Complete mitochondrial genome of the Pacific limpet Cellana nigrolineata (Gastropoda: Patellogastropoda) determined by shotgun sequencing using the Illumina NGS platform.

The Pacific limpet Cellana nigrolineata is one of the most commonly found limpets in the intertidal shores of Japan. Here, we report the full mitogenome sequence of an individual specimen of the species, which was collected from the intertidal rocky beach in the Nada beach of Gobo City, Wakayama, Japan (33.8316 N, 135.1751 E), in 2018. The sequence was determined by the shotgun sequencing method using the NGS Illumina MiSeq platform. The genomic structure of C. nigrolineata is the same as the previously reported congener, C. radiata, which shows a representative Nacellidae and metazoan mitogenomic structures. The mitogenome has all of its 37 genes included in its 16,153 bp, with one control region located between the tRNA-Cys and tRNA-Gly genes. In order to clarify the phylogenetic position of C. nigrolineata in Gastropoda, a data set including the mitogenomes of 10 patellogastropods, 10 non-patellogastropod gastropods, and four outgroups were used in maximum likelihood inferences. Although with some exceptions, the resulting phylogeny supported the monophylies of traditionally accepted gastropod subclasses, and thus confirms the position of C. nigrolineata in Patellogastropoda.

Ingestion of High ß-Glucan Barley Flour Enhances the Intestinal Immune System of Diet-Induced Obese Mice by Prebiotic Effects.

The prebiotic effect of high ß-glucan barley (HGB) flour on the innate immune system of high-fat model mice was investigated. C57BL/6J male mice were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with HGB flour for 90 days. Secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) in the cecum and serum were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Real-time PCR was used to determine mRNA expression levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-6 in the ileum as well as the composition of the microbiota in the cecum. Concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and organic acids were analyzed by GC/MS. Concentrations of sIgA in the cecum and serum were increased in the HGB group compared to the control. Gene expression levels of IL-10 and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) significantly increased in the HGB group. HGB intake increased the bacterial count of microbiota, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Concentrations of propionate and lactate in the cecum were increased in the HGB group, and a positive correlation was found between these organic acids and the IL-10 expression level. Our findings showed that HGB flour enhanced immune function such as IgA secretion and IL-10 expression, even when the immune system was deteriorated by a high-fat diet. Moreover, we found that HGB flour modulated the gut microbiota, which increased the concentration of SCFAs, thereby stimulating the immune system.

A potential significance of circ_0024169 down regulation in angiosarcoma tissue.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are recently characterized non-coding RNAs that have a closed continuous loop. CircRNAs might play important roles in the oncogenesis of several cancers. However, little is known about association between circRNAs and skin tumors. In this study, we tried to demonstrate the expression change of circ_0024169 in angiosarcoma, and to elucidate correlations between circ_0024169 expression in angiosarcoma tissues and clinical manifestation. RNA expression was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR with TaqMan systems for circ_0024169 and linear isoform CUL5. Both relative circRNA levels (corrected for EEF1A1 levels) and circRNA levels/linear RNA expression ratio were evaluated. We found that both relative circ_0024169 levels and circ_0024169/CUL5 ratio was decreased in normal human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC) and angiosarcoma cell line in vitro, compared to squamous cell carcinoma line. circ_0024169/ CUL5 ratio was significantly reduced in angiosarcoma and pyogenic granuloma than other tumors in vivo, which were more evident than decreased relative circ_0024169 levels. On the other hand, relative circ_0024169 levels showed mild inverse correlation with the follow-up periods (duration between the first hospital visit and the last hospital visit/the date of death) of angiosarcoma patients. Taken together, circ_0024169/CUL5 ratio are likely to be useful as a diagnostic biomarker for vascular tumors, whereas circ_0024169 levels may have more potential as a prognostic marker of angiosarcoma. The future studies of the function of circRNAs may lead to the clarification of detailed mechanism of oncogenesis of angiosarcoma.

Antimicrobial resistance profiles of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from chicken meat in Fukuoka, Japan.

In this study, the antimicrobial resistance profiles of L. monocytogenes isolated from chicken meat in Fukuoka in 2017 were compared with the isolates of 2012. A total of 85 and 50 chicken meat samples, including different body parts, were collected from different supermarkets in Fukuoka in 2012 and 2017, respectively. Detection, isolation, identification, and characterization of L. monocytogenes were performed according to the conventional methods. Forty-five among 85 samples (53%) were positive for L. monocytogenes in 2012, while 12 among 50 samples in 2017 (24%) tested positive. One hundred fifty-three and 29 L. monocytogenes strains were isolated in 2012 and 2017, respectively. The serotypes of isolates in 2012 were 1/2a (21.5%), 1/2b (73.9%), 1/2c (1.5%), and 4b/4e (3.1%). In contrast, the 2017 isolates showed 1/2a (48.3%) and 1/2b (51.7%) serotypes. While all isolates in 2012 were positive for hlyA (listeriolysin O) in the PCR assay with hlyA primer set 7, only 17 hlyA positive isolates were seen in 2017. Moreover, 75 isolates with different ribotypes in 2012 and 29 isolates in 2017, respectively, were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by broth microdilution for 18 different antimicrobial agents. Most of the 2012 and 2017 isolates displayed antimicrobial susceptibility. However, among the 2012 and 2017 isolates, 98.7% and 100% of the isolates were resistant to cefoxitin, 57.3% and 95.7% to fosfomycin, 72.0% and 82.6% to oxacillin, 8.0% and 17.4% to clindamycin, respectively. In addition, 2.7% of the isolates in 2012 were resistant to flomoxef and 4.3% of the isolates in 2017 to linezolid. Multidrug resistance (MDR) to 3 or more antimicrobials was observed in 35/75 (46.7%) isolates of 2012 and 19/23 (82.6%) in 2017. Detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes by PCR showed that the resistant isolates of 2012 were positive for mecA (96.3%) and ermC (83.3%), whereas the resistant isolates in 2017 screened positive for mecA (94.7%) and mefA (25.0%). Other cfxA, ermA, ermB, fosA, fosB, and fosC genes were absent in the PCR assay for any of the isolates. This study investigated for the first time the change in the L. monocytogenes contamination of chicken meat and antibiotic resistance of the isolated L. monocytogenes strains in Fukuoka, Japan, in the course of 5 years. Although the contamination rate of L. monocytogenes in 2017 was found to be lower than that in 2012, AMR of the isolates in 2017 was higher.

The role of miR-210, E2F3 and ephrin A3 in angiosarcoma cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND: Although angiosarcoma exhibits aggressive progression and is associated with unfavourable prognosis, its pathogenesis is poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we investigated the possibility that microRNAs play a role in the pathogenesis of angiosarcoma. MATERIALS & METHODS: microRNA expression was evaluated by array analysis and real-time PCR, and protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. RESULTS: miR-210 expression was decreased in angiosarcoma cells both in vivo and in vitro. E2F3 and ephrin A3 are putative targets of miR-210, and their protein expression was up-regulated in the tumour cells. Knockdown of E2F3 or ephrin A3 resulted in a significant decrease in the number of angiosarcoma cells. CONCLUSION: Further investigations into the regulatory mechanisms of oncogenesis associated with miR-210/E2F3/ephrin A3 signalling may lead to a new therapeutic approach against angiosarcoma.