Target-derived influences of nerve growth factor on neuronal survival and differentiation are well documented, though effects of other neurotrophins are less clear. To examine the influence of NT-3 neurotrophin overexpression in a target tissue of sensory and sympathetic neurons, transgenic mice were isolated that overexpress NT-3 in the epidermis. Overexpression of NT-3 led to a 42% increase i...

Transgenic Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) overexpressing y-glutamylcysteine synthetase (ECS) or glutathione synthetase (GS) were shown previously to have two-fold higher levels of glutathione and total nonprotein thiols, as well as enhanced cadmium tolerance and accumulation. Here, the hypothesis was tested that these transgenics have enhanced tolerance to organic pollutants, based on the rea...

CNS axons rarely regenerate spontaneously back to original targets following spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuronal expression of the serine protease tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) enhances axon growth in vitro and following PNS injury. Here we test the hypothesis that neuronal overexpression of tPA in adult transgenic mice promotes CNS axon regeneration and functional recovery following S...

The deregulated Bcr/Abl tyrosine kinase is responsible for the development of Philadelphia (Ph)-positive leukemia in humans. To investigate the significance of the C-terminal Abl actin-binding domain within Bcr/Abl p190 in the development of leukemia/lymphoma in vivo, mutant p190 DNA constructs were used to generate transgenic mice. Eight founder and progeny mice of 5 different lines were monit...

The efficiency of genetic transformation technology to generate stable transgenics depends upon the successful delivery of plasmid DNA in embryonic cells. The available gene vectors facilitate efficient plasmid DNA delivery to the cellular milieu but are exposed to nuclease degradation. Recent in vitro studies suggest encapsulation of plasmid DNA with nanomaterial(s) for better protection again...

The ability to manipulate the genome of organisms at will is perhaps the single most useful ability for the study of biological systems. Techniques for the generation of transgenics in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans became available in the late 1980s. Since then, improvements to the original approach have been made to address specific limitations with transgene expression, expand on the re...

Coexpression of constitutively active GSK-3beta[S9A] rescued the axonal pathology induced by overexpression of human tau in transgenic mice (Spittaels et al., (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 41340-41349). We isolated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuronal cultures from adult tau4R- and tau4R x GSK-3beta-transgenic mice to define the mechanisms at the cellular and subcellular level. DRG from tau4R-trans...