Evolutionary Scenarios for the Specific Recognition of Non-homologous Endogenous Peptides by G Protein-Coupled Receptor Paralogs.

Several peptides interact with phylogenetically unrelated G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs); similarly, orthologous GPCRs interact with distinct ligands. The neuropeptide Substance P (SP) activates both NK1R and another unrelated primate-specific GPCR, MRGPRX2. Furthermore, MRGPRX 1, a paralog of MRGPRX2, recognizes BAM8-22, which has no evolutionary relatedness to SP.

Identification of linalool disaccharide glycoside (linalyl β-vicianoside) in soybean leaves and its implication for herbivore resistance.

Linalool is anticipated to have significant ecological roles. In this study, linalyl 6-O-α-arabinopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (linalyl β-vicianoside: LinVic) was synthesized, and a linalool diglycoside purified from soybean leaves was identified as LinVic by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. High levels of LinVic were detected in leaves and sepals during soybean plant growth.

Key contributions of a glycolipid to membrane protein integration.

Regulation of membrane protein integration involves molecular devices such as Sec-translocons or the insertase YidC. We have identified an integration-promoting factor in the inner membrane of Escherichia coli called membrane protein integrase (MPIase). Structural analysis revealed that, despite its enzyme-like name, MPIase is a glycolipid with a long glycan comprising N-acetyl amino sugars, a pyrophosphate linker, and a diacylglycerol (DAG) anchor.

Characterization of corazonin signaling in a molluscan model species, Lymnaea stagnalis.

In recent years, new concepts have emerged regarding the nomenclature, functions, and relationships of different peptide families of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) superfamily. One of the main driving forces for this originated from the emerging evidence that neuropeptides previously called molluscan GnRH are multifunctional and should be classified as corazonin (CRZ). However, research articles still appear that use incorrect nomenclature and attribute the same function to molluscan CRZs as vertebrate GnRHs.

Ovarian Follicle Development in Ascidians.

Ovarian follicle development is an essential process for continuation of sexually reproductive animals, and is controlled by a wide variety of regulatory factors such as neuropeptides and peptide hormones in the endocrine, neuroendocrine, and nervous systems. Moreover, while some molecular mechanisms underlying follicle development are conserved, others vary among species. Consequently, follicle development processes are closely related to the evolution and diversity of species.

Distribution of cionin, a cholecystokinin/gastrin family peptide, and its receptor in the central nervous system of Ciona intestinalis type A.

The cholecystokinin (CCK)/gastrin family peptides are involved in regulation of feeding and digestion in vertebrates. In the ascidian Ciona intestinalis type A (Ciona robusta), cionin, a CCK/gastrin family peptide, has been identified. Cionin is expressed exclusively in the central nervous system (CNS).

Floral pigments and their perception by avian pollinators in three Chilean Puya species.

The Chilean Puya species, Puya coerulea var. violacea and P. chilensis bear blue and pale-yellow flowers, respectively, while P.

Bacterial Glycolipid Acting on Protein Transport Across Membranes.

The process of protein transport across membranes involves a variety of factors and has been extensively investigated. Traditionally, proteinaceous translocons and chaperones have been recognized as crucial factors in this process. However, recent studies have highlighted the significant roles played by lipids and a glycolipid present in biological membranes in membrane protein transport.

Regulatory Mechanisms of Transcription Factors in Plant Morphology and Function 2.0.

In plants, gene regulation underlies organ development and responses to environmental changes [...

A Novel Hemocyte-Derived Peptide and Its Possible Roles in Immune Response of Type A.

A wide variety of bioactive peptides have been identified in the central nervous system and several peripheral tissues in the ascidian type A (). However, hemocyte endocrine peptides have yet to be explored. Here, we report a novel 14-amino-acid peptide, CiEMa, that is predominant in the granular hemocytes and unilocular refractile granulocytes of .

Roles of a Glycolipid MPIase in Sec-Independent Membrane Protein Insertion.

Membrane protein integrase (MPIase), an endogenous glycolipid in () membranes, is essential for membrane protein insertion in . We have examined Sec-independent membrane protein insertion mechanisms facilitated by MPIase using physicochemical analytical techniques, namely solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, fluorescence measurements, and surface plasmon resonance. In this review, we outline the physicochemical characteristics of membranes that may affect membrane insertion of proteins.

Structures, functions, and syntheses of glycero-glycophospholipids.

Biological membranes consist of integral and peripheral protein-associated lipid bilayers. Although constituent lipids vary among cells, membrane lipids are mainly classified as phospholipids, glycolipids, and sterols. Phospholipids are further divided into glycerophospholipids and sphingophospholipids, whereas glycolipids are further classified as glyceroglycolipids and sphingoglycolipids.

Lipid cubic phase with an organic-inorganic hybrid structure formed by organoalkoxysilane lipid.

A lipid cubic phase encompassing a cross-linked siloxane structure was formed by the self-assembly of a synthetic organoalkoxysilane lipid in water. The spontaneous sol-gel reaction of the alkoxysilane moiety on the lipid head group produced an organic-inorganic hybrid material with a double gyroid 3 cubic structure.

Method for Two-Dimensional Epithelial Monolayer Formation Derived from Mouse Three-Dimensional Small Intestinal Organoids.

The intestinal epithelium is composed of two distinct structures, namely, the villi and crypts. The base of the crypts contains intestinal stem cells (ISCs), which support the high regenerative capacity of the intestinal epithelium. With the establishment of the three-dimensional (3D) organoid culture method, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of differentiation, proliferation, and maintenance of ISCs have been widely analyzed.

The neuroendocrine system of Ciona intestinalis Type A, a deuterostome invertebrate and the closest relative of vertebrates.

Deuterostome invertebrates, including echinoderms, hemichordates, cephalochordates, and urochordates, exhibit common and species-specific morphological, developmental, physiological, and behavioral characteristics that are regulated by neuroendocrine and nervous systems. Over the past 15 years, omics, genetic, and/or physiological studies on deuterostome invertebrates have identified low-molecular-weight transmitters, neuropeptides and their cognate receptors, and have clarified their various biological functions. In particular, there has been increasing interest on the neuroendocrine and nervous systems of Ciona intestinalis Type A, which belongs to the subphylum Urochordata and occupies the critical phylogenetic position as the closest relative of vertebrates.

Anthriscus sylvestris Deoxypodophyllotoxin Synthase Involved in the Podophyllotoxin Biosynthesis.

Tetrahydrofuran ring formation from dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans is a key step in the biosynthesis of aryltetralin lignans including deoxypodophyllotoxin and podophyllotoxin. Previously, Fe(II)- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) from Podophyllum hexandrum (Himalayan mayapple, Berberidaceae) was found to catalyze the cyclization of a dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan, yatein, to give deoxypodophyllotoxin and designated as deoxypodophyllotoxin synthase (DPS). Recently, we reported that the biosynthesis of deoxypodophyllotoxin and podophyllotoxin evolved in a lineage-specific manner in phylogenetically unrelated plant species such as P.

PTBP2 binds to a testis-specific long noncoding RNA, Tesra, and activates transcription of the Prss42/Tessp-2 gene.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been proved to be functional in the testis. Tesra, a testis-specific lncRNA, was suggested to activate the transcription of Prss42/Tessp-2, a gene that is involved in meiotic progression, in mouse spermatocytes. To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the activation, we searched for Tesra-binding proteins by a Ribotrap assay followed by LC-MS/MS analysis and identified polypyrimidine tract binding protein 2 (PTBP2) as a candidate.

Characterization of a novel species-specific 51-amino acid peptide, PEP51, as a caspase-3/7 activator in ovarian follicles of the ascidian, Type A.

Invertebrates lack hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and have acquired species-specific regulatory systems for ovarian follicle development. Ascidians are marine invertebrates that are the phylogenetically closest living relatives to vertebrates, and we have thus far substantiated the molecular mechanisms underlying neuropeptidergic follicle development of the cosmopolitan species, Type A. However, no ovarian factor has so far been identified in .

Machine learning discriminates P2X7-mediated intracellular calcium sparks in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an extracellular signaling molecule that mainly affects the pathophysiological situation in the body and can be sensed by purinergic receptors, including ionotropic P2X7. Neuronal stem cells (NSCs) remain in adult neuronal tissues and can contribute to physiological processes via activation by evoked pathophysiological situations. In this study, we revealed that human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived NSCs (iNSCs) have ATP-sensing ability primarily via the purinergic and ionotropic receptor P2X7.

Catalytic mechanism of the zinc-dependent MutL endonuclease reaction.

DNA mismatch repair endonuclease MutL binds two zinc ions. However, the endonuclease activity of MutL is drastically enhanced by other divalent metals such as manganese, implying that MutL binds another catalytic metal at some site other than the zinc-binding sites. Here, we solved the crystal structure of the endonuclease domain of MutL in the manganese- or cadmium-bound form, revealing that these metals compete with zinc at the same sites.

Identification, Chemical Synthesis, and Sweetness Evaluation of Rhamnose or Xylose Containing Steviol Glycosides of Stevia () Leaves.

Steviol glycosides obtained from leaves are increasingly used in the food industry as natural low-calorie sweeteners. Among them, the sweetness of major glycosides composed of glucose residues (e.g.

Exploring the Evolvability of Plant Specialized Metabolism: Uniqueness Out Of Uniformity and Uniqueness Behind Uniformity.

The huge structural diversity exhibited by plant specialized metabolites has primarily been considered to result from the catalytic specificity of their biosynthetic enzymes. Accordingly, enzyme gene multiplication and functional differentiation through spontaneous mutations have been established as the molecular mechanisms that drive metabolic evolution. Nevertheless, how plants have assembled and maintained such metabolic enzyme genes and the typical clusters that are observed in plant genomes, as well as why identical specialized metabolites often exist in phylogenetically remote lineages, is currently only poorly explained by a concept known as convergent evolution.