Publications by authors named "Sakura Kikuchi"
Cephalochordates occupy a key phylogenetic position for deciphering the origin and evolution of chordates, since they diverged earlier than urochordates and vertebrates. The notochord is the most prominent feature of chordates. The amphioxus notochord features coin-shaped cells bearing myofibrils.
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- Mammalian gut microbiota play a crucial role in host health, but the origins of their association are not well understood.
- Research shows that in basal chordates, the gut is divided into a space for food microbes and a nearly germ-free area, indicated by a membrane structure that resembles protective barriers in invertebrates.
- The study suggests that this ancient chitin-based immune system was lost in mammals, leading to the development of mucus layers that allow for different microbial colonization, highlighting evolutionary changes in gut immunity.
Regulations of proliferation and quiescence in response to nutritional cues are important for medicine and basic biology. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe serves as a model, owing to the shift of proliferating cells to the metabolically active quiescence (designate G0 phase hereafter) by responding to low nitrogen source. S.
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