Activation of Nrf2/Keap1 signaling and autophagy induction against oxidative stress in heart in iron deficiency

We investigated the effects of dietary iron deficiency on the redox system in the heart. Dietary iron deficiency increased heart weight and accumulation of carbonylated proteins. However, expression levels of heme oxygenase-1 and LC3-II, an antioxidant enzyme and an autophagic marker, respectively, in iron-deficient mice were upregulated compared to the control group, resulting in a surrogate phenomenon against oxidative stress.     

Rice plant development: from zygote to spikelet

Rice is becoming a model plant in monocotyledons and a model cereal crop. For better understanding of the rice plant, it is essential to elucidate the developmental programs of the life cycle. To date, several attempts have been made in rice to categorize the developmental processes of some organs into substages. These studies are based exclusively on the morphological and anatomical viewpoints. Recent advancement in genetics and molecular biology has given us new aspects of developmental processes. In this review, we first describe the phasic development of the rice plant, and then describe in detail the developmental courses of major organs, leaf, root and spikelet, and specific organs/tissues. Also, for the facility of future studies, we propose a staging system for each organ.     

Antiproliferative activity of root extract from gentian plant (Gentiana triflora) on cultured and implanted tumor cells

We describe a novel pharmacological activity of the gentian root, an ingredient of Chinese medicines. Root extract from Gentiana triflora triggered cell death of human Daudi cells in culture. In addition, daily administration of the extract to mice inhibited growth of implanted solid tumors. Extract treatment of cultured cells resulted in the appearance of shranken, fragmented, or condensed cell and nuclear morphologies, and in chromosomal DNA degradation. But, the extract-treated cells did not show DNA fragmentation, which exhibits a nucleosome ladder, suggesting that extract-triggered cell death is not mediated through a typical apoptotic pathway.     

Production of human erythropoietin by chimeric chickens

The use of transgenic avian allows cost effective and safe production of pharmaceutical proteins. Here, we report the successful production of chimeric chickens expressing human erythropoietin (hEpo) using a high-titer retroviral vector. The hEpo expressed by transgenic hens accumulated abundantly in egg white and had N- and O-linked carbohydrates. While attachment of terminal sialic acid and galactose was incomplete, portions of N- and O-linked carbohydrates were present. In vitro biological activity of egg white-hEpo was comparable to that produced by recombinant CHO cells.     

Dissecting in vivo steady-state dynamics of karyopherin-dependent nuclear transport

Karyopherin-dependent molecular transport through the nuclear pore complex is maintained by constant recycling pathways of karyopherins coupled with the Ran-dependent cargo catch-and-release mechanism. Although many studies have revealed the bidirectional dynamics of karyopherins, the entire kinetics of the steady-state dynamics of karyopherin and cargo is still not fully understood. In this study, we used fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and fluorescence loss in photobleaching on live cells to provide convincing in vivo proof that karyopherin-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport of cargoes is bidirectional. Continuous photobleaching of the cytoplasm of live cells expressing NLS cargoes led to progressive decrease of nuclear fluorescence signals. In addition, experimentally obtained kinetic parameters of karyopherin complexes were used to establish a kinetic model to explain the entire cargo import and export transport cycles facilitated by importin β. The results strongly indicate that constant shuttling of karyopherins, either free or bound to cargo, ensures proper balancing of nucleocytoplasmic distribution of cargoes and establishes effective regulation of cargo dynamics by RanGTP.     

Sleep-related factors associated with industrial accidents among factory workers and sleep hygiene education intervention

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - This study was conducted to investigate the association between industrial accidents and sleep-related parameters in factory workers, and to examine the effectiveness...