Gene expression changes during step-wise differentiation of embryonic stem cells along the inner ear hair cell pathway.

Conclusion: Our study outlines an alternative approach for the selection and investigation of genes involved in inner ear function.

Objective: To gain understanding of the gene pathways involved in the development of the normal cochlea.

Materials And Methods: Microarray technology currently offers the most efficient approach to investigate gene expression and identify pathways involved in cell differentiation.

Characterisation of DRASIC in the mouse inner ear.

Within the cochlea, the hair cells detect sound waves and transduce them into receptor potential. The molecular architecture of the highly specialised cochlea is complex and until recently little was known about the molecular interactions which underlie its function. It is now clear that the coordinated expression and interplay of hundreds of genes and the integrity of cochlear cells regulate this function.

Resisting arrest: recovery from checkpoint arrest through dephosphorylation of Chk1 by PP1.

The G2 DNA damage checkpoint prevents mitotic entry in the presence of damaged DNA, and thus is essential for cells to replicate with stable genetic inheritance. Whilst significant progress has been made in the past 10 years on the mechanism of checkpoint activation, little attention has been paid to how the DNA damage checkpoint is switched off to allow cell cycle re-entry. Insight into the mechanism of cell cycle re-entry was recently provided by our finding that the Schizosaccharomyces pombe type 1 phosphatase (PP1) Dis2 dephosphorylates the checkpoint effector kinase Chk1.

Inhibition of Chk1-dependent G2 DNA damage checkpoint radiosensitizes p53 mutant human cells.

Cell cycle checkpoints are surveillance mechanisms that monitor and coordinate the order and fidelity of cell cycle events. When defects in the division program of a cell are detected, checkpoints prevent the pursuant cell cycle transition through regulation of the relevant cyclin-cdk complex(es). Checkpoints that respond to DNA damage have been described for the G1, S and G2 phases of the cell cycle.

Fasciola: kinetics and quality of humoral responses to fatty acid binding protein and cathepsin l following delivery as DNA vaccines in mice.

The humoral response to DNA vaccination of mice with two important Fasciola antigens has been investigated. Both F. gigantica fatty acid binding protein (FABP) and F.