Publications

The G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) family critically regulates development and homeostasis of multiple organs. As a member of the GPR adhesion family, Gpr125 (Adgra3) modulates Wnt/PCP signaling and convergent extension in developing zebrafish, but whether it is essential for cochlear development in mammals is unknown. Here, we examined the Gpr125 lacZ/+ knock-in mice and show that Gpr125 is dynamically expressed in the developing and mature cochleae.

Endochondral ossification initiates the growth of the majority of the mammalian skeleton and is tightly controlled through gene regulatory networks. The forkhead box transcription factors Foxc1 and Foxc2 have been demonstrated to regulate aspects of osteoblast function in the formation of the skeleton but their roles in chondrocytes to control endochondral ossification are less clear. Here we demonstrate that Foxc1 expression is directly regulated by the activity of SOX9, one of the earliest transcription factors to specify the chondrocyte lineage.

Despite the recent availability of vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is an urgent need for specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Monoclonal neutralizing antibodies are an important drug class in the global fight against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic due to their ability to convey immediate protection and their potential to be used as both prophylactic and therapeutic drugs.

Langerhans cells (LC) are skin-resident antigen-presenting cells that regulate immune responses to epithelial commensal and pathogenic microorganisms. Infection of skin by human papillomavirus (HPV) is commonly persistant and can promote malignant epithelial transformation. As LCs are considered important in control of HPV infection, we compared the transcriptome of LCs from skin transformed by the oncogenic E7 protein of HPV16 and from healthy skin.

The arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus is central in the regulation of body weight homeostasis through its ability to sense peripheral metabolic signals and relay them, through neural circuits, to other brain areas, ultimately affecting physiological and behavioural changes. The early postnatal development of these neural circuits is critical for normal body weight homeostasis, such that perturbations during this critical period can lead to obesity.

Injury responses require communication between different cell types in the skin. Sensory neurons contribute to inflammation and can secrete signaling molecules that affect non-neuronal cells. Despite the pervasive role of translational regulation in nociception, the contribution of activity-dependent protein synthesis to inflammation is not well understood. To address this problem, we examined the landscape of nascent translation in murine dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons treated with inflammatory mediators using ribosome profiling.

Hedgehog signaling is essential for bone formation, including functioning as a means for the growth plate to drive skeletal mineralization. However, the mechanisms regulating hedgehog signaling specifically in bone-forming osteoblasts are largely unknown. Here, we identified SLIT and NTRK-like protein-5(Slitrk5), a transmembrane protein with few identified functions, as a negative regulator of hedgehog signaling in osteoblasts. Slitrk5 is selectively expressed in osteoblasts and loss of Slitrk5 enhanced osteoblast differentiation in vitro and in vivo.

Generation of circadian rhythms is cell-autonomous and relies on a transcription/translation feedback loop controlled by a family of circadian clock transcription factor activators including CLOCK, BMAL1 and repressors such as CRY1 and CRY2. The aim of the present study was to examine both the molecular mechanism and the hemopoietic implication of circadian erythropoietin expression. Mutant mice with homozygous deletion of the core circadian clock genes cryptochromes 1 and 2 (Cry-null) were used to elucidate circadian erythropoietin regulation.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most frequent female cancer associated with excellent prognosis if diagnosed at an early stage. The risk factors on which clinical staging is based are constantly updated and genetic and epigenetic characteristics have recently been emerging as prognostic markers. The evidence shows that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a fundamental role in various biological processes associated with the pathogenesis of EC and many of them also have a prognosis prediction function, of remarkable importance in defining the therapeutic and surveillance path of EC patients.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a major component of the ovarian stroma. Collagen and hyaluronan (HA) are critical ovarian stromal ECM molecules that undergo age-dependent changes in the mouse and human. How these matrix components are regulated and organized in other mammalian species with reproductive characteristics similar to women such as cows and pigs, has not been systematically investigated. Therefore, we performed histological, molecular, and biochemical analyses to characterize collagen and HA in these animals.