<Emphasis Type="Italic">Flavisolibacter carri</Emphasis> sp. nov., isolated from an automotive air-conditioning system

A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped and yellow bacterium, designated TX0651^T, was isolated from an automotive air-conditioning system. Phylogenetically, the strain groups with the members of the genus Flavisolibacter and exhibits high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Flavisolibacter ginsenosidimutans Gsoil 636^T (97.4%), Flavisolibacter ginsengiterrae Gsoil 492^T (96.3%) and Flavisolibacter ginsengisoli Gsoil 643^T (96.2%). DNA–DNA relatedness between TX0651^T and F. ginsenosidimutans KCTC 22818^T and F. ginsengiterrae KCTC 12656^T were determined to be less than 40%. The low levels of DNA–DNA relatedness identifies the strain TX0651^T as a novel species in the genus Flavisolibacter. The major cellular fatty acids were identified as iso-C_15:0, summed feature 3 (C_16:1 ω7c and/or C_16:1 ω6c), iso-C_15:1 G and iso-C_17:0 3-OH. The predominant respiratory quinone was identified as MK-7. The polar lipids were found to be comprised of phosphatidylethanolamine, unidentified amino-glycophospholipids, an unidentified aminophospholipid, an unidentified amino lipid and unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of the strain was determined to be 31.2 mol%. On the basis of the phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain TX0651^T should be classified in a novel species in the genus Flavisolibacter, for which the name Flavisolibacter carri sp. nov. (=?KACC 19014^T?=?KCTC 52836^T?=?NBRC 111784^T) is proposed.     

Effects of subclinical depression on prefrontal–striatal model-based and model-free learning

Depression is characterized by deficits in the reinforcement learning (RL) process. Although many computational and neural studies have extended our knowledge of the impact of depression on RL, most focus on habitual control (model-free RL), yielding a relatively poor understanding of goal-directed control (model-based RL) and arbitration control to find a balance between the two. We investigated the effects of subclinical depression on model-based and model-free learning in the prefrontal–striatal circuitry. First, we found that subclinical depression is associated with the attenuated state and reward prediction error representation in the insula and caudate. Critically, we found that it accompanies the disrupted arbitration control between model-based and model-free learning in the predominantly inferior lateral prefrontal cortex and frontopolar cortex. We also found that depression undermines the ability to exploit viable options, called exploitation sensitivity. These findings characterize how subclinical depression influences different levels of the decision-making hierarchy, advancing previous conflicting views that depression simply influences either habitual or goal-directed control. Our study creates possibilities for various clinical applications, such as early diagnosis and behavioral therapy design.     

Current status of platelet manufacturing in 3D or bioreactors

Blood shortages for transfusion are global issues of grave concern. As in vitro manufactured platelets are promising substitutes for blood donation, recent research has shown progresses including different cell sources, different bioreactors, and three-dimensional materials. The first-in-human clinical trial of cultured platelets using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived platelets began in Japan and demonstrated its quality, safety, and efficacy. A novel bioreactor with fluid motion for platelet production has been reported. Herein, we discuss various cell sources for blood cell production, recent advances in manufacturing processes, and clinical applications of cultured blood.     

FCN3 functions as a tumor suppressor of lung adenocarcinoma through induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress

In this study, we report a novel function of FCN3 (Ficolin 3), a secreted lectin capable of activating the complement pathway, as a tumor suppressor of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). First, the expression of FCN3 was strongly down-regulated in cancer tissues compared to matched normal lung tissues, and down-regulation of FCN3 was shown to be significantly correlated with increased mortality among LUAD patients. Interestingly, while ectopic expression of FCN3 led to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 and H23 cells derived from LUAD, the secreted form of the protein had no effect on the cells. Rather, we found evidence indicating that activation of the unfolded protein response from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is induced by ectopic expression of FCN3. Consistently, inhibition of ER stress response led to enhanced survival of the LUAD cells. Of note, the fibrinogen domain, which is not secreted, turned out to be both necessary and sufficient for induction of apoptosis when localized to ER, consistent with our proposed mechanism. Collectively, our data indicate that FCN3 is a tumor suppressor gene functioning through induction of ER stress.Subject terms: Non-small-cell lung cancer, Apoptosis, Endoplasmic reticulum