• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 1996

Germinal centers (GCs) are formed in peripheral lymphoid tissues in response to protein antigens. In order to see if immunoglobulin isotype switching takes place in GC B-cells, we isolated GC B-cells (PNA positive cells) from mouse popliteal lymph nodes by a flow cytometer after the staining of lymph node cells with PNA-FITC and anti-B220-PE, and determined the expression of ${\gamma}1$ germline transcript and ${\gamma}1$ mRNA by RT-PCR. ${\gamma}1$ germline transcript and ${\gamma}1$ mRNA were amplified specifically in cDNAs from hybridoma expressing IgG1 or splenocytes stimulated LPS plus IL-4. Germinal center B-cells formed in popliteal lymph nodes of mice immunized with chicken ovalbumin were isolated 7 days after immunization. We sorted GC B-cells five times. Immunoglobulin ${\gamma}1$ germline transcripts were expressed in germinal center B-cells in three out of five sorts whereas two out of five sorts did not express ${\gamma}1$ germline transcripts in GC B-cells. The contents of GC B-cells ranged from 5 to 7% of total lymph node cells in most flow cytometric analyses but those of two sorted cells which did not express ${\gamma}1$ germline transcripts were out of normal range. These results imply that isotype switching of immunoglobulins may take place in GCs.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.635-640
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• 2009

Testis-derived germline stem (GS) cells can undergo reprogramming to acquire multipotency when cultured under appropriate culture conditions. These multipotent GS (mGS) cells have been known to differ from GS cells in their DNA methylation pattern. In this study, we examined the DNA methylation status of the H19 imprinting control region (ICR) in multipotent adult germline stem (maGS) cells to elucidate how epigenetic imprints are altered by culture conditions. DNA methylation was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing PCR of established maGS cells cultured in the presence of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) alone or both GDNF and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). The results showed that the H19 ICR in maGS cells of both groups was hypermethylated and had an androgenetic pattern similar to that of GS cells. In line with these data, the relative abundance of the Igf2 mRNA transcript was two-fold higher and that of H19 was three fold lower than in control embryonic stem cells. The androgenetic DNA methylation pattern of the H19 ICR was maintained even after 54 passages. Furthermore, differentiating maGS cells from retinoic acid-treated embryoid bodies maintained the androgenetic imprinting pattern of the H19 ICR. Taken together these data suggest that our maGS cells are epigenetically stable for the H19 gene during in vitro modifications. Further studies on the epigenetic regulation and chromatin structure of maGS cells are therefore necessary before their full potential can be utilized in regenerative medicine.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2021

Hub cells comprise a niche for germline stem cells and cyst stem cells in the Drosophila testis. Hub cells arise from common somatic gonadal precursors in embryos, but the mechanism of their specification is still poorly understood. Here we find that RNA binding proteins Lin28 and Imp mediate transcript stability of Bowl, a known hub specification factor; Bowl transcripts were reduced in the testis of Lin28 and Imp mutants, and also when RNA-mediated interference against Lin28 or Imp was expressed in hub cells. In tissue culture Luciferase assays involving the Bowl 3'UTR, stability of Luc reporter transcripts depended on the Bowl 3'UTR and required Lin28 and Imp. Our findings suggest that proper Bowl function during hub cell specification requires Lin28 and Imp in the testis hub cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1683-1686
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• 2012

In the present case control study mRNA expression of the GSTP1 gene, encoding a phase II enzyme that detoxifies via glutathione conjugation, was investigated using semiquantitative PCR followed by SSCP for 49 confirmed head and neck (HN) cancer and 49 control samples. It was found that GSTP1 was upregulated in significantly higher number of cancers (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.2-15.3). Grade wise correlation was also observed with more up regulation in patients with more advanced grades of HN carcinomas. We also found that 5 patients showed variation in mRNA with a larger product size than expected. Sequencing revealed insertion of an intronic segment between the $6^{th}$ and $7^{th}$ exon of the GSTP1 gene. Germline screening was performed showing mobility shifts which suggested mutation at the DNA level resulting in intronic portion retention. This study is of prime importance for drug design and treatment selection to overcome increased resistance of HN cancers to drugs due to alteration in the GSTP1 gene.