Understanding variability in ethanol teratogenicity

A Fragment of Adhesion Molecule L1 Binds to Nuclear Receptors to Regulate Synaptic Plasticity and Motor Coordination

Proteolytic cleavage of the neuronal isoform of the murine cell adhesion molecule L1, triggered by stimulation of the cognate L1-dependent signaling pathways, results in the generation and nuclear import of an L1 fragment that contains the intracellular domain, the transmembrane domain, and part of the extracellular domain. Here, we show that the LXXLL and FXXLF motifs in the extracellular and transmembrane domain of this L1 fragment mediate the interaction with the nuclear estrogen receptors α (ERα) and β (ERβ), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and retinoid X receptor β (RXRβ). Mutations of the LXXLL motif in the transmembrane domain and of the FXXLF motif in the extracellular domain disturb the interaction of the L1 fragment with these nuclear receptors and, when introduced by viral transduction into mouse embryos in utero, result in impaired motor coordination, learning and memory, as well as synaptic connectivity in the cerebellum, in adulthood. These impairments are similar to those observed in the L1-deficient mouse. Our findings suggest that the interplay of nuclear L1 and distinct nuclear receptors is associated with synaptic contact formation and plasticity.

Intra-laboratory validated human cell-based in vitro vasculogenesis/angiogenesis test with serum-free medium

Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis are the processes by which new blood vessels are formed. We have developed a serum-free human adipose stromal cell and umbilical cord vein endothelial cell based vasculogenesis/angiogenesis test. In this study, the test was validated in our GLP laboratory following the OECD Guidance Document 34 [1] using erlotinib, acetylic salicylic acid, levamisole, 2-methoxyestradiol, anti-VEGF, methimazole, and D-mannitol to show its reproducibility, repeatability, and predictivity for humans. The results were obtained from immunostained tubule structures and cytotoxicity assessment. The performance of the test was evaluated using 26 suspected teratogens and non-teratogens. The positive predictive value was 71.4% and the negative predictive value was 50.0%, indicating that inhibition of vasculogenesis is a significant mechanism behind teratogenesis. In conclusion, this test has great potential to be a screening test for prioritization purposes of chemicals and to be a test in a battery to predict developmental hazards in a regulatory context.