Chronology of three consecutive mitotic events in human pre-implantation embryos was examined by time-lapse imaging. In zygotes producing well-formed and pregnancy-yielding expanded blastocysts, uniform time-patterning of cleavage clusters (c) and interphases (i) was revealed: i2=11+/-1, i3=15+/-1, i4=23+/-1 hr / c2=15+/-5, c3=40+/-10, c4=55+/-15 min. Oppositely, shortened or prolonged durations of one ...

Neuronal progenitor cell proliferation and their optimum number are indispensable for neurogenesis, which is determined by cell cycle length and cell cycle quitting rate of the dividing progenitors. These processes are tightly orchestrated by transcription factors like Tbr2, Pax6, and E2f-1. Radial glia and intermediate progenitor cells (IPC) through direct ...

While induced FoxP3(+) T cells (iTreg cells) are promising cellular therapeutics to treat inflammatory diseases, a limitation in utilizing iTreg cells prepared in vitro is their low stability in inflammatory conditions. Progesterone (P4) is an immune regulatory nuclear hormone with a potent Treg induction activity. We reasoned that this function ...

This study was aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of novel nonclassical antifolate, 2-[N-(2´-Hydroxyethyl)ami-no]methyl-3H-quinazolin-4-one (HEAMQ), toward human promonocytic U937 and murine lymphoblastic L1210 cell lines. The antiproliferative activity of HEAMQ was determined by MTT assay and its effects on cell cycle progression and apoptosis were studied by flow cytometry, and ...

Reproduction and fertility have been objects of keen inquiry since the dawn of humanity. Medieval anatomists provided the first accurate depictions of the female reproductive system, and early microscopists were fascinated by the magnified sight of sperm cells. Initial successes were achieved in the in vitro fertilization of frogs and ...

Fucoxanthin (FX) is a natural carotenoid with reported antitumorigenic activity. This study explored the effects of FX and its deacetylated product, fucoxanthinol (FXOH), on B-cell malignancies, including Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma and Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized B cells. Both FX and FXOH reduced the viability of these malignant B cells in a ...

In this study, we focused the effects of crebanine, an alkaloid isolated from the tuber of Stephania venosa, on various human cancer cells. Crebanine treatment was found to significantly inhibit the proliferation of human leukemic cells (HL-60, U937 and K562), human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080) and cervix cancer cell lines (KB-3-1 ...

The cell division cycle is tightly regulated by the activation and inactivation of a series of proteins that control the replication and segregation of organelles to the daughter cells. During the past decade, we have witnessed significant advances in our understanding of the cell cycle in Trypanosoma brucei and how ...

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) overexpression is required for cancer cell proliferation; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying ANXA2-mediated regulation of the cell cycle are still unknown. ANXA2 is highly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is positively correlated with a poor prognosis. NSCLC A549 cells lacking ANXA2 exhibited defects in ...

To understand genetic programs controlling mammalian central nervous system (CNS) development, we have identified one transgene-inserted mutation, which showed embryonic lethality during neurulation. Determination of the transgene integration site and rescue experiments revealed that the Brd2 gene, whose products specifically bind acetylated histone H4 and can mediate transcription, was the ...

Granulosa cells are components of the sex cord-stromal cells in the ovary responsible for steroidogenesis. Uncommonly, extraovarian granulosa cells have been reported to be associated with malignant processes of the ovary. We report a unique case of benign granulosa cells, found during routine laparoscopic evaluation, in the uterosacral ligaments in ...

Aquaporin (AQP)-dependent cell migration has broad implications in angiogenesis, tumor metastasis, wound healing, glial scarring and other events requiring cell movement. There are 13 isoforms of AQP (0-12) that have been identified in mammals. It is unclear whether AQP5 plays a role in the development of endometrial cancer. We recently ...

Disabling mutations in the FGD1 gene cause faciogenital dysplasia (also known as Aarskog-Scott syndrome), a human X-linked developmental disorder that results in disproportionately short stature, facial, skeletal and urogenital anomalies, and in a number of cases, mild mental retardation. FGD1 encodes the guanine nucleotide exchange factor FGD1, which is specific ...

Most ovarian cancers originate from the ovarian surface epithelium and are characterized by aneuploid karyotypes. Aneuploidy, a consequence of chromosome instability, is an early event during the development of ovarian cancers. However, how aneuploid cells are evolved from normal diploid cells in ovarian cancers remains unknown. In the present study, ...

The Hedgehog (Hh) pathway plays dual roles in proliferation and patterning during embryonic development, but the mechanism(s) that distinguish the mitogenic and patterning activities of Hh signalling are not fully understood. An additional level of complexity is provided by the observation that Hh signalling can both promote and inhibit cell ...

Spermatozoa represent the epitome of terminally differentiated, highly specialized cells. They are transcriptionally and translationally silent and yet manage to undergo a complete functional transformation after they leave the testes, entirely fuelled by post-translational modifications occurring during epididymal maturation and capacitation. The latter have been recognized as biological processes for ...

Comment on: Gebre S, et al. Cell Cycle 2012; 11:2176-88.

The aim of the present work was to investigate the occurrence of the cell cycle during germination as related to thermodormancy in barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Pewter) grains in relation with abscisic acid (ABA) by: (i) flow cytometry to determine the progression of the cell cycle; and (ii) reverse ...

The corpus luteum (CL) is an ephemeral endocrine organ. During its lifespan, it undergoes a period of extremely rapid growth that involves hypertrophy, proliferation and differentiation of the steroidogenic cells, as well as extensive angiogenesis. The growth phase is followed by a period in which remodelling of the tissue ceases, ...

Recently we reported that amplification of the Zinc Finger Protein 217 (ZNF217) gene adversely affects survival of patients with ovarian clear cell carcinoma. This study sought to determine the mechanism by which ZNF217 amplification affects patient survival. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect ZNF217 gene amplification status ...

HoxB4, a homeodomain-containing transcription factor, is involved in the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells in vivo and in vitro, and plays a key role in regulating the balance between hematopoietic stem cell renewal and cell differentiation. However, the biological activity of HoxB4 in other cells has not ...

To evaluate in vitro effects of gemcitabine alone and in combination with carboplatin on canine transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell lines. In vitro cultures of 5 canine TCC cell lines. Cells were treated with gemcitabine, carboplatin, or a combination of both at various concentrations. Cell proliferation was assessed via a ...

Resveratrol (RSV), a natural compound present in the skin and seeds of red grapes, is considered a phytoestrogen and has structural similarity to the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol. RSV inhibits tumor cell growth in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and negative (ER-) breast cancer cell lines resulting in cell specific regulation of the ...

AIMS: To investigate the effects and study the underlying cell death mechanisms of diaryl diselenides, including: diphenyl diselenide (C(6)H(5)Se)(2); 4-chlorodiphenyl diselenide (4-ClC(6)H(4)Se)(2); 3-(trifluoromethyl)-diphenyl diselenide (3-CF(3)C(6)H(4)Se)(2) and 4-methoxydiphenyl diselenide (4-MeOC(6)H(4)Se)(2), on the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29. MAIN METHODS: The viability of HT-29 cells after exposure to the diaryl diselenides ...

Cellular uptake of a protein microsphere was investigated in vitro. Fibroin microspheres with an average diameter of approximately 1 µm were prepared with Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran for the fluorescent core. Tomography, performed using confocal laser scanning microscopy, confirmed microsphere uptake into the cytoplasmic area of 3T3 cells. Flow cytometry showed that cellular uptake ...

Alterations of ovarian follicle morphology and function have been well documented in women with PCOS. These include increased numbers of growing preantral follicles, failure of follicle growth beyond the mid-antral stage, evidence of granulosa call degeneration, and theca cell hyperplasia. Functional abnormalities include paradoxical granulosa cell hyperresponsiveness to FSH which ...

WEE1 kinase has been described as a major gate keeper at the G2 cell cycle checkpoint and to be involved in tumour progression in different malignant tumours. Here we analysed the expression levels of WEE1 in a series of melanoma patient samples and melanoma cell lines using immunoblotting, quantitative real-time ...

This study was examined whether the species of felid affects synchronization accuracy at the G0/G1 stage of the cell cycle and the occurrence of apoptosis by different protocols, such as serum starvation, confluent and roscovitine treatment. Skin fibroblast cells were obtained from the Asian golden cat, marbled cat, leopard and ...

DNA double-strand breaks are repaired by two main pathways: nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). The choice between these pathways depends on cell-cycle phase; however the continuous effect of cell cycle on the balance between them is still unclear. We used live cell imaging and fluorescent reporters for ...

Areca nut (Areca catechu) is chewed regularly as a medical and psychoactive food by about 10% of the world population, in countries including India, Taiwan and parts of Southern Asia. Areca nut chewing during pregnancy has been associated with both lower birth weight and premature birth. Animals of low birth ...

Bacterial differentiation is often associated with the asymmetric localization of regulatory proteins, such as histidine kinases. PdhS is an essential and polarly localized histidine kinase in the pathogenic alphaproteobacterium Brucella abortus. After cell division, PdhS is asymmetrically segregated between the two sibling cells, highlighting a differentiation event. However, the function(s) ...

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of gene expression kinetics around neuronal cell-birth is required to dissect mechanisms underlying progenitor fate. Here, we timed cell-cycle and neuronal protein silencing/induction during cell-birth in the developing murine retina. RESULTS: The pan-cell cycle markers Pcna and Mcm6 were present in the post-mitotic ganglion cell layer. Although confined ...

During embryonic development, ovarian somatic cells embark on a course that is separate from male somatic cells and from indifferent precursor cells. While the former aspect of ovarian development is well known, the latter has not received much attention until recently. This review attempts to integrate the most recent work ...

Leydig cell hyperplasia and Leydig cell tumours of the ovary are rare. We present two cases in which patients had increased blood levels of testosterone and frank hirsutism. Imaging showed minimal abnormalities. After adrenal disease had been ruled out, they underwent a bilateral oophorectomy. One case showed a Leydig cell ...

1,3-Dinitrobenzene (DNB) causes testicular injury, particularly to Sertoli cells, and induces apoptosis in the surrounding germinal cells in rodents; however, the mechanisms causing this toxicity are poorly understood. Our studies, using standard and molecular tools, were conducted to better understand the pathogenesis of the testicular effects. Four daily oral doses ...

The cell cycle in pluripotent stem cells is notable for the brevity of the G1 phase, permitting rapid proliferation and reducing the duration of differentiation signal sensitivity associated with G1 phase. Changes in the length of G1 phase are understood to accompany the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), ...

Malignant transformation of a mature ovarian teratoma is a rare occurrence predominantly in the postmenopausal period. All histologic types can be seen; however, squamous cell carcinoma accounts for over 75% of cases. Sarcomatous transformation is much more uncommon, with cases of angiosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma arising in a mature ...

This study explored a new approach to the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using FeCl(3) combined with a fuel cell system to generate electricity. After pretreatment, ferric iron (Fe(3+)), a strong catalyst in the hydrolysis of carbohydrate, was found to be reduced to ferrous iron (Fe(2+)) by means of the oxidation ...

Gingival overgrowth is caused in response to the antiepileptic drug phenytoin (PHT). PHT-induced gingival overgrowth is characterized by the proliferation of fibroblasts and increased collagen formation in gingiva. Fibroblast proliferation is regulated through the cell cycle. Thus, in the present study, we examined the effects of PHT on the cell ...

Human augmenter of liver regeneration (hALR) is a sulfhydryl oxidase that is highly expressed in spermatogonia and early spermatocytes. To investigate the physiological effects of hALR in spermatogenesis, we generated a hALR transgenic mouse model driven by the human pTSPY promoter that allows the transgene to be specifically activated in ...

In recent years, applications of stem cells have already involved in all domains of life science and biomedicine. People try to establish human embryonic stem cell lines (hESCs) in order to carry out hESC-related studies. In this study, we explored what embryos are conducive to the establishment of hESCs. The ...

Androgens and androgen receptor play a critical role in spermatogenesis and fertility in mammals, and estrogens and their receptors contribute to regulation of testicular function through initiation and maintenance of spermatogenesis and germ cell division and survival. However, results from different species are still far from establishing a clear understanding ...

The fate of foreign mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) following somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is still controversial. In this study, we examined the transmission of the heteroplasmic mtDNA of gaur donor cells and recipient bovine oocytes to an offspring and aborted and mummified fetuses at various levels during the development of ...

The treatment of donor cells with oocyte extracts before inter-species somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) is a novel method for cellular reprogramming. This study aims to evaluate the effect of pre-treatment donor cell with oocyte extracts on the early developmental competence of yak iSCNT embryos. Yak fibroblasts were reversibly permeabilized ...

Baicalein is a flavonoid, known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. As an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand, baicalein at high concentrations blocks AhR-mediated dioxin toxicity. Because AhR had been reported to play a role in regulating the cell cycle, we suspected that the anti-cancer effect of baicalein is associated ...

BACKGROUND: Adaptor proteins, with multimodular structures, can participate in the regulation of various cellular functions. A novel adaptor protein XB130 has been implicated as a substrate and regulator of tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling and in controlling cell proliferation and apoptosis in thyroid and lung cancer cells. However, its expression and role ...

Endometrial cancer is a major problem for women but only a small number of comprehensively characterized cell models are available for studies. Here, we established a new cell line derived from a Stage IIIc(1) Grade 2 endometrial adenocarcinoma. The cell line, designated LHY-821, was characterized using growth curve, karyotyping, immunohistochemical ...

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs regulate critical genes associated with lung cancer. Human mutS homolog 2 (hMSH2), one of the core mismatch repair genes, is affected in lung cancer development. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of miR-21 in hMSH2 gene expression and the effect of miR-21 on cell ...

This study documents the spatial and temporal distribution of Oct-4, Cdx-2 and acetylated H4K5 (H4K5ac) by immunocytochemistry staining using in-vivo-derived rabbit embryos at different stages: day-3 compact morulae, day-4 early blastocysts, day-4 expanded blastocysts, day-5 blastocysts, day-6 blastocysts and day-7 blastocysts. The Oct-4 signal was stronger in the inner cell ...

In somatic cells, the length of the G1 phase of the cell cycle is tightly linked to differentiation, and its elongation can drive differentiation in many cases. Although it has been suggested that the situation is very similar in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), where a rapid cell cycle and a ...