Skeletal (striated) muscle is one of the four basic tissue types, together with the epithelium, connective and nervous tissues. Lungs, on the other hand, develop from the foregut and among various cell types contain smooth, but not skeletal muscle. Therefore, during earlier stages of development, it is unlikely that skeletal muscle and lung depend on each other. However, during the later stages of development, respiratory muscle, primarily the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles, execute so called fetal breathing-like movements (FBMs), that are essential for lung growth and cell differentiation. In fact, the absence of FBMs results in pulmonary hypoplasia, the most common cause of death in the first week of human neonatal life. Most knowledge on this topic arises from in vivo experiments on larger animals and from various in vitro experiments. In the current era of mouse mutagenesis and functional genomics, it was our goal to develop a mouse model for pulmonary hypoplasia.
Role of skeletal muscle in lung development.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis study describes a cDNA microarray analysis that compared developing mouse MyoD-/- limb musculature (MyoD-dependent, innervated by Lateral Motor Column motor neurons) and Myf5-/- back (epaxial) musculature (Myf5-dependent, innervated by Medial Motor Column motor neurons) to the control and to each other, at embryonic day 13.5 which coincides with the robust programmed cell death of motor neurons and the inability of myogenesis to undergo its normal progression in the absence of Myf5 and MyoD that at this embryonic day cannot substitute for each other.
Role of skeletal muscle in motor neuron development.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe esophagus is a muscular tube which transports swallowed content from the oral cavity and the pharynx to the stomach. Early in mouse development, an entire layer of the esophagus, the muscularis externa, consists of differentiated smooth muscle cells. Starting shortly after mid-gestation till about two weeks after birth, the muscularis externa almost entirely consists of striated muscle. This proximal-to-distal replacement of smooth muscle by the striated muscle depends on a number of factors. To identify the nature of the hypothetical “proximal” (mainly striated muscle originating) and “distal” (mainly smooth muscle originating) signals that govern the striated-for-smooth muscle replacement, we compared the esophagus of Myf5:MyoD null fetuses completely lacking striated muscle to the normal control using cDNA microarray analysis, followed by a comprehensive databases search. Here we provide an insight into the nature of “proximal” and “distal” signals that govern the striated-for-smooth muscle replacement in the esophagus.
Striated-for-smooth muscle replacement in the developing mouse esophagus.
Specimen part
View SamplesHere, we show lists of 10 up- and 87 down-regulated genes obtained by a cDNA microarray analysis that compared developing Myf5-/-:Myod-/- (and Mrf4-/-) petrous part of the temporal bone, containing middle and inner ear, to the control, at embryonic day 18.5. Myf5-/-:Myod-/- fetuses entirely lack skeletal myoblasts and muscles. They are unable to move their head, which interferes with the perception of angular acceleration. Previously, we showed that the inner ear areas most affected in Myf5-/- :Myod-/- fetuses were the vestibular cristae ampullaris, sensitive to angular acceleration. Our finding that the type I hair cells were absent in the mutants cristae was further used here to identify a profile of genes specific to the lacking cell type.
Role of skeletal muscle in ear development.
Specimen part
View SamplesOur previous studies have shown that C/EBP plays a critical role in human endometrial stromal decidualization. In order to identify the molecular pathways regulated by C/EBP during decidualization, we performed gene expression profiling using RNA isolated from normal and C/EBP-deficient human endometrial stromal cells. The microarray results revealed that several key regulators of stromal differentiation, such as BMP2, Wnt4, IL-11R and STAT3, operate downstream of C/EBP during decidualization. Further studies revealed that STAT3 is a direct target of C/EBP and plays an important role in cytokine signal during the decidualization process. Gene expression profiling, using STAT3-deficient HESCs, showed an extensive overlap of pathways downstream of STAT3 and C/EBP during stromal cell differentiation.
Regulation of human endometrial stromal proliferation and differentiation by C/EBPβ involves cyclin E-cdk2 and STAT3.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Ulipristal blocks ovulation by inhibiting progesterone receptor-dependent pathways intrinsic to the ovary.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesUlipristal acetate (UPA), also referred to as VA/CDB-2914, is a new and promising emergency contraceptive. It is a selective progesterone receptor modulator (SPRM) that has been approved in Europe and the USA for emergency contraception.
Ulipristal blocks ovulation by inhibiting progesterone receptor-dependent pathways intrinsic to the ovary.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesPrevious studies have shown that PR is a critical regulator of ovulation. The PR-null mice (PRKO) failed to ovulate due to a failure in the rupture of the preovulatory follicles.
Ulipristal blocks ovulation by inhibiting progesterone receptor-dependent pathways intrinsic to the ovary.
Specimen part
View Samplesgene expression at 6h of differentiation of Human endometrial stromal cell expressing either or both of PRA and PRB
Roles of progesterone receptor A and B isoforms during human endometrial decidualization.
Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesEstrogen and progesterone are important regulators of human endometrial differentiation. These steroid hormones act, at least in part, through their nucelar receptors. Role of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) during human endometrial differentiation is still unclear.
Roles of Estrogen Receptor-α and the Coactivator MED1 During Human Endometrial Decidualization.
Specimen part
View Samples