Replication Fork Remodeling and Therapy Escape in DNA Damage Response-Deficient Cancers.

Most cancers have lost a critical DNA damage response (DDR) pathway during tumor evolution. These alterations provide a useful explanation for the initial sensitivity of tumors to DNA-targeting chemotherapy. A striking example is dysfunctional homology-directed repair (HDR), e.

The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway Defines the Time Frame for Restorative Neurogenesis.

Zebrafish have a high capacity to replace lost neurons after brain injury. New neurons involved in repair are generated by a specific set of glial cells, known as ependymoglial cells. We analyze changes in the transcriptome of ependymoglial cells and their progeny after injury to infer the molecular pathways governing restorative neurogenesis.

Adult neural stem cell behavior underlying constitutive and restorative neurogenesis in zebrafish.

Adult Neural Stem Cells (aNSCs) generate new neurons that integrate into the pre-existing networks in specific locations of the Vertebrate brain. Moreover, aNSCs contribute with new neurons to brain regeneration in some non-mammalian Vertebrates. The similarities and the differences in the cellular and molecular processes governing neurogenesis in the intact and regenerating brain are still to be assessed.

Single-cell in vivo imaging of adult neural stem cells in the zebrafish telencephalon.

Adult neural stem cells (aNSCs) in zebrafish produce mature neurons throughout their entire life span in both the intact and regenerating brain. An understanding of the behavior of aNSCs in their intact niche and during regeneration in vivo should facilitate the identification of the molecular mechanisms controlling regeneration-specific cellular events. A greater understanding of the process in regeneration-competent species may enable regeneration to be achieved in regeneration-incompetent species, including humans.

Neurodevelopment. Live imaging of adult neural stem cell behavior in the intact and injured zebrafish brain.

Adult neural stem cells are the source for restoring injured brain tissue. We used repetitive imaging to follow single stem cells in the intact and injured adult zebrafish telencephalon in vivo and found that neurons are generated by both direct conversions of stem cells into postmitotic neurons and via intermediate progenitors amplifying the neuronal output. We observed an imbalance of direct conversion consuming the stem cells and asymmetric and symmetric self-renewing divisions, leading to depletion of stem cells over time.

Stab wound injury of the zebrafish telencephalon: a model for comparative analysis of reactive gliosis.

Reactive glia, including astroglia and oligodendrocyte progenitors (OPCs) are at the core of the reaction to injury in the mammalian brain with initially beneficial and later partially adverse functions such as scar formation. Given the different glial composition in the adult zebrafish brain with radial ependymoglia but no parenchymal astrocytes, we examined the glial response to an invasive stab wound injury model in the adult zebrafish telencephalon. Strikingly, already a few days after injury the wound was closed without any scar tissue.

MicroRNA 18 and 124a down-regulate the glucocorticoid receptor: implications for glucocorticoid responsiveness in the brain.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) exert profound effects on a variety of physiological processes, including adaptation to stress, metabolism, immunity, and neuronal development. Cellular responsiveness to GCs depends on numerous factors, including the amount of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein. We tested the hypothesis that micro-RNAs (miRs), a recently discovered group of noncoding RNAs involved in mRNA translation, might control GR activity by reducing GR protein levels in neuronal tissues.