The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-30c in endometriosis (EMs) and the underlying mechanism. The expression of miR-30c and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) mRNA in EMs tissues was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and the expression of PAI-1 protein was detected by western blot analysis. The proliferation, migrati...

In mouse, left-right (L-R) patterning depends on asymmetric expression of Nodal around the node, leading to Nodal expression specifically in the left lateral plate mesoderm (LPM). Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling is also involved, but the mechanistic relationship with Nodal expression remains unclear. We find that BMP signal transduction is higher in the right LPM, although Bmp4, whic...

Ectopic bone formation after joint replacement or brain injury in humans is a serious complication that causes immobility of joints and severe pain. However, mechanisms underlying such ectopic bone formation are not fully understood. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMPs) are defined as inducers of ectopic bone formation, and they are regulated by several types of inhibitors. ANA is an antiprolifera...

To differentiate between ectopic ACTH syndrome and Cushing's disease, we examined the gene expression of CRF, POMC and glucocorticoid receptor in pituitary adenomas and in ectopic ACTH-producing tumors. CRF increased plasma ACTH levels in all patients with Cushing's disease and in some patients with ectopic ACTH syndrome whose tumors contained CRF and CRF mRNA. In CRF non-responders, no CRF was...

Maternal Wnt11 is both necessary and sufficient for the formation of Spemann organizer in Xenopus embryo. Xnr3 and Siamois have been identified as the direct target genes of maternal Wnt11/β-catenin during organizer induction. The depletion of maternal XTcf3 resulted in the ectopic expression of Xnr3 and Siamois, suggesting the activity of β-catenin/XTcf3 is strictly regulated in the early Xeno...

The Drosophila testis has numerous advantages for the study of basic cellular processes, as production of sperm requires a highly orchestrated and complex combination of morphological changes and developmentally regulated transitions. Experimental genetics using Drosophila melanogaster has advanced dramatically with the advent of systems for ectopic expression of genetic elements in specific ce...

BACKGROUND & AIMS microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to regulate angiogenesis by down-regulating the expression of pro-angiogenic or anti-angiogenic factors. The aims of this study were to investigate whether miR-26a inhibited angiogenesis by down-regulating vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and its clinical relevance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS The expression of ...

The three-membered RUNX gene family includes RUNX1, a major mutational target in human leukemias, and displays hallmarks of both tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In mouse models, the Runx genes appear to act as conditional oncogenes, as ectopic expression is growth suppressive in normal cells but drives lymphoma development potently when combined with over-expressed Myc or loss of p53. Clues to...

Lineage-specific transcription factors (TFs) display instructive roles in directly reprogramming adult cells into alternate developmental fates, in a process known as transdifferentiation. The present study analyses the hypothesis that despite being fast, transdifferentiation does not occur in one step but is rather a consecutive and hierarchical process. Using ectopic expression of Pdx1 in hum...