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Cells, Volume 2, Issue 3 (September 2013) – 9 articles , Pages 460-634

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181 KiB  
Review
Pericytes, Mesenchymal Stem Cells and the Wound Healing Process
by Stuart J. Mills, Allison J. Cowin and Pritinder Kaur
Cells 2013, 2(3), 621-634; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030621 - 16 Sep 2013
Cited by 87 | Viewed by 30627
Abstract
Pericytes are cells that reside on the wall of the blood vessels and their primary function is to maintain the vessel integrity. Recently, it has been realized that pericytes have a much greater role than just the maintenance of vessel integrity essential for [...] Read more.
Pericytes are cells that reside on the wall of the blood vessels and their primary function is to maintain the vessel integrity. Recently, it has been realized that pericytes have a much greater role than just the maintenance of vessel integrity essential for the development and formation of a vascular network. Pericytes also have stem cell-like properties and are seemingly able to differentiate into adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteoblasts and granulocytes, leading them to be identified as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). More recently it has been suggested that pericytes play a key role in wound healing, whereas the beneficial effects of MSCs in accelerating the wound healing response has been recognized for some time. In this review, we collate the most recent data on pericytes, particularly their role in vessel formation and how they can affect the wound healing process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tissue and Organ Regeneration)
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452 KiB  
Article
An Enhanced ELISPOT Assay for Sensitive Detection of Antigen-Specific T Cell Responses to Borrelia burgdorferi
by Chenggang Jin, Diana R. Roen, Paul V. Lehmann and Gottfried H. Kellermann
Cells 2013, 2(3), 607-620; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030607 - 13 Sep 2013
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 15050
Abstract
Lyme Borreliosis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. Both B cell-mediated humoral immunity and T cell immunity develop during natural Borrelia infection. However, compared with humoral immunity, the T cell [...] Read more.
Lyme Borreliosis is an infectious disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. Both B cell-mediated humoral immunity and T cell immunity develop during natural Borrelia infection. However, compared with humoral immunity, the T cell response to Borrelia infection has not been well elucidated. In this study, a novel T cell-based assay was developed and validated for the sensitive detection of antigen-specific T cell response to B. burgdorferi. Using interferon-g as a biomarker, we developed a new enzyme-linked immunospot method (iSpot Lyme™) to detect Borrelia antigen-specific effector/memory T cells that were activated in vivo by exposing them to recombinant Borrelia antigens ex vivo. To test this new method as a potential laboratory diagnostic tool, we performed a clinical study with a cohort of Borrelia positive patients and healthy controls. We demonstrated that the iSpot Lyme assay has a significantly higher specificity and sensitivity compared with the Western Blot assay that is currently used as a diagnostic measure. A comprehensive evaluation of the T cell response to Borrelia infection should, therefore, provide new insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of Lyme disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers 2013)
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2012 KiB  
Review
Fluorescein Derivatives in Intravital Fluorescence Imaging
by Thomas A. Robertson, Florestan Bunel and Michael S. Roberts
Cells 2013, 2(3), 591-606; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030591 - 02 Aug 2013
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 15533
Abstract
Intravital fluorescence microscopy enables the direct imaging of fluorophores in vivo and advanced techniques such as fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) enable the simultaneous detection of multiple fluorophores. Consequently, it is now possible to record distribution and metabolism of a chemical in vivo and [...] Read more.
Intravital fluorescence microscopy enables the direct imaging of fluorophores in vivo and advanced techniques such as fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) enable the simultaneous detection of multiple fluorophores. Consequently, it is now possible to record distribution and metabolism of a chemical in vivo and to optimise the delivery of fluorophores in vivo. Recent clinical applications with fluorescein and other intravital fluorescent stains have occurred in neurosurgery, dermatology [including photodynamic therapy (PDT)] and endomicroscopy. Potential uses have been identified in periodontal disease, skin graft and cancer surgery. Animal studies have demonstrated that diseased tissue can be specifically stained with fluorophore conjugates. This review focuses on the fluorescein derived fluorophores in common clinical use and provides examples of novel applications from studies in tissue samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Imaging in Cell Biology and Development)
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1259 KiB  
Review
Interorganellar Membrane Microdomains: Dynamic Platforms in the Control of Calcium Signaling and Apoptosis
by Ida Annunziata and Alessandra D'Azzo
Cells 2013, 2(3), 574-590; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030574 - 02 Aug 2013
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 9235
Abstract
The dynamic interplay among intracellular organelles occurs at specific membrane tethering sites, where two organellar membranes come in close apposition but do not fuse. Such membrane microdomains allow for rapid and efficient interorganelle communication that contributes to the maintenance of cell physiology. Pathological [...] Read more.
The dynamic interplay among intracellular organelles occurs at specific membrane tethering sites, where two organellar membranes come in close apposition but do not fuse. Such membrane microdomains allow for rapid and efficient interorganelle communication that contributes to the maintenance of cell physiology. Pathological conditions that interfere with the proper composition, number, and physical vicinity of the apposing membranes initiate a cascade of events resulting in cell death. Membrane contact sites have now been identified that tether the extensive network of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes with the mitochondria, the plasma membrane (PM), the Golgi and the endosomes/lysosomes. Thus far, the most extensively studied are the MAMs, or mitochondria associated ER membranes, and the ER-PM junctions that share functional properties and crosstalk to one another. Specific molecular components that define these microdomains have been shown to promote the interaction in trans between these intracellular compartments and the transfer or exchange of Ca2+ ions, lipids, and metabolic signaling molecules that determine the fate of the cell. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Apoptosis)
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461 KiB  
Review
DNA Methylation and Apoptosis Resistance in Cancer Cells
by Eric Hervouet, Mathilde Cheray, François Marie Vallette and Pierre-François Cartron
Cells 2013, 2(3), 545-573; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030545 - 18 Jul 2013
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 13037
Abstract
Apoptosis is a cell death programme primordial to cellular homeostasis efficiency. This normal cell suicide program is the result of the activation of a cascade of events in response to death stimuli. Apoptosis occurs in normal cells to maintain a balance between cell [...] Read more.
Apoptosis is a cell death programme primordial to cellular homeostasis efficiency. This normal cell suicide program is the result of the activation of a cascade of events in response to death stimuli. Apoptosis occurs in normal cells to maintain a balance between cell proliferation and cell death. A deregulation of this balance due to modifications in the apoptosic pathway leads to different human diseases including cancers. Apoptosis resistance is one of the most important hallmarks of cancer and some new therapeutical strategies focus on inducing cell death in cancer cells. Nevertheless, cancer cells are resistant to treatment inducing cell death because of different mechanisms, such as DNA mutations in gene coding for pro-apoptotic proteins, increased expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and/or pro-survival signals, or pro-apoptic gene silencing mediated by DNA hypermethylation. In this context, aberrant DNA methylation patterns, hypermethylation and hypomethylation of gene coding for proteins implicated in apoptotic pathways are possible causes of cancer cell resistance. This review highlights the role of DNA methylation of apoptosis-related genes in cancer cell resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Apoptosis)
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9966 KiB  
Article
Spatial Rule-Based Modeling: A Method and Its Application to the Human Mitotic Kinetochore
by Bashar Ibrahim, Richard Henze, Gerd Gruenert, Matthew Egbert, Jan Huwald and Peter Dittrich
Cells 2013, 2(3), 506-544; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030506 - 02 Jul 2013
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 8761
Abstract
A common problem in the analysis of biological systems is the combinatorial explosion that emerges from the complexity of multi-protein assemblies. Conventional formalisms, like differential equations, Boolean networks and Bayesian networks, are unsuitable for dealing with the combinatorial explosion, because they are designed [...] Read more.
A common problem in the analysis of biological systems is the combinatorial explosion that emerges from the complexity of multi-protein assemblies. Conventional formalisms, like differential equations, Boolean networks and Bayesian networks, are unsuitable for dealing with the combinatorial explosion, because they are designed for a restricted state space with fixed dimensionality. To overcome this problem, the rule-based modeling language, BioNetGen, and the spatial extension, SRSim, have been developed. Here, we describe how to apply rule-based modeling to integrate experimental data from different sources into a single spatial simulation model and how to analyze the output of that model. The starting point for this approach can be a combination of molecular interaction data, reaction network data, proximities, binding and diffusion kinetics and molecular geometries at different levels of detail. We describe the technique and then use it to construct a model of the human mitotic inner and outer kinetochore, including the spindle assembly checkpoint signaling pathway. This allows us to demonstrate the utility of the procedure, show how a novel perspective for understanding such complex systems becomes accessible and elaborate on challenges that arise in the formulation, simulation and analysis of spatial rule-based models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers 2013)
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179 KiB  
Review
The Role of Tricho-Rhino-Phalangeal Syndrome (TRPS) 1 in Apoptosis during Embryonic Development and Tumor Progression
by Yujing Sun, Ting Gui, Aiko Shimokado and Yasuteru Muragaki
Cells 2013, 2(3), 496-505; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030496 - 27 Jun 2013
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 7676
Abstract
TRPS1 is a GATA-type transcription factor that is closely related to human tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome (TRPS) types I and III, variants of an autosomal dominant skeletal disorder. During embryonic development, Trps1 represses Sox9 expression and regulates Wnt signaling pathways that determine the number of [...] Read more.
TRPS1 is a GATA-type transcription factor that is closely related to human tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome (TRPS) types I and III, variants of an autosomal dominant skeletal disorder. During embryonic development, Trps1 represses Sox9 expression and regulates Wnt signaling pathways that determine the number of hair follicles and their normal morphogenesis. In the growth plate, Trps1 regulates chondrocytes condensation, proliferation, and maturation and phalangeal joint formation by functioning downstream of Gdf5 signaling and by targeting at Pthrp, Stat3 and Runx2. Also, Trps1 protein directly interacts with an activated form of Gli3. In embryonic kidneys, Trps1 functions downstream of BMP7 promoting the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, and facilitating tubule morphogenesis and ureteric bud branching. Moreover, Trps1 has been found to be closely related to tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis in prostate and breast cancers. It is interesting to note that during the development of hair follicles, bones, and kidneys, mutations in Trps1 cause, either directly or through crosstalk with other regulators, a notable change in cell proliferation and cell death. In this review, we will summarize the most recent studies on Trps1 and seek to elucidate the role for Trps1 in apoptotic regulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Apoptosis)
2075 KiB  
Concept Paper
Quantification of High-Molecular Weight Protein Platforms by AQUA Mass Spectrometry as Exemplified for the CD95 Death-Inducing Signaling Complex (DISC)
by Uwe Warnken, Kolja Schleich, Martina Schnölzer and Inna Lavrik
Cells 2013, 2(3), 476-495; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030476 - 27 Jun 2013
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 8085
Abstract
Contemporary quantitative mass spectrometry provides fascinating opportunities in defining the stoichiometry of high-molecular weight complexes or multiprotein platforms. The composition stoichiometry of multiprotein platforms is a key to understand the regulation of complex signaling pathways and provides a basis for constructing models in [...] Read more.
Contemporary quantitative mass spectrometry provides fascinating opportunities in defining the stoichiometry of high-molecular weight complexes or multiprotein platforms. The composition stoichiometry of multiprotein platforms is a key to understand the regulation of complex signaling pathways and provides a basis for constructing models in systems biology. Here we present an improved AQUA technique workflow that we adapted for the quantitative mass spectrometry analysis of the stoichiometry of the CD95 (Fas/APO-1) death inducing signaling complex (DISC). The DISC is a high-molecular weight platform essential for the initiation of CD95-mediated apoptotic and non-apoptotic responses. For protein quantification, CD95 DISCs were immunoprecipitated and proteins in the immunoprecipitations were separated by one-dimensional gel electrophoresis, followed by protein quantification using the AQUA technique. We will discuss in detail AQUA analysis of the CD95 DISC focusing on the key issues of this methodology, i.e., selection and validation of AQUA peptides. The application of this powerful method allowed getting new insights into mechanisms of procaspase-8 activation at the DISC and apoptosis initiation [1]. Here we discuss the AQUA methodology adapted by us for the analysis of the CD95 DISC in more detail. This approach paves the way for the successful quantification of multiprotein complexes and thereby delineating the intrinsic details of molecular interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Successes of Systems Biology and Future Challenges)
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479 KiB  
Article
Methylcellulose Based Thermally Reversible Hydrogel System for Tissue Engineering Applications
by Sreedhar Thirumala, Jeffrey M. Gimble and Ram V. Devireddy
Cells 2013, 2(3), 460-475; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells2030460 - 25 Jun 2013
Cited by 61 | Viewed by 11806
Abstract
The thermoresponsive behavior of a Methylcellulose (MC) polymer was systematically investigated to determine its usability in constructing MC based hydrogel systems in cell sheet engineering applications. Solution-gel analyses were made to study the effects of polymer concentration, molecular weight and dissolved salts on [...] Read more.
The thermoresponsive behavior of a Methylcellulose (MC) polymer was systematically investigated to determine its usability in constructing MC based hydrogel systems in cell sheet engineering applications. Solution-gel analyses were made to study the effects of polymer concentration, molecular weight and dissolved salts on the gelation of three commercially available MCs using differential scanning calorimeter and rheology. For investigation of the hydrogel stability and fluid uptake capacity, swelling and degradation experiments were performed with the hydrogel system exposed to cell culture solutions at incubation temperature for several days. From these experiments, the optimal composition of MC-water-salt that was able to produce stable hydrogels at or above 32 °C, was found to be 12% to 16% of MC (Mol. wt. of 15,000) in water with 0.5× PBS (~150mOsm). This stable hydrogel system was then evaluated for a week for its efficacy to support the adhesion and growth of specific cells in culture; in our case the stromal/stem cells derived from human adipose tissue derived stem cells (ASCs). The results indicated that the addition (evenly spread) of ~200 µL of 2 mg/mL bovine collagen type -I (pH adjusted to 7.5) over the MC hydrogel surface at 37 °C is required to improve the ASC adhesion and proliferation. Upon confluence, a continuous monolayer ASC sheet was formed on the surface of the hydrogel system and an intact cell sheet with preserved cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix was spontaneously and gradually detached when the grown cell sheet was removed from the incubator and exposed to room temperature (~30 °C) within minutes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tissue and Organ Regeneration)
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