Functional characterization of olfactory receptors in three Dacini fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) that respond to 1-nonanol analogs as components in the rectal glands.

Dacini fruit flies (Tephritidae: Diptera), including destructive pest species, are strongly affected in their reproductive behaviors by semiochemicals. Notably, male lures have been developed for pest management e.g.

Unbiased shRNA screening, using a combination of FACS and high-throughput sequencing, enables identification of novel modifiers of Polycomb silencing.

Polycomb silencing is an important and rapidly growing field that is relevant to a broad range of aspects of human health, including cancer and stem cell biology. To date, the regulatory mechanisms for the fine-tuning of Polycomb silencing remain unclear, but it is likely that there is a series of unidentified factors that functionally modify or balance the silencing. However, a practical gene screening strategy for identifying such factors has not yet been developed.

Functional characterization of olfactory receptors in the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis that respond to plant volatiles.

The Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, is a highly destructive pest of various fruits. The reproductive and host-finding behaviors of this species are affected by several plant semiochemicals that are perceived through chemosensory receptors. However, the chemosensory mechanisms by which this perception occurs have not been fully elucidated.

Mbf1 ensures Polycomb silencing by protecting mRNA from degradation by Pacman.

Under stress conditions, the coactivator Multiprotein bridging factor 1 (Mbf1) translocates from the cytoplasm into the nucleus to induce stress-response genes. However, its role in the cytoplasm, where it is mainly located, has remained elusive. Here, we show that Mbf1 associates with mRNA and protects it from degradation by the exoribonuclease Pacman (Pcm), thereby ensuring Polycomb silencing.

Relationship between plasma protein S levels and apolipoprotein C-II in Japanese middle-aged obese women and young nonobese women.

: Protein S, a nonenzymatic cofactor to activated protein C, presents in two forms in plasma, free form and in a complex with C4b-binding protein. The aim of this study was to determine the association of plasma protein S levels with the variables related to cardiovascular disease risk. The relationships between plasma protein S levels with lipids, inflammation markers, and adiposity were first examined on middle-aged obese women (n = 62), then on young nonobese women (n = 160) to verify the findings in the obese women.

Ash1l methylates Lys36 of histone H3 independently of transcriptional elongation to counteract polycomb silencing.

Molecular mechanisms for the establishment of transcriptional memory are poorly understood. 5,6-dichloro-1-D-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole (DRB) is a P-TEFb kinase inhibitor that artificially induces the poised RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), thereby manifesting intermediate steps for the establishment of transcriptional activation. Here, using genetics and DRB, we show that mammalian Absent, small, or homeotic discs 1-like (Ash1l), a member of the trithorax group proteins, methylates Lys36 of histone H3 to promote the establishment of Hox gene expression by counteracting Polycomb silencing.