Search results for "70"
showing 10 items of 9933 documents
One NF1 Mutation may Conceal Another
2019
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disease with complete penetrance but high variable expressivity. NF1 is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the NF1 gene, a negative regulator of the RAS-MAPK pathway. The NF1 gene has one of the highest mutation rates in human disorders, which may explain the outbreak of independent de novo variants in the same family. Here, we report the co-occurrence of pathogenic variants in the NF1 and SPRED1 genes in six families with NF1 and Legius syndrome, using next-generation sequencing. In five of these families, we observed the co-occurrence of two independent NF1 variants. All NF1 variants were classified as pathogenic, according to t…
Mesenchymal Transition of High-Grade Breast Carcinomas Depends on Extracellular Matrix Control of Myeloid Suppressor Cell Activity
2016
SummaryThe extracellular matrix (ECM) contributes to the biological and clinical heterogeneity of breast cancer, and different prognostic groups can be identified according to specific ECM signatures. In high-grade, but not low-grade, tumors, an ECM signature characterized by high SPARC expression (ECM3) identifies tumors with increased epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), reduced treatment response, and poor prognosis. To better understand how this ECM3 signature is contributing to tumorigenesis, we expressed SPARC in isogenic cell lines and found that SPARC overexpression in tumor cells reduces their growth rate and induces EMT. SPARC expression also results in the formation of a h…
Approaching Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Non-Coding RNA Research
2020
International audience; Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the biggest cause of sickness and mortality worldwide in both males and females. Clinical statistics demonstrate clear sex differences in risk, prevalence, mortality rates, and response to treatment for different entities of CVD. The reason for this remains poorly understood. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as key mediators and biomarkers of CVD. Similarly, current knowledge on differential regulation, expression, and pathology-associated function of ncRNAs between sexes is minimal. Here, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of what is known on sex differences in ncRNA research in CVD as well as discussing the contributing biol…
Anthropometric Assessment of Nepali Children Institutionalized in Orphanages
2020
Nepal is among the world&rsquo
Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function
2016
Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation o…
Genetic regulation and function of epidermal growth factor receptor signalling in patterning of the embryonicDrosophilabrain
2016
The specification of distinct neural cell types in central nervous system development crucially depends on positional cues conferred to neural stem cells in the neuroectoderm. Here, we investigate the regulation and function of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling pathway in early development of theDrosophilabrain. We find that localized EGFR signalling in the brain neuroectoderm relies on a neuromere-specific deployment of activating (Spitz, Vein) and inhibiting (Argos) ligands. Activated EGFR controls the spatially restricted expression of all dorsoventral (DV) patterning genes in a gene- and neuromere-specific manner. Further, we reveal a novel role of DV genes—ventral …
Cell-to-Cell Communication in Learning and Memory: From Neuro- and Glio-Transmission to Information Exchange Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles
2019
Most aspects of nervous system development and function rely on the continuous crosstalk between neurons and the variegated universe of non-neuronal cells surrounding them. The most extraordinary property of this cellular community is its ability to undergo adaptive modifications in response to environmental cues originating from inside or outside the body. Such ability, known as neuronal plasticity, allows long-lasting modifications of the strength, composition and efficacy of the connections between neurons, which constitutes the biochemical base for learning and memory. Nerve cells communicate with each other through both wiring (synaptic) and volume transmission of signals. It is by now…
Septin/anillin filaments scaffold central nervous system myelin to accelerate nerve conduction
2016
Myelination of axons facilitates rapid impulse propagation in the nervous system. The axon/myelin-unit becomes impaired in myelin-related disorders and upon normal aging. However, the molecular cause of many pathological features, including the frequently observed myelin outfoldings, remained unknown. Using label-free quantitative proteomics, we find that the presence of myelin outfoldings correlates with a loss of cytoskeletal septins in myelin. Regulated by phosphatidylinositol-(4,5)-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2)-levels, myelin septins (SEPT2/SEPT4/SEPT7/SEPT8) and the PI(4,5)P2-adaptor anillin form previously unrecognized filaments that extend longitudinally along myelinated axons. By confoca…
New Functions of APC/C Ubiquitin Ligase in the Nervous System and Its Role in Alzheimer’s Disease
2017
The E3 ubiquitin ligase Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C) regulates important processes in cells, such as the cell cycle, by targeting a set of substrates for degradation. In the last decade, APC/C has been related to several major functions in the nervous system, including axon guidance, synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and neuronal survival. Interestingly, some of the identified APC/C substrates have been related to neurodegenerative diseases. There is an accumulation of some degradation targets of APC/C in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains, which suggests a dysregulation of the protein complex in the disorder. Moreover, recently evidence has been provided for an inactivation o…
Lactate as a Metabolite and a Regulator in the Central Nervous System
2016
More than two hundred years after its discovery, lactate still remains an intriguing molecule. Considered for a long time as a waste product of metabolism and the culprit behind muscular fatigue, it was then recognized as an important fuel for many cells. In particular, in the nervous system, it has been proposed that lactate, released by astrocytes in response to neuronal activation, is taken up by neurons, oxidized to pyruvate and used for synthesizing acetyl-CoA to be used for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. More recently, in addition to this metabolic role, the discovery of a specific receptor prompted a reconsideration of its role, and lactate is now seen as a sort of hormone, even invol…