Substrate Binding Mechanism of a Type I Extradiol Dioxygenase

A meta-cleavage pathway for the aerobic degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons is catalyzed by extradiol dioxygenases via a two-step mechanism: catechol substrate binding and dioxygen incorporation. The binding of substrate triggers the release of water, thereby opening a coordination site for molecular oxygen. The crystal structures of AkbC, a type I extradiol dioxygenase, and the enzyme substrate (3-methylcatechol) complex revealed the substrate binding process of extradiol dioxygenase. AkbC is composed of an N-domain and an active C-domain, which contains iron coordinated by a 2-His-1-carboxylate facial triad motif. The C-domain includes a β-hairpin structure and a C-terminal tail. In substrate-bound AkbC, 3-methylcatechol interacts with the iron via a single hydroxyl group, which represents an intermediate stage in the substrate binding process. Structure-based mutagenesis revealed that the C-terminal tail and β-hairpin form part of the substrate binding pocket that is responsible for substrate specificity by blocking substrate entry. Once a substrate enters the active site, these structural elements also play a role in the correct positioning of the substrate. Based on the results presented here, a putative substrate binding mechanism is proposed.     

Dopamine D3 Receptor Mediates Preadolescent Stress-Induced Adult Psychiatric Disorders

Several studies have shown that repeated stressful experiences during childhood increases the likelihood of developing depression- and anxiety-related disorders in adulthood; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We subjected drd3-EGFP and drd3-null mice to daily, two hour restraint stress episodes over a five day period during preadolescence (postnatal day 35 to 39), followed by social isolation. When these mice reached adulthood (post-natal day > 90), we assessed locomotor behavior in a novel environment, and assessed depression-related behavior in the Porsolt Forced Swim test. We also measured the expression and function of dopamine D3 receptor in limbic brain areas such as hippocampus, nucleus accumbens and amygdala in control and stressed drd3-EGFP mice in adulthood. Adult male mice subjected to restraint stress during preadolescence exhibited both anxiety- and depression-related behaviors; however, adult female mice subjected to preadolescent restraint stress exhibited only depression-related behaviors. The development of preadolescent stress-derived psychiatric disorders was blocked by D3 receptor selective antagonist, SB 277011-A, and absent in D3 receptor null mice. Adult male mice that experienced stress during preadolescence exhibited a loss of D3 receptor expression and function in the amygdala but not in hippocampus or nucleus accumbens. In contrast, adult female mice that experienced preadolescent stress exhibited increased D3 receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens but not in amygdala or hippocampus. Our results suggest that the dopamine D3 receptor is centrally involved in the etiology of adult anxiety- and depression-related behaviors that arise from repeated stressful experiences during childhood.     

Computational Study on Subdural Cortical Stimulation - The Influence of the Head Geometry,Anisotropic Conductivity,and Electrode Configuration

Subdural cortical stimulation (SuCS) is a method used to inject electrical current through electrodes beneath the dura mater, and is known to be useful in treating brain disorders. However, precisely how SuCS must be applied to yield the most effective results has rarely been investigated. For this purpose, we developed a three-dimensional computational model that represents an anatomically realistic brain model including an upper chest. With this computational model, we investigated the influence of stimulation amplitudes, electrode configurations (single or paddle-array), and white matter conductivities (isotropy or anisotropy). Further, the effects of stimulation were compared with two other computational models, including an anatomically realistic brain-only model and the simplified extruded slab model representing the precentral gyrus area. The results of voltage stimulation suggested that there was a synergistic effect with the paddle-array due to the use of multiple electrodes; however, a single electrode was more efficient with current stimulation. The conventional model (simplified extruded slab) far overestimated the effects of stimulation with both voltage and current by comparison to our proposed realistic upper body model. However, the realistic upper body and full brain-only models demonstrated similar stimulation effects. In our investigation of the influence of anisotropic conductivity, model with a fixed ratio (1∶10) anisotropic conductivity yielded deeper penetration depths and larger extents of stimulation than others. However, isotropic and anisotropic models with fixed ratios (1∶2, 1∶5) yielded similar stimulation effects. Lastly, whether the reference electrode was located on the right or left chest had no substantial effects on stimulation.     

The effect of resistant starch (RS) on the bovine rumen microflora and isolation of RS-degrading bacteria

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - Resistant starch (RS) in the diet reaches the large intestine without degradation, where it is decomposed by the commensal microbiota. The fermentation of...     

Fgfbp1 is essential for the cellular survival during zebrafish embryogenesis

Fibroblast growth factor binding protein 1 (FGFBP1) is expressed in various tumors and may serve as a diagnostic marker and/or a therapeutic target. Previous studies suggested FGFBP1 functions as an angiogenic switch molecule by regulating the activity of FGF2, and it was later found to associate with a broad spectrum of FGFs. To study FGFBP1, we used zebrafish, in which the function of extracellular matrix protein can be easily studied in intact tissues or organisms. When Fgfbp1 expression was knocked down, morphants manifested massive cell death and structural abnormalities. Cell death was most prominent in the brain and the neural tube, but not limited to those regions. These findings suggest that the primary function of Fgfbp1 may be to sustain cellular survival throughout embryogenesis. For comparison, the expression of fgf2 was limited to the early stage of embryogenesis and fgf2 morphants showed more severe phenotype, with high morbidity before reaching 14-somites. Taken together, our work reveals the physiologic function of Fgfbp1, and that its function could be exerted in a Fgf2-independent manner.     

Selective and ATP-competitive kinesin KIF18A inhibitor suppresses the replication of influenza A virus

The influenza virus is one of the major public health threats. However, the development of efficient vaccines and therapeutic drugs to combat this virus is greatly limited by its frequent genetic mutations. Because of this, targeting the host factors required for influenza virus replication may be a more effective strategy for inhibiting a broader spectrum of variants. Here, we demonstrated that inhibition of a motor protein kinesin family member 18A (KIF18A) suppresses the replication of the influenza A virus (IAV). The expression of KIF18A in host cells was increased following IAV infection. Intriguingly, treatment with the selective and ATP-competitive mitotic kinesin KIF18A inhibitor BTB-1 substantially decreased the expression of viral RNAs and proteins, and the production of infectious viral particles, while overexpression of KIF18A enhanced the replication of IAV. Importantly, BTB-1 treatment attenuated the activation of AKT, p38 MAPK, SAPK and Ran-binding protein 3 (RanBP3), which led to the prevention of the nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Notably, administration of BTB-1 greatly improved the viability of IAV-infected mice. Collectively, our results unveiled a beneficial role of KIF18A in IAV replication, and thus, KIF18A could be a potential therapeutic target for the control of IAV infection.     

Retarded Charge–Carrier Recombination in Photoelectrochemical Cells from Plasmon‐Induced Resonance Energy Transfer

N‐type metal oxides such as hematite (α‐Fe₂O₃) and bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) are promising candidate materials for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting; however, their short minority carrier diffusion length and restricted carrier lifetime result in undesired rapid charge recombination. Herein, a 2D arranged globular Au nanosphere (NS) monolayer array with a highly ordered hexagonal hole pattern (hereafter, Au array) is introduced onto the surface of photoanodes comprised of metal oxide films via a facile drying and transfer‐printing process. Through plasmon‐induced resonance energy transfer, the Au array provides a strong electromagnetic field in the near‐surface area of the metal oxide film. The near‐field coupling interaction and amplification of the electromagnetic field suppress the charge recombination with long‐lived photogenerated holes and simultaneously enhance the light harvesting and charge transfer efficiencies. Consequently, an over 3.3‐fold higher photocurrent density at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) is achieved for the Au array/α‐Fe₂O₃. Furthermore, the high versatility of this transfer printing of Au arrays is demonstrated by introducing it on the molybdenum‐doped BiVO₄ film, resulting in 1.5‐fold higher photocurrent density at 1.23 V versus RHE. The tailored metal film design can provide a potential strategy for the versatile application in various light‐mediated energy conversion and optoelectronic devices.     

DNA barcoding of the South Korean Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) using collection specimens reveals three potential species complexes

We carried out DNA barcoding on 24 Korean tettigonid species of 19 genera deposited in the National Institute of Biological Resources to reevaluate the preliminary identification of each specimen. Sequence divergence of DNA barcodes obtained from 113 samples of the 24 species ranged from 0 to 30.4%, the intraspecific variation was 0–7.3%, and the interspecific divergence was 1.1–30.4%; we could not examine the barcoding gap. In the neighbor‐joining tree, the branch length among individuals of Tettigonia ussuriana, Paratlanticus ussuriensis, and Hexacentrus japonicus were relatively longer than those in other species. The detailed analysis of the morphological characters and DNA barcodes of the above three species revealed that these three species represent species complexes. The T. ussuriana complex comprised T. jungi, T. uvarovi, and T. ussuriana. Paratlanticus ussuriensis cluster contained four species; one cluster was identified as P. palgongensis based on morphological characteristics, but the other three clusters, including the P. ussuriensis cluster, require further detailed taxonomic analysis. Lastly, two species clusters were identified within the Hexacentrus japonicus clade. Based on the 99% sequence similarity obtained by blast search of the NCBI GenBank database, one of the clusters was identified as H. unicolor. Thus, the DNA barcoding revealed the presence of at least three cryptic species in Korean Tettigoniidae, although more detailed taxonomic analyses are required to establish their status. Therefore, we suggest that DNA barcoding is a very useful tool for increasing the identification accuracy of insect collections.     

Sequence,structure and function-based classification of the broadly conserved FAH superfamily reveals two distinct fumarylpyruvate hydrolase subfamilies

Fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) superfamily proteins are found ubiquitously in microbial pathways involved in the catabolism of aromatic substances. Although extensive bioinformatic data on these proteins have been acquired, confusion caused by problems with the annotation of these proteins hinders research into determining their physiological functions. Here we classify 606 FAH superfamily proteins using a maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree, comparative gene-neighbourhood patterns and in vitro enzyme assays. The FAH superfamily proteins used for the analyses are divided into five distinct subfamilies, and two of them, FPH-A and FPH-B, contain the majority of the proteins of undefined function. These subfamilies include clusters designated FPH-I and FPH-II, respectively, which include two distinct types of fumarylpyruvate hydrolase (FPH), an enzyme involved in the final step of the gentisate pathway. We determined the crystal structures of these FPH enzymes at 2.0 Å resolutions and investigate the substrate binding mode by which these types of enzymes can accommodate fumarylpyruvate as a substrate. Consequentially, we identify the molecular signatures of the two types of FPH enzymes among the broadly conserved FAH superfamily proteins. Our studies allowed us to predict the relationship of unknown FAH superfamily proteins using their sequence information.