Photorespiration provides the chance of cyclic electron flow to operate for the redox-regulation of P700 in photosynthetic electron transport system of sunflower leaves.

To elucidate the molecular mechanism to oxidize the reaction center chlorophyll, P700, in PSI, we researched the effects of partial pressure of O2 (pO2) on photosynthetic characteristic parameters in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaves. Under low CO2 conditions, the oxidation of P700 was stimulated; however the decrease in pO2 suppressed its oxidation.

Pathogenic role of calcium-sensing receptors in the development and progression of pulmonary hypertension.

An increase in cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]cyt) in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) is a major trigger for pulmonary vasoconstriction and a critical stimulation for PASMC proliferation and migration. Previously, we demonstrated that expression and function of calcium sensing receptors (CaSR) in PASMC from patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and animals with experimental pulmonary hypertension (PH) were greater than in PASMC from normal subjects and control animals. However, the mechanisms by which CaSR triggers Ca(2+) influx in PASMC and the implication of CaSR in the development of PH remain elusive.

Feasibility of poly(ethylene glycol) derivatives as diagnostic drug carriers for tumor imaging.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is an artificial but biocompatible hydrophilic polymer that has been widely used in clinical products. To evaluate the feasibility of using PEG derivative itself as a tumor imaging carrier via an enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, we prepared indium-111-labeled PEG ((111)In-DTPA-PEG) and indocyanine green (ICG)-labeled PEG (ICG-PEG) with PEG molecular weights of 5-40kDa and investigated their in vivo biodistribution in colon26 tumor-bearing mice. Thereafter, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging studies were performed.

A physiological role of cyclic electron transport around photosystem I in sustaining photosynthesis under fluctuating light in rice.

Plants experience a highly variable light environment over the course of the day. To reveal the molecular mechanisms of their photosynthetic response to fluctuating light, we examined the role of two cyclic electron flows around photosystem I (CEF-PSI)--one depending on PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 (PGR5) and one on NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH)--in photosynthetic regulation under fluctuating light in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Diradical Character Tuning for the Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Quinoidal Oligothiophenes by Introducing Thiophene-S,S-dioxide Rings.

To create a design guideline for efficient third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) molecules, the chain-length (n) dependences of the diradical character y and the longitudinal second hyperpolarizability γ of quinoidal oligothiophenes (QTs), from monomers to octamers, involving thiophene-S,S-dioxide rings are investigated by using the density functional theory method. It turns out that the diradical character of the modified QTs is reduced as compared to those of the pristine QTs. By introducing an appropriate number of oxidized rings into the QT framework, intermediate y values can be achieved even in the systems with large values of n, in which the pristine QTs are predicted to have pure diradical character.

A novel intranuclear RNA vector system for long-term stem cell modification.

Genetically modified stem and progenitor cells have emerged as a promising regenerative platform in the treatment of genetic and degenerative disorders, highlighted by their successful therapeutic use in inherent immunodeficiencies. However, biosafety concerns over insertional mutagenesis resulting from integrating recombinant viral vectors have overshadowed the widespread clinical applications of genetically modified stem cells. Here, we report an RNA-based episomal vector system, amenable for long-term transgene expression in stem cells.

Differential Expression of Genes of the Calvin-Benson Cycle and its Related Genes During Leaf Development in Rice.

To understand how the machinery for photosynthetic carbon assimilation is formed and maintained during leaf development, changes in the mRNA levels of the Calvin-Benson cycle enzymes, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activase and two key enzymes for sucrose synthesis were determined in rice (Oryza sativa L.). According to the patterns of changes in the mRNA levels, these genes were categorized into three groups.

Development of novel PET probes targeting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in tumors.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity and protein expression levels are often increased in tumor regions. Since PI3K plays a crucial role in regulating cell growth and proliferation, inhibiting PI3K-dependent pathways could be a promising approach for cancer treatment. In clinical practice, however, evaluation of PI3K expression levels is limited to immunohistochemistry of patient samples, which requires invasive biopsies.

Artificially produced rare-earth free cosmic magnet.

Chemically ordered hard magnetic L10-FeNi phase of higher grade than cosmic meteorites is produced artificially. Present alloy design shortens the formation time from hundreds of millions of years for natural meteorites to less than 300 hours. Electron diffraction detects four-fold 110 superlattice reflections and a high chemical order parameter (S  0.

Growth Properties and Biomass Production in the Hybrid C4 Crop Sorghum bicolor.

Hybrid vigor (heterosis) has been used as a breeding technique for crop improvement to achieve enhanced biomass production, but the physiological mechanisms underlying heterosis remain poorly understood. In this study, to find a clue to the enhancement of biomass production by heterosis, we systemically evaluated the effect of heterosis on the growth rate and photosynthetic efficiency in sorghum hybrid [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench cv.

ATP promotes cell survival via regulation of cytosolic [Ca2+] and Bcl-2/Bax ratio in lung cancer cells.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a ubiquitous extracellular messenger elevated in the tumor microenvironment. ATP regulates cell functions by acting on purinergic receptors (P2X and P2Y) and activating a series of intracellular signaling pathways. We examined ATP-induced Ca(2+) signaling and its effects on antiapoptotic (Bcl-2) and proapoptotic (Bax) proteins in normal human airway epithelial cells and lung cancer cells.

Complementation analysis reveals a potential role of human ARV1 in GPI anchor biosynthesis.

ARV1 is involved in regulating lipid homeostasis but also in the biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we examined whether human ARV1 can complement the role of yeast ARV1 in GPI biosynthesis. Overexpression of human ARV1 could rescue the phenotypes associated with GPI anchor synthesis defect in the yeast arv1Δ mutant.

Post-illumination transient O -uptake is driven by photorespiration in tobacco leaves.

This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism for the transient increase in the O -uptake rate in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv Xanthi) leaves after turning off actinic lights (ALs). The photosynthetic O evolution rate reaches a maximum shortly after the onset of illumination with ALs and then decreases to zero in atmospheric CO /O conditions. After turning off the ALs, tobacco leaves show a transient increase in the O -uptake rate, the post-illumination transient O -uptake, and thereafter, the O -uptake rate decreases to the level of the dark-respiration rate.

SGLT inhibitors attenuate NO-dependent vascular relaxation in the pulmonary artery but not in the coronary artery.

Inhibitors of sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT)2 are a new class of oral drugs for type 2 diabetic patients that reduce plasma glucose levels by inhibiting renal glucose reabsorption. There is increasing evidence showing the beneficial effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on glucose control; however, less information is available regarding the impact of SGLT2 inhibitors on cardiovascular outcomes. The present study was designed to determine whether SGLT inhibitors regulate vascular relaxation in mouse pulmonary and coronary arteries.

Photosystem I cyclic electron flow via chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase-like complex performs a physiological role for photosynthesis at low light.

Cyclic electron transport around photosystem I (PS I) was discovered more than a half-century ago and two pathways have been identified in angiosperms. Although substantial progress has been made in understanding the structure of the chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex, which mediates one route of the cyclic electron transport pathways, its physiological function is not well understood. Most studies focused on the role of the NDH-dependent PS I cyclic electron transport in alleviation of oxidative damage in strong light.

X-linked RNA-binding motif protein (RBMX) is required for the maintenance of Borna disease virus nuclear viral factories.

Borna disease virus (BDV) is a non-segmented, negative-strand RNA virus that establishes persistent infection in the nucleus. Although BDV forms viral inclusion bodies, termed viral speckles of transcripts (vSPOTs), which are associated with chromatin in the nucleus, the host factors involved in the maintenance of vSPOTs remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified X-linked RNA-binding motif protein (RBMX) as a nuclear factor interacting with BDV nucleoprotein.

piRNAs derived from ancient viral processed pseudogenes as transgenerational sequence-specific immune memory in mammals.

Endogenous bornavirus-like nucleoprotein elements (EBLNs) are sequences within vertebrate genomes derived from reverse transcription and integration of ancient bornaviral nucleoprotein mRNA via the host retrotransposon machinery. While species with EBLNs appear relatively resistant to bornaviral disease, the nature of this association is unclear. We hypothesized that EBLNs could give rise to antiviral interfering RNA in the form of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), a class of small RNA known to silence transposons but not exogenous viruses.

O-GlcNAcase overexpression reverses coronary endothelial cell dysfunction in type 1 diabetic mice.

Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetes, and endothelial dysfunction is commonly seen in these patients. Increased O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) protein modification is one of the central pathogenic features of diabetes. Modification of proteins by O-GlcNAc (O-GlcNAcylation) is regulated by two key enzymes: β-N-acetylglucosaminidase [O-GlcNAcase (OGA)], which catalyzes the reduction of protein O-GlcNAcylation, and O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), which induces O-GlcNAcylation.

Development of anti-HER2 fragment antibody conjugated to iron oxide nanoparticles for in vivo HER2-targeted photoacoustic tumor imaging.

Unlabelled: Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a promising imaging modality that provides biomedical information with high sensitivity and resolution. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been regarded as remarkable PA contrast agents because of their low toxicity and biodegradable properties. However, IONP delivery is restricted by its modest leakage and retention in tumors.

Enhanced leaf photosynthesis as a target to increase grain yield: insights from transgenic rice lines with variable Rieske FeS protein content in the cytochrome b6 /f complex.

Although photosynthesis is the most important source for biomass and grain yield, a lack of correlation between photosynthesis and plant yield among different genotypes of various crop species has been frequently observed. Such observations contribute to the ongoing debate whether enhancing leaf photosynthesis can improve yield potential. Here, transgenic rice plants that contain variable amounts of the Rieske FeS protein in the cytochrome (cyt) b6 /f complex between 10 and 100% of wild-type levels have been used to investigate the effect of reductions of these proteins on photosynthesis, plant growth and yield.

Evaluation of aegerolysins as novel tools to detect and visualize ceramide phosphoethanolamine, a major sphingolipid in invertebrates.

Ceramide phosphoethanolamine (CPE), a sphingomyelin analog, is a major sphingolipid in invertebrates and parasites, whereas only trace amounts are present in mammalian cells. In this study, mushroom-derived proteins of the aegerolysin family—pleurotolysin A2 (PlyA2; K(D) = 12 nM), ostreolysin (Oly; K(D) = 1.3 nM), and erylysin A (EryA; K(D) = 1.

Autophagy supports biomass production and nitrogen use efficiency at the vegetative stage in rice.

Much of the nitrogen in leaves is distributed to chloroplasts, mainly in photosynthetic proteins. During leaf senescence, chloroplastic proteins, including Rubisco, are rapidly degraded, and the released nitrogen is remobilized and reused in newly developing tissues. Autophagy facilitates the degradation of intracellular components for nutrient recycling in all eukaryotes, and recent studies have revealed critical roles for autophagy in Rubisco degradation and nitrogen remobilization into seeds in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana).

Borna disease virus possesses an NF-ĸB inhibitory sequence in the nucleoprotein gene.

Borna disease virus (BDV) has a non-segmented, negative-stranded RNA genome and causes persistent infection in many animal species. Previous study has shown that the activation of the IκB kinase (IKK)/NF-κB pathway is reduced by BDV infection even in cells expressing constitutively active mutant IKK. This result suggests that BDV directly interferes with the IKK/NF-κB pathway.

Establishment of monitoring methods for autophagy in rice reveals autophagic recycling of chloroplasts and root plastids during energy limitation.

Autophagy is an intracellular process leading to vacuolar or lysosomal degradation of cytoplasmic components in eukaryotes. Establishment of proper methods to monitor autophagy was a key step in uncovering its role in organisms, such as yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), mammals, and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), in which chloroplastic proteins were found to be recycled by autophagy. Chloroplast recycling has been predicted to function in nutrient remobilization for growing organs or grain filling in cereal crops.