The TSC1 tumour suppressor hamartin regulates cell adhesion through ERM proteins and the GTPase Rho.
AuthorsLamb RF, Roy C, Diefenbach TJ, Vinters HV, Johnson MW, Jay DG, Hall A
JournalNat Cell Biol
PubMed ID10806479
'Loss of the tumour-suppressor gene TSC1 is responsible for hamartoma development in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), which renders several organs susceptible to benign tumours. Hamartin, the protein encoded by TSC1, contains a coiled-coil domain and is expressed in most adult tissues, although its function is unknown. Here we show that ... More
CCR5 provides a signal for microbial induced production of IL-12 by CD8 alpha+ dendritic cells.
AuthorsAliberti J, Reis e Sousa C, Schito M, Hieny S, Wells T, Huffnagle GB, Sher A
JournalNat Immunol
PubMed ID10881180
'The activation of dendritic cells (DC) to produce interleukin 12 (IL-12) is thought to be a key step in the initiation of cell-mediated immunity to intracellular pathogens. Here we show that ligation of the C-C chemokine receptor (CCR) 5 can provide a major signal for the induction of IL-12 synthesis ... More
Helicobacter pylori evolution during progression from chronic atrophic gastritis to gastric cancer and its impact on gastric stem cells.
AuthorsGiannakis M, Chen SL, Karam SM, Engstrand L, Gordon JI,
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID18332421
'We have characterized the adaptations of Helicobacter pylori to a rarely captured event in the evolution of its impact on host biology-the transition from chronic atrophic gastritis (ChAG) to gastric adenocarcinoma-and defined the impact of these adaptations on an intriguing but poorly characterized interaction between this bacterium and gastric epithelial ... More
Versatile, high-resolution anterograde labeling of vagal efferent projections with dextran amines.
'None of the anterograde tracers used to label and investigate vagal preganglionic neurons projecting to the viscera has proved optimal for routine and extensive labeling of autonomic terminal fields. To identify an alternative tracer protocol, the present experiment evaluated whether dextran conjugates, which have produced superior results in the CNS, ... More
Müller glia are a potential source of neural regeneration in the postnatal chicken retina.
AuthorsFischer AJ, Reh TA
JournalNat Neurosci
PubMed ID11224540
The retina of warm-blooded vertebrates is believed to be incapable of neural regeneration. Here we provide evidence that the retina of postnatal chickens has the potential to generate new neurons. In response to acute damage, numerous Müller glia re-entered the cell cycle, and shortly thereafter, expressed CASH-1, Pax6 and Chx10, ... More
The role of Pax-6 in lens regeneration.
AuthorsMadhavan M, Haynes TL, Frisch NC, Call MK, Minich CM, Tsonis PA, Del Rio-Tsonis K
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID17003134
Pax-6 is a master regulator of eye development and is expressed in the dorsal and ventral iris during newt lens regeneration. We show that expression of Pax-6 during newt lens regeneration coincides with cell proliferation. By knocking down expression of Pax-6 via treatment with morpholinos, we found that proliferation of ... More
A novel Dbl family RhoGEF promotes Rho-dependent axon attraction to the central nervous system midline in Drosophila and overcomes Robo repulsion.
AuthorsBashaw GJ, Hu H, Nobes CD, Goodman CS
JournalJ Cell Biol
PubMed ID11756465
The key role of the Rho family GTPases Rac, Rho, and CDC42 in regulating the actin cytoskeleton is well established (Hall, A. 1998. Science. 279:509-514). Increasing evidence suggests that the Rho GTPases and their upstream positive regulators, guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), also play important roles in the control of ... More
Evidence that beta3 integrin-induced Rac activation involves the calpain-dependent formation of integrin clusters that are distinct from the focal complexes and focal adhesions that form as Rac and RhoA become active.
AuthorsBialkowska K, Kulkarni S, Du X, Goll DE, Saido TC, Fox JE
JournalJ Cell Biol
PubMed ID11062268
Interaction of integrins with the extracellular matrix leads to transmission of signals, cytoskeletal reorganizations, and changes in cell behavior. While many signaling molecules are known to be activated within Rac-induced focal complexes or Rho-induced focal adhesions, the way in which integrin-mediated adhesion leads to activation of Rac and Rho is ... More
Absence of IFN-gamma or IL-12 has different effects on experimental myasthenia gravis in C57BL/6 mice.
Immunization with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) causes experimental myasthenia gravis (EMG). Th1 cells facilitate EMG development. IFN-gamma and IL-12 induce Th1 responses: we investigated whether these cytokines are necessary for EMG development. We immunized wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and IFN-gamma and IL-12 knockout mutants (IFN-gamma-/-, IL-12-/-) with Torpedo AChR (TAChR). WT ... More