Studies on the Conjugated Lipids

Acid hydrolysis of cytosinine gave each one mole of cytosine, levulinic acid, ammonia and carbon dioxide. Reduction of cytosinine with PtO₂ afforded a mixture of dihydrocytosinine, 3-amino-tetrahydropyran-2-carboxylic acid and cytosine. Ozonolysis of N,N’-diacetylcytosinine methyl ester, followed by oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and acid hydrolysis gave erythro-d-β-hydroxyaspartic acid. These data permitted the assignment of structure (I) for cytosinine. Acid hydrolysis of uracinine gave uracil instead of cytosine, therefore, the structure (II) could be assigned to uracinine. Some stereochemical features and mechanism of levulinic acid formation were discussed.     

Survival rate and environmental response of current-year seedlings of the temperate liana Wisteria floribunda across a heterogeneous environment

Journal of Plant Research - Lianas have a huge influence on forest structure and function. However, it is unclear how the surrounding environment affects the establishment of liana seedlings in...     

Distinct Roles of Urinary Liver-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein in Non-Diabetic Patients with Anemia

BackgroundVarious stresses including ischemia are known to up-regulate renal L-FABP gene expression and increase the urinary excretion of L-FABP. In diabetic patients with anemia, the urinary excretion of L-FABP is significantly increased. We studied the clinical significance of urinary L-FABP and its relationship with anemia in non-diabetic patients.ResultsUrinary L-FABP levels were significantly higher in patients with anemia compared to those in patients without anemia. Similarly, the urinary L-FABP levels were significantly higher in patients with albuminuria compared to those in patients without albuminuria. Urinary L-FABP levels correlated with urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios, estimated glomerular filtration rates, body mass index, and hemoglobin levels. Multivariate linear regression analysis determined that hemoglobin levels (β = -0.249, P = 0.001) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios (β = 0.349, P < 0.001) were significant predictors of urinary L-FABP levels.ConclusionsUrinary L-FABP is strongly associated with anemia in non-diabetic patients.     

Maintenance of Bone Homeostasis by DLL1‐Mediated Notch Signaling

Adult bone mass is maintained through a balance of the activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Although Notch signaling has been shown to maintain bone homeostasis by controlling the commitment, differentiation, and function of cells in both the osteoblast and osteoclast lineages, the precise mechanisms by which Notch performs such diverse and complex roles in bone physiology remain unclear. By using a transgenic approach that modified the expression of delta‐like 1 (DLL1) or Jagged1 (JAG1) in an osteoblast‐specific manner, we investigated the ligand‐specific effects of Notch signaling in bone homeostasis. This study demonstrated for the first time that the proper regulation of DLL1 expression, but not JAG1 expression, in osteoblasts is essential for the maintenance of bone remodeling. DLL1‐induced Notch signaling was responsible for the expansion of the bone‐forming cell pool by promoting the proliferation of committed but immature osteoblasts. However, DLL1‐Notch signaling inhibited further differentiation of the expanded osteoblasts to become fully matured functional osteoblasts, thereby substantially decreasing bone formation. Osteoblast‐specific expression of DLL1 did not alter the intrinsic differentiation ability of cells of the osteoclast lineage. However, maturational arrest of osteoblasts caused by the DLL1 transgene impaired the maturation and function of osteoclasts due to a failed osteoblast‐osteoclast coupling, resulting in severe suppression of bone metabolic turnover. Taken together, DLL1‐mediated Notch signaling is critical for proper bone remodeling as it regulates the differentiation and function of both osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Our study elucidates the importance of ligand‐specific activation of Notch signaling in the maintenance of bone homeostasis. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2569–2580, 2017. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals Inc.     

Genetic diversity among perennial wild rice Oryza rufipogon Griff., in the Mekong Delta

Oryza rufipogon Griff. is a perennial species of wild rice widely distributed along the channels and rivers of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. This study attempted to find centers of diversity among wild rice populations in this area and their inter‐relationships. The highest genetic diversity was found in the Dong Thap population and the lowest in the Can Tho population. Maternal diversity evaluated using chloroplast INDELs detected ten plastid types, five of which were novel relative to other Asian countries. The mitochondrial genome suggested two unique deletions. One 699‐bp deletion via short tandem repeats was accompanied by another deletion including orf153. All accessions carrying the mitochondrial type were found in a particular plastid type. This unique maternal lineage was confined to specific channels where it showed vigorous vegetative growth in comparison to upstream areas where various maternal lineages and maximum genetic diversity occurred. This area along the Mekong Delta is a center of not only nuclear but also maternal diversity.     

Finding Nemo’s Genes: A chromosome‐scale reference assembly of the genome of the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula

The iconic orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, is a model organism for studying the ecology and evolution of reef fishes, including patterns of population connectivity, sex change, social organization, habitat selection and adaptation to climate change. Notably, the orange clownfish is the only reef fish for which a complete larval dispersal kernel has been established and was the first fish species for which it was demonstrated that antipredator responses of reef fishes could be impaired by ocean acidification. Despite its importance, molecular resources for this species remain scarce and until now it lacked a reference genome assembly. Here, we present a de novo chromosome‐scale assembly of the genome of the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula. We utilized single‐molecule real‐time sequencing technology from Pacific Biosciences to produce an initial polished assembly comprised of 1,414 contigs, with a contig N50 length of 1.86 Mb. Using Hi‐C‐based chromatin contact maps, 98% of the genome assembly were placed into 24 chromosomes, resulting in a final assembly of 908.8 Mb in length with contig and scaffold N50s of 3.12 and 38.4 Mb, respectively. This makes it one of the most contiguous and complete fish genome assemblies currently available. The genome was annotated with 26,597 protein‐coding genes and contains 96% of the core set of conserved actinopterygian orthologs. The availability of this reference genome assembly as a community resource will further strengthen the role of the orange clownfish as a model species for research on the ecology and evolution of reef fishes.