Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) poses a significant challenge in the global swine industry, leading to substantial economic losses and reproductive and respiratory complications. The causative agent, PRRS virus (PRRSV), with its high mutation rate, complicates the development of universally effective vaccines. Furthermore, current PRRS vaccines are limited by high costs and complex administration methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroRNAs (miRNA) significantly contribute to bone formation by post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Mature miRNAs are generated following sequential cleavage by DROSHA/DGCR8 and DICER. However, recent studies have identified that some miRNAs require only one of these enzymes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem cell maintenance requires a specific microenvironment. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are mainly maintained by the endosteal osteoblast (OB) niche, which provides a quiescent HSC microenvironment, and the vascular niche, which regulates the proliferation, differentiation, and mobilization of HSCs. The systemic administration of FGF2 failed to induce normal hematopoiesis in bone marrow (BM) by reducing SDF-1, an important factor for hematopoiesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlypican 3 (GPC3), a member of heparin sulfate proteoglycans, is attached to the cell surface by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor and is reported to be overexpressed in liver cancers. In order to identify GPC3 binding proteins on the cell surface, we constructed a cDNA containing the C-terminal cell surface-attached form of GPC3 (GPC3c) in a baculoviral vector. The GPC3c bait protein was produced by expressing the construct in Sf21 insect cells and double purified using a His column and Flag immunoprecipitation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn bone remodeling, various transcriptional factors are involved, and the deficiency or overexpression of some of these factors results in bone defects. Myeloid elf-1-like factor (MEF) is one of the Ets transcription factors that control the expression of genes that are critical for biologic processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and death. Previously, we reported that MEF promotes cell proliferation and functions as a negative regulator of osteogenic differentiation by interacting directly with Runx2 and suppressing its transcriptional activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human tooth is the hardest organ of the body, and is composed of enamel, dentin, and dental pulp. Dentin provides the basis of the tooth shape by lining the inner parts of the root and crown. Odontoblasts deposit dentin, an organic matrix that contains collagen, noncollagenous proteins, phospholipids, and growth factors.
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