Unraveling the activity and stability of cationic tellurium activators in Ritter-type reactions.

We carried out Ritter-type reactions using two kinds of cationic tellurium activators. Compared with the trivalent dianisylmethyltelluronium cation, the divalent telluroviologen derivatives showed higher activity and better stability. Telluroviologen activator could cleave the C-OH bond of benzhydrol and the reaction was accelerated under LED light irradiation.

Influence of Different Arsenic Species on the Bioavailability and Bioaccumulation of Arsenic by Sargassum horneri C. Agardh: Effects under Different Phosphate Conditions.

The growth response and incorporation of As into the Sargassum horneri was evaluated for up to 7 days using either arsenate (As(V)), arsenite (As(III)) or methylarsonate (MMAA(V) and DMAA(V)) at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 μM with various phosphate (P) levels (0, 2.

Effects of LPS from , a Purple Non-Sulfur Bacterium (PNSB), on the Gene Expression of Rice Root.

The effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from , a purple non-sulfur bacterium (PNSB), on the gene expression of the root of rice () were investigated by next generation sequencing (NGS) RNA-seq analysis. The rice seeds were germinated on agar plates containing 10 pg/mL of LPS from NBRC 12203 (type culture). Three days after germination, RNA samples were extracted from the roots and analyzed by RNA-seq.

Autophagy Inhibition Increased Sensitivity of Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Carbon Ion Radiotherapy.

Background/aims: Pancreatic cancer has the poorest survival rate among all cancer types. Therefore, it is essential to develop an effective treatment strategy for this cancer.

Methods: We performed carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) in human pancreatic cancer cell lines and analyzed their survival, apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy.

Effects of Seed Bio-Priming by Purple Non-Sulfur Bacteria (PNSB) on the Root Development of Rice.

The effects of seed bio-priming (seed soaking) with purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) on the grain productivity and root development of rice were examined by a field study and laboratory experiments, respectively. Two PNSB strains, sp. Tsuru2 and sp.

Plant-Growth-Promoting Effect by Cell Components of Purple Non-Sulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria.

, a purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium (PNSB), was disrupted by sonication and fractionated by centrifugation into the supernatant and pellet. The effects of the supernatant and pellet on plant growth were examined using var. (komatsuna) in the pot experiments.

Probiotic Effects of a Marine Purple Non-Sulfur Bacterium, KKMI01, on Kuruma Shrimp ().

Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) are used as probiotics in shrimp aquaculture; however, no studies have examined the probiotic effects of PNSB in shrimp at the gene expression level. In this study, we examined the effects of a marine PNSB, KKMI01, on the gene expression of kuruma shrimp (). Short-term (3 days) effects of KKMI01 on the gene expression in shrimp were examined using small-scale laboratory aquaria experiments, while long-term (145 days) effects of KKMI01 on the growth performance and gene expression were examined using 200-ton outdoor aquaria experiments.

Isolation of purple nonsulfur bacteria from the digestive tract of ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis).

Purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB) reportedly have probiotic effects in fish, but whether they are indigenous in the digestive tract of fish is a question that requires answering. We attempted to isolate PNSB from the digestive tract of ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) from the Kuma River (Kumamoto, Japan) and successfully isolated 12 PNSB strains. All the isolated PNSB belonged to the genus Rhodopseudomonas.

Caffeine protects against stress-induced murine depression through activation of PPARγC1α-mediated restoration of the kynurenine pathway in the skeletal muscle.

Exercise prevents depression through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α)-mediated activation of a particular branch of the kynurenine pathway. From kynurenine (KYN), two independent metabolic pathways produce neurofunctionally different metabolites, mainly in somatic organs: neurotoxic intermediate metabolites via main pathway and neuroprotective end product, kynurenic acid (KYNA) via the branch. Elevated levels of KYN have been found in patients with depression.

Positive outcome of first-line therapy for a SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomatoid tumor.

SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomatoid tumor is a rare malignancy indicating some characteristics of a smoking-related disease. The purpose of this report is to describe a case of aggressive thoracic tumor with loss of immunochemical SMARCA4 expression and detail the results of our treatment regimen. The patient was a 58-year-old male and clinicopathologically diagnosed with a SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcomatoid tumor.

Caffeine-stimulated muscle IL-6 mediates alleviation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Caffeine intake is associated with a reduced risk developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. We report here that caffeine markedly improved high fat diet-induced NAFLD in mice resulting in a 10-fold increase in circulating IL-6 levels, leading to STAT3 activation in the liver. Interestingly, the expression of IL-6 mRNA was not increased in the liver, but increased substantially in the muscles of caffeine-treated mice.

Draft Genome Sequence of Trebouxiophyceae sp. Strain KSI-1, Isolated from an Island Hot Spring.

Trebouxiophyceae sp. KSI-1 is a green alga isolated from a seashore hot spring on Satsuma Iōjima in Kagoshima, Japan, and is highly tolerant to oxidative stress. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this strain, thereby providing an insight into the genetic basis for its oxidative stress tolerance.

Low Concentrations of Caffeine and Its Analogs Extend the Lifespan of by Modulating IGF-1-Like Pathway.

Caffeine has been reported to delay aging and protect aging-associated disorders in . However, the effects of low concentration of caffeine and its analogs on lifespan are currently missing. Herein, we report that at much lower concentrations (as low as 10 μg/ml), caffeine extended the lifespan of without affecting food intake and reproduction.

Pu'erh tea extract-mediated protection against hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance in mice with diet-induced obesity is associated with the induction of de novo lipogenesis in visceral adipose tissue.

Background: White adipose tissue (WAT) is important for the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis, and metabolic syndrome is sometimes associated with WAT dysfunction in humans and animals. WAT reportedly plays a key, beneficial role in the maintenance of glucose and lipid homeostasis during de novo lipogenesis (DNL). Pu'erh tea extract (PTE) can inhibit harmful, ectopic DNL in the liver, thus protecting against hepatosteatosis, in mice with diet-induced obesity.

Is chloroplastic class IIA aldolase a marine enzyme?

Expressed sequence tag analyses revealed that two marine Chlorophyceae green algae, Chlamydomonas sp. W80 and Chlamydomonas sp. HS5, contain genes coding for chloroplastic class IIA aldolase (fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase: FBA).

Pu-erh tea extract ameliorates high-fat diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and insulin resistance by modulating hepatic IL-6/STAT3 signaling in mice.

Background: Pu-erh tea, made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, possesses activities beneficial for human health, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-obesity properties.

Objective: We investigated the effects of a pu-erh tea extract (PTE) on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects.

Methods: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal chow diet or high-fat diet (HFD) for 17 weeks, during which PTE was simultaneously administered in drinking water.

Interleukin-1 Family Cytokines in Liver Diseases.

The gene encoding IL-1 was sequenced more than 30 years ago, and many related cytokines, such as IL-18, IL-33, IL-36, IL-37, IL-38, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and IL-36Ra, have since been identified. IL-1 is a potent proinflammatory cytokine and is involved in various inflammatory diseases. Other IL-1 family ligands are critical for the development of diverse diseases, including inflammatory and allergic diseases.

Pu-erh tea extract induces the degradation of FET family proteins involved in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

FET family proteins consist of fused in sarcoma/translocated in liposarcoma (FUS/TLS), Ewing's sarcoma (EWS), and TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 (TAF15). Mutations in the copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), and FET family proteins are associated with the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease. There is currently no cure for this disease and few effective treatments are available.

Robust in vitro assay system for quantitative analysis of parasitic root-knot nematode infestation using Lotus japonicus.

Root-knot nematodes are sedentary endoparasites that induce permanent infestation sites inside the roots of a broad range of crop plants. The development of effective control strategies require understanding the root-knot nematode parasitic process, however, the key molecular determinants for host manipulation during infestation remain elusive. One limiting factor has been the lack of a standardized conventional method for quantitative measurement of host parasitism by root-knot nematodes, particularly one that enables efficient downstream analyses and is free from other biological sources of variability.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1: potential prognostic markers for soft tissue sarcomas based on bioinformatics analyses.

The diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) has been particularly difficult, because STSs are a group of highly heterogeneous tumors in terms of histopathology, histological grade, and primary site. Recent advances in genome technologies have provided an excellent opportunity to determine the complete biological characteristics of neoplastic tissues, resulting in improved diagnosis, treatment selection, and investigation of therapeutic targets. We had previously developed a novel bioinformatics method for marker gene selection and applied this method to gene expression data from STS patients.

Catalytic mechanism of serine racemase from Dictyostelium discoideum.

The eukaryotic serine racemase from Dictyostelium discoideum is a fold-type II pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes racemization and dehydration of both isomers of serine. In the present study, the catalytic mechanism and role of the active site residues of the enzyme were examined by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutation of the PLP-binding lysine (K56) to alanine abolished both serine racemase and dehydrase activities.

Metal ion dependency of serine racemase from Dictyostelium discoideum.

D-Serine is known to act as an endogenous co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in the mammalian brain and is endogenously synthesized from L-serine by a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent enzyme, serine racemase. Though the soil-living mycetozoa Dictyostelium discoideum possesses no genes homologous to that of NMDA receptor, it contains genes encoding putative proteins relating to the D-serine metabolism, such as serine racemase, D-amino acid oxidase, and D-serine dehydratase. D.

Extraction and purification of a luminiferous substance from the luminous mushroom Mycena chlorophos.

Bioluminescence has attracted considerable attention in the area of biophysics, primarily because the phenomenon can fundamentally be interpreted as the conversion of chemical to light energy. Although the molecular mechanisms underlying luminescence have been studied extensively in fireflies and bacteria, few studies have been undertaken in luminous fungi. This relative lack of information is likely due to the absence of a common and species-specific reaction-type in the luminous fungi examined to date.