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CMS links the tail
In this issue of Blood, Navarro and colleagues report the first molecular evidence for a pT alpha intracellular adaptor involved in human pre-TCR (T-cell receptor) function
Differential estrogen and antiestrogen responsiveness of the uterus during development in the fetal, neonatal and immature guinea pig.
After 2-day estradiol treatments, wet weight increases in fetuses, newborns and immature guinea pigs by (means +/- SEM) 75 +/- 4%, 170 +/- 16% and 234 +/- 25%, respectively; while after 3-day tamoxifen treatments they are 83 +/- 11%, 157 +/- 35% and 127 +/- 9%, respectively. During the same periods, estradiol increases the uterine content of DNA while the effect of tamoxifen on uterine DNA decreases throughout development. Histologically, both estradiol and tamoxifen induce in the fetus an increase in the size of the stroma and myometrium. Estradiol or tamoxifen, respectively, increase the luminal epithelial cell height by (means +/- SEM) 95 +/- 2% and 67 +/- 2% in fetuses, 286 +/- 20% and 100 +/- 2% in newborns and 260 +/- 10% and 138 +/- 4% in immature animals. Luminal epithelial cell number increases in fetuses, newborns and immature animals by (means +/- SEM) 167 +/- 10%, 248 +/- 50% and 76 +/- 15%, respectively, after estradiol treatments and 160 +/- 20%, 69 +/- 15% and 17 +/- 5%, respectively, after tamoxifen treatments. Uterine epithelial growth invading the stroma was observed in both estradiol- and tamoxifen-treated fetuses. In neonatal or immature animals, estradiol increases the size and the number of endometrial glands, while tamoxifen has progressively less effects on endometrial glands and on the myometrium. It is concluded that: 1) the estradiol-induced uterotropic effect increases progressively in fetal, neonatal and immature animals; and 2) throughout development, tamoxifen has progressively weaker estrogenic properties than estradiol
The multiple functions of Numb.
Numb is an evolutionary conserved protein that plays critical roles in cell fate determination. Mammalian Numb displays a higher degree of structural complexity compared to the Drosophila homolog based on the number of encoding genes (Numb and Numb-like) and of alternative spliced isoforms. Accordingly, Numb proteins display a complex pattern of functions such as the control of asymmetric cell division and cell fate choice, endocytosis, cell adhesion, cell migration, ubiquitination of specific substrates and a number of signaling pathways (i.e. Notch, Hedgehog, p53). Recent findings indicate that, besides controlling such physiologic developmental processes, subversion of the above Numb-dependent events plays a critical role in disease (e.g. cancer). We will review here the multiple functions of mNumb and their underlying molecular mechanisms in development and disease
Estrogen and antiestrogen effects on different lymphoid cell populations in the developing fetal thymus of guinea pig.
Heterogeneity of thymic stromal cells and thymocyte differentiation: a cell culture approach.
Anti-estrogens in fetal and newborn target tissues.
The antagonistic effects of progesterone and of the anti-estrogens, tamoxifen and nafoxidine, to estrogen responses were studied in the target tissues of fetal and newborn guinea pigs. In the fetal uterus, progesterone inhibits the stimulatory effect provoked by estradiol on uterine growth, on progesterone receptor and on the acetylation of nuclear histones. Progesterone also blocks the synthesis of new progesterone receptor protein in organ culture. Tamoxifen or nafoxidine (1 or 10 mg/kg/day injected to the mother for 3 days) provoke a uterotrophic effect similar to that of estradiol (1 mg/kg/day injected to the mother for 3 days) but these anti-estrogens have a limited effect on the progesterone receptor. Tamoxifen given together with estradiol antagonizes the effect of the estrogen on the acetylation of histones but the anti-estrogens do not block the effect of estradiol on uterine growth. Histological studies show that both estradiol and tamoxifen provoke a dramatic hypertrophic and hyperplastic effect particularly in the uterine epithelium. In the newborn uterus (6-day old), tamoxifen (s.c. injection of 0.6 micrograms/g body weight) and estradiol (injection of 30 ng/g body weight) provoke a similar uterotrophic effect and both have a limited effect on the progesterone receptor. In the fetal thymus estradiol provokes a selective decrease in the larger and actively proliferating lymphoid cells of the cortical zone. Tamoxifen has a similar effect but to a much lesser extent than estradiol. On the other hand, tamoxifen antagonizes the effect of estradiol on this fetal tissue. It is concluded that during fetal life progesterone antagonizes the effect of estradiol but tamoxifen can act as an agonist or an antagonist of estrogen action which is a function of the type of response or organ considered
Estrogen and Antiestrogen Modulation of Mouse Natural-killer (nk) Activity and Large Granular Lymphocytes (lgl)
The Molecular Basis of Notch Signaling Regulation: A Complex Simplicity
The Notch receptors have attracted considerable attention for their ability to control cellular functions that regulate embryo development and tissue homeostasis. Notch receptors act by controlling the expression of a specific set of target genes. If Notch signaling system can be so simple, and yet so complex in its pleiotropic effects, then a sophisticated network of regulatory mechanisms is required to maintain the control over the initiation, activity and termination of this signaling pathway. A multitude of regulatory mechanisms has been discovered that controls the interaction of Notch receptors with their ligands, the assembling of a Notch transcriptional activation complex and the termination of Notch signals. The intracellular and extracellular domains of the Notch receptors are synthesized as single proteins, pairing with each other during their trafficking through the exocytotic route. The mechanisms operating in the phase preceding the generation of the heterodimeric signal-competent Notch receptors can be as elaborate and physiologically important as those operating downstream of Notch receptor activation. These regulatory mechanisms, which are essential to understand the role of Notch signaling in human physiology and pathology are reviewed here.The Notch receptors have attracted considerable attention for their ability to control cellular functions that regulate embryo development and tissue homeostasis. Notch receptors act by controlling the expression of a specific set of target genes. If Notch signaling system can be so simple, and yet so complex in its pleiotropic effects, then a sophisticated network of regulatory mechanisms is required to maintain the control over the initiation, activity and termination of this signaling pathway. A multitude of regulatory mechanisms has been discovered that controls the interaction of Notch receptors with their ligands, the assembling of a Notch transcriptional activation complex and the termination of Notch signals. The intracellular and extracellular domains of the Notch receptors are synthesized as single proteins, pairing with each other during their trafficking through the exocytotic route. The mechanisms operating in the phase preceding the generation of the heterodimeric signal
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