High-fat diet decreases H3K27ac in mice adipose-derived stromal cells.

Objective: The study goal was to analyze the effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) on the histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27) posttranscriptional modifications and the expression of histone-modifying enzymes in adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) from white adipose tissue (WAT).

Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice received control or HFD for 12 weeks. The ASCs were isolated from subcutaneous and visceral (epididymal) WAT, cultivated, and evaluated for expression of H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) and H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac) by Western blot.

A polycystin-2 protein with modified channel properties leads to an increased diameter of renal tubules and to renal cysts.

Mutations in the PKD2 gene cause autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease but the physiological role of polycystin-2, the protein product of PKD2, remains elusive. Polycystin-2 belongs to the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of non-selective cation channels. To test the hypothesis that altered ion channel properties of polycystin-2 compromise its putative role in a control circuit controlling lumen formation of renal tubular structures, we generated a mouse model in which we exchanged the pore loop of polycystin-2 with that of the closely related cation channel polycystin-2L1 (encoded by PKD2L1), thereby creating the protein polycystin-2poreL1.

Carnitine Diminishes Etoposide Toxic Action on Spermatogonial Self-renewal and Sperm Production in Adult Rats Treated in the Prepubertal Phase.

The aim of this study was to investigate carnitine action against negative effects of etoposide on stem/progenitor spermatogonia and on sperm production. Carnitine (250 mg/kg body weight/day) and etoposide (5 mg/kg body weight/day) were administered from 25-days postpartum to 32-days postpartum. Testes were collected at 32-days postpartum, 64-days postpartum, and 127-days postpartum, and submitted to the immuno-labeling of UTF1, SOX2, and PLZF proteins to identify undifferentiated spermatogonia populations.

Expression of genome defence protein members in proliferating and quiescent rat male germ cells and the Nuage dynamics.

During epigenetic reprogramming germ cells activate alternative mechanisms to maintain the repression retrotransposons. This mechanism involves the recruitment of genome defence proteins such as MAEL, PIWIL4 and TDRD9, which associate with piRNAs and promote Line-1 silencing. MAEL, PIWIL4 and TDRD9 form the piP-bodies, which organization and dynamics vary according to the stage of germ cell epigenetic reprogramming.

Search for appropriate reference genes for quantitative reverse transcription PCR studies in somite, prosencephalon and heart of early mouse embryo.

qRT-PCR requires reliable internal control genes stably expressed in different samples and experimental conditions. The stability of reference genes is rarely tested experimentally, especially in developing tissues given the singularity of these samples. Here we evaluated the suitability of a set of reference genes (Actb, Gapdh, Tbp, Pgk1 and Sdha) using samples from early mouse embryo tissues that are widely used in research (somites, prosencephalon and heart) at different developmental stages.