Protein kinase C and chemical-induced abnormal palate development

Dexamethasone Suppresses Palatal Cell Proliferation through miR-130a-3p

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is one of the most common congenital birth defects. This study aims to identify novel pathogenic microRNAs associated with cleft palate (CP). Through data analyses of miRNA-sequencing for developing palatal shelves of C57BL/6J mice, we found that miR-449a-3p, miR-449a-5p, miR-449b, miR-449c-3p, and miR-449c-5p were significantly upregulated, and that miR-19a-3p, miR-130a-3p, miR-301a-3p, and miR-486b-5p were significantly downregulated, at embryonic day E14.5 compared to E13.5. Among them, overexpression of the miR-449 family (miR-449a-3p, miR-449a-5p, miR-449b, miR-449c-3p, and miR-449c-5p) and miR-486b-5p resulted in reduced cell proliferation in primary mouse embryonic palatal mesenchymal (MEPM) cells and mouse cranial neural crest cell line O9-1. On the other hand, inhibitors of miR-130a-3p and miR-301a-3p significantly reduced cell proliferation in MEPM and O9-1 cells. Notably, we found that treatment with dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid known to induce CP in mice, suppressed miR-130a-3p expression in both MEPM and O9-1 cells. Moreover, a miR-130a-3p mimic could ameliorate the cell proliferation defect induced by dexamethasone through normalization of Slc24a2 expression. Taken together, our results suggest that miR-130-3p plays a crucial role in dexamethasone-induced CP in mice.

Anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of ergoflavin isolated from an endophytic fungus

Biodiversity is a major resource for identification of new molecules with specific therapeutic activities. To identify such an active resource, high throughput screening (HTS) of the extracts prepared from such diversity are examined on specific functional assays. Based on such HTS studies and bioactivity-based fractionation, we have isolated ergoflavin, a pigment from an endophytic fungus, growing on the leaves of an Indian medicinal plant Mimosops elengi (bakul). We report here the isolation, structure elucidation, and biological properties of this compound, which showed good anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.

Alterations in protein kinase A signalling and cleft palate: a review

Cyclic AMP is an important second messenger mediating the actions of many hormones and other ligands in a variety of cells. Cells of the developing organism are no exception. Once generated, it releases the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA) from the inhibitory influence of its regulatory subunit, which then migrates into the nucleus to phosphorylate and enhance the binding of relevant transcription factors to the promoter element CRE of genes involved in above cellular responses. This review summarizes the available data on the essential role of this pathway in embryonic development as well as the functionality, ontogeny and consequences of genetic and chemical disruption of this pathway in the developing orofacial structures, especially the secondary palate as influenced by the mycotoxin, secalonic acid D.