Lower intracellular concentration of cryoprotectants in mouse zygotes after vitrification than after slow freezing

Poster (2013, March 22)

Long term culture and characterization of chicken primordial germ cells

Poster (2012, November)

Avian primordial germ cells (PGCs), can keep their germ cells properties and are foreseen as promising tools for developing avian transgenesis and preservation of genetic resources of endangered species ... [more ▼]

Avian primordial germ cells (PGCs), can keep their germ cells properties and are foreseen as promising tools for developing avian transgenesis and preservation of genetic resources of endangered species. We have developed original methods that allow long term (20 month) expansion of primary cultures of undifferentiated PGCs and their efficient cryopreservation. Blood samples were collected from stage 13-18 embryos, pooled, deposited in cell culture inserts and co-cultivated in the presence of irradiated BRL cells. This physically separated co-culture system along with selective culture medium promoted emergence, selection and proliferation of undifferentiated PGCs lines. Overall, 35% of blood samples gave rise to PGCs cell lines originating from three commercial layer breeds and two Belgian endangered breeds. PGCs lines were first characterised for the expression of the stem cells and PGCs characteristic marker SSEA-1 by FACS (expression rate: 90-99%). RT-PCR confirmed expression of germ-line specific markers (CVH, CDH, DAZL), pluripotency markers (cPouV, cSox2, cNanog), telomerase and CXCR4 receptor. In addition, by means of a quantitative PCR amplification of a chromosome W specific sequence, we demonstrated a drift of all our lines towards the male sex (WL), while they were initially isolated from pooled blood samples with statistically equivalent numbers of male and female embryos (35 females: 29 males). PGCs were subsequently efficiently cryopreserved by slow freezing or by a newly developed vitrification method. Labelled PGCs from 10 lines were injected in recipient embryos. Colonization of the genital ridges confirmed that PGCs retain their gonadal migratory ability, both after long-term culture (min 3, max 20 month) and after cryopreservation. [less ▲]

The three-dimensional reconstruction of the innervation pattern in the lymphoid compartment of the ovine pharyngeal tonsil highlighted a possible way of neuro-invasion by the scrapie agent.

in Proceedings of the 2nd Scientific Meeting of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, ULg, Belgium, October 19, 2012 (2012, October 19)

Neuroimmune connections in ovine pharyngeal tonsil: potential site for prion neuroinvasion

in Cell & Tissue Research (2012)

Recent studies have proved the possible implication of nasal associated lymphoid tissues, mainly the pharyngeal tonsil, in prion pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms of this neuroinvasion are still being ... [more ▼]

Recent studies have proved the possible implication of nasal associated lymphoid tissues, mainly the pharyngeal tonsil, in prion pathogenesis. However, the mechanisms of this neuroinvasion are still being debated. To determine the potential sites for prion neuroinvasion inside the ovine pharyngeal tonsil, the topography of neurofilaments heavy (200 kDa) (NFH), neurofilaments light (70 kDa) (NFL) and glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) was semi-quantitatively analysed inside the different compartments of the tonsil. The results showed that the most innervated areas were the interfollicular area and the connective tissue located beneath the respiratory epithelium. Even if the germinal centre of the lymphoid follicles was poorly innervated, the existence of rare follicular dendritic cell-nerve synapses inside the germinal centre indicates that this mechanism of neuroinvasion is possible but unlikely to be unique. The host PRNP genotype did not influence the pattern of innervation in these different tonsil compartments, unlike age: an increase of nerve endings in a zone of high trafficking cells beneath the respiratory epithelium occurred with ageing. A minimal age-related increase of innervation inside the lymphoid follicles was also observed. An increase in nerve fibre density around the lymphoid follicles, in an area rich in mobile cells able to transport PrPd, could ensure a more efficient infectivity, not in the early phase but in the advanced phase of lymphoinvasion after amplification of PrPd, or could act as direct site of entry during neuroinvasion. [less ▲]

Cryopréservation d’ovocytes et d’embryons par congélation ou vitrification dans le cadre de l’assistance médicale à la procréation

in Poncelet, Christophe; Sifer, Christophe (Eds.) Physiologie, pathologie et thérapie de la reproduction chez l’humain (2011)

Aseptic vitrification of blastocysts from infertile patients, egg donors and after IVM

in Reproductive Biomedicine Online (2009), 19(5), 700-707

Myostatin gene deletion prevents glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy

in Endocrinology (2007), 148(1), 452-460

Glucocorticoids mediate muscle atrophy in many catabolic states. Myostatin expression, a negative regulator of muscle growth, is increased by glucocorticoids and myostatin overexpression is associated ... [more ▼]

Glucocorticoids mediate muscle atrophy in many catabolic states. Myostatin expression, a negative regulator of muscle growth, is increased by glucocorticoids and myostatin overexpression is associated with lower muscle mass. This suggests that myostatin is required for the catabolic effects of glucocorticoids. We therefore investigated whether myostatin gene disruption could prevent muscle atrophy caused by glucocorticoids. Male myostatin knockout (KO) and wild-type mice were subjected to dexamethasone treatment (1 mg/kg.d for 10 d or 5 mg/kg.d for 4 d). In wild-type mice, daily administration of low-dose dexamethasone for 10 d resulted in muscle atrophy (tibialis anterior: -15%; gastrocnemius: -13%; P < 0.01) due to 15% decrease in the muscle fiber cross-sectional area (1621 +/- 31 vs. 1918 +/- 64 mu m(2), P < 0.01). In KO mice, there was no reduction of muscle mass nor fiber cross-sectional area after dexamethasone treatment. Muscle atrophy after 4d of high-dose dexamethasone was associated with increased mRNA of enzymes involved in proteolytic pathways (atrogin-1, muscle ring finger 1, and cathepsin L) and increased chymotrypsin-like proteasomal activity. In contrast, the mRNA of these enzymes and the proteasomal activity were not significantly affected by dexamethasone in KO mice. Muscle IGF-I mRNA was paradoxically decreased in KO mice (-35%, P < 0.05); this was associated with a potentially compensatory increase of IGF-II expression in both saline and dexamethasone-treated KO mice (2-fold, P < 0.01). In conclusion, our results show that myostatin deletion prevents muscle atrophy in glucocorticoid-treated mice, by blunting the glucocorticoid-induced enhanced proteolysis, and suggest an important role of myostatin in muscle atrophy caused by glucocorticoids. [less ▲]

Transgenic engineering of male-specific muscular hypertrophy.

in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2005), 102(18), 6413-8

Using a two-step procedure involving insertional gene targeting and recombinase-mediated cassette exchange in ES cells, we have produced two lines of transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative latency ... [more ▼]

Using a two-step procedure involving insertional gene targeting and recombinase-mediated cassette exchange in ES cells, we have produced two lines of transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative latency-associated myostatin propeptide under control of the myosin light chain 1F promoter and 1/3 enhancer from the TSPY locus on the Y chromosome. Males of the corresponding lines are characterized by a 5-20% increase in skeletal muscle mass. This experiment demonstrates the feasibility of a more efficient cattle production system combining superior beef production abilities for bulls and dairy abilities for cows. [less ▲]

Convenient Genotyping of Six Myostatin Mutations Causing Double-Muscling in Cattle Using a Multiplex Oligonucleotide Ligation Assay

in Animal Genetics (2000), 31(6), 396-9

We herein describe a procedure that allows for simultaneous genotyping of six loss-of-function mutations in the bovine myostatin gene associated with the double-muscling phenotype. The proposed method ... [more ▼]

We herein describe a procedure that allows for simultaneous genotyping of six loss-of-function mutations in the bovine myostatin gene associated with the double-muscling phenotype. The proposed method relies on a multiplex oligonucleotide ligation assay and detection of the fluorescently labelled products using automatic sequencers. [less ▲]

Molecular Definition of an Allelic Series of Mutations Disrupting the Myostatin Function and Causing Double-Muscling in Cattle

in Mammalian Genome : Official Journal of the International Mammalian Genome Society (1998), 9(3), 210-3

We have determined the entire myostatin coding sequence for 32 double-muscled cattle sampled from ten European cattle breeds. Seven DNA sequence polymorphisms were identified, of which five would be ... [more ▼]

We have determined the entire myostatin coding sequence for 32 double-muscled cattle sampled from ten European cattle breeds. Seven DNA sequence polymorphisms were identified, of which five would be predicted to disrupt the function of the protein, one is a conservative amino acid substitution, and one a silent DNA sequence variant. Four additional DNA sequence polymorphisms were identified in myostatin intronic sequences. In all but two breeds, all double-muscled animals were either homozygous or compound heterozygotes for one of the five loss-of-function mutations. The absence of obvious loss-of-function mutations in the coding sequence of the two remaining breeds points either towards additional mutations in unexplored segments of the gene, or towards locus heterogeneity of double-muscling. [less ▲]