Serum concentrations of anti-Müllerian hormone modulate ovarian response to different doses of follicle-stimulating hormone in Japanese Black donors.

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a marker for predicting embryo production in cows subjected to superovulation; however, it remains to be established as a reliable predictor of reproductive performance. We hypothesized that the serum AMH concentration of donors affects the ovarian response to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) treatment during superovulation. Herein, we retrospectively investigated the association between different FSH doses and AMH concentrations in donor Japanese Black cows in a superovulation program and analyzed the number of total and transferable embryos recovered.

Identification of Inhibitors of the Disease-Associated Protein Phosphatase Scp1 Using Antibody Mimetic Molecules.

Protein phosphorylation is a prevalent translational modification, and its dysregulation has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. Despite its significance, there is a lack of specific inhibitors of the FCP/SCP-type Ser/Thr protein phosphatase Scp1, characterized by high specificity and affinity. In this study, we focused on adnectin, an antibody-mimetic protein, aiming to identify Scp1-specific binding molecules with a broad binding surface that target the substrate-recognition site of Scp1.

Bilayer Hydrogel Composed of Elastin-Mimetic Polypeptides as a Bio-Actuator with Bidirectional and Reversible Bending Behaviors.

Biologically derived hydrogels have attracted attention as promising polymers for use in biomedical applications because of their high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity. Elastin-mimetic polypeptides (EMPs), which contain a repeated amino acid sequence derived from the hydrophobic domain of tropoelastin, exhibit reversible phase transition behavior, and thus, represent an interesting starting point for the development of biologically derived hydrogels. In this study, we succeeded in developing functional EMP-conjugated hydrogels that displayed temperature-responsive swelling/shrinking properties.

Development of a scale-up strategy for Chinese hamster ovary cell culture processes using the k a ratio as a direct indicator of gas stripping conditions.

Herein, we described a scale-up strategy focused on the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration (dCO ) during fed-batch cultivation of Chinese hamster ovary cells. A fed-batch culture process for a 2000-L scale stainless steel (SS) bioreactor was scaled-up from similarly shaped 200-L scale bioreactors based on power input per unit volume (P/V). However, during the 2000-L fed-batch culture, the dCO was higher compared with the 200-L scale bioreactor.

Frailty defined by 19 items as a predictor of short-term functional recovery in patients with hip fracture.

Introduction: Many hip fracture patients have decreased functional status inhibiting recovery to pre-fracture functional status. The prevalence of frailty in patients with hip fracture is high, but little is known how frailty is associated with functional recovery. The aim of this study was to determine whether frailty can predict functional recovery and clinical outcomes during the acute phase in hip fracture.

Inadequate Postoperative Energy Intake Relative to Total Energy Requirements Diminishes Acute Phase Functional Recovery From Hip Fracture.

Objective: To investigate whether postoperative voluntary energy intake (EI) affects functional recovery with hip fracture during the acute phase.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Three acute care hospitals.

Inhibition of protein phosphatase PPM1D enhances retinoic acid-induced differentiation in human embryonic carcinoma cell line.

The protein phosphatase PPM1D (Wip1) was originally identified as a p53 target product. Activation of PPM1D through various mechanism promotes the tumorigenic potential of various cancers by suppressing p53 and other DNA damage response proteins. New functions of PPM1D have recently been revealed in physiological processes such as cell differentiation.

Development of a Substrate Identification Method for Human Scp1 Phosphatase Using Phosphorylation Mimic Phage Display.

Background: Protein phosphorylation is strictly regulated by protein kinases and protein phosphatases, and disordered regulation of protein phosphorylation often causes serious diseases, such as cancer. Protein phosphatases are divided into two major groups: tyrosine (Tyr) phosphatases and serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) phosphatases. Substrate trapping mutants are frequently used to characterize Tyr phosphatases and identify their substrates; however, a rapid and simple method to identify substrates for Ser/Thr phosphatases has yet to be developed.

PPM1D controls nucleolar formation by up-regulating phosphorylation of nucleophosmin.

An increase of nucleolar number and size has made nucleoli essential markers for cytology and tumour development. However, the underlying basis for their structural integrity and abundance remains unclear. Protein phosphatase PPM1D was found to be up-regulated in different carcinomas including breast cancers.

Pre-fracture nutritional status is predictive of functional status at discharge during the acute phase with hip fracture patients: A multicenter prospective cohort study.

Background & Aims: Malnutrition is common in patients with hip fractures, and elderly patients with hip fractures lose functional independence and often fail to recover previous functional status. The aim of this study was to determine whether pre-fracture nutritional status predicts functional status of patients with hip fracture at discharge from acute hospitals.

Methods: In the present multicenter prospective cohort study, pre-fracture nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF).

Patterning nanofibrils through the templated growth of multiple modified amyloid peptides.

There has been considerable interest in the patterning of functionalized nanowires because of the potential applications of these materials to the construction of nanodevices. A variety of biomolecular building blocks containing amyloid peptides have been used to functionalize nanowires. However, the patterning of self-assembled nanowires can be challenging because of the difficulties associated with controlling the self-assembly of these functionalized building blocks.

Effective Cellular Morphology Analysis for Differentiation Processes by a Fluorescent 1,3a,6a-Triazapentalene Derivative Probe in Live Cells.

Nuclear and cytoplasmic morphological changes provide important information about cell differentiation processes, cell functions, and signal responses. There is a strong desire to develop a rapid and simple method for visualizing cytoplasmic and nuclear morphology. Here, we developed a novel and rapid method for probing cellular morphological changes of live cell differentiation process by a fluorescent probe, TAP-4PH, a 1,3a,6a-triazapentalene derivative.

Non-farnesylated B-type lamin can tether chromatin inside the nucleus and its chromatin interaction requires the Ig-fold region.

Lamins are thought to direct heterochromatin to the nuclear lamina (NL); however, this function of lamin has not been clearly demonstrated in vivo. To address this, we analyzed polytene chromosome morphology when artificial lamin variants were expressed in Drosophila endoreplicating cells. We found that the CaaX-motif-deleted B-type lamin Dm, but not A-type lamin C, was able to form a nuclear envelope-independent layer that was closely associated with chromatin.

Novel inhibitors targeting PPM1D phosphatase potently suppress cancer cell proliferation.

Protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1δ (PPM1D, Wip1) is a p53 inducible serine/threonine phosphatase. PPM1D is a promising target protein in cancer therapy since overexpression, missense mutations, truncating mutations, and gene amplification of PPM1D are reported in many tumors, including breast cancer and neuroblastoma. Herein, we report that a specific inhibitor, SL-176 that can be readily synthesized in 10 steps, significantly inhibits proliferation of a breast cancer cell line overexpressing PPM1D and induces G2/M arrest and apoptosis.

Synthesis of yellow and red fluorescent 1,3a,6a-triazapentalenes and the theoretical investigation of their optical properties.

To expand the originally developed fluorescent 1,3a,6a-triazapentalenes as fluorescent labelling reagents, the fluorescence wavelength of the 1,3a,6a-triazapentalenes was extended to the red color region. Based on the noteworthy correlation of the fluorescence wavelength with the inductive effect of the 2-substituent, electron-deficient 2-(2-cyano-4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)-1,3a,6a-triazapentalene and 2-(2,6-dicyano-4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)-1,3a,6a-triazapentalene were synthesized. The former exhibited yellow fluorescence and the latter exhibited red fluorescence, and both compounds exhibited large Stokes shifts, and the 1,3a,6a-triazapentalene system enabled the same fluorescent chromophore to cover the entire region of visible wavelengths.

Accumulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the polychaete Paraprionospio sp. from the Yodo River mouth, Osaka Bay, Japan.

This study presents the levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) accumulated by Paraprionospio sp. from the Yodo River mouth, Osaka Bay. Since high concentrations of nonylphenol (NP), bisphenol A (BP), octylphenol (OP), 17β-estradiol (E2), and estrone (E1) have been measured in sediment from Osaka Bay, some bioaccumulation could be expected particularly in benthic animals.

Secreted Frizzled-related protein potentiation versus inhibition of Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling.

Wnt signaling regulates a variety of cellular processes during embryonic development and in the adult. Many of these activities are mediated by the Frizzled family of seven-pass transmembrane receptors, which bind Wnts via a conserved cysteine-rich domain (CRD). Secreted Frizzled-related proteins (sFRPs) contain an amino-terminal, Frizzled-like CRD and a carboxyl-terminal, heparin-binding netrin-like domain.

Bioaccumulation of dietary endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by the polychaete, Perinereis nuntia.

To investigate the biomagnification factor (BMF) of EDCs by the polychaete, Perinereis nuntia, organisms were exposed to EDCs through their diet. BMF values ranged from 0.001 to 0.

Inhibition of tumor suppressor protein p53-dependent transcription by a tetramerization domain peptide via hetero-oligomerization.

Tumor suppressor protein p53 induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and senescence in response to cellular stresses. The p53 tetramer formation is essential for its functions. Despite of these crucial functions of p53 for integrity of genome, activation of the p53 signal pathway causes low induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell generation efficiency.

A small molecule inhibitor of p53-inducible protein phosphatase PPM1D.

PPM1D is a p53-inducible Ser/Thr protein phosphatase. PPM1D gene amplification and overexpression have been reported in a variety of human tumors, including breast cancer and neuroblastoma. Because the phosphatase activity of PPM1D is essential for its oncogenic role, PPM1D inhibitors should be viable anti-cancer agents.

[A case of topiramate-induced angle closure glaucoma].

A 38-year-old woman with a 10-year history of migraine without aura was treated with topiramate (TPM) for increasing frequency of headache. Initially, TPM was prescribed at a dose of 25 mg per day for 7 days, and then the dose was increased to 50 mg per day. Three days later, the patient complained of blurry vision, redness, and pain in both eyes.

Phosphatase assay for multi-phosphorylated substrates using phosphatase specific-motif antibody.

Protein phosphorylation plays central roles in a wide variety of signal transduction pathways and most phosphorylated proteins contain multi-phosphorylated sites. PPM1 type Ser/Thr protein phosphatase family is known to show rigid substrate specificity unlike other Ser/Thr phosphatase PPP family including PP1, PP2A and PP2B. PPM1 type phosphatases are reported to play important roles in growth regulation and in cellular stress signalling.

sFRP-1 binds via its netrin-related motif to the N-module of thrombospondin-1 and blocks thrombospondin-1 stimulation of MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell adhesion and migration.

Secreted frizzled-related protein (sFRP)-1 is a Wnt antagonist that inhibits breast carcinoma cell motility, whereas the secreted glycoprotein thrombospondin-1 stimulates adhesion and motility of the same cells. We examined whether thrombospondin-1 and sFRP-1 interact directly or indirectly to modulate cell behavior. Thrombospondin-1 bound sFRP-1 with an apparent K(d)=48nM and the related sFRP-2 with a K(d)=95nM.