Identification of inheritance and genetic loci responsible for wrinkled fruit surface phenotype in chili pepper () by quantitative trait locus analysis.

Unlabelled: The phenotypes of chili pepper () fruit are sometimes characterized by having either smooth or wrinkled surfaces, both of which are commercially important. However, as the inheritance patterns and responsible loci have not yet been identified, it is difficult to control fruit surface traits in conventional chili pepper breeding. To obtain new insights into these aspects, we attempted to clarify the genetic regulation mechanisms responsible for the wrinkled surface of fruit from the Japanese chili pepper 'Shishito' (.

Structural dynamics of the Ca-regulated cutinase towards structure-based improvement of PET degradation activity.

We previously revealed the structural basis of Ca dependent regulation of a polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-degrading enzyme, Cut190, and proposed a unique reaction cycle in which the enzyme repeatedly binds and releases Ca. Here, we report crystal structures of Cut190 mutants with high thermal stability complexed with PET-like ligands that contain aromatic rings. The structural information has allowed us to perform further computational analyses using a PET-trimer bound model.

A Decrease in the Hardness of Feces with Added Glucosylceramide Extracted from Koji -A Working Hypothesis of Health Benefits of Dietary Glucosylceramide.

Skin barrier function, prevent colon cancer, head and neck cancer, and decrease liver cholesterol. However, the mechanism of action has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we propose a new working hypothesis regarding the health benefits and functions of glucosylceramide: decreased fecal hardness.

Development of an LC-MS/MS method for the determination of five psychoactive drugs in postmortem urine by optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates.

Purpose: Toxicological analyses of biological samples play important roles in forensic and clinical investigations. Ingested drugs are excreted in urine as conjugates with endogenous substances such as glucuronic acid; hydrolyzing these conjugates improves the determination of target drugs by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In this study, we sought to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates of five psychoactive drugs (11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol, oxazepam, lorazepam, temazepam, and amitriptyline).