Impaired p53/CEP ‐1 is associated with lifespan extension through an age‐related imbalance in the energy metabolism of C. elegans
In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the mammalian tumor suppressor p53 ortholog CEP‐1 mediates the stress response, activates germ line apoptosis and regulates meiotic chromosome segregation. A reduction in its expression, which frequently occurs in mammalian cancer cells, extends lifespan and induces an adaptive response in C. elegans. However, these effects do not involve an increase in oxidative stress resistance. Here, we showed that intermittent exposure to hyperoxia, which induces oxidative stress resistance and lowers the production of ROS derived from mitochondrial respiration in C. elegans, slightly improv...
Source: Genes to Cells - October 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Sumino Yanase, Hitoshi Suda, Kayo Yasuda, Naoaki Ishii Tags: BRIEF REPORT Source Type: research
cAMP ‐induced activation of protein kinase A and p190B RhoGAP mediates down‐regulation of TC10 activity at the plasma membrane and neurite outgrowth
Cyclic AMP plays a pivotal role in neurite growth. During outgrowth, a trafficking system supplies membrane at growth cones. However, the cAMP‐induced signaling leading to the regulation of membrane trafficking remains unknown. TC10 is a Rho family GTPase that is essential for specific types of vesicular trafficking. Recent studies have shown a role of TC10 in neurite growth in NGF‐treated PC12 cells. Here, we investigated a mechanical linkage between cAMP and TC10 in neuritogenesis. Plasmalemmal TC10 activity decreased abruptly after cAMP addition in neuronal cells. TC10 was locally inactivated at extending neurite ti...
Source: Genes to Cells - October 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Shingo Koinuma, Kohei Takeuchi, Naoyuki Wada, Takeshi Nakamura Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Hot debate in hot springs: Report on the second international meeting on SMC proteins
The second international meeting on “SMC proteins: Chromosomal Organizers from Bacteria to Human” (SMC2017) was held in Nanyo City, Yamagata, Japan, from 13 to 16 June 2017. The meeting was attended by 134 participants (among them, 76 from outside of Japan) who were interested in one of the highly conserved classes of chromosomal proteins regulating large‐scale chromosome structure and function. A keynote lecture was followed by 41 oral presentations and 71 poster presentations in the four‐day meeting. Diverse topics surrounding eukaryotic SMC protein complexes (cohesins, condensins and SMC5/6) and prokaryotic SMCs...
Source: Genes to Cells - October 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tatsuya Hirano, Tomoko Nishiyama, Katsuhiko Shirahige Tags: MEETING REPORT Source Type: research
Induction of erythropoietin gene expression in epithelial cells by chemicals identified in GATA inhibitor screenings
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone that promotes proliferation, differentiation and survival of erythroid progenitors. EPO gene expression is regulated in a tissue‐specific and hypoxia‐inducible manner and is mainly restricted to renal EPO‐producing cells after birth. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) confers high risk for renal anemia due to lower EPO production from injured kidneys. In transgenic reporter lines of mice, disruption of a GATA‐binding motif within the Epo gene promoter‐proximal region restores constitutive reporter expression in epithelial cells. Here, mitoxantrone and its analogues, identified as GATA ...
Source: Genes to Cells - October 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Hiroshi Kaneko, Takehide Katoh, Ikuo Hirano, Atsushi Hasegawa, Tadayuki Tsujita, Masayuki Yamamoto, Ritsuko Shimizu Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research
Issue Information
Front cover: A flock of wild geese from the north seems to be flying in front of the autumn moon rising behind a place of scenic beauty. No, it’s not. Looking carefully, it is a shoal of sperms swimming toward an ovum. It seems that one sperm has reached the ovum and passed through the zona pellucida, and that fertilization has just taken place. Designed by TRAIS Co., Ltd. (Kobe, Japan). (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - September 12, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Issue Information Source Type: research
Extracellular vesicle ‐mediated MFG‐E8 localization in the extracellular matrix is required for its integrin‐dependent function in mouse mammary epithelial cells
Milk fat globule‐EGF factor 8 (MFG‐E8) is a divalent‐binding secretory protein possessing an Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) motif and a phosphatidylserine (PS)‐binding motif. This protein has been shown to be involved in mammary gland development and morphogenesis. Integrin‐binding activity is necessary for these MFG‐E8‐dependent cell processes. Although the target cells and molecules of MFG‐E8 in the cellular microenvironment are important to understand its physiological function, its localization is largely unclear. Here, we found that mouse MFG‐E8 localized to the basal lamina of the mammary gland during involu...
Source: Genes to Cells - September 8, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Takuya Ooishi, Daita Nadano, Tsukasa Matsuda, Kenzi Oshima Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Hikeshi modulates the proteotoxic stress response in human cells: Implication for the importance of the nuclear function of HSP70s
Hikeshi mediates the heat stress‐induced nuclear import of heat‐shock protein 70 (HSP70s: HSP70/HSC70). Dysfunction of Hikeshi causes some serious effects in humans; however, the cellular function of Hikeshi is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of Hikeshi depletion on the survival of human cells after proteotoxic stress and found opposite effects in HeLa and hTERT‐RPE1 (RPE) cells; depletion of Hikeshi reduced the survival of HeLa cells, but increased the survival of RPE cells in response to proteotoxic stress. Hikeshi depletion sustained heat‐shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) activation in HeLa ...
Source: Genes to Cells - September 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Khondoker Md Zulfiker Rahman, Hiroshi Mamada, Masatoshi Takagi, Shingo Kose, Naoko Imamoto Tags: BRIEF REPORT Source Type: research
Elucidation of GlcNAc ‐binding properties of type III intermediate filament proteins, using GlcNAc‐bearing polymers
Vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and peripherin belong to type III intermediate filament family and are expressed in mesenchymal cells, skeletal muscle cells, astrocytes and peripheral neurons, respectively. Vimentin and desmin possess N‐acetyl‐d‐glucosamine (GlcNAc)‐binding properties on cell surfaces. The rod II domain of these proteins is a GlcNAc‐binding site, which also exists in GFAP and peripherin. However, the GlcNAc‐binding activities and behaviors of these proteins remain unclear. Here, we characterized the interaction and binding behaviors of these proteins, using various well...
Source: Genes to Cells - September 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Hirohiko Ise, Sadanori Yamasaki, Kazuaki Sueyoshi, Yoshiko Miura Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Many transcription factors contribute to C. elegans growth and fat storage
This study provides a blueprint for studies of other genes and phenotypes in C. elegans.
The genes that contribute only subtly are often missed. Here, we address this challenge by focusing on two phenotypes in C. elegans: growth and fat storage. Our results show the distribution of relative body size versus corrected relative fat score of 854 C. elegans TF RNAi knockdowns. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - August 8, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Akihiro Mori, Amy D. Holdorf, Albertha J.M. Walhout Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Issue Information
Front cover: Mutations in PARKIN or PINK1 genes can cause autosomal recessive juvenile Parkinson’s disease. In recent years, it has been revealed that they participate in mitochondrial quality control. Their products, Parkin and PINK1, modify dysfunctional mitochondria with polyubiquitin chains to promote selective autophagy (mitophagy) that eliminates dysfunctional mitochondria from cells. The woman in this drawing is removing unwanted seeds from the watermelon just as mitophagy eliminates dysfunctional mitochondria. Designed by TRAIS Co., Ltd. (Kobe, Japan). (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - August 8, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Issue Information Source Type: research
Characterization of Sarcocystis fayeri's actin ‐depolymerizing factor as a toxin that causes diarrhea
Raw horsemeat has the potential to induce food poisoning which often presents with diarrheal symptoms. A sample of horsemeat was found to be infected with Sarcocystis fayeri, and a 15‐kDa protein isolated from the cysts of S. fayeri was found to clearly show its diarrhea‐inducing activity. A nested polymerase chain reaction was used to clone the cDNA of the 15‐kDa protein. The deduced amino acid sequence showed homology to actin‐depolymerizing factor (ADF). A recombinant 15‐kDa protein depolymerized prepolymerized actins in a test tube. The 15‐kDa protein possessed conserved amino acid sequences of ADF of Toxo...
Source: Genes to Cells - August 4, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Daisuke Irikura, Morihiro Saito, Yoshiko Sugita ‐Konishi, Takahiro Ohnishi, Kei‐ichi Sugiyama, Maiko Watanabe, Akiko Yamazaki, Shinji Izumiyama, Hirotaka Sato, Yusuke Kimura, Rie Doi, Yoichi Kamata Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Expression of cytokine and extracellular matrix mRNAs in fetal hepatic stellate cells
In mouse fetal liver, hepatoblasts, sinusoidal endothelial cells and macrophages (or erythroblastic islands) promote differentiation and proliferation of hematopoietic cells through cell–cell interactions and secretion of cytokines and extracellular matrix factors. Until now, we have had little knowledge of the hematopoietic cytokines or extracellular matrix mRNAs expressed in hepatic stellate cells. Using p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) to mark this cell population, we sorted 12.5, 14.5 and 16.5 dpc hepatic stellate cells and analyzed expression of cytokines and extracellular matrix mRNAs. Among cytokines, insulin‐...
Source: Genes to Cells - August 4, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Keai Sinn Tan, Kasem Kulkeaw, Yoichi Nakanishi, Daisuke Sugiyama Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Effect of different light –dark schedules on estrous cycle in mice, and implications for mitigating the adverse impact of night work
Approximately 20% of workers in developed countries are involved in night work. Nevertheless, many studies have strongly suggested that night‐work‐induced chronic circadian misalignment increases the risk of a diverse range of health problems. Although a relation between night work and irregular menstrual cycles has been indicated epidemiologically, a direct causal link remains elusive. Here, we report that repetitive reversal of light–dark (LD) cycles triggers irregular estrous cycles in mice. The findings showed that the estrous cycle remained irregular for more than four weeks after the mice were returned to regul...
Source: Genes to Cells - August 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Kiichi Yoshinaka, Ai Yamaguchi, Ritsuko Matsumura, Koichi Node, Isao Tokuda, Makoto Akashi Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Crystal structure of the Xpo1p nuclear export complex bound to the SxFG/PxFG repeats of the nucleoporin Nup42p
This article describes structural and biochemical characterization of the interactions between the Xpo1p nuclear export complex and the FG repeats of Nup42p, a nucleoporin localized at the cytoplasmic face of nuclear pore complexes in yeast. The results of this study extend our understanding of the role of Nup42p in the terminal stage of nuclear export. The structure presented here also provides insights into evolutionary conservation of the FG repeat binding sites on CRM1 (Xpo1p) across species. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - August 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Masako Koyama, Hidemi Hirano, Natsuki Shirai, Yoshiyuki Matsuura Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Issue Information
Front cover: Kyoto's Gion Matsuri is one of Japan's three greatest festivals, and its highlight is Yamahoko Junko (decorated floats' parade) in which many decorated floats with hundreds of years of tradition parade through the central part of Kyoto. Now, is the float passing by in front of us Naginata‐boko that is famous for its naginata (long‐handled sword) on top? No, it is the 'telomere' float. In the T‐loop‐like structure of the telomere extending upward on the roof, you can see two Shagumas (straw ornaments) likened to TRF1 and TRF2 bound to the double strand region and Ohata (flag) likened POT1 bound to the 3...
Source: Genes to Cells - July 13, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Issue Information Source Type: research
