Cell and Developmental Biology Commons^™

The Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter Is Required For Neuromuscular Development And Function, Braulio M. De Castro, Xavier De Jaeger, Cristina Martins-Silva, Ricardo D. F. Lima, Ernani Amaral, Cristiane Menezes, Patricia Lima, Cintia M. L. Neves, Rita G. Pires, Thomas W. Gould, Ian Welch, Christopher Kushmerick, Cristina Guatimosim, Ivan Izquierdo, Martin Cammarota, Jane R. Rylett, Marcus V. Gomez, Marc G. Caron, Ronald W. Oppenheim, Marco A. M. Prado, Vania F. Prado

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

The vesicular acetylcholine (ACh) transporter (VAChT) mediates ACh storage by synaptic vesicles. However, the VAChT-independent release of ACh is believed to be important during development. Here we generated VAChT knockout mice and tested the physiological relevance of the VAChT-independent release of ACh. Homozygous VAChT knockout mice died shortly after birth, indicating that VAChT-mediated storage of ACh is essential for life. Indeed, synaptosomes obtained from brains of homozygous knockouts were incapable of releasing ACh in response to depolarization. Surprisingly, electrophysiological recordings at the skeletal-neuromuscular junction show that VAChT knockout mice present spontaneous miniature end-plate potentials with reduced amplitude and frequency, which …

High Aldehyde Dehydrogenase And Expression Of Cancer Stem Cell Markers Selects For Breast Cancer Cells With Enhanced Malignant And Metastatic Ability, Alysha K. Croker, David Goodale, Jenny Chu, Carl Postenka, Benjamin D. Hedley, David A. Hess, Alison L. Allan

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently been identified in leukaemia and solid tumours; however, the role of CSCs in metastasis remains poorly understood. This dearth of knowledge about CSCs and metastasis is due largely to technical challenges associated with the use of primary human cancer cells in pre-clinical models of metastasis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop suitable pre-clinical model systems for studying stem-like cells in breast cancer metastasis, and to test the hypothesis that stem-like cells play a key role in metastatic behaviour. We assessed four different human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-435, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MCF-7) …

Loss Of Ski Expression In Testicular Cancer Leads To An Enhanced Invasive Phenotype Through Both Bmp-Dependent And Bmp-Independent Pathways, Amy N. Nash

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The proto-oncogene SKI is a transcription factor and a co-repressor of the TGFβ superfamily, including TGF

β and BMP. However, additional data suggests that SKI may function as a tumor suppressor in some cell types. The TGFβ superfamily has been implicated in cancer progression and germ cell migration. Testicular cancer afflicts men during their peak reproductive years and is the most common cancer among men of this age group. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for testicular cancer. This treatment can lead to undesirable side effects, including infertility. We have shown that SKI expression is decreased in testicular germ cell …

Enumeration Of Endothelial Progenitor Cells In Hind Limb Suspended Rats And The Mechanics Of Endothelial Wound Healing, Jarrod Matthew Pennington

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The endothelium repairs itself through two methods. One is by the activity of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). EPCs are immature endothelial cells that circulate the bloodstream that are capable of proliferation and differentiation into mature endothelium. It is thought that EPCs contribute to the repair and replacement of damaged endothelial cells in the process of reendothelialization. Physical inactivity and bed rest are known to be deleterious to the endothelium. It is possible that this inactivity is also deleterious to the number of viable EPCs, which would reduce the ability of the endothelium to repair itself. We used hind limb …