Dominant Expression of Chromogranin B in Pituitary Corticotrophs and Its Putative Role in Interaction With Secretogranin III.

SummaryPrevious studies have suggested that chromogranin A (CgA) is a partner molecule of secretogranin III (SgIII). In mouse pituitary corticotroph-derived AtT-20 cells, SgIII plays a role in sorting CgA/hormone aggregates into secretory granules (SGs). Although CgA expression is equivocal, CgB is clearly detectable in the rat pituitary corticotrophs.

Phogrin Regulates High-Fat Diet-Induced Compensatory Pancreatic β-Cell Growth by Switching Binding Partners.

The receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase phogrin primarily localizes to hormone secretory granules in neuroendocrine cells. Concurrent with glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, phogrin translocates to pancreatic β-cell plasma membranes, where it interacts with insulin receptors (IRs) to stabilize insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) that, in turn, contributes to glucose-responsive β-cell growth. Pancreatic β-cell development was not altered in β-cell-specific, phogrin-deficient mice, but the thymidine incorporation rate decreased in phogrin-deficient islets with a moderate reduction in IRS2 protein expression.

Insulin granule morphology and crinosome formation in mice lacking the pancreatic β cell-specific phogrin (PTPRN2) gene.

We recently reported that phogrin, also known as IA-2β or PTPRN2, forms a complex with the insulin receptor in pancreatic β cells upon glucose stimulation and stabilizes insulin receptor substrate 2. In β cells of systemic phogrin gene knockout (IA-2β) mice, impaired glucose-induced insulin secretion, decreased insulin granule density, and an increase in the number and size of lysosomes have been reported. Since phogrin is expressed not only in β cells but also in various neuroendocrine cells, the precise impact of phogrin expressed in β cells on these cells remains unclear.

Differential Expression of Secretogranins II and III in Canine Adrenal Chromaffin Cells and Pheochromocytomas.

Secretogranin II (SgII) and III (SgIII) function within peptide hormone-producing cells and are involved in secretory granule formation. However, their function in active amine-producing cells is not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the expression profiles of SgII and SgIII in canine adrenal medulla and pheochromocytomas by immunohistochemical staining.

Expression Pattern of the Reporter in Secretogranin III Gene-trapped Mice.

Secretogranin III (SgIII) is a granin protein involved in secretory granule formation in peptide-hormone-producing endocrine cells. In this study, we analyzed the expression of the in the knockout mice produced by gene trapping () for the purpose of comprehensively clarifying the expression patterns of SgIII at the cell and tissue levels. In the endocrine tissues of mice, expression was observed in the pituitary gland, adrenal medulla, and pancreatic islets, where SgIII expression has been canonically revealed.

Author Correction: Emergence of unprecedented climate change in projected future precipitation.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Emergence of unprecedented climate change in projected future precipitation.

The future time of emergence when precipitation changes due to anthropogenic influences begins to continuously exceed the previous maximum value is defined as the 'tipping year' Historical experiments and future experiments simulated by state-of-the-art climate models were utilized. A total of 510,000 time series from year 1856 to 2095 were generated by sampling the natural internal variability in precipitation. The time evolutions of internal variability in the whole time period were estimated from the combination of past and future experiments with preindustrial control experiments.

Culture in 10% O enhances the production of active hormones in neuro-endocrine cells by up-regulating the expression of processing enzymes.

To closely mimic physiological conditions, low oxygen cultures have been employed in stem cell and cancer research. Although oxygen concentrations in tissues are often much lower than ambient 21% O (ranging from 3.6 to 12.

The pseudophosphatase phogrin enables glucose-stimulated insulin signaling in pancreatic β cells.

Autocrine insulin signaling is critical for pancreatic β-cell growth and activity and is at least partially controlled by protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) that act on insulin receptors (IRs). The receptor-type PTP phogrin primarily localizes on insulin secretory granules in pancreatic β cells. We recently reported that phogrin knockdown decreases the protein levels of insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), whereas high-glucose stimulation promotes formation of a phogrin-IR complex that stabilizes IRS2.

Impaired Processing of Prohormones in Secretogranin III-Null Mice Causes Maladaptation to an Inadequate Diet and Stress.

Secretogranin III (SgIII), a member of the granin family, binds both to another granin, chromogranin A (CgA), and to a cholesterol-rich membrane that is destined for secretory granules (SGs). The knockdown of SgIII in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing AtT-20 cells largely impairs the regulated secretion of CgA and ACTH. To clarify the physiological roles of SgIII in vivo, we analyzed hormone secretion and SG biogenesis in newly established SgIII-knockout (KO) mice.

Canine Salivary Glands: Analysis of Rab and SNARE Protein Expression and SNARE Complex Formation With Diverse Tissue Properties.

The comparative structure and expression of salivary components and vesicular transport proteins in the canine major salivary glands were investigated. Histochemical analysis revealed that the morphology of the five major salivary glands-parotid, submandibular, polystomatic sublingual, monostomatic sublingual, and zygomatic glands-was greatly diverse. Immunoblot analysis revealed that expression levels of α-amylase and antimicrobial proteins, such as lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, and lactoferrin, differed among the different glands.

West African monsoon decadal variability and surface-related forcings: Second West African Monsoon Modeling and Evaluation Project Experiment (WAMME II).

The second West African Monsoon Modeling and Evaluation Project Experiment (WAMME II) is designed to improve understanding of the possible roles and feedbacks of sea surface temperature (SST), land use land cover change (LULCC), and aerosols forcings in the Sahel climate system at seasonal to decadal scales. The project's strategy is to apply prescribed observationally based anomaly forcing, i.e.

Evaluation of the influence of double and triple Gaussian proton kernel models on accuracy of dose calculations for spot scanning technique.

Purpose: The main purpose in this study was to present the results of beam modeling and how the authors systematically investigated the influence of double and triple Gaussian proton kernel models on the accuracy of dose calculations for spot scanning technique.

Methods: The accuracy of calculations was important for treatment planning software (TPS) because the energy, spot position, and absolute dose had to be determined by TPS for the spot scanning technique. The dose distribution was calculated by convolving in-air fluence with the dose kernel.

TORC1 activity is partially reduced under nitrogen starvation conditions in sake yeast Kyokai no. 7, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Industrial yeasts are generally unable to sporulate but treatment with the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin restores this ability in a sake yeast strain Kyokai no. 7 (K7), Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This finding suggests that TORC1 is active under sporulation conditions.

Partial inhibition of differentiation associated with elevated protein levels of pluripotency factors in mouse embryonic stem cells expressing exogenous EGAM1N homeoprotein.

We previously reported that transcripts encoding the homeoprotein EGAM1N are expressed in preimplantation mouse embryos and embryonic stem (ES) cells, and the exogenous expression of EGAM1N inhibits the differentiation of ES cells. In order to clarify the relationship between the inhibition of differentiation and EGAM1N, we generated mouse MG1.19 ES cells stably expressing EGAM1N.

Expression of Secretogranin III in Chicken Endocrine Cells: Its Relevance to the Secretory Granule Properties of Peptide Prohormone Processing and Bioactive Amine Content.

The expression of secretogranin III (SgIII) in chicken endocrine cells has not been investigated. There is limited data available for the immunohistochemical localization of SgIII in the brain, pituitary, and pancreatic islets of humans and rodents. In the present study, we used immunoblotting to reveal the similarities between the expression patterns of SgIII in the common endocrine glands of chickens and rats.

Intracellular and in vivo oxygen sensing using phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes with a modified acetylacetonato ligand.

Small luminescent molecular probes based on the iridium(III) complex BTP, (btp)2Ir(acac) (btp = benzothienylpyridine, acac = acetylacetone) have been developed for sensing intracellular and in vivo O2. These compounds are BTPSA (containing an anionic carboxyl group), BTPNH2 (containing a cationic amino group), and BTPDM1 (containing a cationic dimethylamino group); all substituents are incorporated into the ancillary acetylacetonato ligand of BTP. Introduction of the cationic dimethylamino group resulted in an almost 20-fold increase in cellular uptake efficiency of BTPDM1 by HeLa cells compared with BTP.

Silylation improves the photodynamic activity of tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives in vitro and in vivo.

The effects of silyl and hydrophilic groups on the photodynamic properties of tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) derivatives have been studied in vitro and in vivo. Silylation led to an improvement in the quantum yield of singlet oxygen sensitization for both sulfo and carboxy derivatives, although the silylation did not affect other photophysical properties. Silylation also improved the cellular uptake efficiency for both sulfo and carboxy derivatives, enhancing the in vitro photodynamic activity of the photosensitizer in U251 human glioma cells.

Functional implications of the Golgi and microtubular network in gonadotropes.

In contrast to the widely accepted images of the Golgi apparatus as a cup-like shape, the Golgi in pituitary gonadotropes is organized as a spherical shape in which the outer and inner faces are cis- and trans-Golgi elements, respectively. At the center of the spherical Golgi, a pair of centrioles is situated as a microtubule-organizing center from which radiating microtubules isotropically extend toward the cell periphery. This review focuses on the significance of the characteristic organization of the Golgi and microtubule network in gonadotropes, considering the roles of microtubule-dependent membrane transport in the formation and maintenance of the Golgi structure.

High-resolution prediction of leaf onset date in Japan in the 21st century under the IPCC A1B scenario.

Reports indicate that leaf onset (leaf flush) of deciduous trees in cool-temperate ecosystems is occurring earlier in the spring in response to global warming. In this study, we created two types of phenology models, one driven only by warmth (spring warming [SW] model) and another driven by both warmth and winter chilling (parallel chill [PC] model), to predict such phenomena in the Japanese Islands at high spatial resolution (500 m). We calibrated these models using leaf onset dates derived from satellite data (Terra/MODIS) and in situ temperature data derived from a dense network of ground stations Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System.

Intact structure of EGAM1 homeoproteins and basic amino acid residues in the common homeodomain of EGAM1 and EGAM1C contribute to their nuclear localization in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Recently, we identified the structurally related homeoproteins EGAM1, EGAM1N, and EGAM1C in both preimplantation mouse embryos and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. These EGAM1 homeoproteins act as positive or negative regulators of differentiation and cell growth in mouse ES cells, such that these proteins are considered transcriptional regulators. In this study, we investigated their nuclear localization and identified the amino acid residues crucial for the nuclear translocation of EGAM1 and EGAM1C.

Chronic exercise enhances insulin secretion ability of pancreatic islets without change in insulin content in non-diabetic rats.

We evaluated the effect of chronic exercise on insulin secretion in response to high-glucose by using a perifusion method with isolated pancreatic islets from normal rats. Male Wistar rats were assigned to one of two groups: a sedentary group and a trained group. Running exercise was carried out on a treadmill for one hour per day, five days per week, for six, nine, or 12 weeks.

Multiple sorting systems for secretory granules ensure the regulated secretion of peptide hormones.

Prior to secretion, regulated peptide hormones are selectively sorted to secretory granules (SGs) at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) in endocrine cells. Secretogranin III (SgIII) appears to facilitate SG sorting process by tethering of protein aggregates containing chromogranin A (CgA) and peptide hormones to the cholesterol-rich SG membrane (SGM). Here, we evaluated the role of SgIII in SG sorting in AtT-20 cells transfected with small interfering RNA targeting SgIII.

A unique ball-shaped Golgi apparatus in the rat pituitary gonadotrope: its functional implications in relation to the arrangement of the microtubule network.

In polarized exocrine cells, the Golgi apparatus is cup-shaped and its convex and concave surfaces are designated as cis and trans faces, functionally confronting the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the cell surface, respectively. To clarify the morphological characteristics of the Golgi apparatus in non-polarized endocrine cells, the investigators immunocytochemically examined its precise architecture in pituitary gonadotropes, especially in relation to the arrangement of the intracellular microtubule network. The Golgi apparatus in the gonadotropes was not cup-shaped but ball-shaped or spherical, and its outer and inner surfaces were the cis and trans faces, respectively.