Metal Contents in Feathers from Birds (Rhynchopsitta terrisi, and Columba livia) with Different Ecological Niches.

The metal contaminants can be utilized as an ecological tool to analyze niche partition in birds. As environmental contamination biological indicators, essential (Zn, Cu, and Cr) and non-essential (Pb and Cd) metals in the flight feathers of the Maroon-fronted Parrot and Pigeon with different ecological niches were assessed. The feathers of the parrot were gathered at a national park (Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey) and the feathers of pigeons were collected at an urban site, that is, the city of Monterrey, Mexico.

Lymphatic vasculature in the central nervous system.

The central nervous system (CNS) is considered as an immune privilege organ, based on experiments in the mid 20th century showing that the brain fails to mount an efficient immune response against an allogeneic graft. This suggests that in addition to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the apparent absence of classical lymphatic vasculature in the CNS parenchyma limits the capacity for an immune response. Although this view is partially overturned by the recent discovery of the lymphatic-like hybrid vessels in the Schlemm's canal in the eye and the lymphatic vasculature in the outmost layer of the meninges, the existence of lymphatic vessels in the CNS parenchyma has not been reported.

Alterations in the spatiotemporal expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in endothelial cells cause failure of hierarchical vascular branching.

The C-X-C chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand CXCL12 play an important role in organ-specific vascular branching morphogenesis. CXCR4 is preferentially expressed by arterial endothelial cells, and local secretion of CXCL12 determines the organotypic pattern of CXCR4 arterial branching. Previous loss-of-function studies clearly demonstrated that CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling is necessary for proper arterial branching in the developing organs such as the skin and heart.

Co-option of Neutrophil Fates by Tissue Environments.

Classically considered short-lived and purely defensive leukocytes, neutrophils are unique in their fast and moldable response to stimulation. This plastic behavior may underlie variable and even antagonistic functions during inflammation or cancer, yet the full spectrum of neutrophil properties as they enter healthy tissues remains unexplored. Using a new model to track neutrophil fates, we found short but variable lifetimes across multiple tissues.

Sox17 Controls Emergence and Remodeling of Nestin-Expressing Coronary Vessels.

Rationale: The molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of coronary arteries during development and during cardiac neovascularization after injury are poorly understood. However, a detailed description of the relevant signaling pathways and functional TFs (transcription factors) regulating these processes is still incomplete.

Objective: The goal of this study is to identify novel cardiac transcriptional mechanisms of coronary angiogenesis and vessel remodeling by defining the molecular signatures of coronary vascular endothelial cells during these complex processes.