Publications by authors named "H J Gilhooley"
The cellular and genetic networks that contribute to the development of the zeugopod (radius and ulna of the forearm, tibia and fibula of the leg) are not well understood, although these bones are susceptible to loss in congenital human syndromes and to the action of teratogens such as thalidomide. Using a new fate-mapping approach with the Chameleon transgenic chicken line, we show that there is a small contribution of SHH-expressing cells to the posterior ulna, posterior carpals and digit 3. We establish that although the majority of the ulna develops in response to paracrine SHH signalling in both the chicken and mouse, there are differences in the contribution of SHH-expressing cells between mouse and chicken as well as between the chicken ulna and fibula.
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- Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are critical antigen-presenting cells that connect the body's immune responses, but their characteristics in chickens are not well understood compared to mammals.
- This study employs gene-editing and single-cell RNA sequencing to identify and analyze a specific cDC subset in chickens that expresses a chemokine receptor called XCR1, highlighting its prominence in the spleen as chickens reach sexual maturity.
- The research also suggests that these XCR1 cDCs play a similar role in activating CD8 T-cells in chickens as they do in mammals, indicating a likely evolutionary conservation in immune function across species.
Article Synopsis
- - The global market for protein drugs is rapidly growing, but high manufacturing costs limit their accessibility, particularly outside the US, highlighting the need for more cost-effective production methods.
- - Transgenic chickens present a promising solution for producing therapeutic proteins in egg whites, which could significantly reduce costs compared to traditional production methods and expand access to treatments in developing countries.
- - The study successfully created new transgenic chicken lines and demonstrated the efficient production of three important pharmaceutical proteins, validating this method for producing high-quality biologics.
We have generated the first transgenic chickens in which reporter genes are expressed in a specific immune cell lineage, based upon control elements of the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) locus. The Fms intronic regulatory element (FIRE) within CSF1R is shown to be highly conserved in amniotes and absolutely required for myeloid-restricted expression of fluorescent reporter genes. As in mammals, CSF1R-reporter genes were specifically expressed at high levels in cells of the macrophage lineage and at a much lower level in granulocytes.
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- The vertebrate tail's development is linked to stem/progenitor cell populations formed during early embryonic stages called gastrulation.
- Research using GFP-positive chick embryos identified two key progenitor cell populations in the chicken tail bud: one in the chordoneural hinge (CNH) that contributes to multiple structures, and another located in a different region of the tail bud.
- Experiments suggest that CNH cell development is influenced by their surrounding environment, and their positional identity can change when transplanted to different areas of the embryo.