granule antigen, exhibit higher expression levels in tachyzoites of virulent N. caninum isolates, suggesting that these could be potential vaccine candidates to limit the effects of infection. In the present work, the safety and efficacy of these recombinant antigens formulated in Quil-A adjuvant as monovalent vaccines or pair-wise combinations (rNcROP40+rNcROP2 and rNcGRA7+rNcNTPase) were evaluated in a pregnant mouse model of neosporosis. All the vaccine formulations elicited a specific immune response against their respective native proteins after immunization. Mice vaccinated with rNcROP40 and rNcROP2 alone or in combination produced the highest levels of IFN-γ and exhibited low parasite burdens and low IgG antibody levels after the challenge. In addition, most of the vaccine formulations were able to increase the median survival time in the offspring. However, pup survival only ensued in the groups vaccinated with rNcROP40+rNcROP2 (16.2%) and rNcROP2 (6.3%). Interestingly, vertical transmission was not observed in those survivor pups immunized with rNcROP40+rNcROP2, as shown by PCR analyses. These results show a partial protection against N. caninum infection after vaccination with rNcROP40+rNcROP2, suggesting a synergistic effect of the two recombinant rhoptry antigens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. NC10 bacteria in marine oxygen minimum zones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Padilla, Cory C; Bristow, Laura A; Sarode, Neha

    2016-01-01

    Bacteria of the NC10 phylum link anaerobic methane oxidation to nitrite denitrification through a unique O2-producing intra-aerobic methanotrophy pathway. A niche for NC10 in the pelagic ocean has not been confirmed. We show that NC10 bacteria are present and transcriptionally active in oceanic....... rRNA and mRNA transcripts assignable to NC10 peaked within the OMZ and included genes of the putative nitrite-dependent intra-aerobic pathway, with high representation of transcripts containing the unique motif structure of the nitric oxide (NO) reductase of NC10 bacteria, hypothesized...

  2. Virtual NC machine model with integrated knowledge data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidorenko, Sofija; Dukovski, Vladimir

    2002-01-01

    The concept of virtual NC machining was established for providing a virtual product that could be compared with an appropriate designed product, in order to make NC program correctness evaluation, without real experiments. This concept is applied in the intelligent CAD/CAM system named VIRTUAL MANUFACTURE. This paper presents the first intelligent module that enables creation of the virtual models of existed NC machines and virtual creation of new ones, applying modular composition. Creation of a virtual NC machine is carried out via automatic knowledge data saving (features of the created NC machine). (Author)

  3. A Native Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus, Acaulospora scrobiculata Stimulated Growth of Mongolian Crested Wheatgrass ( Agropyron cristatum (L. Gaertn.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burenjargal Otgonsuren

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Agr opyron cristatum (L. Gaertn. (crested wheatgrass is an endemic plant species, which dominates most area of the Mongolian steppe and forest steppe. In the present study, spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere soil of crested wheatgrass were isolated with wet- sieving/decanting methods, and the major species was identifi ed as Acaulospora scrobiculata Trappe. For arbuscular-mycorrhizal resynthesis, the spores of A. scrobiculata were propagated with corn pot-culture technique and inoculated onto the roots of crested wheatgrass seedlings. The inoculated crested wheatgrass seedlings exhibited vigor in growth, and examination of the root structure revealed the occurrence of arbuscules and vesicles in the cortical cells. These results demonstrated that A. scrobiculata could effectively form arbuscular mycorrhizas with crested wheatgrass and promote its growth, which can be used to restore Mongolian grassland.

  4. Two interacting active dimers on a rigid track

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayett, David; Das, Moumita; Schwarz, J. M.

    Cell migration in morphogenesis and cancer metastasis typically involves an interplay between different cell types. The rules governing such interplay remain largely unknown; however, a recent experiment studying the interaction between neural crest (NC) cells and placodal cells reveals an example of such rules. The study found that NC cells chase the placodal cells by chemotaxis, while placodal cells run away from NC cells when contacted by them. Motivated by this observation, we construct and study a minimal one-dimensional cell-cell model comprised of two cells with each cell represented by two-beads-connected-by-an-active spring. The active spring for each moving cell models the stress fibers with their myosin-driven Contractility (and alpha-actinin extendability), while the friction coefficients of the beads describe the catch/slip bond behavior of the integrins in focal adhesions. We also include a dynamic contact interaction between the two cells to decipher the chase-and-run dynamics observed in the experiment. We then use our model to construct a ''phase diagram'' consisting of chase-and-run behavior, clumping (of the two cells) with repolarization behavior and clumping with no repolarization behavior that can be qualitatively compared to experiments.

  5. Interacting active elastic dimers: Two cells moving on a rigid track

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Moumita; Mayett, David; Schwarz, J. M.

    2015-03-01

    Cell migration in morphogenesis and cancer metastasis typically involves an interplay between different cell types. The rules governing such interplay remain largely unknown, however, a recent experiment studying the interaction between neural crest (NC) cells and placodal cells reveals an example of such rules. The study found that NC cells chase the placodal cells by chemotaxis, while placodal cells run away from NC cells when contacted by them. Motivated by this observation, we construct and study a minimal one-dimensional cell-cell model comprised of two cells with each cell represented by two-beads-connected-by-an-active spring. The active spring for each moving cell models the stress fibers with their myosin-driven contractility (and alpha-actinin extendability), while the friction coefficients of the beads describe the catch/slip bond behavior of the integrins in focal adhesions. We also include a dynamic contact interaction between the two cells, as well as a chemotactic potential, to decipher the chase-and-run dynamics observed in the experiment. We then use our modeling to further generalize the rules governing the interplay between different cell types during collective cell migration.

  6. Enteric nervous system specific deletion of Foxd3 disrupts glial cell differentiation and activates compensatory enteric progenitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundell, Nathan A; Plank, Jennifer L; LeGrone, Alison W; Frist, Audrey Y; Zhu, Lei; Shin, Myung K; Southard-Smith, E Michelle; Labosky, Patricia A

    2012-03-15

    The enteric nervous system (ENS) arises from the coordinated migration, expansion and differentiation of vagal and sacral neural crest progenitor cells. During development, vagal neural crest cells enter the foregut and migrate in a rostro-to-caudal direction, colonizing the entire gastrointestinal tract and generating the majority of the ENS. Sacral neural crest contributes to a subset of enteric ganglia in the hindgut, colonizing the colon in a caudal-to-rostral wave. During this process, enteric neural crest-derived progenitors (ENPs) self-renew and begin expressing markers of neural and glial lineages as they populate the intestine. Our earlier work demonstrated that the transcription factor Foxd3 is required early in neural crest-derived progenitors for self-renewal, multipotency and establishment of multiple neural crest-derived cells and structures including the ENS. Here, we describe Foxd3 expression within the fetal and postnatal intestine: Foxd3 was strongly expressed in ENPs as they colonize the gastrointestinal tract and was progressively restricted to enteric glial cells. Using a novel Ednrb-iCre transgene to delete Foxd3 after vagal neural crest cells migrate into the midgut, we demonstrated a late temporal requirement for Foxd3 during ENS development. Lineage labeling of Ednrb-iCre expressing cells in Foxd3 mutant embryos revealed a reduction of ENPs throughout the gut and loss of Ednrb-iCre lineage cells in the distal colon. Although mutant mice were viable, defects in patterning and distribution of ENPs were associated with reduced proliferation and severe reduction of glial cells derived from the Ednrb-iCre lineage. Analyses of ENS-lineage and differentiation in mutant embryos suggested activation of a compensatory population of Foxd3-positive ENPs that did not express the Ednrb-iCre transgene. Our findings highlight the crucial roles played by Foxd3 during ENS development including progenitor proliferation, neural patterning, and glial

  7. First report and breeding record of the Chinese Crested Tern Thalasseus bernsteini on the Korean Peninsula

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Se-Kyu Song

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The Chinese Crested Tern Thalasseus bernsteini is a critically endangered species (as designated by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. This report expands the known breeding grounds of these birds eastward. An individual of the Chinese Crested Tern was first observed at an uninhabited island of Jeollanam-do in Korea on April 28, 2016. On May 9, 2016 five Chinese Crested Terns (consisting of 2 breeding pairs and a single bird were observed. Nests from the breeding pairs were found, at a distance of 0.6 m from each other; each pair was observed incubating one egg in the nest. To our knowledge, this is the easternmost record of breeding grounds for the Chinese Crested Tern.

  8. Combination of exogenous cell transplantation and 5-HT{sub 4} receptor agonism induce endogenous enteric neural crest-derived cells in a rat hypoganglionosis model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Hui [Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 157, Xi Wu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi (China); Institute of Neurobiology, Environment and Genes Related to Diseases Key Laboratory of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 96, Yan Ta Xi Road, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi (China); Zheng, Bai-Jun; Pan, Wei-Kang; Wang, Huai-Jie; Xie, Chong; Zhao, Yu-Ying [Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 157, Xi Wu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi (China); Chen, Xin-Lin; Liu, Yong [Institute of Neurobiology, Environment and Genes Related to Diseases Key Laboratory of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 96, Yan Ta Xi Road, Xi’an 710061, Shaanxi (China); Gao, Ya, E-mail: ygao@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No 157, Xi Wu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi (China)

    2017-02-01

    Enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) can migrate into endogenous ganglia and differentiate into progeny cells, and have even partially rescued bowel function; however, poor reliability and limited functional recovery after ENCC transplantation have yet to be addressed. Here, we investigated the induction of endogenous ENCCs by combining exogenous ENCC transplantation with a 5-HT{sub 4} receptor agonist mosapride in a rat model of hypoganglionosis, established by benzalkonium chloride treatment. ENCCs, isolated from the gut of newborn rats, were labeled with a lentiviral eGFP reporter. ENCCs and rats were treated with the 5-HT{sub 4} receptor agonist/antagonist. The labeled ENCCs were then transplanted into the muscular layer of benzalkonium chloride-treated colons. At given days post-intervention, colonic tissue samples were removed for histological analysis. ENCCs and neurons were detected by eGFP expression and immunoreactivity to p75{sup NTR} and peripherin, respectively. eGFP-positive ENCCs and neurons could survive and maintain levels of fluorescence after transplantation. With longer times post-intervention, the number of peripherin-positive cells gradually increased in all groups. Significantly more peripherin-positive cells were found following ENCCs plus mosapride treatment, compared with the other groups. These results show that exogenous ENCCs combined with the 5-HT{sub 4} receptor agonist effectively induced endogenous ENCCs proliferation and differentiation in a rat hypoganglionosis model. - Highlights: • Survival and differentiation of exogenous ENCCs in treated colons. • With longer times post-intervention, the number of ENCCs and their progeny cells gradually increased. • Exogenous ENCCs combined with the 5-HT4 receptor agonist ffectively induced ENCCs proliferation and differentiation.

  9. Insights from amphioxus into the evolution of vertebrate cartilage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Meulemans

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Central to the story of vertebrate evolution is the origin of the vertebrate head, a problem difficult to approach using paleontology and comparative morphology due to a lack of unambiguous intermediate forms. Embryologically, much of the vertebrate head is derived from two ectodermal tissues, the neural crest and cranial placodes. Recent work in protochordates suggests the first chordates possessed migratory neural tube cells with some features of neural crest cells. However, it is unclear how and when these cells acquired the ability to form cellular cartilage, a cell type unique to vertebrates. It has been variously proposed that the neural crest acquired chondrogenic ability by recruiting proto-chondrogenic gene programs deployed in the neural tube, pharynx, and notochord. To test these hypotheses we examined the expression of 11 amphioxus orthologs of genes involved in neural crest chondrogenesis. Consistent with cellular cartilage as a vertebrate novelty, we find that no single amphioxus tissue co-expresses all or most of these genes. However, most are variously co-expressed in mesodermal derivatives. Our results suggest that neural crest-derived cartilage evolved by serial cooption of genes which functioned primitively in mesoderm.

  10. Origins and Properties of Dental, Thymic, and Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Cells and Their Stem Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komada, Yukiya; Yamane, Toshiyuki; Kadota, Daiji; Isono, Kana; Takakura, Nobuyuki; Hayashi, Shin-Ichi; Yamazaki, Hidetoshi

    2012-01-01

    Mesenchymal cells arise from the neural crest (NC) or mesoderm. However, it is difficult to distinguish NC-derived cells from mesoderm-derived cells. Using double-transgenic mouse systems encoding P0-Cre, Wnt1-Cre, Mesp1-Cre, and Rosa26EYFP, which enabled us to trace NC-derived or mesoderm-derived cells as YFP-expressing cells, we demonstrated for the first time that both NC-derived (P0- or Wnt1-labeled) and mesoderm-derived (Mesp1-labeled) cells contribute to the development of dental, thymic, and bone marrow (BM) mesenchyme from the fetal stage to the adult stage. Irrespective of the tissues involved, NC-derived and mesoderm-derived cells contributed mainly to perivascular cells and endothelial cells, respectively. Dental and thymic mesenchyme were composed of either NC-derived or mesoderm-derived cells, whereas half of the BM mesenchyme was composed of cells that were not derived from the NC or mesoderm. However, a colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) assay indicated that CFU-Fs in the dental pulp, thymus, and BM were composed of NC-derived and mesoderm-derived cells. Secondary CFU-F assays were used to estimate the self-renewal potential, which showed that CFU-Fs in the teeth, thymus, and BM were entirely NC-derived cells, entirely mesoderm-derived cells, and mostly NC-derived cells, respectively. Colony formation was inhibited drastically by the addition of anti-platelet–derived growth factor receptor-β antibody, regardless of the tissue and its origin. Furthermore, dental mesenchyme expressed genes encoding critical hematopoietic factors, such as interleukin-7, stem cell factor, and cysteine-X-cysteine (CXC) chemokine ligand 12, which supports the differentiation of B lymphocytes and osteoclasts. Therefore, the mesenchymal stem cells found in these tissues had different origins, but similar properties in each organ. PMID:23185234

  11. Cardiac outflow tract malformations in chick embryos exposed to homocysteine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M.J. Boot (Marit); R.P.M. Steegers-Theunissen (Régine); R.E. Poelmann (Robert); L. van Iperen (Liesbeth); A.C. Gittenberger-De Groot (Adriana)

    2004-01-01

    textabstractIncreased homocysteine concentrations have been associated with cardiac outflow tract defects. It has been hypothesized that cardiac neural crest cells were the target cells in these malformations. Cardiac neural crest cells migrate from the neural tube and contribute to the condensed

  12. Pax3 stimulates p53 ubiquitination and degradation independent of transcription.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao Dan Wang

    Full Text Available Pax3 is a developmental transcription factor that is required for neural tube and neural crest development. We previously showed that inactivating the p53 tumor suppressor protein prevents neural tube and cardiac neural crest defects in Pax3-mutant mouse embryos. This demonstrates that Pax3 regulates these processes by blocking p53 function. Here we investigated the mechanism by which Pax3 blocks p53 function.We employed murine embryonic stem cell (ESC-derived neuronal precursors as a cell culture model of embryonic neuroepithelium or neural crest. Pax3 reduced p53 protein stability, but had no effect on p53 mRNA levels or the rate of p53 synthesis. Full length Pax3 as well as fragments that contained either the DNA-binding paired box or the homeodomain, expressed as GST or FLAG fusion proteins, physically associated with p53 and Mdm2 both in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, Splotch Pax3, which causes neural tube and neural crest defects in homozygous embryos, bound weakly, or not at all, to p53 or Mdm2. The paired domain and homeodomain each stimulated Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination of p53 and p53 degradation in the absence of the Pax3 transcription regulatory domains, whereas Splotch Pax3 did not stimulate p53 ubiquitination or degradation.Pax3 inactivates p53 function by stimulating its ubiquitination and degradation. This process utilizes the Pax3 paired domain and homeodomain but is independent of DNA-binding and transcription regulation. Because inactivating p53 is the only required Pax3 function during neural tube closure and cardiac neural crest development, and inactivating p53 does not require Pax3-dependent transcription regulation, this indicates that Pax3 is not required to function as a transcription factor during neural tube closure and cardiac neural crest development. These findings further suggest novel explanations for PAX3 functions in human diseases, such as in neural crest-derived cancers and Waardenburg syndrome types 1 and 3.

  13. Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The neural crest has long fascinated developmental biologists, and, increasingly over the past decades, evolutionary and evolutionary developmental biologists. The neural crest is the name given to the fold of ectoderm at the junction between neural and epidermal ectoderm in neurula-stage vertebrate embryos.

  14. A study on ionospheric scintillation near the EIA crest in relation to equatorial electrodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, S.; Chakraborty, S. K.; Veenadhari, B.; Banola, S.

    2014-02-01

    Equatorial electrojet (EEJ) data, which are considered as a proxy index of equatorial electric field, are analyzed in conjunction with equatorial ionosonde, total electron content (TEC) and scintillation data near the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest for the equinoctial months of high solar activity years (2011-2012) to identify any precursor index of postsunset evolution of equatorial electron density irregularities and subsequent occurrence of scintillation near the northern EIA crest. Only geomagnetically quiet and normal electrojet days are considered. The diurnal profiles of EEJ on the scintillation days exhibit a secondary enhancement in the afternoon to presunset hours following diurnal peaks. A series of electrodynamical processes conducive for generation of irregularities emerge following secondary enhancement of EEJ. Latitudinal profile of TEC exhibits resurgence in EIA structure around the postsunset period. Diurnal TEC profile near the EIA crest resembles postsunset secondary enhancement on the days with afternoon enhancement in EEJ. Occurrence of equatorial spread F and postsunset scintillation near the EIA crest seems to follow the secondary enhancement events in EEJ. Both the magnitude and duration of enhanced EEJ are found to be important for postsunset intensification of EIA structure and subsequent occurrence of equatorial irregularities. A critical value combining the two may be considered an important precursor for postsunset occurrence of scintillation near the EIA crest. The results are validated using archived data for the years 1989-1990 and explained in terms of modulation effects of enhanced equatorial fountain.

  15. Crest Level Optimization of the Multi Level Overtopping based Wave Energy Converter Seawave Slot-Cone Generator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Jens Peter; Osaland, E.

    2005-01-01

    The paper describes the optimization of the crest levels and geometrical layout of the SSG structure, focusing on maximizing the obtained potential energy in the overtopping water. During wave tank testing at AAU average overtopping rates into the individual reservoirs have been measured. The ini......The paper describes the optimization of the crest levels and geometrical layout of the SSG structure, focusing on maximizing the obtained potential energy in the overtopping water. During wave tank testing at AAU average overtopping rates into the individual reservoirs have been measured....... The initial tests led to an expression describing the derivative of the overtopping rate with respect to the vertical distance. Based on this, numerical optimizations of the crest levels, for a number of combinations of wave conditions, have been performed. The hereby found optimal crest levels have been...

  16. Reconstruction of iliac crest with rib to prevent donor site complications: A prospective study of 26 cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dave B

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: The tricortical bone graft from the iliac crest are used to reconstruct the post corpectomy spinal defects. The donor iliac area defect is large and may give rise to pain at donor site, instability of pelvis, fracture of ilium, donor site muscle herniation or abdominal content herniation. Rib removed during thoracotomy was used by us to reconstruct the iliac crest defect. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six patients who underwent thoracotomy for dorsal spine corpectomy or curettage for various spinal pathologies from June 2002 to May 2004 were included in the study. After adequate decompression the spine was reconstructed by tricortical bone graft from iliac crest and reconstruction of the iliac crest was done with the rib removed for exposure during thoracotomy. Results: The mean follow up was 15 months. All patients had good graft incorporation which was evaluated on the basis of local tenderness and radiographs. One patient had graft displacement. Conclusion: The reconstruction of iliac crest by rib is a simple and effective procedure to prevent donor site complications.

  17. Tissue stiffening coordinates morphogenesis by triggering collective cell migration in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barriga, Elias H; Franze, Kristian; Charras, Guillaume; Mayor, Roberto

    2018-02-22

    Collective cell migration is essential for morphogenesis, tissue remodelling and cancer invasion. In vivo, groups of cells move in an orchestrated way through tissues. This movement involves mechanical as well as molecular interactions between cells and their environment. While the role of molecular signals in collective cell migration is comparatively well understood, how tissue mechanics influence collective cell migration in vivo remains unknown. Here we investigated the importance of mechanical cues in the collective migration of the Xenopus laevis neural crest cells, an embryonic cell population whose migratory behaviour has been likened to cancer invasion. We found that, during morphogenesis, the head mesoderm underlying the cephalic neural crest stiffens. This stiffening initiates an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in neural crest cells and triggers their collective migration. To detect changes in their mechanical environment, neural crest cells use mechanosensation mediated by the integrin-vinculin-talin complex. By performing mechanical and molecular manipulations, we show that mesoderm stiffening is necessary and sufficient to trigger neural crest migration. Finally, we demonstrate that convergent extension of the mesoderm, which starts during gastrulation, leads to increased mesoderm stiffness by increasing the cell density underneath the neural crest. These results show that convergent extension of the mesoderm has a role as a mechanical coordinator of morphogenesis, and reveal a link between two apparently unconnected processes-gastrulation and neural crest migration-via changes in tissue mechanics. Overall, we demonstrate that changes in substrate stiffness can trigger collective cell migration by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in vivo. More broadly, our results raise the idea that tissue mechanics combines with molecular effectors to coordinate morphogenesis.

  18. Results of operative treatment of avulsion fractures of the iliac crest apophysis in adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xigong; Xu, Sanzhong; Lin, Xiangjin; Wang, Quan; Pan, Jun

    2014-04-01

    Avulsion fracture of the iliac crest apophysis is a rare condition that commonly occurs in adolescent athletes. Conservative treatment for this injury can produce excellent functional outcomes. However, the rehabilitation process requires a rather long immobilisation period. This study aimed to evaluate the use of cannulated screws for fixation of avulsion fractures of iliac crest apophysis. Ten patients with avulsion fractures of iliac crest apophysis were treated by open reduction and internal fixation using cannulated screws. The mean age of patients was 14.6 years (range, 13-15 years). The mean intraoperative blood loss was 14.9 ml (range, 10-25 ml). The mean operative time was 40.3 min (range, 33-52 min). The mean follow-up period was 11.2 months (range, 6-20 months). At the 4-week follow-up, all patients returned to previously normal activity without pain and had no evidence of lower extremity muscle weakness. At the final follow-up, all patients resumed their athletic activity without any complications. Open reduction and internal fixation for the treatment of avulsion fracture of iliac crest apophysis can be recommended for patients requiring rapid rehabilitation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Myocardial function and perfusion in the CREST syndrome variant of progressive systemic sclerosis. Exercise radionuclide evaluation and comparison with diffuse scleroderma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Follansbee, W.P.; Curtiss, E.I.; Medsger, T.A. Jr.; Owens, G.R.; Steen, V.D.; Rodnan, G.P.

    1984-01-01

    Myocardial function and perfusion were evaluated in 22 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis with the CREST syndrome using exercise and radionuclide techniques, pulmonary function testing, and chest roentgenography. The results were compared with a similar study of 26 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis with diffuse scleroderma. The prevalence of thallium perfusion abnormalities was similar in the groups with CREST syndrome and diffuse scleroderma, (64 percent versus 77 percent), but the defects were significantly smaller in the CREST syndrome (p less than 0.01). Reperfusion thallium defects in the absence of extramural coronary artery disease were seen in 38 percent of patients with diffuse scleroderma. This finding was not seen in any of the patients with the CREST syndrome. In diffuse scleroderma, abnormalities of both right and left ventricular function were related to larger thallium perfusion defects. In the CREST syndrome, abnormalities of left ventricular function were minor, were seen only during exercise, and were unrelated to thallium perfusion defects. Abnormal resting right ventricular function was seen in 36 percent of the patients with the CREST syndrome and was associated with an isolated decrease in diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide. It is concluded that the cardiac manifestations of the CREST syndrome are distinct from those found in diffuse scleroderma. Unlike diffuse scleroderma, abnormalities of left ventricular function in the CREST syndrome are minor and are unrelated to abnormalities of coronary perfusion. Right ventricular dysfunction in the CREST syndrome appears to be primarily related to pulmonary vascular disease

  20. Incisional Colopexy for Treatment of Chronic, Recurrent Colocloacal Prolapse in a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Zeeland, Yvonne; Schoemaker, Nico; van Sluijs, Freek

    2014-01-01

    Objective To report a surgical technique for treatment of chronic, recurrent cloacal prolapse in a sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita). Study Design Clinical report Animals Sulphur-crested cockatoo (n = 1) Methods The bird was admitted with a 2-year history of periodic lethargy, decreased

  1. Novel structural components of the ventral disc and lateral crest in Giardia intestinalis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kari D Hagen

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Giardia intestinalis is a ubiquitous parasitic protist that is the causative agent of giardiasis, one of the most common protozoan diarrheal diseases in the world. Giardia trophozoites attach to the intestinal epithelium using a specialized and elaborate microtubule structure, the ventral disc. Surrounding the ventral disc is a less characterized putatively contractile structure, the lateral crest, which forms a continuous perimeter seal with the substrate. A better understanding of ventral disc and lateral crest structure, conformational dynamics, and biogenesis is critical for understanding the mechanism of giardial attachment to the host. To determine the components comprising the ventral disc and lateral crest, we used shotgun proteomics to identify proteins in a preparation of isolated ventral discs. Candidate disc-associated proteins, or DAPs, were GFP-tagged using a ligation-independent high-throughput cloning method. Based on disc localization, we identified eighteen novel DAPs, which more than doubles the number of known disc-associated proteins. Ten of the novel DAPs are associated with the lateral crest or outer edge of the disc, and are the first confirmed components of this structure. Using Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP with representative novel DAP::GFP strains we found that the newly identified DAPs tested did not recover after photobleaching and are therefore structural components of the ventral disc or lateral crest. Functional analyses of the novel DAPs will be central toward understanding the mechanism of ventral disc-mediated attachment and the mechanism of disc biogenesis during cell division. Since attachment of Giardia to the intestine via the ventral disc is essential for pathogenesis, it is possible that some proteins comprising the disc could be potential drug targets if their loss or disruption interfered with disc biogenesis or function, preventing attachment.

  2. Prolonged Expansion Induces Spontaneous Neural Progenitor Differentiation from Human Gingiva-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajan, Thangavelu Soundara; Scionti, Domenico; Diomede, Francesca; Piattelli, Adriano; Bramanti, Placido; Mazzon, Emanuela; Trubiani, Oriana

    2017-12-01

    Neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from dental tissues received considerable interest in regenerative medicine, particularly in nerve regeneration owing to their embryonic origin and ease of harvest. Proliferation efficacy and differentiation capacity into diverse cell lineages propose dental MSCs as an in vitro tool for disease modeling. In this study, we investigated the spontaneous differentiation efficiency of dental MSCs obtained from human gingiva tissue (hGMSCs) into neural progenitor cells after extended passaging. At passage 41, the morphology of hGMSCs changed from typical fibroblast-like shape into sphere-shaped cells with extending processes. Next-generation transcriptomics sequencing showed increased expression of neural progenitor markers such as NES, MEIS2, and MEST. In addition, de novo expression of neural precursor genes, such as NRN1, PHOX2B, VANGL2, and NTRK3, was noticed in passage 41. Immunocytochemistry results showed suppression of neurogenesis repressors TP53 and p21, whereas Western blot results revealed the expression of neurotrophic factors BDNF and NT3 at passage 41. Our results showed the spontaneous efficacy of hGMSCs to differentiate into neural precursor cells over prolonged passages and that these cells may assist in producing novel in vitro disease models that are associated with neural development.

  3. Jaccoud's arthropathy and pulmonary fibrosis in CREST syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spinel B, Nestor; Montenegro, Pablo; Rondon Federico; Restrepo, Jose F; Iglesias G, Antonio

    2010-01-01

    We report a case of a 48 years old patient with diagnosis of incomplete CREST syndrome (variant limited systemic sclerosis) in who we documented the presence of Jaccoud's arthropathy of the hands and pulmonary involvement by pulmonary fibrosis type usual interstitial pneumonia, with positivity for rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody.

  4. ncRNA consensus secondary structure derivation using grammar strings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achawanantakun, Rujira; Sun, Yanni; Takyar, Seyedeh Shohreh

    2011-04-01

    Many noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) function through both their sequences and secondary structures. Thus, secondary structure derivation is an important issue in today's RNA research. The state-of-the-art structure annotation tools are based on comparative analysis, which derives consensus structure of homologous ncRNAs. Despite promising results from existing ncRNA aligning and consensus structure derivation tools, there is a need for more efficient and accurate ncRNA secondary structure modeling and alignment methods. In this work, we introduce a consensus structure derivation approach based on grammar string, a novel ncRNA secondary structure representation that encodes an ncRNA's sequence and secondary structure in the parameter space of a context-free grammar (CFG) and a full RNA grammar including pseudoknots. Being a string defined on a special alphabet constructed from a grammar, grammar string converts ncRNA alignment into sequence alignment. We derive consensus secondary structures from hundreds of ncRNA families from BraliBase 2.1 and 25 families containing pseudoknots using grammar string alignment. Our experiments have shown that grammar string-based structure derivation competes favorably in consensus structure quality with Murlet and RNASampler. Source code and experimental data are available at http://www.cse.msu.edu/~yannisun/grammar-string.

  5. Inherent and antigen-induced airway hyperreactivity in NC mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetsuto Kobayashi

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to clarify the airway physiology of NC mice, the following experiments were carried out. To investigate inherent airway reactivity, we compared tracheal reactivity to various chemical mediators in NC, BALB/c, C57BL/6 and A/J mice in vitro. NC mice showed significantly greater reactivity to acetylcholine than BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice and a reactivity comparable to that of A/J mice, which are known as high responders. Then, airway reactivity to acetylcholine was investigated in those strains in vivo. NC mice again showed comparable airway reactivity to that seen in A/J mice and a significantly greater reactivity than that seen in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. To investigate the effects of airway inflammation on airway reactivity to acetylcholine in vivo, NC and BALB/c mice were sensitized to and challenged with antigen. Sensitization to and challenge with antigen induced accumulation of inflammatory cells, especially eosinophils, in lung and increased airway reactivity in NC and BALB/c mice. These results indicate that NC mice exhibit inherent and antigen-induced airway hyperreactivity. Therefore, NC mice are a suitable strain to use in investigating the mechanisms underlying airway hyperreactivity and such studies will provide beneficial information for understanding the pathophysiology of asthma.

  6. Hydraulic Evaluation of the Crest Wing Wave Energy Converter

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Jens Peter; Antonishen, Michael Patrick

    This report presents the results of an experimental study of the wave energy converting abilities of the Crest Wing wave energy converter (WEC). The Crest Wing is a WEC that uses its movement in matching the shape of an oncoming wave to generate power. Model tests have been performed using a scale...... model (length scale 1:30), provided by WaveEnergyFyn, in regular and irregular wave states that can be found in Assessment of Wave Energy Devices. Best Practice as used in Denmark (Frigaard et al., 2008). The tests were carried out at Dept. of Civil Engineering, Aalborg (Frigaard et al., 2008......). The tests were carried out at Dept. of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University (AAU) in the 3D deep water wave tank. The displacement and force applied to a power take off system, provided by WaveEnergyFyn, were measured and used to calculate total power take off....

  7. Real-Time Audio Processing on the T-CREST Multicore Platform

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ausin, Daniel Sanz; Pezzarossa, Luca; Schoeberl, Martin

    2017-01-01

    of the audio signal. This paper presents a real-time multicore audio processing system based on the T-CREST platform. T-CREST is a time-predictable multicore processor for real-time embedded systems. Multiple audio effect tasks have been implemented, which can be connected together in different configurations...... forming sequential and parallel effect chains, and using a network-onchip for intercommunication between processors. The evaluation of the system shows that real-time processing of multiple effect configurations is possible, and that the estimation and control of latency ensures real-time behavior.......Multicore platforms are nowadays widely used for audio processing applications, due to the improvement of computational power that they provide. However, some of these systems are not optimized for temporally constrained environments, which often leads to an undesired increase in the latency...

  8. Improving Earth Science Metadata: Modernizing ncISO

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, K.; Schweitzer, R.; Neufeld, D.; Burger, E. F.; Signell, R. P.; Arms, S. C.; Wilcox, K.

    2016-12-01

    ncISO is a package of tools developed at NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) that facilitates the generation of ISO 19115-2 metadata from NetCDF data sources. The tool currently exists in two iterations: a command line utility and a web-accessible service within the THREDDS Data Server (TDS). Several projects, including NOAA's Unified Access Framework (UAF), depend upon ncISO to generate the ISO-compliant metadata from their data holdings and use the resulting information to populate discovery tools such as NCEI's ESRI Geoportal and NOAA's data.noaa.gov CKAN system. In addition to generating ISO 19115-2 metadata, the tool calculates a rubric score based on how well the dataset follows the Attribute Conventions for Dataset Discovery (ACDD). The result of this rubric calculation, along with information about what has been included and what is missing is displayed in an HTML document generated by the ncISO software package. Recently ncISO has fallen behind in terms of supporting updates to conventions such updates to the ACDD. With the blessing of the original programmer, NOAA's UAF has been working to modernize the ncISO software base. In addition to upgrading ncISO to utilize version1.3 of the ACDD, we have been working with partners at Unidata and IOOS to unify the tool's code base. In essence, we are merging the command line capabilities into the same software that will now be used by the TDS service, allowing easier updates when conventions such as ACDD are updated in the future. In this presentation, we will discuss the work the UAF project has done to support updated conventions within ncISO, as well as describe how the updated tool is helping to improve metadata throughout the earth and ocean sciences.

  9. Explorations of the extended ncKP hierarchy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dimakis, Aristophanes; Mueller-Hoissen, Folkert

    2004-01-01

    A recently obtained extension (xncKP) of the Moyal-deformed KP hierarchy (ncKP hierarchy) by a set of evolution equations in the Moyal-deformation parameters is further explored. Formulae are derived to compute these equations efficiently. Reductions of the xncKP hierarchy are treated, in particular to the extended ncKdV and ncBoussinesq hierarchies. Furthermore, a good part of the Sato formalism for the KP hierarchy is carried over to the generalized framework. In particular, the well-known bilinear identity theorem for the KP hierarchy, expressed in terms of the (formal) Baker-Akhiezer function, extends to the xncKP hierarchy. Moreover, it is demonstrated that N-soliton solutions of the ncKP equation are also solutions of the first few deformation equations. This is shown to be related to the existence of certain families of algebraic identities

  10. Molecular Prognostic Markers in Uveal Melanoma: Expression Profiling and Genomic Studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    W. Gils (Walter)

    2008-01-01

    textabstractUveal Melanomas (UMs) arise from melanocytes. This cell type originates from neural crest cells and thereby uveal melanomas share their origin with pheochromocytomas, neuroblastomas, paragangliomas and cutaneous melanomas, other tumors that develop from neural crest originating cells.

  11. RECONSTRUCTION OF ATROPHIC MAXILLA BY ANTERIOR ILIAC CREST BONE GRAFTING VIA NEUROAXIAL BLOCKADE TECHNIQUE: A CASE REPORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erol CANSIZ

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Anterior iliac crest bone grafting is a well-established modality in the treatment of alveolar bone deficiencies. However, this procedure may also have considerable postoperative morbidity which is mostly related to general anesthesia. Postoperative pain-related complications can be managed by neuroaxial blockade techniques which provide adequate surgical analgesia and reduce postoperative pain. This clinical report describes the reconstruction of a severely atrophic maxilla with anterior iliac crest bone grafting using combined spinal epidural anesthesia. Neuroaxial blockade techniques may be a useful alternative to eliminate general anesthesia related challenges of anterior iliac crest bone grafting procedures.

  12. Oral Crest Lengthening for Increasing Removable Denture Retention by Means of CO2 Laser

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samir Nammour

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The loss of teeth and their replacement by artificial denture is associated with many problems. The denture needs a certain amount of ridge height to give it retention and a long-term function. Crest lengthening procedures are performed to provide a better anatomic environment and to create proper supporting structures for more stability and retention of the denture. The purpose of our study is to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of CO2 laser-assisted surgery in patients treated for crest lengthening (vestibular deepening. There have been various surgical techniques described in order to restore alveolar ridge height by pushing muscles attaching of the jaws. Most of these techniques cause postoperative complications such as edemas, hemorrhage, pain, infection, slow healing, and rebound to initial position. Our clinical study describes the treatment planning and clinical steps for the crest lengthening with the use of CO2 laser beam (6–15 Watts in noncontact, energy density range: 84.92–212.31 J/cm2, focus, and continuous mode with a focal point diameter of 0.3 mm. At the end of each surgery, dentures were temporarily relined with a soft material. Patients were asked to mandatorily wear their relined denture for a minimum of 4–6 weeks and to remove it for hygienic purposes. At the end of each surgery, the deepest length of the vestibule was measured by the operator. No sutures were made and bloodless wounds healed in second intention without grafts. Results pointed out the efficiency of the procedure using CO2 laser. At 8 weeks of post-op, the mean of crest lengthening was stable without rebound. Only a loss of 15% was noticed. To conclude, the use of CO2 laser is an effective option for crest lengthening.

  13. Is mitochondrial DNA divergence of near easter crested newts, Triturus karelinii group, reflected by differentiation of skull shape

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ivanovic, A.; Uzum, N.; Wielstra, B.M.; Olgun, K.; Litvinchuk, S.N.; Kalezic, M.L.; Arntzen, J.W.

    2013-01-01

    The Eurasian Triturus karelinii group of crested newts comprises three distinct, geographically coherent mitochondrial DNA lineages, designated as the eastern, central and western lineage. These three lineages are genetically as diverged as other, morphologically well-differentiated crested newt

  14. Pelvic instability after bone graft harvesting from posterior iliac crest: report of nine patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chan, K.; Pathria, M.; Jacobson, J. [Dept. of Radiology, Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States); Resnick, D. [Dept. of Radiology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA (United States)

    2001-05-01

    Objective. To report the imaging findings in nine patients who developed pelvic instability after bone graft harvest from the posterior aspect of the iliac crest.Design and patients. A retrospective study was performed of the imaging studies of nine patients who developed pelvic pain after autologous bone graft was harvested from the posterior aspect of the ilium for spinal arthrodesis. Plain films, bone scans, and CT and MR examinations of the pelvis were reviewed. Pertinent aspects of the clinical history of these patients were noted, including age, gender and clinical symptoms.Results. The age of the patients ranged from 52 to 77 years (average 69 years) and all were women. The bone graft had been derived from the posterior aspect of the iliac crest about the sacroiliac joint. All patients subsequently developed subluxation of the pubic symphysis. Eight patients had additional insufficiency fractures of the iliac crest adjacent to the bone graft donor site, and five patients also revealed subluxation of the sacroiliac joint. Two had insufficiency fractures of the sacrum and one had an additional fracture of the pubic ramus.Conclusions. Pelvic instability is a potential complication of bone graft harvesting from the posterior aspect of the iliac crest. The pelvic instability is manifested by insufficiency fractures of the ilium and subluxation of the sacroiliac joints and pubic symphysis. (orig.)

  15. Pelvic instability after bone graft harvesting from posterior iliac crest: report of nine patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, K.; Pathria, M.; Jacobson, J.; Resnick, D.

    2001-01-01

    Objective. To report the imaging findings in nine patients who developed pelvic instability after bone graft harvest from the posterior aspect of the iliac crest.Design and patients. A retrospective study was performed of the imaging studies of nine patients who developed pelvic pain after autologous bone graft was harvested from the posterior aspect of the ilium for spinal arthrodesis. Plain films, bone scans, and CT and MR examinations of the pelvis were reviewed. Pertinent aspects of the clinical history of these patients were noted, including age, gender and clinical symptoms.Results. The age of the patients ranged from 52 to 77 years (average 69 years) and all were women. The bone graft had been derived from the posterior aspect of the iliac crest about the sacroiliac joint. All patients subsequently developed subluxation of the pubic symphysis. Eight patients had additional insufficiency fractures of the iliac crest adjacent to the bone graft donor site, and five patients also revealed subluxation of the sacroiliac joint. Two had insufficiency fractures of the sacrum and one had an additional fracture of the pubic ramus.Conclusions. Pelvic instability is a potential complication of bone graft harvesting from the posterior aspect of the iliac crest. The pelvic instability is manifested by insufficiency fractures of the ilium and subluxation of the sacroiliac joints and pubic symphysis. (orig.)

  16. ETHANOL EXPOSURE DISRUPTS CRANIAL NEURAL CREST MIGRATION AND PRIMARY CILIA IN DEVELOPING ZEBRAFISH EMBRYOS

    OpenAIRE

    BORIC BRENET, KATICA ANDREA; BORIC BRENET, KATICA ANDREA

    2012-01-01

    Durante el desarrollo temprano la exposición a etanol (EtOH) puede causar el Síndrome de Alcohol Fetal (SAF), el cual afecta estructuras craneofaciales (CF) y partes del sistema nervioso (SN), ambos derivados de las células de la cresta neural craneal (CCNC). Por lo tanto, proponemos que la migración de las CCNC se ve afectada por la exposición a EtOH. Para determinar si la exposición a EtOH altera la migración celular, incubamos embriones de pez cebra durante 20 horas usando conc...

  17. Migration flyway of the Mediterranean breeding Lesser Crested Tern ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis emigratus breeding population in the Mediterranean is found exclusively in Libya, on the two coastal islands of Gara and Elba and one wetland on the mainland coast at Benghazi. In order to improve knowledge of the species migration to wintering quarters in West Africa, ...

  18. Differentiation of Equine Mesenchymal Stromal Cells into Cells of Neural Lineage: Potential for Clinical Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Cruz Villagrán

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs are able to differentiate into extramesodermal lineages, including neurons. Positive outcomes were obtained after transplantation of neurally induced MSCs in laboratory animals after nerve injury, but this is unknown in horses. Our objectives were to test the ability of equine MSCs to differentiate into cells of neural lineage in vitro, to assess differences in morphology and lineage-specific protein expression, and to investigate if horse age and cell passage number affected the ability to achieve differentiation. Bone marrow-derived MSCs were obtained from young and adult horses. Following demonstration of stemness, MSCs were neurally induced and microscopically assessed at different time points. Results showed that commercially available nitrogen-coated tissue culture plates supported proliferation and differentiation. Morphological changes were immediate and all the cells displayed a neural crest-like cell phenotype. Expression of neural progenitor proteins, was assessed via western blot or immunofluorescence. In our study, MSCs generated from young and middle-aged horses did not show differences in their ability to undergo differentiation. The effect of cell passage number, however, is inconsistent and further experiments are needed. Ongoing work is aimed at transdifferentiating these cells into Schwann cells for transplantation into a peripheral nerve injury model in horses.

  19. Multispectral fingerprinting for improved in vivo cell dynamics analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cooper Cameron HJ

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tracing cell dynamics in the embryo becomes tremendously difficult when cell trajectories cross in space and time and tissue density obscure individual cell borders. Here, we used the chick neural crest (NC as a model to test multicolor cell labeling and multispectral confocal imaging strategies to overcome these roadblocks. Results We found that multicolor nuclear cell labeling and multispectral imaging led to improved resolution of in vivo NC cell identification by providing a unique spectral identity for each cell. NC cell spectral identity allowed for more accurate cell tracking and was consistent during short term time-lapse imaging sessions. Computer model simulations predicted significantly better object counting for increasing cell densities in 3-color compared to 1-color nuclear cell labeling. To better resolve cell contacts, we show that a combination of 2-color membrane and 1-color nuclear cell labeling dramatically improved the semi-automated analysis of NC cell interactions, yet preserved the ability to track cell movements. We also found channel versus lambda scanning of multicolor labeled embryos significantly reduced the time and effort of image acquisition and analysis of large 3D volume data sets. Conclusions Our results reveal that multicolor cell labeling and multispectral imaging provide a cellular fingerprint that may uniquely determine a cell's position within the embryo. Together, these methods offer a spectral toolbox to resolve in vivo cell dynamics in unprecedented detail.

  20. An overview on STEP-NC compliant controller development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Othman, M. A.; Minhat, M.; Jamaludin, Z.

    2017-10-01

    The capabilities of conventional Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tools as termination organiser to fabricate high-quality parts promptly, economically and precisely are undeniable. To date, most CNCs follow the programming standard of ISO 6983, also called G & M code. However, in fluctuating shop floor environment, flexibility and interoperability of current CNC system to react dynamically and adaptively are believed still limited. This outdated programming language does not explicitly relate to each other to have control of arbitrary locations other than the motion of the block-by-block. To address this limitation, new standard known as STEP-NC was developed in late 1990s and is formalized as an ISO 14649. It adds intelligence to the CNC in term of interoperability, flexibility, adaptability and openness. This paper presents an overview of the research work that have been done in developing a STEP-NC controller standard and the capabilities of STEP-NC to overcome modern manufacturing demands. Reviews stated that most existing STEP-NC controller prototypes are based on type 1 and type 2 implementation levels. There are still lack of effort being done to develop type 3 and type 4 STEP-NC compliant controller.

  1. 78 FR 72009 - Establishment of Class E Airspace; Star, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-02

    ...-0440; Airspace Docket No. 13-ASO-10] Establishment of Class E Airspace; Star, NC AGENCY: Federal... at Star, NC, to accommodate a new Area Navigation (RNAV) Global Positioning System (GPS) Standard... Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking to establish Class E airspace at Star, NC (78 FR 54413...

  2. 78 FR 24071 - Safety Zone; Pasquotank River; Elizabeth City, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-24

    ... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone; Pasquotank River; Elizabeth City, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary... Pasquotank River in Elizabeth City, NC in support of the Fireworks display for the Potato Festival. This... Guard is establishing a safety zone on the navigable waters of Pasquotank River in Elizabeth City, NC...

  3. Software module for geometric product modeling and NC tool path generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidorenko, Sofija; Dukovski, Vladimir

    2003-01-01

    The intelligent CAD/CAM system named VIRTUAL MANUFACTURE is created. It is consisted of four intelligent software modules: the module for virtual NC machine creation, the module for geometric product modeling and automatic NC path generation, the module for virtual NC machining and the module for virtual product evaluation. In this paper the second intelligent software module is presented. This module enables feature-based product modeling carried out via automatic saving of the designed product geometric features as knowledge data. The knowledge data are afterwards applied for automatic NC program generation for the designed product NC machining. (Author)

  4. CREST-SAFE: Snow LST validation, wetness profiler creation, and depth/SWE product development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez Diaz, C. L.; Lakhankar, T.; Romanov, P.; Khanbilvardi, R.; Munoz Barreto, J.; Yu, Y.

    2017-12-01

    CREST-SAFE: Snow LST validation, wetness profiler creation, and depth/SWE product development The Field Snow Research Station (also referred to as Snow Analysis and Field Experiment, SAFE) is operated by the NOAA Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies (CREST) in the City University of New York (CUNY). The field station is located within the premises of the Caribou Municipal Airport (46°52'59'' N, 68°01'07'' W) and in close proximity to the National Weather Service (NWS) Regional Forecast Office. The station was established in 2010 to support studies in snow physics and snow remote sensing. The Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Land Surface Temperature (LST) Environmental Data Record (EDR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST product (provided by the Terra and Aqua Earth Observing System satellites) were validated using in situ LST (T-skin) and near-surface air temperature (T-air) observations recorded at CREST-SAFE for the winters of 2013 and 2014. Results indicate that T-air correlates better than T-skin with VIIRS LST data and that the accuracy of nighttime LST retrievals is considerably better than that of daytime. Several trends in the MODIS LST data were observed, including the underestimation of daytime values and night-time values. Results indicate that, although all the data sets showed high correlation with ground measurements, day values yielded slightly higher accuracy ( 1°C). Additionally, we created a liquid water content (LWC)-profiling instrument using time-domain reflectometry (TDR) at CREST-SAFE and tested it during the snow melt period (February-April) immediately after installation in 2014. Results displayed high agreement when compared to LWC estimates obtained using empirical formulas developed in previous studies, and minor improvement over wet snow LWC estimates. Lastly, to improve on global snow cover mapping, a snow product capable of estimating snow depth and snow water

  5. Nuchal crest avulsion fracture in 2 horses : a cause of headshaking : clinical communication

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Voigt

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The medical records of 2 Thoroughbred horses that developed headshaking after blunt trauma to the occipital region are reviewed. The history, signalment, clinical signs, diagnostic methods, diagnosis and treatment were recorded in each case. Both horses displayed headshaking, while one horse repeatedly lifted its upper lip and pawed excessively at the ground. In both horses, diagnostic imaging of the occipital region revealed avulsion fragments of the nuchal crest and a nuchal desmitis in association with hyperfibrinogenaemia. The presence of an avulsion fragment of the nuchal crest with associated nuchal desmitis should be considered in horses presenting with headshaking and may respond favourably to conservative therapy.

  6. MOF derived Ni/Co/NC catalysts with enhanced properties for oxygen evolution reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jiapeng; Chen, Juan; Lin, Hao; Liu, Ruilai; Yang, Xiaobing

    2018-03-01

    Designing efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is very important for renewable energy storage and conversion devices. In this paper, we introduced a new strategy to synthesize Ni doped Co/NC catalysts (NC is the abbreviation of nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon), which were derived from ZIF-67. All catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The results show that Ni was well doped in the Ni/Co/NC catalysts and the doping of Ni has great influence on the OER activity of Ni/Co/NC catalysts. Among these catalysts, 0.50Ni/Co/NC exhibits the highest OER activity. The onset potential of 0.50Ni/Co/NC is 1.47 V, which is superior than the onset potential of Co/NC (1.54 V), 0.25Ni/Co/NC (1.48 V), 1.00Ni/Co/NC (1.53 V). The excellent OER activity of 0.50Ni/Co/NC catalyst makes its potential to be used on renewable energy storage.

  7. Iliac Crest Donor Site for Children With Cleft Lip and Palate Undergoing Alveolar Bone Grafting: A Long-term Assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheeler, Jonathan; Sanders, Megan; Loo, Stanley; Moaveni, Zac; Bartlett, Glenn; Keall, Heather; Pinkerton, Mark

    2016-05-01

    The authors aimed to accurately assess the donor site morbidity from iliac crest bone grafts for secondary bone grafting in patients with cleft lip and palate alveolar defects. Fifty patients between 3 months and 10 years following alveolar bone grafting for cleft lip and palate were entered into the study. Two-thirds of patients had no significant concerns about the donor site. The remaining third had some concerns about the appearance of their hips and less than 10% of patients expressing strong agreement with statements about concerns with shape, appearance, and self-consciousness about the iliac crest donor site. Examination findings showed the average length of scar being 5.4 cm and a third of patients having some minor palpable boney irregularities of the iliac crest. The authors found that the alveolar crest donor site is well tolerated by patients long term but has a measurable morbidity long term.

  8. Age-related changes in vertebral and iliac crest 3D bone microstructure-differences and similarities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Jesper Skovhus; Jensen, Michael Vinkel; Niklassen, Andreas Steenholt

    2015-01-01

    Summary Age-related changes of vertebra and iliac crest 3D microstructure were investigated, and we showed that they were in general similar. The 95th percentile of vertebral trabecular thickness distribution increased with age for women. Surprisingly, vertebral and iliac crest bone microstructure...... was only weakly correlated (r = 0.38 to 0.75), despite the overall similar age-related changes.Introduction The purposes of the study were to determine the age-related changes in iliac and vertebral bone microstructure for women and men over a large age range and to investigate the relationship between...... the bone microstructure at these skeletal sites.Methods Matched sets of transiliac crest bone biopsies and lumbar vertebral body (L2) specimens from 41 women (19–96 years) and 39 men (23–95 years) were micro-computed tomography (μCT) scanned, and the 3D microstructure was quantified.Results For both women...

  9. Laboratory Experiments on Low-crested Breakwaters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kramer, Morten; Zanuttigh, B.; van der Meer, J.W.

    2005-01-01

    New unique laboratory experiments on low-crested structures (LCSs) have been performed within the DELOS project. The experiments were carried out in three European laboratories aiming at extending and completing existing available information with respect to a wide range of engineering design...... in a wave channel at small scale, and scale effects regarding wave transmission and reflection were studied in a wave channel at a large scale facility. The paper describes the experiments and associated databank with respect to objectives, test program, set-ups and measurements. Results, guidelines...... and recommendations elaborated from the tests are included in the other companion papers of the Coastal Engineering Special Issue on DELOS....

  10. A numerical study of lowest-order short-crested water wave instabilities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fuhrman, David R.; Madsen, Per A.

    2005-01-01

    This work presents the first numerical simulations of the long-term evolution of doubly-periodic short-crested wave instabilities, which are the simplest cases involving the three-dimensional instability of genuinely three-dimensional progressive water waves. The simulated evolutions reveal quali...

  11. Comparison of the breeding biology of sympatric red-tailed Hawks, White-tailed Hawks, and Crested Caracaras in south Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Actkinson, M.A.; Kuvlesky, W.P.; Boal, C.W.; Brennan, L.A.; Hernandez, F.

    2009-01-01

    We compared the breeding biology of sympatric nesting Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), White-tailed Hawks (Buteo albicaudatus), and Crested Caracaras (Caracara cheriway) in south Texas during 2003 and 2004. We monitored 46 breeding attempts by Red-tailed Hawks, 56 by White-tailed Hawks, and 27 by Crested Caracaras. Observed nesting success was similar for Red-tailed Hawks (62%) and Crested Caracaras (61%), but lower for White-tailed Hawks (51%). Daily survival rates (0.99) were the same for all three species. Red-tailed Hawks and White-tailed Hawks both fledged 1.13 young per nesting pair and Crested Caracaras fledged 1.39 young per nesting pair. All three species nested earlier in 2004 than in 2003; in addition, the overall nesting density of these three species almost doubled from 2003 (1.45 pairs/km2) to 2004 (2.71 pairs/km2). Estimated productivity of all three species was within the ranges reported from other studies. Given extensive and progressive habitat alteration in some areas of south Texas, and the limited distributions of White-tailed Hawks and Crested Caracaras, the presence of large ranches managed for free-range cattle production and hunting leases likely provides important habitat and may be key areas for conservation of these two species. ?? 2009 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

  12. Phylogenetic patterns and correlation of key structures for jumping: bone crests and cross-sectional areas of muscles in Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponssa, María Laura; Fratani, Jéssica; Abdala, Virginia

    2018-05-01

    Anurans are characterized by their saltatory mode of locomotion, which is associated with a specific morphology. The coordinated action of the muscles and bones of the pelvic girdle is key to the transmission of the force of the hindlimbs to the axial skeleton during jumping. Two features are critical for optimal locomotory performance: the cross-sectional area of muscle and the bone crest attachment sites. The first character is a proxy of the force exerted by the muscle, whereas the crests are muscle attachments sites related to muscle force. The provisory relationship between these features has previously been identified and bone crest size can be used to infer the magnitude and, therefore, muscle force in fossils records. In this work, we explore the correlation between the cross-sectional area of essential muscles to the jumping mechanism (longissimus dorsi, extensor iliotibialis B, tenuissimus, puboischiofemoralis internus B, coccygeo-sacralis and coccygeo-iliacus) and the bone crests where these muscles are inserted (dorsal tubercle, dorsal crest and urostylar crest) in species of the genus Leptodactylus. This genus, along with other leptodactylids, exhibits a diversity of locomotor modes, including jumping, hopping, swimming and burrowing. We therefore analyzed the morphometric variation in the two features, cross-sectional area and bone crest area, expecting a correlation with different locomotor types. Our results showed: (i) a correlation between the urostylar crest and the cross-sectional area of the related muscles; (ii) that the bone crest surface area of urostyle and ilium and the cross-sectional area of the corresponding muscles can be utilized to infer locomotor faculties in leptodactylid frogs; and (iii) that the evolution of both characters demonstrates a general tendency from lower values in leptodactylid ancestors to higher values in the Leptodactylus genus. The results attest to the importance of the comparison of current ecological and

  13. Quantification of Dune Response over the Course of a 6-Day Nor'Easter, Outer Banks, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brodie, K. L.; Spore, N.; Swann, C.

    2014-12-01

    The amount and type of foredune morphologic change during a storm event primarily scales with the level of inundation during that event. Specifically, external hydrodynamic forcing (total water level) can be compared with antecedent beach and foredune morphology to predict an impact regime that relates to the type of expected morphologic evolution of the system. For example, when total water levels are above the dune toe, but below the dune crest, the impact regime is classified as "collision" and the expected morphology response is slumping or scarping of the dune face. While the amount of dune retreat scales largely with the duration of wave attack to the dune face, characteristics of the dune other than its crest or toe elevation may also enhance or impede rates of morphologic change. The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy provided a unique opportunity to observe alongshore variations in dune response to a 6-day Nor'Easter (Hs >4 m in 6 m depth), as a variety of dunes were constructed (or not) by individual home owners in preparation for the winter storm season. Daily terrestrial lidar scans were conducted along 20 km of coastline in Duck, NC using Coastal Lidar And Radar Imaging System (CLARIS) during the first dune collision event following Sandy. Foredunes were grouped by their pre-storm form (e.g. vegetated, pushed, scarped, etc) using automated feature extraction tools based on surface curvature and slope, and daily rates of morphologic volume change were calculated. The highest dune retreat rates were focused along a 1.5 km region where cross-shore erosion of recently pushed, un-vegetated dunes reached 2 m/day. Variations in dune response were analyzed in relation to their pre-storm morphology, with care taken to normalize for alongshore variations in hydrodynamic forcing. Ongoing research is focused on identifying specific metrics that can be easily extracted from topographic DEMs to aid in dune retreat predictions.

  14. WAC Bennett Dam - the characterization of a crest sinkhole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stewart, R.A.; Gaffran, P.C. [British Columbia Hydro, Burnaby, BC (Canada); Watts, B.D. [Klohn-Crippen Consultants Ltd., Richmond, BC (Canada); Sobkowicz, J.C. [Thurber Engineering Ltd., Vancouver, BC (Canada); Kupper, A.G. [AGRA Earth and Environmental, Edmonton, AB (Canada)

    1998-11-01

    In June, 1996, a small hole was discovered in the asphaltic concrete road on the crest of the 183 m high WAC Bennett Dam on the Peace River in northeastern British Columbia. Examination of the hole resulted in a sinkhole on the dam crest. The sinkhole was 2.5 m in diameter and 7 m deep. Speculation was that the cavity was likely associated in some way with a buried survey benchmark tube. An investigation was immediately planned and executed to characterize the sinkhole, to determine the extent of damage and the safety status of this very large dam. British Columbia`s Dam Safety Regulator made the decision to lower the reservoir level. During the reservoir drawdown, various surface geophysical techniques were used to investigate the condition of the dam beyond the sinkholes. Intrusive investigations of the sinkhole were also planned. This involved trial drilling and downhole geophysical surveys in intact portions of the core at locations far from the sinkhole. The objectives and criteria developed for the investigation program are summarized. Scope of key activities at the sinkhole and important lessons learned during the investigation are also described. 9 refs., 15 figs.

  15. Development of STEP-NC Adaptor for Advanced Web Manufacturing System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajay Konapala, Mr.; Koona, Ramji, Dr.

    2017-08-01

    Information systems play a key role in the modern era of Information Technology. Rapid developments in IT & global competition calls for many changes in basic CAD/CAM/CAPP/CNC manufacturing chain of operations. ‘STEP-NC’ an enhancement to STEP for operating CNC machines, creating new opportunities for collaborative, concurrent, adaptive works across the manufacturing chain of operations. Schemas and data models defined by ISO14649 in liaison with ISO10303 standards made STEP-NC file rich with feature based, rather than mere point to point information of G/M Code format. But one needs to have a suitable information system to understand and modify these files. Various STEP-NC information systems are reviewed to understand the suitability of STEP-NC for web manufacturing. Present work also deals with the development of an adaptor which imports STEP-NC file, organizes its information, allowing modifications to entity values and finally generates a new STEP-NC file to export. The system is designed and developed to work on web to avail additional benefits through the web and also to be part of a proposed ‘Web based STEP-NC manufacturing platform’ which is under development and explained as future scope.

  16. Multi-Modality Cascaded Convolutional Neural Networks for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Manhua; Cheng, Danni; Wang, Kundong; Wang, Yaping

    2018-03-23

    Accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) plays important role for patient care and development of future treatment. Structural and functional neuroimages, such as magnetic resonance images (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), are providing powerful imaging modalities to help understand the anatomical and functional neural changes related to AD. In recent years, machine learning methods have been widely studied on analysis of multi-modality neuroimages for quantitative evaluation and computer-aided-diagnosis (CAD) of AD. Most existing methods extract the hand-craft imaging features after image preprocessing such as registration and segmentation, and then train a classifier to distinguish AD subjects from other groups. This paper proposes to construct cascaded convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn the multi-level and multimodal features of MRI and PET brain images for AD classification. First, multiple deep 3D-CNNs are constructed on different local image patches to transform the local brain image into more compact high-level features. Then, an upper high-level 2D-CNN followed by softmax layer is cascaded to ensemble the high-level features learned from the multi-modality and generate the latent multimodal correlation features of the corresponding image patches for classification task. Finally, these learned features are combined by a fully connected layer followed by softmax layer for AD classification. The proposed method can automatically learn the generic multi-level and multimodal features from multiple imaging modalities for classification, which are robust to the scale and rotation variations to some extent. No image segmentation and rigid registration are required in pre-processing the brain images. Our method is evaluated on the baseline MRI and PET images of 397 subjects including 93 AD patients, 204 mild cognitive impairment (MCI, 76 pMCI +128 sMCI) and 100 normal controls (NC) from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging

  17. Disproportionately severe calcinosis cutis in an 88-year-old patient with CREST syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buchowski, J.M.; Ahn, N.U.; Ahn, U.M. [Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); McCarthy, E.F. [Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Dept. of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Mehta, M.B. [Clinical Associates, Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2001-08-01

    An 88-year-old woman with CREST syndrome (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasias) presented with hyperglycemia, intravascular depletion, and atrial fibrillation. The patient was found to have unusually severe calcinosis cutis in both legs extending from the knees to the ankles bilaterally, as well as Raynaud's phenomenon, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasias. The patient was normocalcemic and normophosphatemic. Although subcutaneous calcification is often seen with CREST syndrome, this case is unusual in that the area of involvement was much larger than previously described. Furthermore, the amount of calcinosis was disproportionately severe and was the major cause of symptoms and disability compared with the other components of the syndrome. (orig.)

  18. Spatial correlation of the ionsphere total electron content at the equatorial anomaly crest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Y.

    1984-01-01

    The spatial correlation of the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) at the equatorial anomaly crest was studied by recording Faraday rotation angle of the ETS-II geostationary satellite at Lunping and Kaohsiung whose subionospheric points are located at 23.0 0 N, 121.0 0 N, and 20.9 0 N, 121.1 0 E, respectively, and are about 280 km apart. The results show that the spatial correlation of TEC at the equatorial crest region is smaller than that at other places. The day-to-day variabilities of TEC differences between two subionospheric points are quite large. The day-to-day variabilities of the fountain effect seem to play an important role

  19. Genomic diversity and evolution of the head crest in the rock pigeon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Michael D; Kronenberg, Zev; Li, Cai; Domyan, Eric T; Pan, Hailin; Campbell, Michael; Tan, Hao; Huff, Chad D; Hu, Haofu; Vickrey, Anna I; Nielsen, Sandra C A; Stringham, Sydney A; Hu, Hao; Willerslev, Eske; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Yandell, Mark; Zhang, Guojie; Wang, Jun

    2013-03-01

    The geographic origins of breeds and the genetic basis of variation within the widely distributed and phenotypically diverse domestic rock pigeon (Columba livia) remain largely unknown. We generated a rock pigeon reference genome and additional genome sequences representing domestic and feral populations. We found evidence for the origins of major breed groups in the Middle East and contributions from a racing breed to North American feral populations. We identified the gene EphB2 as a strong candidate for the derived head crest phenotype shared by numerous breeds, an important trait in mate selection in many avian species. We also found evidence that this trait evolved just once and spread throughout the species, and that the crest originates early in development by the localized molecular reversal of feather bud polarity.

  20. Inherent and antigen-induced airway hyperreactivity in NC mice

    OpenAIRE

    Tetsuto Kobayashi; Toru Miura; Tomoko Haba; Miyuki Sato; Masao Takei; Isao Serizawa

    1999-01-01

    In order to clarify the airway physiology of NC mice, the following experiments were carried out. To investigate inherent airway reactivity, we compared tracheal reactivity to various chemical mediators in NC, BALB/c, C57BL/6 and A/J mice in vitro. NC mice showed significantly greater reactivity to acetylcholine than BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice and a reactivity comparable to that of A/J mice, which are known as high responders. Then, airway reactivity to acetylcholine was investigated in those st...

  1. Hydraulic evaluation of the Crest Wing wave energy converter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kofoed, J.P.; Antonishen, M.

    2008-09-15

    The Crest Wing Wave Energy Converter is currently being developed by Henning Pilgaard, of WaveEnergyFyn, Denmark. It is meant to act like a carpet on the water, conforming to the shape of each wave and using that movement to generate power. The thought of making a WEC that acts like a carpet on top of the waves is not new; ongoing or past projects such as the Pelamis and Cockerel Raft were designed with this thought in mind. The real difference with the Crest Wing is that it has skirt drafts, that extend down into the water and create suction; this increases the effective mass of the WEC while minimizing the material use. Special attention was given to the design of the first and last floaters as they are meant to act as a smooth transition between wave and machine. Their purpose is to make sure that no air gets under the two middle floaters so that suction is not broken and the device continues to function well. In summary the Crest Wing functions and is able to produce power with a good overall efficiency. The configuration with relative reference PTO (Power Take Off) is superior. It has not been proven that the idea of mounting skirts on the floaters is leading to a better performance. Thus, the study leads to the conclusion that the idea of making a simple hinged raft type device is good, and it is likely that the construction cost for a device of this type can be kept down. However, the study also leaves the chance that some limited draft of skirts in combination with inlet/outlet devices, could prove beneficial. In case of further testing on this device, an effort should be made to design and construct a more easily and accurately controlled PTO model in the test setup. This could greatly improve the quality of the output of such tests. (ln)

  2. On pseudorandom generators in NC0

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cryan, Mary; Miltersen, Peter Bro

    2001-01-01

    In this paper we consider the question of whether NC 0 circuits can generate pseudorandom distributions. While we leave the general question unanswered, we show – • Generators computed by NC 0 circuits where each output bit depends on at most 3 input bits (i.e, DNC 3 0 circuits) and with stretch ...

  3. Mechanisms of cadmium-caused eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in zebrafish embryos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Ting; Zhou, Xin-Ying; Ma, Xu-Fa; Liu, Jing-Xia

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: Using high-throughput in situ hybridization screening, we found that genes labeling the neural crest and its derivative pigment cells were sensitive to cadmium toxicity during zebrafish organogenesis, which might contribute to the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotype defects of head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in cadmium-exposed embryos. Based on neural crest markers, we identified the doses and times of cadmium exposure that cause damage to the zebrafish organogenesis, and we also found that compounds BIO or RA could neutralize the toxic effects of cadmium. - Abstract: Cadmium-caused head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation has been recognized for a long time, but knowledge of the underlying mechanisms is limited. In this study, we found that high mortality occurred in exposed embryos after 24 hpf, when cadmium (Cd) dosage was above 17.8 μM. Using high-throughput in situ hybridization screening, we found that genes labelling the neural crest and its derivative pigment cells exhibited obviously reduced expression in Cd-exposed embryos from 24 hpf, 2 days earlier than head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation occurred. Moreover, based on expression of crestin, a neural crest marker, we found that embryos before the gastrula stage were more sensitive to cadmium toxicity and that damage caused by Cd on embryogenesis was dosage dependent. In addition, by phenotype observation and detection of neural crest and pigment cell markers, we found that BIO and retinoic acid (RA) could neutralize the toxic effects of Cd on zebrafish embryogenesis. In this study, we first determined that Cd blocked the formation of the neural crest and inhibited specification of pigment cells, which might contribute to the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotype defects of head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in Cd-exposed embryos. Moreover, we found that compounds BIO or RA could neutralize the toxic effects of Cd.

  4. Targeted deletion of Sox10 by Wnt1-cre defects neuronal migration and projection in the mouse inner ear.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YanYan Mao

    Full Text Available Sensory nerves of the brainstem are mostly composed of placode-derived neurons, neural crest-derived neurons and neural crest-derived Schwann cells. This mixed origin of cells has made it difficult to dissect interdependence for fiber guidance. Inner ear-derived neurons are known to connect to the brain after delayed loss of Schwann cells in ErbB2 mutants. However, the ErbB2 mutant related alterations in the ear and the brain compound interpretation of the data. We present here a new model to evaluate exclusively the effect of Schwann cell loss on inner ear innervation. Conditional deletion of the neural crest specific transcription factor, Sox10, using the rhombic lip/neural crest specific Wnt1-cre driver spares Sox10 expression in the ear. We confirm that neural crest-derived cells provide a stop signal for migrating spiral ganglion neurons. In the absence of Schwann cells, spiral ganglion neurons migrate into the center of the cochlea and even out of the ear toward the brain. Spiral ganglion neuron afferent processes reach the organ of Corti, but many afferent fibers bypass the organ of Corti to enter the lateral wall of the cochlea. In contrast to this peripheral disorganization, the central projection to cochlear nuclei is normal. Compared to ErbB2 mutants, conditional Sox10 mutants have limited cell death in spiral ganglion neurons, indicating that the absence of Schwann cells alone contributes little to the embryonic survival of neurons. These data suggest that neural crest-derived cells are dispensable for all central and some peripheral targeting of inner ear neurons. However, Schwann cells provide a stop signal for migratory spiral ganglion neurons and facilitate proper targeting of the organ of Corti by spiral ganglion afferents.

  5. Targeted Deletion of Sox10 by Wnt1-cre Defects Neuronal Migration and Projection in the Mouse Inner Ear

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, YanYan; Reiprich, Simone; Wegner, Michael; Fritzsch, Bernd

    2014-01-01

    Sensory nerves of the brainstem are mostly composed of placode-derived neurons, neural crest-derived neurons and neural crest-derived Schwann cells. This mixed origin of cells has made it difficult to dissect interdependence for fiber guidance. Inner ear-derived neurons are known to connect to the brain after delayed loss of Schwann cells in ErbB2 mutants. However, the ErbB2 mutant related alterations in the ear and the brain compound interpretation of the data. We present here a new model to evaluate exclusively the effect of Schwann cell loss on inner ear innervation. Conditional deletion of the neural crest specific transcription factor, Sox10, using the rhombic lip/neural crest specific Wnt1-cre driver spares Sox10 expression in the ear. We confirm that neural crest-derived cells provide a stop signal for migrating spiral ganglion neurons. In the absence of Schwann cells, spiral ganglion neurons migrate into the center of the cochlea and even out of the ear toward the brain. Spiral ganglion neuron afferent processes reach the organ of Corti, but many afferent fibers bypass the organ of Corti to enter the lateral wall of the cochlea. In contrast to this peripheral disorganization, the central projection to cochlear nuclei is normal. Compared to ErbB2 mutants, conditional Sox10 mutants have limited cell death in spiral ganglion neurons, indicating that the absence of Schwann cells alone contributes little to the embryonic survival of neurons. These data suggest that neural crest-derived cells are dispensable for all central and some peripheral targeting of inner ear neurons. However, Schwann cells provide a stop signal for migratory spiral ganglion neurons and facilitate proper targeting of the organ of Corti by spiral ganglion afferents. PMID:24718611

  6. Mechanisms of cadmium-caused eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in zebrafish embryos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Ting, E-mail: zting@webmail.hzau.edu.cn; Zhou, Xin-Ying, E-mail: 290356082@qq.com; Ma, Xu-Fa, E-mail: xufama@mail.hzau.edu.cn; Liu, Jing-Xia, E-mail: ichliu@mail.hzau.edu.cn

    2015-10-15

    Highlights: Using high-throughput in situ hybridization screening, we found that genes labeling the neural crest and its derivative pigment cells were sensitive to cadmium toxicity during zebrafish organogenesis, which might contribute to the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotype defects of head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in cadmium-exposed embryos. Based on neural crest markers, we identified the doses and times of cadmium exposure that cause damage to the zebrafish organogenesis, and we also found that compounds BIO or RA could neutralize the toxic effects of cadmium. - Abstract: Cadmium-caused head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation has been recognized for a long time, but knowledge of the underlying mechanisms is limited. In this study, we found that high mortality occurred in exposed embryos after 24 hpf, when cadmium (Cd) dosage was above 17.8 μM. Using high-throughput in situ hybridization screening, we found that genes labelling the neural crest and its derivative pigment cells exhibited obviously reduced expression in Cd-exposed embryos from 24 hpf, 2 days earlier than head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation occurred. Moreover, based on expression of crestin, a neural crest marker, we found that embryos before the gastrula stage were more sensitive to cadmium toxicity and that damage caused by Cd on embryogenesis was dosage dependent. In addition, by phenotype observation and detection of neural crest and pigment cell markers, we found that BIO and retinoic acid (RA) could neutralize the toxic effects of Cd on zebrafish embryogenesis. In this study, we first determined that Cd blocked the formation of the neural crest and inhibited specification of pigment cells, which might contribute to the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotype defects of head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in Cd-exposed embryos. Moreover, we found that compounds BIO or RA could neutralize the toxic effects of Cd.

  7. 78 FR 54413 - Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Star, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-04

    ...-0440; Airspace Docket No. 13-ASO-10] Proposed Establishment of Class E Airspace; Star, NC AGENCY... action proposes to establish Class E Airspace at Star, NC, to accommodate a new Area Navigation (RNAV... establish Class E airspace at Star, NC, providing the controlled airspace required to support the new RNAV...

  8. Polyurethane resins derived from castor oil (Ricinus communis) for tibial crest deviation in dogs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maria, P.P.; Padilha Filho, J.G.; Canola, J.C.; Castro, M.B.

    2004-01-01

    Medial patellar luxation is one of the most common orthopedic problems in small breeds of dogs and tibial crest deviation is a frequent accompaining anatomical abnormality. For that reason, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the behavior of castor oil derived polyurethane implants when apllied to experimental defects created on the medial side of the proximal tibia of normal puppies. Twelve dogs were randomly divided in 3 groups of 4 animals and were submitted to the same treatment. Histopathological study was performed respectively at 30 (GI), 60 (GII) and 90 (GIII) days post-surgery. Evaluations methods included clinical assessment, radiology, gross and macroscopic study, tomography and statistical analysis. Clinically, there were no signs of implant rejection. Radiology revealed intense periosteal reaction and new bone formation. On gross examination, there was thickening and lateral deviation of the tibial crest and new bone neoformation. On microscopic examination, there was fibrous tissue around the polyurethane, periosteal proliferation on the medial side of the tibia and no bone proliferation towards the implant. Cat scans reveled lateral deviation of the tibial crest in eleven animals, which was statistically significant (p [pt

  9. SCENARIO OF AN ACCIDENT OF SOIL DAMS IN CASE OF WATER SPILL OVER A DAM CREST BY USING FAULT TREE ANALYSIS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuznetsov Dmitriy Viktorovich

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The scenario of a hydrodynamic accident of water flow over a crest of a soil dam is considered by the method of fault tree analysis, for which the basic reasons and controlled diagnostic indicators of an accident have been defined. Logical operators “AND”/”OR” were used for creation of a sequence of logically connected events, leading to an undesired event in the scenario of accident. The scenario of the accident was plotted in case of three basic reasons - an excessive settling of a dam crest, an excess flood, an inoperable spillway, taking into account the sequence of the events’ development and with observance of the necessary conditions leading to an accident. “Technical” reasons were observed in the present scenario, force majeure events were not considered. The provided scenario of the accident consists of two branches of events’ development: the left one that depends on an upstream level, and the right one that depends on settling of a dam crest. In each of the considered events an accident “the water spill over a crest of a soil dam” is possible only in case of execution of two different conditions at the same time, i.e. in case of an appropriate upstream level and the appropriate mark of a crest of a soil dam. The conditions of the accident are defined by diagnostic indices - the upstream level and settling of a dam crest, which at the same time are safety criteria of the hydraulic structure for soil dams. They allow defining the technical condition of the construction. Four possible technical conditions are suggested for the definition of technical statuses - normative, operable, limited operable, abnormal. Criteria of safety are the boundaries of the state: for loading and impact - it is the upstream level, for geometrical compliance of the construction - it is a dam crest mark.

  10. Characterizing ncRNAs in human pathogenic protists using high-throughput sequencing technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lesley Joan Collins

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available ncRNAs are key genes in many human diseases including cancer and viral infection, as well as providing critical functions in pathogenic organisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and protists. Until now the identification and characterization of ncRNAs associated with disease has been slow or inaccurate requiring many years of testing to understand complicated RNA and protein gene relationships. High-throughput sequencing now offers the opportunity to characterize miRNAs, siRNAs, snoRNAs and long ncRNAs on a genomic scale making it faster and easier to clarify how these ncRNAs contribute to the disease state. However, this technology is still relatively new, and ncRNA discovery is not an application of high priority for streamlined bioinformatics. Here we summarize background concepts and practical approaches for ncRNA analysis using high-throughput sequencing, and how it relates to understanding human disease. As a case study, we focus on the parasitic protists Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas vaginalis, where large evolutionary distance has meant difficulties in comparing ncRNAs with those from model eukaryotes. A combination of biological, computational and sequencing approaches has enabled easier classification of ncRNA classes such as snoRNAs, but has also aided the identification of novel classes. It is hoped that a higher level of understanding of ncRNA expression and interaction may aid in the development of less harsh treatment for protist-based diseases.

  11. Characterizing ncRNAs in Human Pathogenic Protists Using High-Throughput Sequencing Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Lesley Joan

    2011-01-01

    ncRNAs are key genes in many human diseases including cancer and viral infection, as well as providing critical functions in pathogenic organisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and protists. Until now the identification and characterization of ncRNAs associated with disease has been slow or inaccurate requiring many years of testing to understand complicated RNA and protein gene relationships. High-throughput sequencing now offers the opportunity to characterize miRNAs, siRNAs, small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), and long ncRNAs on a genomic scale, making it faster and easier to clarify how these ncRNAs contribute to the disease state. However, this technology is still relatively new, and ncRNA discovery is not an application of high priority for streamlined bioinformatics. Here we summarize background concepts and practical approaches for ncRNA analysis using high-throughput sequencing, and how it relates to understanding human disease. As a case study, we focus on the parasitic protists Giardia lamblia and Trichomonas vaginalis, where large evolutionary distance has meant difficulties in comparing ncRNAs with those from model eukaryotes. A combination of biological, computational, and sequencing approaches has enabled easier classification of ncRNA classes such as snoRNAs, but has also aided the identification of novel classes. It is hoped that a higher level of understanding of ncRNA expression and interaction may aid in the development of less harsh treatment for protist-based diseases. PMID:22303390

  12. Potential Roles of Dental Pulp Stem Cells in Neural Regeneration and Repair

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Lihua; Wang, Xiaoyan; Key, Brian; Lee, Bae Hoon

    2018-01-01

    This review summarizes current advances in dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and their potential applications in the nervous diseases. Injured adult mammalian nervous system has a limited regenerative capacity due to an insufficient pool of precursor cells in both central and peripheral nervous systems. Nerve growth is also constrained by inhibitory factors (associated with central myelin) and barrier tissues (glial scarring). Stem cells, possessing the capacity of self-renewal and multicellular differentiation, promise new therapeutic strategies for overcoming these impediments to neural regeneration. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) derive from a cranial neural crest lineage, retain a remarkable potential for neuronal differentiation, and additionally express multiple factors that are suitable for neuronal and axonal regeneration. DPSCs can also express immunomodulatory factors that stimulate formation of blood vessels and enhance regeneration and repair of injured nerve. These unique properties together with their ready accessibility make DPSCs an attractive cell source for tissue engineering in injured and diseased nervous systems. In this review, we interrogate the neuronal differentiation potential as well as the neuroprotective, neurotrophic, angiogenic, and immunomodulatory properties of DPSCs and its application in the injured nervous system. Taken together, DPSCs are an ideal stem cell resource for therapeutic approaches to neural repair and regeneration in nerve diseases. PMID:29853908

  13. Isolation and characterization of eight novel microsatellite loci in the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercer, Dacey; Haig, Susan; Mullins, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    We describe the isolation and characterization of eight microsatellite loci from the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Genetic variability was assessed using 60 individuals from three populations. All loci were variable with the number of alleles ranging from two to 17 per locus, and observed heterozygosity varying from 0.05 to 0.89. No loci showed signs of linkage disequilibrium and all loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium frequencies. Further, all loci amplified and were polymorphic in two related Phalacrocorax species. These loci should prove useful for population genetic studies of the double-crested cormorant and other pelecaniform species.

  14. Comparison of fracture site callus with iliac crest bone marrow as the source of plastic-adherent cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Achmad Zaki

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Red marrow has been described as the main source of mesenchymal stem cells although its aspiration and isolation from bone marrow was reported to have significant donor site morbidity. Since secondary bone healing occurs through formation of callus as the result of proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, callus may become alternative source for mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, we compared the number of plastic-adherent cells from fracture site callus and bone marrow of iliac crest after two and four weeks of culture.Methods: Sixteen New Zealand rabbits were fracturized at the femoral shaft. Then, these rabbits were taken care. After two weeks of fracturization, 3 mL iliac crest bone marrow aspiration and callus extraction of eight rabbits were cultured (group I. The other eight rabbits were treated equally after four weeks of fracturization (group II. Simultaneously, the cultures were observed after one and two weeks. Four weeks later, they were harvested. Cells were counted using Neubauer hemocytometer. The average number of cells between the sources and groups were statistically analyzed using the unpaired t-test. Results: In group I, there were 2.6 ± 0.1 x 104 cells in the culture of iliac crest bone marrow aspirate and 2.5 ± 0.1 x 104 cells in culture of callus extract from fracture site (p = 0.34. In group II, there were 2.7 ± 0.1 x 104 cells and 2.1 ± 0.1 x 104 cells, respectively (p < 0.001.Conclusion: Fracture site callus at the second week post-fracturization may be potential as source of plastic-adherent cells compared with iliac crest bone marrow. (Med J Indones. 2013;22:70-5Keywords: Bone marrow, fracture site callus, iliac crest, long bone, mesenchymal stem cell, plastic-adherent cells

  15. The baryon vector current in the combined chiral and 1/Nc expansions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flores-Mendieta, Ruben; Goity, Jose L [JLAB

    2014-12-01

    The baryon vector current is computed at one-loop order in large-Nc baryon chiral perturbation theory, where Nc is the number of colors. Loop graphs with octet and decuplet intermediate states are systematically incorporated into the analysis and the effects of the decuplet-octet mass difference and SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking are accounted for. There are large-Nc cancellations between different one-loop graphs as a consequence of the large-Nc spin-flavor symmetry of QCD baryons. The results are compared against the available experimental data through several fits in order to extract information about the unknown parameters. The large-Nc baryon chiral perturbation theory predictions are in very good agreement both with the expectations from the 1/Nc expansion and with the experimental data. The effect of SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking for the |Delta S|=1 vector current form factors f1(0) results in a reduction by a few percent with respect to the corresponding SU(3) symmetric values.

  16. 33 CFR 110.170 - Lockwoods Folly Inlet, N.C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lockwoods Folly Inlet, N.C. 110.170 Section 110.170 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.170 Lockwoods Folly Inlet, N.C. (a) Explosives...

  17. [Comparison of the Latissimus dorsi insertions on the iliac crest in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and in man].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vacher, C; Ben Hadj Yahia, S; Braun, M; Journeau, P

    2014-03-01

    Comparing to other primates, one of the most important specificities of the human anatomy are consequences of bipedalism. Although bone consequences are well known (lumbar lordosis, horizontal position of the foramen magnum, lengthening of the lower limbs, reduction of the pelvis, specialization of the foot), consequences of our locomotion on the Latissimus dorsi are still unclear. One dissection of a chimpanzee Latissimus dorsi (Pan troglodytes) has been performed and compared to 30 human Latissimus dorsi dissections (10 fresh cadavers and 20 formoled cadavers). In each dissection, the existence of direct muscular insertions on the iliac crest has been investigated and the constitution of the thoracolumbar fascia has been described. In chimpanzee dissection, a muscular direct insertion of the Latissimus dorsi was present on the iliac crest of 9 cm long. The TLF was made of the superficial and the deep fascias of the Latissimus dorsi and the superficial fascia of the erector spinae muscles which was deeper. In man, there was no direct muscular insertion of the Latissimus dorsi in 90 % of cases, the TLF was constituted the same way. This study suggests that the Latissimus dorsi has been separated from the iliac crest in man during the evolution because of the permanent bipedalism and that it stayed inserted on the iliac crest in chimpanzee because of the brachiation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  18. Direct Genesis of Functional Rodent and Human Schwann Cells from Skin Mesenchymal Precursors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew P. Krause

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Recent reports of directed reprogramming have raised questions about the stability of cell lineages. Here, we have addressed this issue, focusing upon skin-derived precursors (SKPs, a dermally derived precursor cell. We show by lineage tracing that murine SKPs from dorsal skin originate from mesenchymal and not neural crest-derived cells. These mesenchymally derived SKPs can, without genetic manipulation, generate functional Schwann cells, a neural crest cell type, and are highly similar at the transcriptional level to Schwann cells isolated from the peripheral nerve. This is not a mouse-specific phenomenon, since human SKPs that are highly similar at the transcriptome level can be made from neural crest-derived facial and mesodermally derived foreskin dermis and the foreskin SKPs can make myelinating Schwann cells. Thus, nonneural crest-derived mesenchymal precursors can differentiate into bona fide peripheral glia in the absence of genetic manipulation, suggesting that developmentally defined lineage boundaries are more flexible than widely thought.

  19. Age-related changes in vertebral and iliac crest 3D bone microstructure--differences and similarities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomsen, J S; Jensen, M V; Niklassen, A S; Ebbesen, E N; Brüel, A

    2015-01-01

    Age-related changes of vertebra and iliac crest 3D microstructure were investigated, and we showed that they were in general similar. The 95th percentile of vertebral trabecular thickness distribution increased with age for women. Surprisingly, vertebral and iliac crest bone microstructure was only weakly correlated (r = 0.38 to 0.75), despite the overall similar age-related changes. The purposes of the study were to determine the age-related changes in iliac and vertebral bone microstructure for women and men over a large age range and to investigate the relationship between the bone microstructure at these skeletal sites. Matched sets of transiliac crest bone biopsies and lumbar vertebral body (L2) specimens from 41 women (19-96 years) and 39 men (23-95 years) were micro-computed tomography (μCT) scanned, and the 3D microstructure was quantified. For both women and men, bone volume per total volume (BV/TV), connectivity density (CD), and trabecular number (Tb.N) decreased significantly, while structure model index (SMI) and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) increased significantly with age at either skeletal site. Vertebral trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) was independent of age for both women and men, while iliac Tb.Th decreased significantly with age for men, but not for women. In general, the vertebral and iliac age-related changes were similar. The 95th percentile of the Tb.Th distribution increased significantly with age for women but was independent of age for men at the vertebral body, while it was independent of age for either sex at the iliac crest. The Tb.Th probability density functions at the two skeletal sites became significantly more similar with age for women, but not for men. The microstructural parameters at the iliac crest and the vertebral bodies were only moderately correlated from r = 0.38 for SMI in women to r = 0.75 for Tb.Sp in men. Age-related changes in vertebral and iliac bone microstructure were in general similar. The iliac

  20. Sulphur and oxygen sequestration of n-C 37 and n-C 38 unsaturated ketones in an immature kerogen and the release of their carbon skeletons during early stages of thermal maturation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koopmans, Martin P.; Schaeffer-Reiss, Christine; de Leeuw, Jan W.; Lewan, Michael D.; Maxwell, James R.; Schaeffer, Philippe; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

    1997-06-01

    Sedimentary rock from the Gessoso-solfifera Formation (Messinian) in the Vena del Gesso Basin (northern Italy) containing immature ( Ro = 0.25%) S-rich organic matter was artificially matured by hydrous pyrolysis at temperatures from 160 to 330°C for 72 h to study the diagenetic fate of n-C 37 and n-C 38 di- and tri-unsaturated methyl and ethyl ketones (alkenones) biosynthesised by several prymnesiophyte algae. During early diagenesis, the alkenones are incorporated into the kerogen by both sulphur and oxygen cross-linking as indicated by chemical degradation experiments with the kerogen of the unheated sample. Heating at temperatures between 160 and 260°C, which still represents early stages of thermal maturation, produces large amounts (up to 1 mg/g TOC) of S-bound, O-bound, and both S- and O-bound n-C 37 and n-C 38 skeletons, saturated n-C 37 and n-C38 methyl, ethyl, and mid-chain ketones, C 37 and C 38 mid-chain 2,5-di- n-alkylthiophenes, C 37 and C 38 1,2-di- n-alkylbenzenes, and C 37 and C 38n-alkanes. With increasing thermal maturation, three forms of the n-C 37 and n-C 38 skeletons are relatively stable (saturated hydrocarbons, 1,2-di- n-alkylbenzenes and saturated ketones), whereas the S- and O-bound skeletons are relatively labile. These results suggest that in natural situations saturated ketones with an n-C 37 and n-C 38 skeleton can be expected as well as the corresponding hydrocarbons.

  1. Sulphur and oxygen sequestration of n-C37 and n-C38 unsaturated ketones in an immature kerogen and the release of their carbon skeletons during early stages of thermal maturation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koopmans, M.P.; Schaeffer-Reiss, C.; De Leeuw, J. W.; Lewan, M.D.; Maxwell, J.R.; Schaeffer, P.; Sinninghe, Damste J.S.

    1997-01-01

    Sedimentary rock from the Gessoso-solfifera Formation (Messinian) in the Vena del Gesso Basin (northern Italy) containing immature (Ro = 0.25%) S-rich organic matter was artificially matured by hydrous pyrolysis at temperatures from 160 to 330??C for 72 h to study the diagenetic fate of n-C37 and n-C38 di-and tri-unsaturated methyl and ethyl ketones (alkenones) biosynthesised by several prymnesiophyte algae. During early diagenesis, the alkenones are incorporated into the kerogen by both sulphur and oxygen cross-linking as indicated by chemical degradation experiments with the kerogen of the unheated sample. Heating at temperatures between 160 and 260??C, which still represents early stages of thermal maturation, produces large amounts (up to 1 mg/g TOC) of S-bound, O-bound, and both S-and O-bound n-C37 and n-C38 skeletons, saturated n-C37 and n-C38 methyl, ethyl, and mid-chain ketones, C37 and C38 mid-chain 2,5-di-n-alkylthiophenes, C37 and C38 1,2-di-n-alkylbenzenes, and C37 and C38 n-alkanes. With increasing thermal maturation, three forms of the n-C37 and n-C38 skeletons are relatively stable (saturated hydrocarbons, 1,2-di-n-alkylbenzenes and saturated ketones), whereas the S-and O-bound skeletons are relatively labile. These results suggest that in natural situations saturated ketones with an n-C37 and n-C38 skeleton can be expected as well as the corresponding hydrocarbons. Copyright ?? 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.

  2. Safety and efficacy of an 8-week regimen of grazoprevir plus ruzasvir plus uprifosbuvir compared with grazoprevir plus elbasvir plus uprifosbuvir in participants without cirrhosis infected with hepatitis C virus genotypes 1, 2, or 3 (C-CREST-1 and C-CREST-2, part A)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gane, Edward J; Pianko, Stephen; Roberts, Stuart K

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: New hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapies with pan-genotypic efficacy are needed. The goals of part A of C-CREST-1 and C-CREST-2 were to compare the efficacies of two doses (300 mg or 450 mg once daily) of uprifosbuvir (MK-3682; NS5B inhibitor) in an 8-week regimen combined with grazoprev...

  3. Iliac crest autograft versus alternative constructs for anterior cervical spine surgery: Pros, cons, and costs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Epstein, Nancy E.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Grafting choices available for performing anterior cervical diskectomy/fusion (ACDF) procedures have become a major concern for spinal surgeons, and their institutions. The “gold standard”, iliac crest autograft, may still be the best and least expensive grafting option; it deserves to be reassessed along with the pros, cons, and costs for alternative grafts/spacers. Methods: Although single or multilevel ACDF have utilized iliac crest autograft for decades, the implant industry now offers multiple alternative grafting and spacer devices; (allografts, cages, polyether-etherketone (PEEK) amongst others). While most studies have focused on fusion rates and clinical outcomes following ACDF, few have analyzed the “value-added” of these various constructs (e.g. safety/efficacy, risks/complications, costs). Results: The majority of studies document 95%-100% fusion rates when iliac crest autograft is utilized to perform single level ACDF (X-ray or CT confirmed at 6-12 postoperative months). Although many allograft studies similarly quote 90%-100% fusion rates (X-ray alone confirmed at 6-12 postoperative months), a recent “post hoc analysis of data from a prospective multicenter trial” (Riew KD et. al., CSRS Abstract Dec. 2011; unpublished) revealed a much higher delayed fusion rate using allografts at one year 55.7%, 2 years 87%, and four years 92%. Conclusion: Iliac crest autograft utilized for single or multilevel ACDF is associated with the highest fusion, lowest complication rates, and significantly lower costs compared with allograft, cages, PEEK, or other grafts. As spinal surgeons and institutions become more cost conscious, we will have to account for the “value added” of these increasingly expensive graft constructs. PMID:22905321

  4. Donor site complications in bone grafting: comparison of iliac crest, calvarial, and mandibular ramus bone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheerlinck, Laura M E; Muradin, Marvick S M; van der Bilt, Andries; Meijer, Gert J; Koole, Ronald; Van Cann, Ellen M

    2013-01-01

    To compare the donor site complication rate and length of hospital stay following the harvest of bone from the iliac crest, calvarium, or mandibular ramus. Ninety-nine consecutively treated patients were included in this retrospective observational single-center study. Iliac crest bone was harvested in 55 patients, calvarial bone in 26 patients, and mandibular ramus bone in 18 patients. Harvesting of mandibular ramus bone was associated with the lowest percentages of major complications (5.6%), minor complications (22.2%), and total complications (27.8%). Harvesting of iliac crest bone was related to the highest percentages of minor complications (56.4%) and total complications (63.6%), whereas harvesting of calvarial bone induced the highest percentage of major complications (19.2%). The length of the hospital stay was significantly influenced by the choice of donor site (P = .003) and age (P = .009); young patients with the mandibular ramus as the donor site had the shortest hospital stay. Harvesting of mandibular ramus bone was associated with the lowest percentage of complications and the shortest hospital stay. When the amount of bone to be obtained is deemed sufficient, mandibular ramus bone should be the first choice for the reconstruction of maxillofacial defects.

  5. Alpha male replacements and delayed dispersal in crested macaques (Macaca nigra).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marty, Pascal R; Hodges, Keith; Agil, Muhammad; Engelhardt, Antje

    2017-07-01

    In species with a high male reproductive skew, competition between males for the top dominant position is high and escalated fights are common between competitors. As a consequence, challenges incur potentially high costs. Selection should favor males who time an alpha male challenge to maximize chances of a successful outcome minimizing costs. Despite the importance of alpha male replacements for individual males, we know little about the timing of challenges and the condition of the challenger. We investigated the timing and process of alpha male replacements in a species living in multi-male groups with high male reproductive skew, the crested macaque. We studied four wild groups over 6 years in the Tangkoko Reserve, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, during which 16 alpha male replacements occurred. Although unusual for cercopithecines, male crested macaques delayed their natal dispersal until they attained maximum body mass and therefore fighting ability whereupon they emigrated and challenged the alpha male in another group. Accordingly, all observed alpha male replacements were from outside males. Ours is the first report of such a pattern in a primate species living in multi-male groups. Although the majority of alpha male replacements occurred through direct male-male challenges, many also took place opportunistically (i.e., after the alpha male had already been injured or had left the group). Furthermore, alpha male tenures were very short (averaging ca. 12 months). We hypothesize that this unusual pattern of alpha male replacements in crested macaques is related to the species-specific combination of high male reproductive skew with a large number of males per group. Am. J. Primatol. 79:e22448, 2017. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Primatology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Primatology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Gastrointestinal and external parasites of the white-crested elaenia Elaenia albiceps chilensis (Aves, Tyrannidae in Chile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danny Fuentes

    Full Text Available The objective of this study is to evaluate the ectoparasites and helminths of the white-crested elaenia, Elaenia albiceps chilensis. Feather mites Anisophyllodes elaeniae, Trouessartia elaeniae, and Analges sp. were detected in 51% of birds (n=106, whereas 24% were infected with lice (Tyranniphilopterus delicatulus, Menacanthus cfr. distinctus, and Ricinus cfr. invadens. Helminths Viguiera sp. and Capillaria sp. were found in five of the birds that were necropsied (n=20. With the exception of A. elaeniae, T. elaeniae, and T. delicatulus, all parasites represented new records found for the white-crested elaenia, and therefore for the Chilean repertoire of biodiversity.

  7. The murine homeobox gene Msx-3 shows highly restricted expression in the developing neural tube.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimeld, S M; McKay, I J; Sharpe, P T

    1996-04-01

    The mouse homeobox-genes Msx-1 and Msx-2 are expressed in several areas of the developing embryo, including the neural tube, neural crest, facial processes and limb buds. Here we report the characterisation of a third mouse Msx gene, which we designate Msx-3. The embryonic expression of Msx-3 was found to differ from that of Msx-1 and -2 in that it was confined to the dorsal neural tube. In embryos with 5-8 somites a segmental pattern of expression was observed in the hindbrain, with rhombomeres 3 and 5 lacking Msx-3 while other rhombomeres expressed Msx-3. This pattern was transient, however, such that in embryos with 18 or more somites expression was continuous throughout the dorsal hindbrain and anterior dorsal spinal cord. Differentiation of dorsal cell types in the neural tube can be induced by addition of members of the Tgf-beta family. Additionally, Msx-1 and -2 have been shown to be activated by addition of the Tgf-beta family member Bmp-4. To determine if Bmp-4 could activate Msx-3, we incubated embryonic hindbrain explants with exogenous Bmp-4. The dorsal expression of Msx-3 was seen to expand into more ventral regions of the neurectoderm in Bmp-4-treated cultures, implying that Bmp-4 may be able to mimic an in vivo signal that induces Msx-3.

  8. Ethanol-induced impairment of polyamine homeostasis – A potential cause of neural tube defect and intrauterine growth restriction in fetal alcohol syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haghighi Poodeh, Saeid; Alhonen, Leena; Salonurmi, Tuire; Savolainen, Markku J.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. • Alcohol administration perturbs polyamine levels in the tissues with various patterns. • Total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc is critical for development. • The deficiency is associated with reduction in endothelial cell sprouting in the head. • Retarded migration of neural crest cells may cause development of neural tube defect. - Abstract: Introduction: Polyamines play a fundamental role during embryogenesis by regulating cell growth and proliferation and by interacting with RNA, DNA and protein. The polyamine pools are regulated by metabolism and uptake from exogenous sources. The use of certain inhibitors of polyamine synthesis causes similar defects to those seen in alcohol exposure e.g. retarded embryo growth and endothelial cell sprouting. Methods: CD-1 mice received two intraperitoneal injections of 3 g/kg ethanol at 4 h intervals 8.75 days post coitum (dpc). The fetal head, trunk, yolk sac and placenta were collected at 9.5 and 12.5 dpc and polyamine concentrations were determined. Results: No measurable quantity of polyamines could be detected in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc, 12 h after ethanol exposure. Putrescine was not detectable in the trunk of the embryo at that time, whereas polyamines in yolk sac and placenta were at control level. Polyamine deficiency was associated with slow cell growth, reduction in endothelial cell sprouting, an altered pattern of blood vessel network formation and consequently retarded migration of neural crest cells and growth restriction. Discussion: Our results indicate that the polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. Alcohol administration, at the critical stage, perturbs polyamine levels with various patterns, depending on the tissue and its developmental stage. The total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc may explain why this

  9. Ethanol-induced impairment of polyamine homeostasis – A potential cause of neural tube defect and intrauterine growth restriction in fetal alcohol syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haghighi Poodeh, Saeid, E-mail: saeid.haghighi@oulu.fi [Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu (Finland); Alhonen, Leena [Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Kuopio (Finland); School of Pharmacy, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio (Finland); Salonurmi, Tuire; Savolainen, Markku J. [Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu (Finland)

    2014-03-28

    Highlights: • Polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. • Alcohol administration perturbs polyamine levels in the tissues with various patterns. • Total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc is critical for development. • The deficiency is associated with reduction in endothelial cell sprouting in the head. • Retarded migration of neural crest cells may cause development of neural tube defect. - Abstract: Introduction: Polyamines play a fundamental role during embryogenesis by regulating cell growth and proliferation and by interacting with RNA, DNA and protein. The polyamine pools are regulated by metabolism and uptake from exogenous sources. The use of certain inhibitors of polyamine synthesis causes similar defects to those seen in alcohol exposure e.g. retarded embryo growth and endothelial cell sprouting. Methods: CD-1 mice received two intraperitoneal injections of 3 g/kg ethanol at 4 h intervals 8.75 days post coitum (dpc). The fetal head, trunk, yolk sac and placenta were collected at 9.5 and 12.5 dpc and polyamine concentrations were determined. Results: No measurable quantity of polyamines could be detected in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc, 12 h after ethanol exposure. Putrescine was not detectable in the trunk of the embryo at that time, whereas polyamines in yolk sac and placenta were at control level. Polyamine deficiency was associated with slow cell growth, reduction in endothelial cell sprouting, an altered pattern of blood vessel network formation and consequently retarded migration of neural crest cells and growth restriction. Discussion: Our results indicate that the polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. Alcohol administration, at the critical stage, perturbs polyamine levels with various patterns, depending on the tissue and its developmental stage. The total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc may explain why this

  10. Noise in NC-AFM measurements with significant tip–sample interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jannis Lübbe

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The frequency shift noise in non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM imaging and spectroscopy consists of thermal noise and detection system noise with an additional contribution from amplitude noise if there are significant tip–sample interactions. The total noise power spectral density DΔf(fm is, however, not just the sum of these noise contributions. Instead its magnitude and spectral characteristics are determined by the strongly non-linear tip–sample interaction, by the coupling between the amplitude and tip–sample distance control loops of the NC-AFM system as well as by the characteristics of the phase locked loop (PLL detector used for frequency demodulation. Here, we measure DΔf(fm for various NC-AFM parameter settings representing realistic measurement conditions and compare experimental data to simulations based on a model of the NC-AFM system that includes the tip–sample interaction. The good agreement between predicted and measured noise spectra confirms that the model covers the relevant noise contributions and interactions. Results yield a general understanding of noise generation and propagation in the NC-AFM and provide a quantitative prediction of noise for given experimental parameters. We derive strategies for noise-optimised imaging and spectroscopy and outline a full optimisation procedure for the instrumentation and control loops.

  11. A spontaneous and novel Pax3 mutant mouse that models Waardenburg syndrome and neural tube defects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohnishi, Tetsuo; Miura, Ikuo; Ohba, Hisako; Shimamoto, Chie; Iwayama, Yoshimi; Wakana, Shigeharu; Yoshikawa, Takeo

    2017-04-05

    Genes responsible for reduced pigmentation phenotypes in rodents are associated with human developmental defects, such as Waardenburg syndrome, where patients display congenital deafness along with various abnormalities mostly related to neural crest development deficiency. In this study, we identified a spontaneous mutant mouse line Rwa, which displays variable white spots on mouse bellies and white digits and tail, on a C57BL/6N genetic background. Curly tail and spina bifida were also observed, although at a lower penetrance. These phenotypes were dominantly inherited by offspring. We searched for the genetic mechanism of the observed phenotypes. We harnessed a rapid mouse gene mapping system newly developed in our laboratories to identify a responsible gene. We detected a region within chromosome 1 as a probable locus for the causal mutation. Dense mapping using interval markers narrowed the locus down to a 670-kbp region, containing four genes including Pax3, a gene known to be implicated in the types I and III Waardenburg syndrome. Extensive mutation screening of Pax3 detected an 841-bp deletion, spanning the promoter region and intron 1 of the gene. The defective allele of Pax3, named Pax3 Rwa , lacked the first coding exon and co-segregated perfectly with the phenotypes, confirming its causal nature. The genetic background of Rwa mice is almost identical to that of inbred C57BL/6N. These results highlight Pax3 Rwa mice as a beneficial tool for analyzing biological processes involving Pax3, in particular the development and migration of neural crest cells and melanocytes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. ORF Sequence: NC_002695 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002695 gi|15830145 >gi|15830145|ref|NP_308918.1| putative transmembrane subunit...IFVPIGALQAGEALWHWSVIPLGLAVAILSTALPYSLEMIALTRLPTRTFGTLMSMEPALAAVSGMIFLGETLTPIQLLALGAIIAASMGSTLTVRKESKIKELDIN

  13. ORF Sequence: NC_004307 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_004307 gi|23464690 >gi|23464690|ref|NP_695293.1| hypothetical transmembrane pro...LVQLCAMGFIIGYVIRSNNVWMVFSLMAVMLVAAVQIVMSRARGIPKGLAGPIFLSLVITMLLMLALVTELIVRPHPWYAPQLVVPLTGMLLGNTVSALAVGLSRFYESME

  14. ORF Sequence: NC_005027 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005027 gi|32471017 >gi|32471017|ref|NP_864010.1| hypothetical protein-transmemb...HALISRLRIWGRETLTEMPSWLVSMVVHLTLLLVLALIGRSTSKVGQIELLFRQSSESSSMELAEFTIAAAAPLESFERSMEEERIATTQLVSIDVIDAEAEMFSLVP

  15. ORF Sequence: NC_002942 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002942 gi|52840424 >gi|52840424|ref|YP_094223.1| probable transmembrane protein...EYKRAQKQTFVMFFKGSLKGLVTTAPVTYRGVKIGEVKVIEITENKEHSKVLIPVYVQFFVERTYGFSQDPIHLLIDNGYVANITKPNLLTGVAEIELIKPTPAVKYKQTYYHSYPVFPTHNSAEKYTSME

  16. ORF Sequence: NC_005027 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005027 gi|32476407 >gi|32476407|ref|NP_869401.1| hypothetical protein-transmemb...IYPDDRPGWIDQPIVNDGKDYSLVVTAGPSGSMEEADELIGVYARGAVQSYVDELVSEQEWATEPEMIPLDIDWIRDELVVRRYEGVVQVGDEQQFEKAILIRIEPEDKKVFETAIADMKLKERLAATGIVILGGFSLLVGGSIVLGGLASRQKQPTAAA

  17. Correlation between the physical parameters of the i-nc-Si absorber layer grown by 27.12 MHz plasma with the nc-Si solar cell parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Debajyoti; Mondal, Praloy

    2017-09-01

    Growth of highly conducting nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si) thin films of optimum crystalline volume fraction, involving dominant crystallographic preferred orientation with simultaneous low fraction of microstructures at a low substrate temperature and high growth rate, is a challenging task for its promising utilization in nc-Si solar cells. Utilizing enhanced electron density and superior ion flux densities of the high frequency (∼27.12 MHz) SiH4 plasma, improved nc-Si films have been produced by simple optimization of H2-dilution, controlling the ion damage and enhancing supply of atomic-hydrogen onto the growing surface. Single junction nc-Si p-i-n solar cells have been prepared with i-nc-Si absorber layer and optimized. The physical parameters of the absorber layer have been systematically correlated to variations of the solar cell parameters. The preferred alignment of crystallites, its contribution to the low recombination losses for conduction of charge carriers along the vertical direction, its spectroscopic correlation with the dominant growth of ultra-nanocrystalline silicon (unc-Si) component and corresponding longer wavelength absorption, especially in the neighborhood of i/n-interface region recognize scientific and technological key issues that pave the ground for imminent advancement of multi-junction silicon solar cells.

  18. ORF Sequence: NC_005296 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005296 gi|39933242 >gi|39933242|ref|NP_945518.1| possible nicotinate-nucleotide adn...WWLVSPGNPLKDISSLREIDARVAAAQAIADDPRIQVSRLEAVIGTRYTADTLRYLRRHCPGARFVWIMGADNLAQFHRWQQWQQIAAEIPIAVIDRPPTSFRALAAPAAQRLMRMRIPNNKAATLADREPPAWVYLTGLKSLVSSTALRNPDGSWKT

  19. ORF Sequence: NC_002162 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002162 gi|13358092 >gi|13358092|ref|NP_078366.1| cytosine-specific methyltransferase [Ureap...RILFDLQKLNQLPQFLLLENVNNMLSKQHKLDYDMWTKSLKQLGYSTCTFQLNALDYGSAQRRKRVYAISILNYDGLIDSNGNILDLEAPIFDGKQKQLKDVLKTNYK

  20. ORF Sequence: NC_002162 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002162 gi|13358063 >gi|13358063|ref|NP_078337.1| hypothetical protein UU500 [Ureap...MGNHTWDHPDIFEILTTKTNIIRPYNIINTHQYHLVGSGSRVFYCNKKMIRVTNLLGNSIDMKGLQTNPFESLDKIIAFNEAPIHIVDFHAETTSEKNALFLDFKSKL

  1. Multielement analysis of iliac crest bone by neutron activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aras, N.K.; Yilmaz, G.; Korkusuz, F.; Olmez, I.; Sepici, B.; Eksioglu, F.; Bode, P.

    2000-01-01

    Bone samples from iliac crest were obtained from apparently healthy female (n = 4) and male (n = 8) subjects with ages between 15-50. Cortical and trabecular parts were separated and soft tissues like fat, muscle and blood were removed. Calcium, Mg, Na, Cl, Fe, Zn, Br, Sr, and Cs were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis and other techniques, and their relations were discussed. Fairly good agreement was obtained with literature data. These values may serve as reference values for subjects from a Turkish population. (author)

  2. Transplanted Dental Pulp Stem Cells Migrate to Injured Area and Express Neural Markers in a Rat Model of Cerebral Ischemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xuemei; Zhou, Yinglian; Li, Hulun; Wang, Rui; Yang, Dan; Li, Bing; Cao, Xiaofang; Fu, Jin

    2018-01-01

    Ischemic stroke is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide, while effective restorative treatments are limited at present. Stem cell transplantation holds therapeutic potential for ischemic vascular diseases and may provide an opportunity for neural regeneration. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) origin from neural crest and have neuro-ectodermal features including proliferation and multilineage differentiation potentials. The rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to evaluate whether intravenous administration of DPSCs can reduce infarct size and to estimate the migration and trans-differentiation into neuron-like cells in focal cerebral ischemia models. Brain tissues were collected at 4 weeks following cell transplantation and analyzed with immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. Intravenously administration of rat-derived DPSCs were found to migrate into the boundary of ischemic areas and expressed neural specific markers, reducing infarct volume and cerebral edema. These results suggest that DPSCs treatment may serve as a potential therapy for clinical stroke patients in the future. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

  3. ORF Sequence: NC_005027 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005027 gi|32475512 >gi|32475512|ref|NP_868506.1| hypothetical protein-signal peptide and transme...VLVGLLLPAVQAAREAARRMSCSNNIAQLTLATHNYEFSMEHLPPGTTNPTGPIVNTPNGEHISFLVRLLPYIEQQGTADDFDLTASVYAPANAKVRAYQISAFLCPS

  4. ORF Sequence: NC_003280 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003280 gi|17533935 >gi|17533935|ref|NP_496777.1| ZYXin (zyx-1) [Caenorhabditis elegans] MNQIFHVDC...FAPRCALCSKPIVPQDGEKESVRVVAMDKSFHVDCYKCEDCGMQLSSKLEGQGCYPIDNHLLCKTCNGNRLRVVSST

  5. A Novel Type of Non-coding RNA, nc886, Implicated in Tumor Sensing and Suppression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Sun Lee

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available nc886 (=vtRNA2-1, pre-miR-886, or CBL3 is a newly identified non-coding RNA (ncRNA that represses the activity of protein kinase R (PKR. nc886 is transcribed by RNA polymerase III (Pol III and is intriguingly the first case of a Pol III gene whose expression is silenced by CpG DNA hypermethylation in several types of cancer. PKR is a sensor protein that recognizes evading viruses and induces apoptosis to eliminate infected cells. Like viral infection, nc886 silencing activates PKR and induces apoptosis. Thus, the significance of the nc886:PKR pathway in cancer is to sense and eliminate pre-malignant cells, which is analogous to PKR's role in cellular innate immunity. Beyond this tumor sensing role, nc886 plays a putative tumor suppressor role as supported by experimental evidence. Collectively, nc886 provides a novel example how epigenetic silencing of a ncRNA contributes to tumorigenesis by controlling the activity of its protein ligand.

  6. 76 FR 29645 - Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-23

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... the main span US 70/Morehead City--Newport River high rise bridge in Carteret County, NC. This safety... Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, North Carolina in the Federal Register (33 FR 165). We received no...

  7. 76 FR 18669 - Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-05

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of proposed... River under the main span US 70/Morehead City--Newport River high rise bridge in Carteret County, NC... Newport River at Morehead City, North Carolina. The contract provides for cleaning, painting, and steel...

  8. 76 FR 38018 - Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-29

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... the main span US 70/Morehead City-Newport River high rise bridge in Carteret County, NC. This safety...) entitled Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, North Carolina in the Federal Register (33 FR 165). We...

  9. 76 FR 23227 - Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-26

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone, Newport River; Morehead City, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of proposed... River under the main span US 70/Morehead City--Newport River high rise bridge in Carteret County, NC... Newport River at Morehead City, North Carolina. The contract provides for cleaning, painting, and steel...

  10. Repair of articular cartilage defects in the knee with autologous iliac crest cartilage in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Lizhong; Zhang, Jiying; Leng, Huijie; Guo, Qinwei; Hu, Yuelin

    2015-04-01

    To demonstrate that iliac crest cartilage may be used to repair articular cartilage defects in the knees of rabbits. Full-thickness cartilage defects were created in the medial femoral condyle on both knees of 36 New Zealand white rabbits. The 72 defects were randomly assigned to be repaired with ipsilateral iliac crest cartilage (Group I), osteochondral tissues removed at defect creation (Group II), or no treatment (negative control, Group III). Animals were killed at 6, 12, and 24 weeks post-operatively. The repaired tissues were harvested for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histological studies (haematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining), and mechanical testing. At 6 weeks, the iliac crest cartilage graft was not yet well integrated with the surrounding articular cartilage, but at 12 weeks, the graft deep zone had partial ossification. By 24 weeks, the hyaline cartilage-like tissue was completely integrated with the surrounding articular cartilage. Osteochondral autografts showed more rapid healing than Group I at 6 weeks and complete healing at 12 weeks. Untreated defects were concave or partly filled with fibrous tissue throughout the study. MRI showed that Group I had slower integration with surrounding normal cartilage compared with Group II. The mechanical properties of Group I were significantly lower than those of Group II at 12 weeks, but this difference was not significant at 24 weeks. Iliac crest cartilage autografts were able to repair knee cartilage defects with hyaline cartilage and showed comparable results with osteochondral autografts in the rabbit model.

  11. ORF Sequence: NC_003279 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003279 gi|17507795 >gi|17507795|ref|NP_493043.1| putative protein, with at least 2 transme...YLNIQIADETTDLPVSIDRANVDMRIYRAFEMSMEKDIISLSTSNTSHAEISTPKSRKKKSRKLGLKNLEEVINSKYNSCQKQDNSMSIQ

  12. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Associated Neural Defects: Complex Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muralidharan, Pooja; Sarmah, Swapnalee; Zhou, Feng C; Marrs, James A

    2013-06-19

    Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, can result in craniofacial dysmorphism, cognitive impairment, sensory and motor disabilities among other defects. FASD incidences are as high as 2% to 5 % children born in the US, and prevalence is higher in low socioeconomic populations. Despite various mechanisms being proposed to explain the etiology of FASD, the molecular targets of ethanol toxicity during development are unknown. Proposed mechanisms include cell death, cell signaling defects and gene expression changes. More recently, the involvement of several other molecular pathways was explored, including non-coding RNA, epigenetic changes and specific vitamin deficiencies. These various pathways may interact, producing a wide spectrum of consequences. Detailed understanding of these various pathways and their interactions will facilitate the therapeutic target identification, leading to new clinical intervention, which may reduce the incidence and severity of these highly prevalent preventable birth defects. This review discusses manifestations of alcohol exposure on the developing central nervous system, including the neural crest cells and sensory neural placodes, focusing on molecular neurodevelopmental pathways as possible therapeutic targets for prevention or protection.

  13. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD Associated Neural Defects: Complex Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James A. Marrs

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD, caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, can result in craniofacial dysmorphism, cognitive impairment, sensory and motor disabilities among other defects. FASD incidences are as high as 2% to 5 % children born in the US, and prevalence is higher in low socioeconomic populations. Despite various mechanisms being proposed to explain the etiology of FASD, the molecular targets of ethanol toxicity during development are unknown. Proposed mechanisms include cell death, cell signaling defects and gene expression changes. More recently, the involvement of several other molecular pathways was explored, including non-coding RNA, epigenetic changes and specific vitamin deficiencies. These various pathways may interact, producing a wide spectrum of consequences. Detailed understanding of these various pathways and their interactions will facilitate the therapeutic target identification, leading to new clinical intervention, which may reduce the incidence and severity of these highly prevalent preventable birth defects. This review discusses manifestations of alcohol exposure on the developing central nervous system, including the neural crest cells and sensory neural placodes, focusing on molecular neurodevelopmental pathways as possible therapeutic targets for prevention or protection.

  14. Taxane-induced morphea in a patient with CREST syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan Michele Bouchard

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The taxanes, docetaxel and paclitaxel, are microtubule stabilizing chemotherapeutic agents that have demonstrated antineoplastic effects in a variety of solid tumors. They have been linked to the development of localized cutaneous sclerosis in some patients. We present a case of docetaxel-induced cutaneous sclerosis of the lower extremities in a patient with pre-existing CREST syndrome. We propose that patients with a history of limited or diffuse systemic sclerosis should be given taxane chemotherapy with caution, as these patients may have an immunological predisposition for the development of drug-induced morphea.

  15. SLUG (SNAI2) deletions in patients with Waardenburg disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Martín, Manuel; Rodríguez-García, Arancha; Pérez-Losada, Jesús; Sagrera, Ana; Read, Andrew P; Sánchez-García, Isidro

    2002-12-01

    Waardenburg syndrome (WS; deafness with pigmentary abnormalities) is a congenital disorder caused by defective function of the embryonic neural crest. Depending on additional symptoms, WS is classified into four types: WS1, WS2, WS3 and WS4. WS1 and WS3 are caused by mutations in PAX3, whereas WS2 is heterogenous, being caused by mutations in the microphthalmia (MITF) gene in some but not all affected families. The identification of Slugh, a zinc-finger transcription factor expressed in migratory neural crest cells, as the gene responsible for pigmentary disturbances in mice prompted us to analyse the role of its human homologue SLUG in neural crest defects. Here we show that two unrelated patients with WS2 have homozygous deletions in SLUG which result in absence of the SLUG product. We further show that Mitf is present in Slug-deficient cells and transactivates the SLUG promoter, and that Slugh and Kit genetically interact in vivo. Our findings further define the locus heterogeneity of WS2 and point to an essential role of SLUG in the development of neural crest-derived human cell lineages: its absence causes the auditory-pigmentary symptoms in at least some individuals with WS2.

  16. Prenuptial perfume: Alloanointing in the social rituals of the crested auklet ( Aethia cristatella) and the transfer of arthropod deterrents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Douglas, Hector D.

    2008-01-01

    Alloanointing, the transfer of chemicals between conspecifics, is known among mammals, but hitherto, the behavior has not been documented for birds. The crested auklet ( Aethia cristatella), a colonial seabird of Alaskan and Siberian waters, alloanoints during courtship with fragrant aldehydes that are released from specialized wick-like feathers located in the interscapular region. Crested auklets solicit anointment at the colony, and prospective mates rub bill, breast, head, and neck over wick feathers of their partners. This distributes aldehydes over the head, neck, and face where the birds cannot self-preen. The resulting chemical concentrations are sufficient to deter ectoparasites. Auklets that emit more odorant can transfer more defensive chemicals to mates and are thus more sexually attractive. Behavioral studies showed that crested auklets are attracted to their scent. Wild birds searched for dispensers that emitted their scent and rubbed their bills on the dispensers and engaged in vigorous anointment behaviors. In captive experiments, naïve crested auklets responded more strongly to synthetic auklet scent than controls, and the greatest behavioral response occurred during early courtship. This study extends scientific knowledge regarding functions of alloanointing. Alloanointing had previously been attributed to scent marking and individual recognition in vertebrates. Alloanointing is described here in the context of an adaptive social cue — the transfer of arthropod deterrents between prospective mates.

  17. Effects of carboxylic acids on nC60 aggregate formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang Xiaojun; Vikesland, Peter J.

    2009-01-01

    The discovery that negatively charged aggregates of C 60 fullerene (nC 60 ) are stable in water has raised concerns regarding the potential environmental and health effects of these aggregates. In this work, we show that nC 60 aggregates produced by extended mixing in the presence of environmentally relevant carboxylic acids (acetic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid) have surface charge and morphologic properties that differ from those produced by extended mixing in water alone. In general, aggregates formed in the presence of these acids have a more negative surface charge and are more homogeneous than those produced in water alone. Carboxylic acid identity, solution pH, and sodium ion concentration, which are all intricately coupled, play an important role in setting the measured surface charge. Comparisons between particle sizes determined by analysis of TEM images and those obtained by dynamic light scattering (DLS) indicate that DLS results require careful evaluation when used to describe nC 60 aggregates. - The effects of carboxylic acids on the formation of nC 60 aggregates are discussed

  18. ORF Sequence: NC_003909 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003909 gi|42782207 >gi|42782207|ref|NP_979454.1| BclA protein [Bacillus cereus ATCC 10987] MANRLNFTGP...LGCCGISGKTGPTGPTGPTGVTGSTGPTGPTGATGFTGPTGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGPTGPTGATGFTGPTGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGP...TGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGFTGPTGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGPTGATGSTGP

  19. ORF Sequence: NC_003070 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003070 gi|18407972 >gi|18407972|ref|NP_564823.1| no apical meristem (NAM) famil...y protein [Arabidopsis thaliana] MQAEEIICRVSDEEIIENYLRPKINGETSSIPRYVVELAEELYTVEPWLLPRQTAPILNPGEWFYFGKRNRKYSN

  20. Protocadherin PAPC is expressed in the CNC and can compensate for the loss of PCNS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Martina; Huang, Chaolie; Becker, Sarah F S; Gradl, Dietmar; Wedlich, Doris

    2014-02-01

    Protocadherins represent the biggest subgroup within the cadherin superfamily of transmembrane glycoproteins. In contrast to classical type I cadherins, protocadherins in general exhibit only moderate adhesive activity. During embryogenesis, they are involved in cell signaling and regulate diverse morphogenetic processes, including morphogenetic movements during gastrulation and neural crest migration. The two protocadherins paraxial protocadherin (PAPC) and axial protocadherin (AXPC) are indispensable for proper gastrulation movements in Xenopus and zebrafish. The closest relative PCNS instead, is required for neural crest and somite formation. Here, we show that cranial neural crest (CNC) cells in addition to PCNS express PAPC, but not AXPC. Overexpression of PAPC resulted in comparable migration defects as knockdown of PCNS. Moreover, reconstitution experiments revealed that PAPC is able to replace PCNS in CNC cells, indicating that both protocadherins can regulate CNC migration. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. A Colonial Conundrum: Boy with Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisabeth Findlay

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a detailed analysis of the perplexing painting Boy with Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo. Unfortunately, there is little information on the provenance of the portrait, including the identity of the artist, sitter and patron. It will be argued that it is the work of Augustus Earle and that it is a portrait of Daniel Cooper II and was commissioned by his uncle, also named Daniel Cooper. The aim of this article is to start to unravel the ambiguities of the image, and I suggest that the painting is a strong statement on the rights of freed convicts in Australian colonial society

  2. CREST biorepository for translational studies on malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and other respiratory tract diseases: Informatics infrastructure and standardized annotation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ugolini, Donatella; Neri, Monica; Bennati, Luca; Canessa, Pier Aldo; Casanova, Georgia; Lando, Cecilia; Leoncini, Giacomo; Marroni, Paola; Parodi, Barbara; Simonassi, Claudio; Bonassi, Stefano

    2012-03-01

    Advances in molecular epidemiology and translational research have led to the need for biospecimen collection. The Cancer of the Respiratory Tract (CREST) biorepository is concerned with pleural malignant mesothelioma (MM) and lung cancer (LC). The biorepository staff has collected demographic and epidemiological data directly from consenting subjects using a structured questionnaire, in agreement with The Public Population Project in Genomics (P(3)G). Clinical and follow-up data were collected. Sample data were also recorded. The architecture is based on a database designed with Microsoft Access. Data standardization was carried out to conform with established conventions or procedures. As from January 31, 2011, the overall number of recruited subjects was 1,857 (454 LC, 245 MM, 130 other cancers and 1,028 controls). Due to its infrastructure, CREST was able to join international projects, sharing samples and/or data with other research groups in the field. The data management system allows CREST to be involved, through a minimum data set, in the national project for the construction of the Italian network of Oncologic BioBanks (RIBBO), and in the infrastructure of a pan-European biobank network (BBMRI). The CREST biorepository is a valuable tool for translational studies on respiratory tract diseases, because of its simple and efficient infrastructure.

  3. Correction of Hirschsprung-Associated Mutations in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Via Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9, Restores Neural Crest Cell Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Frank Pui-Ling; Lau, Sin-Ting; Wong, John Kwong-Leong; Gui, Hongsheng; Wang, Reeson Xu; Zhou, Tingwen; Lai, Wing Hon; Tse, Hung-Fat; Tam, Paul Kwong-Hang; Garcia-Barcelo, Maria-Mercedes; Ngan, Elly Sau-Wai

    2017-07-01

    Hirschsprung disease is caused by failure of enteric neural crest cells (ENCCs) to fully colonize the bowel, leading to bowel obstruction and megacolon. Heterozygous mutations in the coding region of the RET gene cause a severe form of Hirschsprung disease (total colonic aganglionosis). However, 80% of HSCR patients have short-segment Hirschsprung disease (S-HSCR), which has not been associated with genetic factors. We sought to identify mutations associated with S-HSCR, and used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing system to determine how mutations affect ENCC function. We created induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from 1 patient with total colonic aganglionosis (with the G731del mutation in RET) and from 2 patients with S-HSCR (without a RET mutation), as well as RET +/- and RET -/- iPSCs. IMR90-iPSC cells were used as the control cell line. Migration and differentiation capacities of iPSC-derived ENCCs were analyzed in differentiation and migration assays. We searched for mutation(s) associated with S-HSCR by combining genetic and transcriptome data from patient blood- and iPSC-derived ENCCs, respectively. Mutations in the iPSCs were corrected using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. ENCCs derived from all iPSC lines, but not control iPSCs, had defects in migration and neuronal lineage differentiation. RET mutations were associated with differentiation and migration defects of ENCCs in vitro. Genetic and transcriptome analyses associated a mutation in the vinculin gene (VCL M209L) with S-HSCR. CRISPR/Cas9 correction of the RET G731del and VCL M209L mutations in iPSCs restored the differentiation and migration capacities of ENCCs. We identified mutations in VCL associated with S-HSCR. Correction of this mutation in iPSC using CRISPR/Cas9 editing, as well as the RET G731del mutation that causes Hirschsprung disease with total colonic aganglionosis, restored ENCC function. Our study demonstrates how human iPSCs can

  4. Complications encountered in patients bearers with crest syndrome in rheumatological service of the Hospital San Juan de Dios until September 2009

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendez Rodriguez, Alexis

    2010-01-01

    Systematic sclerosis is a disease that has caused much morbidity and dependence in patients. Despite not being the disease most prevalent in rheumatological practice, it has been perhaps one that has generated more interest in the complex pathophysiology; but, also a great sense of frustration with the great therapeutic limitations especially when is diagnosed in advanced stages. The research was conducted in order to motivate early clinical search of the major complications found in patients CREST syndrome, in rheumatological service of the Hospital San Juan de Dios until September 2009 the total of cases with a diagnosis of CREST were reviewed in outpatient records, the study population have been of 41 patients. The different clinical manifestations of the patient were taken into account, among other aspects: immunological studies, established treatments and diagnosis methods as conventional radiology, endoscopic studies, echocardiogram, capillaroscopy. This job has determined among other things, that the majority of patients with CREST come from Desamparados and the Southern Zone, representing 31.7 and 29.2%, respectively, 98% are women and 76% of patients engaged in domestic chores and no mortality case was found in relation to CREST [es

  5. Characterization and properties of acetylated nanocrystalline cellulose (aNC) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) polymer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasa, Siti Norbaya; Omar, Mohd Firdaus; Ismail, Ismarul Nizam

    2017-12-01

    Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was synthesized from banana stem through strong acid hydrolysis with measured length of approximately 287.0 ± 56.4 nm and diameter of 26.6 ± 4.8 nm. Modification of NCC was carried by acetylation reaction in order to increase the compatibility during reinforcement with polylactic acid (PLA) polymer. The reinforcing effect towards morphology, crystallinity, mechanical and thermal properties of bio-nanocomposites was investigated. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) micrograph reveals the uniform dispersion achieved at 1 %, 3 % and 5% aNC loading while agglomeration was found at 7 % aNC loading. Disappearance of crystallinity peak at 2θ = 22.7⁰ for low aNC loading during elemental analysis using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) indicates the proper dispersion of aNC in PLA polymer. From the tensile test, 1 % aNC loading gives the highest mechanical properties of bio-nanocomposite film with 82.71 %, 118.7 % and 24.18 % increment in tensile strength, tensile modulus and elongation at break. However, 7 % aNC loading gives the highest increment in TGA of aNC-PLA nanocomposites which is from 310 °C to 320 °C.

  6. Ganglioneuroma: an 'incidentaloma' of childhood

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulman, H.; Laufer, L.; Barki, Y.; Hertzanu, Y.; Philip, M.; Mares, A.J.; Maor, E.

    1998-01-01

    In adults clinically silent adrenal masses can be discovered incidentally in imaging studies. Most of these 'incidentalomas' are benign, non-functioning adenomas. In contradistinction, in infancy and childhood the most common adrenal mass is the neuroblastoma, a malignant neural crest tumour. Four children are described, each with a benign neural crest tumour - ganglioneuroma -incidentally discovered by conventional radiography or sonographic examination. Complete surgical excision resulted in total recovery of all the children. (orig.)

  7. Epigenetic control of skull morphogenesis by histone deacetylase 8

    OpenAIRE

    Haberland, Michael; Mokalled, Mayssa H.; Montgomery, Rusty L.; Olson, Eric N.

    2009-01-01

    Histone deacetylases (Hdacs) are transcriptional repressors with crucial roles in mammalian development. Here we provide evidence that Hdac8 specifically controls patterning of the skull by repressing a subset of transcription factors in cranial neural crest cells. Global deletion of Hdac8 in mice leads to perinatal lethality due to skull instability, and this is phenocopied by conditional deletion of Hdac8 in cranial neural crest cells. Hdac8 specifically represses the aberrant expression of...

  8. Variation in sagebrush communities historically seeded with crested wheatgrass in the eastern great basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Although crested wheatgrass (CWG; Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertn.) has been one of the most commonly seeded exotic species in the western United States, long-term successional trajectories of seeded sites are poorly characterized, especially for big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentana Nutt.) ecosystems...

  9. Design and Investigation of SST/nc-Si:H/M (M = Ag, Au, Ni and M/nc-Si:H/M Multifunctional Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. F. Qasrawi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Hydrogenated nanocrystalline Silicon thin films prepared by the very high frequency chemical vapor deposition technique (VHF-CVD on stainless steel (SST substrates are used to design Schottky point contact barriers for the purpose of solar energy conversion and passive electronic component applications. In this process, the contact performance between SST and M (M = Ag, Au, and Ni and between Ag, Au, and Ni electrodes was characterized by means of current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and light intensity dependence of short circuit ( current and open circuit voltage ( of the contacts. Particularly, the devices ideality factors, barrier heights were evaluated by the Schottky method and compared to the Cheung's. Best Schottky device performance with lowest ideality factor suitable for electronic applications was observed in the SST/nc-Si:H/Ag structure. This device reflects a of 229 mV with an of 1.6 mA/cm2 under an illumination intensity of ~40 klux. On the other hand, the highest being 9.0 mA/cm2 and the of 53.1 mV were observed for Ni/nc-Si:H/Au structure. As these voltages represent the maximum biasing voltage for some of the designed devices, the SST/nc-Si:H/M and M/nc-Si:H/M can be regarded as multifunctional self-energy that provided electronic devices suitable for active or passive applications.

  10. EnviroAtlas - Durham, NC - Demo (Parent)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This EnviroAtlas dataset is the base layer for the Durham, NC EnviroAtlas Area. The block groups are from the US Census Bureau and are included/excluded based on...

  11. ORF Sequence: NC_004307 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available se/invertase); possible inulinase [Bifidobacterium longum NCC2705] MTDFTPETPVLTPIHDHAAELAKAEAGVAEMAANRNNRWYP... NC_004307 gi|23464731 >gi|23464731|ref|NP_695334.1| beta-fructofuranosidase (sucra

  12. ORF Sequence: NC_005363 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005363 gi|42523756 >gi|42523756|ref|NP_969136.1| membrane protein necessary for nodulation/competitivene...ss [Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100] MKSLMLILFVSLLSVVAKADCTTAITINEAISASTSDYLERAEKR

  13. ORF Sequence: NC_003078 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available etitiveness [Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021] MQLSACARRREAVRYRRRMARILILLFSLLSAFAFPVTPVP... NC_003078 gi|16264863 >gi|16264863|ref|NP_437655.1| probable membrane protein necessary for nodulation comp

  14. ORF Sequence: NC_002678 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002678 gi|13471138 >gi|13471138|ref|NP_102707.1| transcriptional regulatory protein, nodulation competit...iveness determinant [Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099] MTNESDTRSAELAELTADIVSAYVSNNPLPV

  15. ORF Sequence: NC_003047 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003047 gi|15964332 >gi|15964332|ref|NP_384685.1| PROBABLE PYRAZINAMIDASE/NICOTINAMIDAS...E (INCLUDES: PYRAZINAMIDASE, NICOTINAMIDASE) PROTEIN [Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021] MADAARPDLREAMADEAL

  16. ORF Sequence: NC_002162 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002162 gi|13358146 >gi|13358146|ref|NP_078420.1| transcription antitermination factor [Ureap...lasma parvum serovar 3 str. ATCC 700970] MAYKIKDLDSKLLSDLKIDFNHRHQWYIVTVVSGNEQKVIENIKDKLNGYGYGDKLSDLKIIKEKIKEVKIYEPSEAP

  17. Slit/Robo1 signaling regulates neural tube development by balancing neuroepithelial cell proliferation and differentiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Guang; Li, Yan; Wang, Xiao-yu [Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of The Ministry of Education, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China); Han, Zhe [Institute of Vascular Biological Sciences, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510224 (China); Chuai, Manli [College of Life Sciences Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH (United Kingdom); Wang, Li-jing [Institute of Vascular Biological Sciences, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510224 (China); Ho Lee, Kenneth Ka [Stem Cell and Regeneration Thematic Research Programme, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin (Hong Kong); Geng, Jian-guo, E-mail: jgeng@umich.edu [Institute of Vascular Biological Sciences, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510224 (China); Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Yang, Xuesong, E-mail: yang_xuesong@126.com [Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of The Ministry of Education, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632 (China)

    2013-05-01

    Formation of the neural tube is the morphological hallmark for development of the embryonic central nervous system (CNS). Therefore, neural tube development is a crucial step in the neurulation process. Slit/Robo signaling was initially identified as a chemo-repellent that regulated axon growth cone elongation, but its role in controlling neural tube development is currently unknown. To address this issue, we investigated Slit/Robo1 signaling in the development of chick neCollege of Life Sciences Biocentre, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UKural tube and transgenic mice over-expressing Slit2. We disrupted Slit/Robo1 signaling by injecting R5 monoclonal antibodies into HH10 neural tubes to block the Robo1 receptor. This inhibited the normal development of the ventral body curvature and caused the spinal cord to curl up into a S-shape. Next, Slit/Robo1 signaling on one half-side of the chick embryo neural tube was disturbed by electroporation in ovo. We found that the morphology of the neural tube was dramatically abnormal after we interfered with Slit/Robo1 signaling. Furthermore, we established that silencing Robo1 inhibited cell proliferation while over-expressing Robo1 enhanced cell proliferation. We also investigated the effects of altering Slit/Robo1 expression on Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and Pax7 expression in the developing neural tube. We demonstrated that over-expressing Robo1 down-regulated Shh expression in the ventral neural tube and resulted in the production of fewer HNK-1{sup +} migrating neural crest cells (NCCs). In addition, Robo1 over-expression enhanced Pax7 expression in the dorsal neural tube and increased the number of Slug{sup +} pre-migratory NCCs. Conversely, silencing Robo1 expression resulted in an enhanced Shh expression and more HNK-1{sup +} migrating NCCs but reduced Pax7 expression and fewer Slug{sup +} pre-migratory NCCs were observed. In conclusion, we propose that Slit/Robo1 signaling is involved in regulating neural tube

  18. Bone thickness of the infrazygomatic crest area in skeletal Class III growing patients: A computed tomographic study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hyub Soo; Choi, Hang Moon; Choi, Dong Soon; Jang, Insan; Cha, Bong Kuen

    2013-01-01

    This study was performed to investigate the bone thickness of the infrazygomatic crest area by computed tomography (CT) for placement of a miniplate as skeletal anchorage for maxillary protraction in skeletal Class III children. CT images of skeletal Class III children (7 boys, 9 girls, mean age: 11.4 years) were taken parallel to the Frankfurt horizontal plane. The bone thickness of the infrazygomatic crest area was measured at 35 locations on the right and left sides, perpendicular to the bone surface. The bone was thickest (5.0 mm) in the upper zygomatic bone and thinnest (1.1 mm) in the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus. Generally, there was a tendency for the bone to be thicker at the superior and lateral area of the zygomatic process of the maxilla. There was no clinically significant difference in bone thickness between the right and left sides; however, it was thicker in male than in female subjects. In the infrazygomatic crest area, the superior and lateral area of the zygomatic process of the maxilla had the most appropriate thickness for placement of a miniplate in growing skeletal Class III children with a retruded maxilla.

  19. Bone thickness of the infrazygomatic crest area in skeletal Class III growing patients: A computed tomographic study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Hyub Soo; Choi, Hang Moon; Choi, Dong Soon; Jang, Insan; Cha, Bong Kuen [College of Dentistry and Research Institute of Oral Science, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-12-15

    This study was performed to investigate the bone thickness of the infrazygomatic crest area by computed tomography (CT) for placement of a miniplate as skeletal anchorage for maxillary protraction in skeletal Class III children. CT images of skeletal Class III children (7 boys, 9 girls, mean age: 11.4 years) were taken parallel to the Frankfurt horizontal plane. The bone thickness of the infrazygomatic crest area was measured at 35 locations on the right and left sides, perpendicular to the bone surface. The bone was thickest (5.0 mm) in the upper zygomatic bone and thinnest (1.1 mm) in the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus. Generally, there was a tendency for the bone to be thicker at the superior and lateral area of the zygomatic process of the maxilla. There was no clinically significant difference in bone thickness between the right and left sides; however, it was thicker in male than in female subjects. In the infrazygomatic crest area, the superior and lateral area of the zygomatic process of the maxilla had the most appropriate thickness for placement of a miniplate in growing skeletal Class III children with a retruded maxilla.

  20. Comparative anatomy and osteohistology of hyperelongate neural spines in the sphenacodontids Sphenacodon and Dimetrodon (Amniota: Synapsida).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huttenlocker, Adam K; Rega, Elizabeth; Sumida, Stuart S

    2010-12-01

    Osteohistological investigations of hyperelongate vertebral spinous processes (neural spines) are presented to elucidate previously unknown aspects of dorsal sail form and function in two, closely related genera of "sail-backed" synapsids: Sphenacodon and Dimetrodon. Although recent and classic surveys of bone histology in extinct vertebrates have sampled the genus Dimetrodon, new sectioning of Sphenacodon material allows a comparative analysis of these structures among Sphenacodontidae for the first time. Variability within the histological organization of the neural spine is assessed by examining multiple regions along its length, and implications for soft tissue correlates, growth and mechanics are considered here. Both genera exhibit extensive parallel-fibered and fibrolamellar bone, in addition to lamellar bone. Several features vary along the length of the spine in each species. Muscle scars and extensive Sharpey's fibers are present at the base of the spine; no scars and fewer fibers are manifested ∼55-60 mm above the zygapophyses in mature individuals. The distal cortex of the spine does not exhibit greater vascularity than the proximal region in either genus. However, both genera manifest distinct vascular grooves of variable size along the distal periosteal surface, some of which become incorporated into the distal cortex. The observed histovariability appears to record the transition from the proximal (epaxial muscle embedded) to the distally protruding portion of the spine. These observations and independent pathological evidence support the existence of a short dorsal crest in Sphenacodon and possibly other basal sphenacodontids. Although the thermoregulatory capacity of such a crest remains uncertain, developmental and mechanical features are readily interpretable and are discussed with respect to the origins and early evolution of the dorsal sail in sphenacodontid synapsids. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  1. 77 FR 57063 - Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-17

    ... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... zone on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety... NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North...

  2. 77 FR 64906 - Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-24

    ... 1625-AA00 Safety Zone, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway; Emerald Isle, NC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... zone on the waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The safety... NC 58 Fixed Bridge crossing the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 226, at Emerald Isle, North...

  3. ORF Sequence: NC_006155 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available g protein (involved in environmental [Yersinia pseudotuberculosis IP 32953] MTKTDYLMRLRKCTTIDTLERVIEKNKYELSDDELELFYSAADHRLAELTMNKLYDKIPPTVWQHVK ... NC_006155 gi|51595328 >gi|51595328|ref|YP_069519.1| hemolysin expression modulatin

  4. ORF Sequence: NC_002162 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002162 gi|13357802 >gi|13357802|ref|NP_078076.1| ribosomal protein L24 [Ureapla...sma parvum serovar 3 str. ATCC 700970] MNRIKKGDTVVVISGKNKNKSGVVIQVNPKEQTALVEGVNKIKRHQKKDQTHEQSGIIEKEAPIRLCKLALVDPKGKDKGKATKVKYLLKDNKKVRVARKSGSELDVNKK

  5. CAI System with Multi-Media Text Through Web Browser for NC Lathe Programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizugaki, Yoshio; Kikkawa, Koichi; Mizui, Masahiko; Kamijo, Keisuke

    A new Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) system for NC lathe programming has been developed with use of multi-media texts including movies, animations, pictures, sound and texts through Web browser. Although many CAI systems developed previously for NC programming consist of text-based instructions, it is difficult for beginners to learn NC programming with use of them. In the developed CAI system, multi-media texts are adopted for the help of users' understanding, and it is available through Web browser anytime and anywhere. Also the error log is automatically recorded for the future references. According to the NC programming coded by a user, the movement of the NC lathe is animated and shown in the monitor screen in front of the user. If its movement causes the collision between a cutting tool and the lathe, some sound and the caution remark are generated. If the user makes mistakes some times at a certain stage in learning NC, the corresponding suggestion is shown in the form of movies, animations, and so forth. By using the multimedia texts, users' attention is kept concentrated during a training course. In this paper, the configuration of the CAI system is explained and the actual procedures for users to learn the NC programming are also explained too. Some beginners tested this CAI system and their results are illustrated and discussed from the viewpoint of the efficiency and usefulness of this CAI system. A brief conclusion is also mentioned.

  6. NSDNA: a manually curated database of experimentally supported ncRNAs associated with nervous system diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianjian; Cao, Yuze; Zhang, Huixue; Wang, Tianfeng; Tian, Qinghua; Lu, Xiaoyu; Lu, Xiaoyan; Kong, Xiaotong; Liu, Zhaojun; Wang, Ning; Zhang, Shuai; Ma, Heping; Ning, Shangwei; Wang, Lihua

    2017-01-04

    The Nervous System Disease NcRNAome Atlas (NSDNA) (http://www.bio-bigdata.net/nsdna/) is a manually curated database that provides comprehensive experimentally supported associations about nervous system diseases (NSDs) and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). NSDs represent a common group of disorders, some of which are characterized by high morbidity and disabilities. The pathogenesis of NSDs at the molecular level remains poorly understood. ncRNAs are a large family of functionally important RNA molecules. Increasing evidence shows that diverse ncRNAs play a critical role in various NSDs. Mining and summarizing NSD-ncRNA association data can help researchers discover useful information. Hence, we developed an NSDNA database that documents 24 713 associations between 142 NSDs and 8593 ncRNAs in 11 species, curated from more than 1300 articles. This database provides a user-friendly interface for browsing and searching and allows for data downloading flexibility. In addition, NSDNA offers a submission page for researchers to submit novel NSD-ncRNA associations. It represents an extremely useful and valuable resource for researchers who seek to understand the functions and molecular mechanisms of ncRNA involved in NSDs. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  7. 50 CFR 21.48 - Depredation order for double-crested cormorants to protect public resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ..., BARTER, EXPORTATION, AND IMPORTATION OF WILDLIFE AND PLANTS (CONTINUED) MIGRATORY BIRD PERMITS Control of..., wildlife, plants, and their habitats) caused by double-crested cormorants. (b) In what areas can this..., Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas...

  8. precision deburring using NC and robot equipment. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gillespie, L.K.

    1980-05-01

    Deburring precision miniature components is often time consuming and inconsistent. Although robots are available for deburring parts, they are not precise enough for precision miniature parts. Numerical control (NC) machining can provide edge break consistencies to meet requirements such as 76.2-..mu..m maximum edge break (chamfer). Although NC machining has a number of technical limitations which prohibits its use on many geometries, it can be an effective approach to features that are particularly difficult to deburr.

  9. [Head and neck paragangliomas. Embryological origin and anatomical characteristics: topographic distribution and vascularization pattern].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carretero González, José; Blanco Pérez, Pedro; Vázquez Osorio, María Teresa; Benito González, Fernando; Sañudo Tejedo, José Ramón

    2009-02-01

    Paragangliomas are tumors that arise in the extraadrenal paraganglia and result from migration of neural crest cells during embryonic development. Based on their anatomical distribution, innervation and microscopic structure, these tumors can be classified into interrelated families: branchiomeric paraganglia (related to the branchial clefts and arches), intravagal, aortic-sympathetic and visceral-autonomic. Head and neck paragangliomas belong mainly to the first two of these families. The present article is divided into two parts. The first part reviews the embryological origin of these tumors. Special emphasis is placed on the process of neurulation or neural tube formation, neurosegmentation (with a summary of the mechanisms involved in the initial segmentation of the neural tube and of the hindbrain and spinal medulla), and the development of the sensory placodes and secondary inductions in the cranial region. Subsequently, the neural crest is analyzed, with special attention paid to the cranial neural crest. The embryonogenesis of paragangliomas is also described. The second part describes the topographical distribution of head and neck paragangliomas according to their localization: jugulotympanic, orbit, intercarotid, subclavian and laryngeal. The embryonogenesis and most important anatomical characteristics are described for each type.

  10. ORF Sequence: NC_003283 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003283 gi|17563066 >gi|17563066|ref|NP_506462.1| putative protein family member, with a transme...mbrane domain (5O433) [Caenorhabditis elegans] MWNLVSPIHISSKFSMEMAEVNVVAVPEENRQTYLETDNDRLVMAIIWLIMPPMAVFFKCRGCTKHVFINFLLYLLLVLPAYKHATWFCFVKGREFEAEDGFVRAR

  11. ORF Sequence: NC_003280 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003280 gi|17535455 >gi|17535455|ref|NP_495314.1| putative endoplasmic reticulum protein, with a transme...mbrane domain (2G788) [Caenorhabditis elegans] MTDVRFIIWNCIALLVALMMALTSIIILSDAPHNSME

  12. Retrospective radiographic study of marginal bone changes of 88 implants placed with split crest technique in the maxillary latero-posterior area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Longoni

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Aim This article presents a retrospective study on the behavior of implants placed with split crest technique in lateroposterior maxillary class IV atrophy. Materials and Methods Subjects who underwent implant placement following split crest technique in the maxillary latero-posterior area were enrolled in the present retrospective study. After a mean period of 6.2 years of function implant survival and success rates were assessed. Moreover, radiographic examination was made on digital periapical radiographs and by means of a specific software. Bone level changes were measured as the difference between the peri-implants crestal bone level and the implants shoulder during the last patient’s visit recall examination. Results A total of 30 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included in the study; the subjects were treated with 88 implants (64 transmucosal and 24 submerged. The observation period for all patients treated with split crest technique varied between 4 and 8 years (mean 6.2 years. The implants survival rate was 96.6% and the prostheses survival rate was 100%. Bone resorption ranged between 2.3 mm and 2.7 mm. Conclusion Implants inserted in conjunction with split crest technique seems to be a promising therapy with similar results as conventional implant surgery.

  13. Medical image of the week: CREST plus ILD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliva I

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available A 60 year old female with a history of fibromyalgia presented with dyspnea and skin changes, predominantly on the hands. Physical exam and imaging showed classic findings of limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (scleroderma CREST syndrome. Calcinosis cutis (Figure 1A, Raynaud’s (not shown but endorsed by the patient, Esophageal dysmotility (Figure 1B, dilated esophagus, Sclerodactyly (Figure 1C, and Teleganectasias (Figure 1D were all present. Ground glass opacities were seen predominantly in the bilateral lower lung zones, associated with increased reticular markings (Figure 2A, and traction bronchiectasis (Figure 2B. Pulmonary involvement is noted in the majority of scleroderma patients. Interstitial lung disease (ILD is common and often portends a poor prognosis.

  14. ORF Sequence: NC_003047 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003047 gi|15965329 >gi|15965329|ref|NP_385682.1| PROBABLE CARBAMOYL-PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE LARGE CHAIN (AMMO...NIA CHAIN ARGININE BIOSYNTHESIS) PROTEIN [Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021] MPKRQDIKSILI

  15. p75 neurotrophin receptor positive dental pulp stem cells: new hope for patients with neurodegenerative disease and neural injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Jie-wen; Yuan, Hao; Shen, Shun-yao; Lu, Jing-ting; Zhu, Xiao-fang; Yang, Tong; Zhang, Jiang-fei; Shen, Guo-fang

    2013-08-01

    Neurodegenerative diseases and neural injury are 2 of the most feared disorders that afflict humankind by leading to permanent paralysis and loss of sensation. Cell based treatment for these diseases had gained special interest in recent years. Previous studies showed that dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) could differentiate toward functionally active neurons both in vitro and in vivo, and could promote neuranagenesis through both cell-autonomous and paracrine neuroregenerative activities. Some of these neuroregenerative activities were unique to tooth-derived stem cells and superior to bone marrow stromal cells. However, DPSCs used in most of these studies were mixed and unfractionated dental pulp cells that contain several types of cells, and most were fibroblast cells while just contain a small portion of DPSCs. Thus, there might be weaker ability of neuranagenesis and more side effects from the fibroblast cells that cannot differentiate into neural cells. p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) positive DPSCs subpopulation was derived from migrating cranial neural crest cells and had been isolated from DPSCs, which had capacity of differentiation into neurons and repairing neural system. In this article, we hypothesize that p75NTR positive DPSCs simultaneously have greater propensity for neuronal differentiation and fewer side effects from fibroblast, and in vivo transptantation of autologous p75NTR positive DPSCs is a novel method for neuranagenesis. This will bring great hope to patients with neurodegenerative disease and neural injury.

  16. Discharge coefficient of a rectangular sharp-edged broad-crested weir

    OpenAIRE

    Zachoval Zbyněk; Knéblová Michaela; Roušar Ladislav; Rumann Ján; Šulc Jan

    2014-01-01

    his paper is concerned with the determination of the relationship for the calculation of the discharge coefficient at free overflow over a rectangular sharp-edged broad-crested weir without lateral contraction. The determination was made on the basis of new measurement in a range of the relative thickness of the weir from 0.12 to 0.30 and newly in a large range of relative height of the weir extremely from 0.24 to 6.8 which greatly expands the application possibilities of low weirs. In additi...

  17. ORF Sequence: NC_004605 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available protein) (involved in swarmer cell regulation) [Vibrio parahaemolyticus RIMD 2210633] MKKAVKKISSKKIITISAIIV... NC_004605 gi|28901366 >gi|28901366|ref|NP_801021.1| ScrC (sensory box/GGDEF family

  18. ORF Sequence: NC_006905 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available g protein (involved in environmental regulation of virulence factors) [Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica s... NC_006905 gi|62179085 >gi|62179085|ref|YP_215502.1| hemolysin expression modulatin

  19. Co-culture of neural crest stem cells (NCSC and insulin producing beta-TC6 cells results in cadherin junctions and protection against cytokine-induced beta-cell death.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anongnad Ngamjariyawat

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: Transplantation of pancreatic islets to Type 1 diabetes patients is hampered by inflammatory reactions at the transplantation site leading to dysfunction and death of insulin producing beta-cells. Recently we have shown that co-transplantation of neural crest stem cells (NCSCs together with the islet cells improves transplantation outcome. The aim of the present investigation was to describe in vitro interactions between NCSCs and insulin producing beta-TC6 cells that may mediate protection against cytokine-induced beta-cell death. PROCEDURES: Beta-TC6 and NCSC cells were cultured either alone or together, and either with or without cell culture inserts. The cultures were then exposed to the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IFN-γ for 48 hours followed by analysis of cell death rates (flow cytometry, nitrite production (Griess reagent, protein localization (immunofluorescence and protein phosphorylation (flow cytometry. RESULTS: We observed that beta-TC6 cells co-cultured with NCSCs were protected against cytokine-induced cell death, but not when separated by cell culture inserts. This occurred in parallel with (i augmented production of nitrite from beta-TC6 cells, indicating that increased cell survival allows a sustained production of nitric oxide; (ii NCSC-derived laminin production; (iii decreased phospho-FAK staining in beta-TC6 cell focal adhesions, and (iv decreased beta-TC6 cell phosphorylation of ERK(T202/Y204, FAK(Y397 and FAK(Y576. Furthermore, co-culture also resulted in cadherin and beta-catenin accumulations at the NCSC/beta-TC6 cell junctions. Finally, the gap junction inhibitor carbenoxolone did not affect cytokine-induced beta-cell death during co-culture with NCSCs. CONCLUSION: In summary, direct contacts, but not soluble factors, promote improved beta-TC6 viability when co-cultured with NCSCs. We hypothesize that cadherin junctions between NCSC and beta-TC6 cells promote powerful signals that maintain beta

  20. Unraveling the rapid radiation of crested newts, Triturus cristatus superspecies, using complete mitogenomic sequences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wielstra, B.M.; Arntzen, J.W.

    2011-01-01

    Background - The rapid radiation of crested newts (Triturus cristatus superspecies) comprises four morphotypes: 1) the T. karelinii group, 2) T. carnifex - T. macedonicus, 3) T. cristatus and 4) T. dobrogicus. These vary in body build and the number of rib-bearing pre-sacral vertebrae (NRBV). The

  1. De Novo Discovery of Structured ncRNA Motifs in Genomic Sequences

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ruzzo, Walter L; Gorodkin, Jan

    2014-01-01

    De novo discovery of "motifs" capturing the commonalities among related noncoding ncRNA structured RNAs is among the most difficult problems in computational biology. This chapter outlines the challenges presented by this problem, together with some approaches towards solving them, with an emphas...... on an approach based on the CMfinder CMfinder program as a case study. Applications to genomic screens for novel de novo structured ncRNA ncRNA s, including structured RNA elements in untranslated portions of protein-coding genes, are presented.......De novo discovery of "motifs" capturing the commonalities among related noncoding ncRNA structured RNAs is among the most difficult problems in computational biology. This chapter outlines the challenges presented by this problem, together with some approaches towards solving them, with an emphasis...

  2. Clinical effectiveness of 99mTc-diphosphonate scintigraphy of revascularized iliac crest flaps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smeele, L.E.; Hoekstra, O.S.; Winters, H.A.H.; Leemans, C.R.

    1996-01-01

    Clinical assessment of the perfusion of the musculocutaneous portion of composite iliac crest free flaps was compared to 99m Tc-diphosphonate (HDP) uptake in 14 patients who underwent primary oromandibular reconstruction after ablative cancer surgery. Bone scanning was performed on average at the 9-10th postoperative day (range 4-48) 3 h after intravenous injection of 550 MBq 99m Tc-HDP. Eleven patients showed complete concordance between 99m Tc-HDP uptake and soft-tissue status. Two patients showed uptake and viable muscle in spite of necrotic skin. One patient had a viable musculocutaneous flap but a photopenic defect in the bone graft; 6 months later, a small corresponding part of the bone was sequestrated. In this study, bone scanning and clinical assessment of muscle perfusion were 100% accurate in predicting viability of bone graft. Skin viability was a less reliable parameter. It is concluded that bone scanning is not indicated as routine investigation for revascularized iliac crest flaps and that clinical assessment of muscle perfusion is a reliable monitor of the early function of such flaps. (au) 8 refs

  3. ORF Sequence: NC_000913 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available erobacterial common antigen (ECA) [Escherichia coli K12] MKVLTVFGTRPEAIKMAPLVHALAKD... NC_000913 gi|49176409 >gi|49176409|ref|YP_026253.1| UDP-N-acetyl glucosamine -2-epimerase; synthesis of ent

  4. ORF Sequence: NC_003282 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003282 gi|17540144 >gi|17540144|ref|NP_500824.1| feminization 1 homolog a, FEMinization of XX and XO ani...mals FEM-1 (fem-1) [Caenorhabditis elegans] MTPNGHHFRTVIYNAAAVGNLQRIKVFTINSRNDRQWII

  5. ORF Sequence: NC_000913 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_000913 gi|16128606 >gi|16128606|ref|NP_415156.1| RNA chaperone, transcription antiterm...inator, affects expression of rpoS and uspA [Escherichia coli K12] MSKIKGNVKWFNESKGFGFITPEDGSKDVFVHFSAIQTNGFKTLAEGQRVEFEITNGAKGPSAANVIAL

  6. ORF Sequence: NC_001137 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ull mutation has global effects on transcription; Yer064cp [Saccharomyces cerevisiae] MIDDTENSKIHLEGSHKTGKYT... NC_001137 gi|6320907 >gi|6320907|ref|NP_010986.1| Non-essential nuclear protein; n

  7. ORF Sequence: NC_000913 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_000913 gi|16128858 >gi|16128858|ref|NP_415411.1| periplasmic chaperone effects translocation of lipoprot...eins from inner membrane to outer membrane [Escherichia coli K12] MMKKIAITCALLSSLVA

  8. ORF Sequence: NC_006905 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006905 gi|62179485 >gi|62179485|ref|YP_215902.1| periplasmic protein effects translocation of lipoprotei...ns from inner membrane to outer membrane [Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serov

  9. Mechanisms of cadmium-caused eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in zebrafish embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ting; Zhou, Xin-Ying; Ma, Xu-Fa; Liu, Jing-Xia

    2015-10-01

    Cadmium-caused head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation has been recognized for a long time, but knowledge of the underlying mechanisms is limited. In this study, we found that high mortality occurred in exposed embryos after 24 hpf, when cadmium (Cd) dosage was above 17.8 μM. Using high-throughput in situ hybridization screening, we found that genes labelling the neural crest and its derivative pigment cells exhibited obviously reduced expression in Cd-exposed embryos from 24 hpf, 2 days earlier than head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation occurred. Moreover, based on expression of crestin, a neural crest marker, we found that embryos before the gastrula stage were more sensitive to cadmium toxicity and that damage caused by Cd on embryogenesis was dosage dependent. In addition, by phenotype observation and detection of neural crest and pigment cell markers, we found that BIO and retinoic acid (RA) could neutralize the toxic effects of Cd on zebrafish embryogenesis. In this study, we first determined that Cd blocked the formation of the neural crest and inhibited specification of pigment cells, which might contribute to the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotype defects of head and eye hypoplasia and hypopigmentation in Cd-exposed embryos. Moreover, we found that compounds BIO or RA could neutralize the toxic effects of Cd. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. VIP secreting tumours in infancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davies, R.P.; Slavotinek, J.P.; Dorney, S.F.A.

    1990-01-01

    Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) secreting neural crest tumours are an uncommon but important treatable cause of intractable childhood diarrhoea. The radiological appearances of two cases are presented with a review of radiological findings in childhood VIP secreting neural crest tumours. Twenty eight cases of childhood VIP secreting neural crest tumours were reviewed. Nineteen (68%) were ganglioneuroblastomas and nine (32%) were ganglioneuromas. The majority of tumours (66%) were in a paravertebral location in the abdomen indicating that a search for such a tumour should be initiated at this site. Eighteen of the twenty eight cases reviewed discussed relevant radiological investigations. Calcification was detected in 50% of abdominal radiographs. Gut dilatation was often a prominent feature. A mass was detected in 5 of 5 cases where ultrasound findings were reported, and seven of seven cases with CT findings reported. Prior to the availability of CT and ultrasound the most useful investigation was IVU which demonstrated evidence of a mass in 5 of 9 cases. The presence of paravertebral calcification and gut dilatation on the plain radiograph of a child with intractable diarrhoea suggests the presence of a VIP secreting neural crest tumour. If an abdominal tumour is not found in the appropriate clinical setting and VIP levels are elevated, a widespread search of the paravertebral region is indicated. (orig.)

  11. Explicit flow equations and recursion operator of the ncKP hierarchy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Jingsong; Wang, Lihong; Tu, Junyi; Li, Xiaodong

    2011-01-01

    The explicit expression of the flow equations of the noncommutative Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (ncKP) hierarchy is derived. Compared with the flow equations of the KP hierarchy, our result shows that the additional terms in the flow equations of the ncKP hierarchy indeed consist of commutators of dynamical coordinates {u i }. The recursion operator for the flow equations under n-reduction is presented. Further, under 2-reduction, we calculate a nonlocal recursion operator Φ(2) of the noncommutative Korteweg–de Vries(ncKdV) hierarchy, which generates a hierarchy of local, higher-order flows. Thus we solve the open problem proposed by Olver and Sokolov (1998 Commun. Math. Phys. 193 245–68)

  12. Biological responses of Crested and Least auklets to volcanic destruction of nesting habitat in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drew, Gary S.; Piatt, John F.; Williams, Jeffrey C.

    2018-01-01

    Crested Auklets (Aethia cristatella) and Least Auklets (A. pusilla) are crevice-nesting birds that breed in large mixed colonies at relatively few sites in the Aleutian Island archipelago, Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, and Sea of Okhotsk. Many of these colonies are located on active volcanic islands. The eruption of Kasatochi volcano, in the central Aleutians, on August 7, 2008, completely buried all crevice-nesting seabird habitat on the island. This provided an opportunity to examine the response of a large, mixed auklet colony to a major geological disturbance. Time-lapse imagery of nesting habitat indicated that both species returned to the largest pre-eruption colony site for several years, but subsequently abandoned it within 5 yr after the eruption. In 2010, a rockfall site in a cove north of the old colony site began to accumulate talus, and groups of auklets were observed using the site in 2011. Use of the new colony appeared to coincide with the abandonment of the old colony site by both species, though surface counts suggested that Least Auklets shifted to the new colony sooner than Crested Auklets. At-sea surveys of seabirds before and after the eruption indicated that both Crested and Least auklets shifted their at-sea distributions from the waters around Kasatochi Island to nearby Koniuji Island. In combination, at-sea counts and colony time-lapse imagery indicated that Crested and Least auklets using Kasatochi responded to the volcanic disturbance and complete loss of nesting habitat at the main colony on Kasatochi with dispersal either to newly created habitat on Kasatochi or to an alternate colony on a nearby island.

  13. Testing the QCD string at large Nc from the thermodynamics of the hadronic phase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Thomas D.

    2007-02-01

    It is generally believed that in the limit of a large number of colors (Nc) the description of confinement via flux tubes becomes valid and QCD can be modeled accurately via a hadronic string theory—at least for highly excited states. QCD at large Nc also has a well-defined deconfinement transition at a temperature Tc. In this talk it is shown how the thermodyanmics of the metastable hadronic phase of QCD (above Tc) at large NC can be related directly to properties of the effective QCD string. The key points in the derivation is the weakly interacting nature of hadrons at large Nc and the existence of a Hagedorn temperature TH for the effective string theory. From this it can be seen at large Nc and near TH, the energy density and pressure of the hadronic phase scale as E ˜ (TH - T)-(D⊥-6)/2 (for D⊥ TH - T)-(D⊥-4)/2 (for D⊥ TH > Tc this behavior is of relevance only to the metastable phase. The prospect of using this result to extract D⊥ via lattice simulations of the metastable hadronic phase at moderately large Nc is discussed.

  14. ORF Sequence: NC_006905 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available of cations and cationic drugs [Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis str. SC-B67] MFYWILL... NC_006905 gi|62180070 >gi|62180070|ref|YP_216487.1| putative membrane transporter

  15. ORF Sequence: NC_006905 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available of cations and cationic drugs [Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis str. SC-B67] MQQFEWI... NC_006905 gi|62180071 >gi|62180071|ref|YP_216488.1| putative membrane transporter

  16. ORF Sequence: NC_000913 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_000913 gi|16131649 >gi|16131649|ref|NP_418241.1| TDP-Fuc4NAc:lipidII transferase; synthesis of enterobac...terial common antigen (ECA) [Escherichia coli K12] MSLLQFSGLFVVWLLCTLFIATLTWFEFRRVR

  17. ORF Sequence: NC_001147 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_001147 gi|6324442 >gi|6324442|ref|NP_014511.1| Plasma membrane Mg(2+) transporter, expression and turnov...er are regulated by Mg(2+) concentration; overexpression confers increased toleranc

  18. ORF Sequence: NC_001134 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available ivery of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins to the nucleoplasm, binds rg-nucl... NC_001134 gi|6319491 >gi|6319491|ref|NP_009573.1| Transportin, cytosolic karyopherin beta 2 involved in del

  19. Arteriovenous fistula of the superior gluteal artery as a complication of posterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting: 3D-CT angiography and arterial embolization

    OpenAIRE

    Kong, Chae-Gwan; Park, Jong-Beom; Won, Yoo-Dong; Riew, K. Daniel

    2009-01-01

    Superior gluteal artery injuries are rare, but potentially serious complications that occur during posterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting. The authors reported an arteriovenous fistula of the superior gluteal artery, which occurred as a complication during posterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting and was diagnosed with 3D-CT angiography, then treated with arterial embolization.

  20. Uncovering the Role of BMP Signaling in Melanocyte Development and Melanoma Tumorigenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    specifiers’, genes that are initially expressed broadly in the neural crest and help to maintain neural crest identity (Fig. 2G ) (6). As development...melanoma cells, GDF6 and the BMP pathway negatively regulated SOX9 expression (Fig. 3G ; Fig. S13A-C). Epistasis analyses showed that SOX9 knockdown rescued...criteria, if the tumor volume reached >1,000 mm3; if tumor size or location affected the mobility or general health of animal, the animal was euthanized

  1. ORF Alignment: NC_002977 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002977 gi|53804693 >1fgjA 20 492 48 517 e-179 ... gb|AAU92745.1| hydroxylamine oxy...doreductase [Methylococcus capsulatus str. Bath] ... ref|YP_113436.1| hydroxylamine oxydoreductase ...

  2. ORF Alignment: NC_006569 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006569 gi|56708985 >1fgjA 5 498 32 521 0.0 ... ref|YP_165030.1| hydroxylamine oxid...oreductase [Silicibacter pomeroyi DSS-3] ... gb|AAV97335.1| hydroxylamine oxidoreductase ... [

  3. ORF Alignment: NC_004307 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_004307 gi|23465117 >1g5aA 80 628 2 589 5e-59 ... gb|AAL05573.1| alpha-glucosidase [Bifidobacterium adolesce...ntis] ... Length = 588 ... Query: 1 ... MTANNLNDDWWKQAVVYQIYPRSFKDVNGDGLGDIAGVTEK

  4. ORF Sequence: NC_002945 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002945 gi|31792282 >gi|31792282|ref|NP_854775.1| PROBABLE CELLULASE CELA2A (ENDO-1,4-BETA-GLUCA...NASE) (ENDOGLUCANASE) (CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULASE) [Mycobacterium bovis AF2122/97] MNGAAPTNGAPLSYPSICEGVHWGHLVGGHQPAY

  5. ORF Sequence: NC_000962 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_000962 gi|57116825 >gi|57116825|ref|YP_177638.1| PROBABLE CELLULASE CELA2A (ENDO-1,4-BETA-GLUCA...NASE) (ENDOGLUCANASE) (CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULASE) [Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv] MNGAAPTNGAPLSYPSICEGVHWGHLVGGHQPAY

  6. ORF Sequence: NC_006905 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006905 gi|62181272 >gi|62181272|ref|YP_217689.1| H inversion: regulation of fla...gellar gene expression by site-specific inversion of DNA [Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choler

  7. Evaluation of MODIS Land Surface Temperature with In Situ Snow Surface Temperature from CREST-SAFE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perez Diaz, C. L.; Lakhankar, T.; Romanov, P.; Munoz, J.; Khanbilvardi, R.; Yu, Y.

    2016-12-01

    This paper presents the procedure and results of a temperature-based validation approach for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Land Surface Temperature (LST) product provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Terra and Aqua Earth Observing System satellites using in situ LST observations recorded at the Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center - Snow Analysis and Field Experiment (CREST-SAFE) during the years of 2013 (January-April) and 2014 (February-April). A total of 314 day and night clear-sky thermal images, acquired by the Terra and Aqua satellites, were processed and compared to ground-truth data from CREST-SAFE with a frequency of one measurement every 3 min. Additionally, this investigation incorporated supplementary analyses using meteorological CREST-SAFE in situ variables (i.e. wind speed, cloud cover, incoming solar radiation) to study their effects on in situ snow surface temperature (T-skin) and T-air. Furthermore, a single pixel (1km2) and several spatially averaged pixels were used for satellite LST validation by increasing the MODIS window size to 5x5, 9x9, and 25x25 windows for comparison. Several trends in the MODIS LST data were observed, including the underestimation of daytime values and nighttime values. Results indicate that, although all the data sets (Terra and Aqua, diurnal and nocturnal) showed high correlation with ground measurements, day values yielded slightly higher accuracy ( 1°C), both suggesting that MODIS LST retrievals are reliable for similar land cover classes and atmospheric conditions. Results from the CREST-SAFE in situ variables' analyses indicate that T-air is commonly higher than T-skin, and that a lack of cloud cover results in: lower T-skin and higher T-air minus T-skin difference (T-diff). Additionally, the study revealed that T-diff is inversely proportional to cloud cover, wind speed, and incoming solar radiation. Increasing the MODIS window size

  8. ORF Alignment: NC_003295 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003295 gi|17546028 >1fjgR 2 71 22 91 5e-16 ... emb|CAD15011.1| PROBABLE PRIMOSOMAL REPLICATION... PROTEIN [Ralstonia solanacearum] ... ref|NP_519430.1| PROBABLE PRIMOSOMAL REPLICATION ...

  9. ORF Alignment: NC_003228 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003228 gi|60681683 >1gntA 1 551 3 543 0.0 ... emb|CAH07898.1| hydroxylamine reduct...ase [Bacteroides fragilis NCTC 9343] ... ref|YP_211827.1| hydroxylamine reductase [Bacteroides ...

  10. ORF Sequence: NC_003281 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003281 gi|25151987 >gi|25151987|ref|NP_499440.2| TRAnsformer : XX animals trans...formed into males TRA-1, HERmaphrodization of XO animals HER-2, sex determination zinc-finger protein, alter

  11. ORF Sequence: NC_003282 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available inization of XX and XO animals FEM-3 (46.2 kD) (fem-3) [Caenorhabditis elegans] MEVDPGSDDVEADRETRAQKLKLKRNVK... NC_003282 gi|17540880 >gi|17540880|ref|NP_501587.1| sex determination protein, FEM

  12. ORF Alignment: NC_005296 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005296 gi|39936477 >1kmoA 7 661 92 753 2e-72 ... emb|CAE28855.1| putative hydroxamate-type ferris... ... putative hydroxamate-type ferrisiderophore receptor ... [Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009] ...

  13. ORF Alignment: NC_006155 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006155 gi|51597538 >1kmoA 5 661 59 714 9e-71 ... ref|YP_071729.1| putative hydroxamate-type ferris...ive ... hydroxamate-type ferrisiderophore receptor. [Yersinia ... pseudotuberculosis IP 32953

  14. ORF Alignment: NC_006274 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006274 gi|52142162 >1gpuA 4 663 4 663 0.0 ... ref|YP_084669.1| transketolase (glycoal...dehyde transferase) [Bacillus cereus ZK] ... gb|AAU17181.1| transketolase (glycoaldehyde transfera

  15. ORF Alignment: NC_003888 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003888 gi|21219041 >1pv1A 14 282 20 256 6e-05 ... emb|CAE53384.1| hypothetical protein [Actinoplanes... teichomyceticus] emb|CAG15045.1| ... hypothetical protein [Actinoplanes teichomyce

  16. ORF Alignment: NC_003306 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003306 gi|17938860 >1pv1A 14 282 20 256 6e-05 ... emb|CAE53384.1| hypothetical protein [Actinoplanes... teichomyceticus] emb|CAG15045.1| ... hypothetical protein [Actinoplanes teichomyce

  17. ORF Alignment: NC_003064 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003064 gi|16119505 >1pv1A 14 282 20 256 6e-05 ... emb|CAE53384.1| hypothetical protein [Actinoplanes... teichomyceticus] emb|CAG15045.1| ... hypothetical protein [Actinoplanes teichomyce

  18. ORF Sequence: NC_001145 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_001145 gi|6323710 >gi|6323710|ref|NP_013781.1| Protein required for nuclear mem...brane fusion during karyogamy, localizes to the membrane with a soluble portion in the endoplasmic reticulum

  19. ORF Alignment: NC_003919 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003919 gi|21242752 >1iwlA 2 180 23 207 3e-47 ... gb|AAM36870.1| outer-membrane lipoproteins... ... outer-membrane lipoproteins carrier protein precursor ... [Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citr

  20. ORF Alignment: NC_006370 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006370 gi|54308356 >1iwlA 4 181 22 199 2e-52 ... ref|YP_129376.1| hypothetical outer membrane lipoproteins... ... hypothetical outer membrane lipoproteins carrier protein ... [Photobacterium profundum] ... L

  1. ORF Sequence: NC_002655 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002655 gi|15800754 >gi|15800754|ref|NP_286768.1| periplasmic protein effects translocation of lipoprotei...ns from inner membrane to outer [Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933] MMKKIAITCALLSSLVA

  2. Estimation of Overtopping Rates on Slopes in Wave Power Devices and Other Low Crested Structures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kofoed, Jens Peter; Burcharth, Hans Falk

    2002-01-01

    Motivated by questions raised by developers of wave energy devices based on wave overtopping concepts, model tests have been performed to study overtopping of structures with limited draught, low crest freeboards and slope geometries designed to increase overtopping and thereby also the captured...

  3. 77 FR 47628 - Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project; Eagle Crest Energy; Notice of Meeting...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-09

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [P-13123-002-CA] Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project; Eagle Crest Energy; Notice of Meeting Postponement On July 17, 2012, the...), on the Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project. However, the meeting has been postponed...

  4. 76 FR 22393 - Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project, Eagle Crest Energy; Notice of Cancellation...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-21

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [P-13123-002-CA] Eagle Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project, Eagle Crest Energy; Notice of Cancellation of Teleconference On March 15... Mountain Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project. This meeting has been cancelled. We will reschedule this...

  5. Progress towards a measurement of the UHE cosmic ray electron flux using the CREST Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musser, Jim; Wakely, Scott; Coutu, Stephane; Geske, Matthew; Nutter, Scott; Tarle, Gregory; Park, Nahee; Schubnell, Michael; Gennaro, Joseph; Muller, Dietrich

    2012-07-01

    Electrons of energy beyond about 3 TeV have never been detected in the flux of cosmic rays at Earth despite strong evidence of their presence in a number of supernova remnants (e.g., SN 1006). The detection of high energy electrons at Earth would be extremely significant, yielding information about the spatial distribution of nearby cosmic ray sources. With the Cosmic Ray Electron Synchrotron Telescope (CREST), our collaboration has adopted a novel approach to the detection of electrons of energies between 2 and 50 TeV which results in a substantial increase in the acceptance and sensitivity of the apparatus relative to its physics size. The first LDB flight of the CREST detector took place in January 2012, with a float duration of approximately 10 days. In this paper we describe the flight performance of the instrument, and progress in the analysis of the data obtained in this flight.

  6. 46 CFR 7.55 - Cape Henry, VA to Cape Fear, NC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cape Henry, VA to Cape Fear, NC. 7.55 Section 7.55 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.55 Cape Henry, VA to Cape Fear, NC. (a) A line drawn from Rudee Inlet Jetty Light “2” to...

  7. ORF Alignment: NC_006371 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006371 gi|54302237 >1r690 2 63 15 79 7e-05 ... ref|YP_132230.1| hypotethical trans...criptional regulator [Photobacterium profundum ... SS9] emb|CAG22430.1| hypotethical transcriptional ...

  8. ORF Alignment: NC_002947 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002947 gi|26988182 >1rwrA 1 265 36 293 1e-50 ... ref|NP_743607.1| surface colonization... ... gb|AAN67071.1| surface colonization protein, putative ... [Pseudomonas putida KT2440] ...

  9. ORF Sequence: NC_001139 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_001139 gi|6321518 >gi|6321518|ref|NP_011595.1| Protein of unknown function; deletion... mutant has synthetic fitness defect with an sgs1 deletion mutant; Slx9p [Saccharomyces cerevisiae] MVA

  10. ORF Alignment: NC_004461 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_004461 gi|27467238 >1kolA 35 391 30 342 2e-04 ... ref|NP_763875.1| xylitol dehydro...genase [Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228] ... gb|AAO03917.1| xylitol dehydrogenase [Staphylococc

  11. ORF Sequence: NC_002655 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available erobacterial common antigen (ECA) [Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933] MSAKALAAYSKRIDV... NC_002655 gi|15804377 >gi|15804377|ref|NP_290417.1| UDP-N-acetyl glucosamine -2-epimerase; synthesis of ent

  12. ORF Alignment: NC_003075 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003075 gi|42566272 >1ogqA 3 270 31 261 6e-05 ... ref|NP_192248.2| leucine-rich repeat transme...ery: 151 XXXXXXXGELPDVFQNLVGLINLDISSNNISGTLPPSMENLLTLTTLRVQNNQLSGTLDV 210 ... GELPDVFQNLVGLINLDISSNNISGTLPPSME...NLLTLTTLRVQNNQLSGTLDV Sbjct: 121 LNDNLLSGELPDVFQNLVGLINLDISSNNISGTLPPSMENLLTLTTLRVQNNQLSGTLDV 180 ...

  13. ORF Alignment: NC_003295 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003295 gi|17546366 >1bxdA 1 144 297 447 7e-18 ... emb|CAD15349.1| PROBABLE OXIDATIVE STRESS...PROTEIN ... [Ralstonia solanacearum] ref|NP_519768.1| PROBABLE ... OXIDATIVE STRESS RESISTANCE

  14. ORF Alignment: NC_003295 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003295 gi|17546366 >1joyA 1 67 230 295 9e-16 ... emb|CAD15349.1| PROBABLE OXIDATIVE STRESS...ROTEIN ... [Ralstonia solanacearum] ref|NP_519768.1| PROBABLE ... OXIDATIVE STRESS RESISTANCE

  15. ORF Alignment: NC_002928 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002928 gi|33596933 >1kmoA 7 661 65 702 8e-60 ... ref|NP_884576.1| putative ferrisi...derophore receptor [Bordetella parapertussis 12822] ... emb|CAE37631.1| putative ferrisiderophore rec

  16. ORF Alignment: NC_003155 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003155 gi|29832733 >1chkA 1 236 48 283 9e-87 ... dbj|BAC73902.1| putative chitosan...ase [Streptomyces avermitilis MA-4680] ... ref|NP_827367.1| putative chitosanase [Streptomyces ...

  17. ORF Alignment: NC_003155 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003155 gi|29828557 >1chkA 1 236 35 270 4e-95 ... dbj|BAC69726.1| putative chitosan...ase [Streptomyces avermitilis MA-4680] ... ref|NP_823191.1| putative chitosanase [Streptomyces ...

  18. ORF Alignment: NC_003888 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available tide synthetase [Actinoplanes teichomyceticus] ... Length = 427 ... Query: 12 ... LSPLQEGMLFHNLFDEEELDAYNVQ... NC_003888 gi|32141196 >1l5aA 1 423 12 438 2e-57 ... emb|CAE53352.1| non-ribosomal pep

  19. ORF Alignment: NC_005363 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005363 gi|42523916 >1a12A 35 375 64 376 3e-39 ... emb|CAE53335.1| putative RCC1 repeats protein [Actinoplan...es teichomyceticus] ... Length = 313 ... Query: 425 GVGFACALYDNNDLKCFGANDYGQLGD

  20. ORF Alignment: NC_005090 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005090 gi|34558174 >1wcv1 4 239 4 244 2e-25 ... ref|NP_907989.1| SEPTUM SITE-DETERMINING...| SEPTUM ... SITE-DETERMINING PROTEIN MIND CELL DIVISION INHIBITOR ... MIND [Wolinella succino

  1. ORF Alignment: NC_005090 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005090 gi|34557077 >1vdkA 1 459 5 463 e-135 ... ref|NP_906892.1| ASPARTATE AMMONIA...-LYASE [Wolinella succinogenes DSM 1740] ... emb|CAE09792.1| ASPARTATE AMMONIA-LYASE [Wolinella ...

  2. ORF Alignment: NC_003450 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003450 gi|19553429 >1v4aA 22 435 620 1034 4e-69 ... ref|YP_226470.1| GLUTAMATE-AMMONIA...mb|CAF20569.1| ... GLUTAMATE-AMMONIA-LIGASE ADENYLYLTRANSFERASE ... [Corynebacterium glutami

  3. ORF Alignment: NC_003295 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003295 gi|17547365 >1gkmA 3 497 10 504 e-143 ... emb|CAD16353.1| PROBABLE HISTIDINE AMMONIA...-LYASE (HISTIDASE) PROTEIN [Ralstonia ... solanacearum] ref|NP_520767.1| PROBABLE HISTIDINE ... AMMONIA

  4. ORF Alignment: NC_003047 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003047 gi|15966456 >1gkmA 2 501 3 499 e-107 ... emb|CAC47282.1| PUTATIVE HISTIDINE AMMONIA...-LYASE PROTEIN [Sinorhizobium meliloti] ... ref|NP_386809.1| PUTATIVE HISTIDINE AMMONIA-LYASE

  5. ORF Alignment: NC_003450 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003450 gi|19552717 >1vdkA 1 459 57 516 e-127 ... ref|YP_225787.1| ASPARTATE AMMONIA...ynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032] emb|CAF21511.1| ... ASPARTATE AMMONIA-LYASE (ASPARTASE) [Coryneba

  6. ORF Alignment: NC_005085 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005085 gi|34497787 >1f39A 3 98 107 198 1e-23 ... gb|AAQ60004.1| SOS mutagenesis [C...hromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472] ... ref|NP_902002.1| SOS mutagenesis [Chromobacterium ...

  7. ORF Alignment: NC_006840 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006840 gi|59712585 >1bxwA 8 170 21 215 9e-07 ... ref|NP_800205.1| accessory colonization... factor AcfA [Vibrio parahaemolyticus RIMD ... 2210633] dbj|BAC62038.1| accessory colonization

  8. ORF Alignment: NC_004605 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_004605 gi|28900550 >1bxwA 8 170 21 215 9e-07 ... ref|NP_800205.1| accessory colonization... factor AcfA [Vibrio parahaemolyticus RIMD ... 2210633] dbj|BAC62038.1| accessory colonization

  9. ORF Alignment: NC_006085 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006085 gi|50842772 >1qr0A 1 205 2 202 3e-27 ... ref|YP_055999.1| biosurfactants pr...oduction protein [Propionibacterium acnes ... KPA171202] gb|AAT83041.1| biosurfactants production ...

  10. ORF Sequence: NC_002655 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002655 gi|15804385 >gi|15804385|ref|NP_290425.1| TDP-Fuc4NAc:lipidII transferase; synthesis of enterobac...terial common antigen (ECA) [Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933] MSLLQFSGLFVVWLLCTLFIA

  11. ORF Alignment: NC_002678 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002678 gi|13474471 >1gkpA 2 454 5 422 3e-10 ... ref|NP_106039.1| creatinine deamin...ase [Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099] ... dbj|BAB51825.1| creatinine deaminase [Mesorhizobium loti ...

  12. ORF Alignment: NC_004463 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_004463 gi|27381528 >1uzbA 40 515 6 475 3e-74 ... ref|NP_773057.1| vanillin: NAD ox...idoreductase [Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110] ... dbj|BAC51682.1| vanillin: NAD oxidoreductase ...

  13. ORF Alignment: NC_004463 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_004463 gi|27377799 >1uzbA 40 515 5 474 3e-69 ... ref|NP_769328.1| vanillin: NAD ox...idoreductase [Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 110] ... dbj|BAC47953.1| vanillin: NAD oxidoreductase ...

  14. ORF Alignment: NC_006361 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_006361 gi|54024866 >1jmvA 2 140 154 297 6e-16 ... ref|YP_227183.1| UNIVERSAL STRESS...icum ATCC 13032] ... emb|CAF20967.1| UNIVERSAL STRESS PROTEIN FAMILY ... [Corynebacterium glut

  15. ORF Alignment: NC_003450 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003450 gi|19554128 >1jmvA 2 140 154 297 6e-16 ... ref|YP_227183.1| UNIVERSAL STRESS...icum ATCC 13032] ... emb|CAF20967.1| UNIVERSAL STRESS PROTEIN FAMILY ... [Corynebacterium glut

  16. ORF Alignment: NC_003295 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003295 gi|17546367 >1kgsA 3 221 7 234 1e-40 ... emb|CAD15350.1| PROBABLE OXIDATIVE STRESS... ... solanacearum] ref|NP_519769.1| PROBABLE OXIDATIVE STRESS ... RESISTANCE TWO-COMPONENT RESPON

  17. ORF Alignment: NC_005027 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_005027 gi|32475765 >1zrn0 11 219 5 254 2e-04 ... ref|NP_868759.1| N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosha... ... N-acetylglucosamine-6-phoshatase or p-nitrophenyl ... phosphatase [Pirellula sp.] ... Len

  18. ORF Alignment: NC_002939 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_002939 gi|39996821 >1v7zA 3 252 1 232 3e-42 ... ref|NP_952772.1| creatinine amidoh...ydrolase [Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA] ... gb|AAR35099.1| creatinine amidohydrolase [Geobacter ...

  19. ORF Alignment: NC_003888 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003888 gi|21225320 >1k12A 3 151 580 722 8e-15 ... dbj|BAC69434.1| putative mycodextrana...se [Streptomyces avermitilis MA-4680] ... ref|NP_822899.1| putative mycodextranase [Streptomyces

  20. ORF Alignment: NC_003888 [GENIUS II[Archive

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available NC_003888 gi|21225300 >1k12A 3 151 580 722 8e-15 ... dbj|BAC69434.1| putative mycodextrana...se [Streptomyces avermitilis MA-4680] ... ref|NP_822899.1| putative mycodextranase [Streptomyces