Issue Information
Front cover: May in the old Japanese luni‐solar calendar is a season when flowers of ‘hanashobu’ (Japanese iris, Iris ensata var. ensata) are in full blossom by the waterside. In the pond in this garden, clusters of hanashobu can be seen. Oh, watch carefully! Some flowers in front of us are made of α‐helices and β‐sheets, aren't they? Designed by TRAIS Co., Ltd. (Kobe, Japan). (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - May 5, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Issue Information Source Type: research
Detection and characterization of individual endocytosis of AMPA ‐type glutamate receptor around postsynaptic membrane
Synaptic plasticity such as long‐term depression (LTD) has been regarded as a cellular mechanism of learning and memory. LTD is expressed by the decrease in number of postsynaptic AMPA‐type receptor (AMPAR) at glutamatergic synapses. Although endocytosis is known to play an essential role in the decrease in AMPAR on postsynaptic membrane, the difficulty to detect individual endocytic events hampered clarification of AMPAR dynamics around synapses. Previously, we developed a method to induce formation of postsynaptic‐like membrane (PSLM) on the glass surface and observed pHluorin‐tagged AMPAR around PSLM with total ...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 5, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Shumpei Fujii, Hiromitsu Tanaka, Tomoo Hirano Tags: Brief Report Source Type: research
Endoplasmic reticulum proteins SDF2 and SDF2L1 act as components of the BiP chaperone cycle to prevent protein aggregation
The folding of newly synthesized proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is assisted by ER‐resident chaperone proteins. BiP (immunoglobulin heavy‐chain‐binding protein), a member of the HSP70 family, plays a central role in protein quality control. The chaperone function of BiP is regulated by its intrinsic ATPase activity, which is stimulated by ER‐resident proteins of the HSP40/DnaJ family, including ERdj3. Here, we report that two closely related proteins, SDF2 and SDF2L1, regulate the BiP chaperone cycle. Both are ER‐resident, but SDF2 is constitutively expressed, whereas SDF2L1 expression is induced by ER...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tsutomu Fujimori, Ryoji Suno, Shun ‐ichiro Iemura, Tohru Natsume, Ikuo Wada, Nobuko Hosokawa Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Pervasive yet nonuniform contributions of Dcp2 and Cnot7 to maternal mRNA clearance in zebrafish
In this study, the authors analyzed contributions of a decapping enzyme Dcp2 and a deadenylase Cnot7 to maternal mRNA clearance in zebrafish. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Yuichiro Mishima, Yukihide Tomari Tags: Brief Report Source Type: research
Long and branched polyamines are required for maintenance of the ribosome, tRNAHis and tRNATyr in Thermus thermophilus cells at high temperatures
Thermus thermophilus is an extremely thermophilic eubacterium that produces various polyamines. Aminopropylagmatine ureohydrolase (SpeB) and SAM decarboxylase‐like protein 1 (SpeD1) are involved in the biosynthesis of spermidine from arginine. Because long and branched polyamines in T. thermophilus are synthesized from spermidine, the speB and speD1 gene‐deleted strains (ΔspeB and ΔspeD1, respectively) cannot synthesize long and branched polyamines. Although neither strain grew at high temperatures (>75°C) in minimal medium, both strains survived at 80°C when they were cultured at 70°C until the mid‐log phas...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Misa Nakashima, Ryota Yamagami, Chie Tomikawa, Yuki Ochi, Toshiyuki Moriya, Haruichi Asahara, Dominique Fourmy, Satoko Yoshizawa, Tairo Oshima, Hiroyuki Hori Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Localization and domain characterization of the SflA regulator of flagellar formation in Vibrio alginolyticus
We presented a model how V. alginolyticus control the spatial and numerical regulation of polar flagella. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Satoshi Inaba, Takehiko Nishigaki, Norihiro Takekawa, Seiji Kojima, Michio Homma Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Proteomics analysis for asymmetric inheritance of preexisting proteins between mother and daughter cells in budding yeast
In budding yeast, a mother cell can produce a finite number of daughter cells over its life. The accumulation of a variety of types of damaged components has an impact on the aging process. Asymmetrical inheritance during cell division causes these aberrant intracellular constituents to be retained in mother cells and prevents them from segregating to daughter cells. However, the understanding of asymmetrical inheritance of individual proteins that are damaged or old age, and their relevance to the aging process, has been limited. The aim of this study is to propose a proteomics strategy for asymmetrical inheritance of pre...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Mitsuhiro Okada, Shunta Kusunoki, Yuko Ishibashi, Keiji Kito Tags: Brief Report Source Type: research
Different aggregation states of a nuclear localization signal ‐tagged 25‐kDa C‐terminal fragment of TAR RNA/DNA‐binding protein 43 kDa
The mechanism and cause of motor neuronal cell death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurodegenerative disorder, are unknown; gain of function of oligomers and aggregation of misfolded proteins, including carboxyl‐terminal fragments (CTFs) of TAR RNA/DNA‐binding protein 43 kDa (TDP‐43), have been proposed as important causative factors in the onset of ALS. We recently reported that a nuclear localization signal (NLS)‐tagged 25‐kDa CTF of TDP‐43 (TDP25) could decrease the cell‐death proportion compared with that promoted by TDP25. Here, we show oligomeric states of NLS‐TDP25 and its det...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Akira Kitamura, Sachiko Yuno, Hideki Muto, Masataka Kinjo Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Ternary complex of human ROR γ ligand‐binding domain, inverse agonist and SMRT peptide shows a unique mechanism of corepressor recruitment
Retinoid‐related orphan receptor gamma (RORγ) directly controls the differentiation of Th17 cell and the production of interleukin‐17, which plays an integral role in autoimmune diseases. To obtain insight into RORγ, we have determined the first crystal structure of a ternary complex containing RORγ ligand‐binding domain (LBD) bound with a novel synthetic inhibitor and a repressor peptide, 22‐mer peptide from silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT). Comparison of a binary complex of nonliganded (apo) RORγ‐LBD with a nuclear receptor co‐activator (NCoA‐1) peptide has shown t...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Masato Noguchi, Akihiro Nomura, Ken Murase, Satoki Doi, Keishi Yamaguchi, Kazuyuki Hirata, Makoto Shiozaki, Shintaro Hirashima, Masayuki Kotoku, Takayuki Yamaguchi, Yoshiaki Katsuda, Ruo Steensma, Xioalin Li, Haiyan Tao, Bruno Tse, Morgan Fenn, Robert Bab Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Retinoic acid modulates lipid accumulation glucose concentration dependently through inverse regulation of SREBP ‐1 expression in 3T3L1 adipocytes
In this study, we examined the effect of extracellular glucose on RA‐induced suppression of adipogenesis in 3T3L1 cell culture. When the cells were cultured in normal glucose medium (NG), the addition of RA suppressed lipid accumulation. However, when cultured in high glucose medium (HG), addition of RA to the cells enhanced lipid accumulation. These changes were accompanied by parallel alterations in fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element‐binding protein (SREBP)‐1 gene expression. Transfection of SREBP‐1 siRNA suppressed RA‐induced enhancement of lipid accumulation and FAS expression in the cell...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Mabrouk Attia Abd Eldaim, Shinya Matsuoka, Yuko Okamatsu ‐Ogura, Akihiro Kamikawa, Mohamed Mohamed Ahmed, Akira Terao, Kei‐ichi Nakajima, Kazuhiro Kimura Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Identification of ACA ‐28, a 1′‐acetoxychavicol acetate analogue compound, as a novel modulator of ERK MAPK signaling, which preferentially kills human melanoma cells
The extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway is essential for cell proliferation and is frequently deregulated in human tumors such as melanoma. Melanoma remains incurable despite the use of conventional chemotherapy; consequently, development of new therapeutic agents for melanoma is highly desirable. Here, we carried out a chemical genetic screen using a fission yeast phenotypic assay and showed that ACA‐28, a synthetic derivative of 1′‐acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), which is a natural ginger compound, effectively inhibited the growth of melanoma cancer cells wherein ERK MAPK signaling is hyp...
Source: Genes to Cells - May 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Ryosuke Satoh, Kanako Hagihara, Kazuki Matsuura, Yoshiaki Manse, Ayako Kita, Tatsuki Kunoh, Takashi Masuko, Mariko Moriyama, Hiroyuki Moriyama, Genzoh Tanabe, Osamu Muraoka, Reiko Sugiura Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Issue Information
Front cover: Today, more than one fourth of people living in Japan are estimated to be suffering from ‘sugi’ or Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollinosis. Spring should be the worst season for those with such allergies. Binding of the allergen to immunoglobulin E (IgE) on the surface of mast cells triggers release of histamine from them, and it causes symptoms such as itchy eyes or snivel. However, it's not a problem only for human beings. This monkey performing saru‐mawashi (monkey show) also has a pollen allergy, and today's stage is, of all places, beside the very sugi tree! Designed by TRAIS Co., Ltd. (Kob...
Source: Genes to Cells - April 10, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Issue Information Source Type: research
Ribosomal protein L31 in Escherichia coli contributes to ribosome subunit association and translation, whereas short L31 cleaved by protease 7 reduces both activities
Ribosomes routinely prepared from Escherichia coli strain K12 contain intact (70 amino acids) and short (62 amino acids) forms of ribosomal protein L31. By contrast, ribosomes prepared from ompT mutant cells, which lack protease 7, contain only intact L31, suggesting that L31 is cleaved by protease 7 during ribosome preparation. We compared ribosomal subunit association in wild‐type and ompT − strains. In sucrose density gradient centrifugation under low Mg2+, 70S content was very high in ompT − ribosomes, but decreased in the wild‐type ribosomes containing short L31. In addition, ribosomes lacking L31 failed to ...
Source: Genes to Cells - April 10, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Masami Ueta, Chieko Wada, Yoshitaka Bessho, Maki Maeda, Akira Wada Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Identification of physical interactions between genomic regions by enChIP ‐Seq
In this study, we combined enChIP with NGS (enChIP‐Seq) to detect chromosomal interactions. Using enChIP‐Seq, we showed that the 5′HS5 locus physically interacts with multiple genomic regions upon erythroid differentiation in K562. Thus, enChIP‐Seq represents a potentially useful tool for analysis of genome functions. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - April 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Toshitsugu Fujita, Miyuki Yuno, Yutaka Suzuki, Sumio Sugano, Hodaka Fujii Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
Neu1 sialidase interacts with perilipin 1 on lipid droplets and inhibits lipolysis in 3T3 ‐L1 adipocytes
This study shows that Neu1 knockdown of 3T3‐L1 adipocytes increases IS‐induced glycerol release in culture medium, as well as increasing the protein expression and phosphorylation of Plin1. Plin1 and mNeu1DDK interacted on the surface of lipid droplets in adipocytes transfected with mNeu1DDK, and the interaction was lost upon IS stimulation. Furthermore, Neu1 knockdown increased Plin1 and HSL interaction induced by IS. These findings suggest that Neu1 inhibits lipolysis in adipocytes via suppressing Plin1 protein expression and phosphorylation. (Source: Genes to Cells)
Source: Genes to Cells - April 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Yujin Natori, Miwako Nasui, Fumiko Kihara ‐Negishi Tags: Original Article Source Type: research
