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FOXC2
Forkhead box protein C2 (FOXC2) also known as forkhead-related protein FKHL14 (FKHL14), transcription factor FKH-14, or mesenchyme fork head protein 1 (MFH1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''FOXC2'' gene. FOXC2 is a member of the fork head box (FOX) family of transcription factors. Structure and function The protein is 501 amino acids in length. The gene has no introns; the single exon is approximately 1.5kb in size. FOX transcription factors are expressed during development and are associated with a number of cellular and developmental differentiation processes. FOXC2 is required during early development of the kidneys, including differentiation of podocytes and maturation of the glomerular basement membrane. It is also involved in the early development of the heart. An increased expression of FOXC2 in adipocytes can increase the amount of brown adipose tissue leading to lower weight and an increased sensitivity to insulin. Role in disease Absence of FOXC2 h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lymphedema–distichiasis Syndrome
Lymphedema–distichiasis syndrome is a medical condition associated with the FOXC2 gene. People with this hereditary condition have a double row of eyelashes, which is called ''distichiasis'', and a risk of swollen limbs due to problems in the lymphatic system. Genetics Lymphedema-distichiasis is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. It is estimated that only of diagnosed individuals did not inherit the condition but rather acquired the syndrome via a de novo mutation. Symptoms emerge between the life stages of puberty to early adulthood (around 30 years old). This is the result of a mutation in the FOXC2 gene. Mutations p.Y41F, a missense mutation, is also located in FOXC2 AD-1. p.Y41F is one of eleven mutations found in the FOXC2 gene. It was determined that of these 11 mutations, one was nonsense, six were missense, and four were frameshift mutations. Symptoms The main symptoms of lymphedema-distichiasis are limb swelling and a double row of eyelashes. Sympto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GSC (gene)
Homeobox protein goosecoid (GSC) is a homeobox protein that is encoded in humans by the ''GSC'' gene. Like other homeobox proteins, goosecoid functions as a transcription factor involved in morphogenesis. In ''Xenopus'', ''GSC'' is thought to play a crucial role in the phenomenon of the Spemann-Mangold organizer. Through lineage tracing and timelapse microscopy, the effects of GSC on neighboring cell fates could be observed. In an experiment that injected cells with GSC and observed the effects of uninjected cells, GSC recruited neighboring uninjected cells in the dorsal blastopore lip of the Xenopus gastrula to form a twinned dorsal axis, suggesting that the goosecoid protein plays a role in the regulation and migration of cells during gastrulation. It is not clear how GSC conducts this organizational function. Errors in the formation of goosecoid protein in mice and humans have a range of consequences on the developing embryo typically in regions of neural crest cell derivatives ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FOX Proteins
FOX (forkhead box) proteins are a family of transcription factors that play important roles in regulating the expression of genes involved in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and longevity. Many FOX proteins are important to embryonic development. FOX proteins also have pioneering transcription activity by being able to bind condensed chromatin during cell differentiation processes. The defining feature of FOX proteins is the forkhead box, a sequence of 80 to 100 amino acids forming a motif that binds to DNA. This forkhead motif is also known as the winged helix, due to the butterfly-like appearance of the loops in the protein structure of the domain. Forkhead proteins are a subgroup of the helix-turn-helix class of proteins. Biological roles Many genes encoding FOX proteins have been identified. For example, the FOXF2 gene encodes forkhead box F2, one of many human homologues of the ''Drosophila melanogaster'' transcription factor forkhead. FOXF2 is expressed in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesenchyme
Mesenchyme () is a type of loosely organized animal embryonic connective tissue of undifferentiated cells that give rise to most tissues, such as skin, blood or bone. The interactions between mesenchyme and epithelium help to form nearly every organ in the developing embryo. Vertebrates Structure Mesenchyme is characterized morphologically by a prominent ground substance matrix containing a loose aggregate of reticular fibers and unspecialized mesenchymal stem cells. Mesenchymal cells can migrate easily (in contrast to epithelial cells, which lack mobility), are organized into closely adherent sheets, and are polarized in an apical-basal orientation. Development The mesenchyme originates from the mesoderm. From the mesoderm, the mesenchyme appears as an embryologically primitive "soup". This "soup" exists as a combination of the mesenchymal cells plus serous fluid plus the many different tissue proteins. Serous fluid is typically stocked with the many serous elements, such a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epithelium
Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercellular matrix. Epithelial tissues line the outer surfaces of organs and blood vessels throughout the body, as well as the inner surfaces of cavities in many internal organs. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. There are three principal shapes of epithelial cell: squamous (scaly), columnar, and cuboidal. These can be arranged in a singular layer of cells as simple epithelium, either squamous, columnar, or cuboidal, or in layers of two or more cells deep as stratified (layered), or ''compound'', either squamous, columnar or cuboidal. In some tissues, a layer of columnar cells may appear to be stratified due to the placement of the nuclei. This sort of tissue is called pseudostratified. All glands are made up of epithe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Small Hairpin RNA
A short hairpin RNA or small hairpin RNA (shRNA/Hairpin Vector) is an artificial RNA molecule with a tight hairpin turn that can be used to silence target gene expression via RNA interference (RNAi). Expression of shRNA in cells is typically accomplished by delivery of plasmids or through viral or bacterial vectors. shRNA is an advantageous mediator of RNAi in that it has a relatively low rate of degradation and turnover. However, it requires use of an expression vector, which has the potential to cause side effects in medicinal applications. The promoter choice is essential to achieve robust shRNA expression. At first, polymerase III promoters such as U6 and H1 were used; however, these promoters lack spatial and temporal control. As such, there has been a shift to using polymerase II promoters, which are inducible, to regulate shRNA expression. Delivery Expression of shRNA in cells can be obtained by delivery of plasmids or through viral or bacterial vectors. Delivery of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
TGF Beta 1
TGF may refer to: Medicine * Tubuloglomerular feedback, a reflex of the nephrons in the kidney * Transforming growth factor, either of two classes of polypeptide growth factors (TGF-α and TGF-β) Science * Terrestrial gamma-ray flash, a burst of gamma rays produced in the Earth's atmosphere, generally associated with lightning * Tidal Generating Force, an effect of gravity responsible for creating tides * Trivial Graph Format, a text-based file format for describing graphs Entertainment * The Games Factory, video game development software created by Clickteam * The Gracious Few, an American rock group from York, Pennsylvania Other * Chali language The Chali language ( Dzongkha: ཚ་ལི་ཁ་; Wylie: ''Tsha-li-kha''; also called "Chalikha," "Chalipkha," "Tshali," and "Tshalingpa") is an East Bodish language spoken by about 1,398 people in Wangmakhar, Gorsum and Tormazhong villages ..., by ISO 639 code See also * * * {{disambig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Twist Transcription Factor
Twist-related protein 1 (TWIST1) also known as class A basic helix–loop–helix protein 38 (bHLHa38) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that in humans is encoded by the ''TWIST1'' gene. Function Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors have been implicated in cell lineage determination and differentiation. The protein encoded by this gene is a bHLH transcription factor and shares similarity with another bHLH transcription factor, Dermo1 (a.k.a. TWIST2). The strongest expression of this mRNA is in placental tissue; in adults, mesodermally derived tissues express this mRNA preferentially. Twist1 is thought to regulate osteogenic lineage. Clinical significance Mutations in the TWIST1 gene are associated with Saethre–Chotzen syndrome, breast cancer, and Sézary syndrome. As an oncogene Twist plays an essential role in cancer metastasis. Over-expression of Twist or methylation of its promoter is common in metastatic carcinomas. Hence targeting ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SNAI1
Zinc finger protein SNAI1 (sometimes referred to as Snail) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SNAI1'' gene. Snail is a family of transcription factors that promote the repression of the adhesion molecule E-cadherin to regulate epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) during embryonic development. G Function The ''Drosophila'' embryonic protein SNAI1, commonly known as Snail, is a zinc finger transcriptional repressor which downregulates the expression of ectodermal genes within the mesoderm. The nuclear protein encoded by this gene is structurally similar to the ''Drosophila'' Snail protein, and is also thought to be critical for mesoderm formation in the developing embryo. At least two variants of a similar processed pseudogene have been found on chromosome 2. SNAI1 zinc-fingers (ZF) binds to E-box, an E-cadherin promoter region, and represses the expression of the adhesion molecule, which induces the tightly bound epithelial cells to break loose from each other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesenchymal Stem Cell
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) also known as mesenchymal stromal cells or medicinal signaling cells are multipotent stromal cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including osteoblasts (bone cells), chondrocytes (cartilage cells), myocytes (muscle cells) and adipocytes (fat cells which give rise to marrow adipose tissue). Structure Definition While the terms ''mesenchymal stem cell'' (MSC) and ''marrow stromal cell'' have been used interchangeably for many years, neither term is sufficiently descriptive: * Mesenchyme is embryonic connective tissue that is derived from the mesoderm and that differentiates into hematopoietic and connective tissue, whereas MSCs do not differentiate into hematopoietic cells. * Stromal cells are connective tissue cells that form the supportive structure in which the functional cells of the tissue reside. While this is an accurate description for one function of MSCs, the term fails to convey the relatively recently discove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bleeding, prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss, and a change in bowel movements. While these symptoms may indicate cancer, they can also have other causes. Over 100 types of cancers affect humans. Tobacco use is the cause of about 22% of cancer deaths. Another 10% are due to obesity, poor diet, lack of physical activity or excessive drinking of alcohol. Other factors include certain infections, exposure to ionizing radiation, and environmental pollutants. In the developing world, 15% of cancers are due to infections such as ''Helicobacter pylori'', hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human papillomavirus infection, Epstein–Barr virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These factors act, at least partly, by changing the genes of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
