Background The connexin43 knockout （Cx43 KO） mouse dies at birth with an enlarged conotruncal region, which leads to the obstruction of the right outflow tract （OFT）. Since myocardialization of the proximal OFT se...Background The connexin43 knockout （Cx43 KO） mouse dies at birth with an enlarged conotruncal region, which leads to the obstruction of the right outflow tract （OFT）. Since myocardialization of the proximal OFT septum is one of the key events during heart development, we investigated the process in the Cx43 KO embryo hearts. Rho associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase 1 （ROCK1）, is a recently found key molecule to regulate the myocardialization of OFT, but its spatiotemporal expression pattern during myocardialization remains unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the differentially expressed pattern of ROCK1 between Cx43 KO and wild type embryo hearts, and its relationship with the delayed myocardialization in Cx43 KO embryo hearts. Methods Using immunohistochemistry, the processes of myocardiolization were investigated both in Cx43 KO and wild type embryo hearts. The differentially expressed pattern of ROCK1 between Cx43 KO and wildtype embryo hearts was evaluated both at the mRNA and protein level by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results The expression of α-sarcomeric actin （α-SCA） in the proximal OFT septum of Cx43 KO embryos was delayed. Meanwhile, it was shown that the downregulation of ROCK1 coincided with delayed myocardialization. The expression of ROCK1 protein was mainly limited to the proximal outflow tract septum from embryo day （E） Ell.5 to E15.5. Its expression pattern was similar with that of α-SCA. Real-time RT-PCR found that the expression level of Rock-1 mRNA began at a low level on Ell .5 and reached peak at E13.5 and E14.5. Conclusions ROCK1 may have an important role in the process of myocardialization of the proximal OFT septum. Downregulation of ROCK1 is likely to contribute to the aberrant myocardialization in Cx43 KO embryo hearts.展开更多
Background Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 （MEN1） by germline mutations of the tumor suppressor gene MEN1. with MEN1. Methods A large Chinese family with MEN1 was collected MEN1 gene were amplified and sequenced...Background Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 （MEN1） by germline mutations of the tumor suppressor gene MEN1. with MEN1. Methods A large Chinese family with MEN1 was collected MEN1 gene were amplified and sequenced. is an autosomal dominant cancer syndrome which is caused This study aimed to identify mutations in a Chinese pedigree All of the coded regions and their adjacent sequences of the Results In this family, a heterozygous cytosine insertion in exon 10 （c.1546_1547insC） inducing a frame shift mutation of MEN1 was found in the proband and the other two suffering members of his family. This mutation was linked to a novel single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP）in intron 3 （IVS3＋18C〉T）. Conclusions The mutation in exon 10 of MEN1 gene might induce development of parathyroid hyperplasia and pituitary adenoma and cosegregate with MEN1 syndrome. The significance of the new found IVS3＋18C〉T of MEN1 needs a further investigation.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Nos. 30772337 and 30930096）, the National ＂973＂ Project sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China （Nos. 2009CB941704 and 2010CB529500）.Acknowledgements： We are grateful to Dr. Cecilia W. Lo, director of Department of Developmental Biology, Pittsburgh University Medical School, for generously providing Cx43 KO mice for this study.
文摘Background The connexin43 knockout （Cx43 KO） mouse dies at birth with an enlarged conotruncal region, which leads to the obstruction of the right outflow tract （OFT）. Since myocardialization of the proximal OFT septum is one of the key events during heart development, we investigated the process in the Cx43 KO embryo hearts. Rho associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase 1 （ROCK1）, is a recently found key molecule to regulate the myocardialization of OFT, but its spatiotemporal expression pattern during myocardialization remains unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the differentially expressed pattern of ROCK1 between Cx43 KO and wild type embryo hearts, and its relationship with the delayed myocardialization in Cx43 KO embryo hearts. Methods Using immunohistochemistry, the processes of myocardiolization were investigated both in Cx43 KO and wild type embryo hearts. The differentially expressed pattern of ROCK1 between Cx43 KO and wildtype embryo hearts was evaluated both at the mRNA and protein level by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results The expression of α-sarcomeric actin （α-SCA） in the proximal OFT septum of Cx43 KO embryos was delayed. Meanwhile, it was shown that the downregulation of ROCK1 coincided with delayed myocardialization. The expression of ROCK1 protein was mainly limited to the proximal outflow tract septum from embryo day （E） Ell.5 to E15.5. Its expression pattern was similar with that of α-SCA. Real-time RT-PCR found that the expression level of Rock-1 mRNA began at a low level on Ell .5 and reached peak at E13.5 and E14.5. Conclusions ROCK1 may have an important role in the process of myocardialization of the proximal OFT septum. Downregulation of ROCK1 is likely to contribute to the aberrant myocardialization in Cx43 KO embryo hearts.
文摘Background Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 （MEN1） by germline mutations of the tumor suppressor gene MEN1. with MEN1. Methods A large Chinese family with MEN1 was collected MEN1 gene were amplified and sequenced. is an autosomal dominant cancer syndrome which is caused This study aimed to identify mutations in a Chinese pedigree All of the coded regions and their adjacent sequences of the Results In this family, a heterozygous cytosine insertion in exon 10 （c.1546_1547insC） inducing a frame shift mutation of MEN1 was found in the proband and the other two suffering members of his family. This mutation was linked to a novel single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP）in intron 3 （IVS3＋18C〉T）. Conclusions The mutation in exon 10 of MEN1 gene might induce development of parathyroid hyperplasia and pituitary adenoma and cosegregate with MEN1 syndrome. The significance of the new found IVS3＋18C〉T of MEN1 needs a further investigation.
