Preliminary investigation of the effect of oral supplementation of Lactobacillus plantarum strain SNK12 on mRNA levels of neurotrophic factors and GABA receptors in the hippocampus of mice under stress-free and sub-chronic mild social defeat-stressing conditions

ABSTRACT

The effect of Lactobacillus plantarum SNK12 (CPLP) supplementation on mRNA levels of hippocampal neurotrophic factors and gamma aminobutyric acid receptors (GABA_R) was tested. In Experiment 1, stress-free, unsupplemented and CPLP (4 × 10⁸ cells/head)-supplemented male C57BL/6J (B6) mice were the experimental animals. In Experiment 2, intruder (male, B6) mice [negative control; unsupplemented, sub-chronic mild social defeat stress (sCSDS)-induced; and CPLP-supplemented, sCSDS-induced] were exposed to aggressor mice (adult male Slc:ICR). mRNA levels of neurotrophic factors and GABA_R in hippocampal samples of these mice were analyzed. In CPLP-supplemented mice of both experiments, mRNA levels of bdnf, nt-3, and GABA_R were upregulated. Moreover, a tendency toward the improvement of habituation ability (Experiment 1) and behavior (Experiment 2) was observed in mice, which may be associated with upregulated neurotrophic factors and GABA_R. We demonstrated that oral supplementation of CPLP to stress-free and stress-induced mice upregulated mRNA levels of hippocampal neurotrophic factors and GABA_R.     

Regulated DNA rearrangement during sporulation in Bacillus weihenstephanensis KBAB4

Temperate phages can integrate their genomes into a specific region of a host chromosome to produce lysogens (prophage). During genome insertion, prophages may interrupt the gene coding sequence. In Bacillus subtilis, the sigma factor gene sigK is interrupted by a 48 kb prophage‐like element. sigK is a composite coding sequence from two partial genes during sporulation. For over two decades, however, no further examples of DNA element‐mediated gene reconstitution other than sigK have been identified in spore formers. Here we report that the gene for dipicolinic acid (DPA) synthetase β subunit spoVFB in B. weihenstephanensis KBAB4 is interrupted by a prophage‐like element named vfbin. DPA is synthesized in the mother cell and required for maintaining spore dormancy. We found that spoVFB was a composite coding sequence generated in the mother cell via chromosomal rearrangement that excised vfbin. Furthermore, vfbin caused excision after phage‐inducer treatment, but vfbin appeared to be defective as a prophage. We also found various spore‐forming bacteria in which sporulation‐related genes were disrupted by prophage‐like DNA elements. These results demonstrate the first example of a similar mechanism that affects a sporulation gene other than sigK and suggest that this prophage‐mediated DNA rearrangement is a common phenomenon in spore‐forming bacteria.     

Synthesis and biological activities of the amide derivative of aplog-1, a simplified analog of aplysiatoxin with anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activities

Aplog-1 is a simplified analog of the tumor-promoting aplysiatoxin with anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activities against several cancer cell lines. Our recent findings have suggested that protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) could be one of the target proteins of aplog-1. In this study, we synthesized amide-aplog-1 (3), in which the C-1 ester group was replaced with an amide group, to improve chemical stability in vivo. Unfortunately, 3 exhibited seventy-fold weaker binding affinity to the C1B domain of PKCδ than that of aplog-1, and negligible anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activities even at 10^?4 M. A conformational analysis and density functional theory calculations indicated that the stable conformation of 3 differed from that of aplog-1. Since 27-methyl and 27-methoxy derivatives (1, 2) without the ability to bind to PKC isozymes exhibited marked anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activities at 10^?4 M, 3 may be an inactive control to identify the target proteins of aplogs.     

Effects of Various Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Blood Cholesterol and Eicosanoids in Rats

The hypocholesterolemic efficacy of various polyunsaturated fatty acids was compared in rats given cholesterol-enriched diets with (0.004%) or without indomethacin, the cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Evening primrose oil (EPO, linoleic+ γ-linolenic), safflower oil (SFO, linoleic) or soybean oil (SBO, linoleic + α-linolenic) were added to diets at the 10% level. The serum cholesterol level of the EPO group was consistently lower than the other groups and after 3 weeks, it was significantly different from the SFO group without indomethacin and the SBO group with indomethacin. In rats fed EPO, the aorta tended to produce more prostacyclin whereas the concentration of plasma thromboxane B₂ was much lower than in rats fed SFO or SBO. The effects of indomethacin on these eicosanoids were less evident in rats fed EPO. Thus, in addition to the hypocholesterolemic action of β-linolenic acid (GLA) in preference to linoleic and possibly α-linolenic acid, GLA appears to cultivate an environment suitable for the prevention of carbiovascular disease even in the presence of excess cholesterol in the diet.     

Purification and Properties of Alcohol Dehydrogenase from Tea Seeds

The process of antigen presentation is not well understood. We screened for drugs that distinguish presentation of allogeneic class 2 antigens and exogenous antigens. When spleen cells were used as antigen presenting cells (APC), leupeptin and antipain preferentially inhibited allogeneic class 2 presentation, while they did not affect presentation of exogenous antigen and T cell growth. In contrast, they inhibited both presentations when spleen adherent cells (SAC) were used as APC. Our results suggest that SAC (mainly macrophages) and splenic B cells use different pathways to present exogenous antigens and that pathways to present allogeneic class 2 molecules are similar.     

Isolation of Z-3-Hexenal in Tea Leaves,Thea sinensis,and Synthesis Thereof

Z-3-Hexenal, a precursor in the biosynthesis of leaf alcohol and leaf aldehyde, was first isolated from fresh tea leaves, Thea sinensis and its structure was confirmed by unequivocal synthetic evidence.     

Diarylheptanoids with inhibitory effects on melanogenesis from the rhizomes of Curcuma comosa in B16 melanoma cells

The methanolic extract from the dried rhizomes of Curcuma comosa cultivated in Thailand was found to inhibit melanogenesis in theophylline-stimulated murine B16 melanoma 4A5 cells. From the methanolic extract, three new diarylheptanoids, diarylcomosols I–III, were isolated together with 12 known diarylheptanoids. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. The diarylheptanoids inhibited melanogenesis, and several structural requirements of the active constituents for the inhibition were clarified. In particular, (3R)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-(6E)-6-hepten-3-ol exhibited stronger inhibitory effect [IC₅₀ = 0.36 μM] without inducing cytotoxicity. The biological effect was much stronger than that of a reference compound, arbutin [IC₅₀ = 174 μM]. We conclude that diarylheptanoid analogs are promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of skin disorders.     

An abundant LEA protein in the anhydrobiotic midge,PvLEA4, acts as a molecular shield by limiting growth of aggregating protein particles

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Cell selective targeting of a simian virus 40 virus-like particle conjugated to epidermal growth factor

Simian virus 40 (SV40) virus-like particles (VLPs) are efficient nanocarriers for gene delivery. VLPs conjugated to human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) were prepared and the cell selectivity of the VLP was examined using human epithelial carcinoma A431 cells, which overexpress the EGF receptor. The endocytic efficiency was determined by the level of Gaussia luciferase activity from the encapsulated protein in hEGF-conjugated VLPs. EGF receptor-mediated endocytosis of hEGF-conjugated VLPs was significantly increased and was confirmed by fluorescence imaging using mCherry encapsulated in hEGF-conjugated VLPs. These results suggest that VLPs of SV40 conjugated to a specific ligand could be used for cell selective gene delivery.