Early mouse endoderm is patterned by soluble factors from adjacent germ layers

Development ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 127 (8) ◽  
pp. 1563-1572 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Wells ◽  
D.A. Melton

Endoderm that forms the respiratory and digestive tracts is a sheet of approximately 500–1000 cells around the distal cup of an E7.5 mouse embryo. Within 2 days, endoderm folds into a primitive gut tube from which numerous organs will bud. To characterize the signals involved in the developmental specification of this early endoderm, we have employed an in vitro assay using germ layer explants and show that adjacent germ layers provide soluble, temporally specific signals that induce organ-specific gene expression in endoderm. Furthermore, we show that FGF4 expressed in primitive streak-mesoderm can induce the differentiation of endoderm in a concentration-dependent manner. We conclude that the differentiation of gastrulation-stage endoderm is directed by adjacent mesoderm and ectoderm, one of the earliest reported patterning events in formation of the vertebrate gut tube.

1997 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 665-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane M. Ward ◽  
Jonathan D. Leslie ◽  
Jerry Kaplan

Lysosomes are dynamic structures capable of fusing with endosomes as well as other lysosomes. We examined the biochemical requirements for homotypic lysosome fusion in vitro using lysosomes obtained from rabbit alveolar macrophages or the cultured macrophage-like cell line, J774E. The in vitro assay measures the formation of a biotinylated HRP–avidin conjugate, in which biotinylated HRP and avidin were accumulated in lysosomes by receptor-mediated endocytosis. We determined that lysosome fusion in vitro was time- and temperature-dependent and required ATP and an N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)-sensitive factor from cytosol. The NEM-sensitive factor was NSF as purified recombinant NSF could completely replace cytosol in the fusion assay whereas a dominant-negative mutant NSF inhibited fusion. Fusion in vitro was extensive; up to 30% of purified macrophage lysosomes were capable of self-fusion. Addition of GTPγs to the in vitro assay inhibited fusion in a concentration-dependent manner. Purified GDP-dissociation inhibitor inhibited homotypic lysosome fusion suggesting the involvement of rabs. Fusion was also inhibited by the heterotrimeric G protein activator mastoparan, but not by its inactive analogue Mas-17. Pertussis toxin, a Gαi activator, inhibited in vitro lysosome fusion whereas cholera toxin, a Gαs activator did not inhibit the fusion reaction. Addition of agents that either promoted or disrupted microtubule function had little effect on either the extent or rate of lysosome fusion. The high value of homotypic fusion was supported by in vivo experiments examining lysosome fusion in heterokaryons formed between cells containing fluorescently labeled lysosomes. In both macrophages and J774E cells, almost complete mixing of the lysosome labels was observed within 1–3 h of UV sendai-mediated cell fusion. These studies provide a model system for identifying the components required for lysosome fusion.


2003 ◽  
Vol 370 (2) ◽  
pp. 687-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredrik MELANDER ◽  
Tommy ANDERSSON ◽  
Karim DIB

An early and critical event in β2 integrin signalling during neutrophil adhesion is activation of Src tyrosine kinases and Syk. In the present study, we report Src kinase-dependent β2 integrin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Cbl occurring in parallel with increased Cbl-associated tyrosine kinase activity. These events concurred with activation of Fgr and, surprisingly, also with dissociation of this Src tyrosine kinase from Cbl. Moreover, the presence of the Src kinase inhibitor PP1 in an in vitro assay had only a limited effect on the Cbl-associated kinase activity. These results suggest that an additional active Src-dependent tyrosine kinase associates with Cbl. The following observations imply that Syk is such a kinase: (i) β2 integrins activated Syk in a Src-dependent manner, (ii) Syk was associated with Cbl much longer than Fgr was, and (iii) the Syk inhibitor piceatannol (3,4,3′,5′-tetrahydroxy-trans-stilbene) abolished the Cbl-associated kinase activity in an in vitro assay. Effects of the mentioned interactions between these two kinases and Cbl may be related to the finding that Cbl is a ubiquitin E3 ligase. Indeed, we detected β2 integrin-induced ubiquitination of Fgr that, similar to the phosphorylation of Cbl, was abolished in cells pretreated with PP1. However, the ubiquitination of Fgr did not cause any apparent degradation of the protein. In contrast with Fgr, Syk was not modified by the E3 ligase. Thus Cbl appears to be essential in β2 integrin signalling, first by serving as a matrix for a subsequent agonist-induced signalling interaction between Fgr and Syk, and then by mediating ubiquitination of Fgr which possibly affects its interaction with Cbl.


Author(s):  
Triana Hertiani ◽  
Agustinus Yuswanto ◽  
Sylvia Utami Tunjung Pratiwi ◽  
Harlyanti Mashar

Massoia (Massoia aromatica Becc., Lauraceae) bark has been widely used as a component of traditional Indonesian medicine. The indigenous people boil or steam the bark for traditional applications. Our preliminary research revealed the potency of Massoia essential oil and its major compound, C-10 Massoialactone as potential immunomodulator in vitro. However, no scientific evidence regarding its in vivo effects is available. Therefore, this study evaluated the potential immunomodulatory effects of Massoia bark infusion on the nonspecific immune response (phagocytosis) of Wistar rats. The aqueous extract of Massoia bark was obtained by boiling pulverized bark in water, and the C-10 massoialactone content of the extract was determined through Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) densitometry. For the in vitro assay, macrophages were treated with the freeze-dried infusion at the concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, 20, or 40 μg/mL media. For the in vivo assay, 2-month-old male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups. The baseline group received distilled water at the dose of 1 mL/100 g BW with the immunostimulant herbal product “X” administered as the positive control at the dose of 0.54 mL/rat. The treatment groups received the infusion at a dose of 100, 300, or 500 mg/100 g BW. Treatments were given orally every day for 14 days. The ability of macrophage cells to phagocyte latex was determined as phagocytic index (PI) and was observed under microscopy with 300 macrophages. The in vitro study revealed that the phagocytic activity of the infusion-treated macrophages significantly increased in comparison with that of the control macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. Among all treatment concentrations, the concentration of 40 μg/ml provided the highest activity with a PI value of 70.51% ± 1.11%. The results of the in vivo assay confirmed those of the in vitro assay. The results of the present study indicate that Massoia bark can increase the phagocytic activity of rat macrophage cells. Its potential as a naturally derived immunomodulatory agent requires further study.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 1359-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mimi Kjaersgaard ◽  
Rukhsana Aslam ◽  
Michael Kim ◽  
Edwin R. Speck ◽  
John Freedman ◽  
...  

Abstract Rh immune globulin (WinRho SDF; Cangene, Mississauga, ON, Canada) is an effective treatment for autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura; however, maintaining a sustained supply for its use in autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura and its primary indication, hemolytic disease of the newborn, makes the development of alternative reagents desirable. We compared Rh immune globulin and 6 human monoclonal anti-D antibodies (MoAnti-D) with differing isotypes and specificities for their ability to opsonize erythrocytes and inhibit platelet phagocytosis in an in vitro assay. Results demonstrated that opsonization of erythrocytes with Rh immune globulin significantly (P < .001) reduced phagocytosis of fluorescently labeled opsonized platelets in an Fc-dependent manner. Of the MoAnti-D that shared specificity but differed in isotype, only IgG3 antibodies could significantly (P < .001) inhibit platelet phagocytosis. In contrast, 2 MoAnti-D shared isotypes and differed in specificity; however, only one could significantly (P < .001) inhibit platelet phagocytosis. The results suggest that MoAnti-D epitope specificity and isotypes are critical requirements for optimal inhibition of opsonized platelet phagocytosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Michela Maestrini ◽  
◽  
Marcelo Beltrão Molento ◽  
Simone Mancini ◽  
Francesco Saverio Robustelli della Cuna ◽  
...  

The anthelmintic properties and composition of an Italian traditional anthelmintic remedy based on a red algae mixture (RAE) was assessed using the egg hatch test (EHT). The ability of different dilutions \((1.0, 5.0, 50, or 100%)\) of RAE was determined and compared with the positive and negative controls against gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) of donkeys. The experiment was performed in triplicate. Data were analysed using the ANOVA and Tukey test. In the mixture, Palisada tenerrima, Laurencia intricata and Laurencia spp. red algae were identified. The \(100%\) RAE was able to totally inhibit the egg hatch, showing an efficacy comparable \((P < 0.05)\) to that of the reference drug \((98.7%)\). An egg hatch reduction of \(89.5, 43.7\), and \(23.4%\) was observed at \(50, 5\) and \(1%\) dilutions, respectively. In conclusion, RAE was able to inhibit the egg hatch of GIN of donkeys in a concentration-dependent manner with a correlation coefficient \((R2)\) of \(0.968\), corroborating with its anthelmintic effect.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 4971
Author(s):  
Kanji Hosoda ◽  
Nobuhiro Koyama ◽  
Hiroshi Hamamoto ◽  
Akiho Yagi ◽  
Ryuji Uchida ◽  
...  

Among four mycobacteria, Mycobacterium avium, M. intracellulare, M. bovis BCG and Mycobacteroides (My.) abscessus, we established a silkworm infection assay with My. abscessus. When silkworms (fifth-instar larvae, n = 5) were infected through the hemolymph with My. abscessus (7.5 × 107 CFU/larva) and bred at 37 °C, they all died around 40 h after injection. Under the conditions, clarithromycin and amikacin, clinically used antimicrobial agents, exhibited therapeutic effects in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, five kinds of microbial compounds, lariatin A, nosiheptide, ohmyungsamycins A and B, quinomycin and steffimycin, screened in an in vitro assay to observe anti-My. abscessus activity from 400 microbial products were evaluated in this silkworm infection assay. Lariatin A and nosiheptide exhibited therapeutic efficacy. The silkworm infection model with My. abscessus is useful to screen for therapeutically effective anti-My. abscessus antibiotics.


1968 ◽  
Vol 20 (03/04) ◽  
pp. 384-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Zbinden ◽  
S Tomlin

SummaryAn in vitro system is described in which adhesion of blood platelets to washed and tannic acid-treated red cells was assayed quantitatively by microscopic observation. ADP, epinephrine and TAME produced a reversible increase in platelet adhesiveness which was antagonized by AMP. With Evans blue, polyanetholsulfonate, phthalanilide NSC 38280, thrombin and heparin at concentrations above 1-4 u/ml the increase was irreversible. The ADP-induced increase in adhesiveness was inhibited by sodium citrate, EDTA, AMP, ATP and N-ethylmaleimide. EDTA, AMP and the SH-blocker N-ethylmaleimide also reduced spontaneous platelet adhesion to red cells. No significant effects were observed with adenosine, phenprocoumon, 5-HT, phthalanilide NSC 57155, various estrogens, progestogens and fatty acids, acetylsalicylic acid and similarly acting agents, hydroxylamine, glucose and KCN. The method may be useful for the screening of thrombogenic and antithrombotic properties of drugs.


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