Efficacy of hormone therapy for osteoporosis in adolescent girls after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a longitudinal study.

Objective: To assess changes in bone mineral density of adolescent girls diagnosed with hypogonadism after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) during continuous hormone therapy (HT).

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health.

Efficient yeast one-/two-hybrid screening using a library composed only of transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Yeast one-hybrid screening is widely used for the identification of transcription factors (TFs) that interact with specific DNA sequences. However, screening a whole cDNA library is not efficient for the identification of TFs because TF genes represent only a small percentage of clones in a cDNA library. Here, we present the development of an efficient yeast one-hybrid screening system using a prey library composed only of approximately 1,500 TF cDNAs of Arabidopsis thaliana.

VND-INTERACTING2, a NAC domain transcription factor, negatively regulates xylem vessel formation in Arabidopsis.

The Arabidopsis thaliana NAC domain transcription factor VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN7 (VND7) acts as a master regulator of xylem vessel differentiation. To understand the mechanism by which VND7 regulates xylem vessel differentiation, we used a yeast two-hybrid system to screen for proteins that interact with VND7 and identified cDNAs encoding two NAC domain proteins, VND-INTERACTING1 (VNI1) and VNI2. Binding assays demonstrated that VNI2 effectively interacts with VND7 and the VND family proteins, VND1-5, as well as with other NAC domain proteins at lower affinity.

Arabidopsis WUSCHEL is a bifunctional transcription factor that acts as a repressor in stem cell regulation and as an activator in floral patterning.

Most transcription factors act either as activators or repressors, and no such factors with dual function have been unequivocally identified and characterized in plants. We demonstrate here that the Arabidopsis thaliana protein WUSCHEL (WUS), which regulates the maintenance of stem cell populations in shoot meristems, is a bifunctional transcription factor that acts mainly as a repressor but becomes an activator when involved in the regulation of the AGAMOUS (AG) gene. We show that the WUS box, which is conserved among WOX genes, is the domain that is essential for all the activities of WUS, namely, for regulation of stem cell identity and size of floral meristem.

Arabidopsis SBP-box genes SPL10, SPL11 and SPL2 control morphological change in association with shoot maturation in the reproductive phase.

Lateral organ traits in higher plants, such as lamina shape and trichome distribution, change gradually in association with shoot maturation. Regulation of this shoot maturation process in the vegetative phase has been extensively investigated, and members of the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN (SBP)-box family of transcription factors have been shown to be involved in this process. However, little is known about the regulation of shoot maturation in the reproductive phase.

A chimeric NST repressor has the potential to improve glucose productivity from plant cell walls.

Bioethanol might be produced more economically and with less ecological impact (with reduced exploitation of food crops) if we could increase the production of glucose from the cellulosic materials in plant cell walls. However, plant cell walls are relatively resistant to enzymatic and physicochemical hydrolysis and, therefore, it is necessary to develop methods for reducing such resistance. Changes in plant cell wall materials, by genetic engineering, that render them more easily hydrolyzable to glucose might be a valuable approach to this problem.

Functional analysis of transcription factors in Arabidopsis.

Transcription factors (TFs) regulate the expression of genes at the transcriptional level. Modification of TF activity dynamically alters the transcriptome, which leads to metabolic and phenotypic changes. Thus, functional analysis of TFs using 'omics-based' methodologies is one of the most important areas of the post-genome era.

Essential role of p38 MAPK in caspase-independent, iPLA(2)-dependent cell death under hypoxia/low glucose conditions.

The mechanisms of cell death induced by hypoxia or ischemia are not yet fully understood. We have previously demonstrated that cell death induced by hypoxia occurs independently of caspases, and is mediated by phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)). Here, we show that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase is activated under hypoxia.

Protective effect of ginsenosides Rg(2) and Rh(1) on oxidation-induced impairment of erythrocyte membrane properties.

The extract from Panax ginseng has been reported to improve the microcirculation in various organs. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are still poorly understood. In the present study, using the rheological properties of erythrocytes as an index, we have screened the components of Panax ginseng extract and identified Rg(2) and Rh(1) as the active ingredients.

NAC family proteins NARS1/NAC2 and NARS2/NAM in the outer integument regulate embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.

Seed morphogenesis consists of embryogenesis and the development of maternal tissues such as the inner and outer integuments, both of which give rise to seed coats. We show that expression of chimeric repressors derived from NAC-REGULATED SEED MORPHOLOGY1 and -2 (NARS1 and NARS2, also known as NAC2 and NAM, respectively) caused aberrant seed shapes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Double knockout mutant nars1 nars2 exhibited abnormally shaped seeds; moreover, neither nars1 nor nars2 produced abnormal seeds, indicating that NARS1 and NARS2 redundantly regulate seed morphogenesis.

Expression of Disabled 1 suppresses astroglial differentiation in neural stem cells.

Disabled 1 (Dab1), a cytoplasmic adaptor protein expressed predominantly in the CNS, transduces a Reelin-initiated signaling that controls neuronal migration and positioning during brain development. To determine the role of Dab1 in neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation, we established a culture of neurospheres derived from the embryonic forebrain of the Dab1(-/-) mice, yotari. Differentiating Dab1(-/-) neurospheres exhibited a higher expression of GFAP, an astrocytic marker, at the expense of neuronal markers.

NAC transcription factors NST1 and NST3 regulate pod shattering in a partially redundant manner by promoting secondary wall formation after the establishment of tissue identity.

Three distinct pattern elements of the silique are thought to contribute to its dehiscence: a separation layer, cells with a secondary wall adjacent to the separation layer, and a valve endocarp layer with secondary wall. However, the role of the secondary wall has not been proven, and the factors that regulate its formation in siliques remain to be characterized. We show here that secondary wall formation in siliques is necessary for dehiscence, and that two plant-specific transcription factors, NAC SECONDARY WALL THICKENING PROMOTING FACTOR 1 and 3 (NST1 and NST3), regulate its formation in siliques of Arabidopsis.

Participation of caspase-3-like protease in oxidation-induced impairment of erythrocyte membrane properties.

Erythrocytes are very susceptible to oxidative stress, having a high content of intracellular oxygen and hemoglobin. In the present study, exposure to oxidative stress resulted in a significant impairment of erythrocyte membrane functions, such as deformability and anion exchange. Band 3 protein, also known as anion exchanger-1, plays an important role in these two functions.

Reelin signals survival through Src-family kinases that inactivate BAD activity.

Reelin plays an important role in the migration of embryonic neurons, but its continuing presence suggests additional functions in the brain. We now report a novel function where reelin protects P19 embryonal cells from apoptosis during retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation. This increased survival is associated with reelin activation of the phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3 K)/Akt pathway.

Intravenous infusion of dihydroginsenoside Rb1 prevents compressive spinal cord injury and ischemic brain damage through upregulation of VEGF and Bcl-XL.

Red ginseng root (Panax Ginseng CA Meyer) has been used clinically by many Asian people for thousands of years without any detrimental effects. One of the major components of Red ginseng root is ginsenoside Rb(1) (gRb1). Previously, we showed that intravenous infusion of gRb1 ameliorated ischemic brain damage through upregulation of an anti-apoptotic factor, Bcl-x(L) and that topical application of gRb1 to burn wound lesion facilitated wound healing through upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

NAC transcription factors, NST1 and NST3, are key regulators of the formation of secondary walls in woody tissues of Arabidopsis.

Wood is formed by the successive addition of secondary xylem, which consists of cells with a conspicuously thickened secondary wall composed mainly of lignin and cellulose. Several genes involved in lignin and cellulose biosynthesis have been characterized, but the factors that regulate the formation of secondary walls in woody tissues remain to be identified. In this study, we show that plant-specific transcription factors, designated NAC SECONDARY WALL THICKENING PROMOTING FACTOR1 (NST1) and NST3, are key regulators of the formation of secondary walls in woody tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Efficient production of male and female sterile plants by expression of a chimeric repressor in Arabidopsis and rice.

Male and female sterile plants are particularly useful for the effective production of commercial hybrid plants and for preventing the diffusion of seeds or pollen grains of genetically modified plants in the open field. In an attempt to create several types of sterile plant by genetic manipulation, we applied our Chimeric REpressor Gene-Silencing Technology (CRES-T) to four transcription factors, namely APETALA3, AGAMOUS, LEAFY and AtMYB26, involved in the regulation of petal and stamen identity, stamen and carpel identity, floral meristem identity and anther dehiscence, respectively, in Arabidopsis. Transgenic plants expressing each chimeric repressor exhibited, at high frequency, a sterile phenotype that resembled the loss-of-function phenotype of each corresponding gene.

Characterization of NO and cytokine production in immune-activated microglia and peritoneal macrophages derived from a mouse model expressing the human NOS2 gene on a mouse NOS2 knockout background.

Significant differences exist in the production and release of nitric oxide (NO) from human macrophages versus macrophages of mouse origin. Human macrophages have been shown to respond poorly to stimuli that provoke strong inflammatory reactions from mouse macrophages. To address the differences in macrophage function in an animal model, a transgenic mouse was created that contained the entire human NOS2 gene, including the human promoter and all of its exons and introns.

Successful use of iodine and levothyroxine to treat Graves' disease in a pregnant patient with allergy to antithyroid drugs and high thyrotropin-binding inhibitor immunoglobulin after radioiodine therapy.

High titer of thyrotropin-binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) in patients with Graves' disease can cause fetal hyperthyroidism during pregnancy. Prevention of fetal hyperthyroidism by administration of antithyroid drug (ATD) and levothyroxine (LT(4)) to pregnant patients who previously received ablative therapy has been reported. We administered iodine and LT(4) to a patient during gestation, because she had a severe adverse reaction to ATD.

MR imaging evaluation of postmenopausal adnexal masses: correlation with final pathologic diagnosis.

Objective: Adoption of transvaginal ultrasound in usual clinical settings allowed us to find asymptomatic adnexal masses more frequently in postmenopausal women. These masses were traditionally considered as the indication of surgical excision to determine histological diagnosis. Recently, if the appearance of that is simple cyst, conservative management may be acceptable because ultrasound benign diagnosis is proved to be reasonably reliable.

A novel alternative splice variant of nicastrin and its implication in Alzheimer disease.

Nicastrin interacts with gamma-secretase complex components predominantly via the N-terminal third of the transmembrane domain. The authentic transmembrane domain is critically required for the interaction with gamma-secretase complex components and for formation of an active gamma-secretase complex. In this study, we have identified a novel alternatively spliced transcript of nicastrin in human brain tissue.

The NAC transcription factors NST1 and NST2 of Arabidopsis regulate secondary wall thickenings and are required for anther dehiscence.

In plants, secondary wall thickenings play important roles in various biological processes, although the factors regulating these processes remain to be characterized. We show that expression of chimeric repressors derived from NAC SECONDARY WALL THICKENING PROMOTING FACTOR1 (NST1) and NST2 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in an anther dehiscence defect due to loss of secondary wall thickening in anther endothecium. Plants with double, but not single, T-DNA-tagged lines for NST1 and NST2 had the same anther-indehiscent phenotype as transgenic plants that expressed the individual chimeric repressors, indicating that NST1 and NST2 are redundant in regulating secondary wall thickening in anther walls.

Prevention of ischemic neuronal death by intravenous infusion of a ginseng saponin, ginsenoside Rb(1), that upregulates Bcl-x(L) expression.

Almost all agents that exhibit neuroprotection when administered into the cerebral ventricles are ineffective or much less effective in rescuing damaged neurons when infused into the blood stream. Search for an intravenously infusible drug with a potent neuroprotective action is essential for the treatment of millions of patients suffering from acute brain diseases. Here, we report that postischemic intravenous infusion of a ginseng saponin, ginsenoside Rb(1) (gRb(1)) (C(54)H(92)O(23), molecular weight 1109.

Suppression of Stat3 promotes neurogenesis in cultured neural stem cells.

To investigate the effects of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) on neural stem cell fate, stem cells were inoculated with an adenovirus vector expressing dominant negative form of Stat3 (Stat3F). One day later, a promoter assay revealed significant reduction of the transcriptional level in the transfected cells. Three days later, Western blot analysis and immunocytochemical analysis revealed that the protein level of microtubule-associated protein (MAP)2 and the number of MAP2-positive cells were increased significantly in the transfected cells whereas the protein level of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the number of GFAP-positive cells were decreased significantly.