Life Sciences Commons^™

Evolutionary Genomics And Adaptive Evolution Of The Hedgehog Gene Family (Shh, Ihh And Dhh) In Vertebrates, Joana Pereira, Warren E. Johnson, Stephen J. O'Brien, Erich D. Jarvis, Guojie Zhang, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Vitor Vasconcelos, Agostinho Antunes

Biology Faculty Articles

The Hedgehog (Hh) gene family codes for a class of secreted proteins composed of two active domains that act as signalling molecules during embryo development, namely for the development of the nervous and skeletal systems and the formation of the testis cord. While only one Hh gene is found typically in invertebrate genomes, most vertebrates species have three (Sonic hedgehog – Shh; Indian hedgehog – Ihh; and Desert hedgehog – Dhh), each with different expression patterns and functions, which likely helped promote the increasing complexity of vertebrates and their successful diversification. In this study, we …

Progress Of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy For Neural And Retinal Diseases, Tsz Kin Ng, Veronica R. Fortino, Daniel Pelaez, Herman S. Cheung

Biology Faculty Articles

Complex circuitry and limited regenerative power make central nervous system (CNS) disorders the most challenging and difficult for functional repair. With elusive disease mechanisms, traditional surgical and medical interventions merely slow down the progression of the neurodegenerative diseases. However, the number of neurons still diminishes in many patients. Recently, stem cell therapy has been proposed as a viable option. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a widely-studied human adult stem cell population, have been discovered for more than 20 years. MSCs have been found all over the body and can be conveniently obtained from different accessible tissues: bone marrow, blood, and adipose …

Evidence For The Requirement Of 14-3-3eta (Ywhah) In Meiotic Spindle Assembly During Mouse Oocyte Maturation, Santanu De, Douglas Kline

Biology Faculty Articles

Background

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) proteins are central mediators in various cellular signaling pathways regulating development and growth, including cell cycle regulation. We previously reported that all seven mammalian 14-3-3 isoforms are expressed in mouse oocytes and eggs and that, 14-3-3η (YWHAH) accumulates and co-localizes in the region of meiotic spindle in mouse eggs matured in vivo. Therefore, we investigated the role of 14-3-3η in spindle formation during mouse oocyte maturation.

Results

Examination of oocytes matured in vitro demonstrated that 14-3-3η accumulates in both meiosis I and II spindles. To explore if 14-3-3η interacts directly with α-tubulin in meiotic spindles, …

The Principal Genetic Determinants For Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma In China Involve The Hla Class I Antigen Recognition Groove, Minzhong Tang, J. A. Lautenberger, Xiaojiang Gao, Efe Sezgin, Sher L. Hendrickson, Jennifer L. Troyer, Victor A. David, Li Guan, Carl Mcintosh, Xiuchan Guo, Yuming Zheng, Jian Liao, Hong Deng, Michael Malasky, Bailey Kessing, Cheryl Winkler, Mary Carrington, Guy De The, Yi Zeng, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial malignancy facilitated by Epstein-Barr Virus infection. Here we resolve the major genetic influences for NPC incidence using a genome-wide association study (GWAS), independent cohort replication, and high-resolution molecular HLA class I gene typing including 4,055 study participants from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guangdong province of southern China. We detect and replicate strong association signals involving SNPs, HLA alleles, and amino acid (aa) variants across the major histocompatibility complex-HLA-A, HLA –B, and HLA -C class I genes (P_{HLA-A-aa-site-62}= 7.4×10⁻²⁹; P _{HLA-B-aa-site-116}= 6.5×10⁻¹⁹; P _{HLA-C-aa-site-156} = 6.8×10 …

Expression Of 14-3-3 Protein Isoforms In Mouse Oocytes, Eggs And Ovarian Follicular Development, Santanu De, Jennifer Marcinkiewicz, Srinivasan Vijayaraghavan, Douglas Kline

Biology Faculty Articles

Background

The 14-3-3 (YWHA) proteins are a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed family of proteins. Seven mammalian isoforms of 14-3-3 are known (β, γ, ε, ζ, η, τ and, σ). These proteins associate with many intracellular proteins involved in a variety of cellular processes including regulation of the cell cycle, metabolism and protein trafficking. We are particularly interested in the role of 14-3-3 in meiosis in mammalian eggs and the role 14-3-3 proteins may play in ovarian function. Therefore, we examined the expression of 14-3-3 proteins in mouse oocyte and egg extracts by Western blotting after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, viewed fixed …

Genetic Polymorphisms Of Cyp2e1, Gstp1, Nqo1 And Mpo And The Risk Of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma In A Han Chinese Population Of Southern China, Xiuchan Guo, Yi Zeng, Hong Deng, Jian Liao, Yuming Zheng, Ji Li, Bailey Kessing, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

Background

Southern China is a major area for endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Genetic factors as well as environmental factors play a role in development of NPC. To investigate the roles of previously described carcinogen metabolism gene variants for NPC susceptibility in a Han Chinese population, we conducted a case-control study in two independent study population groups afflicted with NPC in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces of southern China.

Methods

Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CYP2E1-rs2031920, CYP2E1-rs6413432, GSTP1-rs947894, MPO-rs2333227 and NQO1-rs1800566 were genotyped by PCR-based RFLP, sequencing and TaqMan assay in 358 NPC cases and 629 …

Genetic Factors Leading To Chronic Epstein–Barr Virus Infection And Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma In South East China: Study Design, Methods And Feasibility, Xiu Chan Guo, Kevin Scott, Yan Liu, Michael Dean, Victor David, George W. Nelson, Randall C. Johnson, Holli H. Dilks, J. A. Lautenberger, Bailey Kessing, Janice S. Martenson, Li Guan, Shan Sun, Hong Deng, Yuming Zheng, Guy De The, Jian Liao, Yi Zeng, Stephen J. O'Brien, Cheryl Winkler

Biology Faculty Articles

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a complex disease caused by a combination of Epstein-Barr virus chronic infection, the environment and host genes in a multi-step process of carcinogenesis. The identity of genetic factors involved in the development of chronic Epstein-Barr virus infection and NPC remains elusive, however. Here, we describe a two-phase, population-based, case-control study of Han Chinese from Guangxi province, where the NPC incidence rate rises to a high of 25-50 per 100,000 individuals. Phase I, powered to detect single gene associations, enrolled 984 subjects to determine feasibility, to develop infrastructure and logistics and to determine error rates in sample …

Taking A Cat Map: Genome Analysis By Supercomputer, Jose V. Lopez

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Conserved Chromosomal Positions Of Dual Domains Of The Ets Protooncogene In Cats, Mice, And Humans, Dennis K. Watson, Mary J. Mcwilliams-Smith, Christine Kozak, Roger Reeves, John Gearheart, Michael F. Nunn, William Nash, John R. Fowle Iii, Peter Duesberg, Takis S. Papas, Stephen J. O'Brien

Biology Faculty Articles

The mammalian protooncogene homologue of the avian v-ets sequence from the E26 retrovirus consists of two sequentially distinct domains located on different chromosomes. Using somatic cell hybrid panels, we have mapped the mammalian homologue of the 5' v-ets-domain to chromosome 11 (ETS1) in man, to chromosome 9 (Ets-1) in mouse, and to chromosome D1 (ETS1) in the domestic cat. The mammalian homologue of the 3' v-ets domain was similarly mapped to human chromosome 21 (ETS2), to mouse chromosome 16 (Ets-2), and to feline chromosome C2 (ETS2). …

The Ets Sequence From The Transforming Gene Of Avian Erythroblastosis Virus, E26, Has Unique Domains On Human Chromosomes 11 And 21: Both Loci Are Transcriptionally Active, Dennis K. Watson, Mary J. Mcwilliams-Smith, M. F. Nunn, Peter Duesberg, Stephen J. O'Brien, Takis S. Papas

Biology Faculty Articles

Human DNA segments homologous to the ets region from the transforming gene of avian erythroblastosis virus, E26, were molecularly cloned and shown to be closely related to the viral equivalent by hybridization and partial sequence analysis. The transforming gene of E26 has a tripartite origin with the structure ∆gag [1.2 kilobases (kb) from the viral gag gene]-myb(0.9 kb from the chicken myb gene)-ets (1.6 kb from the chicken ets gene). Human ets DNA is located on two distinct human chromosomes. The human ets-1 locus on chromosome 11 encodes a single mRNA of 6.8 kb; the second locus, …

Analysis Of Multiple Isoenzyme Expression Among Twenty-Two Species Of Mycoplasma And Acholeplasma, Stephen J. O'Brien, Janice M. Simonson, Marion W. Grabowski, Michael F. Barile

Biology Faculty Articles

Crude extracts of triple-cloned, purified cultures of 22 species of Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma were examined for expression of 21 isozyme systems routinely used to type mammalian cells. Nine previously described enzymes (purine nucleoside phosphorylase, adenylate kinase, dipeptidase, esterase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose phosphate isomerase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, and superoxide dismutase) and three enzymes not previously reported in mycoplasma (triose phosphate isomerase, inorganic pyrophosphatase, and acid phosphatase) were detected in some or all of the species examined. These findings provide new information on the enzymatic expressions of these organisms. Three of the isozyme systems (superoxide dismutase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase) …