The kpc-1 3'UTR facilitates dendritic transport and translation efficiency of mRNAs for dendrite arborization of a mechanosensory neuron important for male courtship.

A recently reported Schizophrenia-associated genetic variant in the 3'UTR of the human furin gene, a homolog of C. elegans kpc-1, highlights an important role of the furin 3'UTR in neuronal development. We isolate three kpc-1 mutants that display abnormal dendrite arborization in PVD neurons and defective male mating behaviors.

Evaluation of Coronary Circulation by N-Ammonia Myocardial Perfusion Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Right Coronary Artery Occlusion Due to Kawasaki Disease.

Background: Although occlusion of the right coronary artery (RCA) is common in the remote stages of Kawasaki disease, revascularization of the RCA is challenging in children and is usually managed by observation without intervention.

Methods: Using adenosine-stress N-ammonia myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography, we evaluated coronary circulation in 14 patients (12 males) with RCA occlusion to identify ischemia (myocardial flow ratio < 2.0) in the RCA region and examined hemodynamics, cardiac function, and coronary aneurysm diameter.

Two intrinsic timing mechanisms set start and end times for dendritic arborization of a nociceptive neuron.

Choreographic dendritic arborization takes place within a defined time frame, but the timing mechanism is currently not known. Here, we report that the precisely timed regulatory circuit triggers an initial dendritic growth activity, whereas the precisely timed regulatory circuit signals a subsequent developmental decline in dendritic growth ability, hence restricting dendritic arborization within a set time frame. Loss-of-function mutations in the microRNA gene cause limited dendritic outgrowth, whereas loss-of-function mutations in its direct target, the transcription factor gene, cause precocious and excessive outgrowth.

Interleukin-1beta Inhibition Attenuates Vasculitis in a Mouse Model of Kawasaki Disease.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD), a systemic vasculitis, is suspected to be related to abnormalities in innate immunity. Based on the important role of IL-1 signaling in innate immunity, we investigated the effects of an anti-IL-1β antibody using a Candida albicans water-soluble fraction (CAWS)-induced mouse model of KD.

Methods: CAWS (0.

Engulfing cells promote neuronal regeneration and remove neuronal debris through distinct biochemical functions of CED-1.

Two important biological events happen coincidently soon after nerve injury in the peripheral nervous system in C. elegans: removal of axon debris and initiation of axon regeneration. But, it is not known how these two events are co-regulated.

Laminar specific gene expression reveals differences in postnatal laminar maturation in mouse auditory, visual, and somatosensory cortex.

Proper formation of laminar structures in sensory cortexes is critical for sensory information processing. Previous studies suggested that the timing of neuronal migration and the laminar position of cortical neurons differ among sensory cortexes. How they differ during postnatal development has not been systematically investigated.

Characterization of a murine model with arteritis induced by Nod1 ligand, FK565: A comparative study with a CAWS-induced model.

Objective: Kawasaki disease (KD) occurs via activation of the innate immune system. Nucleotide oligomerization domain-1 (NOD1) is a pattern recognition receptor regulating the innate immunity. We characterized histopathology of arteritis induced by FK565, a ligand for NOD1, in mice, compared with Candida albicans water-soluble fraction (CAWS)-induced model.

Comprehensive gene expression analyses in pluripotent stem cells of a planarian, Dugesia japonica.

The neoblasts are the only somatic stem cells in planarians possessing pluripotency, and can give rise to all types of cells, including germline cells. Recently, accumulated knowledge about the transcriptome and expression dynamics of various pluripotent somatic stem cells has provided important opportunities to understand not only fundamental mechanisms of pluripotency, but also stemness across species at the molecular level. The neoblasts can easily be eliminated by radiation.

ERK signaling controls blastema cell differentiation during planarian regeneration.

The robust regenerative ability of planarians depends on a population of somatic stem cells called neoblasts, which are the only mitotic cells in adults and are responsible for blastema formation after amputation. The molecular mechanism underlying neoblast differentiation associated with blastema formation remains unknown. Here, using the planarian Dugesia japonica we found that DjmkpA, a planarian mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatase-related gene, was specifically expressed in blastema cells in response to increased extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activity.

High-fidelity fractionation of ssDNA fragments differing in size by one-base on a spiral-channel electrophoretic chip.

For the fractionation of fragments of interest from selective PCR products generated by high coverage gene expression profiling (HiCEP) analysis, high-resolution with the ability to discriminate and fractionate fragments differing by one base (base pair) in size is highly required. We report here on a new 4-inch diameter spiral-channel chip device for automatic high-fidelity fractionation. Overlapping DNA fragments of 180, 181 and 182 bases, with only one-base difference in size, were successfully fractionated.

Electrophoretic chip for fractionation of selective DNA fragment.

A microchannel chip has been used to fractionate selected segments from an electrophoretic flow of separated fragments. A sample, which covers the size from 35 to 670 bp, was initially separated using an 8.8-cm-long channel at the electric field strength of 100 V/cm.

Rorschach Comprehensive System data for a sample of 190 Japanese nonpatient children at five ages.

This study is a part of our series of studies of nonpatient, Japanese children. In total, 346 children were administered the Rorschach. Thirty-two children had fewer than 10 responses, 112 children had more than 10 but fewer than 14 responses, and 12 children were maladjusted or mentally retarded, for a total of 156.

Confirming the existence of five peaks in 129Xe rat head spectra.

A series of experiments were performed to investigate why two peaks (D and E) of the five dissolved phase peaks in hyperpolarized (129)Xe rat head spectra appeared inconsistently in previous work. Specifically, spectra were acquired under conditions of various shim states, anaesthetics, and arterial ligation. The shimming experiments showed that slice-shimming can be used to improve resolution of the dissolved phase peaks, but even so, subtle changes in the shim state that may dramatically alter the shape of peak E remain poorly understood.

More than 40,000 transcripts, including novel and noncoding transcripts, in mouse embryonic stem cells.

To study the transcriptome of embryonic stem cells, we used a new gene expression profiling method that can measure the expression levels of unknown and rarely expressed transcripts precisely. We detected a total of 33,136 signal peaks representing transcripts in mouse embryonic stem cells, E14. Subsequent random cloning of the peaks suggests that mouse embryonic stem cells express at least 40,000 transcripts, of which about 2,000 are still unknown.