Search results for "Micro"

2018

We use the myotendinous junction of Drosophila flight muscles to explore why many integrin associated proteins (IAPs) are needed and how their function is coordinated. These muscles revealed new functions for IAPs not required for viability: Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), RSU1, tensin and vinculin. Genetic interactions demonstrated a balance between positive and negative activities, with vinculin and tensin positively regulating adhesion, while FAK inhibits elevation of integrin activity by tensin, and RSU1 keeps PINCH activity in check. The molecular composition of myofibril termini resolves into 4 distinct layers, one of which is built by a mechanotransduction cascade: vinculin facilitates …

Sensory neuropathy in progressive motor neuronopathy(pmn)mice is associated with defects in microtubule polymerization and axonal transport

2016

Motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are now recognized as multi-system disorders also involving various non-motor neuronal cell types. The precise extent and mechanistic basis of non-motor neuron damage in human ALS and ALS animal models remain however unclear. To address this, we here studied progressive motor neuronopathy (pmn) mice carrying a missense loss-of-function mutation in tubulin binding cofactor E (TBCE). These mice manifest a particularly aggressive form of motor axon dying back and display a microtubule loss, similar to that induced by human ALS-linked TUBA4A mutations. Using whole nerve confocal imaging of pmn × thy1.2-YFP16 fluorescent reporter …

ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Metaviridae

2020

Metaviridae is a family of retrotransposons and reverse-transcribing viruses with long terminal repeats belonging to the order Ortervirales. Members of the genera Errantivirus and Metavirus include, respectively, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ty3 virus and its Gypsy-like relatives in drosophilids. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Metaviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/metaviridae.

Assessment of embryo morphology and developmental dynamics by time-lapse microscopy: is there a relation to implantation and ploidy?

2017

Time-lapse microscopy (TLM) is an exciting novel technology with great potential for enhancing embryo selection in the embryology laboratory. This non-invasive objective assessment of embryos has provided a new tool for predicting embryo development and implantation potential. TLM detects several morphological phenomena that are often missed with static observations using conventional incubators, such as irregular divisions, blastocyst collapse and re-expansion, timing of blastocoel appearance, and timing of formation and internalization of fragments. Nevertheless, it should be recognized that conventional morphological assessment has been widely accepted as the gold standard by most embryo…

Comparison of CRISPR and Marker-Based Methods for the Engineering of Phage T7

2020

This article belongs to the Section Bacterial Viruses.

Assessing sensory versus optogenetic network activation by combining (o)fMRI with optical Ca2+ recordings

2016

Encoding of sensory inputs in the cortex is characterized by sparse neuronal network activation. Optogenetic stimulation has previously been combined with fMRI (ofMRI) to probe functional networks. However, for a quantitative optogenetic probing of sensory-driven sparse network activation, the level of similarity between sensory and optogenetic network activation needs to be explored. Here, we complement ofMRI with optic fiber-based population Ca2+ recordings for a region-specific readout of neuronal spiking activity in rat brain. Comparing Ca2+ responses to the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal upon sensory stimulation with increasing frequencies showed adaptation of Ca2+ transient…

2017

Coastal marine Vibrio cholerae populations usually exhibit high genetic diversity. To assess the genetic diversity of abundant V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139 populations in the Central European lake Neusiedler See, we performed a phylogenetic analysis based on recA, toxR, gyrB and pyrH loci sequenced for 472 strains. The strains were isolated from three ecologically different habitats in a lake that is a hot-spot of migrating birds and an important bathing water. We also analyzed 76 environmental and human V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139 isolates from Austria and other European countries and added sequences of seven genome-sequenced strains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the lake supports a un…

MiR-144 overexpression as a promising therapeutic strategy to overcome glioblastoma cell invasiveness and resistance to chemotherapy

2019

Abstract Glioblastoma (GB) is the most aggressive and common form of primary brain tumor, characterized by fast proliferation, high invasion, and resistance to current standard treatment. The average survival rate post-diagnosis is only of 14.6 months, despite the aggressive standard post-surgery treatment approaches of radiotherapy concomitant with chemotherapy with temozolomide. Altered cell metabolism has been identified as an emerging cancer hallmark, including in GB, thus offering a new target for cancer therapies. On the other hand, abnormal expression levels of miRNAs, key regulators of multiple molecular pathways, have been correlated with pathological manifestations of cancer, such…

Shifts in gut microbiota composition in an APP/PSS1 transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease during lifespan.

2017

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and one of the major causes of disability and dependency in older people. Accumulating evidences link gut microbiota with different diseases and its relationship with neurodegenerative diseases is becoming most intriguing. This study was aimed to compare the gut microbiota of transgenic APP/PS1 (TG) mice, a well‐established deterministic mouse model of AD, with their C57BL/6 wild‐type (WT) littermates. Faecal samples were collected from 3‐, 6‐ and 24‐month‐old mice and analysed by pyrosequencing of the V1–V3 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Bacterial profiles were similar in all young mice (3 months old), and started to div…

Cytoskeletal transgelin 2 contributes to gender-dependent adipose tissue expandability and immune function

2019

During adipogenesis, preadipocytes' cytoskeleton reorganizes in parallel with lipid accumulation. Failure to do so may impact the ability of adipose tissue (AT) to shift between lipid storage and mobilization. Here, we identify cytoskeletal transgelin 2 (TAGLN2) as a protein expressed in AT and associated with obesity and inflammation, being normalized upon weight loss. TAGLN2 was primarily found in the adipose stromovascular cell fraction, but inflammation, TGF-β, and estradiol also prompted increased expression in human adipocytes. Tagln2 knockdown revealed a key functional role, being required for proliferation and differentiation of fat cells, whereas transgenic mice overexpressing Tagl…