Update on the treatment of cancer cachexia.

Cancer cachexia is a complex multifaceted syndrome involving functional impairment and changes in body composition that cannot be reversed by nutritional support. Cancer cachexia is characterized by decreased skeletal muscle mass, increased lipolysis, and decreased food intake. Cancer cachexia decreases chemotherapy tolerance as well as quality of life.

Identification of TEKTIN1-expressing multiciliated cells during spontaneous differentiation of non-human primate embryonic stem cells.

Tektins are a group of microtubule-stabilizing proteins necessary for cilia and flagella assembly. TEKTIN1 (TEKT1) is used as a sperm marker for monitoring germ cell differentiation in embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Although upregulation of TEKT1 has been reported during spontaneous differentiation of ES and iPS cells, it is unclear which cells express TEKT1.

Nonylphenol reduced the number of haploids in in vitro spermatogenesis of the endangered cyprinid Gnathopogon caerulescens.

Nonylphenol (NP), an endocrine disrupting chemical, is widely used in industrial and agricultural processes, causing NP influx into aquatic environments. NP induces hormonal imbalance, and male feminization, and reduces germ cell production during spermatogenesis; however, the mechanism by which it affects spermatogenesis remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of NP on spermatogenesis in honmoroko (Gnathopogon caerulescens), an endangered fish endemic to Lake Biwa, Japan, using an in vitro differentiation system.

Germ cell-specific expression of Venus by Tol2-mediated transgenesis in endangered endemic cyprinid Honmoroko (Gnathopogon caerulescens).

Fishes expressing a fluorescent protein in germ cells are useful to perform germ cell transfer experiments for conservation study. Nonetheless, no such fish has been generated in endangered endemic fishes. In this study, we tried to produce a fish expressing Venus fluorescent protein in germ cells using Honmoroko (Gnathopogon caerulescens), which is one of the threatened small cyprinid endemic to the ancient Lake Biwa in Japan.

Transcriptome analysis revealed bisphenol A and nonylphenol affect reproduction.

Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on reproduction have not been fully explained comprehensively. In this study, we tried to validate the common effect of Bisphenol A (BPA) and Nonylphenol (NP) on the differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells and found that they modify the expression of germ cell specific genes. To elucidate functional significance on biological process, we performed Gene Ontology (GO)-based microarray analysis comparing with published GeneChip data of primordial germ cell development in vivo.

Fluorescence and Bioluminescence Imaging of Angiogenesis in Flk1-Nano-lantern Transgenic Mice.

Angiogenesis is important for normal development as well as for tumour growth. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying angiogenesis are not fully understood, partly because of the lack of a good animal model for imaging. Here, we report the generation of a novel transgenic (Tg) mouse that expresses a bioluminescent reporter protein, Nano-lantern, under the control of Fetal liver kinase 1 (Flk1).

Measles virus C protein facilitates transcription by the control of N protein-viral genomic RNA interaction in early phases of infection.

Measles virus (MV) C protein has been known a multifunctional protein involved in anti-IFN response, viral RNA synthesis, and so on. Recent studies have clarified that double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is derived from viral genomic RNA (vRNA), and the amount of dsRNA was increased in an MV lacking C protein (MV(C-))-infected cells, suggesting that C protein blocks viral RNA synthesis. However, detailed roles of C protein in viral RNA synthesis remain unknown.

Interferon-inducible antiviral protein MxA enhances cell death triggered by endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Human myxovirus resistance gene A (MxA) is a type I interferon-inducible protein and exhibits the antiviral activity against a variety of RNA viruses, including influenza virus. Previously, we reported that MxA accelerates cell death of influenza virus-infected cells through caspase-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Similar to other viruses, influenza virus infection induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which is one of cell death inducers.

The C protein of wild-type measles virus has the ability to shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm.

Measles virus (MV) C protein is a small and basic non-structural protein, but its function is not well understood. We have found that a FLAG-tagged wild-type MV C protein expressed from cDNA was accumulated exclusively in the nucleus. To analyze the amino acid sequence important for the nuclear localization of C protein, a plasmid expressing C protein fused to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was generated.