Procedure for the efficient acquisition of progeny seeds from crossed potato plants grafted onto tomato

Potato, Solanum tuberosum L. is an important crop. However, it is difficult to breed potato cultivars by applying conventional crossing methods because potato has a tetraploid genome and is vegetatively propagated. Flower formation and tuber development occur simultaneously. Many potato cultivars hardly produce any fruits after crossing and fail to produce seeds. We report an improved procedure for obtaining progeny seeds by grafting potatoes onto tomatoes. The rate of fruit formation was more than 19% when the grafted potatoes were used for the crossing experiments, whereas crossing using the ungrafted plants showed a rate of 1.1%. This result suggests that our procedure results in the easy acquisition of null-segregant progenies by crossing mutant lines. It is also expected to improve conventional potato breeding.     

Identification of asymptomatic Entamoeba histolytica infection by a serological screening test: A cross-sectional study of an HIV-negative men who have sex with men cohort in Japan

BackgroundAmebiasis, caused by Entamoeba histolytica, is spreading in developing countries and in many developed countries as a sexually transmitted infection. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of serological screening to identify asymptomatic E. histolytica infection as a potential epidemiological control measure to limit its spread.Methodology/Principal findingsThis cross-sectional study was carried out between January and March 2021 in an HIV-negative men who have sex with men (MSM) cohort at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine. Serological screening was performed using a commercially available ELISA kit. For seropositive individuals, we performed stool polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine current E. histolytica infection. We performed E. histolytica serological screening of 312 participants. None had a history of E. histolytica infection prior to the study. The overall E. histolytica seropositivity was 6.7% (21/312), which was similar to that found by the rapid plasma reagin test (17/312). We identified current infection in 8 of 20 seropositive participants (40.0%) by stool PCR.Conclusions/SignificanceOur serological screening approach constitutes a potentially practical epidemiological strategy. Active epidemiological surveys, in combination with an effective screening strategy for asymptomatically infected individuals, should be applied to help reduce sexually transmitted E. histolytica infections.     

Fusion of bone marrow-derived cells with renal tubules contributes to renal dysfunction in diabetic nephropathy

Although diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major cause of end-stage renal disease, the mechanism of dysfunction has not yet been clarified. We previously reported that in diabetes proinsulin-producing bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) fuse with hepatocytes and neurons. Fusion cells are polyploidy and produce tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, ultimately causing diabetic complications. In this study, we assessed whether the same mechanism is involved in DN. We performed bone marrow transplantation from male GFP-Tg mice to female C57BL/6J mice and produced diabetes by streptozotocin (STZ) or a high-fat diet. In diabetic kidneys, massive infiltration of BMDCs and tubulointerstitial injury were prominent. BMDCs and damaged tubular epithelial cells were positively stained with proinsulin and TNF-α. Cell fusion between BMDCs and renal tubules was confirmed by the presence of Y chromosome. Of tubular epithelial cells, 15.4% contain Y chromosomes in STZ-diabetic mice, 8.6% in HFD-diabetic mice, but only 1.5% in nondiabetic mice. Fusion cells primarily expressed TNF-α and caspase-3 in diabetic kidney. These in vivo findings were confirmed by in vitro coculture experiments between isolated renal tubular cells and BMDCs. It was concluded that cell fusion between BMDCs and renal tubular epithelial cells plays a crucial role in DN.     

Structural study on the active site of porcine pepsin and Rhizopus chinensis acid protease. Spin labeling with diazoketone reagents

To investigate the active site structures of porcine pepsin and Rhizopus chinensis acid protease (RAP), spin label techniques were applied for these enzymes. Comparison of spin labeled porcine pepsin and RAP suggested that the active site cleft of porcine pepsin was narrower at the top, but wider at the bottom than that of RAP. Addition of pepstatin restricted the motion of the labeled nitroxide radicals. Under alkaline conditions, the enzymes changed their conformation discontinuously and irreversibly to open the active site clefts and to lose the binding ability for pepstatin. The denaturation points of both the enzymes were determined to be pH 6.2.     

Toll-like Receptors as a Target of Food-derived Anti-inflammatory Compounds

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in linking pathogen recognition with the induction of innate immunity. They have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, representing potential targets for prevention/treatment. Vegetable-rich diets are associated with the reduced risk of several inflammatory disorders. In the present study, based on an extensive screening of vegetable extracts for TLR-inhibiting activity in HEK293 cells co-expressing TLR with the NF-κB reporter gene, we found cabbage and onion extracts to be the richest sources of a TLR signaling inhibitor. To identify the active substances, we performed activity-guiding separation of the principal inhibitors and identified 3-methylsulfinylpropyl isothiocyanate (iberin) from the cabbage and quercetin and quercetin 4′-O-β-glucoside from the onion, among which iberin showed the most potent inhibitory effect. It was revealed that iberin specifically acted on the dimerization step of TLRs in the TLR signaling pathway. To gain insight into the inhibitory mechanism of TLR dimerization, we developed a novel probe combining an isothiocyanate-reactive group and an alkyne functionality for click chemistry and detected the probe bound to the TLRs in living cells, suggesting that iberin disrupts dimerization of the TLRs via covalent binding. Furthermore, we designed a variety of iberin analogues and found that the inhibition potency was influenced by the oxidation state of the sulfur. Modeling studies of the iberin analogues showed that the oxidation state of sulfur might influence the global shape of the isothiocyanates. These findings establish the TLR dimerization step as a target of food-derived anti-inflammatory compounds.     

Effects of acorn masting on population dynamics of three forest-dwelling rodent species in Hokkaido,Japan

The effects of the abundance of acorns of the oak, Quercus crispula, on the population dynamics of three rodent species (Apodemus speciosus, A. argenteus, and Clethrionomys rufocanus) were analyzed using time series data (1992–2006). The data were obtained in a forest in northern Hokkaido, Japan, by live trapping rodents and directly counting acorns on the ground. Apodemus speciosus generally increased in abundance following acorn masting. However, the clear effect of acorn abundance was not detected for the other two rodent species. Acorns of Q. crispula contain tannins, which potentially have detrimental effects on herbivores. Apodemus speciosus may reduce the damage caused by acorn tannins with tannin-binding salivary proteins and tannase-producing bacteria, whereas such physiological tolerance to tannins is not known in the other two rodent species. The differences in the effects of acorns between the three species may be due to differences in their physiological tolerance to tannins.     

Molecular bases for human complement C7 polymorphisms,C7*3 and C7*4

Complement C7 is one of the components of membrane attack complex (MAC) generated by the terminal complement cascade. C7 protein is polymorphic and most of its polymorphisms have been identified using isoelectric focusing (IEF), which detects protein charge differences. To date, the molecular bases of the polymorphisms detected by IEF have not been determined. In this paper, we describe the structural bases of two C7 IEF-detected polymorphisms, C7*3 and C7*4, both of which are common in Asian populations. C7*3 resulted from substitution of cysteine (Cys) at amino acid residue 106 by charged arginine (Arg; C106R), while charged lysine (Lys) at amino acid residue 398 was replaced by neutral glutamine (Gln; K398Q) in C7*4. As C7*3 is hypomorphic, it is important to study its possible associations with diseases such as immunological disorders and infections. We present genetic bases for this C7 polymorphism, which we determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genotyping, a simple and accurate method suitable for large-scale studies.     

VEGFR1-Positive Macrophages Facilitate Liver Repair and Sinusoidal Reconstruction after Hepatic Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Liver repair after acute liver injury is characterized by hepatocyte proliferation, removal of necrotic tissue, and restoration of hepatocellular and hepatic microvascular architecture. Macrophage recruitment is essential for liver tissue repair and recovery from injury; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Signaling through vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) is suggested to play a role in macrophage migration and angiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of VEGFR1 in liver repair and sinusoidal reconstruction after hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). VEGFR1 tyrosine kinase knockout mice (VEGFR1 TK^-/- mice) and wild-type (WT) mice were subjected to hepatic warm I/R, and the processes of liver repair and sinusoidal reconstruction were examined. Compared with WT mice, VEGFR1 TK^-/- mice exhibited delayed liver repair after hepatic I/R. VEGFR1-expressing macrophages recruited to the injured liver showed reduced expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF). VEGFR1 TK^-/- mice also showed evidence of sustained sinusoidal functional and structural damage, and reduced expression of pro-angiogenic factors. Treatment of VEGFR1 TK^-/- mice with EGF attenuated hepatoceullar and sinusoidal injury during hepatic I/R. VEGFR1 TK^-/- bone marrow (BM) chimeric mice showed impaired liver repair and sinusoidal reconstruction, and reduced recruitment of VEGFR1-expressing macrophages to the injured liver. VEGFR1-macrophages recruited to the liver during hepatic I/R contribute to liver repair and sinusoidal reconstruction. VEGFR1 activation is a potential therapeutic strategy for promoting liver repair and sinusoidal restoration after acute liver injury.