Diallyl Sulfide Attenuation of Carcinogenesis in Mammary Epithelial Cells through the Inhibition of ROS Formation, and DNA Strand Breaks.

Garlic has long been used medicinally for many diseases, including cancer. One of the active garlic components is diallyl sulfide (DAS), which prevents carcinogenesis and reduces the incidence rate of several cancers. In this study, non-cancerous MCF-10A cells were used as a model to investigate the effect of DAS on Benzo (a)pyrene (BaP)-induced cellular carcinogenesis.

G-protein signaling is required for increasing germline stem cell division frequency in response to mating in Drosophila males.

Adult stem cells divide to renew the stem cell pool and replenish specialized cells that are lost due to death or usage. However, little is known about the mechanisms regulating how stem cells adjust to a demand for specialized cells. A failure of the stem cells to respond to this demand can have serious consequences, such as tissue loss, or prolonged recovery post injury.

Light-activated serotonin for exploring its action in biological systems.

Serotonin (5-HT) is a neuromodulator involved in regulating mood, appetite, memory, learning, pain, and establishment of left-right (LR) asymmetry in embryonic development. To explore the role of 5-HT in physiology, we have created two forms of "caged" 5-HT, BHQ-O-5HT and BHQ-N-5HT. When exposed to 365 or 740 nm light, BHQ-O-5HT releases 5-HT through one- or two-photon excitation, respectively.

A temporal signature of epidermal growth factor signaling regulates the differentiation of germline cells in testes of Drosophila melanogaster.

Tissue replenishment from stem cells follows a precise cascade of events, during which stem cell daughters first proliferate by mitotic transit amplifying divisions and then enter terminal differentiation. Here we address how stem cell daughters are guided through the early steps of development. In Drosophila testes, somatic cyst cells enclose the proliferating and differentiating germline cells and the units of germline and surrounding cyst cells are commonly referred to as cysts.

The attenuation of early benzo(a)pyrene-induced carcinogenic insults by diallyl disulfide (DADS) in MCF-10A cells.

Diallyl disulfide (DADS), a garlic organosulfur compound, has been researched as a cancer prevention agent; however, the role of DADS in the suppression of cancer initiation in nonneoplastic cells has not been elucidated. To evaluate DADS inhibition of early carcinogenic events, MCF-10A cells were pretreated (PreTx) with DADS followed by the ubiquitous carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), or cotreated (CoTx) with DADS and BaP for up to 24 h. The cells were evaluated for changes in cell viability/proliferation, cell cycle, induction of peroxide formation, and DNA damage.

Control of germline stem cell division frequency--a novel, developmentally regulated role for epidermal growth factor signaling.

Exploring adult stem cell dynamics in normal and disease states is crucial to both better understanding their in vivo role and better realizing their therapeutic potential. Here we address the division frequency of Germline Stem Cells (GSCs) in testes of Drosophila melanogaster. We show that GSC division frequency is under genetic control of the highly conserved Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) signaling pathway.

Diallyl trisulfide as an inhibitor of benzo(a)pyrene-induced precancerous carcinogenesis in MCF-10A cells.

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is a garlic organosulfide that is toxic to cancer cells, however, little is known about its effect in the initiation phase of carcinogenesis. We sought to determine whether DATS could inhibit the carcinogen, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), from inducing precancerous activity, in vitro. MCF-10A cells were either pre-treated (PreTx) or concurrently treated (CoTx) with 1 μM BaP, and 6 or 60 μM DATS for up to 24h.

Nucleoporin98-96 function is required for transit amplification divisions in the germ line of Drosophila melanogaster.

Production of specialized cells from precursors depends on a tightly regulated sequence of proliferation and differentiation steps. In the gonad of Drosophila melanogaster, the daughters of germ line stem cells (GSC) go through precisely four rounds of transit amplification divisions to produce clusters of 16 interconnected germ line cells before entering a stereotypic differentiation cascade. Here we show that animals harbouring a transposon insertion in the center of the complex nucleoporin98-96 (nup98-96) locus had severe defects in the early steps of this developmental program, ultimately leading to germ cell loss and sterility.