Cellular senescence induction leads to progressive cell death via the INK4a-RB pathway in naked mole-rats.

Naked mole-rats (NMRs) have exceptional longevity and are resistant to age-related physiological decline and diseases. Given the role of cellular senescence in aging, we postulated that NMRs possess unidentified species-specific mechanisms to prevent senescent cell accumulation. Here, we show that upon induction of cellular senescence, NMR fibroblasts underwent delayed and progressive cell death that required activation of the INK4a-retinoblastoma protein (RB) pathway (termed "INK4a-RB cell death"), a phenomenon not observed in mouse fibroblasts.

Carcinogenesis resistance in the longest-lived rodent, the naked mole-rat.

Certain mammalian species are resistant to cancer, and a better understanding of how this cancer resistance arises could provide valuable insights for basic cancer research. Recent technological innovations in molecular biology have allowed the study of cancer-resistant mammals, despite the fact that they are not the classical model animals, which are easily studied using genetic approaches. Naked mole-rats (NMRs; Heterocephalus glaber) are the longest-lived rodent, with a maximum lifespan of more than 37 years, and almost never show spontaneous carcinogenesis.

Returning long-range PM transport into the leeward of East Asia in 2021 after Chinese economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Changes in the aerosol composition of sulfate (SO) and nitrate (NO) from 2012 to 2019 have been captured as a paradigm shift in the region downwind of China. Specifically, SO dramatically decreased and NO dramatically increased over downwind locations such as western Japan due to the faster reduction of SO emissions than NO emissions and the almost constant trend of NH emissions from China. Emissions from China sharply decreased during COVID-19 lockdowns in February-March 2020, after which China's economic situation seemed to recover going into 2021.

Resistance to chemical carcinogenesis induction via a dampened inflammatory response in naked mole-rats.

Naked mole-rats (NMRs) have a very low spontaneous carcinogenesis rate, which has prompted studies on the responsible mechanisms to provide clues for human cancer prevention. However, it remains unknown whether and how NMR tissues respond to experimental carcinogenesis induction. Here, we show that NMRs exhibit extraordinary resistance against potent chemical carcinogenesis induction through a dampened inflammatory response.

Isolation and characterization of neural stem/progenitor cells in the subventricular zone of the naked mole-rat brain.

Background: The naked mole-rat (NMR) is the longest-lived rodent with a maximum lifespan of more than 37 years and shows a negligible senescence phenotype, suggesting that tissue stem cells of NMRs are highly capable of maintaining homeostasis. However, the properties of NMR tissue stem cells, including neural stem cells (NSCs), are largely unclear.

Methods: Neural stem/progenitor cells (NS/PCs) were isolated from the subventricular zone of the neonate NMR brain (NMR-NS/PCs) and cultured in neurosphere and adherent culture conditions.

Association of Protein and Endotoxin in Outdoor Air with Emergency Department Visits for Children and Adults with Asthma in Fukuoka, Japan.

We examined the association of biological components in airborne particles, i.e., proteins and endotoxins, in outdoor air with asthma exacerbation in the Fukuoka metropolitan area, Fukuoka, Japan.

Paradigm shift in aerosol chemical composition over regions downwind of China.

A rapid decrease in PM concentrations in China has been observed in response to the enactment of strong emission control policies. From 2012 to 2017, total emissions of SO and NO from China decreased by approximately 63% and 24%, respectively. Simultaneously, decreases in the PM concentration in Japan have been observed since 2014, and the proportion of stations that satisfy the PM environmental standard (daily, 35 µg/m; annual average, 15 µg/m) increased from 37.

Empirical analysis of transcriptional activity in the Arabidopsis genome.

Functional analysis of a genome requires accurate gene structure information and a complete gene inventory. A dual experimental strategy was used to verify and correct the initial genome sequence annotation of the reference plant Arabidopsis. Sequencing full-length cDNAs and hybridizations using RNA populations from various tissues to a set of high-density oligonucleotide arrays spanning the entire genome allowed the accurate annotation of thousands of gene structures.