Ricerc@Sapienza

The RNA-binding protein FUS participates in several RNA biosynthetic processes and has
been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal
dementia. Here we report that FUS controls back-splicing reactions leading to circular RNA
(circRNA) production. We identified circRNAs expressed in
in vitro
-derived mouse motor
neurons (MNs) and determined that the production of a considerable number of these
circRNAs is regulated by FUS. Using RNAi and overexpression of wild-type and ALS-asso-

Rare hybridisations between deeply divergent animal species have been reported for decades in a wide range of taxa, but have often remained unexplained, mainly considered chance events and reported as anecdotal. Here, we combine field observations with long-term data concerning natural hybridisations, climate, land-use, and field-validated species distribution models for two deeply divergent and naturally sympatric toad species in Europe (Bufo bufo and Bufotes viridis species groups).

Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) is a ventrally enriched morphogen controlling dorsoventral patterning of the neural tube. In the dorsal spinal cord, Gli3 protein bound to suppressor-of-fused (Sufu) is converted into Gli3 repressor (Gli3R), which inhibits Shh-target genes. Activation of Shh signalling prevents Gli3R formation, promoting neural tube ventralization. We show that cadherin-7 (Cdh7) expression in the intermediate spinal cord region is required to delimit the boundary between the ventral and the dorsal spinal cord.

Many fossil specimens exhibit deformations caused by taphonomic processes. Due to these deformations, even important specimens have to be excluded from morphometric analyses, impoverishing an already poor paleontological record. Techniques to retrodeform and virtually restore damaged (i.e. deformed) specimens are available, but these methods genenerally imply the use of a sparse set of bilateral landmarks, ignoring the fact that the distribution and amount of control points directly affects the result of the retrodeformation.

Background/aim: Matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7) expression is highly associated with colorectal cancer and modulates tumour growth and invasion. Radiation injury induces inflammation with increases in MMP7 and in transforming growth factor beta (TGF?). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect on MMP7 and TGF?. expression in patients with rectal cancer undergoing different regimens of neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT).