Although dendritic cell (DC) activation is a critical event for the induction of immune responses, the signaling pathways involved in this process have not been characterized. In this report, we show that DC activation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can be separated into two distinct processes: first, maturation, leading to upregulation of MHC and costimulatory molecules, and second, rescu...

Cat oocytes have the unique ability to mature in vitro after temporary storage at 4°C which can provide opportunities to rescue oocytes from the ovaries of endangered felids after sudden death or medical ovariohysterectomy. It has been demonstrated that factors such as season, culture conditions and morphological quality of oocytes influence the meiotic competence of domestic cat oocytes. In th...

Individual spermatozoa were assessed with pairs of probes for persistent histones and cytoplasmic retention, persistent histones and DNA fragmentation, and persistent histones and apoptotic markers. The individual spermatozoa were treated sequentially with combinations of probes for these cytoplasmic and nuclear biochemical markers. Sperm fields were recorded with computer-assisted imaging, and...

BACKGROUND Crocin is an active ingredient of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and its antioxidant properties have been previously investigated. This carotenoid scavenges free radicals and stimulates glutathione (GSH) synthesis; consequently, it may protect cells against oxidative stress. The aim of this research is to protect oocytes from oxidative stress by the addition of a natural source antioxid...

The aim of this review is to summarize the interactions between the oocyte and its surrounding granulosa cells which are involved in the control of oocyte growth or apoptosis as well as those playing a key role in the ability of the oocyte to undergo nuclear (resumption as meiosis to reach the MII stage) or cytoplasmic maturation (ability to fertilize and develop to the blastocyst stage). The r...

Increasing evidences suggest that, after neuregulin (NRG) stimulation, ErbB4 undergoes a series of proteolysis, including c-secretase cleavage. The released ErbB4 intracellular domain (EICD) is translocated into nucleus and has a transcriptional function. Although NRG–ErbB4 signaling mediates maturation of oligodendrocytes (OLs), the role of EICD and c-secretase in this process remains elusive....

Maturation of some snoRNAs is dependent on RNase III-like endonuclease-mediated transcript cleavage, which serves as an entry for the nuclear exosome complex that trims the transcript at the 3'-end. Sequence deletions suggest this cleavage in the U3 snoRNA transcripts of Schizosaccharomyces pombe can induce transcript termination. Using mutational analyses, we demonstrate that the degree of cle...

The critical maturation time of central otolith neurons in processing spatial orientations was examined in Sprague-Dawley rats. With the use of immuno-hybridization histochemical methods, we observed c-fos expression in vestibular nuclear neurons responding to transverse movement on the horizontal plane as early as P7 and those to antero-posterior stimulation as early as P9. In the inferior oli...

The relationship between blood protein (vitellogenin) incorporation and nuclear maturation was studied in individual amphibian oocytes after in vitro exposure to desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). Isolated Rana pipiens oocytes were incubated in vitro with radioactively labeled oocyte yolk precursor ([(3)H]vitellogenin) obtained from estrogenized Xenopus laevis. Incorporation of labeled vitell...

BACKGROUND The use of hormones for controlled ovarian stimulation results in follicular heterogeneity, with oocytes at diverse stages of nuclear and cytoplasmic development. This study evaluated the impact of temporary nuclear arrest by a specific phosphodiesterase 3-inhibitor (PDE3-I), cilostamide, on nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of cumulus-free germinal vesicle (GV) human oocytes from c...