Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Glycolipid with Glucosylglycerate as a Hydrophile Showing Protective Effects on Heat-induced Protein Denaturation.

A novel glycolipid featuring a glucosylglycerate moiety as a polar head group was synthesized in two steps from sucrose, glycerate, and N-dodecylamine. Glucosylglyceric acid was formed from sucrose and glyceric acid using sucrose synthase as a catalyst, followed by condensation with N-dodecylamine using 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM) as a condensing agent. A white solid compound was recovered with a yield of 21% after purification by hydrophobic column chromatography.

Dendritic cell inhibitory receptor 4 (DCIR4) is preferentially expressed on inflammatory and patrolling monocytes.

Dendritic cell inhibitory receptor 4 (DCIR4, Clec4a1) is a lectin receptor and a member of mouse dendritic cell immunoreceptor family. Due to the lack of antibodies against DCIR4, expression of DCIR4 protein remains unknown. In this study, we established a specific monoclonal antibody against DCIR4 and investigated the expression of DCIR4 among immune cells.

Ubiquitous versus restricted expression of the two mouse dendritic cell C-type lectin receptors, DCIR1 and DCAR2, among myeloid cells.

Dendritic cell inhibitory receptor 1 (DCIR1, also known as DCIR and Clec4a2) and dendritic cell activating receptor 2 (DCAR2, also known as DCAR and Clec4b1) are mouse lectin receptors expressed on antigen presenting cells. They have structurally similar C-type lectin domains, of which amino acid sequences show 90.5% identity, and commercially available antibodies against them cross-react each other.

Immune response to bacteria in seminiferous epithelium.

The luminal part of the seminiferous epithelium, a tissue compartment protected by the blood-testis barrier, has been considered a site of immune privilege. However, there are reports describing the production of anti-microbial peptides and the expression of Toll-like receptors in cells present in the seminiferous epithelium, evoking the possibility that this tissue compartment is immunologically active at least with regard to the innate immune response. To test this, we injected Escherichia coli into seminiferous tubules of live mice and examined the fate of bacteria, the production of chemokines and inflammatory cytokines, and the infiltration of neutrophils.

Perturbation of spermatogenesis by androgen antagonists directly injected into seminiferous tubules of live mice.

Natural and artificial substances present in the environment can affect our health. Testicular toxicants in particular are troublesome, because they disturb gonadal function of males. Translocation of substances into the seminiferous epithelium where sperm production proceeds is restricted due to the blood-testis barrier, but this permeability barrier temporarily disappears under physiological and sub-physiological conditions.