No abstract

The control region (D-loop) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was amplified and sequenced for eight samples of the rhinogobies Rhinogobius maculafasciatus and R. giurinus from Taiwan and southern China. The control regions of both species are of 841-842 bp; the length of these sequences being the most compact among all known sequences in teleost fishes. Three conserved sequence blocks (CSB) were observed. The full D-loop and tRNA Phe gene sequences were determined and compared with other fishes. The interspecific sequence divergence between the two species is 11·3-11·7%; and the intraspecific variation in R. guirinus 0·8-1·8%. Results suggest that the control region of Rhinogobius is informative for phylogenetic reconstruction at both intraspecific and interspecific levels in this gobiid genus. 1998 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

A novel protein LUZP with 3 leucine zipper motifs at its amino terminus is predominantly expressed in the adult brain. A modified gene targeting approach was employed in an attempt to establish in vitro and in vivo models in which Luzp is knock-out (KO) for phenotype assessment and a reporter gene lacZ is knock-in (KI) for tracing its expression. We report in this study the molecular cloning of the Luzp gene, its targeting vector construction and Luzp-KO/lacZ-KI embryonic stem (ES) clone selection. Since LUZP is also expressed in ES cells, the possibility of embryonic lethality cannot be excluded when attempting to establish Luzp-null mutant mice. We have therefore examined the development of homozygous Luzp-KO/lacZ-KI clones in nude mice. Tissue types derived from all three embryonic germ layers were observed in teratomas developed in nude mice. In situ X-gal staining further revealed restricted expression of LUZP in neural lineage cells.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research has been growing a new height throughout the world due to its potentialities in medical applications. We can explore several therapeutic applications through the iPS cell research. In this review, we have first discussed the development of iPS cells, reprogramming factors, and effectiveness of iPS cells. Then we have emphasized the potential applications of iPS cells in pharmaceutical and medical sectors, such as, study of cellular mechanisms for spectrum of disease entities, disease-specific iPS cell lines for drugs discovery and development, toxicological studies of drugs development, personalized medicine, and regenerative medicine.