ERK5 is essential for early porcine embryonic development by maintaining Endoplasmic Reticulum homeostasis.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5), a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family member, plays an important role in various biological processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, survival, and cell regulation. However, studies on the effects of ERK5 on porcine preimplantation embryos are limited. In this study, to determine the function of ERK5 during porcine embryo development, ERK5 function was inhibited by adding the ERK5 inhibitor JWG-071.

Effects of calcium lactate on in vitro fertilization and embryonic development in cattle.

Objective: Growing demand for embryo transfer is steadily expanding and further studies on in vitro fertilization of cattle. To assess the effect of calcium lactate by replacing Tyrode's Albumin Lactate Pyruvate (TALP) medium composition during fertilization and embryonic development.

Methods: Sodium lactate and CaCl2 were replaced with 2.

The Unknown within the Known: Nucleolus, Understudied Compartment in the Filamentous Fungi.

Nucleolus is the most conspicuous sub-nuclear compartment that is well known as the site of RNA polymerase I-mediated rDNA transcription and assembly of ribosome subunits in eukaryotes. Recent studies on mammalian cells suggest that functions of nucleolus are not limited to ribosome biogenesis, and that nucleolus is involved in a diverse array of nuclear and cellular processes such as DNA repair, stress responses, and protein sequestration. In fungi, knowledge of nucleolus and its functions was primarily gleaned from the budding yeast.

IDH2 and GLUD1 depletion arrests embryonic development through an H4K20me3 epigenetic barrier in porcine parthenogenetic embryos.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) and glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (GLUD1) are key enzymes involved in the production of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), a metabolite central to the tricarboxylic acid cycle and glutamine metabolism. In this study, we investigated the impact of IDH2 and GLUD1 on early porcine embryonic development following and knockdown (KD) via double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) microinjection. Results showed that KD reduced α-KG levels, leading to delayed embryonic development, decreased blastocyst formation, increased apoptosis, reduced blastomere proliferation, and pluripotency.

Transcriptome analysis of the effects of high temperature on zygotic genome activation in porcine embryos.

Damage to the development of porcine gametes and embryos caused by high temperatures (HT) is one of the main reasons for the decline in the economic benefits of the livestock industry. Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) marks the beginning of gene expression programs in mammalian pre-implantation embryos. In pigs, ZGA occurs at the 4-cell (4 C) stage, indicating that correct gene expression at this stage plays an important regulatory role in embryonic development.

MAT2A is essential for zygotic genome activation by maintaining of histone methylation in porcine embryos.

Methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) is an essential enzyme in the methionine cycle that generates S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) by reacting with methionine and ATP. SAM acts as a methyl donors for histone and DNA methylation, which plays key roles in zygotic genome activation (ZGA). However, the effects of MAT2A on porcine ZGA remain unclear.

G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Inhibition Induces Meiotic Arrest by Disturbing Ca Release in Porcine Oocytes.

G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) interacts with Gβγ and Gαq, subunits of G-protein alpha, to regulate cell signalling. The second messenger inositol trisphosphate, produced by activated Gαq, promotes calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and regulates maturation-promoting factor (MPF) activity. This study aimed to investigate the role of GRK2 in MPF activity during the meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes.

Decreased in Mitochondrial Complex I Subunit NDUFS2 Is Critical for Oocyte Quality During Postovulatory Aging in Pigs.

The levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] iron-sulfur protein 2 (NDUFS2, a subunit of NADH dehydrogenase) decrease in aged tissues, and these reductions may be partly associated with age-related conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Aging leads to many mitochondrial defects, such as biogenesis disruption, dysfunction, defects in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and production of reactive oxygen species, that may be highly related to NDUFS2 expression. The relationship between NDUFS2 and postovulatory oocyte aging in pigs remains unknown.

Longitudinal Analysis of the Microbial Community on the Surface of Bloodstains Under Different Environmental Conditions in Areas with Minimal Human Interference.

The association between human metabolites and the environmental microbiome has primarily been investigated in relation to disease. In this study, the associations between environmental conditions and microbial communities on the surface of bloodstains were analyzed from a forensic science approach. The composition of microbial communities can be affected by numerous variables.

Quantitative trait loci analysis for molecular markers linked to agricultural traits of Pleurotus ostreatus.

Pleurotus ostreatus is a global mushroom crop with nutritional and medicinal benefits. However, the genetic basis of several commercial traits remains unknown. To address this, we analyzed the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for two representative cultivars, "Heuktari" and "Miso," with apparently distinct alleles.

In Vivo-Matured Oocyte Resists Post-Ovulatory Aging through the Hub Genes and in Pigs.

Assisted reproduction technology (ART) procedures are often impacted by post-ovulatory aging (POA), which can lead to reduced fertilization rates and impaired embryo development. This study used RNA sequencing analysis and experimental validation to study the similarities and differences between in vivo- and vitro-matured porcine oocytes before and after POA. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between fresh in vivo-matured oocyte (F_vivo) and aged in vivo-matured oocyte (A_vivo) and DEGs between fresh in vitro-matured oocyte (F_vitro) and aged in vitro-matured oocyte (A_vitro) were intersected to explore the co-effects of POA.

GRK2 is critical for the cleavage of the porcine embryo by regulating HSP90 and the AKT pathway.

In Brief: GRK2 deficiency disrupts the early embryonic development in pigs. The regulation of GRK2 on HSP90 and AKT may also play an important role during embryo development and tumor formation.

Abstract: Among the family of GPCR kinases (GRKs) that regulate receptor phosphorylation and signaling termination, G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) binds to HSP90 in response to hypoxia or other stresses.

Effects of L-Type Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel (LTCC) Inhibition on Hippocampal Neuronal Death after Pilocarpine-Induced Seizure.

Epilepsy, marked by abnormal and excessive brain neuronal activity, is linked to the activation of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (LTCCs) in neuronal membranes. LTCCs facilitate the entry of calcium (Ca) and other metal ions, such as zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg), into the cytosol. This Ca influx at the presynaptic terminal triggers the release of Zn and glutamate to the postsynaptic terminal.

A phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor, amlexanox, reduces neuroinflammation and neuronal death after pilocarpine-induced seizure.

Epilepsy, a complex neurological disorder, is characterized by recurrent seizures caused by aberrant electrical activity in the brain. Central to this study is the role of lysosomal dysfunction in epilepsy, which can lead to the accumulation of toxic substrates and impaired autophagy in neurons. Our focus is on phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), an enzyme that plays a crucial role in regulating intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels by converting it into adenosine monophosphate (AMP).

Antifungal Activity-Guided Analysis of Actinostemma lobatum Extracts through Serial Sub-fractions.

Plants are treasure trove of novel compounds that have potential for antifungal chemicals and drugs. In our previous study, we had screened plant extracts obtained from more than eight hundred plant materials collected in Korea, and found that butanol fraction of the Actinostemma lobatum were most potent in suppressing growth of diverse fungal pathogens of plants. Here in this study, we describe further analysis of the butanol fraction, and summarize the results of subsequent antifungal activity test for the sub-fractions against a selected set of plant pathogenic fungi.

Nobiletin enhances mitochondrial function by regulating SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation.

Nobiletin is a natural flavonoid found in citrus fruits with beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-oxidation effects. The aim of this study was to investigate whether nobiletin improves mitochondrial function in porcine oocytes and examine the underlying mechanism. Oocytes enclosed by cumulus cells were cultured in TCM-199 for 44 h with 0.

High Temperature-Induced m6A Epigenetic Changes Affect Early Porcine Embryonic Developmental Competence in Pigs.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent modification in eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA), plays a key role in various developmental processes in mammals. Three proteins that affect RNA m6A modification have been identified: methyltransferases, demethylases, and m6A-binding proteins, known as "writer," "eraser," and "reader" proteins, respectively. However, changes in the m6A modification when early porcine embryos are exposed to stress remain unclear.

Dendropanoxide Attenuates High Glucose-induced Oxidative Damage in NRK-52E Cells via AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway.

Hyperglycemia is a potent risk factor for the development and progression of diabetes-induced nephropathy. Dendropanoxide (DPx) is a natural compound isolated from (Araliaceae) that exerts various biological effects. However, the role of DPx in hyperglycemia-induced renal tubular cell injury remains unclear.

Knockdown of Y-box binding protein 1 induces autophagy in early porcine embryos.

Y-box binding protein 1 () plays important roles in RNA stabilization, translation, transcriptional regulation, and mitophagy. However, its effects on porcine preimplantation embryos remain unclear. In this study, we knocked down in the one-cell (1C) stage embryo via small interfering RNA microinjection to determine its function in porcine embryo development.

A Nucleolar Protein, MoRRP8 Is Required for Development and Pathogenicity in the Rice Blast Fungus.

The nucleolus is the largest, membrane-less organelle within the nucleus of eukaryotic cell that plays a critical role in rRNA transcription and assembly of ribosomes. Recently, the nucleolus has been shown to be implicated in an array of processes including the formation of signal recognition particles and response to cellular stress. Such diverse functions of nucleolus are mediated by nucleolar proteins.

GRP78 acts as a cAMP/PKA signaling modulator through the MC4R pathway in porcine embryonic development.

Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) binds to and stabilizes melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), which activates protein kinase A (PKA) by regulating G proteins. GRP78 is primarily used as a marker for endoplasmic reticulum stress; however, its other functions have not been well studied. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the function of GRP78 during porcine embryonic development.

Distinct dynamics of the nucleolus in response to nutrient availability and during development in the rice blast fungus.

The nucleolus is a dynamic subnuclear structure that is involved in many fundamental processes of the nucleus. In higher eukaryotic cells, the size and shape of nucleoli correlate with nucleolar activities. For fungi, knowledge of the nucleolus and its functions is primarily gleaned from budding yeast.