Glucose-6-phosphatase is required for organelle reorganization, energy metabolism and motility of sperm.

Glucose-6-Phosphatase (G6Pase), a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis in the mammalian liver and kidney, converts glucose-6-phosphate to glucose for maintaining systemic blood glucose homeostasis during nutrient deprivation. However, its function has remained elusive in insects, which have no need for G6Pase in sugar homeostasis since they convert glucose-6-phosphate to trehalose, their main circulating sugar, via trehalose phosphate synthase (TPS1). In this study we identify an unexpected and essential requirement for G6Pase in male fertility, specifically to produce motile sperm.

Design, synthesis, biological evaluation study of spirocyclic POM analogues as novel MmpL3 anti-tubercular agent.

We present the development of a phenyl oxazole methyl (POM) core structure with spirocyclic derivatives as part of our efforts to discover innovative anti-tuberculosis agents. Derivatives of spirocyclic POM were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory effects on M.tuberculosis (M.

Opposing chemosensory functions of closely related gustatory receptors.

In the fruit fly , gustatory sensory neurons express taste receptors that are tuned to distinct groups of chemicals, thereby activating neural ensembles that elicit either feeding or avoidance behavior. Members of a family of ligand -gated receptor channels, the Gustatory receptors (Grs), play a central role in these behaviors. In general, closely related, evolutionarily conserved Gr proteins are co-expressed in the same type of taste neurons, tuned to chemically related compounds, and therefore triggering the same behavioral response.

Opposing chemosensory functions of closely related gustatory receptors.

Most animals have functionally distinct populations of taste cells, expressing receptors that are tuned to compounds of different valence. This organizational feature allows for discrimination between chemicals associated with specific taste modalities and facilitates differentiating between unadulterated foods and foods contaminated with toxic substances. In the fruit fly , primary sensory neurons express taste receptors that are tuned to distinct groups of chemicals, thereby activating neural ensembles that elicit either feeding or avoidance behavior.

Association between Patients' Self-Judgement, Coagulated Menstrual Blood, and Menorrhagia: Results from a Questionnaire Survey and Blood Test Analysis.

: Menorrhagia is defined as a blood loss of more than 80 mL, which is significant enough to cause anemia. Previously known methods for evaluating menorrhagia, such as the alkalin-hematin method, pictograms, and measuring the weight of sanitary products, were all impractical, complex, and time-consuming. Therefore, this study aimed to determine which item among menstrual history taking was most associated with menorrhagia and devised a simple evaluating method for menorrhagia through history taking that can be applied clinically.

RNA Taste Is Conserved in Dipteran Insects.

Background: Ribonucleosides and RNA are an underappreciated nutrient group essential during Drosophila larval development and growth. Detection of these nutrients requires at least one of the 6 closely related taste receptors encoded by the Gr28 genes, one of the most conserved insect taste receptor subfamilies.

Objectives: We investigated whether blow fly larvae and mosquito larvae, which shared the last ancestor with Drosophila about 65 and 260 million years ago, respectively, can taste RNA and ribose.

Reliability and Validity of Non-invasive Blood Pressure Measurement System Using Three-Axis Tactile Force Sensor.

Blood pressure (BP) is a physiological parameter reflecting hemodynamic factors and is crucial in evaluating cardiovascular disease and its prognosis. In the present study, the reliability of a non-invasive and continuous BP measurement using a three-axis tactile force sensor was verified. All the data were collected every 2 min for the short-term experiment, and every 10 min for the long-term experiment.

Lipoteichoic Acid Isolated from Maintains Inflammatory Homeostasis through Regulation of Th1- and Th2-Induced Cytokines.

Lipoteichoic acid isolated from K8 (pLTA) alleviates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced excessive inflammation through inhibition of TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-6. In addition, pLTA increases the survival rate of mice in a septic shock model. In the current study, we have found that pLTA contributes to homeostasis through regulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production.

Molecular basis of fatty acid taste in .

Behavioral studies have established that appetitive taste responses towards fatty acids are mediated by sweet sensing Gustatory Receptor Neurons (GRNs). Here we show that sweet GRN activation requires the function of the genes , and . The former two genes are expressed in several neurons per sensillum, while expression is restricted to sweet GRNs.

CO2 enhances effects of hypoxia on mortality, development, and gene expression in cowpea bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus.

Modified atmosphere based on lack of O2 offers a safe, residue-free alternative to chemical fumigants for pest control in stored grains. In this study, we intended to determine whether elevated CO2 (at a biologically achievable level) has an enhanced suppressive effect over low O2 atmosphere alone on the cowpea bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus), a storage pest of cowpea and other legumes. Experiments were performed under two modified atmospheric conditions, (1) 2% O2+18% CO2+80% N2 and (2) 2% O2+98% N2.

Insight into hypoxia tolerance in cowpea bruchid: metabolic repression and heat shock protein regulation via hypoxia-inducible factor 1.

Oxygen is of fundamental importance for most living organisms including insects. Hermetic storage uses airtight containment facilities to withhold oxygen required for development, thus preventing damage by insect pests in stored grain. Cowpea bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus) ceases feeding and growth when exposed to 2% oxygen.

Characterization of the major dehydrogenase related to d-lactic acid synthesis in Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides ATCC 8293.

Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides ATCC 8293 is a lactic acid bacterium that converts pyruvate mainly to d-(-)-lactic acid by using d-(-)-lactate dehydrogenase (ldhD). The aim of this study was to identify the gene responsible for d-lactic acid formation in this organism and to characterize the enzyme to facilitate the production of optically pure d-lactic acid.

Effects of decreased O2 and elevated CO2 on survival, development, and gene expression in cowpea bruchids.

Use of modified atmospheres with depleted O(2) and/or elevated CO(2) is an environmentally friendly alternative to currently used fumigants for control of stored grain insect pests. In the present study, we examined the impact of hypoxia and hypercapnia on cowpea bruchids (Callosobruchus maculatus), a storage pest of cowpea and other legumes. Two O(2)/CO(2) combinations were used; (i) 10% O(2)+10% CO(2), (ii) 2% O(2)+18% CO(2).

Antimicrobial treatment of grapes using sodium hypochlorite in winemaking and its effects on the chemical and sensory characteristics of wines.

This study was performed to examine the use of NaOCl as an alternative antimicrobial compound in winemaking because of the potential health problems that may arise as a result of the use of SO2. For this, the blank (non-treated), control (SO2-added), and sample (NaOCl-treated) wines were made, and microbial and chemical changes including sensory characteristics were analyzed during the fermentation periods. Treatment of grapes with NaOCl decreased the initial contaminating microbial population in grape must, resulting in higher growth of yeast and lactic acid bacteria.

Enhancing acid tolerance of Leuconostoc mesenteroides with glutathione.

Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a commercially important lactic acid bacterium currently used as a starter for kimchi and kefir. However, its sensitivity to acid stress limits its performance. L.

Stability of AtVSP in the insect digestive canal determines its defensive capability.

We have previously demonstrated that Arabidopsis vegetative storage protein (AtVSP) is an acid phosphatase that has anti-insect activity in in vitro feeding assays [Liu et al., 2005. Plant Physiology 139, 1545-1556].

Changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide environment alter gene expression of cowpea bruchids.

Hermetic storage is a widely adopted technique for preventing stored grain from being damaged by storage insect pests. In the air-tight container, insects consume oxygen through metabolism while concomitantly raising carbon dioxide concentrations through respiration. Previous studies on the impact of hypoxia and hypercapnia on feeding behavior of cowpea bruchids have shown that feeding activity gradually decreases in proportion to the changing gas concentrations and virtually ceases at approximately 3-6% (v/v) oxygen and 15-18% carbon dioxide.

N-glycosylation at non-canonical Asn-X-Cys sequence of an insect recombinant cathepsin B-like counter-defense protein.

CmCatB, a cowpea bruchid cathepsin B-like cysteine protease, facilitates insects coping with dietary protease inhibitor challenge. Expression of recombinant CmCatB using a Pichia pastoris system yielded an enzymatically active protein that was heterogeneously glycosylated, migrating as a smear of > or =50kDa on SDS-PAGE. Treatment with peptide:N-glycosidase F indicated that N-glycosylation was predominant.

Coordination of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 and seven-up controls insect counter-defense cathepsin B expression.

CmCatB, a cathepsin B-type cysteine protease, is insensitive to inhibition by the soybean cysteine protease inhibitor (scN). Cowpea bruchids dramatically induce CmCatB expression when major digestive proteases are inactivated by dietary scN, which is presumably an adaptive strategy that insects use to minimize effects of nutrient deficiency. In this study, we cloned the cowpea bruchid hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (CmHNF-4) and demonstrated its involvement in transcriptional activation of CmCatB in the digestive tract of scN-adapted bruchids.

CmCatD, a cathepsin D-like protease has a potential role in insect defense against a phytocystatin.

When fed on a diet containing a proteinaceous cysteine protease inhibitor from soybean (scN), cowpea bruchid larvae enhance their overall digestive capacity to counter the inhibitory effect. Elevated proteolytic activity is attributed not only to the major digestive cysteine proteases (CmCPs), but also to aspartic proteases, a minor midgut protease component. In this study, we isolated a CmCatD cDNA from cowpea bruchid midgut that shares substantial sequence similarity with cathepsin D-like aspartic proteases of other organisms.

Diagnostic accuracy of CT and ultrasonography for evaluating metastatic cervical lymph nodes in patients with thyroid cancer.

Background: The present study was designed to investigate the diagnostic ability of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (USG) in the preoperative evaluation of the cervical nodal status of patients with thyroid cancer.

Methods: The study population consisted of 37 consecutive patients (female:male = 30:7, age range: 20-68 years) who subsequently underwent total thyroidectomy and neck dissection for thyroid cancer. The results of the review of the preoperative CT and those of the original USG reports were compared with the histopathologic results.

Seven-up facilitates insect counter-defense by suppressing cathepsin B expression.

When challenged by the dietary soybean cysteine protease inhibitor scN, the cowpea bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus) adapts to the inhibitory effects by readjusting the transcriptome of its digestive system, including the specific activation of a cathepsin B-like cysteine protease CmCatB. To understand the transcriptional regulation of CmCatB, we cloned a portion of its promoter and demonstrated its activity in Drosophila cells using a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter system. EMSAs detected differential DNA-binding activity between nuclear extracts of scN-adapted and -unadapted midguts.

Arabidopsis vegetative storage protein is an anti-insect acid phosphatase.

Indirect evidence previously suggested that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) vegetative storage protein (VSP) could play a role in defense against herbivorous insects. To test this hypothesis, other AtVSP-like sequences in Arabidopsis were identified through a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool search, and their transcriptional profiles were investigated. In response to methyl jasmonate application or phosphate starvation, AtVSP and AtVSP-like genes exhibited differential expression patterns, suggesting distinct roles played by each member.

Transcriptional regulation of sorghum defense determinants against a phloem-feeding aphid.

When attacked by a phloem-feeding greenbug aphid (Schizaphis graminum), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) activates jasmonic acid (JA)- and salicylic acid (SA)-regulated genes, as well as genes outside known wounding and SA signaling pathways. A collection of 672 cDNAs was obtained by differential subtraction with cDNAs prepared from sorghum seedlings infested by greenbug aphids and those from uninfested seedlings. Subsequent expression profiling using DNA microarray and northern-blot analyses identified 82 transcript types from this collection responsive to greenbug feeding, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), or SA application.