Making a tooth:growth factors,transcription factors,and stem cells

Mammalian tooth development is largely dependent on sequential and reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. These processes involve a series of inductive and permissive interactions that result in the determination, differentiation, and organization of odontogenic tissues. Multiple signaling molecules, including BMPs, FGFs, Shh, and Wnt proteins, have been implicated in mediating these tissue interactions. Transcription factors participate in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions via linking the signaling loops between tissue layers by responding to inductive signals and regulating the expression of other signaling molecules. Adult stem cells are highly plastic and multipotent. These cells including dental pulp stem cells and bone marrow stromal cells could be reprogrammed into odontogenic fate and participated in tooth formation. Recent progress in the studies of molecular basis of tooth development, adult stem cell biology, and regene- ration will provide fundamental knowledge for the realization of human tooth regeneration in the near future.

Msx homeobox gene family and craniofacial development

Vertebrate Msx genes are unlinked,homeobox-containing genes that bear homology to the Drosophila muscle segment homeobox gene.These genes are expressed at multiple sites of tissue-tissue interactions during vertebrate embryonic development.Inductive interactions mediated by the Msx genes are essential for normal craniofacial,limb and ectodermal organ morphogenesis,and are also essential to survival in mice,as manifested by the phenotypic abnormalities shown in knockout mice and in humans.This review summarizes studies on the expression,regulation,and functional analysis of Msx genes that bear relevance to craniofacial development in humans and mice.

Adhesion of different cell cycle human hepatoma cells to endothelial cells and roles of integrin β_1

AIM: To investigate the adhesive mechanical properties of different cell cycle human hepatoma cells (SMMC-7721) to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV-304), expression of adhesive molecule integrinβ1 in SMMC-7721 cells and its contribution to this adhesive course. METHODS: Adhesive force of SMMC-7721 cells to endothelial cells was measured using micropipette aspiration technique. Synchronous G1 and S phase SMMC-7721 cells were achieved by thymine-2-deoxyriboside and colchicines sequential blockage method and double thymine-2-deoxyriboside blockage method, respectively. Synchronous rates of SMMC-7721 cells and expression of integrinβ1 in SMMC-7721 cells were detected by flow cytometer. RESULTS: The percentage of cell cycle phases of general SMMC-7721 cells was 11.01% in G2/M phases, 53.51% in G0/G1 phase, and 35.48% in S phase. The synchronous rates of G1 and S phase SMMC-7721 cells amounted to 74.09% and 98.29%, respectively. The adhesive force of SMMC-7721 cells to endothelial cells changed with the variations of adhesive time and presented behavior characteristics of adhesion and de-adhesion. S phase SMMC-7721 cells had higher adhesive forces than d phase cells [(307.65±92.10)×10-10N vs(195.42±60.72)×10-10N, P<0.01]. The expressive fluorescent intensity of integrinβ1 in G1 phase SMMC-7721 cells was depressed more significantly than the values of S phase and general SMMC-7721cells. The contribution of adhesive integrinβ1 was about 53% in this adhesive course. CONCLUSION: SMMC-7721 cells can be synchronized preferably in d and S phases with thymine-2-deoxyriboside and colchicines. The adhesive molecule integrinβ1 expresses a high level in SMMC-7721 cells and shows differences in various cell cycles, suggesting integrin β1 plays an important role in adhesion to endothelial cells. The change of adhesive forces in different cell cycle SMMC-7721 cells indicates that S phase cells play predominant roles possibly while they interact with endothelial cells.

A Comparison Studies on Ultrastructure and Calcium Distribution in Fertile and Sterile Anthers of a Genic Male-sterile Rapeseed （Brassica napus L.）

It's common understanding that plant male sterility is closely related to cell ultrastructure or cell microstructure,plant physiological and biochemical metabolism during the generation and development of anthers. The materials used for the study were fertile and sterile anthers in various stages of a genic male-sterile

Mutants of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin and cholera toxin as mucosal adjuvants

Mucosal vaccination has been getting more and more recognition because of its compliance and low risk of spreading infectious disease by contaminated syringes used in subcutaneous immunization. However, most vaccines are unable to induce immune responses when given mucosally, and require the use of strong adjuvant for effective delivery systems. Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and Cholera toxin(CT) are powerful mucosal adjuvants when co-administered with soluble antigens. But high toxicity hampers their use in humans. Thanks to the fine knowledge of the structure-function relationship of LT and CT, many nontoxic or low toxic mutants have been generated, part of them retain high adjuvanticity of mucosal immunization. Among these mutants, LTS63K, LTA72R, LTR192G and CTE29H, CTE112K have been widely investigated. LTS63K and CTE112K are fully non toxic, whereas LTA72R and CTE29H are low toxic, and LTR192G is nontoxic in vitro(it remains the same toxicity as wild type LT in vivo). These mutants are extremely active as mucosal adjuvants when co-administrated with a variety of antigens in different animal models. They will be investigated more widely and deeply in the future. Some of them will be tested soon in human bodies.

Expression of human acidic fibroblast growth factor in Pichia pastoris

Pichia pastoris expression system is similar to that of the mammal cell in modification of expressed protein, including refolding and glycosylation. A human aFGF gene was cloned into the intracellular expression vector pPIC9K. The Pichia pastoris KM71 strain was transformed with the recombined expression plasmid. Transgenic expression was observed after screening the transformants with G418. The expression and secretion of recombinant human aFGF (rhaFGF) into the culture medium were testified by ELISA assay. The yield peaked after two days of induction and was approximately 10 mgL-1 in shake-flask fermentation medium. The recombinant proteins were purified by the combination of heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Two proteins with relative molecular masses (Mr) of 17 000 and 35 000 were purified as a single band in SDS-PAGE, whose biological activities were determined by MTT assay. It is found that the protein with Mr of 17 000 is nonglycosylated haFGF, and that with Mr of 35 000 is glycosylated haFGF; and the latter has a lower biological activity than the former.

Trehalose and trehalose-hydrolyzing enzyme in the haemolymph of Locusta rnigratoria infected with Metarhizium anisopliae strain CQMa102

Topical application of the Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum specialist strain CQMa 102 to the locust Locusta migratoria manilensis results in changes of the concentrations of trehalose and glucose in the haemolymph. Micrographs of the locust haemolymph shows Metarhizium anisopliae can effectivly penetrate the external skeleton of locust and after 2 days infection, the hyphae body will appear in the haemolymph of infected insects. The time in decrease of trehalose concentration coincided with that in increase of trehalose-hydrolysing enzyme activity in the haemolymph of the fungus-infected insects. Overlay gel analysis indicated there was considerably more trehalose-hydrolysing activity in the haemolymph of locusts infected by fungus than in controls. A comparable isoform was identified in in vitro culture of the fungus, suggesting a fungal origin for the in vivo enzyme. Haemolymph trehalose decreased significantly during mycosis of locusts by M. anisopliae. All these results suggested that this fungus may take advantage of competing nutrient utilization against the insect by its trehalose-hydrolyzing enzyme secretion. It may provide fundamental knowledge for fungal pathogenesis.

Isolation and ectopic expression of a bamboo MADS-box gene

A cDNA named DlMADS18 was isolated from the young spikelets of the sweet bamboo, Dendrocalamus latiflorus by RACE. DNA sequence analysis showed that DlMADS18 was composed of full ORF and 3’UTR, but without 5’UTR. The cDNA contained 1039 nucleotides and encoded a putative protein of 249 amino acid residues. The gene displayed the structure of a typical plant MADS box gene, which consisted of an MADS domain, K domain, a short I region, and the C-terminal region. Phylogenetic analysis of plant MADS box genes based on amino acid se- quences revealed that DlMADS18 was grouped into the AGAMOUS-LIKE 6 (AGL6)-like subfamily. It was most likely homologous to the OsMADS6 of rice (Oryza sativa), with 88% sequence identity for the entire amino acid sequences. The DlMADS18 also showed relatively high amino acid sequence identity (59%) to AGL6 of Arabidopsis thaliana. To study the functions of DlMADS18, DlMADS18 cDNA clone driven by the CaMV 35S promoter was transformed into Arabidopsis plants. Transgenic plants of DlMADS18 exhibited the pheno- types of curled leaves, dwarfism, and early flowering with clustered terminal flowers. These results indicated that DlMADS18 may probably be involved in controlling the flowering time of D. latiflorus.

Identification of encoding proteins related to SARS-CoV

By sampling 100 encoding proteins from SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV, NC 004718) and other six coronaviruses and selecting 23 variables through stepwise multiple regression (SMR) from 172 variables, the multiple linear regression (MLR) model was established with good results of the quantitative modelling correlation coefficient R2 = 0.645 and the cross-validation correlation coefficient RCV = 0.375. After removing 4 outliers, the quantitative 2 modelling and cross-validation correlation coefficients were R2= 0.743 and RCV = 0.543, respectively.

Experimental simulation of model platelet adhesion to a semi-permeable wall exposed to flow disturbance

A sudden tubular expansion with a semi- permeable wall was constructed from a tubular dialysis membrane to investigate the effects of filtration flow and flow disturbance on particle deposition. The expansion was perfused with a dilute, neutrally buoyant suspension of 1.10 mm diameter polystyrene latex spheres (as models of platelets) in Tris buffer solution containing 10% Dextran T70 and 2% bovine serum albumin. The results showed that adhesion of particles correlated positively with the filtration rate and inversely with the wall shear rate. In the vortex flow region distal to the expansion, particle adhesion was significantly elevated with a maximum at the reattachment point where the wall shear rate was the lowest and particles were constantly carried toward the vessel wall along the curved streamlines. In conclusion, filtration flow has a profound impact on the interaction of blood cells such as platelets with blood vessel walls, and the disturbed flow with a low wall shear rate can enhance the deposits of platelet thrombi to the vessel wall.