Policies for later-life families in a comparative European perspective

The original version of this chapter was published with incorrect information in Table 14.1, which has been updated now

Developmental and tissue expression of Xenopus laevis RPGR

PURPOSE. The present study examined the developmental and tissue expression of the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene in Xenopus laevis. METHODS. The cDNA for X. laevis RPGR (XRPGR) was isolated from adult eye mRNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The deduced peptide sequence was aligned with RPGR orthologues. Gene expression was examined by whole-mount in situ hybridization and RT-PCR. The localization of XRPGR in X. laevis photoreceptor cells and XTC-2 cells was determined by immunostaining. RESULTS. The XRPGRex1-19 isoform encodes a protein of 727 amino acids containing an RCC1 domain and a C-terminal isoprenylation anchorage motif. It shares 33% to 41% amino acid identity with human, mouse, and dog RPGR. The C-terminal exon of the alternatively spliced RPGRORF15 isoform is also conserved across species. XRPGR is expressed at the earliest stages of X. laevis development and persists into adulthood, where expression is highest in the eye. XRPGR is expressed in presumptive eye fields (stages 18 to 22), becoming largely restricted to the central retina (stages 28 to 40). XRPGR protein colocalizes with β-tubulin at the X. laevis ciliary axoneme and with γ-tubulin at centrosomes in XTC-2 cells. CONCLUSIONS. XRPGR is widely expressed throughout development but shows highest expression after the appearance of the eye primordium and persists in the eye into adulthood. The data are consistent with XRPGR expression in a single microtubular organelle - the centriole or basal body and associated ciliary transitional zone found in modified sensory cilia of photoreceptors and motile cilia. Copyright © Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Gender and pension individualisation: the case of Greece

Within pension reforms in Europe, one of the policy trends with significant gender implications is a gradual emphasis on individual pension rights based on labour market participation and the recognition of periods of care, and a decrease in the importance of derived pension rights for women’s pension income. The paper analyses six pension reforms in Greece between 1982-2002 to illustrate a gradual shift towards greater pension individualisation for women. It argues that unless this shift is coordinated with employment and family policies that allow both women and men to build adequate individual pension rights, greater pension individualisation could have adverse consequences for those with weak links to the labour market