Index
(Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - December 7, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Index Source Type: research
Issue Information
Front cover: You can perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) without using a thermal cycler if you follow this drawing. Time management and temperature control are critically important for getting good yields of reaction products with high reproducibility and specifi city. But, of course, safety first. Ouch! The smoke got in her eyes! Designed by TRAIS Co., Ltd. (Kobe, Japan). (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - December 7, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: ISSUE INFORMATION Source Type: research
Identification of miR ‐305, a microRNA that promotes aging, and its target mRNAs in Drosophila
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the regulation of important biological processes. Here, we describe a novel Drosophila miRNAs involved in aging. We selected eight Drosophila miRNAs, displaying high homology with seed sequences of aging‐related miRNAs characterized in other species, and investigated whether the over‐expression of these miRNAs affected aging in Drosophila adult flies. The lifespan of adults over‐expressing miR‐305, a miRNA showing high homology with miR‐239 in C. elegans, was significantly shorter. Conversely, a reduction in miR‐305 expression led to a longer lifespan than that in control fli...
Source: Genes to Cells - December 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Makiko Ueda, Tetsuya Sato, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Yoshihiro H. Inoue Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Suppression of targeting of Dbf4 ‐dependent kinase to pre‐replicative complex in G0 nuclei
Intact G0 nuclei isolated from quiescent cells are not capable of DNA replication in interphase Xenopus egg extracts, which allow efficient replication of permeabilized G0 nuclei. Previous studies have shown multiple control mechanisms for maintaining the quiescent state, but DNA replication inhibition of intact G0 nuclei in the extracts remains poorly understood. Here, we showed that pre‐RC is assembled on chromatin, but its activation is inhibited after incubating G0 nuclei isolated from quiescent NIH3T3 cells in the extracts. Concomitant with the inhibition of replication, Mcm4 phosphorylation mediated by Dbf4‐depen...
Source: Genes to Cells - December 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Takuya Okada, Gaku Okabe, Yon ‐Soo Tak, Satoru Mimura, Haruhiko Takisawa, Yumiko Kubota Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Lem2 is retained at the nuclear envelope through its interaction with Bqt4 in fission yeast
Inner nuclear membrane (INM) proteins are thought to play important roles in modulating nuclear organization and function through their interactions with chromatin. However, these INM proteins share redundant functions in metazoans that pose difficulties for functional studies. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe exhibits a relatively small number of INM proteins, and molecular genetic tools are available to separate their redundant functions. In S. pombe, it has been reported that among potentially redundant INM proteins, Lem2 displays a unique genetic interaction with another INM protein, Bqt4, which is involved...
Source: Genes to Cells - December 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Yasuhiro Hirano, Yasuha Kinugasa, Haruhiko Asakawa, Yuji Chikashige, Chikashi Obuse, Tokuko Haraguchi, Yasushi Hiraoka Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Visualizing nuclear ‐localized RNA using transient expression system in plants
By modifying the existing cytosolic RNA visualization tool pioneered by Schönberger, Hammes, and Dresselhaus (2012), we developed a method to visualize nuclear‐localized RNA. Our method uses (i) an RNA component that consists of an RNA of interest that is fused to a bacteriophage‐derived MS2 sequence; and (ii) GFP fused to MS2 coat protein (MSCP), which binds specifically to MS2 as is also the case in the method for cytosolic RNA visualization. The nuclear localization sequence (NLS) at the C‐terminal of MSCP‐GFP tethers the probe to the nucleus. To reduce background signals in the nucleus, we replaced the NLS wit...
Source: Genes to Cells - December 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Natsuko Kinoshita, Catalina Arenas ‐Huertero, Nam‐Hai Chua Tags: BRIEF REPORT Source Type: research
Cloning ‐free template DNA preparation for cell‐free protein synthesis via two‐step PCR using versatile primer designs with short 3′‐UTR
Cell‐free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems largely retain the endogenous translation machinery of the host organism, making them highly applicable for proteomics analysis of diverse biological processes. However, laborious and time‐consuming cloning procedures hinder progress with CFPS systems. Herein, we report the development of a rapid and efficient two‐step polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to prepare linear DNA templates for a wheat germ CFPS system. We developed a novel, effective short 3′‐untranslated region (3′‐UTR) sequence that facilitates translation. Application of the short 3′‐UTR to two...
Source: Genes to Cells - December 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Mika Nomoto, Yasuomi Tada Tags: BRIEF REPORT Source Type: research
Assembly of insect hormone enthusiasts at Nasu Highland, Japan: Report of the 3rd International Insect Hormone (21st Ecdysone) Workshop
The 3rd International Insect Hormone (21st Ecdysone) Workshop (IIHW2017) was held in July 2017 at Nasu Highland, Japan. In the 40 years of the workshop's history, this was the first to be held in an Asian country. A total of 109 insect hormone researchers from 18 countries (62 overseas and 47 domestic participants) attended IIHW2017. During the workshop, all participants stayed on‐site at the venue's hotel; this was ideal for fostering communication between participants, in particular, interactions between principal investigators and young scientists. The workshop featured one keynote, 64 oral, and 35 poster presentatio...
Source: Genes to Cells - November 29, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Ryusuke Niwa, Takashi Nishimura Tags: MEETING REPORT Source Type: research
Issue Information
Front cover: The position of the hindlimb, or the length of the trunk, of tetrapods is highly diversified. Very recently, it was revealed that the timing of expression of Gdf11 gene in tetrapods' embryonic development plays an important role in determining the eventual position of the sacral vertebrae and the hindlimb beyond species. In some species that has a short trunk, such as frog, Gdf11 is expressed relatively earlier; in contrast, it is expressed much later in snakes' embryo. On the cover of this issue, we drew tetrapods with various lengths of the vertebrae, imitating Choju‐jinbutsu‐giga, one of Japan's nationa...
Source: Genes to Cells - November 16, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: ISSUE INFORMATION Source Type: research
I131 reinforces antitumor activity of metuximab by reversing epithelial –mesenchymal transition via VEGFR‐2 signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma
In conclusion, our results elucidated the mechanism underlying the anti‐HCC effects of I131‐mab and provided a theoretical foundation for the clinical application of I131‐mab. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - November 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Lu Wu, Bin Sun, Xuejing Lin, Chunying Liu, Haihua Qian, Lei Chen, Yefa Yang, Feng Shen, Changqing Su Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Pleckstrin homology domain of p210 BCR ‐ABL interacts with cardiolipin to regulate its mitochondrial translocation and subsequent mitophagy
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by the chimeric protein p210 BCR‐ABL encoded by a gene on the Philadelphia chromosome. Although the kinase domain of p210 BCR‐ABL is an active driver of CML, the pathological role of its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain remains unclear. Here, we carried out phospholipid vesicle‐binding assays to show that cardiolipin (CL), a characteristic mitochondrial phospholipid, is a unique ligand of the PH domain. Arg726, a basic amino acid in the ligand‐binding region, was crucial for ligand recognition. A subset of wild‐type p210 BCR‐ABL that was transiently expressed in HEK293 ce...
Source: Genes to Cells - November 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Kentaro Shimasaki, Miho Watanabe ‐Takahashi, Masato Umeda, Satoru Funamoto, Yoshiro Saito, Noriko Noguchi, Keigo Kumagai, Kentaro Hanada, Fujiko Tsukahara, Yoshiro Maru, Norihito Shibata, Mikihiko Naito, Kiyotaka Nishikawa Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Physiological significance of multipolar cells generated from neural stem cells and progenitors for the establishment of neocortical cytoarchitecture
Neurogenesis encompasses an entire set of events that leads to the generation of newborn neurons from neural stem cells and more committed progenitor cells, including cell division, the production of migratory precursors and their progeny, differentiation and integration into circuits. In particular, the precise control of neuronal migration and morphological changes is essential for the development of the neocortex. Postmitotic cells within the intermediate zone have been found to transiently assume a characteristic “multipolar” morphology, after which a multipolar‐to‐bipolar transition occurs before the cells ent...
Source: Genes to Cells - November 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Ken ‐ichi Mizutani Tags: REVIEW ARTICLE Source Type: research
BCL ‐XL binds and antagonizes RASSF6 tumor suppressor to suppress p53 expression
We report the interaction of BCL‐XL with RASSF6. BCL‐XL inhibits the interaction between RASSF6 and MDM2 and suppresses p53 expression. Consequently, BCL‐XL antagonizes RASSF6‐mediated apoptosis. Thus, the inhibition of RASSF6‐mediated apoptosis also underlies the prosurvival role of BCL‐XL.
RASSF6 blocks MDM2‐mediated p53 degradation and induces apoptosis. BCL‐XL inhibits the interaction between RASSF6 and MDM2 and plays a prosurvival role. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - November 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Xiaoyin Xu, Hiroaki Iwasa, Shakhawoat Hossain, Aradhan Sarkar, Junichi Maruyama, Kyoko Arimoto ‐Matsuzaki, Yutaka Hata Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase delays cellular senescence by upregulating SIRT1 activity and antioxidant gene expression in mouse cells
In this study, we found that primary mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells undergo progressive decline of NAMPT and NAD+ contents during serial passaging before becoming senescent. Furthermore, we showed that constitutive Nampt over‐expression increases cellular NAD+ content and delays cellular senescence of MEF cells in vitro. We further found that constitutive Nampt over‐expression increases SIRT1 activity, increases the expression of antioxidant genes, superoxide dismutase 2 and catalase and promotes resistance against oxidative stress. These findings suggest that Nampt over‐expression in MEF cells delays cellula...
Source: Genes to Cells - November 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Fiqri D. Khaidizar, Yasukazu Nakahata, Akira Kume, Kyosuke Sumizawa, Kenji Kohno, Takaaki Matsui, Yasumasa Bessho Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Issue Information
Front cover: In the Edo period, feudal lords in Japan (‘daimyo’) had to travel back and forth between their lands and Edo (present‐day Tokyo) every other year. It must have been hard for the vassals and retainers accompanied on foot. In this drawing, one prominent daimyo and his procession are depicted. The daimyo's family crest is modeled on the centrosome that acts as the main microtubule organization center in animal cells. The procession is preparing for departure from a ‘honjin’ (accommodation for daimyo) before dawn. It is still so dark that nobody seems to have noticed that the tips of the pole‐like equi...
Source: Genes to Cells - October 16, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Issue Information Source Type: research
