Search results for "Embryonic Stem Cell"
showing 10 items of 223 documents
Establishment of Polycomb silencing requires a transient interaction between PC and ESC
2001
Two distinct types of Polycomb complexes have been identified in flies and in vertebrates, one containing ESC and one containing PC. Using LexA fusions, we show that PC and ESC can establish silencing of a reporter gene but that each requires the presence of the other. In early embryonic extracts, we find PC transiently associated with ESC in a complex that includes EZ, PHO, PH, GAGA, and RPD3 but not PSC. In older embryos, PC is found in a complex including PH, PSC, GAGA, and RPD3, whereas ESC is in a separate complex including EZ, PHO, and RPD3.
Differentiation-regulated loss of the polysialylated embryonic form and expression of the different polypeptides of the neural cell adhesion molecule…
1989
The expression of the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) on cultured murine oligodendrocytes, their precursors, and myelin was examined by indirect immunofluorescence, biosynthetic radiolabeling followed by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis, using antibodies specific for various forms of the molecule. In all culture systems studied, whether the oligodendrocytes were cultured as an enriched fraction containing precursor cells or in the presence of astrocytes and neurons, a similar differentiation-stage-related expression of N-CAM was seen. At early developmental stages many tetanus toxin receptor- and A2B5 antigen-positive putative oligodendrocyte precursors with bipolar morph…
A new method to isolate microglia from adult mice and culture them for an extended period of time
2009
As the major immuno-competent cells of the brain, microglia are highly implicated in neuro-protection as well as in neurodegeneration. Therefore, they are of key interest for research on numerous CNS diseases. Currently, to model inflammation in the brain, microglial cell lines or primary microglia prepared from embryonic or neo-natal rodents are widely used. However, these in vitro microglial models are not suitable for research in the field of neuro-degenerative diseases where aging is a crucial parameter. Only a few in vitro studies on aged microglia have been published so far, most of which use ex vivo microglia which cannot be kept in culture for prolonged periods of time. In the prese…
Expression of the Sonic Hedgehog Embryonic Signalling Pathway Components in Matched Pre-Treatment and Relapsed Small Cell Lung Cancer Biopsies
2021
Abstract Cancer stem cells may be responsible for tumour regrowth and acquisition of resistance in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The Hedgehog pathway regulates survival and proliferation of tissue progenitor and stem cell populations, promoting the expression of stem cell related and proliferative genes. We evaluated the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) embryonic signalling pathway in relapsed SCLC. Expression levels of Shh related genes GLI1, SMO, SUFU, PTCH1, HHIP, BCL2, BMI, ZEB1, ZEB2, N-MYC, Twist1 were analysed by qRT-PCR in matched pre-treatment and relapsed tumour fresh frozen biopsies of three SCLC patients. Expression of each gene was compared using the paired samples t-test, as well as comp…
Microbiome in Embryonic Implantation and Implantation Failure
2017
The latest advances in microbial detection with next-generation sequencing have enabled the study of low biomass microbiomes of tissues and organs previously considered sterile, such as the endometrium. Most recently an abnormal endometrial microbiota has been associated with implantation failure, pregnancy loss, as well as other gynecological and obstetrical conditions. Further investigation of the reproductive tract microbiome in physiological and pathological conditions will allow researchers to unravel the role of bacterial communities and its function in the uterine cavity before, during, and after pregnancy. As knowledge of the reproductive tract microbiome evolves, there are data whi…
Sea urchin embryos exposed to cadmium as an experimental model for studying the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis
2014
The sea urchin embryo is a suitable model that offers an excellent opportunity to investigate different defence strategies activated in stress conditions. We previously showed that cadmium accumulates in a dose- and time-dependent manner into embryonic cells, activating different stress and defence mechanisms, including the synthesis of HSPs and the onset of apoptosis and/or autophagy. In this paper we investigated the functional relationship between autophagy and apoptosis, evaluating apoptosis signals in cadmium-exposed Paracentrotus lividus embryos with inhibited autophagy. We found that the inhibition of autophagy produced the concurrent reduction of apoptosis, suggesting that the two p…
The Role of Autophagy and Apoptosis During Embryo Development
2015
Programmed cell death (PCD) and cell survival are two sides of the same coin. Autopha‐ gy and apoptosis are crucial processes during embryo development of Invertebrates and Vertebrates organisms, as they are necessary for the formation of a new organism, start‐ ing from a fertilized egg. Fertilization triggers cell remodeling from each gamete to a toti‐ potent zygote. During embryogenesis, the cells undergo various processes, thus allowing the transformation of the embryo into an adult organism. In particular, cells require the appropriate tools to suddenly modify their morphology and protein content in order to respond to intrinsic and external stimuli. Autophagy and apoptosis are involved…
Monitoring Stemness in Long-Term hESC Cultures by Real-Time PCR
2009
Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) involve long-term cultures that must remain undifferentiated. The real-time PCR (RT-PCR) technique allows the relative quantification of target genes, including undifferentiation and differentiation markers when referred to a housekeeping control with the addition of a calibrator that serves as an internal control to compare different lots of reactions during the time. The main aspects will include a minimal number of cells to be analyzed, genes to be tested, and how to choose the appropriate calibrator sample and the reference gene. In this chapter, we present how to apply the RT-PCR technique, protocols for its performance, experimental set-up and softwar…
Human germ cell differentiation from fetal- and adult-derived induced pluripotent stem cells
2010
Historically, our understanding of molecular genetic aspects of human germ cell development has been limited, at least in part due to inaccessibility of early stages of human development to experimentation. However, the derivation of pluripotent stem cells may provide the necessary human genetic system to study germ cell development. In this study, we compared the potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), derived from adult and fetal somatic cells to form primordial and meiotic germ cells, relative to human embryonic stem cells. We found that ∼5% of human iPSCs differentiated to primordial germ cells (PGCs) following induction with bone morphogenetic proteins. Furthermore, …
2 Genes and Their Products in Sea Urchin Development
1999
Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the genes and their products in sea urchin development. Sea urchin embryos were among the first eukaryotes in which regulation of gene expression was studied and still represent one of the main developing systems for which most of the literature has accumulated in the past and also in recent years. The interest in the subject has, however, shifted from the molecular biology field—that is, from the study of the mechanisms of regulation of gene expression—to a field in which the role of genes and their products on development is being considered. The study of the synthesis of histones has served the purpose of trying to understand the mechanisms, unde…