Lhx2 mediates the activity of Six3 in zebrafish forebrain growth.

The telencephalon shows the greatest degree of size variation in the vertebrate brain. Understanding the genetic cascade that regulates telencephalon growth is crucial to our understanding of how evolution of the normal human brain has supported such a variation in size. Here, we present a simple and quick approach to analyze this cascade that combines caged-mRNA technology and the use of antisense morpholino oligonucleotides in zebrafish embryos.

Zebrafish gcmb is required for pharyngeal cartilage formation.

The glial cells missing (gcm) gene in Drosophila encodes a GCM-motif transcription factor that functions as a binary switch to select between glial and neuronal cell fates. To understand the function of gcm in vertebrates, we isolated the zebrafish gcmb and analyzed the function of this gene using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides against gcmb mRNA (gcmb-MO) and transgenic overexpression. Zebrafish gcmb is expressed in the pharyngeal arch epithelium and in cells of the macrophage lineage.

Neural cell adhesion molecule L1 is required for fasciculation and routing of thalamocortical fibres and corticothalamic fibres.

To examine the role of neural cell adhesion molecule L1 in thalamocortical projections, we analysed L1 deficient (L1-/y) mice. Immunohistochemistry of pleiotrophin/HB-GAM, a marker for thalamocortical axons and axonal tracing experiments showed that thalamocortical axons were abnormally and highly fasciculated when they pass through the developing internal capsule. Within the cortex, however, their course was more diffuse.

Towards crystallization of hydrophobic myelin glycoproteins: P0 and PASII/PMP22.

The preparation of a pure and homogeneous protein sample at proper concentration is a prerequisite for success when attempting their crystallization for structural determination. The detergents suitable for solubilization particularly of membrane proteins are not always the best for crystallization. Myelin of the peripheral nervous system of vertebrates is the example of a membrane for which neutral or "gentle" detergents are not even strong enough to solubilize its proteins.

Immuno-viral therapy of brain tumors by combination of viral therapy with cancer vaccination using a replication-conditional HSV.

Here we developed an effective therapeutic approach using a replication-conditional mutant of herpes simplex virus (HSV), G207, for the treatment of metastatic tumors in the immunologically privileged central nervous system. An experimental model of brain metastasis was developed using BALB/c mice that harbored both intracranial (i.c.