Protocadherin 19 regulates axon guidance in the developing Xenopus retinotectal pathway.

Protocadherin 19 (Pcdh19) is a homophilic cell adhesion molecule and is involved in a variety of neuronal functions. Here, we tested whether Pcdh19 has a regulatory role in axon guidance using the developing Xenopus retinotectal system. We performed targeted microinjections of a translation blocking antisense morpholino oligonucleotide to knock down the expression of Pcdh19 selectively in the central nervous system.

Development and Degeneration of Retinal Ganglion Cell Axons in .

Neurons make long-distance connections via their axons, and the accuracy and stability of these connections are crucial for brain function. Research using various animal models showed that the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the assembly and maintenance of neuronal circuitry are highly conserved in vertebrates. Therefore, to gain a deeper understanding of brain development and maintenance, an efficient vertebrate model is required, where the axons of a defined neuronal cell type can be genetically manipulated and selectively visualized .

Rationally designed bioactive milk-derived protein scaffolds enhanced new bone formation.

Recently, a number of studies reported that casein was composed of various multifunctional bioactive peptides such as casein phosphopeptide and β-casochemotide-1 that bind calcium ions and induce macrophage chemotaxis, which is crucial for bone homeostasis and bone fracture repair by cytokines secreted in the process. We hypothesized that the effects of the multifunctional biopeptides in casein would contribute to improving bone regeneration. Thus, we designed a tissue engineering platform that consisted of casein and polyvinyl alcohol, which was a physical-crosslinked scaffold (milk-derived protein; MDP), via simple freeze-thaw cycles and performed surface modification using 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (DOPA), a mussel adhesive protein, for immobilizing adhesive proteins and cytokines for recruiting cells in vivo (MDP-DOPA).