Issues

Summary: A recent report by White et al. highlights the utility of lacZ reporter gene expression profiling as a powerful means of elucidating the role of genes in health and disease.

Summary: Hypoxia signalling, mediated by HIF, is a crucial pathway in many disease processes. Here, we review current knowledge of HIF signalling and disease, focusing on recent findings from zebrafish models.

Summary: The gpA33ΔN-Bcat mice provide a model that better mimics some aspects of sporadic colon cancer induction in humans in terms of tumor multiplicity and latency and site-specific (i.e. colon) tumor occurrence that coincides with upregulation of markers for human colorectal cancer progression.

Summary: We use zebrafish larval models to delineate the temporospatial patterns of innate immune responses to fungal infections with mucormycete spores.

Summary: Mutations in the human kinase RSK2 are associated with severe mental retardation (Coffin-Lowry syndrome). Here, the function of Drosophila RSK in synaptic plasticity is described, which might help in understanding the complex pathophysiology.

Summary: Manipulation of T cells can enhance current CLL xenograft models, expanding their utility for investigation of tumour biology and pre-clinical drug assessment.

Summary: Use of a human 3D lung tissue model system identifies the combined effects of α-toxin and Panton-Valentine leukocidin in tissue injury and clinical outcome in staphylococcal pneumonia.

Summary: Mice haploinsufficient for Alk1, a receptor for the TGF-β family, show hypertension, based on overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system and a reduction in the number of cholinergic neurons in the CNS.

Summary: Some medical drugs and environmental chemical pollutants acting on the oxidative phosphorylation system can alter adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis and, thus, have important consequences for human health.

Summary: Here, using a series of behavioral tests including touchscreen tasks we show that decreased levels of stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) lead to attention deficits and hyperactivity in mice.

Editor's Choice: The report presents an open-access adult mouse expression resource, in which the expression profile of 424 genes has been assessed in up to 47 different organs, tissues and sub-structures using a lacZ reporter gene.

Summary: We show here that peripheral leukocytes can be labelled with ICG in vivo and then directly imaged as they invade the retina after inflammatory stimuli.