Senescent cells were characterized using the senescence-associated-beta-galactosidase marker (SA-P-Gal marker) by staining with chromogenic substrate (X-Gal) to produce blue coloration of SA-P-Gal-positive cells and microscopy analysis.\n\nResults: The results we obtained show that between 25 and 40% of chondrocytes were in apoptosis and all of them were SA-beta-Gal-positive.\n\nConclusions: These results demonstrate that the death of osteoarthritic chondrocytes is an apoptotic phenomenon which is preceded by an accelerated mechanism of replicative senescence. (C) 2008 Clinical Cytometry Society”
“Constitutive heterochromatin

is essential for chromosome maintenance in all eukaryotes. However, the repetitive nature of the underlying DNA. the presence of very stable protein-DNA complexes and the highly compacted nature of this this website type of chromatin represent a challenge for the DNA replication machinery Data collected from different model organisms suggest that at least some of the components of the DNA replication checkpoint could be essential for AZD1480 inhibitor ensuring the completion of DNA replication in the

context of heterochromatin. I review and discuss the literature that directly or indirectly contributes to the formulation of this hypothesis. In particular, PXD101 I focus my attention on Rif1, a newly discovered member of the DNA replication checkpoint. Recent data generated in mammalian cells highlight the spatial and temporal relation between Rift. pericentromeric

heterochromatin and S-phase. I review these recent and the previous data coming from studies performed in yeast in order to highlight the possible evolutionary conserved links and propose a molecular model for Rif1 role in heterochromatin replication. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved”
“Pluripotent stem cells are characterized by the capacity to self-renew and to differentiate into all the cell types of the body. To identify novel regulators of pluripotency, we screened cDNA libraries (>30,000 clones) in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells for factors that modulate the expression of a luciferase reporter driven by the promoter of the pluripotency master regulator Nanog. Ninety confirmed hits activated the reporter and 14 confirmed hits inhibited the reporter by more than two-fold. The identified hits were evaluated by gain-and loss-of-functions approaches. The reporter-activating hits Timp2, Hig2, and Mki67ip promoted embryonic stem (ES) cell self-renewal when episomally overexpressed in ES cells, whereas the reporterinhibiting hits PU.