cell-lineage-analyses-and-gene-function-studies-using-twin-spot-marcm

Cell Lineage Analyses and Gene Function Studies Using Twin-spot MARCM

Mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) is a positive mosaic labeling system that has been widely applied in Drosophila neurobiological ...

Academia Sinica

National Defense Medical Center

Two natural acetophenone derivatives, 2,5-dihydroxyacetophenone (2,5-DHAP) and 2,6-DHAP, were purified from Cynanchum bungei and identified as murine tyrosinase inhibitors. Investigation into 2,5-DHAP showed it to be an uncompetitive inhibitor of murine tyrosinase (K(I) 0.28 mm). 2,5-DHAP strongly inhibited both melanogenesis and cellular tyrosinase activity in vitro in 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthin-stimulated B16 mouse melanoma cells or in vivo in zebrafish and mouse models, but showed no cytotoxicity at the concentrations used. In B16 cells, 2,5-DHAP inhibition was dose-dependent and was fourfold greater than that of arbutin. 2,5-DHAP had no effect on the expression of tyrosinase protein or mRNA, as confirmed by Western blotting and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. A 2% gel preparation of 2,5-DHAP applied to the skin of mice significantly increased the average skin-whitening index (L value), indicating its potential use as a treatment for skin hyperpigmentation in humans.

Murine tyrosinase inhibitors from Cynanchum bungei and evaluation of in vitro and in vivo depigmenting activity.

In the Drosophila olfactory system, odorant information is sensed by olfactory sensory neurons and relayed from the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe (AL), to higher olfactory centers via olfactory projection neurons (PNs). A major portion of the AL is constituted with dendrites of four groups of PNs, anterodorsal PNs (adPNs), lateral PNs (lPNs), lateroventral PNs (lvPNs) and ventral PNs (vPNs). Previous studies have been focused on the development and function of adPNs and lPNs, while the investigation on those of lvPNs and vPNs received less attention. Here, we study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the morphogenesis of a putative male-pheromone responding vPN, the DA1 vPN. Using an intersection strategy to remove background neurons labeled within a DA1 vPN-containing GAL4 line, we depicted morphological changes of the DA1 vPN that occurs at the pupal stage. We then conducted a pilot screen using RNA interference knock-down approach to identify cell surface molecules, including Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1 and Semaphorin-1a, that might play essential roles for the DA1 vPN morphogenesis. Taken together, by revealing molecular and cellular basis of the DA1 vPN morphogenesis, we should provide insights into future comprehension of how vPNs are assembled into the olfactory neural circuitry.

Hung-Chang Shen

Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology

Academia Sinica

Cell Lineage Analyses and Gene Function Studies Using Twin-spot MARCM

Hung-Chang Shen

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology

Academia Sinica

Cell Lineage Analyses and Gene Function Studies Using Twin-spot MARCM

Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology