Mitigating cadmium accumulation in rice without compromising growth via modifying the regulatory region of OsNRAMP5.

Cadmium (Cd) intake poses a significant health risk to humans, and the contamination of rice grains with Cd is a major concern in regions where rice is a staple food. Although the knockout of OsNRAMP5, which encodes a key transporter responsible for Cd and manganese (Mn) uptake, can significantly reduce Cd accumulation in rice grains, recent studies have revealed that this knockout adversely affects plant growth, grain yield, and increases vulnerability to abiotic and biotic stresses due to reduced Mn accumulation. In this study, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 technology to modify the regulatory region of OsNRAMP5 with the aim of reducing Cd accumulation in rice grains.

Wnt/β-Catenin Promotes the Osteoblastic Potential of BMP9 Through Down-Regulating Cyp26b1 in Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Background: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) promotes the osteogenic differentiation induced by bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9), but the intrinsic relationship between BMP9 and ATRA keeps unknown. Herein, we investigated the effect of Cyp26b1, a critical enzyme of ATRA degradation, on the BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and unveiled possible mechanism through which BMP9 regulates the expression of Cyp26b1.

Methods: ATRA content was detected with ELISA and HPLC-MS/MS.

Dysfunction of the 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase 4CL4 impacts aluminum resistance and lignin accumulation in rice.

The root cell wall is the first and primary target of aluminum (Al) toxicity. Monocots such as rice (Oryza sativa) can accumulate appreciable levels of hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) to modify and cross-link hemicellulose and/or lignin of the cell wall. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether this HCA-mediated modification of the cell wall is important for Al accumulation and resistance.

Caseinate-gelatin and caseinate-hydrolyzed gelatin composites formed via transglutaminase: chemical and functional properties.

Background: Treatment of food proteins by enzymatic crosslinking and other reactions can confer modified properties on the treated proteins. Bovine gelatin and hydrolyzed bovine gelatin were used to generate two caseinate-based composites via transglutaminase, and potential useful properties to food processing were investigated for both composites.

Results: Caseinate-gelatin and caseinate-hydrolyzed gelatin composites contained 33.

MicroRNA-200C and -150 play an important role in endothelial cell differentiation and vasculogenesis by targeting transcription repressor ZEB1.

To investigate the role of miRNA in controlling human embryonic stem (hES) cell differentiation toward the endothelial lineage and chick embryonic blood vessel formation, undifferentiated hES cells were first cultured on Matrigel-coated flasks and in endothelial cell growth medium-2 (EGM-2) to initiate endothelial cell (EC) differentiation. CD146(+) cells were isolated from differentiating hES cells and expanded in vitro. The in vitro expanded CD146(+) cells were positive for EC markers, capable of Ac-LDL uptake, lectin binding, and the formation of vascular structures in vitro and in vivo.

Nrf3-Pla2g7 interaction plays an essential role in smooth muscle differentiation from stem cells.

Objective: Phospholipase A2, group 7 (Pla2g7) is an important mediator in cardiovascular development and diseases because of its divergent physiological and pathological functions in inflammation and oxidative stress. However, little is known about the functional role of Pla2g7 in smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation from stem cells.

Methods And Results: In the present study, embryonic stem cells were cultivated on collagen IV-coated plates to allow SMC differentiation.

Functional impact of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 in smooth muscle differentiation from stem cells and embryonic arteriogenesis.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) play various roles in transcriptional and post-transcriptional modulation of gene expression. However, it remains unclear if hnRNPs are associated with smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation from stem cells and embryonic arteriogenesis. In this study, mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells were cultivated on collagen IV-coated plates and smooth muscle differentiation medium.

Chromobox protein homolog 3 is essential for stem cell differentiation to smooth muscles in vitro and in embryonic arteriogenesis.

Objective: Smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation is a critical process during cardiovascular formation and development, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear.

Methods And Results: Here we demonstrated that chromobox protein homolog 3 (Cbx3) is crucial for SMC differentiation from stem cells and that the chromodomain and chromoshadow domain of Cbx3 are responsible for Cbx3-induced SMC differentiation. Moreover, we identified that 4 amino acids (165 to 168) within the chromoshadow domain of Cbx3 are key elements for Cbx3 interaction with Dia-1- and Cbx3-induced SMC differentiation.

Signalling pathways that regulate endothelial differentiation from stem cells.

Endothelial cells play a vital role in the human vascular system. Injury to this layer of cells can lead to devastating consequences and eventually mortality. As demonstrated by recent accumulating evidences, the injured endothelial layer can be rescued by endothelial cell-based therapy.

Pluripotent stem cell differentiation into vascular cells: a novel technology with promises for vascular re(generation).

Several types of stem and progenitor cells are currently under investigation for their potential to accomplish vascular regeneration. This review focuses on embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We will discuss the technologies allowing for their derivation, culture expansion and maintenance in a pluripotent status.

Sp1-dependent activation of HDAC7 is required for platelet-derived growth factor-BB-induced smooth muscle cell differentiation from stem cells.

We have previously demonstrated that histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) expression and splicing play an important role in smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation from embryonic stem (ES) cells, but the molecular mechanisms of increased HDAC7 expression during SMC differentiation are currently unknown. In this study, we found that platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) induced a 3-fold increase in the transcripts of HDAC7 in differentiating ES cells. Importantly, our data also revealed that PDGF-BB regulated HDAC7 expression not through phosphorylation of HDAC7 but through transcriptional activation.

The mechanism of stem cell differentiation into smooth muscle cells.

Stem cells represent one of the most promising areas in biological and medical research. All stem cells are defined as having two basic properties: unlimited self-renewal and the broad potential to differentiate in vitro, via "progenitor cells", into somatic cells of many tissue types, in which smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation is a complicated and not well defined process. It is known that serum response factors (SRF) and co-activator myocardin are essential transcription factors in SMC differentiation.

Embryonic stem cell differentiation into smooth muscle cells is mediated by Nox4-produced H2O2.

NADPH oxidase (Nox4) produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are important for vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) behavior, but the potential impact of Nox4 in stem cell differentiation is unknown. When mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells were plated on collagen IV-coated dishes/flasks, a panel of SMC-specific genes was significantly and consistently upregulated. Nox4 expression was markedly correlated with such a gene induction as confirmed by real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blot analysis.