The zebrafish mutant uncovers an evolutionarily conserved role for Tmem161b in the control of cardiac rhythm.

The establishment of cardiac function in the developing embryo is essential to ensure blood flow and, therefore, growth and survival of the animal. The molecular mechanisms controlling normal cardiac rhythm remain to be fully elucidated. From a forward genetic screen, we identified a unique mutant, that displayed a specific cardiac arrhythmia phenotype.

Gene expression identifies metabolic and functional differences between intramuscular and subcutaneous adipocytes in cattle.

Background: This study used a genome-wide screen of gene expression to better understand the metabolic and functional differences between commercially valuable intramuscular fat (IMF) and commercially wasteful subcutaneous (SC) fat depots in Bos taurus beef cattle.

Results: We confirmed many findings previously made at the biochemical level and made new discoveries. The fundamental lipogenic machinery, such as ACACA and FASN encoding the rate limiting Acetyl CoA carboxylase and Fatty Acid synthase were expressed at 1.

Nppa and Nppb act redundantly during zebrafish cardiac development to confine AVC marker expression and reduce cardiac jelly volume.

Atrial natriuretic peptide () and brain natriuretic peptide () form a gene cluster with expression in the chambers of the developing heart. Despite restricted expression, a function in cardiac development has not been demonstrated by mutant analysis. This is attributed to functional redundancy; however, their genomic location has impeded formal analysis.

Complement C5aR1 Signaling Promotes Polarization and Proliferation of Embryonic Neural Progenitor Cells through PKCζ.

The complement system, typically associated with innate immunity, is emerging as a key controller of nonimmune systems including in development, with recent studies linking complement mutations with neurodevelopmental disease. A key effector of the complement response is the activation fragment C5a, which, through its receptor C5aR1, is a potent driver of inflammation. Surprisingly, C5aR1 is also expressed during early mammalian embryogenesis; however, no clearly defined function is ascribed to C5aR1 in development.

Autoantibodies against homocysteinylated protein in a mouse model of folate deficiency-induced neural tube defects.

Background: Periconceptional supplementation with folic acid results in a significant reduction in the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs). Nonetheless, NTDs remain a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the mechanism(s) by which folate exerts its protective effects are unknown. Homocysteine is an amino acid that accumulates under conditions of folate-deficiency, and is suggested as a risk factor for NTDs.

EPHA4-FC TREATMENT REDUCES ISCHEMIA/REPERFUSION-INDUCED INTESTINAL INJURY BY INHIBITING VASCULAR PERMEABILITY.

The inflammatory response is characterized by increased endothelial permeability, which permits the passage of fluid and inflammatory cells into interstitial spaces. The Eph/ephrin receptor ligand system plays a role in inflammation through a signaling cascade, which modifies Rho-GTPase activity. We hypothesized that blocking Eph/ephrin signaling using an EphA4-Fc would result in decreased inflammation and tissue injury in a model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Co-ordinated expression of innate immune molecules during mouse neurulation.

The innate immune system is the first line of defence against pathogens and infection. Recently, it has become apparent that many innate immune factors have roles outside of immunity and there is growing evidence that these factors play important functional roles during the development of a range of model organisms. Several studies have documented developmental expression of individual factors of the toll-like receptor and complement systems, and we recently demonstrated a key role for complement C5a receptor (C5aR1) signalling in neural tube closure in mice.

RNF14 is a regulator of mitochondrial and immune function in muscle.

Background: Muscle development and remodelling, mitochondrial physiology and inflammation are thought to be inter-related and to have implications for metabolism in both health and disease. However, our understanding of their molecular control is incomplete.

Results: In this study we have confirmed that the ring finger 14 protein (RNF14), a poorly understood transcriptional regulator, influences the expression of both mitochondrial and immune-related genes.

Neural tube defects, folate, and immune modulation.

Periconceptional supplementation with folic acid has led to a significant worldwide reduction in the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs). However, despite increasing awareness of the benefits of folic acid supplementation and the implementation of food fortification programs in many countries, NTDs continue to be a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, there exists a significant subgroup of women who appear to be resistant to the protective effects of folic acid supplementation.

C5a receptor signaling prevents folate deficiency-induced neural tube defects in mice.

The complement system is involved in a range of diverse developmental processes, including cell survival, growth, differentiation, and regeneration. However, little is known about the role of complement in embryogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate a novel role for the canonical complement 5a receptor (C5aR) in the development of the mammalian neural tube under conditions of maternal dietary folic acid deficiency.

The SNX-PX-BAR family in macropinocytosis: the regulation of macropinosome formation by SNX-PX-BAR proteins.

Background: Macropinocytosis is an actin-driven endocytic process, whereby membrane ruffles fold back onto the plasma membrane to form large (>0.2 µm in diameter) endocytic organelles called macropinosomes. Relative to other endocytic pathways, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in macropinocytosis.

Phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase signalling supports cell height in established epithelial monolayers.

Cell-cell interactions influence epithelial morphogenesis through an interplay between cell adhesion, trafficking and the cytoskeleton. These cellular processes are coordinated, often by cell signals found at cell-cell contacts. One such contact-based signal is the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3-kinase; PI3K) pathway.

Evaluation of candidate markers for the peritubular myoid cell lineage in the developing mouse testis.

Despite the importance of peritubular myoid (PM) cells in the histogenesis of the fetal testis, understanding the origin and function of these cells has been hampered by the lack of suitable markers. The current study was aimed at identifying molecular markers for PM cells during the early stages of testis development in the mouse embryo. Expression of candidate marker genes was tested by section in situ hybridisation, in some instances followed by immunofluorescent detection of protein products.