Search results for "Intermediate Filament Protein"
showing 10 items of 42 documents
Maintenance of the intestinal tube in Caenorhabditis elegans: the role of the intermediate filament protein IFC-2.
2008
The Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal lumen is surrounded by a dense cytoplasmic network that is laterally attached to the junctional complex and is referred to as the endotube. It localizes to the terminal web region which anchors the microvillar actin filament bundles and is particularly rich in intermediate filaments. To examine their role in intestinal morphogenesis and function, C. elegans reporter strains were generated expressing intestine-specific CFP-tagged intermediate filament polypeptide IFB-2. When these animals were treated with dsRNA against intestinal intermediate filament polypeptide IFC-2, the endotube developed multiple bubble-shaped invaginations that protruded into the …
The human gene encoding cytokeratin 20 and its expression during fetal development and in gastrointestinal carcinomas
1993
The differentiation of the predominant cell types of the mucosal epithelium of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract is characterized by increasing amounts of an intermediate-sized filament (IF) protein designated cytokeratin (CK) 20 which is a major cellular protein of mature enterocytes and goblet cells. Here we report the isolation of the human gene encoding CK 20, its complete nucleotide sequence and the amino acid sequence deduced therefrom that identifies this polypeptide (mol. wt. 48553) as a member of the type I-CK subfamily. Remarkable, however, is the comparably great sequence divergence of CK 20 from all other known type I-CKs, with only 58% identical amino acids in the conserved …
The Endocannabinoid System Promotes Astroglial Differentiation by Acting on Neural Progenitor Cells
2006
Endocannabinoids exert an important neuromodulatory role via presynaptic cannabinoid CB1receptors and may also participate in the control of neural cell death and survival. The function of the endocannabinoid system has been extensively studied in differentiated neurons, but its potential role in neural progenitor cells remains to be elucidated. Here we show that the CB1receptor and the endocannabinoid-inactivating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase are expressed, bothin vitroandin vivo, in postnatal radial glia (RC2+cells) and in adult nestin type I (nestin+GFAP+) neural progenitor cells. Cell culture experiments show that CB1receptor activation increases progenitor proliferation and differ…
TGF-β superfamily signaling is essential for tooth and hair morphogenesis and differentiation
2007
Members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily of signaling molecules are involved in the regulation of many developmental processes that involve the interaction between mesenchymal and epithelial tissues. Smad7 is a potent inhibitor of many members of the TGF-beta family, notably TGF-beta and activin. In this study, we show that embryonic overexpression of Smad7 in stratified epithelia using a keratin 5 promoter, results in severe morphogenetic defects in skin and teeth and leads to embryonic and perinatal lethality. To further analyze the functions of Smad7 in epithelial tissues of adult mice, we used an expression system that allowed a controlled overexpression of …
Purkinje cell loss and motor coordination defects in profilin1 mutant mice.
2012
Profilin1 is an actin monomer-binding protein, essential for cytoskeletal dynamics. Based on its broad expression in the brain and the localization at excitatory synapses (hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapse, cerebellar parallel fiber (PF)-Purkinje cell (PC) synapse), an important role for profilin1 in brain development and synapse physiology has been postulated. We recently showed normal physiology of hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses in the absence of profilin1, but impaired glial cell binding and radial migration of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). Consequently, brain-specific inactivation of profilin1 by exploiting conditional mutants and Nestin-mediated cre expression resulted in a cerebellar hyp…
Dual effects of increased glycogen synthase kinase-3β activity on adult neurogenesis
2013
Adult neurogenesis, the generation of new neurons during the adulthood, is a process controlled by several kinases and phosphatases among which GSK3β exerts important functions. This protein is particularly abundant in the central nervous system, and its activity deregulation is believed to play a key role in chronic disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Previously, we reported that in vivo overexpression of GSK3β (Tet/GSK3β mice) causes alterations in adult neurogenesis, leading to a depletion of the neurogenic niches. Here, we have further characterized those alterations, finding a delay in the switching-off of doublecortin marker as well as changes in the survival and death rates of imm…
Expression of the transcription factor Pax6 in the adult rat dentate gyrus
2005
The transcription factor Pax 6 is expressed in precursor cells during embryonic CNS development, and it plays an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation and neuronal fate determination. Pax 6-expressing cells are also present in the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus and subventricular zone/rostral migratory stream, regions in which neuronal precursors exist during adult life. In the adult dentate gyrus, precursor cells are located in the innermost portion of the granule cell layer, and Pax 6-expressing nuclei are most abundant in this region. To examine the putative role of Pax 6 in adult hippocampal neurogenesis, we have studied the proliferative activity, distribution, and ph…
Distribution patterns of vimentin-immunoreactive structures in the human prosencephalon during the second half of gestation.
1999
Neuronal migration is guided by long radially oriented glial fibres. During late stages of development radial glial cells are transformed into astrocytes. A predominant intermediate filament protein within radial glial cells and immature astrocytes is vimentin. In this study fetal brain sections were used to demonstrate the transient features of vimentin-positive radial glia. In the lower half of the cerebral wall of the 6th gestational month bundles, curvature, and crossing of vimentin-positive fibres are regularly seen. Moreover, fibres terminating on vessels are observed. In the upper half fibres are radially oriented; when ascending towards the pial surface the number and diameter of fi…
Expression Profile of Stress Proteins, Intermediate Filaments, and Adhesion Molecules in Experimentally Denervated and Reinnervated Rat Facial Muscle
1997
The immunohistochemical profiles of ubiquitin, heat shock protein 70, alpha-B-crystallin, desmin, vimentin, neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM), and tenascin in rat facial muscle were studied after permanent denervation by transection of the facial plexus on one side and compared with findings after immediate reinnervation by hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis subsequent to transection on the contralateral side. Levator labii muscle samples were collected sequentially at 2, 6, 7, 10, 20, and 24 weeks after surgery. Normal levator labii muscle fibers showed physiological expression of desmin and alpha-B-crystallin. Denervated rat facial muscle displayed distinct up-regulation of ubiquiti…
Congenital myopathies with inclusion bodies: a brief review
1998
Abstract Based on morphological abnormalities, congenital myopathies can be classified into several categories: (1) enzyme histochemically abnormal appearance without structural pathology, e.g. congenital fibre type disproportion or congenital fibre type uniformity; (2) abnormally placed nuclei, e.g. myotubular and centronuclear myopathies; (3) disruption of normal intrinsic structures, largely sarcomeres, e.g. central cores and minicores; (4) abnormal inclusions within muscle fibres. Several such inclusions are derived from pre-existing structures, most notably rods or nemaline bodies. Other derivatives of Z-band material are cytoplasmic bodies and possibly related inclusions as spheroid b…