Bradyrhizobium ottawaense efficiently reduces nitrous oxide through high nosZ gene expression.

NO is an important greenhouse gas influencing global warming, and agricultural land is the predominant (anthropogenic) source of NO emissions. Here, we report the high NO-reducing activity of Bradyrhizobium ottawaense, suggesting the potential for efficiently mitigating NO emission from agricultural lands. Among the 15 B.

Interaction between Ras and Src clones causes interdependent tumor malignancy via Notch signaling in Drosophila.

Cancer tissue often comprises multiple tumor clones with distinct oncogenic alterations such as Ras or Src activation, yet the mechanism by which tumor heterogeneity drives cancer progression remains elusive. Here, we show in Drosophila imaginal epithelium that clones of Ras- or Src-activated benign tumors interact with each other to mutually promote tumor malignancy. Mechanistically, Ras-activated cells upregulate the cell-surface ligand Delta while Src-activated cells upregulate its receptor Notch, leading to Notch activation in Src cells.

Analysis of Dopaminergic Functions in Drosophila.

Dopaminergic (DA) neurons regulate various physiological functions, including motor function, emotion, learning, sleep, and arousal. Degeneration of DA neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain causes motor disturbance in Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies on familial PD have revealed that a subset of PD genes encode proteins that regulate mitochondrial function and synaptic dynamics.

α-Synuclein Seeding Assay Using Cultured Cells.

α-Synuclein, a presynaptic protein, is involved in synaptic vesicle dynamics in response to neuronal activity. Mutations of the α-synuclein gene and the neuronal deposition of α-synuclein, called Lewy bodies, are linked to the development of Parkinson's disease. α-Synuclein has a prion-like property that converts its physiological protein conformation to a pathogenic one, forming disease-causing fibrils.

Salt-inducible Kinase 3 Signaling Is Important for the Gluconeogenic Programs in Mouse Hepatocytes.

Salt-inducible kinases (SIKs), members of the 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family, are proposed to be important suppressors of gluconeogenic programs in the liver via the phosphorylation-dependent inactivation of the CREB-specific coactivator CRTC2. Although a dramatic phenotype for glucose metabolism has been found in SIK3-KO mice, additional complex phenotypes, dysregulation of bile acids, cholesterol, and fat homeostasis can render it difficult to discuss the hepatic functions of SIK3. The aim of this study was to examine the cell autonomous actions of SIK3 in hepatocytes.

Dissecting tumour heterogeneity in flies: genetic basis of interclonal oncogenic cooperation.

Cancers develop through sequential acquisition of oncogenic mutations, indicating a crucial role of genetic alterations in tumour progression. However, accumulating evidence suggests that cancers also progress towards malignancy through cell-cell interactions within heterogeneous tumour tissue. Recent studies have indicated that tumour heterogeneity not only contributes to drug resistance and tumour recurrence but also plays an active role in promoting tumour progression.

Poecillastrin D: a new cytotoxin of the chondropsin class from marine sponge Jaspis serpentina.

Poecillastrin D (2) was isolated together with poecillastrin C (1) from the deep sea sponge, Japsis serpentina. Its structure was elucidated to be that of a macrolide lactam by spectroscopic methods. These compounds showed potent cytotoxicity against various tumor cell lines.