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Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in isolated cells and in various regions of the mouse brain during early development and aging.

Differences in the distribution of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity during early and late postnatal development of the mouse brain were studied at the cellular and regional level. From the 7th to the 25th day of brain development, GGT activity rose evenly in the neuronal perikarya, glial cells and in the neuropil. At 25 days and 5 weeks of age, a 1.5-fold enrichment was observed in nerve cell bodies and in neuroglia as compared with the neuropil and the original cell suspension. During the same period, an abrupt increase in GGT activity was observed in brain capillaries, and between the 10th day and the 5th week, this was 1.5-5 times higher than the enzyme activity in cellular elements and in the neuropil. This increase in enzyme activity in brain capillaries continued up to the age of 12 months, when it was succeeded by a decrease in GGT activity to the level found at 3 months. GGT activity in the choroid plexi rose significantly (more than double) between the age of 5 weeks and 18 months and was a whole order higher than GGT activity in 10 other regions of the mouse brain, whose development displayed no pronounced changes in the activity of the enzyme. A single dose of dexamethasone, or adrenalectomy, were used to demonstrate any participation by steroid hormones in the regulation of GGT activity in the brain tissue. Of the two techniques, only adrenalectomy led to a statistically significant decrease in activity in brain and liver tissue, while the apparent increase in GGT activity after a single dose of dexamethasone was not statistically significant.

Aging↗

Xenopus FK 506-binding protein, a novel immunophilin expressed during early development.

FK 506-binding proteins (FKBPs) are a family of cytosolic proteins identified by virtue of their ability to bind the immunosuppressants FK 506 and rapamycin. While their function has been extensively studied in the immune system, little is known about their role during early embryonic development. Here we describe the cloning and expression of a new Xenopus FKBP (xFKBP). xFKBP encodes a 63-kDa protein that shares high sequence homology with mouse FKBP65. It is expressed maternally and becomes restricted after the gastrula stage to dorsal mesoderm and notochord. At the tailbud stage expression persists in the notochord and begins to accumulate in epidermis, branchial arches and developing somites. In adults, xFKBP mRNA is confined to the testis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of implantation and early development of human embryos fertilized in vitro versus in vivo using transvaginal ultrasound.

Several reports in the literature suggest delayed implantation of in vitro-fertilized human embryos compared to in vivo-fertilized eggs. The use of high-frequency transvaginal transducers for early detection of pregnancy has allowed the identification of the gestational sac with very low serum human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) levels. Thus, the present study evaluated whether retarded implantation can be identified using this novel technology. We studied 13 single pregnancies after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and 14 pregnancies after artificial insemination either by husband (n = 6) or donor (n = 8). In the IVF patients, oocytes were retrieved 35 hours after hCG administration. Embryo transfer occurred approximately 48 hours after retrieval. Artificial insemination was performed 24 and 48 hours after hCG administration. Transvaginal ultrasound scans and serum beta-hCG levels were evaluated every 3 days starting day 12 post-hCG administration. Serum beta-hCG levels rose in parallel when in vitro- and in vivo-fertilized embryos were compared. Similarly, there was no difference between groups in the mean time needed to detect early embryonic structures, such as the embryonic sac, yolk sac, and heartbeats, or the growth rate of the gestational sac. In conclusion, there was no difference in detecting implantation and early embryonic development of human embryos fertilized in vivo versus in vitro as ascertained by ultrasound scans and serum beta-hCG levels. An embryonic sac is detected 23-24 days after hCG administration in pregnancies achieved by assisted reproductive techniques.

Amnion↗

Telomerase-immortalized sheep fibroblasts can be reprogrammed by nuclear transfer to undergo early development.

Telomere shortening and lack of telomerase activity have been implicated in cellular senescence in human fibroblasts. Expression of the human telomerase catalytic reverse transcriptase subunit (hTERT) in these cells reconstitutes telomerase activity and immortalizes the cells without tumor transformation. In this report, we show that sheep fibroblasts are similar to human cells. They do not have detectable telomerase activity and undergo only a finite numbers of cell divisions before replicative senescence. Telomere lengths in sheep fibroblasts are similar to those reported for human cells and shorten at a rate of 50-200 base pairs (bp) each cell division. Expression of the human telomerase catalytic subunit restored the telomerase activity in the sheep cells and extended their proliferative life span. None of the telomerase positive sheep fibroblasts exhibited a transformed phenotype after 200 days of continuous culture, and the higher hTERT expressing cells maintained their telomere lengths and normal cell characteristics for more than 500 days in culture. In cloning experiments using one of these cell lines as a nuclear donor, the reconstructed karyoplasts were reprogrammed and developed to the blastocyst stage at a similar frequency to that observed with the parental, telomerase negative cell line. After embryo transfer the blastocysts exhibited a relatively high frequency of implantation, early fetal development, and organogenesis. No fetuses survived beyond 40 days of development, however, showing that although these cells could be substantially reprogrammed, they were not fully competent for nuclear transfer.

Animals↗

Early development and degeneration of vestibular hair cells in bronx waltzer mutant mice.

In bronx waltzer mouse mutants, inner hair cells die at an early stage in their development, from around 17.5 days of gestation onwards. In contrast, outer hair cells appear to develop normally. Vestibular hair cells also degenerate, but the earliest signs of vestibular abnormalities have not yet been described. We looked at prenatal and early postnatal stages of vestibular development by scanning electron microscopy in the mutants, and established that vestibular hair cells (types I and II) never reach beyond the middle stages of differentiation (at least up to P2) and instead show signs of degeneration. Thus, it appears that the bronx waltzer gene product is required for the continued survival and differentiation of inner and vestibular hair cells past a set point in their development.

Animals↗

The effect of ethanol upon early development in mice and rats. XX. The effect of chronic biparental beer intake in mice upon early implantation events.

The effect of chronic biparental beer intake upon early implantation in mice was investigated. In order to study the changes taking place in the blastocyst and locally in the uterus at the site of blastocyst attachment, the uteri were tested for the presence of Evans blue areas (Psychoyos test), histochemically for alkaline phosphatase in the stroma and histologically examined. It resulted that the beverage used has a noxious effect upon the implantation process, manifested by: delayed attachment of blastocysts, decreased intensity or absence of decidual reaction, the presence of dead cells in the decidua, the desynchronisation of the implantation process and the diminution or absence of alkaline phosphatase reaction. These results may explain some of our previous observations regarding the late (fetal) effect of preconceptional intake of beer.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Disruption of PAX6 function in mice homozygous for the Pax6Sey-1Neu mutation produces abnormalities in the early development and regionalization of the diencephalon.

Pax6 expression in the diencephalon of the mouse embryo is restricted both antero-posteriorly and dorso-ventrally, with changes in level occurring at prosomere boundaries. Small eye (Pax6Sey-1Neu) mice homozygous for Pax6 mutations have multiple defects in early forebrain development. In the diencephalon of Pax6Sey-1Neu/Pax6Sey-1Neu mice there is an apparent enlargement of the zona limitans (the boundary region between prosomeres p2 and p3), and a blurring of the p1-p2 boundary. PAX6 function is also required for the normal development of the posterior commissure at the midbrain-p1 boundary. In the posterior diencephalon PAX6 appears to regulate its own transcription, and that of Wnt7b. In p2 and p3, ventral markers are expressed more dorsally than normal, and this is accompanied in p3 by a reduction in the size of the zona incerta. Thus, PAX6 is essential for the normal development and regionalization of the diencephalon.

Animals↗

The early development of retinal ganglion cells with uncrossed axons in the mouse: retinal position and axonal course.

The carbocyanine dye, DiI, has been used to study the retinal origin of the uncrossed retinofugal component of the mouse and to show the course taken by these fibres through the optic nerve and chiasm during development. Optic axons first arrive at the chiasm at embryonic day 13 (E13) but do not cross the midline until E14. After this stage, fibres taking an uncrossed course can be selectively labelled by unilateral tract implants of DiI. The earliest ipsilaterally projecting ganglion cells are located in the dorsal central retina. The first sign of the adult pattern of distribution of ganglion cells with uncrossed axons located mainly in the ventrotemporal retina is seen on embryonic day 16.5, thus showing that the adult line of decussation forms early in development. A small number of labelled cells continue to be found in nasal and dorsal retina at all later stages. At early stages (E14-15), retrogradely labelled uncrossed fibres are found in virtually all fascicles of the developing nerve, intermingling with crossed axons throughout the length of the nerve. At later stages of development (E16-17), although uncrossed fibres pass predominantly within the temporal part of the stalk, they remain intermingled with crossed axons. A significant number of uncrossed axons also lie within the nasal part of the optic stalk. The position of uncrossed fibres throughout the nerve in the later developmental stages is comparable to that seen in the adult rodent (Baker and Jeffery, 1989). The distribution of uncrossed axons thus indicates that positional cues are not sufficient to account for the choice made by axons when they reach the optic chiasm.

Animals↗

Cerebellar Purkinje cells are descended from a small number of progenitors committed during early development: quantitative analysis of lurcher chimeric mice.

Previous analysis of lurcher in equilibrium wild type aggregation chimeras revealed that the degeneration of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) in lurcher mutants is due to a defect intrinsic to the PCs themselves. Thus, all of the PCs remaining in lurcher chimeric mice are descended from only the wild type embryo. In this study, we have determined the number of PCs in four lurcher chimeras and three wild type mice. The low number of wild type PCs (10,200) in half of the cerebellum of one chimera (chi 11) suggested that these cells might be descended from a single progenitor. This idea is strongly supported by the quantitative analysis of the PCs in the other animals. These numbers are integral multiples of the number of PCs in chi 11. We believe that each stepwise increase in the number of PCs in the chimeras is due to the addition of a single wild type cell to the progenitor pool. The existence of integral multiples implies that no other cells can contribute to the PC population after the progenitors become committed to forming PCs. We cannot know, however, whether the PC progenitors also give rise to other cell populations. The values of the integrals in wild type mice indicate that the entire PC population descends from a small number of progenitors (8 in C3H/HeJ mice). We calculate that these progenitors are committed during the neural plate to neural fold stage of development. Thus, the fate of the progenitors of the cerebellar PCs is restricted very early in neural development.

Aging↗

beta-Catenin in early development of the lancelet embryo indicates specific determination of embryonic polarity.

The lancelet (amphioxus) embryo develops from a miolecithal egg and starts gastrulation when it is approximately 400 cells in size, in a fashion similar to that of some non-chordate deuterostomes. Throughout this type of gastrulation, the embryo develops characteristics such as the notochord and hollow nerve cord that commonly appear in chordates. beta-Catenin is an important factor in initiating body patterning. The behavior and developmental pattern of this protein in early lancelet development was examined in this study. Cytoplasmic beta-catenin was localized to the animal pole after fertilization and then was incorporated asymmetrically into the blastomeres during the first cleavage. Asymmetric distribution was observed at least until the 32-cell stage. The first nuclear localization was at the 64-cell stage, and involved all of the cells. At the initial gastrula stage, however, concentrated beta-catenin was found on the dorsal side. LiCl treatment affected the asymmetric pattern of beta-catenin during the first cleavage. LiCl also changed distribution of nuclear beta-catenin at the initial gastrula stage: distribution extended to cells on the animal side. Apparently associated with this change, expression domains of goosecoid, lhx3 and otx also changed to a radially symmetric pattern centered at the animal pole. However, LiCl-treated embryos were able to establish embryonic polarity. The present study suggests that in the lancelet embryo, polarity determination is independent of dorsal morphogenesis.

Animals↗

Regulation of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in the early developing heart: role of beta1 integrins.

In contrast to adult ventricular cardiomyocytes the developmentally early stage cardiomyocytes show a suppression of the basal voltage-dependent calcium channels (DCC L-type Ca2+ channels, I(Ca)) by carbachol (CCh). This effect is mediated by the endothelial NO-synthase (NOS III). In contrast late stage and adult cardiomyocytes a direct coupling of the muscarinic receptor to the adenylyl cyclase. Thus, NO may function as an early signal transduction molecule during development. This review elucidates the role of beta1-integrins in mediating signal transduction between muscarinic receptors and coupled downstream target proteins such as ion channels. The key finding is that in embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes deficient of beta1-integrins, the modulation of L-type Ca2+ channels via the M2 receptor is absent. Experiments indicate that this selective signaling defect occurs at the G-protein level. This suggests a novel critical role for integrins in membrane delimited signal transduction processes.

Animals↗

Early development of the nucleus basalis-cortical projection but late expression of its cholinergic function.

The aim of this study was to examine the development of the basalocortical pathway by using choline acetyltransferase and nerve growth factor receptor immunocytochemistry, acetylcholinesterase histochemistry and retrograde axonal transport. The observations were made in the ferret because in this species brain development occurs over a much more protracted period than in the rat. Staining for choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity in the brain was minimal before birth. Adult levels of staining for the enzyme were not seen in cell bodies until three weeks after birth and in axons up to six weeks after birth. This, however, did not mean that presumptive cholinergic pathways are absent early in development. There was strong staining for nerve growth factor receptor in basal forebrain neurons from at least two weeks before birth. Positive staining for acetylcholinesterase was found in axons that begin to invade the cerebral cortex a week before birth. The retrograde axonal transport technique showed that the basalocortical pathway has a normal organization in the neonate. The conclusion is that cholinergic pathways form early in the prenatal period in the ferret but express their transmitter function late in postnatal development.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

A transient microenvironment loaded mainly with macrophages in the early developing human pancreas.

We have previously shown that the human developing pancreas, as a tissue under construction and remodeling, is composed of epithelial ducts and differentiated endocrine cells surrounded by mesenchyme. The physiologic importance of resident tissue leukocytes, expected to enter through the mesenchyme in remodeling functions, prompted us to investigate human developing pancreases for the presence of leukocyte lineages and for expression of cytokines and receptors involved in their recruitment and differentiation. Immunohistochemistry studies were performed on 69 human, paraffin-embedded pancreases at 6-12 weeks of development (WD). Cytokines and receptor transcripts were monitored by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, by immunohistochemistry when antibodies were available or by in situ hybridization (ISH). We show that numerous cells expressing CD45RA, HLADR and CD68 antigens are cellular components of the mesenchyme of all the pancreases at 6-12 WD. So-called constitutive chemokines (SLC (CCL19), stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1) (CXCL12)) and a macrophage-specific growth/survival factor, colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1), were detected in epithelial duct cells. Both epithelial and mesenchymal cells expressed chemokine receptors, suggesting a role in leukocyte recruitment and possibly in early pancreatic development. In conclusion, we demonstrated the presence of CD45RA resident leukocyte-derived lineages, mostly macrophages, in the early human pancreatic mesenchyme. These cells may have migrated in the tissue through the vascular system, attracted by constitutively expressed chemokines, and locally surviving through CSF1 signaling. The role of macrophages in epithelium/mesenchyme interaction-mediated pancreatic development remains to be demonstrated.

Biomarkers↗

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) during early development: contribution of milk LC-PUFA to accretion rates varies among organs.

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) accretion (essential for growth and neural development) was studied from late fetal throughout weaning age in the ferret, a species with maternal LC-PUFA sufficiency during pregnancy and lactation. The data show that a) accretion rate of LC-PUFA is rapid during early postnatal development, b) milk LC-PUFA decrease during lactation, c) adipose tissue LC-PUFA level is directly related to milk LC-PUFA level, while accretion in brain and liver exceeds dietary intake, d) accretion of arachidonic acid occurs earlier than docosahexaenoic acid, suggesting earlier development of n6-fatty acid endogenous synthesis.

Adipose Tissue↗

Acquisition of the heat-shock response and thermotolerance during early development of Xenopus laevis.

The ability to synthesize a 68,000- to 70,000-Da protein (hsp) in heat-shocked early Xenopus laevis embryos is dependent on the stage of development. Whereas late blastula and later stage embryos synthesize hsp68-70 after heat shock, cleavage stages are incompetent with respect to hsp synthesis. In vitro translation experiments and RNA blot analyses demonstrate that enhanced synthesis of hsp68-70 is associated with an accumulation of hsp68-70 mRNA. Examination of the effect of heat shock on preexisting actin mRNA reveals that heat shock promotes a reduction in the levels of actin mRNA in cleavage embryos but has no discernible effect on actin mRNA levels in neurula embryos. Finally, the acquisition of the heat-shock response (i.e., synthesis of hsp68-70 and accumulation of hsp70 mRNA) during early Xenopus development is correlated with the acquisition of thermotolerance.

Age Factors↗

The restricted expression pattern of the POU factor Oct-6 during early development of the mouse nervous system.

Oct-6 is a POU transcription factor that is thought to play a role in the differentiation of cells of neuroectodermal origin. To investigate whether the Oct-6 protein could play a role in the establishment of neuroectoderm in vivo we studied the expression of the Oct-6 protein during early mouse development. Expression is first observed in the primitive ectoderm of the egg cylinder stage embryo. In gastrulating embryos, Oct-6 protein is found in the extra-embryonic ectoderm of the chorion and the anterior ectoderm of the embryo proper. As development proceeds, Oct-6 expression becomes more restricted to the anterior medial part of the embryo until Oct-6 positive cells are observed only in the neural groove of the headfold stage embryo. In the late headfold stage embryo, Oct-6 expression is detected in the neuroepithelium of the entire brain and later is restricted to a more ventral and anterior position. As the anterior neuropore closes, Oct-6 protein is detected in a segment-like pattern in the mid-and forebrain. Thus, the expression pattern of the Oct-6 gene agrees with a role for the Oct-6 protein in the establishment and regional specification of the neuroectoderm in vivo. The two waves of widespread induction of the Oct-6 gene, one in the primitive ectoderm and another in the primitive brain, both followed by a progressive restriction in the expression patterns suggest a mechanism for the regulation of the gene.

Animals↗

The early development of the optic nerve and chiasm in embryonic rat.

To establish the time course and major features of the development of the optic nerve and chiasm in the embryonic rat, the growth of axons from the retina to the brain has been studied by light and electron microscopy. On embryonic day 14 (E14), the first axons are generated by retinal ganglion cells. Fascicles of axons can be detected in the optic stalk at E14.5 and in the diencephalon by E15.0. In the vitreal retina and optic fissure, large extracellular spaces resemble the oriented channels previously described in the mouse. They form approximately 12 hours before the invasion of optic axons and contain hyaluronic acid. In the optic stalk and diencephalon of the rat, similar spaces are not present, but the timed autolysis of neuroepithelial cells could provide a pathway of minimal resistance for the earliest axons. Degenerating cells are prominent in the ventral stalk and rostral diencephalon prior to the arrival of the first optic axons that preferentially invade these regions. The role of pigment in the development of visual pathways is controversial. In one strain of rat, Manchester Hooded, the retinae are heavily pigmented, but little pigment is seen at any stage in the stalk; in albinos, pigment is absent from both retina and stalk. However, the distribution of axons within the developing optic stalk is very similar in both strains, suggesting that the reduction in size of the ipsilateral pathway observed in the albino rat compared with the Manchester Hooded is not due to a lack of pigment in the optic stalk early in development. Several factors previously reported to contribute to the development of retinotopic order in other species are also present in the rat. These include the sequence in which axons grow into the stalk, and fasciculation. Intermembranous contacts observed between growth cones and adjacent tissues suggest one mechanism by which fasciculation occurs. A small group of fascicles, which may represent the ipsilateral projection, diverges from the crossing fibers on E15.5, without evidence of being deflected by any glial or other structures.

Albinism↗