The receptor Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) mediates the attractive response of axons to the guidance cue netrin-1 during development. On netrin-1 stimulation, DCC is phosphorylated and induces the assembly of signaling complexes within the growth cone, leading to activation of cytoskeleton regulators, namely the GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42. The molecular mechanisms that link netrin-1/DCC to the...

The dosage compensation complex (DCC) in Drosophila globally increases transcription from the X chromosome in males to compensate for its monosomy. We discovered a male-specific conformation of the X chromosome that depends on the associations of high-affinity binding sites (HAS) of the DCC. The core DCC subunits MSL1-MSL2 are responsible for this male-specific organization. Contrary to emergin...

Reduced expression and/or ailelic loss of the putative tumor suppressor gene DCC has been demonstrated in colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, esophageal, breast, and hematological malignancies. We examined the expression of the DCC gene in 22 tissue samples from human gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme, oligodendroglioma, and mixed oligodendroglioma/astrocytoma). Seven of 8 glioblastomas multiforme ...

Deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) is a receptor for the axon guidance cues netrin-1 and draxin. The interactions between these guidance cues and DCC play a key role in the development of the nervous system. In the present study, we reveal the crystal structure of the N-terminal four Ig-like domains of DCC. The molecule folds into a horseshoe-like configuration. We demonstrate that this horsesh...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of providing daycare facilities for young children on the health and welfare of disadvantaged families. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial. Eligible children from the application list to a daycare facility were randomly allocated to receive a daycare place or not. SETTING Early Years daycare centre in Borough of Hackney, London. PARTICIPANTS 120 mothers and...

Objective To assess the effects of providing daycare facilities for young children on the health and welfare of disadvantaged families. Design Randomised controlled trial. Eligible children from the application list to a daycare facility were randomly allocated to receive a daycare place or not. Setting Early Years daycare centre in Borough of Hackney, London. Participants 120 mothers and 143 e...

Netrin-1 acts as a chemoattractant molecule to guide commissural neurons (CN) toward the floor plate by interacting with the receptor deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC). The molecular mechanisms underlying Netrin-1-DCC signaling are still poorly characterized. Here, we show that DCC is phosphorylated in vivo on tyrosine residues in response to Netrin-1 stimulation of CN and that the Src family ...

Cloning of human DCC (deleted in colorectal carcinoma, Fearon et al., 1990) showed that it is an immunoglobulin superfamily member homologous to neural cell adhesion molecules (N-CAM). To explore the normal function of this molecule, we have cloned a chicken homologue to DCC (cDCC) and raised an antibody to DCC. cDCC is a protein of 160 kDa with an expression pattern distinct from those of othe...

Dosage compensation is a specialized form of gene regulation that balances sex-chromosome linked gene expression between the sexes. In C. elegans, dosage compensation is achieved by the activity of the dosage compensation complex (DCC). The DCC binds along both X chromosomes in hermaphrodites to down-regulate gene expression by half, limiting X-linked gene products to levels produced in XO male...

QUESTION My 26-year-old patient is planning her first pregnancy in the coming month. She works in a day-care centre. Recently, two cases of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection were diagnosed in her class. What tests should she have before and during the pregnancy, and how should I care for her? ANSWER Cytomegalovirus infection, the most common congenital viral infection in humans, carries high ri...