28 results on '"Ximena Soto"'
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2. Cell coupling compensates for changes in single-cell Her6 dynamics and provides phenotypic robustness
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Parnian Doostdar, Joshua Hawley, Elli Marinopoulou, Robert Lea, Veronica Biga, Nancy Papalopulu, and Ximena Soto Rodriguez
- Abstract
her6is a zebrafish ortholog ofHes1, known for its role in maintaining neural progenitors during neural development. Here, we characterise the population-level effect of altering Her6 protein expression dynamics at the single-cell level in the embryonic zebrafish telencephalon. Using an endogenousHer6:Venusreporter and 4D single-cell tracking, we show that Her6 oscillates in neural telencephalic progenitors and that fusion of a protein destabilisation domain (PEST) to Her6:Venus alters its expression dynamics causing most cells to downregulate Her6 prematurely. However, in PEST mutants, a higher proportion of cells exhibit Her6 oscillations and while expression is reduced in most cells, some cells express Her6 at wild-type levels resulting in increased heterogeneity of Her6 expression in the population. Despite the profound differences in the single-cell Her6 dynamics, differentiation markers do not exhibit major differences early on, while an increase in differentiation is observed at later developmental stages (vglut2a, gad1andgad2). At the same time, at late stage the overall size of the telencephalon remains the same. Computational modelling that simulates changes in Her6 protein stability reveals that the increase in population Her6 expression heterogeneity is an emergent property of finely tuned Notch signalling coupling between single cells. Our study suggests that such cell coupling provides a compensation strategy whereby a normal phenotype is maintained while single-cell dynamics are abnormal, although the limit of this compensation is reached at late developmental stages. We conclude that in the neural progenitor population, cell coupling controls Her6 expression heterogeneity and in doing so, it provides phenotypic robustness when individual cells lose Her6 expression prematurely.
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- 2022
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3. A Human Rights Approach to Macro Social Work Field Education with Unaccompanied Immigrant Children
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Ximena Soto, Kerri Evans, and Thomas M. Crea
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Community education ,Sociology and Political Science ,Social work ,Human rights ,business.industry ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Immigration ,Capacity building ,Public relations ,Sociology ,business ,Law ,Curriculum ,Social policy ,media_common ,Ethical code - Abstract
In recent years, record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children have migrated to the USA, with 2019 being the highest year yet. The majority of unaccompanied children have overcome traumatic experiences and violations of their human rights in their home countries or on their journey to the USA, and/or in US detention centers. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights outlines guaranteed basic rights for every person everywhere, and the National Association of Social Workers code of ethics outlines social workers’ responsibility to challenge social injustices. Social workers have a role in advocating for the human rights of all people, including unaccompanied children. Macro social work roles—including roles such as advocacy and policy work, research, capacity building, community education, and management—are critical to addressing and ameliorating the human rights violations faced by unaccompanied immigrant children (UC). In this article, we introduce unaccompanied children as a vulnerable population, outline the human rights violations they commonly face in the USA, and offer implications and suggestions for schools of social work, social work curricula, and social work field education. We believe that effective training and field placements will better prepare the next generation of social workers and create a pipeline of knowledgeable professionals to help unaccompanied children and their families. Therefore, we highlight ways in which schools of social work, field placement agencies, field supervisors, and students can work to advance the lives of UC by offering specific examples of macro roles for interns.
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- 2020
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4. Differential phase register of Hes1 oscillations with mitoses underlies cell-cycle heterogeneity in ER + breast cancer cells
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Ximena Soto, Andrew Rowntree, Nancy Papalopulu, Riba Thomas, Nitin Sabherwal, Sean Hourihane, Tom Pettini, Jochen Kursawe, Elli Marinopoulou, and University of St Andrews. Applied Mathematics
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congenital, hereditary, and neonatal diseases and abnormalities ,endocrine system ,Oscillations ,Cell division ,QH301 Biology ,Population ,Estrogen receptor ,Biology ,Cell cycle ,Trough (economics) ,QH301 ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Cancer stem cell ,medicine ,HES1 ,education ,Nongenetic heterogeneity ,Mitosis ,education.field_of_study ,Multidisciplinary ,Cell growth ,Chemistry ,Cancer ,DAS ,medicine.disease ,Cell biology ,Hes1 ,Cancer stem cell fate ,embryonic structures ,Cancer cell - Abstract
Here, we study the dynamical expression of endogenously labelled Hes1, a transcriptional repressor implicated in controlling cell proliferation, to understand how cell-cycle length heterogeneity is generated in ER+ breast cancer cells. We find that Hes1 shows oscillatory expression with approximately 25h periodicity and during each cell-cycle has a variable peak in G1, a trough around G1-S transition and a less variable second peak in G2/M. Compared to other subpopulations, the cell-cycle in CD44HighCD24Low cancer stem cells is longest and most variable. Most cells divide around the peak of the Hes1 expression wave but preceding mitoses in slow dividing CD44HighCD24Low cells appear phase-shifted, resulting in a late-onset Hes1 peak in G1. The position, duration and shape of this peak, rather than the Hes1 expression levels, are good predictors of cell-cycle length. Diminishing Hes1 oscillations by enforcing sustained expression slows down the cell-cycle, impairs proliferation, abolishes the dynamic expression of p21, and increases the percentage of CD44HighCD24Low cells. Reciprocally, blocking the cell-cycle causes an elongation of Hes1 periodicity, suggesting a bidirectional interaction of the Hes1 oscillator and the cell-cycle. We propose that Hes1 oscillations are functionally important for the efficient progression of the cell-cycle and that the position of mitosis in relation to the Hes1 wave underlies cell-cycle length heterogeneity in cancer cell subpopulations.Significance statementTumours exhibit heterogeneities that are not due to mutations, including Cancer Stem Cells with different potencies. We show that the cancer stem cell state predisposed to dormancy in vivo has a highly variable and long cell-cycle. Using single-cell live-imaging for the transcriptional repressor Hes1 (a key molecule in cancer), we show a new type of circadian-like oscillatory expression of Hes1 in all cells in the population. The most potent cancer stem cells tend to divide around the trough of the Hes1 oscillatory wave, a feature predictive of a long cell-cycle. A novel concept proposed here is that the position of cell division with respect to the Hes1 wave is predictive of its prospective cell-cycle length and cancer cellular sub-state.
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- 2021
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5. A dynamic, spatially periodic, micro-pattern of HES5 underlies neurogenesis in the mouse spinal cord
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Jochen Kursawe, Nancy Papalopulu, Joshua Hawley, Daniel Han, Hayley J. Bennett, Emma Johns, Ximena Soto, Cerys S Manning, Paul Glendinning, Antony Adamson, Veronica Biga, and University of St Andrews. Applied Mathematics
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Medicine (General) ,QH301 Biology ,HES5 ,Cell Communication ,Mice ,0302 clinical medicine ,Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ,Gene Knock-In Techniques ,Neurogenin-2 ,Biology (General) ,QA ,0303 health sciences ,patterning ,Receptors, Notch ,Applied Mathematics ,Neurogenesis ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Ultradian Rhythm ,Articles ,Patterning ,neurogenesis ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Spinal Cord ,Computational Theory and Mathematics ,oscillations ,Single-Cell Analysis ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry ,Signal Transduction ,notch ,Information Systems ,Notch ,Oscillations ,Interneuron ,QH301-705.5 ,education ,Notch signaling pathway ,Nerve Tissue Proteins ,Biology ,Article ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,QH301 ,03 medical and health sciences ,Spatio-Temporal Analysis ,R5-920 ,medicine ,Animals ,QA Mathematics ,Transcription factor ,030304 developmental biology ,Progenitor ,Ultradian rhythm ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,Computational Biology ,DAS ,Spinal cord ,Repressor Proteins ,RC0321 ,Hes5 ,Development & Differentiation ,Neuroscience ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Ultradian oscillations of HES Transcription Factors (TFs) at the single‐cell level enable cell state transitions. However, the tissue‐level organisation of HES5 dynamics in neurogenesis is unknown. Here, we analyse the expression of HES5 ex vivo in the developing mouse ventral spinal cord and identify microclusters of 4–6 cells with positively correlated HES5 level and ultradian dynamics. These microclusters are spatially periodic along the dorsoventral axis and temporally dynamic, alternating between high and low expression with a supra‐ultradian persistence time. We show that Notch signalling is required for temporal dynamics but not the spatial periodicity of HES5. Few Neurogenin 2 cells are observed per cluster, irrespective of high or low state, suggesting that the microcluster organisation of HES5 enables the stable selection of differentiating cells. Computational modelling predicts that different cell coupling strengths underlie the HES5 spatial patterns and rate of differentiation, which is consistent with comparison between the motoneuron and interneuron progenitor domains. Our work shows a previously unrecognised spatiotemporal organisation of neurogenesis, emergent at the tissue level from the synthesis of single‐cell dynamics., Live imaging of HES5 expression in the ventral mouse spinal cord combined with computational modelling is used to identify and analyse spatially periodic HES5 micro‐patterns that emerge from the synthesis of single cell dynamics.
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- 2020
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6. Sylvia Soublette Asmussen (Antofagasta, 5 de febrero de 1923-Santiago, 29 de enero de 2020)
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Ximena Soto Lagos
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Cultural Studies ,Music - Published
- 2020
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7. miR-9 mediated noise optimization of the her6 oscillator is needed for cell state progression in the Zebrafish hindbrain
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Robert W. Lea, Parnian Doostdar, Jochen Kursawe, Biga, Ximena Soto, and Nancy Papalopulu
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0303 health sciences ,biology ,Neurogenesis ,Hindbrain ,biology.organism_classification ,Cell biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,CRISPR ,HES1 ,Progenitor cell ,Transcription factor ,Zebrafish ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,030304 developmental biology ,Progenitor - Abstract
Ultradian oscillations of key transcription factors, such as members of the Hes family, are thought to be important in Neural Progenitor Cell (NPC) maintenance and miR-9 acts as a tuner of these oscillations in vitro. However, the existence and the role of such dynamic oscillatory expression in vivo is poorly understood. Here, we have generated a Zebrafish CRISPR knock-in Her6::venus fusion (Hes1 orthologue) to study endogenous dynamic gene expression in the embryonic hindbrain. We show that Her6 undergoes a transition from irregular, noisy, fluctuations to periodic oscillations as neurogenesis proceeds. In the absence of miR-9 input, noise in the Her6 oscillator increases and NPCs are unable to transit away from an intermediary state where they co-express progenitor and early differentiation markers. Thus, Her6 oscillations are facilitated by noise optimization mediated by miR-9 and this noise-tuning step is functionally important for cells to transition to differentiation.
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- 2019
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8. The use of secondary metabolites extracted from Trichoderma for plant growth promotion in the Andean highlands
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Mayra Claros, Claudia Miranda, José A. Castillo, Ximena Soto, and Noel Ortuño
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0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,biology ,business.industry ,Intensive farming ,Crop yield ,food and beverages ,Trichoderma harzianum ,engineering.material ,biology.organism_classification ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,030104 developmental biology ,Agronomy ,Agriculture ,Trichoderma ,Food processing ,engineering ,Fertilizer ,business ,Agronomy and Crop Science ,Organic fertilizer ,010606 plant biology & botany ,Food Science - Abstract
Agriculture in the Altiplano and Andean Mountains is experiencing threats to sustainability mainly due to intensive cultivation of quinoa driven by international markets. This recent export-oriented production system is causing the degradation of soils and reducing productivity, therefore, agro-technological innovations are necessary to sustain cropping systems while maintaining organic quality (mostly quinoa). In this work, we searched for native Trichoderma species associated with plants from the Andean highlands to obtain an environmentally friendly and organic alternative to chemical fertilizers. We obtained different Trichoderma isolates from quinoa, potato and maize roots and soil, which were identified as Trichoderma harzianum, as well as other species. Twelve of the isolates were cultured in pairs to stimulate the production and secretion of compounds of diverse chemical nature that we called collectively ‘secondary metabolites’ (SMs). Crude extracts of SMs were used to inoculate selected crops to determine their plant growth promoting potential compared with two commercially available controls, chemical fertilizer and a bio-fertilizer. Results showed that SMs significantly promoted lettuce and radish growth and increased quinoa grain yield. Indole acetic acid was detected in all SM extracts that promoted plant growth, suggesting that this plant regulator might be responsible for the plant growth promoting activity. In conclusion, the Trichoderma-derived SMs approach appears to be a promising, simple and accessible technology for small-scale farmers in order to insure the sustainability, affordability and accessibility of food production in the Andes.
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- 2016
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9. Estudio cualitativo del proceso de adaptación e inclusión de un grupo de estudiantes de educación superior con discapacidad de la Universidad de Magallanes
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Oskarina Palma, Daniel Mella, Ximena Lucero, Camila Barria, Ximena Soto, Yaritza Santana, and Enrique Seguel
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030506 rehabilitation ,03 medical and health sciences ,discapacidad ,resiliencia ,0302 clinical medicine ,Political science ,justicia ocupacional ,General Social Sciences ,educación superior ,0305 other medical science ,Humanities ,inclusión ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
De acuerdo a la ciencia de la ocupación y la justicia ocupacional, la participación e inclusión en ocupaciones significativas, resulta fundamental para el desarrollo de las personas y de las comunidades, sin embargo, esta inclusión no siempre se ve favorecida en todos los espacios públicos. El ámbito de la educación ha desarrollado un avance importante en esta materia principalmente en sus niveles primarios, potenciando proyectos como el de integración escolar, con lo cual se ha dado espacio a alumnos en situación de discapacidad. Estos proyectos no se han incorporado a la educación superior, por lo cual los alumnos deben crear sus propias estrategias para la inclusión ya que los ambientes tanto físicos como sociales no siempre están preparados para responder a las necesidades particulares de los alumnos con distintas discapacidades y otorgar un real y equitativo acceso a la educación. Esta investigación busca obtener mayores antecedentes acerca de los procesos de inclusión y adaptación de un grupo de jóvenes con discapacidad en la Universidad de Magallanes, con el fin de aportar de manera concreta a estas políticas. Para esto, se utilizó la metodología cualitativa, considerando la experiencia de 15 estudiantes, de diversas carreras y con distinto tipo de discapacidad. Dentro del estudio, aparecen como relevantes los facilitadores vinculados al entorno, referente a ayudas técnicas, familia y red social, y por otra parte, las características personales de los estudiantes, como por ejemplo la capacidad de resiliencia que les permite sobreponerse y responder con estrategias personales a los desafíos y barreras existentes. Por lo anterior, aparecen necesidades que invitan a potenciar el cambio de paradigma de la inclusión en el ámbito educativo, que contemple un equilibrio real entre considerar los requerimientos especiales para la equidad y a su vez fomentar el trato igualitario que promueva la dignidad de las personas con discapacidad.
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- 2016
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10. xRic-8 is a GEF for Gsα and participates in maintaining meiotic arrest inXenopus laevis oocytes
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Antonieta Ramirez de Arellano, Ximena Romo, Silvana Martinez, Marcela Torrejón, Pamela Pasten, Pablo Lara, Ximena Soto, Juan Olate, María Victoria Hinrichs, and Martin Montecino
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Gs alpha subunit ,Physiology ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Clinical Biochemistry ,Xenopus ,Xenopus Proteins ,Biology ,Adenylyl cyclase ,Xenopus laevis ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs ,medicine ,Animals ,Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors ,Humans ,Amino Acid Sequence ,RNA, Messenger ,Cloning, Molecular ,RNA, Small Interfering ,Receptor ,Microinjection ,Base Sequence ,Cell Biology ,Cell cycle ,biology.organism_classification ,Oocyte ,Cell biology ,Meiosis ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Gene Expression Regulation ,chemistry ,Oocytes ,Intracellular - Abstract
Immature stage VI Xenopus oocytes are arrested at the G2/M border of meiosis I until exposed to progesterone, which induces meiotic resumption through a non-genomic mechanism. One of the earliest events produced by this hormone is inhibition of the plasma membrane enzyme adenylyl cyclase (AC), with the concomitant drop in intracellular cAMP levels and reinitiation of the cell cycle. Recently Gsα and Gβγ have been shown to play an important role as positive regulators of Xenopus oocyte AC, maintaining the oocyte in the arrested state. However, a question that still remains unanswered, is how the activated state of Gsα and Gβγ is achieved in the immature oocyte, since no receptor or ligand have been found to be required. Here we provide evidence that xRic-8 can act in vitro and in vivo as a GEF for Gsα. Overexpression of xRic-8, through mRNA injection, greatly inhibits progesterone induced oocyte maturation and endogenous xRic-8 mRNA depletion, through siRNA microinjection, induces spontaneous oocyte maturation. These results suggest that xRic-8 is participating in the immature oocyte by keeping Gsα-Gβγ-AC signaling complex in an activated state and therefore maintaining G2 arrest. J. Cell. Physiol. 214: 673–680, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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- 2007
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11. Epidemiological surveillance of ovine hydatidosis in Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia Argentina, 1997–1999
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Héctor Pérez, Fabián Zanini, Ines Aparici, Gloria Edith Cerrone, Juvenal Guerrero, Celina Elissondo, Roberto Gonzalo, and Ximena Soto
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Veterinary medicine ,Argentina ,Sheep Diseases ,Biology ,DNA, Mitochondrial ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Tierra ,Electron Transport Complex IV ,Dogs ,Echinococcosis ,Zoonoses ,DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ,parasitic diseases ,Epidemiology ,Genotype ,Prevalence ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Parasite hosting ,Echinococcus granulosus ,Lung ,Sheep ,General Veterinary ,Zoonosis ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Praziquantel ,Liver ,Parasitology ,Restriction fragment length polymorphism ,Abattoirs ,Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Cystic echinococcosis is the most prevalent zoonosis in Tierra del Fuego province, Argentina, with important economic, productive and public health consequences. The present work was performed to determine the ovine prevalence in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, as well as to evaluate the quality of diagnostic systems in slaughterhouses. Moreover, genetic analyses to characterize the strain of Echinococcus granulosus involved in the region were done. The first actions to perform a diagnosis of the epidemiological situation of hydatidosis in Tierra del Fuego were done between 1976 and 1977. A canine prevalence of 80% and an ovine prevalence of 55% results were obtained. Since 1979 the control program of Hydatidosis of Tierra del Fuego was implemented. It was based on semiannual canine anthelmintic treatment with praziquantel at dose of 5mg/kg, and complemented with sanitary education and canine and ovine epidemiological surveillance. During May 1997-January 1999: 5,916 sheep coming from 20 farms of the programmatic area were evaluated. In the lamb category, hydatid cysts were not found. In the adults category, 62 infected animals were found (3.2%). The ovine prevalence was 1.1% and there was 100% of coincidence between diagnosis in the slaughterhouse, re-inspection in the laboratory and histopathological study. The marked decrease in the prevalence observed for sheep infection evidenced a destabilization of the biological cycle of the parasite. This could be explained by the application of a control program with uninterrupted systematic actions. Polymerase chain reaction-ribosomal ITS-1 DNA (rDNA) restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis and partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene were used to characterize E. granulosus isolates collected from different regions of Tierra del Fuego to determine which genotypes occurred in this region. The results revealed the presence of the G1 genotype (sheep-dog strain). This is the first time that a molecular analysis was performed for the E. granulosus isolates from Tierra del Fuego.
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- 2006
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12. A Gβγ stimulated adenylyl cyclase is involved inxenopus laevisoocyte maturation
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Maríavictoria Hinrichs, Rodrigo A. Grandy, Juan Olate, Martin Montecino, Ximena Soto, Ximena Romo, and Leonardo Guzmán
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Gene isoform ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Physiology ,G protein ,fungi ,Clinical Biochemistry ,Xenopus ,Oocyte activation ,Cell Biology ,Biology ,Oocyte ,biology.organism_classification ,Cell biology ,Adenylyl cyclase ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Microinjection ,Minigene - Abstract
Xenopus laevis oocyte maturation is induced by the steroid hormone progesterone through a nongenomic mechanism that implicates the inhibition of the effector system adenylyl cyclase (AC). Recently, it has been shown that the G protein betagamma heterodimer is involved in oocyte maturation arrest. Since AC is the proposed target for Gbetagamma action, we considered of importance to identify and characterize the Gbetagamma regulated AC isoform(s) that are expressed in the Xenopus oocyte. Through biochemical studies, we found that stage VI plasma membrane oocyte AC activity showed attributes of an AC2 isoform. Furthermore, exogenous Gbetagamma was capable to activate oocyte AC only in the presence of the activated form of Galphas (Galphas-GTPgammaS), which is in agreement with the Ggammabeta conditional activation reported for the mammalian AC2 and AC4 isotypes. In order to study the functional role of AC in oocyte maturation we cloned from a Xenopus oocyte cDNA library a gene encoding an AC with high identity to AC7 (xAC7). Based on this sequence, we constructed a minigene encoding the AC-Gbetagamma interacting region (xAC7pep) to block, within the oocyte, this interaction. We found that microinjection of the xAC7pep potentiated progesterone-induced maturation, as did the AC2 minigene. From these results we can conclude that a Gbetagamma-activated AC is playing an important role in Xenopus oocyte meiotic arrest in a Galphas-GTP dependent manner.
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- 2004
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13. Modulation of glycine-activated ion channel function by G-protein βγ subunits
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Ximena Soto, Robert W. Peoples, Luis G. Aguayo, Gonzalo E. Yévenes, Juan Carlos Tapia, Juan Olate, and Jorge Parodi
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G protein ,Glycine ,G protein-gated ion channel ,Ion Channels ,Mice ,Receptors, Glycine ,Chloride Channels ,GTP-Binding Proteins ,Heterotrimeric G protein ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Glycine receptor ,Cells, Cultured ,Ion channel ,Neurons ,Chemistry ,General Neuroscience ,fungi ,Electric Conductivity ,Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins ,Electrophysiology ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,G beta-gamma complex ,Spinal Cord ,Peptides ,Neuroscience ,Acetylcholine ,Ionotropic effect ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Glycine receptors (GlyRs), together with GABA(A) and nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors, form part of the ligand-activated ion channel superfamily and regulate the excitability of the mammalian brain stem and spinal cord. Here we report that the ability of the neurotransmitter glycine to gate recombinant and native ionotropic GlyRs is modulated by the G protein betagamma dimer (Gbetagamma). We found that the amplitude of the glycine-activated Cl- current was enhanced after application of purified Gbetagamma or after activation of a G protein-coupled receptor. Overexpression of three distinct G protein alpha subunits (Galpha), as well as the Gbetagamma scavenger peptide ct-GRK2, significantly blunted the effect of G protein activation. Single-channel recordings from isolated membrane patches showed that Gbetagamma increased the GlyR open probability (nP(o)). Our results indicate that this interaction of Gbetagamma with GlyRs regulates both motor and sensory functions in the central nervous system.
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- 2003
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14. Human brain synembryn interacts with Gsα and Gqα and is translocated to the plasma membrane in response to isoproterenol and carbachol
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Martin Montecino, Juan Olate, Jose R. Naranjo, María Victoria Hinrichs, María de los Angeles García, Carla Klattenhoff, Britt Mellström, Leonardo Guzmán, Ximena Soto, and Ximena Romo
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Gs alpha subunit ,Carbachol ,Physiology ,Effector ,Clinical Biochemistry ,Cell Biology ,Neurotransmission ,Biology ,Cell biology ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Cell surface receptor ,Heterotrimeric G protein ,medicine ,Neurotransmitter ,Intracellular ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Heterotrimeric G-proteins transduce signals from heptahelical transmembrane receptors to different effector systems, regulating diverse complex intracellular pathways and functions. In brain, facilitation of depolarization-induced neurotransmitter release for synaptic transmission is mediated by Gsalpha and Gqalpha. To identify effectors for Galpha-proteins, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening of a human brain cDNA library, using the human Galphas protein as a bait. We identified a protein member of the synembryn family as one of the interacting proteins. Extending the study to other Galpha subunits, we found that Gqalpha also interacts with synembryn, and these interactions were confirmed by in vitro pull down studies and by in vivo confocal laser microscopy analysis. Furthermore, synembryn was shown to translocate to the plasma membrane in response to carbachol and isoproterenol. This study supports recent findings in C. elegans where, through genetic studies, synembryn was shown to act together with Gqalpha regulating neuronal transmitter release. Based on these observations, we propose that synembryn is playing a similar role in human neuronal cells.
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- 2003
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15. S111N mutation in the helical domain of human Gsα reduces its GDP/GTP exchange rate
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Ximena Romo, Mónica Brito, María Victoria Hinrichs, Juan Olate, Leonardo Guzmán, and Ximena Soto
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Gs alpha subunit ,GTP' ,Chemistry ,GTPgammaS ,Cell Biology ,GTPase ,Biochemistry ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Protein structure ,GTP-binding protein regulators ,Mutant protein ,Biophysics ,Molecular Biology ,G alpha subunit - Abstract
G-protein alpha subunits consist of two domains: a Ras-like domain also called GTPase domain (GTPaseD), structurally homologous to monomeric G-proteins, and a more divergent domain, unique to heterotrimeric G-proteins, called helical domain (HD). G-protein activation, requires the exchange of bound GDP for GTP, and since the guanine nucleotide is buried in a deep cleft between both domains, it has been postulated that activation may involve a conformational change that will allow the opening of this cleft. Therefore, it has been proposed, that interdomain interactions are playing an important role in regulating the nucleotide exchange rate of the alpha subunit. While constructing different Gs(alpha) quimeras, we identified a Gs(alpha) random mutant, which was very inefficient in stimulating adenylyl cyclase activity. The introduced mutation corresponded to the substitution of Ser(111) for Asn (S111N), located in the carboxi terminal end of helix A of the HD, a region neither involved in AC interaction nor in the interdomain interface. In order to characterize this mutant, we expressed it in bacteria, purified it by niquel-agarose chromatography, and studied its nucleotide exchange properties. We demonstrated that the recombinant S111N Gs(alpha) was functional since it was able to undergo the characteristic conformational change upon GTP binding, detected by the acquisition of a trypsin-resistant conformation. When the biochemical properties were determined, the mutant protein exhibited a reduced GDP dissociation kinetics and as a consequence a slower GTPgammaS binding rate that was responsible for a diminished adenylyl cyclase activation when GTPgammaS was used as activator. These data provide new evidence that involves the HD as a regulator of Gs(alpha) function, in this case the alphaA helix, which is not directly involved with the nucleotide binding site nor the interdomain interface.
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- 2002
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16. ¿De qué se habla cuándo se habla de políticas públicas? Estado de la discusión y actores en el Chile del bicentenario
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Mireya Dávila and Ximena Soto Soutullo
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General Computer Science - Published
- 2011
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17. REVISTA CHILENA DE DERECHO: THIRTY FIVE YEARS SERVING LAW
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Ximena Soto Téllez, Felipe Duhalde Vera, Matías Aránguiz Villagrán, and Marcelo Barrientos Zamorano
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Law - Published
- 2009
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18. C/EBPalpha initiates primitive myelopoiesis in pluripotent embryonic cells
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Nick R. Love, Enrique Amaya, Yaoyao Chen, Martin Roth, Ricardo M. B. Costa, Roberto Paredes, and Ximena Soto
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Genetic Markers ,Pluripotent Stem Cells ,Myeloid ,diagnostic imaging ,Xenopus ,Immunology ,embryo ,Biology ,myelopoiesis ,Stem cell marker ,Biochemistry ,Article ,Animals, Genetically Modified ,Xenopus laevis ,Live cell imaging ,CEBPA ,medicine ,CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha ,Animals ,RNA, Messenger ,Induced pluripotent stem cell ,CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha ,Embryonic Stem Cells ,DNA Primers ,Myelopoiesis ,Base Sequence ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Cell Biology ,Hematology ,Embryonic stem cell ,Haematopoiesis ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Phenotype ,myeloid cells ,Cancer research - Abstract
The molecular mechanisms that underlie the development of primitive myeloid cells in vertebrate embryos are not well understood. Here we characterize the role of cebpa during primitive myeloid cell development in Xenopus. We show that cebpa is one of the first known hematopoietic genes expressed in the embryo. Loss- and gain-of-function studies show that it is both necessary and sufficient for the development of functional myeloid cells. In addition, we show that cebpa misexpression leads to the precocious induction of myeloid cell markers in pluripotent prospective ectodermal cells, without the cells transitioning through a general mesodermal state. Finally, we use live imaging to show that cebpa-expressing cells exhibit many attributes of terminally differentiated myeloid cells, such as highly active migratory behavior, the ability to quickly and efficiently migrate toward wounds and phagocytose bacteria, and the ability to enter the circulation. Thus, C/EPBα is the first known single factor capable of initiating an entire myelopoiesis pathway in pluripotent cells in the embryo.
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- 2009
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19. spib is required for primitive myeloid development in Xenopus
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Ximena Soto, Yaoyao Chen, Aaron M. Zorn, Enrique Amaya, and Ricardo M. B. Costa
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Myeloid ,Embryo, Nonmammalian ,Hematopoiesis and Stem Cells ,Cellular differentiation ,Immunology ,Xenopus ,Video microscopy ,Xenopus Proteins ,Biochemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,Xenopus laevis ,0302 clinical medicine ,Cell Movement ,medicine ,Animals ,Cell Lineage ,Myeloid Cells ,Blood islands ,Yolk sac ,030304 developmental biology ,Genetics ,0303 health sciences ,Wound Healing ,Microscopy, Video ,biology ,Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets ,Cell Differentiation ,Cell Biology ,Hematology ,biology.organism_classification ,Embryonic stem cell ,Cell biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Hemangioblast ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
Vertebrate blood formation occurs in 2 spatially and temporally distinct waves, so-called primitive and definitive hematopoiesis. Although definitive hematopoiesis has been extensively studied, the development of primitive myeloid blood has received far less attention. In Xenopus, primitive myeloid cells originate in the anterior ventral blood islands, the equivalent of the mammalian yolk sac, and migrate out to colonize the embryo. Using fluorescence time-lapse video microscopy, we recorded the migratory behavior of primitive myeloid cells from their birth. We show that these cells are the first blood cells to differentiate in the embryo and that they are efficiently recruited to embryonic wounds, well before the establishment of a functional vasculature. Furthermore, we isolated spib, an ETS transcription factor, specifically expressed in primitive myeloid precursors. Using spib antisense morpholino knockdown experiments, we show that spib is required for myeloid specification, and, in its absence, primitive myeloid cells retain hemangioblast-like characteristics and fail to migrate. Thus, we conclude that spib sits at the top of the known genetic hierarchy that leads to the specification of primitive myeloid cells in amphibians.
- Published
- 2008
20. Galphaq negatively regulates the Wnt-beta-catenin pathway and dorsal embryonic Xenopus laevis development
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Martin Montecino, Juan Olate, María Victoria Hinrichs, Roberto Mayor, Marcela Torrejón, and Ximena Soto
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Mesoderm ,animal structures ,Embryo, Nonmammalian ,Physiology ,Clinical Biochemistry ,Xenopus ,Embryonic Development ,Biology ,Cell fate determination ,Xenopus laevis ,medicine ,Animals ,beta Catenin ,Body Patterning ,Gastrulation ,Wnt signaling pathway ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Cell Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Cell biology ,Wnt Proteins ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Catenin ,embryonic structures ,GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11 ,Signal transduction ,Chordin - Abstract
The non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway has been implicated in the regulation of axis formation and gastrulation movements during early Xenopus laevis embryo development, by antagonizing the canonical Wnt/β-catenin dorsalizing pathway and specifying ventral cell fate. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this antagonist crosstalk are not known. Since Gαq is the main regulator of Ca2+ signaling in vertebrates and from this perspective probably involved in the events elicited by the non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, we decided to study the effect of wild-type Xenopus Gq (xGαq) in dorso-ventral axis embryo patterning. Overexpression of xGαq or its endogenous activation at the dorsal animal region of Xenopus embryo both induced a strong ventralized phenotype and inhibited the expression of dorsal-specific mesoderm markers goosecoid and chordin. Dorsal expression of an xGαq dominant-negative mutant reverted the xGαq-induced ventralized phenotype. Finally, we observed that the Wnt8-induced secondary axis formation is reverted by endogenous xGαq activation, indicating that it is negatively regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. J. Cell. Physiol. 214: 483–490, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
- Published
- 2007
21. WITHDRAWN: The role of IP'3 signalling during embryonic wound healing in Xenopus
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L. Petersen, Ximena Soto, Enrique Amaya, and Jeremy M Sivak
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Signalling ,biology ,Xenopus ,Cell Biology ,Wound healing ,biology.organism_classification ,Molecular Biology ,Embryonic stem cell ,Developmental Biology ,Cell biology - Published
- 2007
- Full Text
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22. A Gbetagamma stimulated adenylyl cyclase is involved in Xenopus laevis oocyte maturation
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Leonardo, Guzmán, Ximena, Romo, Rodrigo, Grandy, Ximena, Soto, Martín, Montecino, Maríavictoria, Hinrichs, and Juan, Olate
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Cell Membrane ,GTP-Binding Protein beta Subunits ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Cell Differentiation ,Xenopus Proteins ,GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits ,Peptide Fragments ,Xenopus laevis ,Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) ,GTP-Binding Protein gamma Subunits ,Oocytes ,Animals ,Protein Isoforms ,Female ,Progesterone ,Adenylyl Cyclases - Abstract
Xenopus laevis oocyte maturation is induced by the steroid hormone progesterone through a nongenomic mechanism that implicates the inhibition of the effector system adenylyl cyclase (AC). Recently, it has been shown that the G protein betagamma heterodimer is involved in oocyte maturation arrest. Since AC is the proposed target for Gbetagamma action, we considered of importance to identify and characterize the Gbetagamma regulated AC isoform(s) that are expressed in the Xenopus oocyte. Through biochemical studies, we found that stage VI plasma membrane oocyte AC activity showed attributes of an AC2 isoform. Furthermore, exogenous Gbetagamma was capable to activate oocyte AC only in the presence of the activated form of Galphas (Galphas-GTPgammaS), which is in agreement with the Ggammabeta conditional activation reported for the mammalian AC2 and AC4 isotypes. In order to study the functional role of AC in oocyte maturation we cloned from a Xenopus oocyte cDNA library a gene encoding an AC with high identity to AC7 (xAC7). Based on this sequence, we constructed a minigene encoding the AC-Gbetagamma interacting region (xAC7pep) to block, within the oocyte, this interaction. We found that microinjection of the xAC7pep potentiated progesterone-induced maturation, as did the AC2 minigene. From these results we can conclude that a Gbetagamma-activated AC is playing an important role in Xenopus oocyte meiotic arrest in a Galphas-GTP dependent manner.
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- 2004
23. Human brain synembryn interacts with Gsalpha and Gqalpha and is translocated to the plasma membrane in response to isoproterenol and carbachol
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Carla, Klattenhoff, Martín, Montecino, Ximena, Soto, Leonardo, Guzmán, Ximena, Romo, María Angeles, García, Britt, Mellstrom, José Ramón, Naranjo, María Victoria, Hinrichs, and Juan, Olate
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Neurons ,Cell Membrane ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Isoproterenol ,Brain ,Nuclear Proteins ,Cholinergic Agonists ,Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins ,PC12 Cells ,Rats ,Protein Transport ,Cytosol ,GTP-Binding Proteins ,Two-Hybrid System Techniques ,GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs ,Animals ,GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gq-G11 ,Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors ,Humans ,Carbachol ,Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins ,Adrenergic alpha-Agonists - Abstract
Heterotrimeric G-proteins transduce signals from heptahelical transmembrane receptors to different effector systems, regulating diverse complex intracellular pathways and functions. In brain, facilitation of depolarization-induced neurotransmitter release for synaptic transmission is mediated by Gsalpha and Gqalpha. To identify effectors for Galpha-proteins, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening of a human brain cDNA library, using the human Galphas protein as a bait. We identified a protein member of the synembryn family as one of the interacting proteins. Extending the study to other Galpha subunits, we found that Gqalpha also interacts with synembryn, and these interactions were confirmed by in vitro pull down studies and by in vivo confocal laser microscopy analysis. Furthermore, synembryn was shown to translocate to the plasma membrane in response to carbachol and isoproterenol. This study supports recent findings in C. elegans where, through genetic studies, synembryn was shown to act together with Gqalpha regulating neuronal transmitter release. Based on these observations, we propose that synembryn is playing a similar role in human neuronal cells.
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- 2003
24. S111N mutation in the helical domain of human Gs(alpha) reduces its GDP/GTP exchange rate
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Mónica, Brito, Leonardo, Guzmán, Ximena, Romo, Ximena, Soto, María Victoria, Hinrichs, and Juan, Olate
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Models, Molecular ,Protein Conformation ,Receptors, Cell Surface ,Guanosine Diphosphate ,Protein Structure, Secondary ,Protein Structure, Tertiary ,Fluorides ,Amino Acid Substitution ,GTP-Binding Proteins ,Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) ,GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs ,Serine ,Humans ,Point Mutation ,Trypsin ,Guanosine Triphosphate ,Asparagine ,Aluminum Compounds ,Adenylyl Cyclases - Abstract
G-protein alpha subunits consist of two domains: a Ras-like domain also called GTPase domain (GTPaseD), structurally homologous to monomeric G-proteins, and a more divergent domain, unique to heterotrimeric G-proteins, called helical domain (HD). G-protein activation, requires the exchange of bound GDP for GTP, and since the guanine nucleotide is buried in a deep cleft between both domains, it has been postulated that activation may involve a conformational change that will allow the opening of this cleft. Therefore, it has been proposed, that interdomain interactions are playing an important role in regulating the nucleotide exchange rate of the alpha subunit. While constructing different Gs(alpha) quimeras, we identified a Gs(alpha) random mutant, which was very inefficient in stimulating adenylyl cyclase activity. The introduced mutation corresponded to the substitution of Ser(111) for Asn (S111N), located in the carboxi terminal end of helix A of the HD, a region neither involved in AC interaction nor in the interdomain interface. In order to characterize this mutant, we expressed it in bacteria, purified it by niquel-agarose chromatography, and studied its nucleotide exchange properties. We demonstrated that the recombinant S111N Gs(alpha) was functional since it was able to undergo the characteristic conformational change upon GTP binding, detected by the acquisition of a trypsin-resistant conformation. When the biochemical properties were determined, the mutant protein exhibited a reduced GDP dissociation kinetics and as a consequence a slower GTPgammaS binding rate that was responsible for a diminished adenylyl cyclase activation when GTPgammaS was used as activator. These data provide new evidence that involves the HD as a regulator of Gs(alpha) function, in this case the alphaA helix, which is not directly involved with the nucleotide binding site nor the interdomain interface.
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- 2002
25. 09-P045 C/EBP alpha initiates primitive myelopoiesis in pluripotent embryonic cells
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Ricardo M. B. Costa, Enrique Amaya, Yaoyao Chen, Ximena Soto, Nick R. Love, Martin Roth, and Roberto Paredes
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Embryology ,Alpha (ethology) ,Myelopoiesis ,Biology ,Embryonic stem cell ,Developmental Biology ,Cell biology - Published
- 2009
- Full Text
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26. ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase temporally coordinate different modes of actin-based motility during embryonic wound healing
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Sarah Woolner, Siwei Zhang, Ximena Soto, Enrique Amaya, and Jingjing Li
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MAPK/ERK pathway ,MAP Kinase Signaling System ,Xenopus ,Motility ,macromolecular substances ,CDC42 ,Xenopus Proteins ,PI3K ,Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ,Xenopus laevis ,Rho GTPases ,Animals ,Phosphorylation ,Molecular Biology ,PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway ,Actin ,Wound Healing ,Phosphoinositide 3-kinase ,biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Actins ,Cell biology ,ERK ,biology.protein ,Wound healing ,Research Article ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
Summary Embryonic wound healing provides a perfect example of efficient recovery of tissue integrity and homeostasis, which is vital for survival. Tissue movement in embryonic wound healing requires two functionally distinct actin structures: a contractile actomyosin cable and actin protrusions at the leading edge. Here, we report that the discrete formation and function of these two structures is achieved by the temporal segregation of two intracellular upstream signals and distinct downstream targets. The sequential activation of ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling divides Xenopus embryonic wound healing into two phases. In the first phase, activated ERK suppresses PI3K activity, and is responsible for the activation of Rho and myosin-2, which drives actomyosin cable formation and constriction. The second phase is dominated by restored PI3K signalling, which enhances Rac and Cdc42 activity, leading to the formation of actin protrusions that drive migration and zippering. These findings reveal a new mechanism for coordinating different modes of actin-based motility in a complex tissue setting, namely embryonic wound healing.
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- 2013
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27. 13-P088 Study: The role and regulation of the cytoskeleton during myeloid chemotaxis
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Ximena Soto, Yanan Zhao, and Enrique Amaya
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Embryology ,Myeloid ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,medicine ,Chemotaxis ,Biology ,Cytoskeleton ,Developmental Biology ,Cell biology - Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. 19-P041 The role of IP3 signalling during embryonic wound healing in Xenopus
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Ximena Soto and Enrique Amaya
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Embryology ,Signalling ,Xenopus ,Biology ,Wound healing ,biology.organism_classification ,Embryonic stem cell ,Developmental Biology ,Cell biology - Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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