Highly potent and selective PPARδ agonist reverses memory deficits in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease accompanied by neurotoxicity, excessive inflammation, and cognitive impairment. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ is a potential target for AD. However, its regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic potential in AD remain unclear.

Comparison of Root Transcriptomes against Clubroot Disease Pathogens in a Resistant Chinese Cabbage Cultivar ( cv. 'Akimeki').

Clubroot, caused by , is one of the diseases that causes major economic losses in cruciferous crops worldwide. Although prevention strategies, including soil pH adjustment and crop rotation, have been used, the disease's long persistence and devastating impact continuously remain in the soil. CR varieties were developed for clubroot-resistant (CR) Chinese cabbage, and 'Akimeki' is one of the clubroot disease-resistant cultivars.

C-Type LECTIN receptor-like kinase 1 and ACTIN DEPOLYMERIZING FACTOR 3 are key components of plasmodesmata callose modulation.

Plasmodesmata (PDs) are intercellular organelles carrying multiple membranous nanochannels that allow the trafficking of cellular signalling molecules. The channel regulation of PDs occurs dynamically and is required in various developmental and physiological processes. It is well known that callose is a critical component in regulating PD permeability or symplasmic connectivity, but the understanding of the signalling pathways and mechanisms of its regulation is limited.

Cavomycins A-C, Linear Oligomer Depsipeptides from an Annelid-Associated .

Three unique linear oligomeric depsipeptides, designated as cavomycins A-C (-), were identified from , a gut bacterium associated with the annelid . The structures of these depsipeptides were determined through a combination of spectroscopic methods and chemical derivatization techniques, including methanolysis, the modified Mosher's method, advanced Marfey's methods, and phenylglycine methyl ester derivatization. The unique dipeptidyl residue arrangements in compounds - indicate that they are not degradation products of valinomycin.

Ulmus macrocarpa Hance trunk bark extracts inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and prevent ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ulmus macrocarpa Hance (UmH) bark has been traditionally utilized for medicinal purposes. The bark extract of this plant has diverse health benefits, and its potential role in enhancing bone health is of distinct interest, particularly when considering the substantial health and economic implications of bone-related pathologies, such as osteoporosis. Despite the compelling theoretical implications of UmH bark in fortifying bone health, no definitive evidence at the in vivo level is currently available, thus highlighting the innovative and as-yet-unexplored potential of this field of study.

Realizing a Superconducting Square-Lattice Bismuth Monolayer.

Interplay of crystal symmetry, strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), and many-body interactions in low-dimensional materials provides a fertile ground for the discovery of unconventional electronic and magnetic properties and versatile functionalities. Two-dimensional (2D) allotropes of group 15 elements are appealing due to their structures and controllability over symmetries and topology under strong SOC. Here, we report the heteroepitaxial growth of a proximity-induced superconducting 2D square-lattice bismuth monolayer on superconducting Pb films.

Bioactive Piperazic Acid-Bearing Cyclodepsipeptides, Lydiamycins E-H, from an Endophytic sp. Associated with .

A chemical investigation of the endophytic sp. HBQ95, associated with the medicinal plant Presl, enabled the discovery of four new piperazic acid-bearing cyclodepsipeptides, lydiamycins E-H (-), and one known compound (lydiamycin A). Their chemical structures, including absolute configurations, were defined by a combination of spectroscopic analyses and multiple chemical manipulations.

Role of tyrosine autophosphorylation and methionine residues in BRI1 function in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Background: Brassinosteroids (BRs), a group of plant growth hormones, control biomass accumulation and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, and therefore are highly relevant to agriculture. BRs bind to the BR receptor protein, brassinosteroid insensitive 1 (BRI1), which is classified as a serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinase. Recently, we reported that BRI1 acts as a dual-specificity kinase both in vitro and in vivo by undergoing autophosphorylation at tyrosine (Tyr) residues.

Development of Dibenzothiazepine Derivatives as Multifunctional Compounds for Neuropathic Pain.

Neuropathic pain is a chronic and sometimes intractable condition caused by lesions or diseases of the somatosensory nervous system. Many drugs are available but unfortunately do not provide satisfactory effects in patients, producing limited analgesia and undesirable side effects. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop new pharmaceutical agents to treat neuropathic pain.

Flavonoid Glycosides from Inhibit Osteoclast Differentiation via the Downregulation of NFATc1.

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify chemical components with osteoclast differentiation inhibitory activity from Hance bark. Spectroscopic analyses, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD), resulted in the unequivocal elucidation of active compounds such as (2)-naringenin-6--β-d-glucopyranoside (), (2)-naringenin-6--β-d-glucopyranoside (), (2,3)-catechin-7--β-d-xylopyranoside (), (2,3)-catechin-7--β-d-apiofuranoside (), (2,3)-taxifolin-6--β-d-glucopyranoside (), and (2,3)-taxifolin-6--β-d-glucopyranoside (). Mechanistically, the compounds may exhibit osteoclast differentiation inhibitory activity via the downregulation of NFATc1, a master regulator involved in osteoclast formation.

Enhanced Berry Curvature Dipole and Persistent Spin Texture in the Bi(110) Monolayer.

Nonvanishing Berry curvature dipole (BCD) and persistent spin texture (PST) are intriguing physical manifestations of electronic states in noncentrosymmetric 2D materials. The former induces a nonlinear Hall conductivity while the latter offers a coherent spin current. Based on density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations, we demonstrate the coexistence of both phenomena in a Bi(110) monolayer with a distorted phosphorene structure.

Engineering Domain Wall Electronic States in Strongly Correlated van der Waals Material of 1T-TaS.

Although a few physical methods were demonstrated for domain wall engineering in various electronic or ferroic materials with broken discrete symmetries, the direct control over the electronic properties of individual domain walls has been extremely limited. Here, we introduce a chemical method to tune the electronic property of domain walls in 1T tantalum disulfide. By using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, we find that indium adatoms on 1T-TaS have distinct behaviors on the domains with different bulk terminations.

Phosphorylation of BIK1 is critical for interaction with downstream signaling components.

Background: Botrytis-induced Kinase 1 (BIK1) is a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) involved in the defense, growth, and development of higher plants. It interacts with various receptor-like kinases (RLKs) such as Brassinosteroid Insensitive 1 (BRI1), Flagellin Sensitive 2 (FLS2), and Perception of the Arabidopsis Danger Signal Peptide 1 (PEPR1), but little is known about signaling downstream of BIK1.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to identify Arabidopsis thaliana BIK1 (AtBIK1) and Brassica rapa BIK1 (BrBIK1) interacting proteins, which is downstream signaling components in Arabidopsis.

Austalide K from the Fungus Prevents LPS-Induced Bone Loss in Mice by Inhibiting Osteoclast Differentiation and Promoting Osteoblast Differentiation.

Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that has become a serious public health problem due to the associated reduction in quality of life and its increasing financial burden. It is known that inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and promoting osteoblast formation prevents osteoporosis. As there is no drug with this dual activity without clinical side effects, new alternatives are needed.

Tunable high-temperature itinerant antiferromagnetism in a van der Waals magnet.

Discovery of two dimensional (2D) magnets, showing intrinsic ferromagnetic (FM) or antiferromagnetic (AFM) orders, has accelerated development of novel 2D spintronics, in which all the key components are made of van der Waals (vdW) materials and their heterostructures. High-performing and energy-efficient spin functionalities have been proposed, often relying on current-driven manipulation and detection of the spin states. In this regard, metallic vdW magnets are expected to have several advantages over the widely-studied insulating counterparts, but have not been much explored due to the lack of suitable materials.

Golden Gate Cloning-Compatible DNA Replicon/2A-Mediated Polycistronic Vectors for Plants.

The expression of multiple proteins and high-throughput vector assembly system are highly relevant in the field of plant genetic engineering and synthetic biology. Deployment of the self-cleaving 2A peptide that mediates polycistronic gene expression has been an effective strategy for multigene expression, as it minimizes issues in coordinated transgene regulation and trait staking in plants. However, efficient vector assembly systems optimized for 2A peptide-mediated polycistronic expression are currently unavailable.

A New Thiopeptide Antibiotic, Micrococcin P3, from a Marine-Derived Strain of the Bacterium .

A new thiopeptide (micrococcin P3, ) and a known one (micrococcin P1, ) were isolated from the culture broth of a marine-derived strain of . The structures of both compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR analysis, high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and tandem mass spectrometry. Both compounds exhibited potent antibacterial activities against Gram-positive strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.

Defect-Selective Charge-Density-Wave Condensation in 2H-NbSe_{2}.

Defects have been known to substantially affect quantum states of materials including charge density wave (CDW). However, the microscopic mechanism of the influence of defects is often elusive due partly to the lack of atomic scale characterization of defects themselves. We investigate native defects of a prototypical CDW material 2H-NbSe_{2} and their microscopic interaction with CDW.

Benzophenone Compounds, from a Marine-Derived Strain of the Fungus , Inhibit Proliferation of Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Targeting the MEK/ERK Pathway.

Pancreatic cancer, which has an extremely poor prognosis, is one of the most fatal human cancers. Chemotherapy is the main palliative treatment for advanced cancer patients and also plays an indispensable role in postoperative treatments for surgical patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop more innovative anticancer drugs to fight against this fatal disease.

Austalides, Osteoclast Differentiation Inhibitors from a Marine-Derived Strain of the Fungus .

Four new meroterpenoids, austalides V-X (-) and a farnesylated phthalide derivative (), were isolated from the culture of the marine fungus , together with eight known meroterpenoids derivatives (-). Their structures, including absolute configurations, were determined by spectroscopic methods. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities on the receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation.

Topological Landscape of Competing Charge Density Waves in 2H-NbSe_{2}.

Despite decades of studies of the charge density wave (CDW) of 2H-NbSe_{2}, the origin of its incommensurate CDW ground state has not been understood. We discover that the CDW of 2H-NbSe_{2} is composed of two different, energetically competing, structures. The lateral heterostructures of two CDWs are entangled as topological excitations, which give rise to a CDW phase shift and the incommensuration without a conventional domain wall.

Biochemical Analysis of the Role of Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinases and the Carboxy-Terminus of Receptor Kinases in Regulating Kinase Activity in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica oleracea.

Protein post-translational modification by phosphorylation is essential for the activity and stability of proteins in higher plants and underlies their responses to diverse stimuli. There are more than 300 leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs), a major group of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) that plays an important role in growth, development, and biotic stress responses in higher plants. To analyze auto- and transphosphorylation patterns and kinase activities in vitro, 43 full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) sequences were cloned from genes encoding LRR-RLKs.