Kv7/KCNQ potassium channels in cortical hyperexcitability and juvenile seizure-related death in Ank2-mutant mice.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social deficits, repetitive behaviors, and various comorbidities, including epilepsy. ANK2, which encodes a neuronal scaffolding protein, is frequently mutated in ASD, but its in vivo functions and disease-related mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we report that mice with Ank2 knockout restricted to cortical and hippocampal excitatory neurons (Ank2-cKO mice) show ASD-related behavioral abnormalities and juvenile seizure-related death.

Postnatal age-differential ASD-like transcriptomic, synaptic, and behavioral deficits in Myt1l-mutant mice.

Myelin transcription factor 1 like (Myt1l), a zinc-finger transcription factor, promotes neuronal differentiation and is implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. However, it remains unclear whether Myt1l promotes neuronal differentiation in vivo and its deficiency in mice leads to disease-related phenotypes. Here, we report that Myt1l-heterozygous mutant (Myt1l-HT) mice display postnatal age-differential ASD-related phenotypes: newborn Myt1l-HT mice, with strong Myt1l expression, show ASD-like transcriptomic changes involving decreased synaptic gene expression and prefrontal excitatory synaptic transmission and altered righting reflex.

On-Chip Gate Electrostatic Discharge Protection Design for 900 V Power Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor Using Punch-Through Diode Without Degrading Switching Loss.

In order to protect the gate oxide from electrostatic discharge (ESD) in power MOSFET, the on-chip ESD protection circuits are required. Zener diode on poly silicon gate was normally used in power device because Zener diode structure was easy to merge with conditions of vertical structure without adding electrode. However, merged Zener diode can make unnecessary gate capacitance, and then switching characteristics are degraded by added capacitance.

Sfp-type PPTase inactivation promotes bacterial biofilm formation and ability to enhance wheat drought tolerance.

Paenibacillus polymyxa is a common soil bacterium with broad range of practical applications. An important group of secondary metabolites in P. polymyxa are non-ribosomal peptide and polyketide derived metabolites (NRPs/PKs).

Inactivation of the phosphoglucomutase gene pgm in Paenibacillus polymyxa leads to overproduction of fusaricidin.

Fusaricidin, a lipodepsipeptide isolated from Paenibacillus polymyxa, has high antimicrobial activity against fungi and Gram-positive bacteria. Through mutagenesis, we obtained two mutant strains, N1U7 and N17U7, which produce 6.2- to 7.

Magnolol inhibits migration of vascular smooth muscle cells via cytoskeletal remodeling pathway to attenuate neointima formation.

Background: Increased proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contribute importantly to the formation of both atherosclerotic and restenotic lesions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of magnolol on VSMC migration.

Methods: The proteolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulated VSMCs was performed by gelatin zymography.

Chromosomal integration of sfp gene in Bacillus subtilis to enhance bioavailability of hydrophobic liquids.

Bacillus subtilis C9 effectively degrades aliphatic hydrocarbons up to a chain length of C19 and produces a lipopeptide-type biosurfactant, surfactin, yet it has no genetic competency. Therefore, to obtain a transformable surfactin producer, the sfp gene cloned from B. subtilis C9 was integrated into the chromosome of B.