Canonical wingless signaling regulates cone cell specification in the Drosophila retina

Correct tissue patterning during development involves multiple morphogenetic events that include specification of different cell fates, cell proliferation, cell death, and coordinated changes in cell shape, position, and adhesion. Here, we use the Drosophila retina to explore the molecular mechanisms that regulate and integrate these various events. In a previous report, we found that wingless (wg) was required to induce a previously unknown surge of cell death (“early death”) in the pupal retina. Here, we show that wg is also required to induce the more widely studied mid‐pupal cell death (“late death”) in a process that involves regulation of DIAP1. Furthermore, our data suggest that wg has a previously unreported role in specifying the glial‐like cone cells. This activity requires canonical Wg signaling and is linked with Notch pathway activity. Our work broadens the role of canonical Wg signaling to encompass multiple patterning steps in the emerging Drosophila retina. Developmental Dynamics 239:875–884, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

vHnf1 regulates specification of caudal rhombomere identity in the chick hindbrain.

The homeobox-containing gene variant hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (vHnf1) has recently been shown to be involved in zebrafish caudal hindbrain specification, notably in the activation of MafB and Kro x 20 expression. We have explored this regulatory network in the chick by in ovo electroporation in the neural tube. We show that mis-expression of vHnf1 confers caudal identity to more anterior regions of the hindbrain. Ectopic expression of mvHnf1 leads to ectopic activation of MafB and Kro x 20, and downregulation of Hoxb1 in rhombomere 4. Unexpectedly, mvhnf1 strongly upregulates Fgf3 expression throughout the hindbrain, in both a cell-autonomous and a non-cell-autonomous manner. Blockade of FGF signaling correlates with a selective loss of MafB and Kro x 20 expression, without affecting the expression of vHnf1, Fgf3, or Hoxb1. Based on these observations, we propose that in chick, as in zebrafish, vHnf1 acts with FGF to promote caudal hindbrain identity by activating MafB and Kro x 20 expression. However, our data suggest differences in the vHnf1 downstream cascade in different vertebrates.     

The Iroquois homeodomain proteins are required to specify body wall identity in Drosophila

The Iroquois complex (Iro-C) homeodomain proteins allow cells at the proximal part of the Drosophila imaginal wing disc to form mesothoracic body wall (notum). Cells lacking these proteins form wing hinge structures instead (tegula and axillary sclerites). Moreover, the mutant cells impose on neighboring wild-type cells more distal developmental fates, like lateral notum or wing hinge. These findings support a tergal phylogenetic origin for the most proximal part of the wing and provide evidence for a novel pattern organizing center at the border between the apposed notum (Iro-C-expressing) and hinge (Iro-C-nonexpressing) cells. This border is not a cell lineage restriction boundary.     

The MAPKKK Mekk1 regulates the expression of Turandot stress genes in response to septic injury in Drosophila

Septic injury triggers a rapid and widespread response in Drosophila adults that involves the up-regulation of many genes required to combat infection and for wound healing. Genome-wide expression profiling has already demonstrated that this response is controlled by signaling through the Toll, Imd, JAK-STAT and JNK pathways. Using oligonucleotide microarrays, we now demonstrate that the MAPKKK Mekk1 regulates a small subset of genes induced by septic injury including Turandot (Tot) stress genes. Our analysis indicates that Tot genes show a complex regulation pattern including signals from both the JAK-STAT and Imd pathways and Mekk1. Interestingly, Mekk1 flies are resistant to microbial infection but susceptible to paraquat, an inducer of oxidative stress. These results point to a role of Mekk1 in the protection against tissue damage and/or protein degradation and indicate complex interactions between stress and immune pathways in Drosophila.     

低氧训练与低氧大鼠心肌细胞凋亡及凋亡因子的表达

背景：低氧训练时,机体既要承受运动负荷,同时处于外界的低氧环境,此时, 心组织将如何适应其变化?其机制研究国内外较少。 目的：观察低氧与低氧训练对大鼠心肌细胞凋亡及Bax及Bcl-2表达的影响。 方法：SD大鼠共60只随机分为6组,常氧组、低氧8 h组、低氧12 h组、常氧训练组、低氧8 h训练组和低氧12 h训练组,每组10只。后3组大鼠每天在坡度为0的动物跑台上以25 m/min的速度训练1 h。训练完后,将低氧8 h组、低氧8 h训练组和低氧12 h组、低氧12 h训练组放入氧体积分数为12.5%(相当于海拔4 000 m)的低氧舱内8 h和12 h。实验期为4周,5 d/周。最后1次实验结束后24 h,大鼠均实施速眠新Ⅱ腹腔麻醉后取材,采用苏木精-伊红染色、原位末端脱氧核糖核苷酸转移酶介导的dUTP缺口末端标记法及蛋白免疫组织化学法检测各组大鼠心肌细胞凋亡和Bcl-2、Bax蛋白表达。 结果与结论：①与常氧组相比, 低氧12h组、常氧训练组、低氧训练组心肌细胞凋亡指数均显著增加 (P < 0.05) ;低氧12 h训练组心肌细胞凋亡指数显著多于常氧训练组和低氧8h训练组(P < 0.05) 。②与常氧组比较,其他各组Bcl-2、Bax、Bcl-2/Bax均显著性增高(P < 0.05) ;常氧训练组Bcl-2、Bax、Bcl-2/Bax表达显著高于低氧 8 h组,显著低于低氧12 h训练组(P < 0.05) ;低氧12 h训练组Bcl-2、Bax、Bcl-2/Bax表达比低氧12 h组、低氧8 h训练组显著增加(P < 0.05)。提示低氧、低氧训练可诱导大鼠心肌细胞Bcl-2、Bax蛋白表达, 运动时低氧刺激与细胞凋亡率、凋亡指数及病理损伤有关,其中以低氧12 h后运动训练组最明显,心肌细胞的凋亡调控与Bcl-2和Bax相关。     

睡眠剥夺通过影响大鼠下丘脑组蛋白乙酰化调控神经元Orexin A的表达

目的:探讨睡眠剥夺(sleep deprivation,SD)对大鼠下丘脑组蛋白乙酰化水平的影响,并观察乙酰化修饰是否影响神经元下丘脑促觉醒肽Orexin A的表达。方法:成年雄性大鼠24只,采用改良多平台睡眠剥夺法建立大鼠SD模型,随机分为对照组(n=6)和SD组(n=18);Western Blot法检测大鼠下丘脑组蛋白乙酰化水平的变化;免疫荧光法观察下丘脑Orexin A神经元。结果:与对照组相比,SD后1 d,3 d及6 d,下丘脑组蛋白H3亚基9位赖氨酸(H3K9)、H3K14位点的乙酰化水平明显下降(P0.05),但三个时间点之间无显著差异(P0.05)。SD后3 d,下丘脑的Orexin A+神经元数目和对照组相比明显减少(P0.05),而给予组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂SAHA(25 mg/kg,i.p.)可部分恢复SD减少的Orexin A~+神经元数(P0.05)。结论:睡眠剥夺可能通过影响大鼠下丘脑组蛋白的乙酰化修饰水平减少神经元Orexin A的表达。     

地塞米松下调哮喘大鼠肺组织bFGF的表达

支气管哮喘(简称哮喘)是由多种细胞和细胞组分参与的慢性炎症性疾病,反复炎症刺激导致气道高反应和气道重塑,目前认为气道重塑是难治性哮喘及哮喘气道不可逆损伤的主要原因。研究表明,碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(basic fibrob last growth factor,bFGF)参与了哮喘气道重塑过程,但目前国内外对哮喘时bFGF表达变化的研究多集中在慢性哮喘气道重塑方面,而对于哮喘急性期bFGF的表达变化却鲜见报道。本实验通过建立哮喘大鼠模型,研究bFGF蛋白和mRNA在哮喘急性期的表达并观察地塞米松治疗对其影响,探讨早期地塞米松干预抑制气道重塑的可能机制…     

A cis element in the recombination activating gene locus regulates gene expression by counteracting a distant silencer

We have identified a silencer and an antisilencing element that interact at a distance of 85 kilobases to regulate expression of the recombination activating genes Rag1 and Rag2 in thymocytes. Transgenic experiments showed that Rag promoter-proximal cis elements directed tissue-specific expression and that a Runx-dependent intergenic silencer suppressed expression in developing T cells. Deletion of the antisilencing element from the genomic Rag locus unmasked the intergenic silencer and abrogated Rag expression in developing CD4(+)CD8(+) T cells. We speculate that the Rag antisilencing element belongs to a class of cis elements that might be useful for genome diversification by activating genes encoded by otherwise silent transposable elements.     

The roles of the cadherins Fat and Dachsous in planar polarity specification in Drosophila

Planar polarity is generated through the activity of two groups of proteins, the "core" system and the Fat (Ft)/Dachsous (Ds) system. Although both are conserved from insects to mammals, vertebrate studies into planar polarity have primarily focussed on core planar polarity proteins and have only recently branched into the study of the Ft/Ds system. In Drosophila, however, years of detailed analysis have started to elucidate some of the mechanisms by which Ft/Ds signalling might set up polarity across a tissue, and how this may impact upon core protein-mediated planar polarity. In this review, we discuss the major findings, models, and controversies that have emerged from Drosophila research into the Ft/Ds system, and indicate some areas for further investigation.     

Neural responses to facial expression and face identity in the monkey amygdala

The amygdala is purported to play an important role in face processing, yet the specificity of its activation to face stimuli and the relative contribution of identity and expression to its activation are unknown. In the current study, neural activity in the amygdala was recorded as monkeys passively viewed images of monkey faces, human faces, and objects on a computer monitor. Comparable proportions of neurons responded selectively to images from each category. Neural responses to monkey faces were further examined to determine whether face identity or facial expression drove the face-selective responses. The majority of these neurons (64%) responded both to identity and facial expression, suggesting that these parameters are processed jointly in the amygdala. Large fractions of neurons, however, showed pure identity-selective or expression-selective responses. Neurons were selective for a particular facial expression by either increasing or decreasing their firing rate compared with the firing rates elicited by the other expressions. Responses to appeasing faces were often marked by significant decreases of firing rates, whereas responses to threatening faces were strongly associated with increased firing rate. Thus global activation in the amygdala might be larger to threatening faces than to neutral or appeasing faces.