Emerging Roles of RNA-Binding Proteins in Inner Ear Hair Cell Development and Regeneration.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They play major roles in the tissue- and stage-specific expression of protein isoforms as well as in the maintenance of protein homeostasis. The inner ear is a bi-functional organ, with the cochlea and the vestibular system required for hearing and for maintaining balance, respectively.

The Adaptor Protein Lurap1 Is Required for Cell Cohesion during Epiboly Movement in Zebrafish.

Cell adhesion and polarized cellular behaviors play critical roles in a wide variety of morphogenetic events. In the zebrafish embryo, epiboly represents an important process of epithelial morphogenesis that involves differential cell adhesion and dynamic cell shape changes for coordinated movements of different cell populations, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. The adaptor protein Lurap1 functions to link myotonic dystrophy kinase-related Rac/Cdc42-binding kinase with MYO18A for actomyosin retrograde flow in cell migration.

Syne2b/Nesprin-2 Is Required for Actin Organization and Epithelial Integrity During Epiboly Movement in Zebrafish.

Syne2b/nesprin-2 is a giant protein implicated in tethering the nucleus to the cytoskeleton and plays an important role in maintaining cellular architecture. Epiboly is a conserved morphogenetic movement that involves extensive spreading and thinning of the epithelial blastoderm to shape the embryo and organize the three germ layers. Dynamic cytoskeletal organization is critical for this process, but how it is regulated remains elusive.

Design and synthesis of novel xanthone-triazole derivatives as potential antidiabetic agents: α-Glucosidase inhibition and glucose uptake promotion.

Inhibiting the decomposition of carbohydrates into glucose or promoting glucose conversion is considered to be an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes. Herein, a series of novel xanthone-triazole derivatives were designed, synthesized, and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activities and glucose uptake in HepG2 cells were investigated. Most of the compounds showed better inhibitory activities than the parental compound a (1,3-dihydroxyxanthone, IC = 160.

Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1a (Cthrc1a) regulates cell adhesion and migration during gastrulation in zebrafish.

Cell adhesion and migration are key cell behaviours during gastrulation in early embryos and metastasis in cancers. Cthrc1 is a secreted protein highly conserved among vertebrates; it is upregulated in injured and diseased arteries, as well as in malignant cancers. There is increasing evidence showing that its expression and activity are associated with cancer progression and inflammatory diseases.

Mutational analysis of dishevelled genes in zebrafish reveals distinct functions in embryonic patterning and gastrulation cell movements.

Wnt signaling plays critical roles in dorsoventral fate specification and anteroposterior patterning, as well as in morphogenetic cell movements. Dishevelled proteins, or Dvls, mediate the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin and Wnt/planar cell polarity pathways. There are at least three highly conserved Dvl proteins in vertebrates, but the implication of each Dvl in key early developmental processes remains poorly understood.

Aucubin protects against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute pulmonary injury through regulating Nrf2 and AMPK pathways.

Aucubin (Ai), a natural compound isolated from plants, including Aucuba japonica and Eucommia ulmoides, shows significant anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative bioactivities. Here, we attempted to explore the protect effects of Ai on LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Our results indicated that Ai increased the survival rate and ameliorated pathogenic processes in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice.

Mutation of frizzled8a delays neural retinal cell differentiation and results in microphthalmia in zebrafish.

Eye formation in vertebrates involves highly coordinated processes, and the differentiation of various eye tissues is regulated by conserved transcription factors and signalling pathways. Mutations in key genes of the regulatory hierarchy lead to congenital disorders and ocular diseases. The Wnt signalling pathway plays a key role in different aspects of eye development, and several Wnt receptors of the Frizzled family are required for eye specification and differentiation.

Leucine repeat adaptor protein 1 interacts with Dishevelled to regulate gastrulation cell movements in zebrafish.

Gastrulation is a fundamental morphogenetic event that requires polarised cell behaviours for coordinated asymmetric cell movements. Wnt/PCP signalling plays a critical role in this process. Dishevelled is an important conserved scaffold protein that relays Wnt/PCP signals from membrane receptors to the modulation of cytoskeleton organisation.

Transplantation of Zebrafish Cells by Conventional Pneumatic Microinjector.

Generating chimeric zebrafish by transplantation is extremely useful for live imaging in developmental, stem cell, and cancer biology, and to answer the questions of how cells acquire, keep, and/or change their fate. However, as it is technically challenging, the use of transplantation approach remains very limited by the zebrafish community. In this study, we show that this cell grafting operation can be easily achieved by using a conventional pneumatic microinjector normally used for microinjections.

Autoinhibition of Dishevelled protein regulated by its extreme C terminus plays a distinct role in Wnt/β-catenin and Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling pathways.

Dishevelled (Dvl) is a key intracellular signaling molecule that mediates the activation of divergent Wnt pathways. It contains three highly conserved domains known as DIX, PDZ, and DEP, the functions of which have been well characterized in β-catenin-dependent canonical and β-catenin-independent noncanonical Wnt signaling. The C-terminal region is also highly conserved from invertebrates to vertebrates.

Flexible, Luminescent Metal-Organic Frameworks Showing Synergistic Solid-Solution Effects on Porosity and Sensitivity.

Mixing molecular building blocks in the solid solution manner is a valuable strategy to obtain structures and properties in between the isostructural parent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). We report nonlinear/synergistic solid-solution effects using highly related yet non-isostructural, phosphorescent Cu triazolate frameworks as parent phases. Near the phase boundaries associated with conformational diversity and ligand heterogeneity, the porosity (+150 %) and optical O sensitivity (410 times, limit of detection 0.

Identification of novel MYO18A interaction partners required for myoblast adhesion and muscle integrity.

The unconventional myosin MYO18A that contains a PDZ domain is required for muscle integrity during zebrafish development. However, the mechanism by which it functions in myofibers is not clear. The presence of a PDZ domain suggests that MYO18A may interact with other partners to perform muscle-specific functions.

Phosphorescence doping in a flexible ultramicroporous framework for high and tunable oxygen sensing efficiency.

Doping very small amounts of Ru(II) into a flexible, ultramicroporous, fluorescent Zn(II) coordination polymer produced phosphorescent materials with very high and tunable oxygen quenching efficiency; and a simple color-changing ratiometric oxygen sensor has been constructed.

Magnetic variation induced by structural transformation from coordination chains to layers upon dehydration.

The reaction of CoBr(2), 1,2-di(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)diazene (bta) and KSCN yielded a one-dimensional coordination polymer [Co(SCN)(2)(bta)(H(2)O)(2)] with water molecules coordinated to the metal ions. After dehydration at 100 °C, the compound transformed into a layered coordination polymer [Co(SCN)(2)(bta)], whose structure was determined by powder X-ray diffraction based on the single-crystal structure of another layered coordination polymer [Cd(SCN)(2)(bta)]. Interestingly, a magnetic variation from a simple paramagnet to an antiferromagnetic ordered phase of a single-chain-magnet that exhibits both metamagnetic behaviour and slow magnetic relaxation was observed upon the dehydration process.

Solvent/additive-free synthesis of porous/zeolitic metal azolate frameworks from metal oxide/hydroxide.

Porous/zeolitic metal azolate frameworks may be efficiently prepared, with water as the only byproduct, by heating a mixture of metal oxide/hydroxide and azole ligand.

Spin canting and/or metamagnetic behaviours of four isostructural grid-type coordination networks.

Four isostructural, two-dimensional (2D) grid-type coordination polymers bridged by carboxylate groups, namely [Co(8-qoac)(HCOO)] (1 x Co), [Mn(8-qoac)(HCOO)] (1 x Mn), [Co(8-qoac)(CH3COO)] (2 x Co) and [Mn(8-qoac)(CH3COO)] (2 x Mn) (8-qoacH = quinoline-8-oxy-acetate acid), were constructed to study the modulation effects of spin carriers and interlayer interactions on the magnetic behaviours. The grid-type layers in these compounds are composed of octahedral metal ions bridged by carboxylate groups of 8-qoac ligands in the anti-anti fashion and formate/acetate in the syn-anti fashion, and these 2D layers are further packed into 3D structures through pi-pi stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The Mn(II) compounds show spin canting antiferromagnetic behaviours, while the Co(II) compounds exhibit not only spin canting but also metamagnetic behaviours.

Porous ionic/molecular crystal composed of highly symmetric magnetic clusters.

A porous ionic/molecular crystal composed of discrete triakis tetrahedral Co(8) clusters with an ideal T(d) symmetry shows interesting magnetism and porosity.

Single crystal-to-single crystal transformation from ferromagnetic discrete molecules to a spin-canting antiferromagnetic layer.

A unique single crystal-to-single crystal transformation from 0D discrete molecules to a 2D coordination polymer exhibits magnetic property changes from a short-range ferromagnetic coupling to a long-range canting antiferromagnetic ordering.

The slow magnetic relaxation observed in a mixed carboxylate/hydroxide-bridged compound [Co2Na(4-cpa)2(mu3-OH)(H2O)]infinity featuring magnetic Delta-chains.

Magnetic Delta-chains in a 3D coordination polymer [Co2Na(4-cpa)2(mu3-OH)(H2O)](infinity) are well separated by Na+ ions and organic spacers, and exhibit not only magnetic behaviour of Delta-chain topology but also slow magnetic relaxation.