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Cell Biology

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Cells, Cultured

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Fbf Represses The Cip/Kip Cell-Cycle Inhibitor Cki-2 To Promote Self-Renewal Of Germline Stem Cells In C. Elegans, Irene Kalchhauser, Brian Farley, Sandra Pauli, Sean Ryder, Rafal Ciosk May 2015

Fbf Represses The Cip/Kip Cell-Cycle Inhibitor Cki-2 To Promote Self-Renewal Of Germline Stem Cells In C. Elegans, Irene Kalchhauser, Brian Farley, Sandra Pauli, Sean Ryder, Rafal Ciosk

Sean P. Ryder

Although the decision between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation has been linked to cell-cycle modifications, our understanding of cell-cycle regulation in stem cells is very limited. Here, we report that FBF/Pumilio, a conserved RNA-binding protein, promotes self-renewal of germline stem cells by repressing CKI-2(Cip/Kip), a Cyclin E/Cdk2 inhibitor. We have previously shown that repression of CYE-1 (Cyclin E) by another RNA-binding protein, GLD-1/Quaking, promotes germ cell differentiation. Together, these findings suggest that a post-transcriptional regulatory circuit involving FBF and GLD-1 controls the self-renewal versus differentiation decision in the germline by promoting high CYE-1/CDK-2 activity in stem cells, and inhibiting CYE-1/CDK-2 …


Pubertal And Adult Leydig Cell Function In Mullerian Inhibiting Substance-Deficient Mice, Xiufeng Wu, Ramamani Arumugam, Stephen Baker, Mary Lee Sep 2014

Pubertal And Adult Leydig Cell Function In Mullerian Inhibiting Substance-Deficient Mice, Xiufeng Wu, Ramamani Arumugam, Stephen Baker, Mary Lee

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) causes Mullerian duct regression during sexual differentiation and regulates postnatal Leydig cell development. MIS knockout (MIS-KO) mice with targeted deletions of MIS develop Leydig cell hyperplasia, but their circulating androgen concentrations are reportedly unaltered. We compared reproductive hormone profiles, androgen biosynthesis, and the expression of key steroidogenic and metabolic enzymes in MIS-KO and wild-type (WT) mice at puberty (36 d) and sexual maturity (60 d). In pubertal animals, basal testosterone and LH concentrations in plasma were lower in MIS-KO than WT mice, whereas human chorionic gonadotropin-stimulated testosterone concentrations were similar. In adults, basal LH, and both …


Mullerian-Inhibiting Substance Type Ii Receptor Expression And Function In Purified Rat Leydig Cells, Mary Lee, C. Seah, P. Masiakos, Chantal Sottas, F. Preffer, Patricia Donahoe, David Maclaughlin, Matthew Hardy Sep 2014

Mullerian-Inhibiting Substance Type Ii Receptor Expression And Function In Purified Rat Leydig Cells, Mary Lee, C. Seah, P. Masiakos, Chantal Sottas, F. Preffer, Patricia Donahoe, David Maclaughlin, Matthew Hardy

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian-inhibiting substance (MIS), a gonadal hormone in the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, induces Mullerian duct involution during male sexual differentiation. Mice with null mutations of the MIS ligand or receptor develop Leydig cell hyperplasia and neoplasia in addition to retained Mullerian ducts, whereas MIS-overexpressing transgenic mice have decreased testosterone concentrations and Leydig cell numbers. We hypothesized that MIS directly modulates Leydig cell proliferation and differentiated function in the maturing testis. Therefore, highly purified rat Leydig and Sertoli cells were isolated to examine cell-specific expression, binding, and function of the MIS type II receptor. These studies revealed that this receptor is …


Mutant Rac1b Expression In Dictyostelium: Effects On Morphology, Growth, Endocytosis, Development, And The Actin Cytoskeleton, S. Palmieri, Thomas Nebl, Robert Pope, D. Seastone, E. Lee, E. Hinchcliffe, Greenfield Sluder, D. Knecht, J. Cardelli, Elizabeth Luna Mar 2008

Mutant Rac1b Expression In Dictyostelium: Effects On Morphology, Growth, Endocytosis, Development, And The Actin Cytoskeleton, S. Palmieri, Thomas Nebl, Robert Pope, D. Seastone, E. Lee, E. Hinchcliffe, Greenfield Sluder, D. Knecht, J. Cardelli, Elizabeth Luna

Elizabeth J. Luna

Rac1 is a small G-protein in the Ras superfamily that has been implicated in the control of cell growth, adhesion, and the actin-based cytoskeleton. To investigate the role of Rac1 during motile processes, we have established Dictyostelium cell lines that conditionally overexpress epitope-tagged Dictyostelium discoideum wild-type Rac1B (DdRac1B) or a mutant DdRac1B protein. Expression of endogenous levels of myc- or GFP-tagged wild-type DdRac1B had minimal effect on cellular morphologies and behaviors. By contrast, expression of a constitutively active mutant (G12-->V or Q61-->L) or a dominant negative mutant (T17-->N) generated amoebae with characteristic cellular defects. The morphological appearance …


Supervillin Modulation Of Focal Adhesions Involving Trip6/Zrp-1, Norio Takizawa, Tara C. Smith, Thomas Nebl, Jessica Lynn Crowley, Stephen J. Palmieri, Lawrence M. Lifshitz, Anka G. Ehrhardt, Laura M. Hoffman, Mary C. Beckerle, Elizabeth J. Luna Mar 2008

Supervillin Modulation Of Focal Adhesions Involving Trip6/Zrp-1, Norio Takizawa, Tara C. Smith, Thomas Nebl, Jessica Lynn Crowley, Stephen J. Palmieri, Lawrence M. Lifshitz, Anka G. Ehrhardt, Laura M. Hoffman, Mary C. Beckerle, Elizabeth J. Luna

Elizabeth J. Luna

Cell-substrate contacts, called focal adhesions (FAs), are dynamic in rapidly moving cells. We show that supervillin (SV)--a peripheral membrane protein that binds myosin II and F-actin in such cells--negatively regulates stress fibers, FAs, and cell-substrate adhesion. The major FA regulatory sequence within SV (SV342-571) binds to the LIM domains of two proteins in the zyxin family, thyroid receptor-interacting protein 6 (TRIP6) and lipoma-preferred partner (LPP), but not to zyxin itself. SV and TRIP6 colocalize within large FAs, where TRIP6 may help recruit SV. RNAi-mediated decreases in either protein increase cell adhesion to fibronectin. TRIP6 partially rescues SV effects on stress …


Archvillin, A Muscle-Specific Isoform Of Supervillin, Is An Early Expressed Component Of The Costameric Membrane Skeleton, Sang W. Oh, Robert K. Pope, Kelly P. Smith, Jessica Lynn Crowley, Thomas Nebl, Jeanne B. Lawrence, Elizabeth J. Luna Mar 2008

Archvillin, A Muscle-Specific Isoform Of Supervillin, Is An Early Expressed Component Of The Costameric Membrane Skeleton, Sang W. Oh, Robert K. Pope, Kelly P. Smith, Jessica Lynn Crowley, Thomas Nebl, Jeanne B. Lawrence, Elizabeth J. Luna

Elizabeth J. Luna

The membrane skeleton protein supervillin binds tightly to both F-actin and membranes and can potentiate androgen receptor activity in non-muscle cells. We report that muscle, which constitutes the principal tissue source for supervillin sequences, contains a approximately 250 kDa isoform of supervillin that localizes within nuclei and with dystrophin at costameres, regions of F-actin membrane attachment in skeletal muscle. The gene encoding this protein, 'archvillin' (Latin, archi; Greek, archos; 'principal' or 'chief'), contains an evolutionarily conserved, muscle-specific 5' leader sequence. Archvillin cDNAs also contain four exons that encode approximately 47 kDa of additional muscle-specific protein sequence in the form of …