Difficulty in complete transarterial embolization for pulmonary benign metastasizing leiomyoma with massive hemoptysis.

A 43-year-old woman suffering from massive hemoptysis from pulmonary benign metastasizing leiomyoma (BML) at the left lung hilum underwent bronchial and nonbronchial transarterial embolization (TAE) using gelatin sponge particles and n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate during three interventional procedures. However, since complete embolization of the tumor was difficult despite decreased tumor size, the tumor was surgically resected 3 months after the last interventional procedure. This case demonstrates the difficulty of complete TAE for pulmonary BML because of its hypervascularity and the rich communications between bronchial and nonbronchial anastomotic arteries.

ERK- and JNK-signalling regulate gene networks that stimulate metamorphosis and apoptosis in tail tissues of ascidian tadpoles.

In ascidian tadpoles, metamorphosis is triggered by a polarized wave of apoptosis, via mechanisms that are largely unknown. We demonstrate that the MAP kinases ERK and JNK are both required for the wave of apoptosis and metamorphosis. By employing a gene-profiling-based approach, we identified the network of genes controlled by either ERK or JNK activity that stimulate the onset of apoptosis.

Transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis revealed the functions of animal cellulose synthase in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis.

Tunicates are the only animals that perform cellulose biosynthesis. The tunicate gene for cellulose synthase, Ci-CesA, was likely acquired by horizontal transfer from bacteria and was a key innovation in the evolution of tunicates. Transposon-based mutagenesis in an ascidian, Ciona intestinalis, has generated a mutant, swimming juvenile (sj).

An integrated database of the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis: towards functional genomics.

An integrated genome database is essential for future studies of functional genomics. In this study, we update cDNA and genomic resources of the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis, and provide an integrated database of the genomic and cDNA data by extending a database published previously. The updated resources include over 190,000 ESTs (672,396 in total together with the previous ESTs) and over 1,000 full-insert sequences (6,773 in total).

Tissue-specific profile of DNA replication in the swimming larvae of Ciona intestinalis.

The cell cycle is strictly regulated during development and its regulation is essential for organ formation and developmental timing. Here we observed the pattern of DNA replication in swimming larvae of an ascidian, Ciona intestinalis. Usually, Ciona swimming larvae obtain competence for metamorphosis at about 4-5 h after hatching, and these competent larvae initiate metamorphosis soon after they adhere to substrate with their papillae.

Development of Ciona intestinalis juveniles (through 2nd ascidian stage).

Following the reading of its draft genome sequence and the collection of a large quantity of cDNA information, Ciona intestinalis is now becoming a model organism for whole-genome analyses of the expression and function of developmentally relevant genes. Although most studies have focused on larval structures, the development of the adult form is also very interesting in relation to tissues and organs of vertebrate body. Here we conducted detailed observations of the development of tissues and organs in Ciona intestinalis larva and juveniles until so-called the 2nd ascidian stage.

The draft genome of Ciona intestinalis: insights into chordate and vertebrate origins.

The first chordates appear in the fossil record at the time of the Cambrian explosion, nearly 550 million years ago. The modern ascidian tadpole represents a plausible approximation to these ancestral chordates. To illuminate the origins of chordate and vertebrates, we generated a draft of the protein-coding portion of the genome of the most studied ascidian, Ciona intestinalis.

A cDNA resource from the basal chordate Ciona intestinalis.

The genome of the basal choradate Ciona intestinalis contains a basic set of genes with less redundancy compared to the vertebrate genome. Extensive EST analyses, cDNA sequencing, and clustering yielded "Ciona intestinalis Gene Collection Release 1," which contains cDNA clones for 13,464 genes, covering nearly 85% of the Ciona mRNA species. This release is ready for use in cDNA cloning, micro/macroarray analysis, and other comprehensive genome-wide analyses for further molecular studies of basal chordates.