Publications by authors named "Shimomura N"

In this study, white jelly mushrooms that were collected in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, were identified as by phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA-ITS region. Fluorescent microscopic analysis using 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining to visualize the nuclei in each cell revealed that basidiospores isolated from the fruiting body were monokaryotic. Furthermore, monokaryotic yeasts were germinated from these basidiospores and the resulting crossed mycelium was dikaryotic and bore clamp cells, suggesting a heterothallic lifecycle for this species.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pearl oyster shells, often discarded as waste, contain a nacre extract (NE) that has been shown to have anti-aging effects when administered to mice.
  • In a study on senescence-accelerated mice (SAMP8), NE improved aging-related symptoms like poor coat condition and muscle strength decline, indicating its potential benefits for overall health.
  • NE not only suppressed aging markers in skeletal muscle and skin but also significantly extended the lifespan of the mice, highlighting its effectiveness as a multi-tissue anti-aging agent.
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is a basidiomycetous ectomycorrhizal fungus that inhabits mainly coastal areas. Understanding the response of this fungus to salinity at each stage of its life cycle will lead to elucidation of the strategies for its propagation. This study examined the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) on basidiospore germination and mycelial growth of both homokaryotic and heterokaryotic strains of , on nutrient agar media with varying concentrations of NaCl (0, 50, 150, and 300 mM).

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While observing mycelial features of the ectomycorrhizal fungus , we noted the formation of hyphal coils in laboratory cultures. The coiled hyphae initially formed at the hyphal tip in the presence or absence of the plant host (), on both rich and poor modified Melin-Norkrans media. Hyphal coils formed from the hyphal tips toward the middle of the hyphae, with rope-like hyphal strands fused as extensive circular coils.

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Pearl oyster shells comprise two layers, a prismatic and nacreous layer, of calcium carbonate. The nacreous layer has been used in Chinese medicine since ancient times. In this study, we investigated the effects of the extract from the nacreous layer of pearl oysters (nacre extract) on D-galactose-induced brain and skin aging.

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The edible ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushroom Rhizopogon roseolus usually develops basidium and basidiospores in the gleba of its basidiomata. Here, we report a novel production of basidia in laboratory cultures of the edible ECM mushroom. The basidium with sterigma was observed on the old mantle structure (> six months) of the ECM between R.

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Silole derivatives are attracting significant attention as new functional materials with excellent electronic and photophysical properties. Thus, the development of synthesis methods to afford such derivatives is highly desirable. Herein, the synthesis of pyridine-fused siloles under the conditions of the Sonogashira coupling reaction is described.

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Background: Hyperphosphatemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease. In an experimental model, hyperphosphatemia promoted atherosclerosis by activating sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2, which controls cholesterol homeostasis. In the present study, we hypothesized that serum phosphate level is associated with cholesterol metabolism in patients with kidney failure.

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The impact of host plant on the mycelial features of mycorrhizal symbiont and its characteristics has been poorly investigated. This study aimed to compare and quantify (statistically tested) some of the mycelial features of an ectomycorrhiza (ECM)-forming fungus with and without the ECM host. The ECM-forming fungus, , inoculated with or without on both rich and poor nutrient media, was observed under laboratory conditions.

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Most cytology reports on ectomycorrhiza (ECM) have been less focused on the fungal structures, especially on the exploratory organ. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological response of explorative mycelia of ECM forming fungi with and without the occurrence of the ECM host. We assessed the mycelial aggregates of which was inoculated with and without under controlled laboratory conditions.

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Autophagy is involved in various fungal morphogenetic processes. However, there are limited reports regarding the role of autophagy in mushroom fruiting body formation. The purpose of this study was to reveal the autophagy-related structures in mushroom-forming fungi.

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In order to elucidate the lifecycle of , we examined the number of nuclei in basidiospores, hyphal cells and oidia. Basidiospores isolated from the fruiting bodies of four Japanese strains were binucleate. In both primary and secondary mycelia, most of the cells were binucleate.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Identifying the mating-type of an edible mushroom is crucial for improving its breeding and cultivation processes.
  • - The homeodomain protein gene 2 was analyzed, revealing a genomic fragment that encodes a protein with 614 amino acids in a specific strain.
  • - Higher expression levels of this gene were linked to the formation of clamp cells in certain monokaryotic strains, suggesting a regulatory role in clamp cell development.
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The presence of 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP) at the adhesive-dentin interface enables ionic binding to calcium salts, which results in rigid nano-layering within the submicron scale resin-dentin interdiffusion zone. MDP has been used with additional co-monomers, such as hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and/or 4-methacryloyloxyethyl-trimellitic acid (4-MET), mainly to enhance the chemical bonding properties. However, the use of co-monomers may compromise the rigidity of the adhesive-dentin interface.

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Aim: Both oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The serum level of derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) is a measure of the total amount of hydroperoxides serving as a marker of oxidative stress. We investigated whether d-ROMs could predict the clinical outcomes in hemodialysis patients and whether the associations of d-ROMs with the outcomes are independent of a marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP).

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The glycosylation of small hydrophobic compounds is catalyzed by uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Because glycosylation is an invaluable tool for improving the stability and water solubility of hydrophobic compounds, UGTs have attracted attention for their application in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the ability of UGTs to accept and glycosylate a wide range of substrates is not clearly understood due to the existence of a large number of UGTs.

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The integrated stress response (ISR) is one of the most important cytoprotective mechanisms and is integrated by phosphorylation of the α subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α). Four eIF2α kinases, heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), and general control nonderepressible 2 (GCN2), are activated in response to several stress conditions. We previously reported that nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) are a potential therapeutic tool for ISR activation.

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Objective: Tooth enamel has unsurpassed hardness and stiffness among mammalian tissue structures. Such stiff materials are usually brittle, yet mature enamel can survive for a lifetime. Understanding the nanoscale origin of enamel durability is important for developing advanced load-bearing biomaterials.

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An increase in non-enzymatic collagen matrix cross-links, such as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), is known to be a major complication in human mineralized tissues, often causing abnormal fractures. However, degradation of mechanical properties in relation to AGEs has not been fully elucidated at the material level. Here, we report nanoscale time-dependent deformation and dimensional recovery of human tooth dentin that has undergone glycation induced by x-ray irradiation.

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A xanthene derivative containing a borinate moiety emitted red fluorescence with a high quantum yield. The interaction between the borinate and a sugar molecule induced a fluorescence change based on the change in the HOMO-LUMO gap. The response was pH-resistant in a wide range.

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The α-glucosidase gene from Pholiota microspora, designated PnGcs, was amplified and characterized. The open reading frame region of PnGcs, from ATG to the stop codon, is 2937 bp and encodes a protein of 979 amino acids with a signal peptide of 20 amino acids at the N-terminus. The predicted amino acid sequence of PnGcs indicated that it is a glycoside hydrolase family 31 protein.

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In plants, the galactolipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactodiacylglycerol (DGDG) are major constituents of photosynthetic membranes in chloroplasts. One of the key enzymes for the biosynthesis of these galactolipids is MGDG synthase (MGD). To investigate the role of MGD in the plant's response to salt stress, we cloned an MGD gene from rice (Oryza sativa) and generated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants overexpressing OsMGD.

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