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<title>Scientific Picks</title><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/index.html</link><description>Hot News&#x21;</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2008 schoenfe</dc:rights><dc:date>2009-10-21T12:41:01+02:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:54:10 +0200</lastBuildDate><item><title>Prenatal Bisphenol A Exposure and Early Childhood Behavior</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>human</category><category>Exposure</category><dc:date>2009-10-21T12:41:01+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/http:/www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0900979/abstract.html#unique-entry-id-68</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/http:/www.ehponline.org/docs/2009/0900979/abstract.html#unique-entry-id-68</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[1-Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC,


...2-Department of Pediatrics, Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Cincinnati


...3-Department of Environmental Health, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University


...4- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for


...5-Child & Family Research Institute, BC Children&rsquo;s Hospital and the Faculty of Health Sciences,


...Objective: We examined the association between prenatal BPA exposure and behavior in 2-year

...Methods: We used data from 249 mothers and their children in Cincinnati OH. 

...was collected around 16 and 26 weeks gestation and at birth. 

...Child behavior was assessed at 2-years of age using the Behavioral Assessment

...The association between prenatal BPA concentrations and

...Results: Median BPA concentrations were 1.8 (16 week), 1.7 (26 week), and 1.3 (birth) ng/ml.

Mean externalizing and internalizing scores were 47.6 (standard deviation [SD]:7.8) and 44.8

...concentrations were associated with externalizing scores, but only among females (:6.0; 95%

...concentrations collected around 16 weeks were more strongly associated with externalizing

scores among all children (:2.9; 95% CI: 0.2, 5.7); and this association was stronger in females

...Among all children, measurements collected < 16 weeks showed a stronger

association (:5.1; 95% CI:1.5, 8.6) with externalizing scores than measurements taken from 17-

21 weeks (:0.6, 95% CI:-2.9, 4.1).

...externalizing behaviors in two-year old children, especially among female children.


Environ Health Perspect doi:10.1289/ehp.0900979 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 06 October 2009] ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Oct4-Induced Pluripotency in Adult Neural Stem Cells</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home</dc:subject><dc:date>2009-02-07T00:25:14+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/09ea66fd8f739f29208e83b726531e82-67.html#unique-entry-id-67</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/09ea66fd8f739f29208e83b726531e82-67.html#unique-entry-id-67</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Jeong Beom Kim1,Vittorio Sebastiano1,Guangming Wu1,Marcos J.   Ara&uacute;zo-Bravo1,Philipp Sasse2,Luca Gentile1,Kinarm Ko1,David Ruau3,Mathias Ehrich4,Dirk van den Boom4,Johann Meyer5,Karin H&uuml;bner1,Christof Bernemann1,Claudia Ortmeier1,Martin Zenke3,Bernd K.   Fleischmann2,Holm Zaehres1andHans R.   Sch&ouml;ler1,Go To Corresponding Author,


1 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, R&ouml;ntgenstrasse 20, 48149 M&uuml;nster, NRW, Germany


2 Institute of Physiology I, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, NRW, Germany


3 Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Cell Biology, RWTH Aachen University Medical School, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, NRW, Germany


4 SEQUENOM Inc., 3595 John Hopkins Court, San Diego, CA 92121, USA


5 Hannover Medical School, Department of Experimental Hematology, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany


Corresponding author


Summary


The four transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc can induce pluripotency in mouse and human fibroblasts.   We previously described direct reprogramming of adult mouse neural stem cells (NSCs) by Oct4 and either Klf4 or c-Myc.   NSCs endogenously express Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 as well as several intermediate reprogramming markers.   Here we report that exogenous expression of the germline-specific transcription factor Oct4 is sufficient to generate pluripotent stem cells from adult mouse NSCs.   These one-factor induced pluripotent stem cells (1F iPS) are similar to embryonic stem cells invitro and invivo.   Not only can these cells can be efficiently differentiated into NSCs, cardiomyocytes, and germ cells invitro, but they are also capable of teratoma formation and germline transmission invivo.   Our results demonstrate that Oct4 is required and sufficient to directly reprogram NSCs to pluripotency.


Cell, Volume 136, Issue 3, 411-419, 6 February 2009]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Combinatorial Regulation of Endothelial Gene Expression by Ets and Forkhead Transcription Factors</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Angiogenesis</category><dc:date>2008-12-12T00:15:42+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/050e7c3fd192b3d39fa46403e0904c22-66.html#unique-entry-id-66</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/050e7c3fd192b3d39fa46403e0904c22-66.html#unique-entry-id-66</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Vascular development begins when mesodermal cells differentiate into endothelial cells, which then form primitive vessels.   It has been hypothesized that endothelial-specific gene expression may be regulated combinatorially, but the transcriptional mechanisms governing specificity in vascular gene expression remain incompletely understood.   Here, we identify a 44 bp transcriptional enhancer that is sufficient to direct expression specifically and exclusively to the developing vascular endothelium.   This enhancer is regulated by a composite cis-acting element, the FOX:ETS motif, which is bound and synergistically activated by Forkhead and Ets transcription factors.   We demonstrate that coexpression of the Forkhead protein FoxC2 and the Ets protein Etv2 induces ectopic expression of vascular genes in Xenopus embryos, and that combinatorial knockdown of the orthologous genes in zebrafish embryos disrupts vascular development.   Finally, we show that FOX:ETS motifs are present in many known endothelial-specific enhancers and that this motif is an efficient predictor of endothelial enhancers in the human genome.


Cell, Volume 135, Issue 6, 1053-1064, 12 December 2008
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A new type of ERK1/2 autophosphorylation causes cardiac hypertrophy</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Erk</category><dc:date>2008-12-09T01:10:11+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/c54f960a7852098d3efd22138ea85ca4-65.html#unique-entry-id-65</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/c54f960a7852098d3efd22138ea85ca4-65.html#unique-entry-id-65</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The extracellular-regulated kinases ERK1 and ERK2 (commonly referred to as ERK1/2) have a crucial role in cardiac hypertrophy.   ERK1/2 is activated by mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase-1 (MEK1) and MEK2 (commonly referred to as MEK1/2)-dependent phosphorylation in the TEY motif of the activation loop, but how ERK1/2 is targeted toward specific substrates is not well understood.   Here we show that autophosphorylation of ERK1/2 on Thr188 directs ERK1/2 to phosphorylate nuclear targets known to cause cardiac hypertrophy.   Thr188 autophosphorylation requires the activation and assembly of the entire Raf-MEK-ERK kinase cascade, phosphorylation of the TEY motif, dimerization of ERK1/2 and binding to G protein &beta;&gamma; subunits released from activated Gq.   Thr188 phosphorylation of ERK1/2 was observed in isolated cardiomyocytes induced to undergo hypertrophic growth, in mice upon stimulation of Gq-coupled receptors or after aortic banding and in failing human hearts.   Experiments using transgenic mouse models carrying mutations at the Thr188 phosphorylation site of ERK2 suggested a causal relationship to cardiac hypertrophy.   We propose that specific phosphorylation events on ERK1/2 integrate differing upstream signals (Raf1-MEK1/2 or G protein&ndash;coupled receptor&ndash;Gq) to induce cardiac hypertrophy.


Nature Medicine aop, (7 December 2008) | doi:10.1038/nm.1893;]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Nascent RNA Sequencing Reveals Widespread Pausing and Divergent Initiation at Human Promoters </title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Transcription</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T11:57:14+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6d74fdee349b85178797461cba836de9-63.html#unique-entry-id-63</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6d74fdee349b85178797461cba836de9-63.html#unique-entry-id-63</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[RNA polymerases are highly regulated molecular machines.   We present a method (GRO-seq) that maps the position, amount, and orientation of transcriptionally engaged RNA polymerases genome-wide.   In this method, nuclear run-on RNAs are subjected to large-scale parallel sequencing and mapped to the genome.   Here, we show that peaks of promoter-proximal polymerase reside on ~30% of human genes, transcription extends beyond pre-mRNA 3&rsquo; cleavage, and antisense transcription is prevalent.   Additionally, most promoters have an engaged polymerase upstream and in an orientation opposite to the annotated gene.   This divergent polymerase is associated with active genes, but does not elongate effectively beyond the promoter.   These results imply that the interplay between polymerases and regulators over broad promoter regions dictates the orientation and efficiency of productive transcription.


Published Online December 4, 2008


Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1162228]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RNA Exosome Depletion Reveals Transcription Upstream of Active Human Promoters </title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Transcription</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T11:45:34+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/031a1c049cd7f7c04461ce157a0219b9-62.html#unique-entry-id-62</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/031a1c049cd7f7c04461ce157a0219b9-62.html#unique-entry-id-62</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Studies have shown that the bulk of eukaryotic genomes is transcribed.    Transcriptome maps are frequently updated, but low-abundant transcripts have likely gone unnoticed.   To eliminate RNA degradation, we depleted the exonucleolytic RNA exosome from human cells and then subjected the RNA to tiling microarray analysis.   This revealed a class of short, polyadenylated and highly unstable RNAs.   These promoter upstream transcripts (PROMPTs) are produced about 0.5 to 2.5 kb upstream of active transcription start sites (TSSs).   PROMPT transcription occurs in both sense and antisense directions with respect to the downstream gene.   In addition, it requires the presence of the gene promoter, and is positively correlated with gene activity.   We propose that PROMPT transcription is a common characteristic of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcribed genes with a possible regulatory potential.


Published Online December 4, 2008


Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1164096]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Divergent Transcription from Active Promoters </title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Transcription</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T11:42:30+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/5e559200279a33c27eaaae93ce111f05-61.html#unique-entry-id-61</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/5e559200279a33c27eaaae93ce111f05-61.html#unique-entry-id-61</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) is thought to occur unidirectionally from most genes.   Here, we present evidence of widespread divergent transcription at protein-encoding gene promoters.   Transcription start site&ndash;associated RNAs (TSSa-RNAs) nonrandomly flank active promoters, with peaks of antisense and sense short RNAs at 250 nucleotides upstream and 50 nucleotides downstream of TSSs, respectively.   Northern analysis shows that TSSa-RNAs are subsets of an RNA population 20 to 90 nucleotides in length.   Promoter associated RNAPII and H3K4-trimethylated histones, transcription initiation hallmarks, colocalize at sense and antisense TSSa-RNA positions; however, H3K79-dimethylated histones, characteristic of elongating RNAPII, are only present downstream of TSSs.   These results suggest that divergent transcription over short distances is common for active promoters and may help promoter regions maintain a state poised for subsequent regulation.


Published Online December 4, 2008


Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1162253]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A role for VEGF as a negative regulator of pericyte function and vessel maturation</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>vegf</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T01:19:41+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ac8c95c3e83fae42fcfc0467dcb3cf84-60.html#unique-entry-id-60</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ac8c95c3e83fae42fcfc0467dcb3cf84-60.html#unique-entry-id-60</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Angiogenesis does not only depend on endothelial cell invasion and proliferation: it also requires pericyte coverage of vascular sprouts for vessel stabilization1, 2.   These processes are coordinated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) through their cognate receptors on endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), respectively3, 4.   PDGF induces neovascularization by priming VSMCs/pericytes to release pro-angiogenic mediators5, 6, 7.   Although VEGF directly stimulates endothelial cell proliferation and migration, its role in pericyte biology is less clear.   Here we define a role for VEGF as an inhibitor of neovascularization on the basis of its capacity to disrupt VSMC function.   Specifically, under conditions of PDGF-mediated angiogenesis, VEGF ablates pericyte coverage of nascent vascular sprouts, leading to vessel destabilization.   At the molecular level, VEGF-mediated activation of VEGF-R2 suppresses PDGF-Rbeta signalling in VSMCs through the assembly of a previously undescribed receptor complex consisting of PDGF-Rbeta and VEGF-R2.   Inhibition of VEGF-R2 not only prevents assembly of this receptor complex but also restores angiogenesis in tissues exposed to both VEGF and PDGF.   Finally, genetic deletion of tumour cell VEGF disrupts PDGF-Rbeta/VEGF-R2 complex formation and increases tumour vessel maturation.   These findings underscore the importance of VSMCs/pericytes in neovascularization8, 9 and reveal a dichotomous role for VEGF and VEGF-R2 signalling as both a promoter of endothelial cell function and a negative regulator of VSMCs and vessel maturation.


Nature advance online publication 9 November 2008 | doi:10.1038/nature07424; Received 11 March 2008; Accepted 10 September 2008; Published online 9 November 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Nuclear receptor corepressor and histone deacetylase 3 govern circadian metabolic physiology</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home</dc:subject><dc:date>2008-12-05T01:17:07+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/1bb9670c7c6aa3c60cccfb4447fae372-59.html#unique-entry-id-59</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/1bb9670c7c6aa3c60cccfb4447fae372-59.html#unique-entry-id-59</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Rhythmic changes in histone acetylation at circadian clock genes suggest that temporal modulation of gene expression is regulated by chromatin modifications1, 2, 3.   Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate a critical relationship between circadian and metabolic physiology4, 5, 6, 7.   The nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (Ncor1) functions as an activating subunit for the chromatin modifying enzyme histone deacetylase 3 (Hdac3)8.   Lack of Ncor1 is incompatible with life, and hence it is unknown whether Ncor1, and particularly its regulation of Hdac3, is critical for adult mammalian physiology9.   Here we show that specific, genetic disruption of the Ncor1&ndash;Hdac3 interaction in mice causes aberrant regulation of clock genes and results in abnormal circadian behaviour.   These mice are also leaner and more insulin-sensitive owing to increased energy expenditure.   Unexpectedly, loss of a functional Ncor1&ndash;Hdac3 complex in vivo does not lead to sustained increases in known catabolic genes, but instead significantly alters the oscillatory patterns of several metabolic genes, demonstrating that circadian regulation of metabolism is critical for normal energy balance.   These findings indicate that activation of Hdac3 by Ncor1 is a nodal point in the epigenetic regulation of circadian and metabolic physiology.


Nature advance online publication 26 November 2008 | doi:10.1038/nature07541; Received 15 April 2008; Accepted 14 October 2008; Published online 26 November 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The zinc-finger protein Zelda is a key activator of the early zygotic genome in Drosophila</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Development</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T01:11:24+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/4bec163d356aeb8406e4a0f5c25f2108-58.html#unique-entry-id-58</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/4bec163d356aeb8406e4a0f5c25f2108-58.html#unique-entry-id-58</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In all animals, the initial events of embryogenesis are controlled by maternal gene products that are deposited into the developing oocyte.   At some point after fertilization, control of embryogenesis is transferred to the zygotic genome in a process called the maternal-to-zygotic transition.   During this time, many maternal RNAs are degraded and transcription of zygotic RNAs ensues1.   There is a long-standing question as to which factors regulate these events.   The recent findings that microRNAs2, 3 and Smaug4 mediate maternal transcript degradation have shed new light on this aspect of the problem.   However, the transcription factor(s) that activate the zygotic genome remain elusive.   The discovery that many of the early transcribed genes in Drosophila share a cis-regulatory heptamer motif, CAGGTAG and related sequences5, 6, collectively referred to as TAGteam sites5 raised the possibility that a dedicated transcription factor could interact with these sites to activate transcription.   Here we report that the zinc-finger protein Zelda (Zld; Zinc-finger early Drosophila activator) binds specifically to these sites and is capable of activating transcription in transient transfection assays.   Mutant embryos lacking zld are defective in cellular blastoderm formation, and fail to activate many genes essential for cellularization, sex determination and pattern formation.   Global expression profiling confirmed that Zld has an important role in the activation of the early zygotic genome and suggests that Zld may also regulate maternal RNA degradation during the maternal-to-zygotic transition.


Nature 456, 400-403 (20 November 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07388; Received 20 June 2008; Accepted 29 August 2008; Published online 19 October 2008
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Cell biology: Nuclear order out of chaos</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home</dc:subject><dc:date>2008-12-05T01:08:04+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/b0fbd80d310a6a4dcee365ba26e616af-57.html#unique-entry-id-57</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/b0fbd80d310a6a4dcee365ba26e616af-57.html#unique-entry-id-57</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As anyone knows who has ever put together one of those home-assembly bookshelves, most man-made structures can only be built by following a defined sequence of steps.   It is difficult to set aside this preconceived notion of linear assembly when thinking about how cellular structures emerge.


Nature 456, 333-334 (20 November 2008) | doi:10.1038/456333a; Published online 19 November 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Alternative isoform regulation in human tissue transcriptomes</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Ohne</category><dc:date>2008-11-27T01:05:04+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/f8059837d9cd9f830f18bb8ecf88205c-56.html#unique-entry-id-56</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/f8059837d9cd9f830f18bb8ecf88205c-56.html#unique-entry-id-56</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Through alternative processing of pre-messenger RNAs, individual mammalian genes often produce multiple mRNA and protein isoforms that may have related, distinct or even opposing functions.   Here we report an in-depth analysis of 15 diverse human tissue and cell line transcriptomes on the basis of deep sequencing of complementary DNA fragments, yielding a digital inventory of gene and mRNA isoform expression.   Analyses in which sequence reads are mapped to exon&ndash;exon junctions indicated that 92&ndash;94% of human genes undergo alternative splicing, approx86% with a minor isoform frequency of 15% or more.   Differences in isoform-specific read densities indicated that most alternative splicing and alternative cleavage and polyadenylation events vary between tissues, whereas variation between individuals was approximately twofold to threefold less common.   Extreme or 'switch-like' regulation of splicing between tissues was associated with increased sequence conservation in regulatory regions and with generation of full-length open reading frames.   Patterns of alternative splicing and alternative cleavage and polyadenylation were strongly correlated across tissues, suggesting coordinated regulation of these processes, and sequence conservation of a subset of known regulatory motifs in both alternative introns and 3' untranslated regions suggested common involvement of specific factors in tissue-level regulation of both splicing and polyadenylation.


Nature 456, 470-476 (27 November 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07509; Received 23 June 2008; Accepted 3 October 2008; Published online 2 November 2008; Corrected 27 November 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Regulation of ERBB2 by oestrogen receptor&#x2013;PAX2 determines response to tamoxifen</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Estrogen</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T01:01:03+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/fb8221c75bcd538182cf8ec428fe0349-55.html#unique-entry-id-55</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/fb8221c75bcd538182cf8ec428fe0349-55.html#unique-entry-id-55</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Crosstalk between the oestrogen receptor (ER) and ERBB2/HER-2 pathways has long been implicated in breast cancer aetiology and drug response1, yet no direct connection at a transcriptional level has been shown.   Here we show that oestrogen&ndash;ER and tamoxifen&ndash;ER complexes directly repress ERBB2 transcription by means of a cis-regulatory element within the ERBB2 gene in human cell lines.   We implicate the paired box 2 gene product (PAX2), in a previously unrecognized role, as a crucial mediator of ER repression of ERBB2 by the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen.   We show that PAX2 and the ER co-activator AIB-1/SRC-3 compete for binding and regulation of ERBB2 transcription, the outcome of which determines tamoxifen response in breast cancer cells.   The repression of ERBB2 by ER-PAX2 links these two breast cancer subtypes and suggests that aggressive ERBB2-positive tumours can originate from ER-positive luminal tumours by circumventing this repressive mechanism.   These data provide mechanistic insight into the molecular basis of endocrine resistance in breast cancer.


Nature 456, 663-666 (4 December 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07483; Received 30 July 2008; Accepted 2 October 2008; Published online 12 November 2008
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sox18 induces development of the lymphatic vasculature in mice</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Angiogenesis</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T00:58:39+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/b3477a2f10ff1f726c662d21c87ef2d4-54.html#unique-entry-id-54</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/b3477a2f10ff1f726c662d21c87ef2d4-54.html#unique-entry-id-54</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The lymphatic system plays a key role in tissue fluid regulation and tumour metastasis, and lymphatic defects underlie many pathological states including lymphoedema, lymphangiectasia, lymphangioma and lymphatic dysplasia1, 2, 3.   However, the origins of the lymphatic system in the embryo, and the mechanisms that direct growth of the network of lymphatic vessels, remain unclear.   Lymphatic vessels are thought to arise from endothelial precursor cells budding from the cardinal vein under the influence of the lymphatic hallmark gene Prox1 (prospero homeobox 1; ref.   4).   Defects in the transcription factor gene SOX18 (SRY (sex determining region Y) box 18) cause lymphatic dysfunction in the human syndrome hypotrichosis-lymphoedema-telangiectasia5, suggesting that Sox18 may also play a role in lymphatic development or function.   Here we use molecular, cellular and genetic assays in mice to show that Sox18 acts as a molecular switch to induce differentiation of lymphatic endothelial cells.   Sox18 is expressed in a subset of cardinal vein cells that later co-express Prox1 and migrate to form lymphatic vessels.   Sox18 directly activates Prox1 transcription by binding to its proximal promoter.   Overexpression of Sox18 in blood vascular endothelial cells induces them to express Prox1 and other lymphatic endothelial markers, while Sox18-null embryos show a complete blockade of lymphatic endothelial cell differentiation from the cardinal vein.   Our findings demonstrate a critical role for Sox18 in developmental lymphangiogenesis, and suggest new avenues to investigate for therapeutic management of human lymphangiopathies.


Nature 456, 643-647 (4 December 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07391; Received 21 December 2007]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Centrosome misorientation reduces stem cell division during ageing</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home</dc:subject><dc:date>2008-12-05T00:54:45+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/52d2cec60bbb05c4e4e98f1e99051785-53.html#unique-entry-id-53</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/52d2cec60bbb05c4e4e98f1e99051785-53.html#unique-entry-id-53</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Asymmetric division of adult stem cells generates one self-renewing stem cell and one differentiating cell, thereby maintaining tissue homeostasis.   A decline in stem cell function has been proposed to contribute to tissue ageing, although the underlying mechanism is poorly understood.   Here we show that changes in the stem cell orientation with respect to the niche during ageing contribute to the decline in spermatogenesis in the male germ line of Drosophila.   Throughout the cell cycle, centrosomes in germline stem cells (GSCs) are oriented within their niche and this ensures asymmetric division.   We found that GSCs containing misoriented centrosomes accumulate with age and that these GSCs are arrested or delayed in the cell cycle.   The cell cycle arrest is transient, and GSCs appear to re-enter the cell cycle on correction of centrosome orientation.   On the basis of these findings, we propose that cell cycle arrest associated with centrosome misorientation functions as a mechanism to ensure asymmetric stem cell division, and that the inability of stem cells to maintain correct orientation during ageing contributes to the decline in spermatogenesis.   We also show that some of the misoriented GSCs probably originate from dedifferentiation of spermatogonia.


Nature 456, 599-604 (4 December 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07386; Received 1 April 2008; Accepted 1 September 2008; Published online 15 October 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Reconstruction of Zebrafish Early Embryonic Development by Scanned Light Sheet Microscopy</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Development</category><dc:date>2008-11-15T15:34:53+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/4e11b76985d541caef7111b5d9f34db3-52.html#unique-entry-id-52</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/4e11b76985d541caef7111b5d9f34db3-52.html#unique-entry-id-52</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A long-standing goal of biology is to map the behavior of all cells during vertebrate embryogenesis.   We developed digital scanned laser light sheet fluorescence microscopy and recorded nuclei localization and movement in entire wild-type and mutant zebrafish embryos over the first 24 hours of development.   Multiview in vivo imaging at 1.5 billion voxels per minute provides "digital embryos," that is, comprehensive databases of cell positions, divisions, and migratory tracks.   Our analysis of global cell division patterns reveals a maternally defined initial morphodynamic symmetry break, which identifies the embryonic body axis.   We further derive a model of germ layer formation and show that the mesendoderm forms from one-third of the embryo's cells in a single event.   Our digital embryos, with 55 million nucleus entries, are provided as a resource.


Originally published in Science Express on 9 October 2008


Science 14 November 2008:


Vol.   322. no. 5904, pp.   1065 - 1069]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Genomic Loss of microRNA-101 Leads to Overexpression of Histone Methyltransferase EZH2 in Cancer</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Cancer</category><dc:date>2008-11-15T15:30:43+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/f8ee334ce410b278de6d34e62fab2d62-51.html#unique-entry-id-51</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/f8ee334ce410b278de6d34e62fab2d62-51.html#unique-entry-id-51</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a mammalian histone methyltransferase that contributes to the epigenetic silencing of target genes and that regulates the survival and metastasis of cancer cells.   EZH2 is overexpressed in aggressive solid tumors by mechanisms that remain unclear.   Here, we show that the expression and function of EZH2 in cancer cell lines is inhibited by microRNA-101 (miR-101).   Analysis of human prostate tumors revealed that miR-101 expression decreases during cancer progression, paralleling an increase in EZH2 expression.   One or both of the two genomic loci encoding miR-101 were somatically lost in 37.5% of clinically localized prostate cancers (6/16) and 66.7% of metastatic disease (22/33).   We propose that genomic loss of miR-101 in cancer leads to overexpression of EZH2 and concomitant dysregulation of epigenetic pathways, resulting in cancer progression.


Published Online November 13, 2008, Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1165395]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Reprogramming Primordial Germ Cells into Pluripotent Stem Cells</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>primordial germ cells</category><dc:date>2008-10-29T21:55:31+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/4a86058a091b5b874d7cf2001bf5ade8-49.html#unique-entry-id-49</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/4a86058a091b5b874d7cf2001bf5ade8-49.html#unique-entry-id-49</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Specification of primordial germ cells (PGCs) results in the conversion of pluripotent epiblast cells into monopotent germ cell lineage.   Blimp1/Prmt5 complex plays a critical role in the specification and maintenance of the early germ cell lineage.   However, PGCs can be induced to dedifferentiate back to a pluripotent state as embryonic germ (EG) cells when exposed to exogenous signaling molecules, FGF-2, LIF and SCF.


Methodology and Principal Findings


Here we show that Trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylases, is a highly potent agent that can replace FGF-2 to induce dedifferentiation of PGCs into EG cells.   A key early event during dedifferentiation of PGCs in response to FGF-2 or TSA is the down-regulation of Blimp1, which reverses and apparently relieves the cell fate restriction imposed by it.   Notably, the targets of Blimp1, which include c-Myc and Klf-4, which represent two of the key factors known to promote reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotent state, are up-regulated.   We also found early activation of the LIF/Stat-3 signaling pathway with the translocation of Stat-3 into the nucleus.   By contrast, while Prmt5 is retained in EG cells, it translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm where it probably has an independent role in regulating pluripotency.


Conclusions/Significance


We propose that dedifferentiation of PGCs into EG cells may provide significant mechanistic insights on early events associated with reprogramming of committed cells to a pluripotent state.


PLoS ONE 3(10): e3531. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003531]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>AKAP-Lbc Mobilizes a Cardiac Hypertrophy Signaling Pathway</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Ohne</category><dc:date>2008-10-24T02:05:14+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/9c4cb6b3523f5811b7c0dee3d23bbc0c-45.html#unique-entry-id-45</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/9c4cb6b3523f5811b7c0dee3d23bbc0c-45.html#unique-entry-id-45</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Elevated catecholamines in the heart evoke transcriptional activation of the Myocyte Enhancer Factor (MEF) pathway to induce a cellular response known as pathological myocardial hypertrophy.   We have discovered that the A-Kinase Anchoring Protein (AKAP)-Lbc is upregulated in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes.   It coordinates activation and movement of signaling proteins that initiate MEF2-mediated transcriptional reprogramming events.   Live-cell imaging, fluorescent kinase activity reporters, and RNA interference techniques show that AKAP-Lbc couples activation of protein kinase D (PKD) with the phosphorylation-dependent nuclear export of the class II histone deacetylase HDAC5.   These studies uncover a role for AKAP-Lbc in which increased expression of the anchoring protein selectively amplifies a signaling pathway that drives cardiac myocytes toward a pathophysiological outcome.


Molecular Cell, Volume 32, Issue 2, 169-179, 24 October 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Arginine Methylation of FOXO Transcription Factors Inhibits Their Phosphorylation by Akt</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><dc:subject>Home</dc:subject><dc:date>2008-10-24T01:59:35+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/cdcafe2de6839b526d99932714682905-44.html#unique-entry-id-44</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/cdcafe2de6839b526d99932714682905-44.html#unique-entry-id-44</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors, the key regulators of cell survival, are negatively controlled through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.   Phosphorylation of FOXO by Akt leads to cytoplasmic localization and subsequent degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system.   Here we show a paradigm of FOXO1 regulation by the protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT1.   PRMT1 methylated FOXO1 at conserved Arg248 and Arg250 within a consensus motif for Akt phosphorylation; this methylation directly blocked Akt-mediated phosphorylation of FOXO1 at Ser253 invitro and invivo.   Silencing of PRMT1 by small interfering RNA enhanced nuclear exclusion, polyubiquitination, and proteasomal degradation of FOXO1.   PRMT1 knockdown led to a decrease in oxidative-stress-induced apoptosis depending on the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.   Furthermore, stable expression of enzymatic inactive PRMT1 mutant increased resistance to apoptosis, whereas this effect was reversed by expression of phosphorylation-deficient FOXO1.   Our findings predict a role for arginine methylation as an inhibitory modification against Akt-mediated phosphorylation.


Molecular Cell, Volume 32, Issue 2, 221-231, 24 October 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Suppressed NFAT-dependent VEGFR1 expression and constitutive VEGFR2 signaling in infantile hemangioma</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>vegf</category><category>NFAT</category><category>hemangioma</category><category>Flt-1</category><category>Endothelial cells</category><dc:date>2008-10-21T23:45:30+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/a50b2239eec61c10b4f2d4c181af47f7-43.html#unique-entry-id-43</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/a50b2239eec61c10b4f2d4c181af47f7-43.html#unique-entry-id-43</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Infantile hemangiomas are localized and rapidly growing regions of disorganized angiogenesis.   We show that expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR1) in hemangioma endothelial cells (hemECs) and hemangioma tissue is markedly reduced compared to controls.   Low VEGFR1 expression in hemECs results in VEGF-dependent activation of VEGFR2 and downstream signaling pathways.   In hemECs, transcription of the gene encoding VEGFR1 (FLT1) is dependent on nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT).   Low VEGFR1 expression in hemECs is caused by reduced activity of a pathway involving beta1 integrin, the integrin-like receptor tumor endothelial marker-8 (TEM8), VEGFR2 and NFAT.   In a subset of individuals with hemangioma, we found missense mutations in the genes encoding VEGFR2 (KDR) and TEM8 (ANTXR1).   These mutations result in increased interactions among VEGFR2, TEM8 and beta1 integrin proteins and in inhibition of integrin activity.   Normalization of the constitutive VEGFR2 signaling in hemECs with soluble VEGFR1 or antibodies that neutralize VEGF or stimulate beta1 integrin suggests that local administration of these or similar agents may be effective in hemangioma treatment.


Nature Medicine


Published online: 19 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nm.1877]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Generation of pluripotent stem cells from adult human testis</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>primordial germ cells</category><category>human</category><category>Testis</category><category>Embryonic stem cells</category><dc:date>2008-10-09T02:28:20+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/39640e965d64f3b5348bc5646edcff3b-42.html#unique-entry-id-42</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/39640e965d64f3b5348bc5646edcff3b-42.html#unique-entry-id-42</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Human primordial germ cells and mouse neonatal and adult germline stem cells are pluripotent and show similar properties to embryonic stem cells.   Here we report the successful establishment of human adult germline stem cells derived from spermatogonial cells of adult human testis.   Cellular and molecular characterization of these cells revealed many similarities to human embryonic stem cells, and the germline stem cells produced teratomas after transplantation into immunodeficient mice.   The human adult germline stem cells differentiated into various types of somatic cells of all three germ layers when grown under conditions used to induce the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells.   We conclude that the generation of human adult germline stem cells from testicular biopsies may provide simple and non-controversial access to individual cell-based therapy without the ethical and immunological problems associated with human embryonic stem cells.


Nature advance online publication 8 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nature07404]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Recognition of hemi-methylated DNA by the SRA protein UHRF1 by a base-flipping mechanism</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>DNMT1</category><category>UHRF1</category><category>CpG</category><category>Methylation</category><dc:date>2008-10-09T02:24:34+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/3115365c93d5acccf77d8b3b4523bbbb-41.html#unique-entry-id-41</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/3115365c93d5acccf77d8b3b4523bbbb-41.html#unique-entry-id-41</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[DNA methylation of CpG dinucleotides is an important epigenetic modification of mammalian genomes and is essential for the regulation of chromatin structure, of gene expression and of genome stability1, 2.   Differences in DNA methylation patterns underlie a wide range of biological processes, such as genomic imprinting, inactivation of the X chromosome, embryogenesis, and carcinogenesis3, 4, 5, 6.   Inheritance of the epigenetic methylation pattern is mediated by the enzyme DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1), which methylates newly synthesized CpG sequences during DNA replication, depending on the methylation status of the template strands7, 8.   The protein UHRF1 (also known as Np95 and ICBP90) recognizes hemi-methylation sites via a SET and RING-associated (SRA) domain and directs Dnmt1 to these sites9, 10, 11.   Here we report the crystal structures of the SRA domain in free and hemi-methylated DNA-bound states.   The SRA domain folds into a globular structure with a basic concave surface formed by highly conserved residues.   Binding of DNA to the concave surface causes a loop and an amino-terminal tail of the SRA domain to fold into DNA interfaces at the major and minor grooves of the methylation site.   In contrast to fully methylated CpG sites recognized by the methyl-CpG-binding domain12, 13, the methylcytosine base at the hemi-methylated site is flipped out of the DNA helix in the SRA&ndash;DNA complex and fits tightly into a protein pocket on the concave surface.   The complex structure suggests that the successive flip out of the pre-existing methylated cytosine and the target cytosine to be methylated is associated with the coordinated transfer of the hemi-methylated CpG site from UHRF1 to Dnmt1.


Nature 455, 818-821 (9 October 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07249]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Structural basis for recognition of hemi-methylated DNA by the SRA domain of human UHRF1</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Methylation</category><category>DNMT1</category><category>UHRF1</category><category>CpG</category><dc:date>2008-10-09T02:21:58+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6b93344108d512c5b21caa14c017bf96-40.html#unique-entry-id-40</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6b93344108d512c5b21caa14c017bf96-40.html#unique-entry-id-40</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Epigenetic inheritance in mammals is characterized by high-fidelity replication of CpG methylation patterns during development1, 2.   UHRF1 (also known as ICBP90 in humans and Np95 in mouse)3 is an E3 ligase important for the maintenance of global and local DNA methylation in vivo 4, 5.   The preferential affinity of UHRF1 for hemi-methylated DNA over symmetrically methylated DNA by means of its SET and RING-associated (SRA) domain6 and its association with the maintenance DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) suggests a role in replication of the epigenetic code4, 5, 7.   Here we report the 1.7 &Aring; crystal structure of the apo SRA domain of human UHRF1 and a 2.2 &Aring; structure of its complex with hemi-methylated DNA, revealing a previously unknown reading mechanism for methylated CpG sites (mCpG).   The SRA&ndash;DNA complex has several notable structural features including a binding pocket that accommodates the 5-methylcytosine that is flipped out of the duplex DNA.   Two specialized loops reach through the resulting gap in the DNA from both the major and the minor grooves to read the other three bases of the CpG duplex.   The major groove loop confers both specificity for the CpG dinucleotide and discrimination against methylation of deoxycytidine of the complementary strand.   The structure, along with mutagenesis data, suggests how UHRF1 acts as a key factor for DNMT1 maintenance methylation through recognition of a fundamental unit of epigenetic inheritance, mCpG.


Nature 455, 822-825 (9 October 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07273]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Global Reorganization of Replication Domains During Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Epigenetics</category><category>Embryonic stem cells</category><category>Transcription</category><dc:date>2008-10-07T20:03:07+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2d03e94b52d05b5ca90f6f63f37040a7-39.html#unique-entry-id-39</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2d03e94b52d05b5ca90f6f63f37040a7-39.html#unique-entry-id-39</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Microscopy studies have suggested that chromosomal DNA is composed of multiple, megabase-sized segments, each replicated at different times during S-phase of the cell cycle.   However, a molecular definition of these coordinately replicated sequences and the stability of the boundaries between them has not been established.   We constructed genome-wide replication-timing maps in mouse embryonic stem cells, identifying multimegabase coordinately replicated chromosome segments&mdash;&ldquo;replication domains&rdquo;&mdash;separated by remarkably distinct temporal boundaries.   These domain boundaries were shared between several unrelated embryonic stem cell lines, including somatic cells reprogrammed to pluripotency (so-called induced pluripotent stem cells).   However, upon differentiation to neural precursor cells, domains encompassing approximately 20% of the genome changed their replication timing, temporally consolidating into fewer, larger replication domains that were conserved between different neural precursor cell lines.   Domains that changed replication timing showed a unique sequence composition, a strongly biased directionality for changes in resident gene expression, and altered radial positioning within the three-dimensional space in the cell nucleus, suggesting that changes in replication timing are related to the reorganization of higher-order chromosome structure and function during differentiation.   Moreover, the property of smaller discordantly replicating domains may define a novel characteristic of pluripotency.


PLoS Biol 6(10): e245 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060245]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Blocking Them All: &#x3b2;-Arrestins Inhibit Cellular Signaling</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>G protein-coupled receptors</category><category>&#x3b2;-arrestins</category><category>STAT1</category><dc:date>2008-10-01T00:45:16+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/81209908ed0ca0266ea6641d2a95d4cb-38.html#unique-entry-id-38</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/81209908ed0ca0266ea6641d2a95d4cb-38.html#unique-entry-id-38</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[&beta;-arrestins are scaffold proteins that link G protein-coupled receptors to multiple &ldquo;nonclassical&rdquo; signaling pathways.   In this issue of Molecular Cell, Mo et al., 2008 show that &beta;-arrestin1 also switches off signaling through the STAT1 transcription factor, thereby inhibiting interferon-induced antiviral responses.


Molecular Cell, Vol 31, 619-621, 05 September 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A piRNA Pathway Primed by Individual Transposons Is Linked to De Novo DNA Methylation in Mice</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Transposon</category><category>Methylation</category><category>MiWI2</category><category>MiLI</category><category>piRNA</category><dc:date>2008-09-26T00:56:55+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/978c1b3c293400e909c30a200405c437-37.html#unique-entry-id-37</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/978c1b3c293400e909c30a200405c437-37.html#unique-entry-id-37</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[piRNAs and Piwi proteins have been implicated in transposon control and are linked to transposon methylation in mammals.   Here we examined the construction of the piRNA system in the restricted developmental window in which methylation patterns are set during mammalian embryogenesis.   We find robust expression of two Piwi family proteins, MIWI2 and MILI.   Their associated piRNA profiles reveal differences from Drosophila wherein large piRNA clusters act as master regulators of silencing.   Instead, in mammals, dispersed transposon copies initiate the pathway, producing primary piRNAs, which predominantly join MILI in the cytoplasm.   MIWI2, whose nuclear localization and association with piRNAs depend upon MILI, is enriched for secondary piRNAs antisense to the elements that it controls.   The Piwi pathway lies upstream of known mediators of DNA methylation, since piRNAs are still produced in dnmt3L mutants, which fail to methylate transposons.   This implicates piRNAs as specificity determinants of DNA methylation in germ cells.


Molecular Cell, Vol 31, 785-799, 26 September 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Association of Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration With Medical Disorders and Laboratory Abnormalities in Adults</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>human</category><category>Diabetes</category><category>Cardiovascular</category><dc:date>2008-09-16T16:00:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/c1713950a88aea8e82ef7b5b00a63ee4-36.html#unique-entry-id-36</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/c1713950a88aea8e82ef7b5b00a63ee4-36.html#unique-entry-id-36</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Context  Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in epoxy resins lining food and beverage containers.   Evidence of effects in animals has generated concern over low-level chronic exposures in humans.


Objective  To examine associations between urinary BPA concentrations and adult health status.


Design, Setting, and Participants  Cross-sectional analysis of BPA concentrations and health status in the general adult population of the United States, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004.   Participants were 1455 adults aged 18 through 74 years with measured urinary BPA and urine creatinine concentrations.   Regression models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, and urinary creatinine concentration.   The sample provided 80% power to detect unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 1.4 for diagnoses of 5% prevalence per 1-SD change in BPA concentration, or standardized regression coefficients of 0.075 for liver enzyme concentrations, at a significance level of P < .05.


Main Outcome Measures  Chronic disease diagnoses plus blood markers of liver function, glucose homeostasis, inflammation, and lipid changes.


Results  Higher urinary BPA concentrations were associated with cardiovascular diagnoses in age-, sex-, and fully adjusted models (OR per 1-SD increase in BPA concentration, 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.63; P = .001 with full adjustment).   Higher BPA concentrations were also associated with diabetes (OR per 1-SD increase in BPA concentration, 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.60; P < .001) but not with other studied common diseases.   In addition, higher BPA concentrations were associated with clinically abnormal concentrations of the liver enzymes {gamma}-glutamyltransferase (OR per 1-SD increase in BPA concentration, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.14-1.46; P < .001) and alkaline phosphatase (OR per 1-SD increase in BPA concentration, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.18-1.85; P = .002).


Conclusion  Higher BPA exposure, reflected in higher urinary concentrations of BPA, may be associated with avoidable morbidity in the community-dwelling adult population.


JAMA.   2008;300(11):1303-1310.   Published online September 16, 2008 (doi:10.1001/jama.300.11.1303)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Frizzled Extracellular Domain Is a Ligand for Van Gogh/Stbm during Nonautonomous Planar Cell Polarity Signaling</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Frizzled</category><category>Wnt</category><category>Catenin</category><category>van Gogh</category><category>Epithelium</category><dc:date>2008-09-15T21:12:45+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/0ed04dabb021288000619d99acb71a12-35.html#unique-entry-id-35</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/0ed04dabb021288000619d99acb71a12-35.html#unique-entry-id-35</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The Frizzled (Fz) receptor is required cell autonomously in Wnt/&beta;-catenin and planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling.   In addition to these requirements, Fz acts nonautonomously during PCP establishment: wild-type cells surrounding fz&minus; patches reorient toward the fz&minus; cells.   The molecular mechanism(s) of nonautonomous Fz signaling are unknown.   Our in vivo studies identify the extracellular domain (ECD) of Fz, in particular its CRD (cysteine rich domain), as critical for nonautonomous Fz-PCP activity.   Importantly, we demonstrate biochemical and physical interactions between the FzECD and the transmembrane protein Van Gogh/Strabismus (Vang/Stbm).   We show that this function precedes cell-autonomous interactions and visible asymmetric PCP factor localization.   Our data suggest that Vang/Stbm can act as a FzECD receptor, allowing cells to sense Fz activity/levels of their neighbors.   Thus, direct Fz-Vang/Stbm interactions represent an intriguing mechanism that may account for the global orientation of cells within the plane of their epithelial field.


Developmental Cell, Vol 15, 462-469, 16 September 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Serum Response Factor Is Required for Sprouting Angiogenesis and Vascular Integrity</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>vegf</category><category>Angiogenesis</category><category>Endothelium</category><category>FGF</category><dc:date>2008-09-15T21:10:06+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/838c6f763d6fc5a6c8a0eecf09b9d045-34.html#unique-entry-id-34</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/838c6f763d6fc5a6c8a0eecf09b9d045-34.html#unique-entry-id-34</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Serum response factor (SRF) is a transcription factor that controls the expression of cytoskeletal proteins and immediate early genes in different cell types.   Here, we found that SRF expression is restricted to endothelial cells (ECs) of small vessels such as capillaries in the mouse embryo.   EC-specific Srf deletion led to aneurysms and hemorrhages from 11.5 days of mouse development (E11.5) and lethality at E14.5.   Mutant embryos presented a reduced capillary density and defects in EC migration, with fewer numbers of filopodia in tip cells and ECs showing defects in actin polymerization and intercellular junctions.   We show that SRF is essential for the expression of VE-cadherin and &beta;-actin in ECs both in vivo and in vitro.   Moreover, knockdown of SRF in ECs impaired VEGF- and FGF-induced in vitro angiogenesis.   Taken together, our results demonstrate that SRF plays an important role in sprouting angiogenesis and small vessel integrity in the mouse embryo.


Developmental Cell, Vol 15, 448-461, 16 September 2008
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Bisphenol-A disruption of the endocrine pancreas and blood glucose homeostasis.</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>pancreas</category><category>Mouse</category><category>Insulin</category><category>glucose</category><dc:date>2007-10-30T21:00:30+01:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/5e73ef51dc75ab135ba8ae6b4d78c981-33.html#unique-entry-id-33</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/5e73ef51dc75ab135ba8ae6b4d78c981-33.html#unique-entry-id-33</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The link between endocrine disruptors and altered blood glucose homeostasis has been recently suggested.   Epidemiological studies have correlated levels of phthalates, dioxins and persistent organic pollutants with alterations of blood glucose homeostasis in humans.   Environmentally relevant doses of the ubiquitous endocrine disruptor bisphenol-A (BPA) have profound effects on mice endocrine pancreas--an essential tissue involved in glucose metabolism.   BPA exerts rapid non-genomic effects on insulin releasing beta-cells and glucagon releasing alpha-cells within freshly isolated islets of Langerhans.   In vivo, a single BPA injection of 10 microg/kg rapidly increases plasma insulin and concomitantly decreases glycaemia.   When mice were treated with BPA 100 microg/kg/day for 4 days, the environmental oestrogen produced an increase in beta-cell insulin content along with a post-prandial hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance.   The results reviewed here demonstrate that doses well below the current lowest observed adverse effect level considered by the US-EPA, disrupt pancreatic beta-cell function producing insulin resistance in male mice.   Therefore, this altered blood glucose homeostasis by BPA exposure may enhance the risk of developing type II diabetes.


International Journal of Andrology, Volume 31 Issue 2, Pages 194 - 200, 2007
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Bisphenol A and Risk of Metabolic Disorders</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>human</category><category>Diabetes</category><category>health effect</category><dc:date>2008-09-16T16:00:00+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/0b942031a0db21a518464cf7dbbafdd7-32.html#unique-entry-id-32</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/0b942031a0db21a518464cf7dbbafdd7-32.html#unique-entry-id-32</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In this issue of JAMA, Lang and colleagues1 report the results of the first major epidemiologic study to examine the health effects associated with the ubiquitous estrogenic chemical bisphenol A (BPA).   This compound is the base chemical (monomer) used to make polycarbonate plastic food and beverage containers, the resin lining of cans, and dental sealants; it also is found in "carbonless" paper used for receipts as well as a wide range of other common household products.   Based on their analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004, Lang et al report a significant relationship between urine concentrations of BPA and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver-enzyme abnormalities in a representative sample of the adult US population.   This report, suggesting links between BPA and some of the most significant and economically burdensome human diseases, is based . . .


JAMA.   2008;300(11):1353-1355.   Published online September 16, 2008 (doi:10.1001/jama.300.11.1353)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Pancreatic Insulin Content Regulation by the Estrogen Receptor ER&#x3b1;</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>Estrogen</category><category>Estrogen receptors</category><category>Erk</category><category>Mouse</category><dc:date>2008-09-15T20:54:18+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/8856ebd83cb2ff0a5358106d324e7d89-31.html#unique-entry-id-31</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/8856ebd83cb2ff0a5358106d324e7d89-31.html#unique-entry-id-31</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The function of pancreatic &beta;-cells is the synthesis and release of insulin, the main hormone involved in blood glucose homeostasis.   Estrogen receptors, ER&alpha; and ER&beta;, are important molecules involved in glucose metabolism, yet their role in pancreatic &beta;-cell physiology is still greatly unknown.   In this report we show that both ER&alpha; and ER&beta; are present in pancreatic &beta;-cells.   Long term exposure to physiological concentrations of 17&beta;-estradiol (E2) increased &beta;-cell insulin content, insulin gene expression and insulin release, yet pancreatic &beta;-cell mass was unaltered.   The up-regulation of pancreatic &beta;-cell insulin content was imitated by environmentally relevant doses of the widespread endocrine disruptor Bisphenol-A (BPA).   The use of ER&alpha; and ER&beta; agonists as well as ER&alpha;KO and ER&beta;KO mice suggests that the estrogen receptor involved is ER&alpha;.   The up-regulation of pancreatic insulin content by ER&alpha; activation involves ERK1/2.   These data may be important to explain the actions of E2 and environmental estrogens in endocrine pancreatic function and blood glucose homeostasis.


PLoS ONE 3(4): e2069. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002069
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Bisphenol A at Environmentally Relevant Doses Inhibits Adiponectin Release from Human Adipose Tissue Explants and Adipocytes</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>Adiponectin</category><category>human</category><category>Adipocytes</category><dc:date>2008-09-15T20:47:48+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/554925477ab35fe65c835884d74fbaf1-30.html#unique-entry-id-30</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/554925477ab35fe65c835884d74fbaf1-30.html#unique-entry-id-30</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Background: The incidence of obesity has risen dramatically over the last few decades. 

...epidemic may be affected by exposure to xenobiotic chemicals. 

...endocrine disruptor, is detectable at nM levels in human serum worldwide. 

...adipocyte-specific hormone which increases insulin sensitivity and reduces tissue inflammation. 


Thus, any factor which suppresses adiponectin release could lead to insulin resistance and 


...Objectives: To compare: a) the effects of low doses of BPA and estradiol (E2) on adiponectin 


secretion from human breast, subcutaneous (sc) and visceral (vis) adipose explants and mature 


adipocytes, and b) expression of putative estrogen and estrogen-related receptors in these tissues.    


...Methods: Adiponectin levels in conditioned media (CM) from adipose explants or adipocytes 


were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). 

...receptors (ER) &alpha; and &beta;, G-protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), and estrogen-related receptors 


(ERR) &alpha;, &beta; and &gamma; was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.  


...Results: BPA at 0.1 and 1 nM doses suppressed adiponectin release from all adipose depots 


...In spite of a substantial variability among patients, BPA was as effective, and often 


more effective, than equimolar concentrations of E2. 

...levels of ER&alpha;, ER&beta; and ERR&gamma;, and 20-30 fold lower levels of GPR30, ERR&alpha; and ERR&beta;.  


...Conclusions: BPA at environmentally-relevant doses inhibits the release of a key adipokine that 


...The mechanism by which BPA suppresses 


adiponectin and the receptors involved remain to be determined.   


...Environ Health Perspect doi:10.1289/ehp.11537 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 14 August 2008] ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Natural selection of FLT1 alleles and their association &#xa;with malaria resistance in utero</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Flt-1</category><category>Malaria</category><category>pregnancy</category><category>vegf</category><category>genotype</category><dc:date>2008-09-09T18:22:49+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/557823bd6b1f3cde496d679b94f4bf6f-29.html#unique-entry-id-29</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/557823bd6b1f3cde496d679b94f4bf6f-29.html#unique-entry-id-29</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Placental malaria (PM) caused by Plasmodium falciparum contributes significantly to infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and is associated with pregnancy loss.   We hypothesized that fetal genes that modify PM would be associated with fetal fitness.   During PM, placental trophoblasts produce soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), also known as soluble VEGF receptor 1, an angiogenesis inhibitor associated with preeclampsia.   Here we present a study examining the genotype of the fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT1) 3&prime; UTR in Tanzanian mother&ndash;infant pairs.   First-time mothers suffer the most PM, and newborn FLT1 genotype distribution differed by birth order, with newborns of first-time mothers outside of Hardy&ndash;Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) during peak PM season.   Among first-time but not other mothers, maternal FLT1 genotype was associated with a history of prior pregnancy loss.   During PM, newborn FLT1 genotype was associated with low birth weight and placental inflammatory gene expression.   FLT1 genotype was also associated with Flt1 levels among study subjects and in vitro.   Thus, FLT1 variants confer fetal fitness in utero and are associated with the maternal immune response during PM.   This indicates that FLT1 is under natural selection in a malaria endemic area and that human exposure to malaria can influence the evolutionary genetics of the maternal-fetal relationship.


PNAS published September 8, 2008, doi:10.1073/pnas.0803657105]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Urinary metabolite concentrations of organophosphorous pesticides&#x2c; bisphenol A&#x2c; and phthalates among pregnant women in Rotterdam&#x2c; the Netherlands: The Generation R study.</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>human</category><category>Exposure</category><category>urine</category><dc:date>2008-09-09T18:08:27+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/96b6013d0109f1140a1844972f7d0904-28.html#unique-entry-id-28</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/96b6013d0109f1140a1844972f7d0904-28.html#unique-entry-id-28</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Concern about potential health impacts of low-level exposures to organophosphorus (OP) pesticides, bisphenol A (BPA), and phthalates among the general population is increasing.   We measured levels of six dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites of OP pesticides, a chlorpyrifos-specific metabolite (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol, TCPy), BPA, and 14 phthalate metabolites in urine samples of 100 pregnant women from the Generation R study, the Netherlands.   The unadjusted and creatinine-adjusted concentrations were reported, and compared to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and other studies.   In general, these metabolites were detectable in the urine of the women from the Generation R study and compared with other groups, they had relatively high-level exposures to OP pesticides and several phthalates but similar exposure to BPA.   The median concentrations of total dimethyl (DM) metabolites was 264.0nmol/g creatinine (Cr) and of total DAP was 316.0nmol/g Cr.   The median concentration of mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) was 222.0mug/g Cr; the median concentrations of mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) were above 50mug/g Cr.   The median concentrations of the three secondary metabolites of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) were greater than 20mug/g Cr.   The data indicate that the Generation R study population provides a wide distribution of selected environmental exposures.   Reasons for the relatively high levels and possible health effects need investigation.


 Environ Res.   2008 Sep 4.   [Epub ahead of print]]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Bisphenol A prevents the synaptogenic response to estradiol in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of ovariectomized nonhuman primates.</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>primates</category><category>Brain</category><dc:date>2008-09-09T17:44:56+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/5963c7435ac38dd3b3eac637d657af12-27.html#unique-entry-id-27</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/5963c7435ac38dd3b3eac637d657af12-27.html#unique-entry-id-27</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Exposure measurements from several countries indicate that humans are routinely exposed to low levels of bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic xenoestrogen widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics.   There is considerable debate about whether this exposure represents an environmental risk, based on reports that BPA interferes with the development of many organs and that it may alter cognitive functions and mood.   Consistent with these reports, we have previously demonstrated that BPA antagonizes spine synapse formation induced by estrogens and testosterone in limbic brain areas of gonadectomized female and male rats.   An important limitation of these studies, however, is that they were based on rodent animal models, which may not be representative of the effects of human BPA exposure.   To address this issue, we examined the influence of continuous BPA administration, at a daily dose equal to the current U.S.   Environmental Protection Agency's reference safe daily limit, on estradiol-induced spine synapse formation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of a nonhuman primate model.   Our data indicate that even at this relatively low exposure level, BPA completely abolishes the synaptogenic response to estradiol.   Because remodeling of spine synapses may play a critical role in cognition and mood, the ability of BPA to interfere with spine synapse formation has profound implications.   This study is the first to demonstrate an adverse effect of BPA on the brain in a nonhuman primate model and further amplifies concerns about the widespread use of BPA in medical equipment, and in food preparation and storage.


 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.   2008 Sep 3.   [Epub ahead of print]]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Global Sequencing of Proteolytic Cleavage Sites in Apoptosis by Specific Labeling of Protein N Termini </title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Caspase</category><category>programmed cell death</category><category>Apoptosis</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T23:25:52+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/d0d7932d7dd1314ab5587b5cf62bc04b-26.html#unique-entry-id-26</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/d0d7932d7dd1314ab5587b5cf62bc04b-26.html#unique-entry-id-26</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The nearly 600 proteases in the human genome regulate a diversity of biological processes, including programmed cell death.   Comprehensive characterization of protease signaling in complex biological samples is limited by available proteomic methods.   We have developed a general approach for global identification of proteolytic cleavage sites using an engineered enzyme to selectively biotinylate free protein N termini for positive enrichment of corresponding N-terminal peptides.   Using this method to study apoptosis, we have sequenced 333 caspase-like cleavage sites distributed among 292 protein substrates.   These sites are generally not predicted by in vitro caspase substrate specificity but can be used to predict other physiological caspase cleavage sites.   Structural bioinformatic studies show that caspase cleavage sites often appear in surface-accessible loops and even occasionally in helical regions.   Strikingly, we also find that a disproportionate number of caspase substrates physically interact, suggesting that these dimeric proteases target protein complexes and networks to elicit apoptosis.


Cell, Volume 134, Issue 5, 5 September 2008, Pages 866-876 ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>UBXD7 Binds Multiple Ubiquitin Ligases and Implicates p97 in HIF1&#x3b1; Turnover</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>HIF1&#x3b1;</category><category>p97</category><category>ubiquitin ligases</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T23:19:36+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2d89571bfb32f543c6c2235ba0e83d47-25.html#unique-entry-id-25</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2d89571bfb32f543c6c2235ba0e83d47-25.html#unique-entry-id-25</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[p97 is an ATP-dependent chaperone that plays an important role in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation but whose connections to turnover of soluble proteins remain sparse.   Binding of p97 to substrates is mediated by cofactors that contain ubiquitin-binding domains.   We employed &ldquo;network proteomics&rdquo; to show that p97 assembles with all of the 13 mammalian UBX-domain proteins.   The UBX proteins that bind ubiquitin conjugates also interact with dozens of E3 ubiquitin ligases, only one of which had been previously linked to p97.   In particular, UBXD7 links p97 to the ubiquitin ligase CUL2/VHL and its substrate hypoxia-inducible factor 1&alpha; (HIF1&alpha;).   Depletion of p97 leads to accumulation of endogenous HIF1&alpha; and increased expression of a HIF1&alpha; target gene.   The large number of ubiquitin ligases found associated with UBX proteins suggests that p97 plays a far broader role than previously anticipated in the global regulation of protein turnover.


Cell, Vol 134, 804-816, 05 September 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Structural Coupling of SH2-Kinase Domains Links Fes and Abl Substrate Recognition and Kinase Activation</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>sh2</category><category>sh2-kinase</category><category>Tyrosine Kinase</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T23:15:13+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/3f43a035d26c7cc7be4c9f4e1cc1ca41-24.html#unique-entry-id-24</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/3f43a035d26c7cc7be4c9f4e1cc1ca41-24.html#unique-entry-id-24</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The SH2 domain of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases can enhance catalytic activity and substrate recognition, but the molecular mechanisms by which this is achieved are poorly understood.   We have solved the structure of the prototypic SH2-kinase unit of the human Fes tyrosine kinase, which appears specialized for positive signaling.   In its active conformation, the SH2 domain tightly interacts with the kinase N-terminal lobe and positions the kinase &alpha;C helix in an active configuration through essential packing and electrostatic interactions.   This interaction is stabilized by ligand binding to the SH2 domain.   Our data indicate that Fes kinase activation is closely coupled to substrate recognition through cooperative SH2-kinase-substrate interactions.   Similarly, we find that the SH2 domain of the active Abl kinase stimulates catalytic activity and substrate phosphorylation through a distinct SH2-kinase interface.   Thus, the SH2 and catalytic domains of active Fes and Abl pro-oncogenic kinases form integrated structures essential for effective tyrosine kinase signaling.


Cell, Vol 134, 793-803, 05 September 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Human-Specific Gain of Function in a Developmental Enhancer</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Enhancer</category><category>Development</category><category>human</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T23:06:06+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ce43f2a07b461fe9bad95f53b40250ae-23.html#unique-entry-id-23</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ce43f2a07b461fe9bad95f53b40250ae-23.html#unique-entry-id-23</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Changes in gene regulation are thought to have contributed to the evolution of human development.   However, in vivo evidence for uniquely human developmental regulatory function has remained elusive.   In transgenic mice, a conserved noncoding sequence (HACNS1) that evolved extremely rapidly in humans acted as an enhancer of gene expression that has gained a strong limb expression domain relative to the orthologous elements from chimpanzee and rhesus macaque.   This gain of function was consistent across two developmental stages in the mouse and included the presumptive anterior wrist and proximal thumb.   In vivo analyses with synthetic enhancers, in which human-specific substitutions were introduced into the chimpanzee enhancer sequence or reverted in the human enhancer to the ancestral state, indicated that 13 substitutions clustered in an 81&ndash;base pair module otherwise highly constrained among terrestrial vertebrates were sufficient to confer the human-specific limb expression domain.


Science 5 September 2008: Vol.   321. no. 5894, pp.   1346 - 1350


DOI: 10.1126/science.1159974]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Shadow Enhancers as a Source of Evolutionary Novelty</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>ChIP-chip assays</category><category>evolution</category><category>shadow enhancer</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T22:59:29+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/cf2e68d93eff204d8c3b5d7a265d4bf2-22.html#unique-entry-id-22</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/cf2e68d93eff204d8c3b5d7a265d4bf2-22.html#unique-entry-id-22</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Science 5 September 2008: Vol.   321. no. 5894, p.   1314


DOI: 10.1126/science.1160631]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Calcification of Multipotent Prostate Tumor Endothelium</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Endothelial progenitor cell</category><category>Prostate</category><category>Calcification</category><category>Endothelium</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T22:50:53+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/98788c598151e8d89ccb220eafd5fec3-21.html#unique-entry-id-21</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/98788c598151e8d89ccb220eafd5fec3-21.html#unique-entry-id-21</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Solid tumors require new blood vessels for growth and metastasis, yet the biology of tumor-specific endothelial cells is poorly understood.   We have isolated tumor endothelial cells from mice that spontaneously develop prostate tumors.   Clonal populations of tumor endothelial cells expressed hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cell markers and differentiated to form cartilage- and bone-like tissues.   Chondrogenic differentiation was accompanied by an upregulation of cartilage-specific col2a1 and sox9, whereas osteocalcin and the metastasis marker osteopontin were upregulated during osteogenic differentiation.   In human and mouse prostate tumors, ectopic vascular calcification was predominately luminal and colocalized with the endothelial marker CD31.   Thus, prostate tumor endothelial cells are atypically multipotent and can undergo a mesenchymal-like transition.


Cancer Cell, Vol 14, 201-211, 09 September 2008]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Rapid Chemotherapy-Induced Acute Endothelial Progenitor Cell Mobilization: Implications for Antiangiogenic Drugs as Chemosensitizing Agents</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Endothelial progenitor cell</category><category>Cellcycle</category><category>Mouse</category><dc:date>2008-09-08T22:42:32+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6438e40aab67d8c1403e89db4d8d13f2-20.html#unique-entry-id-20</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6438e40aab67d8c1403e89db4d8d13f2-20.html#unique-entry-id-20</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain how antiangiogenic drugs enhance the treatment efficacy of cytotoxic chemotherapy, including impairing the ability of chemotherapy-responsive tumors to regrow after therapy.   With respect to the latter, we show that certain chemotherapy drugs, e.g., paclitaxel, can rapidly induce proangiogenic bone marrow-derived circulating endothelial progenitor (CEP) mobilization and subsequent tumor homing, whereas others, e.g., gemcitabine, do not.   Acute CEP mobilization was mediated, at least in part, by systemic induction of SDF-1&alpha; and could be prevented by various procedures such as treatment with anti-VEGFR2 blocking antibodies or paclitaxel treatment in CEP-deficient Id mutant mice, both of which resulted in enhanced antitumor effects mediated by paclitaxel, but not by gemcitabine.


Cancer Cell, Volume 14, Issue 3, 9 September 2008, Pages 263-273 ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Uncovering G protein-coupled receptor kinase-5 as a histone deacetylase kinase in the nucleus of cardiomyocytes</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Cardiomyocyte</category><category>g protein signalling</category><category>histone deacetylase kinase</category><category>heart failure</category><dc:date>2008-09-02T15:08:14+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/d0b8bf8ee8151fe041728dac401e7462-19.html#unique-entry-id-19</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/d0b8bf8ee8151fe041728dac401e7462-19.html#unique-entry-id-19</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) are critical regulators of cellular signaling and function.   In cardiomyocytes, GRK2 and GRK5 are two GRKs important for myocardial regulation, and both have been shown to be up-regulated in the dysfunctional heart.   We report that increased levels and activity of GRK5 in failing myocardium may have unique significance due to its nuclear localization, a property not shared by GRK2.   We find that transgenic mice with elevated cardiac GRK5 levels have exaggerated hypertrophy and early heart failure compared with control mice after pressure overload.   This pathology is not present in cardiac GRK2-overexpressing mice or in mice with overexpression of a mutant GRK5 that is excluded from the nucleus.   Nuclear accumulation of GRK5 is enhanced in myocytes after aortic banding in vivo and in vitro in myocytes after increased G&alpha;q activity, the trigger for pressure-overload hypertrophy.   GRK5 enhances activation of MEF2 in concert with Gq signals, demonstrating that nuclear localized GRK5 regulates gene transcription via a pathway critically linked to myocardial hypertrophy.   Mechanistically, we show that this is due to GRK5 acting, in a non-GPCR manner, as a class II histone deacetylase (HDAC) kinase because it can associate with and phosphorylate the myocyte enhancer factor-2 repressor, HDAC5.   Moreover, significant HDAC activity can be found with GRK5 in the heart.   Our data show that GRK5 is a nuclear HDAC kinase that plays a key role in maladaptive cardiac hypertrophy apparently independent of any action directly on GPCRs.


PNAS 2008 105:12457-12462; published ahead of print August 18, 2008, doi:10.1073/pnas.0803153105
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The H19 locus acts in vivo as a tumor suppressor </title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Cancer</category><category>Tumor suppressor</category><category>genomic imprinting</category><category>Murine models</category><dc:date>2008-09-02T15:03:38+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/0354cd0267785a78cfc8d3072f9adb12-18.html#unique-entry-id-18</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/0354cd0267785a78cfc8d3072f9adb12-18.html#unique-entry-id-18</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The H19 locus belongs to a cluster of imprinted genes that is linked to the human Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.   The expression of H19 and its closely associated IGF2 gene is frequently deregulated in some human tumors, such as Wilms' tumors.   In these cases, biallelic IGF2 expression and lack of expression of H19 are associated with hypermethylation of the imprinting center of this locus.   These observations and others have suggested a potential tumor suppressor effect of the H19 locus.   Some studies have also suggested that H19 is an oncogene, based on tissue culture systems.   We show, using in vivo murine models of tumorigenesis, that the H19 locus controls the size of experimental teratocarcinomas, the number of polyps in the Apc murine model of colorectal cancer and the timing of appearance of SV40-induced hepatocarcinomas.   The H19 locus thus clearly displays a tumor suppressor effect in mice. 


PNAS 2008 105:12417-12422; published ahead of print August 21, 2008, doi:10.1073/pnas.0801540105]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>High-resolution magnetic resonance histology of the embryonic and neonatal mouse: A 4D atlas and morphologic database</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Mouse</category><category>Digital atlas</category><category>Development</category><dc:date>2008-09-02T14:52:34+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6ad606a9a978655b044ff855c00950cb-17.html#unique-entry-id-17</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/6ad606a9a978655b044ff855c00950cb-17.html#unique-entry-id-17</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Engineered mice play an ever-increasing role in defining connections between genotype and phenotypic expression.   The potential of magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) for morphologic phenotyping in the mouse has previously been demonstrated; however, applications have been limited by long scan times, availability of the technology, and a foundation of normative data.   This article describes an integrated environment for high-resolution study of normal, transgenic, and mutant mouse models at embryonic and neonatal stages.   Three-dimensional images are shown at an isotropic resolution of 19.5 &mu;m (voxel volumes of 8 pL), acquired in 3 h at embryonic days 10.5&ndash;19.5 (10 stages) and postnatal days 0&ndash;32 (6 stages).   A web-accessible atlas encompassing this data was developed, and for critical stages of embryonic development (prenatal days 14.5&ndash;18.5), >200 anatomical structures have been identified and labeled.   Also, matching optical histology and analysis tools are provided to compare multiple specimens at multiple developmental stages.   The utility of the approach is demonstrated in characterizing cardiac septal defects in conditional mutant embryos lacking the Smoothened receptor gene.   Finally, a collaborative paradigm is presented that allows sharing of data across the scientific community.   This work makes magnetic resonance microscopy of the mouse embryo and neonate broadly available with carefully annotated normative data and an extensive environment for collaborations.


PNAS 2008 105:12331-12336; published ahead of print August 19, 2008, doi:10.1073/pnas.0805747105]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Information flow and optimization in transcriptional regulation</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Transcription</category><dc:date>2008-09-02T14:50:06+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ab6dc179283c11f7bcfe38c2d9f9213a-16.html#unique-entry-id-16</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ab6dc179283c11f7bcfe38c2d9f9213a-16.html#unique-entry-id-16</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In the simplest view of transcriptional regulation, the expression of a gene is turned on or off by changes in the concentration of a transcription factor (TF).   We use recent data on noise levels in gene expression to show that it should be possible to transmit much more than just one regulatory bit.   Realizing this optimal information capacity would require that the dynamic range of TF concentrations used by the cell, the input/output relation of the regulatory module, and the noise in gene expression satisfy certain matching relations, which we derive.   These results provide parameter-free, quantitative predictions connecting independently measurable quantities.   Although we have considered only the simplified problem of a single gene responding to a single TF, we find that these predictions are in surprisingly good agreement with recent experiments on the Bicoid/Hunchback system in the early Drosophila embryo and that this system achieves &sim;90% of its theoretical maximum information transmission. 


PNAS 2008 105:12265-12270; published ahead of print August 21, 2008, doi:10.1073/pnas.0806077105]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Endothelial progenitor cells are cellular hubs essential for neoangiogenesis of certain aggressive adenocarcinomas and metastatic transition but not adenomas</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Angiogenesis</category><category>vasculogenesis</category><category>vegf</category><category>Endothelial progenitor cell</category><category>Cancer</category><dc:date>2008-09-02T14:43:45+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/31991b72a00f6301ba66fbeb3b81b120-15.html#unique-entry-id-15</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/31991b72a00f6301ba66fbeb3b81b120-15.html#unique-entry-id-15</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Purhonen et al. (1) have refuted the data published in >50 reports (2, 3), neglecting to quote key articles or utilize relevant models, and have drawn unsubstantiated conclusions about the contribution of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to tumor angiogenesis that are not supported by their nonquantitative data and superficially executed experiments.   Their study (1) is flawed in experimental design and data interpretation.   For example, they do not cite their own publication demonstrating the existence of VEGFR2+ EPCs (4) and neglect mentioning clinical validation (5, 6) and acknowledging mouse genetic models (2, 3), which provide convincing evidence for functional incorporation of EPCs into neovessels.   Every figure lacks stereoconfocal-microscopic quantification of vessels that are presented as poorly defined longitudinal&ndash;linear streaks.   Plasma VEGF-A levels were not measured in vivo in mice treated with VEGF-A, questioning their low level of VEGFR2+ EPC detection (3).   Indeed, their FACS analysis is inaccurate because of (i) unconvincing CD31/VE-cadherin/VEGFR2 expression detected on MS-1 endothelium used as positive control and (ii) failure to show long-term marrow engraftment of donor-derived hematopoietic and authentic VEGFR2+LacZ+ colony-forming EPCs.   APCmin mice develop only obstructive adenomas, rather than adenocarcinomas; therefore, it is an inappropriate model to study EPC incorporation, as Spring et al. (7) (not quoted) demonstrate that EPCs do not contribute to adenomas but contribute only to carcinomas/metastatic tumors.   In the parabiotic model, wild-type EPCs compete with GPF+ EPCs, which underestimates EPC recruitment.   Finally, study of 6-month-old VEGF-A-loaded Matrigel plugs in mice is impossible because Matrigel plugs are degraded within 2 months, particularly when VEGF-A by itself does not induce neoangiogenesis.   No quantification of patent vessels in Matrigel plugs was provided.   This article fails to disprove the established role of EPCs in supporting neoangiogenesis in certain tumors (3, 5) and metastatic transition (2)


PNAS 2008 105:E54; published ahead of print August 20, 2008, doi:10.1073/pnas.0804876105]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Epigenetic Reprogramming by Adenovirus e1a</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Epigenetics</category><category>Transcription</category><category>Adenovirus</category><dc:date>2008-08-22T09:53:45+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/56004b17774178d6e19e6d998a9bf4fa-14.html#unique-entry-id-14</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/56004b17774178d6e19e6d998a9bf4fa-14.html#unique-entry-id-14</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Adenovirus e1a induces quiescent human cells to replicate.   We found that e1a causes global relocalization of the RB (retinoblastoma) proteins (RB, p130, and p107) and p300/CBP histone acetyltransferases on promoters, the effect of which is to restrict the acetylation of histone 3 lysine-18 (H3K18ac) to a limited set of genes, thereby stimulating cell cycling and inhibiting antiviral responses and cellular differentiation.   Soon after expression, e1a binds transiently to promoters of cell cycle and growth genes, causing enrichment of p300/CBP, PCAF (p300/CBP-associated factor), and H3K18ac; depletion of RB proteins; and transcriptional activation. e1a also associates transiently with promoters of antiviral genes, causing enrichment for RB, p130, and H4K16ac; increased nucleosome density; and transcriptional repression.   At later times, e1a and p107 bind mainly to promoters of development and differentiation genes, repressing transcription.   The temporal order of e1a binding requires its interactions with p300/CBP and RB proteins.   Our data uncover a defined epigenetic reprogramming leading to cellular transformation.


Science 22 August 2008: Vol.   321. no. 5892, pp.   1086 - 1088, DOI: 10.1126/science.1155546]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Maternal nutrient supplementation counteracts bisphenol A-induced DNA hypomethylation in early development</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Methylation</category><category>Bisphenol A</category><category>Epigenetics</category><dc:date>2007-08-07T09:18:01+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/91a47fdff4f0f70f68912e281e00b67b-13.html#unique-entry-id-13</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/91a47fdff4f0f70f68912e281e00b67b-13.html#unique-entry-id-13</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The hypothesis of fetal origins of adult disease posits that early developmental exposures involve epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, that influence adult disease susceptibility.   In utero or neonatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a high-production-volume chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic, is associated with higher body weight, increased breast and prostate cancer, and altered reproductive function.   This study shows that maternal exposure to this endocrine-active compound shifted the coat color distribution of viable yellow agouti (A  vy) mouse offspring toward yellow by decreasing CpG (cytosine-guanine dinucleotide) methylation in an intracisternal A particle retrotransposon upstream of the Agouti gene.   CpG methylation also was decreased at another metastable locus, the CDK5 activator-binding protein (Cabp  IAP).   DNA methylation at the A  vy locus was similar in tissues from the three germ layers, providing evidence that epigenetic patterning during early stem cell development is sensitive to BPA exposure.   Moreover, maternal dietary supplementation, with either methyl donors like folic acid or the phytoestrogen genistein, negated the DNA hypomethylating effect of BPA.   Thus, we present compelling evidence that early developmental exposure to BPA can change offspring phenotype by stably altering the epigenome, an effect that can be counteracted by maternal dietary supplements.


PNAS  August 7, 2007   vol. 104  no.   32  13056-13061 ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>An Sp1/Sp3 Binding Polymorphism Confers Methylation Protection</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Epigenetics</category><category>Methylation</category><category>Chromatin</category><category>Sp1</category><category>Sp3</category><category>Cancer</category><dc:date>2008-08-28T01:21:14+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2ca05895944e0b283c59acada8971d5e-12.html#unique-entry-id-12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2ca05895944e0b283c59acada8971d5e-12.html#unique-entry-id-12</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The factors that guide DNA hypermethylation in cancer are poorly understood.   We identified the candidate tumor-suppressor gene, RIL, as a frequent methylation target in cancer.   Here, we report on a 12-bp polymorphic sequence around its transcription start site that creates a long allele.   Methylation analysis showed that, in aging colon, colon cancer, and leukemias, the short allele had 2.1&ndash;3.1-fold higher methylation than the long allele (P<0.001).   Short and long alleles had similar expression levels in EBV-transformed cell lines.   Electrophorectic mobility shift assay showed that the inserted region of the long allele binds Sp1 and Sp3 transcription factors.   Transfection of RIL allele-specific transgenes showed no effects of the additional Sp1 site on transcription early on, but methylation-seeded constructs showed gradually decreasing transcription from the short allele with eventual spreading of de novo methylation.   By contrast, the long allele showed stable expression over time as measured by luciferase, and ~2&ndash;3-fold lower levels of methylation by bisulfite sequencing (P<0.001), suggesting that the polymorphic Sp1 site protects against time-dependent silencing.   Our finding demonstrates that in some genes, hypermethylation in cancer is dictated by protein-DNA interactions at the promoters and provides a novel mechanism by which genetic polymorphisms can influence an epigenetic state.


PLoS Genet 4(8): e1000162. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000162]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>S-nitrosylation of histone deacetylase 2 induces chromatin remodelling in neurons</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Epigenetics</category><category>Chromatin</category><category>histone deacetylase</category><dc:date>2008-08-28T01:05:05+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/38149a4318391e37878be5549e7d03cb-11.html#unique-entry-id-11</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/38149a4318391e37878be5549e7d03cb-11.html#unique-entry-id-11</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and other neurotrophins have a vital role in the development of the rat and mouse nervous system by influencing the expression of many specific genes that promote differentiation, cell survival, synapse formation and, later, synaptic plasticity1.   Although nitric oxide (NO) is known to be an important mediator of BDNF signalling in neurons2, the mechanisms by which neurotrophins influence gene expression during development and plasticity remain largely unknown.   Here we show that BDNF triggers NO synthesis and S-nitrosylation of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) in neurons, resulting in changes to histone modifications and gene activation.   S-nitrosylation of HDAC2 occurs at Cys 262 and Cys 274 and does not affect deacetylase activity.   In contrast, nitrosylation of HDAC2 induces its release from chromatin, which increases acetylation of histones surrounding neurotrophin-dependent gene promoters and promotes transcription.   Notably, nitrosylation of HDAC2 in embryonic cortical neurons regulates dendritic growth and branching, possibly by the activation of CREB (cyclic-AMP-responsive-element-binding protein)-dependent genes.   Thus, by stimulating NO production and S-nitrosylation of HDAC2, neurotrophic factors promote chromatin remodelling and the activation of genes that are associated with neuronal development.


Nature advance online publication 27 August 2008 | doi:10.1038/nature07238]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Mouse development with a single E2F activator</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Development</category><dc:date>2008-08-28T00:57:01+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2d719ef50dbc1dd37970cde2b0594992-10.html#unique-entry-id-10</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/2d719ef50dbc1dd37970cde2b0594992-10.html#unique-entry-id-10</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The E2F family is conserved from Caenorhabditis elegans to mammals, with some family members having transcription activation functions and others having repressor functions1, 2.   Whereas C. elegans 3 and Drosophila melanogaster 4, 5 have a single E2F activator protein and repressor protein, mammals have at least three activator and five repressor proteins1, 2, 6.   Why such genetic complexity evolved in mammals is not known.   To begin to evaluate this genetic complexity, we targeted the inactivation of the entire subset of activators, E2f1, E2f2, E2f3a and E2f3b, singly or in combination in mice.   We demonstrate that E2f3a is sufficient to support mouse embryonic and postnatal development.   Remarkably, expression of E2f3b or E2f1 from the E2f3a locus (E2f3a3bki or E2f3a1ki, respectively) suppressed all the postnatal phenotypes associated with the inactivation of E2f3a.   We conclude that there is significant functional redundancy among activators and that the specific requirement for E2f3a during postnatal development is dictated by regulatory sequences governing its selective spatiotemporal expression and not by its intrinsic protein functions.   These findings provide a molecular basis for the observed specificity among E2F activators during development.


Nature 454, 1137-1141 (28 August 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07066]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Multipotent somatic stem cells contribute to the stem cell niche in the Drosophila testis</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>STEMCELLS</category><category> Cadherin</category><category>Testis</category><dc:date>2008-08-28T00:51:36+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ffb17d388bc46a47f3a9651136c9d04b-9.html#unique-entry-id-9</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/ffb17d388bc46a47f3a9651136c9d04b-9.html#unique-entry-id-9</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Adult stem cells reside in specialized microenvironments, or niches, that have an important role in regulating stem cell behaviour1.   Therefore, tight control of niche number, size and function is necessary to ensure the proper balance between stem cells and progenitor cells available for tissue homeostasis and wound repair.   The stem cell niche in the Drosophila male gonad is located at the tip of the testis where germline and somatic stem cells surround the apical hub, a cluster of approximately 10&ndash;15 somatic cells that is required for stem cell self-renewal and maintenance2, 3, 4.   Here we show that somatic stem cells in the Drosophila testis contribute to both the apical hub and the somatic cyst cell lineage.   The Drosophila orthologue of epithelial cadherin (DE-cadherin) is required for somatic stem cell maintenance and, consequently, the apical hub.   Furthermore, our data indicate that the transcriptional repressor escargot regulates the ability of somatic cells to assume and/or maintain hub cell identity.   These data highlight the dynamic relationship between stem cells and the niche and provide insight into genetic programmes that regulate niche size and function to support normal tissue homeostasis and organ regeneration throughout life.


Nature 454, 1132-1136 (28 August 2008) doi:10.1038/nature07173]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Fli1 Acts at the Top of the Transcriptional Network Driving Blood and Endothelial Development </title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>STEMCELLS</category><category>Transcription</category><dc:date>2008-08-27T01:14:45+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/62a67a170a55f702b92821c76ff6f41d-7.html#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/62a67a170a55f702b92821c76ff6f41d-7.html#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Blood and endothelium arise in close association during development, possibly from a common precursor, the hemangioblast [1], [2], [3] and [4].   Genes essential for blood and endothelial development contain functional ETS binding sites, and binding and expression data implicate the transcription factor, friend leukaemia integration 1 (Fli1) [5], [6], [7], [8], [9] and [10].   However, loss-of-function phenotypes in mice, although suffering both blood and endothelial defects, have thus far precluded the conclusion that Fli1 is essential for these two lineages [11] and [12].   By using Xenopus and zebrafish embryos, we show that loss of Fli1 function results in a substantial reduction or absence of hemangioblasts, revealing an absolute requirement.   TUNEL assays show that the cells are eventually lost by apoptosis, but only after the regulatory circuit has been disrupted by loss of Fli1.   In addition, a constitutively active form of Fli1 is sufficient to induce expression of key hemangioblast genes, such as Scl/Tal1, Lmo2, Gata2, Etsrp, and Flk1.   Epistasis assays show that Fli1 expression is induced by Bmp signaling or Cloche, depending on the hemangioblast population, and in both cases Fli1 acts upstream of Gata2, Scl, Lmo2, and Etsrp.   Taken together, these results place Fli1 at the top of the transcriptional regulatory hierarchy for hemangioblast specification in vertebrate embryos.


Current Biology, Volume 18, Issue 16, 26 August 2008, Pages 1234-1240]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Novel Molecular Solution for Ultraviolet Light Detection in Caenorhabditis elegans</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Ultraviolet Light</category><dc:date>2008-08-27T01:00:26+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/297a592f2a791be48952b840dedb0b48-6.html#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/297a592f2a791be48952b840dedb0b48-6.html#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In all of nature, scientists have discovered only six different mechanisms by which organisms sense light, and only one of these mechanisms can detect ultraviolet light (the rhodopsins that sense ultraviolet light in non-mammalian vertebrates).   The widely studied model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has none of the known light transduction systems, but we discovered that C. elegans has a robust locomotory response to ultraviolet light.   C. elegans may use this light response to escape damaging or lethal doses of sunlight.   Ultraviolet and other shortwave light, such as violet and blue wavelengths, drive locomotion by bypassing two critical signals, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and diacylglycerol (DAG), that neurons use to shape and control behaviors.   C. elegans mutants lacking these signals are paralyzed and unresponsive to harsh physical stimuli in ambient light, but short-wavelength light rapidly rescues their paralysis and restores greater-than-normal levels of coordinated locomotion.   This astonishing light response is mediated by a novel ultraviolet light receptor that acts in neurons.   Our results reveal a novel molecular solution for ultraviolet light detection and an unusual sensory modality in C. elegans that is unlike any previously described light response in any organism.


PLoS Biol 6(8): e198 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060198]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Pancreatic Insulin Content Regulation by the Estrogen Receptor ER&#x3b1;</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Bisphenol A</category><dc:date>2008-04-30T02:32:45+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/f1df5a1291bf45a5ec220f2eb587e447-5.html#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/f1df5a1291bf45a5ec220f2eb587e447-5.html#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Widespread changes in protein synthesis induced by microRNAs</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>MicroRNAs</category><dc:date>2008-08-25T02:07:57+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/39bf007884a054e83c00b8cbbc0215c1-4.html#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/39bf007884a054e83c00b8cbbc0215c1-4.html#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The impact of microRNAs on protein output</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>MicroRNAs</category><dc:date>2008-08-25T02:05:20+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/b61d50070caa919f932328ebd965712e-3.html#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/b61d50070caa919f932328ebd965712e-3.html#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Essential roles of PI(3)K&#x2013;p110beta in cell growth&#x2c; metabolism and tumorigenesis</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Cancer</category><dc:date>2008-08-07T01:59:23+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/32b6159f8d4cbaf07be55365c2426006-2.html#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/32b6159f8d4cbaf07be55365c2426006-2.html#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(null)]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Genome-scale DNA methylation maps of pluripotent and differentiated cells</title><dc:creator>gilbert.schoenfelder@scienceandtechnology.de</dc:creator><category>Epigenetics</category><category>Development</category><category>Methylation</category><category>DNA</category><dc:date>2008-08-07T01:55:40+02:00</dc:date><link>http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/38c777d2a44fab0e83c6c47a0977c098-1.html#unique-entry-id-1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.scienceandtechnology.de/page18/page6/files/38c777d2a44fab0e83c6c47a0977c098-1.html#unique-entry-id-1</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[DNA methylation is essential for normal development1, 2, 3 and has been implicated in many pathologies including cancer4, 5.   Our knowledge about the genome-wide distribution of DNA methylation, how it changes during cellular differentiation and how it relates to histone methylation and other chromatin modifications in mammals remains limited.   Here we report the generation and analysis of genome-scale DNA methylation profiles at nucleotide resolution in mammalian cells.   Using high-throughput reduced representation bisulphite sequencing6 and single-molecule-based sequencing, we generated DNA methylation maps covering most CpG islands, and a representative sampling of conserved non-coding elements, transposons and other genomic features, for mouse embryonic stem cells, embryonic-stem-cell-derived and primary neural cells, and eight other primary tissues.   Several key findings emerge from the data.   First, DNA methylation patterns are better correlated with histone methylation patterns than with the underlying genome sequence context.   Second, methylation of CpGs are dynamic epigenetic marks that undergo extensive changes during cellular differentiation, particularly in regulatory regions outside of core promoters.   Third, analysis of embryonic-stem-cell-derived and primary cells reveals that 'weak' CpG islands associated with a specific set of developmentally regulated genes undergo aberrant hypermethylation during extended proliferation in vitro, in a pattern reminiscent of that reported in some primary tumours.   More generally, the results establish reduced representation bisulphite sequencing as a powerful technology for epigenetic profiling of cell populations relevant to developmental biology, cancer and regenerative medicine.


Nature 454, 766-770 (7 August 2008) | doi:10.1038/nature07107; Received 24 March 2008; Accepted 21 May 2008; Published online 6 July 2008
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