Adapting Caenorhabditis elegans to evaluating functional foods and ingredients for cholesterol absorption.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an excellent model organism for elucidating higher life phenomena. C. elegans and humans are common in many aspects.

Chemical extension and glycodendrimer formation of the matriglycan decasaccharide, -(3Xylα1-3GlcAβ1)- and its affinity for laminin.

Muscle tissue is stabilized by the strong interaction between laminin and matriglycan. Matriglycan is a polysaccharide composed of the repeating disaccharide, -3Xylα1-3GlcAβ1-, and is a pivotal part of the core M3 O-mannosyl glycan. Patients with muscular dystrophy cannot synthesize matriglycan or the core M3 O-mannosyl glycan due to a defect in or the lack of glycosyltransferases owing to glycan synthesis.

Effects of Implemented Residual Stresses on Mechanical Responses and Behavior of the Full-Layered Murine Aortic Medial Ring: A Parametric Finite Element Study.

Purpose: It is known that elastic laminae (ELs) in the aortic wall, especially the inner layers, are structurally buckled due to residual stresses under unpressurized conditions. Herein, we aimed to develop a realistic computational model, replicating the mechanical behavior of an aortic ring from no-load to physiological conditions by considering inherent residual stresses, which has not been widely included in conventional modeling studies.

Methods: We determined specific conditions to reproduce EL buckling with a "preferable" residual stress distribution under no-load conditions by combining the design of experiments and multiobjective optimization.

The small GTPase RAB-18 is involved in regulating development/diapause by recruiting the intestinal cholesterol transporter NCR-1 onto the apical side in Caenorhabditis elegans.

RAB family proteins, which are small GTPases, are integral to the process of eukaryotic membrane trafficking. In the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, 31 RAB proteins have been identified through genome sequencing. Using an RNAi screen specifically targeting C.

Efficient pathway-driven -inositol production from -inositol using thermophilic cells and mesophilic inositol dehydrogenases: a novel strategy for pathway control.

Unlabelled: Mesophilic enzymes, which are active at moderate temperatures, may dominate enzymatic reactions even in the presence of thermophilic crude enzymes. This study was conducted to investigate this hypothesis with mesophilic inositol dehydrogenases (IolG and IolX) produced in HTA426. To ensure the efficient production of mesophilic enzymes, we first screened for promoters induced at moderate temperatures using transcriptome analysis and identified four genes highly expressed at 30°C in the thermophile.

Coating of Chlorophylls and Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Capacitor Reaction of TiO/MnO Composite Electrode.

We prepared composite electrodes using TiO coated with chlorophylls and as photoelectric conversion material and MnO as energy storage material and investigated their photoelectrochemical capacitor properties. The coating with the combination of chlorophylls and improved the photoelectric conversion function of TiO, compared with the coating with each alone. Na adsorption on MnO was enhanced with increasing the chlorophyll coating amount.

Taxonomic and life cycle reappraisals of the marine basidiomycete complex, with descriptions of three new species.

The marine basidiomycete has been regarded as a species complex, possibly including several species, because morphological variations in fruitbody, spore, and spore appendage have been observed in materials from worldwide collections. Using more than 50 monosporic isolates of -like fungi mainly obtained from Japanese beach coasts, we investigated their molecular phylogeny, morphological characteristics, mating compatibility, nuclear behavior during spore formation, and life cycles. Molecular phylogenetic analyses separated the examined strains into seven clades.

Development of a thermophilic host-vector system for the production of recombinant proteins at elevated temperatures.

Geobacillus spp. are moderate thermophiles that can efficiently produce recombinant proteins. Considering the protein production exhibited by these species, we searched for robust promoters in Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426.

Production of copper nanoparticle-immobilized chitin nanofibers and their role in plant disease control.

Chitin is used in agriculture to improve crop production; however, its use is limited due to difficulties in its handling. A chitin nanofiber (CNF) overcomes this issue and, due to its elicitor activity, has great potential for crop protection. To expand CNF utilization, a copper nanoparticles-based antimicrobic CNF (CuNPs/CNF) was prepared using a chemical reduction method.

Elucidation of the stereocontrol mechanisms of the chemical and biosynthetic intramolecular Diels-Alder cycloaddition for the formation of bioactive decalins.

The intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction (IMDA) is a powerful method for regioselective and stereoselective construction of functionalised decalin skeletons, and the recent discovery of enzymes that catalyse IMDA cycloaddition in biosynthesis has generated considerable interest. This study focused on the role of the absolute configuration of the C-6 carbon of the substrate polyene in the stereocontrol of the IMDA reaction catalysed by Fsa2 and Phm7, which construct different enantiomeric decalin skeletons. Their enantiomeric precursor polyenes were synthesised and subjected to enzymatic or thermal IMDA reactions to isolate various diastereomeric decalines and determine their absolute configuration.

Color Controllable Inorganic Pigments with Ce as a Color Source.

The BaRECeTaO (RE = La, Gd, Y; 0 ≤ ≤ 1) pigments were synthesized by a conventional solid-state reaction method to develop environmentally friendly reddish inorganic pigments. The host was the double-perovskite-type BaRETaO (RE: rare-earth elements), and the color source was Ce. All BaRECeTaO samples were obtained in a single-phase form as solid solutions.

Determination of Vitamin B and Folate Compounds in Commercially Available Edible Seaweed Products.

Background: Information on the contents of both vitamin B12 and folate in edible seaweeds is limited, of which deficiencies disrupt methionine biosynthesis to accumulate homocysteine as a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: Both vitamins were determined in commercially available edible seaweed products using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Results: Dried purple laver () products contain higher levels of vitamin B12 (approximately 30-60 μg/100 g dry weight) and folate compounds (approximately 880-1300 μg/100 g dry weight) than other seaweed products, such as kombu (), hijiki (), and wakame ().

Chemical emasculation in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) and dicotyledonous model species using trifluoromethanesulfonamide (TFMSA).

Hybridization plays an indispensable role in creating the diversity associated with plant evolution and genetic improvement of crops. Production of hybrids requires control of pollination and avoidance of self-pollination for species that are predominantly autogamous. Hand emasculation, male sterility genes or male gametocides have been used in several plant species to induce pollen sterility.

sensu lato (, ) from Japan, with descriptions of a new genus and three new species.

Species of (, ) collected from Japan were studied on their taxonomy by morphological and phylogenetic approaches. Phylogenetic analyses based on a nrDNA LSU and ITS dataset including the Japanese specimens and other publicly available ones show that is polyphyletic. Since the clade containing the type species was well-supported, we defined this clade as s.

symbiotic germination of seeds of five mycoheterotrophic orchids with and fungi.

We performed germination tests on seeds from five orchids (, var. , var. , , and ) using one and two isolates.

Two new species of s.l. () from Japan with descriptions of their ectomycorrhizae.

We describe two new species of resupinate sensu lato () collected in Japan: and . Both species have urniform basidia with more than four sterigmata and monomitic hyphal system, oil-rich hyphae in subiculum, which is typical for this genus. is characterized by poroid hymenophore partly yellowish-green, basidia 4-6-spored, medium-sized basidiospores (4.

The G protein-coupled receptor neuropeptide receptor-15 modulates larval development via the transforming growth factor-β DAF-7 protein in Caenorhabditis elegans.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a major class of membrane receptors that modulate a wide range of physiological functions. These receptors transmit extracellular signals, including secreted bioactive peptides, to intracellular signaling pathways. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has FMRFamide-like peptides, which are one of the most diverse neuropeptide families, some of which modulate larval development through GPCRs.

Acetylation of amines and alcohols catalyzed by acetylcholinesterase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 has a catalytic Ser residue in its active site. In this study, we examined the aminolysis and alcoholysis reactions of AChE that occurred alongside its hydrolysis reaction. The recombinant AChE recognized ethyl acetate as a substrate.

Anammox Bacterial -Adenosyl-l-Methionine Dependent Methyltransferase Crystal Structure and Its Interaction with Acyl Carrier Proteins.

Ladderane lipids (found in the membranes of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing [anammox] bacteria) have unique ladder-like hydrophobic groups, and their highly strained exotic structure has attracted the attention of scientists. Although enzymes encoded in type II fatty acid biosynthesis (FASII) gene clusters in anammox bacteria, such as -adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent enzymes, have been proposed to construct a ladder-like structure using a substrate connected to acyl carrier protein from anammox bacteria (AmxACP), no experimental evidence to support this hypothesis was reported to date. Here, we report the crystal structure of a SAM-dependent methyltransferase from anammox bacteria (AmxMT1) that has a substrate and active site pocket between a class I SAM methyltransferase-like core domain and an additional α-helix inserted into the core domain.

Independent bilateral-eye stimulation for gaze pattern recognition based on steady-state pupil light reflex.

recently, pupil oscillations synchronized with steady visual stimuli were used as input for an interface. The proposed system, inspired by a brain-computer interface based on steady-state visual evoked potentials, does not require contact with the participant. However, the pupil oscillation mechanism limits the stimulus frequency to 2.

Chitin-induced systemic disease resistance in rice requires both OsCERK1 and OsCEBiP and is mediated perturbation of cell-wall biogenesis in leaves.

Chitin is a well-known elicitor of disease resistance and its recognition by plants is crucial to perceive fungal infections. Chitin can induce both a local immune response and a systemic disease resistance when provided as a supplement in soils. Unlike local immune responses, it is poorly explored how chitin-induced systemic disease resistance is developed.

The FMRFamide-like peptide FLP-1 modulates larval development by regulating the production and secretion of the insulin-like peptide DAF-28 in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs) are conserved in both free-living and parasitic nematodes. This molecular genetic study verified the relevance of the flp-1 gene, which is conserved in many nematode species, to the larval development of the free-living soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Using C.

Low-Error Soil Moisture Sensor Employing Spatial Frequency Domain Transmissometry.

A new type of soil moisture sensor using spatial frequency domain transmissometry (SFDT) was evaluated. This sensor transmits and receives ultrawideband (1 to 6 GHz) radio waves between two separated antennas and measures the propagation delay time in the soil related to the dielectric constant. This method is expected to be less affected by air gaps between the probes and the soil, as well as being less affected by soil electrical conductivity (EC), than typical commercial sensors.