The role of fibroblast growth factor in early Xenopus development

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 107 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 141-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. W. Slack ◽  
B. G. Darlington ◽  
L. L. Gillespie ◽  
S. F. Godsave ◽  
H. V. Isaacs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Marginal Zone ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Defined Medium ◽  
Relative Molecular Mass ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
Cell Stage ◽  
Animal Pole

In early amphibian development, the mesoderm is formed around the equator of the blastula in response to an inductive signal from the endoderm. A screen of candidate substances showed that a small group of heparin-binding growth factors (HBGFs) were active as mesoderm-inducing agents in vitro. The factors aFGF, bFGF, kFGF and ECDGF all show similar potency and can produce inductions at concentrations above about 100 pM. The product of the murine int-2 gene is also active, but with a lower specific activity. Above the induction threshold there is a progressive increase of muscle formation with dose. Single blastula ectoderm cells can be induced and will differentiate in a defined medium to form mesodermal tissues. All inner blastula cells are competent to respond to the factors but outer cells, bearing oocyte-derived membrane, are not. Inducing activity can be extracted from Xenopus blastulae and binds to heparin like the previously described HBGFs. Antibody neutralization and Western blotting experiments identify this activity as bFGF. The amounts present are small but would be sufficient to evoke inductions in vivo. It is not yet known whether the bFGF is localized to the endoderm, although it is known that inducing activity secreted by endodermal cells can be neutralized by heparin. The competence of ectoderm to respond to HBGFs rises from about the 128-cell stage and falls again by the onset of gastrulation. This change is paralleled by a rise and fall of binding of 125I-aFGF. Chemical cross-linking reveals that this binding is attributable to a receptor of relative molecular mass about 130 × 103. The receptor is present both in the marginal zone, which responds to the signal in vivo, and in the animal pole region, which is not induced in vivo but which will respond to HBGFs in vitro. In the embryo, the induction in the vicinity of the dorsal meridian is much more potent than that around the remainder of the marginal zone circumference. Dorsal inductions contain notochord and will dorsalize ventral mesoderm with which they are later placed in contact. This effect might be due to a local high bFGF concentration or, more likely, to the secretion in the dorsal region of an additional, synergistic factor. It is known that TGF-β-1 and -2 can greatly increase the effect of low doses of bFGF, although it has not yet been demonstrated that they are present in the embryo. Lithium salts have a dorsalizing effect on whole embryos or on explants from the ventral marginal zone, and also show potent synergism when applied together with HBGFs.

Mesoderm induction by fibroblast growth factor in early Xenopus development

1990 ◽  
Vol 327 (1239) ◽  
pp. 75-84 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factors ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Marginal Zone ◽  
Mesoderm Induction ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
Cell Stage ◽  
Animal Pole

In early amphibian development the mesoderm is formed around the equator of the blastula in response to inductive signals from the endoderm. At the time of its formation the mesoderm consists of a large ‘ventral type’ zone and a small ‘organizer’ zone. A screen of candidate substances showed that a small group of heparin binding growth factors (HBGFs) were active as mesoderm inducing agents in vitro . The fibroblast growth factors (aFGF and bFGF) and embryonal carcinoma derived growth factor (ECDGF) all show similar potency and can produce ventral inductions at concentrations above about 100 pM. Single blastula ectoderm cells can be induced and will differentiate in a defined medium to form mesodermal tissues and all inner blastula cells are competent to respond to the factors. Inducing activity can be extracted from Xenopus blastulae and can be purified by heparin affinity chromatography. Antibody neutralization and Western blotting experiments identify this activity as bFGF. The amounts present are small but would be sufficient to evoke ventral inductions in vivo. It is not yet known whether the bFGF is localized to the endoderm, although it is known that inducing activity secreted by endodermal cells can be neutralized by heparin. The competence of ectoderm to respond to FGF rises from about the 128-cell-stage and falls again by the onset of gastrulation. This change is paralleled by a rise and fall of binding of 125I-labelled aFGF. Chemical cross-linking reveals that this binding is attributable to a receptor of molecular mass about 130 kilodaltons (kDa). The receptor is present both in the marginal zone, which responds to the signal in vivo, and in the animal pole region, which is not induced in vivo but which will respond to HBGFs in vitro . In intact embryos we believe that the ventral type mesoderm forms the somites, kidney and other intermediate structures as well as the blood islands of the ventral midline. These intermediate structures are induced as a function of distance from the organizer in a process called ‘dorsalization’. Lithium salts have a dorsalizing effect on whole embryos and also on explants from the ventral marginal zone, causing them to form large blocks of muscle. Lithium will also cause large muscle blocks to form when applied to ectoderm explants together with FGF. It is difficult to extend these results directly to mammalian embryos, but we have shown that the products of the murine int-2 gene and of the human k-fgf genes are active as mesoderm inducing factors.

scholarly journals Midkine Is Involved in Kidney Development and in Its Regulation by Retinoids

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 668-676
Author(s):  
José Vilar ◽  
Claude Lalou ◽  
Jean-Paul Duong Van Huyen ◽  
Stéphanie Charrin ◽  
Sylvie Hardouin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Retinoic Acid ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Kidney Development ◽  
Vitamin A Deficiency ◽  
Branching Morphogenesis ◽  
Defined Medium ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Heparin Binding

ABSTRACT. In the kidney, in which development depends on epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, it has been shown that retinoids modulate nephrogenesis in a dose-dependent manner in vivo and in vitro. Midkine (MK) is a retinoic acid responsive gene for a heparin-binding growth factor. The aim of the present study was therefore to quantify the expression of MK mRNA during renal development in the rat, to analyze the regulation of MK expression by retinoids in vivo and in vitro, and, finally, to study the role of MK in rat metanephric organ cultures. The spatiotemporal expression of MK in fetal kidney was studied. In control rats, MK expression is ubiquitous at gestational day 14, i.e., at the onset of nephrogenesis. On day 16, MK is expressed in the condensed mesenchyme and in early epithelialized mesenchymal derivatives. On gestational day 21, MK is rather localized in the nonmature glomeruli of the renal cortex. In utero exposure to vitamin A deficiency did not modify the specific spatial and temporal expression pattern of MK gene in the metanephros, although a decrease in mRNA expression occurred. In metanephroi explanted from 14-d-old fetuses and cultured in a defined medium, expression of MK mRNA was found to be stimulated when retinoic acid (100 nM) was added in the culture medium. Finally, in vitro nephrogenesis was strongly inhibited in the presence of neutralizing antibodies for MK: the number of nephrons formed in vitro was reduced by ∼50% without changes in ureteric bud branching morphogenesis. These results indicated that MK is implicated in the regulation of kidney development by retinoids. These results also suggested that MK plays an important role in the molecular cascade of the epithelial conversion of the metanephric blastema.

Studies of Heparin Affinity to Antithrombin III and Other Proteins in Vitro and in Vivo

1977 ◽  
Vol 38 (03) ◽  
pp. 0685-0695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Takeda ◽  
N Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Antithrombin Iii ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
Life Values ◽  
Canine Plasma ◽  
Heparin Affinity

SummaryProperties of human, canine, and porcine heparin and S-35-heparin were first studied. Their electrophoretic mobility through 10 g % polyacrylamide gels, specific activity and their filtration patterns through Sephadex G-200 columns were closely similar. Then, S-35-heparin (0.5 mg) and cold heparin (27 mg) were simultaneously injected intravenously into 5 dogs and their plasma behavior was compared. The plasma half-lives of S-35-heparin averaged 1.18 ± 0. 13 (SD) hr and was identical with that of cold heparin, but the half-lives were much shorter and averaged 0.46 ± 0.08 (SD) hr in 5 dogs when S-35-heparin alone was injected. Studies were next made of heparin affinity to proteins including canine antithrombin III (AT) by the use of Sephadex G-200 chromatography, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and S-35-heparin as a tracer. It was found that S-35-heparin-binding to alpha1, beta, and gammaglobulins and fibrinogen was readily separable upon addition of 5 mg cold heparin, but that the binding to AT was inseparable by addition of cold heparin or by electrophoresis. However, in canine plasma, both S-35-heparin and cold heparin were mostly bound to proteins other than AT, suggesting that this might be the case in vivo. To further substantiate this, studies were made of the comparative behavior of I-125-labeled AT (I-125-AT) and S-35-heparin in dogs with the idea that the plasma half-lives of both should be equal if they were irreversibly bound to each other. The plasma half-lives of I-125-AT averaged 2.10 ± 0.05 (SD) days in 5 male dogs and 1.99 ± 0.04 (SD) days in 5 female dogs, and were much different from the half-life values of S-35-heparin as given above. These results indicate that heparin in vitro is more tightly bound to AT than to other proteins, that heparin in vivo is not irreversibly bound to AT and suggest that it is mostly bound to proteins other than AT in vivo.

Initiation of mesodermal cell migration and spreading relative to gastrulation in the urodele amphibian Pleurodeles waltl

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.-L. Shi ◽  
T. Darribere ◽  
K.E. Johnson ◽  
J.-C. Boucaut
Keyword(s):  
Cell Migration ◽  
Marginal Zone ◽  
Gastrula Stage ◽  
Cell Stage ◽  
Animal Pole ◽  
Mesodermal Cell ◽  
Marginal Cells ◽  
Pleurodeles Waltl ◽  
Early Gastrula

We have investigated the autonomous migration of marginal cells and their interactions with extracellular matrix (ECM) located on the inner surface of the blastocoel roof in the urodele amphibian, Pleurodeles waltl, using a novel in vitro migration assay. Animal hemispheres containing equatorial cells removed at different cleavage stages and dorsal marginal zone (DMZ) explants of early gastrula stage were cultured either on fibronectin (FN)-coated or ECM-conditioned substrata. In explanted animal hemispheres, dorsal marginal cells showed autonomous migration on FN-coated substratum at the same time as the onset of gastrulation in control embryos. They acquired this capacity at least at the 32-cell stage, whereas lateral and ventral marginal cells acquired it after the 64-cell stage. DMZ outgrowths of early gastrula stage exhibited autonomous spreading on both substrata. In addition, we showed that they spread preferentially toward the animal pole when deposited on substratum conditioned by the dorsal roof of the blastocoel. By culturing dissociated marginal cells on ECM- conditioned substratum, we also found that increased spreading capacity of marginal cells was related to the initiation of their migration. A comparative study of the migration of marginal cells in ultraviolet (u.v.)-irradiated and normal embryos was also made. The results indicate that dorsal marginal cell migration was absent or dramatically reduced by u.v.-irradiation. These results suggest that the differential acquisition in the spreading capacity both in timing and in intensity around the marginal zone was correlated with the sequential involution of mesodermal cells in the course of gastrulation.

scholarly journals THE DIFFERENTIATION OF MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTES

1965 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zanvil A. Cohn ◽  
Belinda Benson
Keyword(s):  
Acid Phosphatase ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Total Content ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Neutral Red ◽  
Mononuclear Phagocytes ◽  
In Vitro Differentiation ◽  
Dense Granules

The in vitro differentiation of homogeneous populations of monocyte-like cells from the unstimulated mouse peritoneal cavity is described. Under the conditions employed, a progressive increase in cell size occurs without significant cell division. This process is characterized morphologically by the accumulation of phase-dense and neutral red-positive granules, mitochondria, and lipid droplets. The phase-dense granules react strongly for acid phosphatase. Biochemical determinations indicate marked increases in the total content and specific activity of acid phosphatase, cathepsin, and ß-glucuronidase. The production of acid phosphatase is more rapid and extensive than that of the other two hydrolases. From these data it appears that the conversion of a monocyte-like cell to a mature macrophage is accompanied by the formation of increased numbers of lysosome-like cytoplasmic organelles. Mouse peritoneal phagocytes stimulated in vivo with a bacterial lipopolysaccharide undergo a similar series of morphological and biochemical events.

Soluble Thrombomodulin Purified from Human Urine Exhibits a Potent Anticoagulant Effect In Vitro and In Vivo

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (05) ◽  
pp. 805-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuo Takahashi ◽  
Yoshitaka Hosaka ◽  
Hiromi Niina ◽  
Katsuaki Nagasawa ◽  
Masaaki Naotsuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Urine ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Anticoagulant Activity ◽  
Rabbit Lung ◽  
Soluble Thrombomodulin ◽  
Molecular Weights ◽  
Dose Dependent Fashion ◽  
Dose Dependent

SummaryWe examined the anticoagulant activity of two major molecules of soluble thrombomodulin purified from human urine. The apparent molecular weights of these urinary thrombomodulins (UTMs) were 72,000 and 79,000, respectively. Both UTMs showed more potent cofactor activity for protein C activation [specific activity >5,000 thrombomodulin units (TMU)/mg] than human placental thrombomodulin (2,180 TMU/mg) and rabbit lung thrombomodulin (1,980 TMU/mg). The UTMs prolonged thrombin-induced fibrinogen clotting time (>1 TMU/ml), APTT (>5 TMU/ml), TT (>5 TMU/ml) and PT (>40 TMU/ml) in a dose-dependent fashion. These effects appeared in the concentration range of soluble thrombomodulins present in human plasma and urine. In the rat DIC model induced by thromboplastin, administration of UTMs by infusion (300-3,000 TMU/kg) restored the hematological abnormalities derived from DIC in a dose-dependent fashion. These results demonstrate that UTMs exhibit potent anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities, and could play a physiologically important role in microcirculation.

Effects of Heparin Oligosaccharides with High Affinity for Antithrombin III in Experimental Venous Thrombosis

1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (03) ◽  
pp. 244-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
D P Thomas ◽  
Rosemary E Merton ◽  
T W Barrowcliffe ◽  
L Thunberg ◽  
U Lindahl
Keyword(s):  
Antithrombin Iii ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
High Specific Activity ◽  
Factor Xa ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Thrombin Time ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Very High

SummaryThe in vitro and in vivo characteristics of two oligosaccharide heparin fragments have been compared to those of unfractionated mucosal heparin. A decasaccharide fragment had essentially no activity by APTT or calcium thrombin time assays in vitro, but possessed very high specific activity by anti-Factor Xa assays. When injected into rabbits at doses of up to 80 ¼g/kg, this fragment was relatively ineffective in impairing stasis thrombosis despite producing high blood levels by anti-Xa assays. A 16-18 monosaccharide fragment had even higher specific activity (almost 2000 iu/mg) by chromogenic substrate anti-Xa assay, with minimal activity by APTT. When injected in vivo, this fragment gave low blood levels by APTT, very high anti-Xa levels, and was more effective in preventing thrombosis than the decasaccharide fragment. However, in comparison with unfractionated heparin, the 16-18 monosaccharide fragment was only partially effective in preventing thrombosis, despite producing much higher blood levels by anti-Xa assays.It is concluded that the high-affinity binding of a heparin fragment to antithrombin III does not by itself impair venous thrombogenesis, and that the anti-Factor Xa activity of heparin is only a partial expression of its therapeutic potential.

Novel concatameric heparin-binding peptides reverse heparin and low-molecular-weight heparin anticoagulant activities in patient plasma in vitro and in rats in vivo

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 1356-1363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara P. Schick ◽  
David Maslow ◽  
Adrianna Moshinski ◽  
James D. San Antonio
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Low Molecular Weight Heparin ◽  
Tandem Repeats ◽  
Factor Xa ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Heparin Binding ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Binding Peptides

Abstract Patients given unfractionated heparin (UFH) or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for prophylaxis or treatment of thrombosis sometimes suffer serious bleeding. We showed previously that peptides containing 3 or more tandem repeats of heparin-binding consensus sequences have high affinity for LMWH and neutralize LMWH (enoxaparin) in vivo in rats and in vitro in citrate. We have now modified the (ARKKAAKA)n tandem repeat peptides by cyclization or by inclusion of hydrophobic tails or cysteines to promote multimerization. These peptides exhibit high-affinity binding to LMWH (dissociation constant [Kd], ≈ 50 nM), similar potencies in neutralizing anti–Factor Xa activity of UFH and enoxaparin added to normal plasma in vitro, and efficacy equivalent to or greater than protamine. Peptide (ARKKAAKA)3VLVLVLVL was most effective in all plasmas from enoxaparin-treated patients, and was 4- to 20-fold more effective than protamine. Several other peptide structures were effective in some patients' plasmas. All high-affinity peptides reversed inhibition of thrombin-induced clot formation by UFH. These peptides (1 mg/300 g rat) neutralized 1 U/mL anti–Factor Xa activity of enoxaparin in rats within 1 to 2 minutes. Direct blood pressure and heart rate measurements showed little or no hemodynamic effect. These heparin-binding peptides, singly or in combination, are potential candidates for clinical reversal of UFH and LMWH in humans.

scholarly journals A novel PET tracer 18F-deoxy-thiamine: synthesis, metabolic kinetics, and evaluation on cerebral thiamine metabolism status

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changpeng Wang ◽  
Siwei Zhang ◽  
Yuefei Zou ◽  
Hongzhao Ma ◽  
Donglang Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
High Accumulation ◽  
Metabolic Kinetics ◽  
Thiamine Metabolism ◽  
Pet Tracer ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background Some neuropsychological diseases are associated with abnormal thiamine metabolism, including Korsakoff–Wernicke syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease. However, in vivo detection of the status of brain thiamine metabolism is still unavailable and needs to be developed. Methods A novel PET tracer of 18F-deoxy-thiamine was synthesized using an automated module via a two-step route. The main quality control parameters, such as specific activity and radiochemical purity, were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Radiochemical concentration was determined by radioactivity calibrator. Metabolic kinetics and the level of 18F-deoxy-thiamine in brains of mice and marmosets were studied by micro-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). In vivo stability, renal excretion rate, and biodistribution of 18F-deoxy-thiamine in the mice were assayed using HPLC and γ-counter, respectively. Also, the correlation between the retention of cerebral 18F-deoxy-thiamine in 60 min after injection as represented by the area under the curve (AUC) and blood thiamine levels was investigated. Results The 18F-deoxy-thiamine was stable both in vitro and in vivo. The uptake and clearance of 18F-deoxy-thiamine were quick in the mice. It reached the max standard uptake value (SUVmax) of 4.61 ± 0.53 in the liver within 1 min, 18.67 ± 7.04 in the kidney within half a minute. The SUV dropped to 0.72 ± 0.05 and 0.77 ± 0.35 after 60 min of injection in the liver and kidney, respectively. After injection, kidney, liver, and pancreas exhibited high accumulation level of 18F-deoxy-thiamine, while brain, muscle, fat, and gonad showed low accumulation concentration, consistent with previous reports on thiamine distribution in mice. Within 90 min after injection, the level of 18F-deoxy-thiamine in the brain of C57BL/6 mice with thiamine deficiency (TD) was 1.9 times higher than that in control mice, and was 3.1 times higher in ICR mice with TD than that in control mice. The AUC of the tracer in the brain of marmosets within 60 min was 29.33 ± 5.15 and negatively correlated with blood thiamine diphosphate levels (r = − 0.985, p = 0.015). Conclusion The 18F-deoxy-thiamine meets the requirements for ideal PET tracer for in vivo detecting the status of cerebral thiamine metabolism.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Profiling of Porcine Blastocysts Produced In Vitro in a Chemically Defined Culture Medium

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1414
Author(s):  
Josep M. Cambra ◽  
Emilio A. Martinez ◽  
Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez ◽  
Maria A. Gil ◽  
Cristina Cuello
Keyword(s):  
Culture Medium ◽  
Embryo Quality ◽  
Transcriptional Profiling ◽  
Defined Medium ◽  
Platelet Factor ◽  
Defined Media ◽  
Defined Culture ◽  
The Impact

The development of chemically defined media is a growing trend in in vitro embryo production (IVP). Recently, traditional undefined culture medium with bovine serum albumin (BSA) has been successfully replaced by a chemically defined medium using substances with embryotrophic properties such as platelet factor 4 (PF4). Although the use of this medium sustains IVP, the impact of defined media on the embryonic transcriptome has not been fully elucidated. This study analyzed the transcriptome of porcine IVP blastocysts, cultured in defined (PF4 group) and undefined media (BSA group) by microarrays. In vivo-derived blastocysts (IVV group) were used as a standard of maximum embryo quality. The results showed no differentially expressed genes (DEG) between the PF4 and BSA groups. However, a total of 2780 and 2577 DEGs were detected when comparing the PF4 or the BSA group with the IVV group, respectively. Most of these genes were common in both in vitro groups (2132) and present in some enriched pathways, such as cell cycle, lysosome and/or metabolic pathways. These results show that IVP conditions strongly affect embryo transcriptome and that the defined culture medium with PF4 is a guaranteed replacement for traditional culture with BSA.

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