Development and characterization of a guinea pig model for Marburg virus.

The Angolan strain of Marburg virus (MARV/Ang) can cause lethal disease in humans with a case fatality rate of up to 90%, but infection of immunocompetent rodents do not result in any observable symptoms. Our previous work includes the development and characterization of a MARV/Ang variant that can cause lethal disease in mice (MARV/Ang-MA), with the aim of using this tool to screen for promising prophylactic and therapeutic candidates. An intermediate animal model is needed to confirm any findings from mice studies before testing in the gold-standard non-human primate (NHP) model.

Morphological characterization of adult mouse Leydig cells in culture.

The morphology and function of Leydig cells are changed during the development, mature and senility of Leydig cells along the life span of males. This study was to observe the growth morphology of adult mouse Leydig cells in culture, aiming to provide a reference for furthermore understanding of the biological function of Leydig cells by in vitro model. Testes of two-month-old mice were decapsulated and then the Leydig cells were isolated by collagenase digestion and were cultured in DMEM/F12 supplemented with 10% FBS.

Key Signaling Events for Committing Mouse Pluripotent Stem Cells to the Germline Fate.

The process of germline development carries genetic information and preparatory totipotency across generations. The last decade has witnessed remarkable successes in the generation of germline cells from mouse pluripotent stem cells, especially induced germline cells with the capacity for producing viable offspring, suggesting clinical applications of induced germline cells in humans. However, to date, the culture systems for germline induction with accurate sex-specific meiosis and epigenetic reprogramming have not been well-established.

Decreased saturated fatty acids, total cholesterol and LDL-C in sdd17 mice.

SDD17, a delta-15 desaturase from the fungus Saprolegnia can convert arachidonic acid to eicosapentanoic acid in yeast, plant embryos, and mammalian cells. Here, we generated transgenic mice that carried two copies of codon-optimized sdd17 cDNA within a non-coding domain of chromosome 6. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the foreign gene was expressed in the transgenic tissues.

Mechanism of random integration of foreign DNA in transgenic mice.

Little is known about how foreign DNA is randomly integrated into chromosomes in transgenic animals. In the current study, the insertion sites of 36 transgenic mice were mapped by thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR, and 38 junction sequences were obtained from 30 samples. Analysis of the 38 sequences revealed that 44.

[Cell fate switch: lineage reprogramming].

It has been demonstrated that mature cells could switch their fate by the technologies for reprogramming, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer and induced pluripotent stem cells. Recently, this conclusion was further confirmed. It was found that mature differentiated cells could be directly converted into other somatic cells or progenitors with some defined transcription factors.

Xuhuai goat H-FABP gene clone, subcellular localization of expression products and the preparation of transgenic mice.

The aim of this study was to clone the heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) gene of Xuhuai goat, to explore it bioinformatically, and analyze the subcellular localization using enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The results showed that the coding sequence (CDS) length of Xuhuai goat H-FABP gene was 402 bp, encoding 133 amino acids (GenBank accession number AY466498.1).

[Progress in exploring genes for high fertility in ewes].

Fecundity trait in sheep is regulated by some major genes. Among them, BMPR-IB, BMP-15, and GDF-9 are most distinguishing. The mutant FecB of BMPR-IB has multiplicative effects on ovulation.

[Regulation to curd morphogenesis and genetics of exogenous BoCAL gene in cauliflower].

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) and cabbage (B.