Publications by authors named "Min-Jue Xie"

Morphologically dynamic dendritic spines are the major sites of neuronal plasticity in the brain; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying their morphological dynamics have not been fully elucidated. Phldb2 is a protein that contains two predicted coiled-coil domains and the pleckstrin homology domain, whose binding is highly sensitive to PIP. We have previously demonstrated that Phldb2 regulates synaptic plasticity, glutamate receptor trafficking, and PSD-95 turnover.

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Inflammatory diseases caused by infectious agents such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus can lead to impaired reductive-oxidative (REDOX) balance and disrupted mitochondrial function. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) provide a useful model for studying the effects of inflammatory diseases on mitochondrial function but can be limited by the need to store these cells by cryopreservation prior to assay. Here, we describe a method for improving and determining PBMC viability with normalization of values to number of living cells.

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by profound impairment in social interactions and communication skills, is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder. Many studies on the mechanisms underlying the development of ASD have focused on the serotonergic system; however, these studies have failed to completely elucidate the mechanisms. We previously identified -ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) as a new serotonin transporter (SERT)-binding protein and described its importance in SERT membrane trafficking and uptake .

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Coordination of skilled movements and motor planning relies on the formation of regionally restricted brain circuits that connect cortex with subcortical areas during embryonic development. Layer 5 neurons that are distributed across most cortical areas innervate the pontine nuclei (basilar pons) by protrusion and extension of collateral branches interstitially along their corticospinal extending axons. Pons-derived chemotropic cues are known to attract extending axons, but molecules that regulate collateral extension to create regionally segregated targeting patterns have not been identified.

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The essential involvement of phosphoinositides in synaptic plasticity is well-established, but incomplete knowledge of the downstream molecular entities prevents us from understanding their signalling cascades completely. Here, we determined that Phldb2, of which pleckstrin-homology domain is highly sensitive to PIP, functions as a phosphoinositide-signalling mediator for synaptic plasticity. BDNF application caused Phldb2 recruitment toward postsynaptic membrane in dendritic spines, whereas PI3K inhibition resulted in its reduced accumulation.

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The neuronal spine is a small, actin-rich dendritic or somatic protrusion that serves as the postsynaptic compartment of the excitatory synapse. The morphology of the spine reflects the activity of the synapse and is regulated by the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton inside, which is controlled by actin binding proteins such as non-muscle myosin. Previously, we demonstrated that the subcellular localization and function of myosin IIb are regulated by its binding partner, filamin-A interacting protein (FILIP).

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The callosal connections between the two hemispheres of the neocortex are altered in certain psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. However, how and why the callosal connection is impaired in patients suffering from psychiatric diseases remain unclear. Filamin A interacting protein (FILIP), whose alteration through mutation relates to schizophrenic pathogenesis, binds to actin-binding proteins and controls neurotransmission.

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Cell positioning and neuronal network formation are crucial for proper brain function. Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is anterogradely transported to the neurite tips, together with Lis1, and functions in neurite extension via suppression of GSK3β activity. Then, transported Lis1 is retrogradely transported and functions in cell migration.

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Learning and memory depend on morphological and functional changes to neural spines. Non-muscle myosin 2b regulates actin dynamics downstream of long-term potentiation induction. However, the mechanism by which myosin 2b is regulated in the spine has not been fully elucidated.

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CD157, known as bone marrow stromal cell antigen-1, is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored ADP-ribosyl cyclase that supports the survival and function of B-lymphocytes and hematopoietic or intestinal stem cells. Although CD157/Bst1 is a risk locus in Parkinson's disease (PD), little is known about the function of CD157 in the nervous system and contribution to PD progression. Here, we show that no apparent motor dysfunction was observed in young knockout (CD157 (-/-)) male mice under less aging-related effects on behaviors.

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Glia-guided migration (glia-guided locomotion) during radial migration is a characteristic yet unique mode of migration. In this process, the directionality of migration is predetermined by glial processes and not by growth cones. Prior to the initiation of glia-guided migration, migrating neurons transform from multipolar to bipolar, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this multipolar-bipolar transition and the commencement of glia-guided migration are not fully understood.

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Phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3)) accumulates at the leading edge of migrating cells and works, at least partially, as both a compass to indicate directionality and a hub for subsequent intracellular events. However, how PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) regulates the migratory machinery has not been fully elucidated. Here, we demonstrate a novel mechanism for efficient lamellipodium formation that depends on PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) and the reciprocal regulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) itself.

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A novel and sensitive immunoassay method has been developed in which the conventional sandwich immunoassay and the highly sensitive DNA detection method, the Invader method, are combined. The signal amplification function of the latter method has been successfully used to enhance the sensitivity of the sandwich immunoassay. The new assay method may be called the Immuno-Invader assay.

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Pancreatic cancer is a disease with an extremely poor prognosis. Tumor protein 53-induced nuclear protein 1 (TP53INP1) is a proapoptotic stress-induced p53 target gene. In this article, we show by immunohistochemical analysis that TP53INP1 expression is dramatically reduced in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and this decrease occurs early during pancreatic cancer development.

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Background/aims: Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by acinar destruction and fibrosis. We previously reported that apoptosis is involved in acinar destruction in chronic pancreatitis in the WBN/Kob rat. This study aimed to elucidate the antiapoptotic effect of Saikokeishito (TJ-10).

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Context: The tumor protein p53-induced nuclear protein 1 (TP53INP1) gene was found using DNA microarray technology as an overexpressed gene in acute pancreatitis. However, expression of TP53INP1 in chronic pancreatitis has not been previously reported.

Objective: This study investigated TP53INP1 gene expression and its relationship with p53 and apoptosis in spontaneous chronic pancreatitis in the Wistar-Bonn/Kobori rat.

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Context: Obstructive pancreatitis is a specific form of pancreatitis, which is caused by the obstruction of the main pancreatic duct due to tumors or some other causes. Interleukin-8 is induced in acute pancreatitis, but its expression in obstructive pancreatitis has not been clarified.

Objective: We attempted to provide some insight into the significance of interleukin -8 in the pathogenesis of pancreatic fibrosis.

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Constitutive activation of aberrant fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) kinase as a consequence of gene fusion such as FOP-FGFR1 associated with t(6; 8)(q27;p11-12) translocation, is the hallmark of an atypical aggressive stem cell myeloproliferative disorder (MPD) in humans. In this study, we show that expression of FOP-FGFR1 in primary bone marrow cells induced by retroviral transduction generates a MPD in mice. Constitutive FOP-FGFR1 kinase activity was both essential and sufficient to cause a chronic myeloproliferative syndrome in the murine bone marrow transplantation model.

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Pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) is almost absent in normal pancreas, but is strongly induced in acute pancreatitis. PAP mRNA is also expressed in cancer cells, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, the clinicopathological significance of PAP in human pancreatic cancer is not clear.

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Introduction: Clusterin, also known as apolipoprotein J, has been implicated in numerous processes, including active cell death. Clusterin is reported to be overexpressed in breast and prostate cancers. However, its expression in pancreatic cancer is yet to be reported.

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Introduction: The pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP), especially of acinar cell injury, is still unclear. Interleukin (IL)-8 is a chemokine that is involved in various inflammatory diseases.

Aim: To examine whether IL-8 and other chemokines are expressed in experimental acinar cell injury.

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Introduction: Free radicals and their scavengers are supposed to be involved in pancreatitis.

Aims: To investigate the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in rat pancreatic acinar cell injury.

Methodology And Results: As an in vivo model, male WBN/Kob rats were used.

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This study aimed to analyze the therapeutic effects of the carboxamide derivative IS-741 on spontaneous chronic pancreatitis (CP) in the WBN/Kob rat. Four-week-old male WBN/Kob rats were fed with MB-3, and IS-741 (0.012% in MB-3) was orally administered for 12 weeks.

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