Endocrine Abstracts

Heparan sulphate (HS) is a highly complex linear polysaccharide found attached to core proteins both on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. Newly synthesized HS chains are modified by a family of enzymes, many of which have multiple isoforms with differing substrate preferences. These modifications include the addition of sulphate groups at up to four positions on each disaccharide unit. The pattern of modifications a HS saccharide undergoes alters its structure,...

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) are the source of regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues. Stem cells (SC) are rare and slowly dividing cells, situated in stem cell niches, regulated by non-stem-cell cap cells. Rare symmetric SC division regulates the SC pool. Asymmetric cell division gives rise to a transient amplifying pool (MSCTAP). The MSC niche is poorly characterized in contrast to MSCTAP and consecutive events of fate decision, commitment and secretio...

Bone is a dynamic tissue, maintained and repaired by the actions of, osteoclasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes, together with a variety of bone marrow cells, stromal cells and endothelium. Osteoblasts lay down bone and this is subsequently remodelled by osteoclasts. Osteocytes act mainly as mechanosensors. Osteoclasts are of haemopoietic origin, whereas osteoblasts are derived from mesenchymal stem cells. During cell differentiation and in mature cells, cell adhesion molecules a...

It is well recognised that the intestinal epithelium has a remarkable capacity to regenerate after high levels of DNA damage or injury. Although the kinetics of this ‘clonogenic repopulation’ whereby a new stem cell repopulates the crypt is understood, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying this, although upregulation of Musashi-1 is known to mark the process. By conditionally deleting genes that are lethal to the intestinal stem cells we have mimic...