A naked RNA heptamer targeting the human Bcl-2 mRNA induces apoptosis of HL60 leukemia cells.

tRNase Z(L)-utilizing efficacious gene silencing is a gene control technology, which is based on the property that tRNase Z(L) can cleave any target RNA under the direction of an appropriate small guide RNA (sgRNA). To find therapeutic sgRNAs to cure hematological malignancies, we investigated behavior of heptamer-type sgRNA. We demonstrated that a heptamer, mh1(Bcl-2), which targets the human Bcl-2 mRNA, can be taken up by cells without any transfection reagents and that it can induce apoptosis of the leukemia cells.

Role of the Wnt signaling pathway in bone and tooth.

Signaling by the Wnt plays a central role in many processes during embryonic development and adult homeostasis. At least 19 types of Wnts, several families of secreted antagonists and multiple receptors have been identified. Two distinct Wnt signaling pathways, the canonical pathway and the noncanonical pathway have been described.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 enhances Wnt/beta-catenin signaling-induced osteoprotegerin expression.

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling plays an important role in the developing skeletal system. Our previous studies demonstrated that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling inhibits the ability of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 to suppress myotube formation in the multipotent mesenchymal cell line C2C12 and that this inhibition is mediated by Id1. In this study, we examined the role of intracellular signaling by Wnt/beta-catenin and BMP-2 in regulating the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and of the receptor activator of NFkappaB ligand (RANKL).

Establishment of cell lines that exhibit pluripotency from miniature swine periodontal ligaments.

Objective: The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a fibrous connective tissue composed of heterogeneous cell types, including PDL fibroblasts. It is not clear whether cells within the PDL fibroblast population retain the potency to differentiate into other cell types.

Design: In the present study, clonal cell lines, derived from Clawn miniature swine PDLs, were established by gene transfection for a human telomerase reverse transcriptase, and characterized.

Regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-13 and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene expression by WNT3A and bone morphogenetic protein-2 in osteoblastic differentiation.

During bone remodeling, degradation of skeletal connective tissue is regulated, at least in part, by the balance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMPs), their natural inhibitors. Recently, the Wnt signaling pathway has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the regulation of bone formation. Here, we investigated a potential role for Wnt signaling and functional cross-talk with bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 in mRNA expression of MMPs, TIMPs and bone matrix proteins in pluripotent C2C12 cells.

Cross-talk between Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) signaling in differentiation pathway of C2C12 myoblasts.

Loss of function of the Wnt co-receptor, lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5, decreases bone formation, and a point mutation in this gene results in high bone mass, indicating the importance of this signaling pathway in bone formation. However, the exact mechanism is currently unknown. We examined a potential role for Wnt signaling and functional cross-talk of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) in osteoblast differentiation.