Programmed Scale Detachment in the Wing of the Pellucid Hawk Moth, : Novel Scale Morphology, Scale Detachment Mechanism, and Wing Transparency.

No scales of most lepidopterans (butterflies and moths) detach from the wings through fluttering. However, in the pellucid hawk moth, , numerous scales detach from a large region of the wing at initial take-off after eclosion; consequently, a large transparent region without scales appears in the wing. Even after this programmed detachment of scales (d-scales), small regions along the wing margin and vein still have scales attached (a-scales).

Coherent array of branched filamentary scales along the wing margin of a small moth.

In butterflies and moths, the wing margins are fringed with specialized scales that are typically longer than common scales. In the hindwings of some small moths, the posterior margins are fringed with particularly long filamentary scales. Despite the small size of these moth wings, these scales are much longer than those of large moths and butterflies.

Abnormal epithelial cell polarity and ectopic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression induced in Emx2 KO embryonic gonads.

The gonadal primordium first emerges as a thickening of the embryonic coelomic epithelium, which has been thought to migrate mediodorsally to form the primitive gonad. However, the early gonadal development remains poorly understood. Mice lacking the paired-like homeobox gene Emx2 display gonadal dysgenesis.

Sodium-level-sensitive sodium channel Na(x) is expressed in glial laminate processes in the sensory circumventricular organs.

Na(x) is an atypical sodium channel that is assumed to be a descendant of the voltage-gated sodium channel family. Our recent studies on the Na(x)-gene-targeting mouse revealed that Na(x) channel is localized to the circumventricular organs (CVOs), the central loci for the salt and water homeostasis in mammals, where the Na(x) channel serves as a sodium-level sensor of the body fluid. To understand the cellular mechanism by which the information sensed by Na(x) channels is transferred to the activity of the organs, we dissected the subcellular localization of Na(x) in the present study.

Role of integrins in differentiation of chick retinal pigmented epithelial cells in vitro.

When retinal pigmented epithelial cells (PEC) of chick embryos are cultured under appropriate conditions, the phenotype changes to that of lens cells through a process known as transdifferentiation. The first half of the process, characterized by dedifferentiation of PEC, is accompanied by a marked decrease in adhesiveness of PEC to collagen type I- or type IV-coated dishes. To understand the underlying mechanisms of this change, we analyzed the expression of integrins, which are major receptors for extracellular matrix components.

Expression of the Retinal Pigmented Epithelial Cell-Specific pP344 Gene during Development of the Chicken Eye and Identification of Its Product: (eye development/retinal pigmented epithelium/gene expression/in situ hybridization).

In order to understand the transdifferentiation of the retinal pigmented epithelial cells (PECs) into the lens cells at the level of gene expression, a gene, tentatively called pP344 gene, was studied, because its expression appeared to be closely related with the differentiated state of PECs. We analyzed pP344 gene expression during chicken eye development by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization and also characterized the pP344 protein using antipeptide antibodies. In addition to the previous observation that the transcript of pP344 gene is limited to the pigmented epithelium and not detected in the melanocytes, we show here that the transcript is limited to retinal PECs and is never observed in iris or ciliary PECs.

Immunological Relationships among Embryonic and Adult Chicken Pepsinogens: A Study with Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies: (chicken pepsinogens/development/antibodies/immunocytochemistry/immunoblotting).

To investigate the immunological relationships of pepsinogen isozymes present in embryonic and adult chicken proventriculi, we obtained monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to these pepsinogens. Zymograms and immunoblots demonstrated that monoclonal antibody Y37 reacted with both embryonic and slow-migrating adult pepsinogens, while polyclonal antibodies against embryonic pepsinogen and fast-migrating adult pepsinogen were specific for these respective antigens. Shift from embryonic to adult-type pepsinogen occurred at about the time of hatching and the localizations of embryonic and adult-type pepsinogens within proventricular gland cells were found to differ by the indirect immunofluorescence method.

Characterization of an Antiserum against Feather Keratins of the Chick: Its Crossreaction with a Lens Protein, δ-crystallin: (antiserum/feather keratins/δ-crystallin/immunohistochemistry/immunoblotting).

We prepared an antiserum against a fraction of solubilized keratins extracted from down feathers of newly hatched chicks. The specificity of the antiserum was tested by double immunodiffusion, immunofluorescent staining, and immunoblotting after sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All the bands except "Fast protein" reacted with the antiserum, suggesting the presence of a common antigenicity through various polypeptides in solubilized feather keratins.