Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

About: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is a nonprofit organization based out in Cape Town, South Africa. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 12322 authors who have published 30954 publications receiving 2288772 citations. The organization is also known as: Fred Hutch & The Hutch.

Expression of achaete-scute homolog 3 in Xenopus embryos converts ectodermal cells to a neural fate.

Abstract: In Drosophila, the proneural genes of the achaete-scute complex encode transcriptional activators that can commit cells to a neural fate. We have isolated cDNAs for two Xenopus achaete-scute homologs, ASH3a and ASH3b, which are expressed in a subset of central nervous system (CNS) neuroblasts during early neurogenesis. After expressing either ASH3 protein in developing Xenopus embryos, we find enlargement of the CNS at the expense of adjacent non-neural ectoderm. Analysis of molecular markers for neural, epidermal, and neural crest cells indicates that CNS expansion occurs as early as neural plate formation. ASH3-dependent CNS enlargement appears to require neural induction, as it does not occur in animal cap explants. Inhibition of DNA synthesis shows that additional CNS tissue does not depend on cell division--rather it reflects conversion of prospective neural crest and epidermal cells to a neural fate. The differentiation of the early forming primary neurons also seems to be prevented by ASH3 expression. This may be secondary to the observed activation of Xotch transcription by ASH3.

An activating immunoreceptor complex formed by NKG2D and DAP10.

Abstract: Many immune receptors are composed of separate ligand-binding and signal-transducing subunits. In natural killer (NK) and T cells, DAP10 was identified as a cell surface adaptor protein in an activating receptor complex with NKG2D, a receptor for the stress-inducible and tumor-associated major histocompatibility complex molecule MICA. Within the DAP10 cytoplasmic domain, an Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-binding site was capable of recruiting the p85 subunit of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase), providing for NKG2D-dependent signal transduction. Thus, NKG2D-DAP10 receptor complexes may activate NK and T cell responses against MICA-bearing tumors.

Conversion of Xenopus ectoderm into neurons by NeuroD, a basic helix-loop-helix protein

Abstract: Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins are instrumental in determining cell type during development. A bHLH protein, termed NeuroD, for neurogenic differentiation, has now been identified as a differentiation factor for neurogenesis because (i) it is expressed transiently in a subset of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems at the time of their terminal differentiation into mature neurons and (ii) ectopic expression of neuroD in Xenopus embryos causes premature differentiation of neuronal precursors. Furthermore, neuroD can convert presumptive epidermal cells into neurons and also act as a neuronal determination gene. However, unlike another previously identified proneural gene (XASH-3), neuroD seems competent to bypass the normal inhibitory influences that usually prevent neurogenesis in ventral and lateral ectoderm and is capable of converting most of the embryonic ectoderm into neurons. The data suggest that neuroD may participate in the terminal differentiation step during vertebrate neuronal development.