Proteome map of the neural complex of the tunicate Ciona intestinalis, the closest living relative to vertebrates

MicroRNA Signatures in Blood or Bone Marrow Distinguish Subtypes of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OncomiRs are microRNAs that are associated with early onset of specific cancers. To identify microRNAs involved in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) subtypes T-ALL and B-ALL, peripheral blood and bone marrow samples were independently subjected to microarray analysis using two different high-fidelity array platforms. The unique and common gene signatures from both arrays were validated by TaqMan individual assays in 100 pediatric ALL samples. Survival studies were carried out in the test set and validation set with 50 randomly selected samples in each set. MicroRNA expression profile revealed characteristic signatures for distinguishing T and B lineages and identified 51 novel microRNAs in pediatric ALL. Interestingly, the present study also revealed endogenous similarities and differences between blood and bone marrow within each ALL subtype. When Cox regression analysis was carried out with these identified microRNAs, 11 of them exhibited expression levels significantly correlated with survival. Validation of some of the common and relevant microRNAs from both arrays showed that their targets are involved in key oncogenic signaling pathways. Thus, this study suggests that microRNAs have the potential to become important diagnostic tools for identification and monitoring clinical outcomes in ALL patients.

Closing the wounds: one hundred and twenty five years of regenerative biology in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the beginning of regeneration research in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. A brief note was published in 1891, reporting the regeneration of the Ciona neural complex and siphons. This launched an active period of Ciona regeneration research culminating in the demonstration of partial body regeneration: the ability of proximal body parts to regenerate distal ones, but not vice versa. In a process resembling regeneration, wounds in the siphon tube were discovered to result in the formation of an ectopic siphon. Ciona regeneration research then lapsed into a period of relative inactivity after the purported demonstration of the inheritance of acquired characters using siphon regeneration as a model. Around the turn of the present century, Ciona regeneration research experienced a new blossoming. The current studies established the morphological and physiological integrity of the regeneration process and its resemblance to ontogeny. They also determined some of the cell types responsible for tissue and organ replacement and their sources in the body. Finally, they showed that regenerative capacity is reduced with age. Many other aspects of regeneration now can be studied at the mechanistic level because of the extensive molecular tools available in Ciona.