Activation of Notch1 in cells of the osteoblastic lineage inhibits osteoblast differentiation/function and causes osteopenia, whereas its activation in osteocytes causes a distinct osteopetrotic phenotype. To explore mechanisms responsible, we established the contributions of canonical Notch signaling (Rbpjκ dependent) to osteocyte function. Transgenics expressing Cre recombinase under the cont...

The excitotoxic effects of kainic acid (KA) in the mouse hippocampus is strain dependent. Following KA administration, the large majority of hippocampal pyramidal cells die in the FVB/N (FVB) mouse, while the pyramidal cells of the C57BL/6 (B6) strain are largely spared. We generated aggregation chimeras between the sensitive FVB and the resistant B6 strains to investigate whether intrinsic or ...

Ran is an abundant Ras-like GTPase that was initially characterized for its role in modulating the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of macromolecules across the nuclear envelope (NE). However, it is also critical for other cellular processes, including mitotic spindle assembly and post-mitotic nuclear envelope assembly. Several excellent reviews detail its role in these diverse processes (Gruss and...

Evidence is provided which shows that there is a wider variation in karyotypes of Rosa acicularis subspecies seen within their ranges in North America (Rosa acicularis Lindl. subsp. sayi (Schwein.) W.H. Lewis and the Eurasian species (Rosa acicularis Lindl. subsp. acicularis) than was originally presumed. It is proposed that the evolution and distribution of these karyotypes into two distinct s...

Transposition of anatomical structures along the anteroposterior axis has been a commonly used mechanism for changing body proportions during the course of evolutionary time. Earlier work (Gaunt, S.J., 1994. Conservation in the Hox code during morphological evolution. Int. J. Dev. Biol. 38, 549-552; Burke, A.C., Nelson, C.E., Morgan, B.A., Tabin, C., 1995. Hox genes and the evolution of vertebr...

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a clonal bone marrow disorder, where therapeutical options are limited. Over 90% of the patients carry the D816V point mutation in the KIT receptor that renders this receptor constitutively active. We assessed the sensitivity of primary mast cells (MC) and mast cell lines HMC1.2 (D816V mutated), ROSA (KIT WT) and ROSA (KIT D816V) cells to histone deacetylase inhibi...

Aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) have been proposed to derive from lateral plate mesoderm. It has further been suggested that induction of SMC differentiation is confined to the ventral side of the aorta, and that SMCs later migrate to the dorsal side. In this study, we investigate the origin of SMCs in the descending aorta using recombination-based lineage tracing in mice. Hoxb6-cre transgeni...

The in vitro antiproliferative and antioxidant effects of different fractions of Rosa canina hips on human colon cancer cell lines (Caco-2) was studied. The compounds tested were total extract (fraction 1), vitamin C (fraction 2), neutral polyphenols (fraction 3) and acidic polyphenols (fraction 4). All the extracts showed high cytotoxicity after 72 h, both low and high concentrations. The flow...

This research was done to test the effect of Rosa damascena essential oil on withdrawal signs of naloxone-precipitated morphine in male mice. Morphine dependence was induced by injection (IP) three times daily at doses of 50, 50 and 75 mg/kg, respectively, for 3 days. On day 4, after the last administration of morphine, Rosa damascena essential oil was administered at different concentrations (...

Forty-four taxa of three sections (Cinnamomeae (=Rosa) 26, Chinenses 8 and Gallicanae 10) and eight modern garden roses in the genus Rosa were surveyed for their floral anthocyanins. Eleven anthocyanins: 3-glucosides and 3,5-diglucosides of cyanidin (Cy), pelargonidin (Pg) and peonidin (Pn), 3-rutinosides and 3-rho-coumaroylglucoside-5-glucosides of Cy and Pn, and Cy 3-sophoroside, were isolate...