scholarly journals Organization of the Drosophila head as revealed by the ectopic expression of the Ultrabithorax product

Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 1459-1471 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gonzalez-Reyes ◽  
G. Morata

By using a hsp70-Ubx fusion gene, we have ectopically expressed a Ubx product in the embryonic head primordia and studied the developmental effects on the larval head. We find that after high and persistent levels of Ubx product, the head is replaced by three (C1, C2 and C3) abdominal-like denticle belts. The C2 and C3 belts are the homeotic transformations of parasegments 1 and 2, respectively, while the C1 belt probably derives from the transformation and subsequent fusion of the most anterior procephalic primordia. On the basis of their response to the Ubx product and other arguments, we propose that the larval head is made of two genetically distinct components; one is the procephalon and the anterior region of the mandibular lobe, and the other is part of the parasegmental trunk and includes parasegments 1 and 2. Our results also indicate that most or all the larval head structures derive from precursor cells of ventral origin.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Ueyama ◽  
Yoichi Ohta ◽  
Yuuki Imai ◽  
Akinobu Suzuki ◽  
Ryo Sugama ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) induce osteogenesis in various environments. However, when BMPs are used alone in the bone marrow environment, the maintenance of new bone formation is difficult owing to vigorous bone resorption. This is because BMPs stimulate the differentiation of not only osteoblast precursor cells but also osteoclast precursor cells. The present study aimed to induce and maintain new bone formation using the topical co-administration of recombinant human BMP-2 (rh-BMP-2) and zoledronate (ZOL) on beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) composite. Methods β-TCP columns were impregnated with both rh-BMP-2 (30 µg) and ZOL (5 µg), rh-BMP-2 alone, or ZOL alone, and implanted into the left femur canal of New Zealand white rabbits (n = 56). The implanted β-TCP columns were harvested and evaluated at 3 and 6 weeks after implantation. These harvested β-TCP columns were evaluated radiologically using plane radiograph, and histologically using haematoxylin/eosin (H&E) and Masson’s trichrome (MT) staining. In addition, micro-computed tomography (CT) was performed for qualitative analysis of bone formation in each group (n = 7). Results Tissue sections stained with H&E and MT dyes revealed that new bone formation inside the β-TCP composite was significantly greater in those impregnated with both rh-BMP-2 and ZOL than in those from the other experimental groups at 3 and 6 weeks after implantations (p < 0.05). Micro-CT data also demonstrated that the bone volume and the bone mineral density inside the β-TCP columns were significantly greater in those impregnated with both rh-BMP-2 and ZOL than in those from the other experimental groups at 3 and 6 weeks after implantations (p < 0.05). Conclusions The topical co-administration of both rh-BMP-2 and ZOL on β-TCP composite promoted and maintained newly formed bone structure in the bone marrow environment.


Genetics ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 151 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Laurent Molin ◽  
Heinke Schnabel ◽  
Titus Kaletta ◽  
Richard Feichtinger ◽  
Ian A Hope ◽  
...  

Abstract In the early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo five somatic founder cells are born during the first cleavages. The first of these founder cells, named AB, gives rise to 389 of the 558 nuclei present in the hatching larva. Very few genes directly involved in the specification of the AB lineage have been identified so far. Here we describe a screen of a large collection of maternal-effect embryonic lethal mutations for their effect on the early expression of a pes-1::lacZ fusion gene. This fusion gene is expressed in a characteristic pattern in 14 of the 32 AB descendants present shortly after the initiation of gastrulation. Of the 37 mutations in 36 genes suspected to be required specifically during development, 12 alter the expression of the pes-1::lacZ marker construct. The gene expression pattern alterations are of four types: reduction of expression, variable expression, ectopic expression in addition to the normal pattern, and reduction of the normal pattern together with ectopic expression. We estimate that ∼100 maternal functions are required to establish the pes-1 expression pattern in the early embryo.


Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.P. Jarman ◽  
M. Brand ◽  
L.Y. Jan ◽  
Y.N. Jan

asense is a member of the achaete-scute complex (AS-C) of helix-loop-helix genes involved in Drosophila neurogenesis. Unlike the other AS-C members, which are expressed in subsets of the ectodermal areas (proneural clusters) that give rise to neural precursors, asense is one of a number of genes that are specifically expressed in the neural precursors themselves (neural precursor genes). We have identified a mutant asense phenotype that may reflect this later expression pattern. As a step in understanding the determination of neural precursors from the proneural clusters, we have investigated the potential role of the AS-C products as direct transcriptional activators of neural precursor genes by analysing the regulation of asense. Using genomic rescues and asense-lacZ fusion genes, the neural precursor regulatory element has been identified. We show that this element contains binding sites for AS-C/daughterless heterodimers. Delection of these sites reduces the expression from the fusion gene, but significant expression is still achieved, pointing to the existence of other regulators of asense in addition to the AS-C. asense differs from the other AS-C members in its expression pattern, regulation, mutant phenotype and some DNA-binding properities.


Blood ◽  
1964 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. KEISER ◽  
H. COTTIER ◽  
N. ODARTCHENKO ◽  
V. P. BOND

Abstract The origin and fate of small lymphoid cells in the dog bone marrow were studied autoradiographically by observing the effect of clamping of the femoral artery during in vivo availability of H3-thymidine. Heavily labeled small lymphoid cells appeared in the bone marrow of the clamped leg 3 hours after injection of the tracer and increased in number up to 6 days. The labeling indices of these cells, however, were significantly lower than those of control marrow. A possible interpretation is that dog bone marrow contains two populations of small lymphoid cells, one migrating into the marrow via the blood stream, the other originating from local precursor cells within the marrow. There was no evidence for a transformation of migrated small lymphoid cells into erythroblasts during the first 48 hours after injection of H3-thymidine.


2000 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATE J. CLAYCOMBE ◽  
YANXIN WANG ◽  
BRYNN H. JONES ◽  
SUYEON KIM ◽  
WILLIAM O. WILKISON ◽  
...  

Claycombe, Kate J., Yanxin Wang, Brynn H. Jones, Suyeon Kim, William O. Wilkison, Michael B. Zemel, Joseph Chun, and Naima Moustaid-Moussa. Transcriptional regulation of the adipocyte fatty acid synthase gene by agouti: interaction with insulin. Physiol Genomics 3: 157–162, 2000.—Mice carrying dominant mutations at the agouti locus exhibit ectopic expression of agouti gene transcripts, obesity, and type II diabetes through unknown mechanisms. To gain insight into the role of agouti protein in modulating adiposity, we investigated regulation of a key lipogenic gene, fatty acid synthase (FAS) by agouti alone and in combination with insulin. Both agouti and insulin increase FAS activity in 3T3-L1 and in human adipocytes. Agouti and insulin independently and additively increase FAS activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We further investigated the mechanism responsible for the agouti-induced FAS expression in these cells and demonstrated that both insulin (3-fold increase) and agouti (2-fold) increased FAS gene expression at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, insulin and agouti together exerted additive effects (5-fold increase) on FAS gene transcription. Transfection assays of FAS promoter-luciferase fusion gene constructs into 3T3-L1 adipocytes indicated that the agouti response element(s) is (are) located in the −435 to −415 region (−435/−415) of the FAS promoter. Nuclear proteins binding to this novel sequence are adipocyte specific. Thus the agouti response sequences mapped to a region upstream of the insulin-responsive element (which we previously reported to be located at −67/−52), consistent with additive effects of these two factors on FAS gene transcription.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1975-1975
Author(s):  
Vijay P.S. Rawat ◽  
Vegi M. Naidu ◽  
Christina Schessl ◽  
Monica Cusan ◽  
R.Keith Humphries ◽  
...  

Abstract In AML the translocation t(12;13)(p13;q12) results in the ectopic expression of the homeobox gene Cdx2 and the expression of the ETV6-CDX2 fusion. We have recently shown that myeloid leukemogenesis is induced by the ectopic expression of the proto-oncogene Cdx2 and not by the ETV6-CDX2 fusion gene in a murine model of t(12;13) AML. To characterize the contribution of different Cdx2 motifs to the transforming capacity of the gene we generated different mutants, inactivating the DNA binding homeodomain (N51S-Cdx2), or the PBX1-interacting motif (W167A-Cdx2), or deleting the N-terminal portion of Cdx2 (N-Cdx2). Expression of Cdx2 and the different mutants were induced in primary murine bone marrow cells by retroviral gene transfer, using an MSCV based retroviral construct with an IRES-YFP cassette. Expression of Cdx2 and the W167A-Cdx2 mutant significantly increased primary colony formation (3-fold) (n=3;p<0.001) with a higher number of CFU-G/GM colonies (p<0.015). Furthermore, both constructs enhanced the replating capacity of clonogenic progenitors with an 80-100fold increase in secondary colonies (p<0.005). In addition, both constructs induced the outgrowth of blast colonies (2700fold; p<0.02). In contrast, cells transduced with N51S-Cdx2 and N-Cdx2 lost their clonogenic potential after replating. In vivo all mice transplanted with cells expressing Cdx2 or the W167A-Cdx2 mutant developed transplantable AML. However, in Cdx2 leukemic mice > 90% of the cells co-expressed Gr-1+ and Mac1+, whereas in W167A mice 40% of the leukemic population were Gr-1+ only. The N51S mutant induced a distinct leukemia phenotype with 90 % Gr-1+/c-Kit+. We extended structure-function analyses, inactivating the phosphorylation site (S60) in the Cdx2 transactivation domain, previously shown to be regulated by the MAPK family. We confirmed that oncogenic Cdx2 is phophorylated at the N-terminal in primary BM cells by Western blotting using a P-Cdx2-S60 specific antibody. S60 position mutation slightly reduced the hematopoietic activity of wild-type Cdx2. Incubation with the MEK1 inhibitor PD98059 inhibited phosphorylation, decreased the frequency of CFU-S 8fold (n=7; p<0.001) and blocked growth of leukemic Cdx2 transfected blasts in vitro. In contrast, the p38 inhibitor SB2059 did not prevent phosphorylation and was unable to antagonize Cdx2 induced transformation. These data demonstrate that the transforming activity of Cdx2 and the phenotype of Cdx2 induced leukemias is depending on the functional integrity of distinct Cdx2 domains. Furthermore, our data link the oncogenic potential of Cdx2 directly to the MAPK signaling, opening the possibility to counteract Cdx2 associated leukemogenesis by kinase inhibitors.


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 1451-1451
Author(s):  
Isamu Hanada ◽  
Kiminori Terui ◽  
Tsutomu Toki ◽  
Ko Kudo ◽  
Tomohiko Sato ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 1451 Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a 10- to 20-fold increased risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In DS-associated ALL (DS-ALL), the chromosome aberrations which are generally common in childhood ALL, such as hyperdiploidy and t(12;21), are less frequent. Recent studies have shown that activating JAK2 mutations and overexpression of cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) gene are identified in approximately 20% and 50–60% of DS-ALL in Western countries, respectively. Most of the patients with CRLF2 overexpression have been reported to be associated with interstitial deletions of the pseudoautosomal region 1 (PAR1) of the sex chromosomes and the P2RY8-CRLF2 fusion gene. In addition, one report showed that the activating CRLF2 F232C mutation was identified in about 10% of DS-ALL. However, there have been no studies to determine the incidence of these genetic aberrations in Asian patients with DS-ALL. In this study, 23 patients with DS-ALL in Japan were screened for mutations in the pseudokinase domain of the JAK2 gene, the P2RY8-CRLF2 fusion gene, and the CRLF2 F232C mutation by PCR/RT-PCR and direct sequencing. Fourteen patients, whose bone marrow RNAs were available, were also screened for CRLF2 overexpression by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. We identified the JAK2 R683G mutation in 2 patients (9%) and the P2RY8-CRLF2 fusion gene in 4 patients (17%). The CRLF2 F232C mutation was not detected in any patient. CRLF2 overexpression was observed in 2 of 14 patients examined (14%). Although bone marrow RNA was available in only 1 of 4 patients positive for P2RY8-CRLF2, high-level expression of CRLF2 was confirmed in this patient. The other patient with CRLF2 overexpression was negative for P2RY8-CRLF2, indicating the involvement of the other type of CRLF2 rearrangement, IGH@-CRLF2 in this patient. We also performed a preliminary study on JAK1, JAK3, and Interleukin-7 receptor-α (IL7R) mutations, and 14, 11, and 12 patients were screened for mutations in the pseudokinase domain of JAK1, JAK3, and exon 5 and 6 of IL7R, respectively. However, no mutations were identified in any patient. Our results show the lower incidence of CRLF2 rearrangements in DS-ALL patients in Japan than that in Western countries. Gene alterations other than CRLF2 rearrangements may contribute to leukemogenesis in Japanese patients with DS-ALL. To clarify if the incidences of the mutations in JAK1-3, CRLF2, and IL7R are also lower in DS-ALL patients in Japan than those in Western counties, more patients need to be studied. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Development ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.R. Hough-Evans ◽  
R.R. Franks ◽  
R.W. Zeller ◽  
R.J. Britten ◽  
E.H. Davidson

The CyIIIa.CAT fusion gene was injected into Strongylocentrotus purpuratus eggs, together with excess ligated competitor sequences representing subregions of the CyIIIa regulatory domain. In this construct, the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene is placed under the control of the 2300 nucleotide upstream regulatory domain of the lineage-specific CyIIIa cytoskeletal actin gene. CAT mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization in serial sections of pluteus stage embryos derived from the injected eggs. When carrier DNA lacking competitor CyIIIa fragments was coinjected with CyIIIa.CAT, CAT mRNA was observed exclusively in aboral ectoderm cells, i.e. the territory in which the CyIIIa gene itself is normally expressed (as also reported by us previously). The same result was obtained when five of seven different competitor subfragments bearing sites of DNA-protein interaction were coinjected. However, coinjection of excess quantities of either of two widely separated, nonhomologous fragments of the CyIIIa regulatory domain produced a dramatic ectopic expression of CAT mRNA in the recipient embryos. CAT mRNA was observed in gut, mesenchyme cells and oral ectoderm in these embryos. We conclude that these fragments contain regulatory sites that negatively control spatial expression of the CyIIIa gene.


2021 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-139
Author(s):  
Isabel Cristina Molina-Acevedo ◽  
Izwandy Idris

Marphysa simplex is a name that three species bear within the same genus, but each has a different authority and morphological characteristics. This homonymy condition leads to taxonomic confusion and the finite designation of name-bearing is imperative. The current study focuses on two species identified as M. simplex Crossland, 1903 and M. simplex Treadwell, 1922 and a third one, recently considered a secondary homonymy, M. simplex (Langerhans, 1884), is also assessed. The available type specimens were examined and re-described in detail using updated characters and the original descriptions. Marphysa simplex (Langerhans, 1884) is herein judged as an indeterminable species. Marphysa simplex Crossland, 1903 is confirmed as a junior synonym of M. teretiuscula (Schmarda, 1861a) because the differences are minimal. Moreover, M. teretiuscula has characteristics similar to Group B2 (Sanguinea-group; only compound spinigers), instead of the Teretiuscula-group (compound spinigers in the anterior region, subacicular limbate in all chaetigers). On the other hand, M. simplex Treadwell, 1922 is a junior primary homonym of Crossland’s species replaced by M. fijiensisnom. nov. with the chaetal arrangement similar to Group A (limbate chaetae only). In conclusion, the name M. simplex is now unacceptable. The hypothesis on species group only with limbate chaetae and the redescription on M. teretiuscula is also given.


Blood ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 130 (Suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 781-781
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Tzelepis ◽  
Etienne De Braekeleer ◽  
Isaia Barbieri ◽  
Vijay Baskar ◽  
Demetrios Aspris ◽  
...  

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis, for which the therapeutic landscape has changed little for decades. Aberrant mRNA splicing plays an important role in cancer development and genes coding for several of the major components of the spliceosome are targeted by somatic mutations in several cancers including myelodysplastic syndromes and AML. Recently, myeloid neoplasms harbouring spliceosome gene mutations were shown to be preferentially susceptible to pharmacological disruption of the spliceosome. Here we report that targeting particular pathways of the spliceosome machinery can also be an effective therapeutic strategy in other types of AML. Recently, we generated a comprehensive catalogue of genetic vulnerabilities in AML using CRISPR-Cas9 genome-wide recessive screens and reported several novel intuitive and non-intuitive therapeutic candidates. Amongst these we identified SRPK1, the gene coding for a serine-threonine kinase that phosphorylates the major spliceosome protein SRSF1. Here, we demonstrate that targeted genetic disruption of SRPK1 in MLL-rearranged AMLs leads to differentiation and apoptosis (Fig. 1A). Additionally, the survival of immunocompromised mice transplanted with human AML cell lines carrying the MLL-AF9 fusion gene, namely MOLM-13 and THP-1, was significantly prolonged by genetic disruption of SRPK1 with CRISPR-Cas9. Similar effects were seen with pharmacological inhibition of SRPK1 in vitro and in vivo, using the novel SRPK1-specific kinase inhibitor SPHINX31 (Fig. 1B-C). Importantly, we go on to demonstrate that, while the SRPK1 kinase activity is required for AML cell survival, it is dispensable for normal hematopoiesis. At the molecular level, we show that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of SRPK1 was associated with widespread changes in the splicing of multiple genes including several with roles in leukemogenesis such as MYB, BRD4 and MED24 . We focused on BRD4 as its splicing isoforms have distinct molecular properties and found that SRPK1 inhibition led to a substantial switch from the short (BRD4S) to the long (BRD4L) isoform at the mRNA and protein levels (Fig. 1D-E). This was associated with BRD4 eviction from genomic loci involved in myeloid leukemogenesis including BCL2 and MYC. Notably, ectopic expression of the short (BRD4S) isoform rescued the phenotype of SRPK1 inhibition suggesting that the observed BRD4 splicing switch mediates at least part of the anti-leukemic effects of SRPK1 inhibition. Furthermore, we show that the BRD inhibitor iBET-151 synergizes with SRPK1 inhibition to kill human MLL-AF9 -driven AMLs in vitro and in vivo. Collectively our findings reveal that SRPK1 is required for normal splicing of key epigenetic regulators including BRD4 and represents a novel therapeutic vulnerability in AML that can be used alone or in combination with clinically relevant epigenetic drugs to enhance their anti-leukemic effects. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


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