Effects of an ω3 fatty acid-biased diet on luteolysis, parturition, and uterine prostanoid synthesis in pregnant mice.

The ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are known to have beneficial effects on health and diseases, and hence their intake is encouraged. However, it remains unknown as to how ω3 PUFAs affect female reproduction processes, in which ω6 PUFA-derived prostaglandin (PG) E2 and PGF2α play crucial roles. We therefore compared female reproductive performance between ω3 PUFA-biased linseed oil diet-fed (Lin) mice and ω6 PUFA-biased soybean oil diet-fed (Soy) mice. In Lin mice, the uterine levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were 0.42 fold and 16 fold of those in Soy mice, respectively, with the EPA/AA ratio being 0.7 (vs 0.02 in Soy mice). Lin mice showed no alterations in any of the fertility indexes, including luteolysis and parturition. The uterine PG synthesis profiles of Lin mice were similar to those of Soy mice, but the levels of PGF2α and PGE2 were 50% of those in Soy mice, as a result of the increased EPA/AA ratio. PGF3α and PGE3 were undetectable in the uterine tissues of Soy and Lin mice. Interestingly, in Lin mice, 'luteolytic' PGF2α synthesis was considerably maintained even in the ω6 PUFA-reduced condition. These results suggest the existence of an elaborate mechanism securing PGF2α synthesis to a level that is sufficient for triggering luteolysis and parturition, even under ω6 PUFA-reduced conditions.

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy induced tumor cell death enhances tumor dendritic cell migration.

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) selectively kills tumor cells to which the photo-absorber dye IR700DX-conjugated antibodies are bound and induces a systemic anti-tumor immune response. NIR-PIT induces immunogenic cell death (ICD), releases damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) molecules from dying tumor cells, and activates dendritic cells (DCs). However, it is unclear whether NIR-PIT affects migration of tumor-infiltrating (Ti)-DCs to draining lymph nodes (dLNs), where a systemic anti-tumor response is induced. Here, we utilized in vivo photolabeling of Ti-DCs in tumors in photoconvertible protein Kikume Green-Red (KikGR) mice to show that NIR-PIT enhanced migration of Ti-DCs including cDC1s, cDC2s, and CD326+ DCs to dLNs. This effect was abolished by blocking adenosine triphosphate (ATP), one of the DAMPs molecules, as well as by inhibition of Gαi signaling by pertussis toxin. Thus, ICD induction by NIR-PIT stimulates Ti-DC migration to dLNs via ATP-P2X7 receptor and Gαi protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways and may augment tumor antigen presentation to induce anti-tumor T cells in dLNs.

The effects of elevated CO2 concentration on competitive interaction between aceticlastic and syntrophic methanogenesis in a model microbial consortium.

Investigation of microbial interspecies interactions is essential for elucidating the function and stability of microbial ecosystems. However, community-based analyses including molecular-fingerprinting methods have limitations for precise understanding of interspecies interactions. Construction of model microbial consortia consisting of defined mixed cultures of isolated microorganisms is an excellent method for research on interspecies interactions. In this study, a model microbial consortium consisting of microorganisms that convert acetate into methane directly (Methanosaeta thermophila) and syntrophically (Thermacetogenium phaeum and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus) was constructed and the effects of elevated CO2 concentrations on intermicrobial competition were investigated. Analyses on the community dynamics by quantitative RT-PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization targeting their 16S rRNAs revealed that high concentrations of CO2 have suppressive effects on the syntrophic microorganisms, but not on the aceticlastic methanogen. The pathways were further characterized by determining the Gibbs free energy changes (ΔG) of the metabolic reactions conducted by each microorganism under different CO2 concentrations. The ΔG value of the acetate oxidation reaction (T. phaeum) under high CO2 conditions became significantly higher than -20 kJ per mol of acetate, which is the borderline level for sustaining microbial growth. These results suggest that high concentrations of CO2 undermine energy acquisition of T. phaeum, resulting in dominance of the aceticlastic methanogen. This study demonstrates that investigation on model microbial consortia is useful for untangling microbial interspecies interactions, including competition among microorganisms occupying the same trophic niche in complex microbial ecosystems.