Published in Brenner’s Encyclopedia of Genetics
The nucleolus is the most prominent organelle in the mammalian nucleus, and was first observed more than 200 years ago. It is assembled around the tandemly repeated clusters of recombinant DNA (rDNA) genes, producing a subnuclear compartment that locally concentrates the transcription and processing machineries that are responsible for generating r...
Published in Developments in Clay Science
This chapter summarizes the potential of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) for clay mineral studies. FTIR spectroscopy is a rapid, economical, easy, and nondestructive technique deserving of being used more widely in clay mineral investigations. The development in FTIR spectrometers greatly enhanced the field of applications, modern instruments hig...
Published in Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology
We review the role of cadherins and cadherin-related proteins in human cancer. Cellular and animal models for human cancer are also dealt with whenever appropriate. E-cadherin is the prototype of the large cadherin superfamily and is renowned for its potent malignancy suppressing activity. Different mechanisms for inactivating E-cadherin/CDH1 have ...
Published in Oral Oncology
BackgroundOral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is diagnosed in 640,000 patients yearly with a poor (50%) 5-year survival rate that has not changed appreciably in decades. Paitents and MethodsTo investigate molecular changes that drive OSCC progression, cDNA microarray analysis was performed using human OSCC cells that form aggressive poorly differen...
Published in Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology
Cells can polarize in response to external signals, such as chemical gradients, cell-cell contacts, and electromagnetic fields. However, cells can also polarize in the absence of an external cue. For example, a motile cell, which initially has a more or less round shape, can lose its symmetry spontaneously even in a homogeneous environment and star...
Published in Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology
David Baltimore recalls the experiments that led to the discovery of the NF-kappaB transcription factor more than 20 years ago.
Published in Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology
A large, diverse, and growing number of strategies have been proposed to explain how morphogen gradients achieve robustness and precision. We argue that, to be useful, the evaluation of such strategies must take into account the constraints imposed by competing objectives and performance tradeoffs. This point is illustrated through a mathematical a...
Published in Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology
Polarized epithelial cells have a distinctive apical-basal axis of polarity for vectorial transport of ions and solutes across the epithelium. In contrast, migratory mesenchymal cells have a front-rear axis of polarity. During development, mesenchymal cells convert to epithelia by coalescing into aggregates that undergo epithelial differentiation. ...
Published in Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology
The amphibian embryo provides a powerful model system to study morphogen gradients because of the ease with which it is possible to manipulate the early embryo. In particular, it is possible to introduce exogenous sources of morphogen, to follow the progression of the signal, to monitor the cellular response to induction, and to up- or down-regulat...
Published in Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology
Gap junctions are aggregates of intercellular channels that permit direct cell-cell transfer of ions and small molecules. Initially described as low-resistance ion pathways joining excitable cells (nerve and muscle), gap junctions are found joining virtually all cells in solid tissues. Their long evolutionary history has permitted adaptation of gap...
