Host plant conspicuousness and the distribution of eggs and larvae in the butterfly,Anthocharis scolymus (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

We investigated how the distribution pattern of eggs and larval on the host plant, Turritus glabra, was influenced by the oviposition behavior of the pierid butterfly Anthocharis scolymus. Females searched for the host plants visually and they frequently approached taller host plants with sparse surrounding vegetation. After encountering host plants, oviposition behavior of females was independent of host plant characteristics such as height, density, and type of surrounding vegetation. A female laid eggs singly on a host plants. Most females appeared to lay their eggs regardless of the presense of eggs on the host plant. Consequently egg and larva tended to be abundant on conspicuous host plants as measured by height or relative isolation from other plants. However, overcrowding of eggs on an individual host decreased the survival rate of larvae.     

Control of trophoblast cell differentiation: Lessons from the genetics of early pregnancy loss and trophoblast neoplasia

Trophoblast cell differentiation is crucial to the morphogenesis of the placenta and thus the establishment of pregnancy and the growth and development of the embryo/fetus. In the present review, we discuss current evidence for the existence of regulatory genes crucial to trophoblast cell differentiation and placental morphogenesis. The elucidation of regulatory pathways controlling normal differentiation of trophoblast cells will facilitate the identification of sensitive junctures in the regulatory pathways leading to various developmental disorders, including those associated with the initiation of pregnancy, fetal growth retardation and gestational trophoblast disease.     

Characterization of Methanosarcina mazeii TMA isolated from a paddy field soil

We isolated a methanogenic strain, designated as strain TMA (=DSM 9195), from an enrichment culture inoculated with a Japanese paddy field soil. Strain TMA was Gram positive and strictly anaerobic. Cell shape was pseudosarcina-like, and cells were nonmotile. The strain was able to use methylamines, methanol, H₂–CO₂, and acetate as substrates for methanogenesis, but did not utilize formate. The optimum temperature and optimum pH were 30–37°C and 6.5–7.5 respectively. The G+C content of the DNA was 42.1 mol %. Strain TMA had DNA-DNA hybridization values of more than 80% with Methanosarcina mazeii S-6^T (T = type strain). On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, we identified strain TMA as M. mazeii. This is the first methylotrophic methanogen isolated from a paddy field soil and identified to the species level.     

Detection of SO2 at the ppm Level with Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) Sensing

Plasmonics - Detection and monitoring of SO2 is important because it is a representative toxic gas in the atmospheric environment that is emitted from industrial and natural processes. Localized...     

Partial silencing of fucosyltransferase 8 gene expression inhibits proliferation of Ishikawa cells,a cell line of endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy and is associated with increased morbidity each year, including young people. However, its mechanisms of proliferation and progression are not fully elucidated. It is well known that abnormal glycosylation is involved in oncogenesis, and fucosylation is one of the most important types of glycosylation. In particular, fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8) is the only FUT responsible for α1, 6-linked fucosylation (core fucosylation), and it is involved in various physiological as well as pathophysiological processes, including cancer biology. Therefore, we aimed to identify the expression of FUT8 in endometrial endometrioid carcinoma and investigate the effect of the partial silencing of the FUT8 gene on the cell proliferation of Ishikawa cells, an epithelial-like endometrial cancer cell line. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that FUT8 gene expression was significantly elevated in the endometrial endometrioid carcinoma, compared to the normal endometrium. The immunostaining of FUT8 and Ulex europaeus Agglutinin 1 (UEA-1), a kind of lectin family specifically binding to fucose, was detected endometrial endometrioid carcinoma. The proliferation assay showed FUT8 partial knockdown by transfection of siRNA significantly suppressed the proliferation of Ishikawa cells, concomitant with the upregulation in the gene expressions associated with the interesting pathways associated with de-ubiquitination, aspirin trigger, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) et al. It was suggested that the core fucosylation brought about by FUT8 might be involved in the proliferation of endometrial endometrioid carcinoma cells.     

Development of Capsicum EST–SSR markers for species identification and in silico mapping onto the tomato genome sequence

Capsicum spp. are widely cultivated for use as vegetables and spices. The Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Japan, has stocks of approximately 800 lines of Capsicum spp. collected from various regions of Central and South America, the regions of origin for Capsicum spp. In this study, 5,751 primer pairs for simple sequence repeat markers, based on 118,060 publicly available sequences of expressed sequence tags of Capsicum annuum, were designed and subjected to a similarity search against the genomic sequence of tomato, a model Solanaceae species. Nucleotide sequences spanning 2,245 C. annuum markers were successfully mapped onto the tomato genome, and 96 of these, which spanned the entire tomato genome, were selected for further analysis. In genotyping analysis, 60 out of the 77 markers that produced specific DNA amplicons showed polymorphism among the Capsicum lines examined. On the basis of the resulting data, the 192 tested lines were grouped into five main clusters. The additional sequencing analysis of the plastid genes, matK and rbcL, divided the resources into three groups. As a result, 19 marker loci exhibited genotypes specific to species and cluster, suggesting that the DNA markers are useful for species identification. Information on the DNA markers will contribute to Capsicum genetics, genomics, and breeding.     

Design and synthesis of novel pyrimido[4,5-b]azepine derivatives as HER2/EGFR dual inhibitors

A novel 7,6 fused bicyclic scaffold, pyrimido[4,5-b]azepine was designed to fit into the ATP binding site of the HER2/EGFR proteins. The synthesis of this scaffold was accomplished by an intramolecular Claisen-type condensation. As the results of optimization lead us to 4-anilino and 6-functional groups, we discovered 6-substituted amide derivative 19b, which has a 1-benzothiophen-4-yloxy group attached to the 4-anilino group. An X-ray co-crystal structure of 19b with EGFR demonstrated that the N-1 and N-3 nitrogens of the pyrimido[4,5-b]azepine scaffold make hydrogen-bonding interactions with the main chain NH of Met793 and the side chain of Thr854 via a water-mediated hydrogen bond network, respectively. In addition, the NH proton at the 9-position makes an additional hydrogen bond with the carbonyl group of Met793, as we expected. Compound 19b revealed potent HER2/EGFR kinase (IC₅₀: 24/36 nM) and BT474 cell growth (GI₅₀: 18 nM) inhibitory activities based on its pseudo-irreversible (PI) profile.     

Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Growth Inhibitors on Silkworm Larvae from Magnolia kobus DC

Two lignans were isolated from leaves of Magnolia kobus DC. as growth inhibitors on silkworm larvae and structurally elucidated as sesamin (I) and kobusin (II) which has been hitherto unknown.