Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T A Bayer

Publications and source records attributed to T A Bayer.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

A transgene containing lacZ is expressed in primary sensory neurons in zebrafish.

In order to screen for developmentally active chromosomal domains during zebrafish embryogenesis, we generated transgenic fish by microinjecting two different lacZ reporter constructs into fertilized eggs. Transgenic fish were screened among the progeny of injected fish (F0) crossed to non-injected fish. Groups of 15 to 20 progeny of each cross were tested for lacZ expression and/or transmission of injected sequences using PCR and Southern hybridizations. Progeny from 2 of 102 fish injected with supercoiled constructs containing Rous sarcoma virus promoter sequences showed apparently spatially regulated beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) activity. However, we were not able to detect this reporter construct in DNA from fins of F1 fish. Injections of a linear reporter construct containing mouse heat-shock promoter sequences revealed transmission of injected sequences to F1 progeny in about 6% of cases (8 of 129 fish, tested with PCR). We found one lacZ-expressing line that showed a spatially and temporally restricted expression of lacZ and, therefore, features typical characteristics of "enhancer trap" lines. In this line, lacZ expression starts at 16 hours post-fertilization in trigeminal ganglion cells. At about 24 hours lacZ expression can be detected in trigeminal ganglion neurons and Rohon-Beard neurons, indicating that the development of these two cell types shows common features. The reporter gene has integrated as a single copy. The founder fish was mosaic: 19% of its offspring (3 of 16 tested animals) carried the reporter construct in their fins; about 51% (13 of 27 tested animals) of the progeny of F1 fish were beta-Gal positive indicating full hemizygosity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Histamine-induced modulation of olfactory receptor neurones in two species of lobster, Panulirus argus and Homarus americanus.

In two species of lobster, application of the biogenic amine, histamine (HA), to the soma of olfactory receptor cells suppressed both spontaneous and odour-evoked activity, as shown by electrophysiological recording from single cells. The action of HA was graded, reversible, specific to HA, and had a threshold between 0.1 and 1 mumol l-1. HA increased the conductance of the membrane, primarily to chloride ions. The vertebrate HA receptor antagonist, cimetidine, and the nicotinic receptor antagonist, d-tubocurarine, but not other known vertebrate HA receptor antagonists, reversibly blocked the action of HA. These results suggest that a histaminergic mechanism modulates stimulus-response coupling in lobster olfactory receptor cells and potentially implicate a novel HA receptor, pharmacologically similar to the one recently described in the visual system of flies.

Action Potentials↗

Molecular analysis of the ependymin gene and functional test of its promoter region by transient expression in Brachydanio rerio.

Ependymins are secretory products of meningeal cells and represent the predominant glycoproteins in the cerebrospinal fluid from various orders of teleost fish. In the zebrafish, their expression starts between 48 and 72 h post-fertilization. Generally, they share characteristics with proteins involved in cell-contact phenomena. Here, we characterize the ependymin gene from Brachydanio rerio and its flanking regions. The sequence was obtained from clones generated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including a variation of an "anchored" PCR. Also, clones from a conventional phage library were analyzed. We found that the transcribed portion is arranged in six exons. Transient expression of an ependymin-promoter-lacZ gene fusion in zebrafish embryos revealed that the 2.0-kb upstream regulatory region used is sufficient to direct the ependymin-specific correct temporal and spatial expression pattern of the lacZ reporter gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A vicious circle: role of oxidative stress, intraneuronal Abeta and Cu in Alzheimer's disease.

Recent evidence indicates that both intraneuronal Abeta and Cu are involved in the pathological processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This perspective shows a possible interrelation of these factors. AbetaPP, the precursor of Abeta which represents the main constituent of amyloid plaques, is involved in Cu homeostasis in mammals. In vitro observations and in vivo data obtained from AbetaPP mouse models provide strong evidence that AbetaPP and the resulting Abeta overproduction facilitate intracellular Cu to leave the cell. An increased Cu efflux seems to lead to Cu deficiency and, subsequently, reduced SOD-1 activity. The Cu-dependent SOD-1 activity is the main enzyme involved in detoxifying free radicals. Several reports have shown that oxidative stress is an invariable age-dependent feature in the brain of AD patients. Increased oxidative stress leads to an increase in intraneuronal Abeta accumulation, which has been shown to be the main trigger for neuronal loss in transgenic mouse models. Thus, we conclude that bioavailability of Cu is a crucial point for the pathogenesis of AD.

Alzheimer Disease↗

Neural expression profile of Elav-like genes in human brain.

BACKGROUND: Hel-N1 and HuD belong to the elav gene family and have a considerable role in neuronal development. However, there is only limited information available on the expression profile in human brain and neural tumor cell lines. METHOD: Therefore, RT-PCR analysis has been performed on human fetal, normal adult, and psychiatric brains (from patients with schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and alcoholism) as well as 20 glioblastoma and 9 medulloblastoma cell lines. RESULTS: Both, Hel-N1 and HuD were abundantly expressed in all brain samples with no obvious difference. However, the neural tumor cell lines showed a differential expression pattern. The medulloblastoma cell lines expressed at least one of the genes in a frequency of 67% for HuD and 78% for Hel-N1 transcripts, respectively. In contrast to the glioblastoma cell lines, which revealed no evidence for HuD RT-PCR products. Surprisingly, 55% of the glioblastoma cell lines showed Hel-N1 expression. CONCLUSION: These observations indicate that Hel-N1 and HuD participate in molecular processes in human brain, both during development and in the mature adult brain. Hel-N1 and HuD transcriptional activity are stable markers for medulloblastoma cell lines, a tumor, which is thought to be derived from a neuronal precursor cell. The role of Hel-N1 in glioblastomas, the most prominent representative of the glial tumors is presently unclear. This finding is the first indication for a possible involvement of an Elav-like gene product in the glial cell lineage.

Alcoholism↗