University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

About: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is a education organization based out in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 14077 authors who have published 26012 publications receiving 973592 citations. The organization is also known as: UAMS.

Matrix-embedded cells control osteoclast formation

Abstract: To date, the dogma in the field has been that RANKL, an essential cytokine in osteoclast maturation, is released by osteoblasts as a way to coordinate bone growth and bone loss during adult bone remodeling. Now, Hiroshi Takayanagi and colleagues, as well as Charles O'Brien and colleagues, have independently found that osteocytes are the predominant source of RANKL in the adult mouse. As RANKL signaling is a key target in treating osteoporosis, these results have potentially important implications for disease management.

Maternal epigenetics and methyl supplements affect agouti gene expression in Avy/a mice

Abstract: 'Viable yellow' (Avy/a) mice are larger, obese, hyperinsulinemic, more susceptible to cancer, and, on average, shorter lived than their non-yellow siblings. They are epigenetic mosaics ranging from a yellow phenotype with maximum ectopic agouti overexpression, through a continuum of mottled agouti/yellow phenotypes with partial agouti overexpression, to a pseudoagouti phenotype with minimal ectopic expression. Pseudoagouti Avy/a mice are lean, healthy, and longer lived than their yellow siblings. Here we report that feeding pregnant black a/a dams methyl-supplemented diets alters epigenetic regulation of agouti expression in their offspring, as indicated by increased agouti/black mottling in the direction of the pseudoagouti phenotype. We also present confirmatory evidence that epigenetic phenotypes are maternally heritable. Thus Avy expression, already known to be modulated by imprinting, strain-specific modification, and maternal epigenetic inheritance, is also modulated by maternal diet. These observations suggest, at least in this special case, that maternal dietary supplementation may positively affect health and longevity of the offspring. Therefore, this experimental system should be useful for identifying maternal factors that modulate epigenetic mechanisms, especially DNA methylation, in developing embryos.