Molecular characterization of hepcidin gene in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and its expression pattern responding to bacterial challenge.

Hepcidin is a cysteine-rich cationic antimicrobial peptide (AMP), which plays an important role in host innate immune system and iron regulation. A great many of hepcidin genes have been identified from vertebrates, including various fish species. Here we report the cloning and identification of a hepcidin cDNA from the liver of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.

Mixed lineage leukemia 5 (MLL5) protein regulates cell cycle progression and E2F1-responsive gene expression via association with host cell factor-1 (HCF-1).

Trithorax group proteins methylate lysine 4 of histone 3 (H3K4) at active gene promoters. MLL5 protein, a member of the Trithorax protein family, has been implicated in the control of the cell cycle progression; however, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) have not been fully determined. In this study, we found that the MLL5 protein can associate with the cell cycle regulator "host cell factor" (HCF-1).

The exon 29 c.3535A>T in the alpha-2-macroglobulin gene causing aberrant splice variants is associated with mastitis in dairy cattle.

Alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) binds proteases, thereby acting as defense barriers against pathogens in the plasma and tissues of vertebrates and invertebrates. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation method were used to determine the expression levels of A2M mRNA and proteins in mastitis-infected mammary tissues. A2M mRNA and protein expression were significantly higher in mastitis-infected mammary tissues than those in healthy tissues.

Anti-atherosclerotic activity of platycodin D derived from roots of Platycodon grandiflorum in human endothelial cells.

This study examined the effects of platycodin D (PD), a triterpene saponin from the the root of Platycodon grandiflorum A.DC on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro, which were pre-treated with PD (0.01, 0.

Generation of biotechnology-derived Flavobacterium columnare ghosts by PhiX174 gene E-mediated inactivation and the potential as vaccine candidates against infection in grass carp.

Flavobacterium columnare is a bacterial pathogen causing high mortality rates for many freshwater fish species. Fish vaccination with a safe and effective vaccine is a potential approach for prevention and control of fish disease. Here, in order to produce bacterial ghost vaccine, a specific Flavobacterium lysis plasmid pBV-E-cat was constructed by cloning PhiX174 lysis gene E and the cat gene with the promoter of F.

Construction and characterization of a cDNA library from head kidney of Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus).

In this paper, a cDNA expression library from head kidney of Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) was constructed for the first time. The first-strand cDNA was synthesized with Moloney Murine Leukaemia virus reverse transcriptase and the double-stranded cDNA was digested by Xho I enzyme. Size fractionation was performed on CHROMA SPIN-400 columns.

Combinatorial signals of activin/nodal and bone morphogenic protein regulate the early lineage segregation of human embryonic stem cells.

Cell fate commitment of pre-implantation blastocysts, to either the inner cell mass or trophoblast, is the first step in cell lineage segregation of the developing human embryo. However, the intercellular signals that control fate determination of these cells remain obscure. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a unique model for studying human early embryonic development.

Cloning and phylogenetic analysis of an amphioxus myogenic bHLH gene AmphiMDF.

In this study, a member of the MyoD gene family, AmphiMDF, was isolated from the embryos of amphioxus by degenerate PCR, followed by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Southern blot analysis confirmed that only a single myogenic bHLH gene was present in the genome of amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses indicated that AmphiMDF falls at the base of its vertebrate homologs.