Search results for "Cell Lineage"
showing 10 items of 126 documents
Human NK cells selective targeting of colon cancer-initiating cells: a role for natural cytotoxicity receptors and MHC class I molecules
2013
Abstract Tumor cell populations have been recently proposed to be composed of two compartments: tumor-initiating cells characterized by a slow and asymmetrical growth, and the “differentiated” cancer cells with a fast and symmetrical growth. Cancer stem cells or cancer-initiating cells (CICs) play a crucial role in tumor recurrence. The resistance of CICs to drugs and irradiation often allows them to survive traditional therapy. NK cells are potent cytotoxic lymphocytes that can recognize tumor cells. In this study, we have analyzed the NK cell recognition of tumor target cells derived from the two cancer cell compartments of colon adenocarcinoma lesions. Our data demonstrate that freshly p…
In vivo fate mapping with SCL regulatory elements identifies progenitors for primitive and definitive hematopoiesis in mice.
2009
10 páginas, 6 figuras.-- et al.
Neuronal precursor-specific activity of a human doublecortin regulatory sequence.
2005
The doublecortin (DCX) gene encodes a 40-kDa microtubule-associated protein specifically expressed in neuronal precursors of the developing and adult CNS. Due to its specific expression pattern, attention was drawn to DCX as a marker for neuronal precursors and neurogenesis, thereby underscoring the importance of its promoter identification and promoter analysis. Here, we analysed the human DCX regulatory sequence and confined it to a 3.5-kb fragment upstream of the ATG start codon. We demonstrate by transient transfection experiments that this fragment is sufficient and specific to drive expression of reporter genes in embryonic and adult neuronal precursors. The activity of this regulator…
EGFR signalling is required for Paracentrotus lividus endomesoderm specification
2008
The EGFR pathway is critical for cell fate specification throughout the development of several organisms. Here we identified in sea urchin an EGFR-related antigen maternally expressed and showing a dynamic pattern of localization during development. To investigate the role played by the EGFR in Paracentrotus lividus development we blocked its activity by using the EGFR kinase inhibitor AG1478. This treatment produces decrease of EGFR phosphorylation, and embryos with various defects especially in the endomesoderm territory until to obtain an animalized phenotype. These effects are rescued by the addition of TGF-alpha, an EGFR ligand. The role played by EGFR-like along the animal/vegetal axi…
T helper 17 lineage differentiation is programmed by orphan nuclear receptors ROR alpha and ROR gamma.
2007
T cell functional differentiation is mediated by lineage-specific transcription factors. T helper 17 (Th17) has been recently identified as a distinct Th lineage mediating tissue inflammation. Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor gamma (ROR gamma) was shown to regulate Th17 differentiation; ROR gamma deficiency, however, did not completely abolish Th17 cytokine expression. Here, we report Th17 cells highly expressed another related nuclear receptor, ROR alpha, induced by transforming growth factor-beta and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is dependent on signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Overexpression of ROR alpha promoted Th17 differentiation, possibly through the c…
The protein tyrosine kinase Tec regulates a CD44highCD62L- Th17 subset.
2010
Abstract The generation of Th17 cells has to be tightly controlled during an immune response. In this study, we report an increase in a CD44highCD62L− Th17 subset in mice deficient for the protein tyrosine kinase Tec. CD44highCD62L− Tec−/− CD4+ T cells produced enhanced IL-17 upon activation, showed increased expression levels of IL-23R and RORγt, and IL-23–mediated expansion of Tec−/− CD4+ T cells led to an increased production of IL-17. Tec−/− mice immunized with heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae displayed increased IL-17 expression levels in the lung postinfection with S. pneumoniae, and this correlated with enhanced pneumococcal clearance and reduced lung inflammation compared with T…
Tumour vascularization via endothelial differentiation of glioblastoma stem-like cells
2010
Glioblastoma is a highly angiogenetic malignancy, the neoformed vessels of which are thought to arise by sprouting of pre-existing brain capillaries. The recent demonstration that a population of glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) maintains glioblastomas indicates that the progeny of these cells may not be confined to the neural lineage. Normal neural stem cells are able to differentiate into functional endothelial cells. The connection between neural stem cells and the endothelial compartment seems to be critical in glioblastoma, where cancer stem cells closely interact with the vascular niche and promote angiogenesis through the release of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and str…
Epigenetic modifiers are necessary but not sufficient for reprogramming non-myelinating cells into myelin gene-expressing cells.
2010
Background Modifications on specific histone residues and DNA methylation play an essential role in lineage choice and cellular reprogramming. We have previously shown that histone modifications or combinatorial codes of transcription factors (TFs) are critical for the differentiation of multipotential progenitors into myelinating oligodendrocytes. In this study we asked whether combining global manipulation of DNA methylation and histone acetylation together with the expression of oligodendrocyte- specific TFs, was sufficient to switch the identity of fibroblasts into myelin gene-expressing cells. Methodology/Principal Findings Transfection of six oligodendrocyte-specific TFs (Olig1, Olig2…
Subtypes of glial cells in the Drosophila embryonic ventral nerve cord as related to lineage and gene expression
2008
In the Drosophila embryonic CNS several subtypes of glial cells develop, which arrange themselves at characteristic positions and presumably fulfil specific functions. The mechanisms leading to the specification and differentiation of glial subtypes are largely unknown. By DiI labelling in glia-specific Gal4 lines we have clarified the lineages of the lateral glia in the embryonic ventral nerve cord and linked each glial cell to a specific stem cell. For the lineage of the longitudinal glioblast we show that it consists of 9 cells, which acquire at least four different identities. A large collection of molecular markers (many of them representing transcription factors and potential Gcm targ…
A Cre-inducible diphtheria toxin receptor mediates cell lineage ablation after toxin administration.
2004
A new system for lineage ablation is based on transgenic expression of a diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) in mouse cells and application of diphtheria toxin (DT). To streamline this approach, we generated Cre-inducible DTR transgenic mice (iDTR) in which Cre-mediated excision of a STOP cassette renders cells sensitive to DT. We tested the iDTR strain by crossing to the T cell- and B cell-specific CD4-Cre and CD19-Cre strains, respectively, and observed efficient ablation of T and B cells after exposure to DT. In MOGi-Cre/iDTR double transgenic mice expressing Cre recombinase in oligodendrocytes, we observed myelin loss after intraperitoneal DT injections. Thus, DT crosses the blood-brain bar…