Urinary Acidification Does Not Explain the Absence of Nephrocalcinosis in a Mouse Model of Familial Hypomagnesaemia with Hypercalciuria and Nephrocalcinosis (FHHNC).

Patients with mutations in suffer from familial hypomagnesaemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis (FHHNC) which can lead to renal insufficiency. Mice lacking claudin-16 show hypomagnesemia and hypercalciuria, but no nephrocalcinosis. Calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate are the most common insoluble calcium salts that accumulate in the kidney in the case of nephrocalcinosis, however, the formation of these salts is less favored in acidic conditions.

Unbalanced Expression of Glutathione Peroxidase 4 and Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase Affects Acrosome Reaction and In Vitro Fertilization.

Glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) and arachidonic acid 15 lipoxygenase (Alox15) are counterplayers in oxidative lipid metabolism and both enzymes have been implicated in spermatogenesis. However, the roles of the two proteins in acrosomal exocytosis have not been explored in detail. Here we characterized Gpx4 distribution in mouse sperm and detected the enzyme not only in the midpiece of the resting sperm but also at the anterior region of the head, where the acrosome is localized.

MarvelD3 Is Upregulated in Ulcerative Colitis and Has Attenuating Effects during Colitis Indirectly Stabilizing the Intestinal Barrier.

In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the impaired intestinal barrier is mainly characterized by changes in tight junction protein expression. The functional role of the tight junction-associated MARVEL protein MARVELD3 (MD3) in IBD is yet unknown. (i) In colon biopsies from IBD patients we analyzed MD3 expression and (ii) in human colon HT-29/B6 cells we studied the signaling pathways of different IBD-relevant cytokines.

Examination of the Contributions of Maternal/Placental-Derived Galectin-1 to Pregnancy Outcome.

Galectin-1 (gal-1), a member of a family of evolutionarily conserved glycan-binding proteins, is differentially expressed at the feto-maternal interface and appears to be functionally polyvalent, with a wide range of biological activities. However, the contributions of maternal and/or feto-placental gal-1 to the signaling networks promoting a healthy pregnancy are still being elucidated. This chapter discusses the methods commonly employed to study the maternal or feto-placental contribution of gal-1 during pregnancy in mice.

Publisher Correction: Self-assembly of embryonic and two extra-embryonic stem cell types into gastrulating embryo-like structures.

In the version of this Technical Report originally published, the competing interests statement was missing. The authors declare no competing interests; this statement has now been added in all online versions of the Report.

Self-assembly of embryonic and two extra-embryonic stem cell types into gastrulating embryo-like structures.

Embryonic stem cells can be incorporated into the developing embryo and its germ line, but, when cultured alone, their ability to generate embryonic structures is restricted. They can interact with trophoblast stem cells to generate structures that break symmetry and specify mesoderm, but their development is limited as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastrulation cannot occur. Here, we describe a system that allows assembly of mouse embryonic, trophoblast and extra-embryonic endoderm stem cells into structures that acquire the embryo's architecture with all distinct embryonic and extra-embryonic compartments.

Influence of polygamous versus monogamous mating on embryo production in four different strains of mice after superovulatory treatment.

We determined the effect of monogamous or polygamous mating with 2 females on vaginal plug (VP) rate, embryo donors (ED), 2-cell embryo production, and male performance after superovulation of females aging 24d or 45-48d. C57BL/6NCrl (B6N), BALB/cAnCrl (BALB/cN), FVB/NCrl (FVB/N), and Crl:CD1(ICR) (CD-1) females received 5 IU eCG and 5 IU hCG (24d) or 7.5 IU eCG and 7.

Reproductive Performance after Unilateral or Bilateral Oviduct Transfer of 2-Cell Embryos in Mice.

Embryo transfer (ET) is a frequent procedure in contemporary animal and transgenic facilities. We compared the reproductive performance of mice after unilateral and bilateral ET of 15 to 18 two-cell embryos per recipient. The genetic backgrounds of the donors were C57BL/6J (B6J), C57BL/6N (B6N), or fewer than 5 generations of backcrossing to B6 (unknown substrain, <5G B6).

The ubiquitin ligase LIN41/TRIM71 targets p53 to antagonize cell death and differentiation pathways during stem cell differentiation.

Rapidity and specificity are characteristic features of proteolysis mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Therefore, the UPS is ideally suited for the remodeling of the embryonic stem cell proteome during the transition from pluripotent to differentiated states and its inverse, the generation of inducible pluripotent stem cells. The Trim-NHL family member LIN41 is among the first E3 ubiquitin ligases to be linked to stem cell pluripotency and reprogramming.

Productivity of superovulated C57BL/6J oocyte donors at different ages.

Superovulation is often used to increase the number of oocytes that can be collected from donor females for in vitro fertilization. Donor age can affect the quantity and quality of oocytes produced during superovulation, and in some strains of mice juvenile females are optimal donors. The authors reviewed donor and oocyte records from a breeding program to evaluate how donor age affects the number and fertilization efficiency of oocytes collected from C57BL/6J mice.

The 24-h recall instrument for home nursing to measure the activity profile of home nurses: development and psychometric testing.

Home health care today is challenged by a shift from an acute to a chronic health-care model, moving the focus of care from the hospital to home-care setting. This increased focus on care at home emphasizes the need for an efficient, effective, and transparent management of home health care. However, it is not precisely known what home-care nurses do; what kind of care is received by patients; what the performance of home nurses is; and what the impact of the increasing need for home nursing is on the current and future role of home nurses.

Immune modulation by Fas ligand reverse signaling: lymphocyte proliferation is attenuated by the intracellular Fas ligand domain.

Fas ligand (FasL) not only induces apoptosis in Fas receptor-bearing target cells, it is also able to transmit signals into the FasL-expressing cell via its intracellular domain (ICD). Recently, we described a Notch-like proteolytic processing of FasL that leads to the release of the FasL ICD into the cytoplasm and subsequent translocation into the nucleus where it may influence gene transcription. To study the molecular mechanism underlying such reverse FasL signaling in detail and to analyze its physiological importance in vivo, we established a knockout/knockin mouse model, in which wild-type FasL was replaced with a deletion mutant lacking the ICD.

The let-7 target gene mouse lin-41 is a stem cell specific E3 ubiquitin ligase for the miRNA pathway protein Ago2.

The let-7 miRNA and its target gene Lin-28 interact in a regulatory circuit controlling pluripotency. We investigated an additional let-7 target, mLin41 (mouse homologue of lin-41), as a potential contributor to this circuit. We demonstrate the presence of mLin41 protein in several stem cell niches, including the embryonic ectoderm, epidermis and male germ line.

Targeted inactivation of the murine Abca3 gene leads to respiratory failure in newborns with defective lamellar bodies.

Mutations in the human ABCA3 gene, encoding an ABC-transporter, are associated with respiratory failure in newborns and pediatric interstitial lung disease. In order to study disease mechanisms, a transgenic mouse model with a disrupted Abca3 gene was generated by targeting embryonic stem cells. While heterozygous animals developed normally and were fertile, individuals homozygous for the altered allele (Abca3-/-) died within one hour after birth from respiratory failure, ABCA3 protein being undetectable.