Brain-derived neurotrophic factor knock-out mice develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

While brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a growth factor associated with cognitive improvement and the alleviation of depression symptoms, is known to regulate food intake and body weight, the role of BDNF in peripheral disease is not fully understood. Here, we show that reduced BDNF expression is associated with weight gain and the chronic liver disease non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). At 10 months of age, BDNF-heterozygous (BDNF+/- ) mice developed symptoms of NASH: centrilobular/perivenular steatosis, lobular inflammation with infiltration of neutrophils, ballooning hepatocytes, and fibrosis of the liver. Obesity and higher serum levels of glucose and insulin - major pathologic features in human NASH - were dramatic. Dying adipocytes were surrounded by macrophages in visceral fat, suggesting that chronic inflammation occurs in peripheral organs. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) studies of the liver revealed that the most significantly enriched Gene Ontology term involved fatty acid metabolic processes and the modulation of neutrophil aggregation, pathologies that well characterise NASH. Gene expression analysis by RNA-seq also support the notion that BDNF+/- mice are under oxidative stress, as indicated by alterations in the expression of the cytochrome P450 family and a reduction in glutathione S-transferase p, an antioxidant enzyme. Histopathologic phenotypes of NASH were also observed in a knock-in mouse (BDNF+/pro ), in which the precursor BDNF is inefficiently converted into the mature form of BDNF. Lastly, as BDNF reduction causes overeating and subsequent obesity, a food restriction study was conducted in BDNF+/pro mice. Pair-fed BDNF+/pro mice developed hepatocellular damage and showed infiltration of inflammatory cells, including neutrophils in the liver, despite having body weights and blood parameters that were comparable to those of controls. This is the first report demonstrating that reduced BDNF expression plays a role in the pathogenic mechanism of NASH, which is a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Maternal separation early in life induces excessive activity of the central amygdala related to abnormal aggression.

Epidemiological studies have indicated that child maltreatment, such as neglect, is a risk factor of escalated aggression, potentially leading to delinquency and violent crime in the future. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which an early adverse environment may later cause violent behavior. In this study, we aimed to thoroughly examine the association between aggression against conspecific animals and the activity of amygdala subnuclei using the maternal separation (MS) model, which is a common model of early life stress. In the MS group, pups of Sprague-Dawley rats were separated from their dam during postnatal days 2-20 (twice a day, 3 h each). We only included 9-week-old male offspring for each analysis and compared the MS group with the mother-reared control group; both groups were raised by the same dam during postnatal days 2-20. The results revealed that the MS group exhibited higher aggression and excessive activity of only the central amygdala (CeA) among the amygdala subnuclei during the aggressive behavior test. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between higher aggression and CeA activation. While CeA activity is known to be involved in hunting behavior for prey, some previous studies have also indicated a relationship between CeA and intraspecific aggression. It remains unclear, however, whether excessive CeA activity directly induces intraspecific aggression. Therefore, we stimulated the CeA using optogenetics with 8-week-old rats to clarify the relationship between intraspecific aggression and CeA activity. Notably, CeA activation resulted in higher aggression, even when the opponent was a conspecific animal. In particular, bilateral CeA activation resulted in more severe displays of aggressive behavior than necessary, such as biting a surrendered opponent. These findings suggest that an adverse environment during early development intensifies aggression through excessive CeA activation, which can increase the risk of escalating to violent behavior in the future.

The canonical smooth muscle cell marker TAGLN is present in endothelial cells and is involved in angiogenesis.

Elongation of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) is an important process in angiogenesis; however, the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. The actin-crosslinking protein TAGLN (transgelin, also known as SM22 or SM22α) is abundantly expressed in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and is widely used as a canonical marker for this cell type. In the course of studies using mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) carrying an Tagln promoter-driven fluorescence marker, we noticed activation of the Tagln promoter during EC elongation. Tagln promoter activation co-occurred with EC elongation in response to vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling and mTORC1 also induced EC elongation and Tagln promoter activation. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) elongated, activated the TAGLN promoter and increased TAGLN transcripts in an angiogenesis model. Genetic disruption of TAGLN augmented angiogenic behaviors of HUVECs, as did the disruption of TAGLN2 and TAGLN3 genes. Tagln expression was found in ECs in mouse embryos. Our results identify TAGLN as a putative regulator of angiogenesis whose expression is activated in elongating ECs. This finding provides insight into the cytoskeletal regulation of EC elongation and an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of angiogenesis.

Genetic and histopathological analysis of spermatogenesis after short-term testicular torsion in rats.

BACKGROUND: Patients with testicular torsion (TT) may exhibit impaired spermatogenesis from reperfusion injury after detorsion surgery. Alteration in the expressions of spermatogenesis-related genes induced by TT have not been fully elucidated. METHODS: Eight-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were grouped as follows: group 1 (sham-operated), group 2 (TT without reperfusion) and group 3 (TT with reperfusion). TT was induced by rotating the left testis 720° for 1 h. Testicular reperfusion proceeded for 24 h. Histopathological examination, oxidative stress biomarker measurements, RNA sequencing and RT-PCR were performed. RESULTS: Testicular ischemia/reperfusion injury induced marked histopathological changes. Germ cell apoptosis was significantly increased in group 3 compared with group 1 and 2 (mean apoptotic index: 26.22 vs. 0.64 and 0.56; p = 0.024, and p = 0.024, respectively). Johnsen score in group 3 was smaller than that in group 1 and 2 (mean: 8.81 vs 9.45 and 9.47 points/tubule; p = 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Testicular ischemia/reperfusion injury significantly upregulated the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and antioxidant enzymes and significantly downregulated the expression of genes associated with spermatogenesis. CONCLUSION: One hour of TT followed by reperfusion injury caused histopathological testicular damage. The relatively high Johnsen score indicated spermatogenesis was maintained. Genes associated with spermatogenesis were downregulated in the TT rat model. IMPACT: How ischemia/reperfusion injury in testicular torsion (TT) affects the expressions of genes associated with spermatogenesis has not been fully elucidated. This is the first study to report comprehensive gene expression profiles using next generation sequencing for an animal model of TT. Our results revealed that ischemia/reperfusion injury downregulated the expression of genes associated with spermatogenesis and sperm function in addition to histopathological damage, even though the duration of ischemia was short.

Sedanolide Activates KEAP1-NRF2 Pathway and Ameliorates Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Apoptotic Cell Death.

Sedanolide is a bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. Although it has been recently suggested that sedanolide activates the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway, there is little research on its effects on cellular resistance to oxidative stress. The objective of the present study was to investigate the function of sedanolide in suppressing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage and the underlying molecular mechanisms in human hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2 cells. We found that sedanolide activated the antioxidant response element (ARE)-dependent transcription mediated by the nuclear translocation of NRF2. Pathway enrichment analysis of RNA sequencing data revealed that sedanolide upregulated the transcription of antioxidant enzymes involved in the NRF2 pathway and glutathione metabolism. Then, we further investigated whether sedanolide exerts cytoprotective effects against H2O2-induced cell death. We showed that sedanolide significantly attenuated cytosolic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by exposure to H2O2. Furthermore, we demonstrated that pretreatment with sedanolide conferred a significant cytoprotective effect against H2O2-induced cell death probably due to preventing the decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential and the increase in caspase-3/7 activity. Our study demonstrated that sedanolide enhanced cellular resistance to oxidative damage via the activation of the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)-NRF2 pathway.

Vitamin C Maintenance against Cell Growth Arrest and Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation in the Presence of Redox Molecular Chaperone hslO Gene.

Chromosome damage combined with defective recombinase activity renders cells inviable, owing to deficient double-strand break repair. Despite this, recA polA cells grow well under either DNA damage response (SOS) conditions or catalase medium supplementation. Catalase treatments reduce intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, suggesting that recA polA cells are susceptible to not only chronic chromosome damage but also ROS. In this study, we used a reducing agent, vitamin C, to confirm whether cell growth could be improved. Vitamin C reduced ROS levels and rescued colony formation in recAts polA cells under restrictive temperatures in the presence of hslO, the gene encoding a redox molecular chaperone. Subsequently, we investigated the role of hslO in the cell growth failure of recAts polA cells. The effects of vitamin C were observed in hslO+ cells; simultaneously, cells converged along several ploidies likely through a completion of replication, with the addition of vitamin C at restrictive temperatures. These results suggest that HslO could manage oxidative stress to an acceptable level, allowing for cell division as well as rescuing cell growth. Overall, ROS may regulate several processes, from damage response to cell division. Our results provide a basis for understanding the unsolved regulatory interplay of cellular processes.

Highly Efficient Gene Editing of Cystic Fibrosis Patient-Derived Airway Basal Cells Results in Functional CFTR Correction.

There is a strong rationale to consider future cell therapeutic approaches for cystic fibrosis (CF) in which autologous proximal airway basal stem cells, corrected for CFTR mutations, are transplanted into the patient's lungs. We assessed the possibility of editing the CFTR locus in these cells using zinc-finger nucleases and have pursued two approaches. The first, mutation-specific correction, is a footprint-free method replacing the CFTR mutation with corrected sequences. We have applied this approach for correction of ΔF508, demonstrating restoration of mature CFTR protein and function in air-liquid interface cultures established from bulk edited basal cells. The second is targeting integration of a partial CFTR cDNA within an intron of the endogenous CFTR gene, providing correction for all CFTR mutations downstream of the integration and exploiting the native CFTR promoter and chromatin architecture for physiologically relevant expression. Without selection, we observed highly efficient, site-specific targeted integration in basal cells carrying various CFTR mutations and demonstrated restored CFTR function at therapeutically relevant levels. Significantly, Omni-ATAC-seq analysis revealed minimal impact on the positions of open chromatin within the native CFTR locus. These results demonstrate efficient functional correction of CFTR and provide a platform for further ex vivo and in vivo editing.

Flexible e-learning video approach to improve fundus examination skills for medical students: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Training for the fundus examination using traditional teaching is challenging, resulting in low generalist physicians' confidence in performing the funduscopic examination. There is growing evidence suggesting a flexible e-learning video approach's value in teaching physical examination procedures. However, whether the flexible e-learning video approach is superior to the traditional, face-to-face (F2F) lecture-based teaching for the funduscopic exam and the cognitive processes supporting its effectiveness has not yet been determined. METHODS: We conducted a sequential explanatory mixed-method study to compare the flexible e-learning video approach's effectiveness versus the F2F lecture-based approach for teaching the funduscopic exam to medical students at Chiba University in Japan. Medical students were randomly assigned to either a flexible e-learning video approach group or a F2F lecture approach group. We then quantitatively measured the diagnostic accuracy of funduscopic findings before and after attending the specific classrooms. Next, we conducted student focus groups to explore the students' thinking processes in the flexible e-learning video approach vs. the F2F lecture-based teaching of fundus examination. The qualitative data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method. RESULTS: The mean diagnostic accuracy scores in the post-test significantly increased from pre-test in the intervention group (36.6 to 63.4%, p < 0.001). Post-post comparisons across the two groups revealed a significant difference (intervention group 63.4% vs. control group 34.6%, p < 0.001). Six semi-structured focused group interviews were conducted (n = 36). In the flexible e-learning video approach group, we identified ten categories corresponding to four levels of the revised Bloom's taxonomy: remember, understand, apply, analyze. Five categories were identified in the traditional F2F lecture approach group corresponding to three revised Bloom's taxonomy levels: understand, apply, analyze. Interrater reliability was substantial (Cohen's kappa = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Teaching medical students funduscopic examination using the flexible e-learning video approach leads to improved diagnostic accuracy of funduscopic examinations. The flexible e-learning video teaching method enabled higher cognitive activity levels than the traditional, lecture-based classroom, as assessed using the revised Bloom's taxonomy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry on 08/02/2020 (Unique trial number: UMIN 000039434 ).

Evolutionary basis of HLA-DPB1 alleles affects acute GVHD in unrelated donor stem cell transplantation.

HLA-DPB1 T-cell epitope (TCE) mismatching algorithm and rs9277534 SNP at the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) in the HLA-DPB1 gene are key factors for transplant-related events in unrelated hematopoietic cell transplantation (UR-HCT). However, the association of these 2 mechanisms has not been elucidated. We analyzed 19 frequent HLA-DPB1 alleles derived from Japanese healthy subjects by next-generation sequencing of the entire HLA-DPB1 gene region and multi-SNP data of the HLA region in 1589 UR-HCT pairs. The risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was analyzed in 1286 patients with single HLA-DPB1 mismatch UR-HCT. The phylogenetic tree constructed using the entire gene region demonstrated that HLA-DPB1 alleles were divided into 2 groups, HLA-DP2 and HLA-DP5. Although a phylogenetic relationship in the genomic region from exon 3 to 3'UTR (Ex3-3'UTR) obviously supported the division of HLA-DP2 and HLA-DP5 groups, which in exon 2 showed intermingling of HLA-DPB1 alleles in a non-HLA-DP2 and non-HLA-DP5-group manner. Multi-SNP data also showed 2 discriminative HLA-DPB1 groups according to Ex3-3'UTR. Risk of grade 2-4 aGVHD was significantly higher in patient HLA-DP5 group mismatch than patient HLA-DP2 group mismatch (hazard ratio, 1.28; P = .005), regardless of donor mismatch HLA-DP group. Regarding TCE mismatch, increasing risk of aGVHD in patient HLA-DP5 group mismatch and TCE-nonpermissive mismatch were observed only in patients with TCE-permissive mismatch and patient HLA-DP2 group mismatch, respectively. Evolutionary analysis revealed that rs9277534 represented a highly conserved HLA-DPB1 Ex3-3'UTR region and may provoke aGVHD differently to TCE mismatching algorithm, reflecting exon 2 polymorphisms. These findings enrich our understanding of the mechanism of aGVHD in HLA-DPB1 mismatch UR-HCT.

Integrative expression analysis identifies a novel interplay between CFTR and linc-SUMF1-2 that involves CF-associated gene dysregulation.

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) is a cyclic AMP-dependent Cl- channel, and its dysfunction, due to CFTR gene mutations, causes the lethal inherited disorder cystic fibrosis (CF). To date, widespread dysregulation of certain coding genes in CF airway epithelial cells is well studied and considered as the driver of pulmonary abnormality. However, the involvement of non-coding genes, novel classes of functional RNAs with little or no protein-coding capacity, in the regulation of CF-associated gene dysregulation is poorly understood. Here, we utilized integrative analyses of human transcriptome array (HTA) and characterized 99 coding and 91 non-coding RNAs that are dysregulated in CFTR-defective CF bronchial epithelial cell line CFBE41o-. Among these genes, the expression level of linc-SUMF1-2, an intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA) whose function is unknown, was inversely correlated with that of WT-CFTR and consistently higher in primary human CF airway epithelial cells (DHBE-CF). Further integrative analyses under linc-SUMF1-knockdown condition determined MXRA5, SEMA5A, CXCL10, AK022877, CTGF, MYC, AREG and LAMB3 as both CFTR- and linc-SUMF1-2-dependent dysregulated gene sets in CF airway epithelial cells. Overall, our analyses reveal linc-SUMF1-2 as a dysregulated non-coding gene in CF as well as CFTR-linc-SUMF1-2 axis as a novel regulatory pathway involved in CF-associated gene dysregulation.

Oxytocin receptor knockout prairie voles generated by CRISPR/Cas9 editing show reduced preference for social novelty and exaggerated repetitive behaviors.

Behavioral neuroendocrinology has benefited tremendously from the use of a wide range of model organisms that are ideally suited for particular questions. However, in recent years the ability to manipulate the genomes of laboratory strains of mice has led to rapid advances in our understanding of the role of specific genes, circuits and neural populations in regulating behavior. While genome manipulation in mice has been a boon for behavioral neuroscience, the intensive focus on the mouse restricts the diversity in behavioral questions that can be investigated using state-of-the-art techniques. The CRISPR/Cas9 system has great potential for efficiently generating mutants in non-traditional animal models and consequently to reinvigorate comparative behavioral neuroendocrinology. Here we describe the efficient generation of oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) mutant prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and describe initial behavioral phenotyping focusing on behaviors relevant to autism. Oxtr mutant male voles show no disruption in pup ultrasonic vocalization, anxiety as measured by the open field test, alloparental behavior, or sociability in the three chamber test. Mutants did however show a modest elevation in repetitive behavior in the marble burying test, and an impairment in preference for social novelty. The ability to efficiently generate targeted mutations in the prairie vole genome will greatly expand the utility of this model organism for discovering the genetic and circuit mechanisms underlying complex social behaviors, and serves as a proof of principle for expanding this approach to other non-traditional model organisms.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone-binding protein is up-regulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor and is secreted in an activity-dependent manner in rat cerebral cortical neurons.

A recent study revealed that corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the cerebral cortex (CTX) plays a regulatory role in emotional behaviors in rodents. Given the functional interaction between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the CRH-signaling pathway in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, we hypothesized that BDNF may regulate gene expression of CRH and its related molecules in the CTX. Findings of real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) indicated that stimulation of cultured rat cortical neurons with BDNF led to marked elevations in the mRNA levels of CRH and CRH-binding protein (CRH-BP). The BDNF-induced up-regulation of CRH-BP mRNA was attenuated by inhibitors of tropomyosin related kinase (Trk) and MEK, but not by an inhibitor for PI3K and Phospholipase C gamma (PLCγ). The up-regulation was partially blocked by an inhibitor of lysine-specific demethylase (KDM) 6B. Fluorescent imaging identified the vesicular pattern of pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein-fused CRH-BP (CRH-BP-pHluorin), which co-localized with mCherry-tagged BDNF in cortical neurons. In addition, live-cell imaging detected drastic increases of pHluorin fluorescence in neurites upon membrane depolarization. Finally, we confirmed that tetrodotoxin partially attenuated the BDNF-induced up-regulation of CRH-BP mRNA, but not that of the protein. These observations indicate the following: In cortical neurons, BDNF led to gene expression of CRH-BP and CRH. TrkB, MEK, presumably ERK, and KDM6B are involved in the BDNF-induced gene expression of CRH-BP, and BDNF is able to induce the up-regulation in a neuronal activity-independent manner. It is suggested that CRH-BP is stored into BDNF-containing secretory granules in cortical neurons, and is secreted in response to membrane depolarization.

Identification of novel polymorphisms and two distinct haplotype structures in dog leukocyte antigen class I genes: DLA-88, DLA-12 and DLA-64.

The current information on the polymorphism variation and haplotype structure of the domestic dog leukocyte antigen (DLA) genes is limited in comparison to other experimental animals. In this paper, to better elucidate the degree and types of polymorphisms and genetic differences for DLA-88, DLA-12 and DLA-64, we genotyped four families of 38 beagles and another 404 unrelated dogs representing 49 breeds by RT-PCR based Sanger sequencing. We also sequenced and analyzed the genomic organization of the DLA-88 and DLA-12 gene segments to better define these two-gene DLA haplotypes more precisely. We identified 45 alleles for DLA-88, 15 for DLA-12 and six for DLA-64, of which 20, 14 and six, respectively, were newly described alleles. Therefore, this study shows that the DLA-12 and DLA-64 loci are far more polymorphic than previously reported. Phylogenetic analysis strongly supported that the DLA-88, DLA-12 and DLA-64 alleles were independently generated after the original divergence of the DLA-79 alleles. Two distinct DLA-88 and DLA-12 haplotype structures, tentatively named DLA-88-DLA-12 and DLA-88-DLA-88L, were identified, and the novel haplotype DLA-88-DLA-88L contributed to 32.7% of the unrelated dogs. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the gene expression levels of DLA-88L and DLA-88 were similar, and that the gene expression level of DLA-12 was significantly lower. In addition, haplotype frequency estimations using frequently occurring alleles revealed 45 different DLA-class I haplotypes (88-88L/12-64) overall, and 22 different DLA-class I haplotypes in homozygous dogs for 18 breeds and mongrels.

Molecular Clock of Neutral Mutations in a Fitness-Increasing Evolutionary Process.

The molecular clock of neutral mutations, which represents linear mutation fixation over generations, is theoretically explained by genetic drift in fitness-steady evolution or hitchhiking in adaptive evolution. The present study is the first experimental demonstration for the molecular clock of neutral mutations in a fitness-increasing evolutionary process. The dynamics of genome mutation fixation in the thermal adaptive evolution of Escherichia coli were evaluated in a prolonged evolution experiment in duplicated lineages. The cells from the continuously fitness-increasing evolutionary process were subjected to genome sequencing and analyzed at both the population and single-colony levels. Although the dynamics of genome mutation fixation were complicated by the combination of the stochastic appearance of adaptive mutations and clonal interference, the mutation fixation in the population was simply linear over generations. Each genome in the population accumulated 1.6 synonymous and 3.1 non-synonymous neutral mutations, on average, by the spontaneous mutation accumulation rate, while only a single genome in the population occasionally acquired an adaptive mutation. The neutral mutations that preexisted on the single genome hitchhiked on the domination of the adaptive mutation. The successive fixation processes of the 128 mutations demonstrated that hitchhiking and not genetic drift were responsible for the coincidence of the spontaneous mutation accumulation rate in the genome with the fixation rate of neutral mutations in the population. The molecular clock of neutral mutations to the fitness-increasing evolution suggests that the numerous neutral mutations observed in molecular phylogenetic trees may not always have been fixed in fitness-steady evolution but in adaptive evolution.

Acceleration and suppression of resistance development by antibiotic combinations.

BACKGROUND: The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is becoming a global public health problem. Combination therapy, i.e., the simultaneous use of multiple antibiotics, is used for long-term treatment to suppress the emergence of resistant strains. However, the effect of the combinatorial use of multiple drugs on the development of resistance remains elusive, especially in a quantitative assessment. RESULTS: To understand the evolutionary dynamics under combination therapy, we performed laboratory evolution of Escherichia coli under simultaneous addition of two-drug combinations. We demonstrated that simultaneous addition of a certain combinations of two drugs with collateral sensitivity to each other could suppress the acquisition of resistance to both drugs. Furthermore, we found that the combinatorial use of enoxacin, a DNA replication inhibitor, with Chloramphenicol can accelerate acquisition of resistance to Chloramphenicol. Genome resequencing analyses of the evolved strains suggested that the acceleration of resistance acquisition was caused by an increase of mutation frequency when enoxacin was added. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of laboratory evolution and whole-genome sequencing enabled us to characterize the development of resistance in bacteria under combination therapy. These results provide a basis for rational selection of antibiotic combinations that suppress resistance development effectively.

Prolonged maternal separation attenuates BDNF-ERK signaling correlated with spine formation in the hippocampus during early brain development.

Maternal separation (MS) is known to affect hippocampal function such as learning and memory, yet the molecular mechanism remains unknown. We hypothesized that these impairments are attributed to abnormities of neural circuit formation by MS, and focused on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as key factor because BDNF signaling has an essential role in synapse formation during early brain development. Using rat offspring exposed to MS for 6 h/day during postnatal days (PD) 2-20, we estimated BDNF signaling in the hippocampus during brain development. Our results show that MS attenuated BDNF expression and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) around PD 7. Moreover, plasticity-related immediate early genes, which are transcriptionally regulated by BDNF-ERK signaling, were also reduced by MS around PD 7. Interestingly, detailed analysis revealed that MS particularly reduced expression of BDNF gene and immediate early genes in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) of hippocampus at PD 7. Considering that BDNF-ERK signaling is involved in spine formation, we next evaluated spine formation in the hippocampus during the weaning period. Our results show that MS particularly reduced mature spine density in proximal apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons at PD 21. These results suggest that MS could attenuate BDNF-ERK signaling during primary synaptogenesis with a region-specific manner, which is likely to lead to decreased spine formation and maturation observed in the hippocampal CA1 region. It is speculated that this incomplete spine formation during early brain development has an influence on learning capabilities throughout adulthood.

Screening of plant resources with anti-ice nucleation activity for frost damage prevention.

Previous studies have shown that some polyphenols have anti-ice nucleation activity (anti-INA) against ice-nucleating bacteria that contribute to frost damage. In the present study, leaf disk freezing assay, a test of in vitro application to plant leaves, was performed for the screening of anti-INA, which inhibits the ice nucleation activity of an ice-nucleating bacterium Erwinia ananas in water droplets on the leaf surfaces. The application of polyphenols with anti-INA, kaempferol 7-O-ß-glucoside and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, to the leaf disk freezing assay by cooling at -4--6 °C for 3 h, revealed that both the compounds showed anti-INAs against E. ananas in water droplets on the leaf surfaces. Further, this assay also revealed that the extracts of five plant leaves showed high anti-INA against E. ananas in water droplets on leaf surfaces, indicating that they are the candidate resources to protect crops from frost damage.

Generation of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre Mice for Gene Expression in an Oxytocin Receptor Specific Manner.

The neurohypophysial hormone oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) have critical roles in the regulation of pro-social behaviors, including social recognition, pair bonding, parental behavior, and stress-related responses. Supporting this hypothesis, a portion of patients suffering from autism spectrum disorder have mutations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or epigenetic modifications in their OXTR gene. We previously reported that OXTR-deficient mice exhibit pervasive social deficits, indicating the critical role of OXTR in social behaviors. In the present study, we generated Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre knock-in mice, expressing both OXTR and Cre recombinase under the control of the endogenous Oxtr promoter. Knock-in cassette of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre consisted of Oxtr cDNA tagged with the hemagglutinin epitope at the 3' end (Oxtr cDNA(HA)), internal ribosomal entry site (Ires), and Cre. Cre was expressed in the uterus, mammary gland, kidney, and brain of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre knock-in mice. Furthermore, the distribution of Cre in the brain was similar to that observed in Oxtr-Venus fluorescent protein expressing mice (Oxtr-Venus), another animal model previously generated by our group. Social behavior of Oxtr cDNA(HA)-Ires-Cre knock-in mice was similar to that of wild-type animals. We demonstrated that this construct is expressed in OXTR-expressing neurons specifically after an infection with the recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying the flip-excision switch vector. Using this system, we showed the transport of the wheat-germ agglutinin tracing molecule from the OXTR-expressing neurons to the innervated neurons in knock-in mice. This study might contribute to the monosynaptic analysis of neuronal circuits and to the optogenetic analysis of neurons expressing OXTR.

Genomic sequence analysis of the MHC class I G/F segment in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New World monkey that is used frequently as a model for various human diseases. However, detailed knowledge about the MHC is still lacking. In this study, we sequenced and annotated a total of 854 kb of the common marmoset MHC region that corresponds to the HLA-A/G/F segment (Caja-G/F) between the Caja-G1 and RNF39 genes. The sequenced region contains 19 MHC class I genes, of which 14 are of the MHC-G (Caja-G) type, and 5 are of the MHC-F (Caja-F) type. Six putatively functional Caja-G and Caja-F genes (Caja-G1, Caja-G3, Caja-G7, Caja-G12, Caja-G13, and Caja-F4), 13 pseudogenes related either to Caja-G or Caja-F, three non-MHC genes (ZNRD1, PPPIR11, and RNF39), two miscRNA genes (ZNRD1-AS1 and HCG8), and one non-MHC pseudogene (ETF1P1) were identified. Phylogenetic analysis suggests segmental duplications of units consisting of basically five (four Caja-G and one Caja-F) MHC class I genes, with subsequent expansion/deletion of genes. A similar genomic organization of the Caja-G/F segment has not been observed in catarrhine primates, indicating that this genomic segment was formed in New World monkeys after the split of New World and Old World monkeys.

Phenotypic convergence in bacterial adaptive evolution to ethanol stress.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial cells have a remarkable ability to adapt to environmental changes, a phenomenon known as adaptive evolution. During adaptive evolution, phenotype and genotype dynamically changes; however, the relationship between these changes and associated constraints is yet to be fully elucidated. RESULTS: In this study, we analyzed phenotypic and genotypic changes in Escherichia coli cells during adaptive evolution to ethanol stress. Phenotypic changes were quantified by transcriptome and metabolome analyses and were similar among independently evolved ethanol tolerant populations, which indicate the existence of evolutionary constraints in the dynamics of adaptive evolution. Furthermore, the contribution of identified mutations in one of the tolerant strains was evaluated using site-directed mutagenesis. The result demonstrated that the introduction of all identified mutations cannot fully explain the observed tolerance in the tolerant strain. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that the convergence of adaptive phenotypic changes and diverse genotypic changes, which suggested that the phenotype-genotype mapping is complex. The integration of transcriptome and genome data provides a quantitative understanding of evolutionary constraints.