Oral Health-Related Factors Associated with Dysphagia Risk among Older, Healthy, Community-Dwelling Korean Adults: A Pilot Study.

Most previous studies addressing dysphagia examined individuals who already had diseases causing dysphagia and did not pay much attention to oral health conditions as a risk factor. This pilot study investigated 62 healthy adults aged 65 years or older who were living independently in the community, performed basic activities of daily living independently, and had no history of a causative disease of dysphagia to identify the factors associated with dysphagia risk, especially oral health. The Dysphagia Risk Assessment Scale was used to screen the patients for dysphagia. Hyposalivation was diagnosed by evaluating the unstimulated salivary flow rate, and orofacial muscle strength (anterior tongue elevation, buccinator muscle, and lip strength) was quantitatively measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument. To analyze the factors associated with dysphagia risk, the Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. In the final regression model adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, the oral health-related factors independently associated with dysphagia risk were buccinator muscle strength, hyposalivation, and subjective masticatory discomfort (p < 0.05). Therefore, our findings suggest that weak buccinator muscle strength, hyposalivation, and subjective masticatory discomfort are valuable indicators for the early detection of dysphagia in older, healthy, independent, community-dwelling adults.

Examining the relationship between sleep quality and depressive symptoms in Korean women engaged in soccer during the coronavirus pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused sudden changes to daily lives, such as self-isolation and social distancing, and has negatively affected sleep quality and patterns. The resulting psychological discomfort has caused many Korean women to experience depressive moods. Vigorous physical activity is considered effective in improving sleep quality and alleviating depressive symptoms. As a form of vigorous physical activity, soccer could be used to improve women's mental health. This study aimed to ascertain the effects of playing soccer on sleep quality and depressive symptoms in women. Methods: Non-face-to-face questionnaires were administered using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to measure sleep quality and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to measure depressive symptoms, targeting 200 of 297 soccer-playing Korean women aged 20-50 years, from October 13, 2022, to January 15, 2023. A total of 172 questionnaires administered to soccer participants were used, while 28 with insincere and double or no-responses were excluded. Additionally, 124 samples of non-exercise participants were collected, with the help of "EMBRAIN," a Korean research and survey company. This study analyzed differences in sleep quality and depressive symptoms, and correlations and multiple regression analysis were performed. Results: The soccer group was shown to have a high quality of sleep. In relation to the effect of sleep quality on depressive symptoms, subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbance, use of sleeping pills, and daytime functional disorder had a significant effect. In the relation to the effect of sleep quality on depressive symptoms, significant effect was found in subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbance, and daytime functional disorder of soccer participants, and non-exercise participants displayed significant effect in subjective sleep quality, sleep disturbance, and the use of sleeping pills. Discussion: This study examined the effect of soccer participation on sleep quality and depressive symptoms among women. Soccer, which requires high activity and teamwork levels, improves sociability in women by enhancing their sense of belonging, self-confidence, and team spirit.

Tcf7l2 in hepatocytes regulates de novo lipogenesis in diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associated with type 2 diabetes may more easily progress towards severe forms of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. Although the Wnt effector transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) is closely associated with type 2 diabetes risk, the role of TCF7L2 in NAFLD development remains unclear. Here, we investigated how changes in TCF7L2 expression in the liver affects hepatic lipid metabolism based on the major risk factors of NAFLD development. METHODS: Tcf7l2 was selectively ablated in the liver of C57BL/6N mice by inducing the albumin (Alb) promoter to recombine Tcf7l2 alleles floxed at exon 5 (liver-specific Tcf7l2-knockout [KO] mice: Alb-Cre;Tcf7l2f/f). Alb-Cre;Tcf7l2f/f and their wild-type (Tcf7l2f/f) littermates were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) or a high-carbohydrate diet (HCD) for 22 weeks to reproduce NAFLD/NASH. Mice were refed a standard chow diet or an HCD to stimulate de novo lipogenesis (DNL) or fed an HFD to provide exogenous fatty acids. We analysed glucose and insulin sensitivity, metabolic respiration, mRNA expression profiles, hepatic triglyceride (TG), hepatic DNL, selected hepatic metabolites, selected plasma metabolites and liver histology. RESULTS: Alb-Cre;Tcf7l2f/f essentially exhibited increased lipogenic genes, but there were no changes in hepatic lipid content in mice fed a normal chow diet. However, following 22 weeks of diet-induced NAFLD/NASH conditions, liver steatosis was exacerbated owing to preferential metabolism of carbohydrate over fat. Indeed, hepatic Tcf7l2 deficiency enhanced liver lipid content in a manner that was dependent on the duration and amount of exposure to carbohydrates, owing to cell-autonomous increases in hepatic DNL. Mechanistically, TCF7L2 regulated the transcriptional activity of Mlxipl (also known as ChREBP) by modulating O-GlcNAcylation and protein content of carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP), and targeted Srebf1 (also called SREBP1) via miRNA (miR)-33-5p in hepatocytes. Eventually, restoring TCF7L2 expression at the physiological level in the liver of Alb-Cre;Tcf7l2f/f mice alleviated liver steatosis without altering body composition under both acute and chronic HCD conditions. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: In mice, loss of hepatic Tcf7l2 contributes to liver steatosis by inducing preferential metabolism of carbohydrates via DNL activation. Therefore, TCF7L2 could be a promising regulator of the NAFLD associated with high-carbohydrate diets and diabetes since TCF7L2 deficiency may lead to development of NAFLD by promoting utilisation of excess glucose pools through activating DNL. DATA AVAILABILITY: RNA-sequencing data have been deposited into the NCBI GEO under the accession number GSE162449 ( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE162449 ).

Complete genome and molecular characterization of a putative novel citrivirus from Rudbeckia sp.

We identified a tentative novel positive-strand RNA virus from Rudbeckia sp., namely, Rudbeckia citrivirus A (RuCVA). The complete genome sequence of the novel virus was 8821 nucleotides in length, excluding the poly(A) tail. It has three open reading frames (ORFs): a putative polyprotein, a movement protein, and a coat protein. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the virus was more closely related to Citrus leaf blotch virus isolates and unassigned citriviruses. The sequence identity of the virus with other citriviruses was lower than 56.9% at the complete nucleotide sequence level. For each ORF, the sequence identity was lower than 64.2% at the nucleotide level and 67.8% at the amino acid level. These results satisfied the species demarcation criteria for Betaflexiviridae. Therefore, we suggest that RuCVA is a novel member of the genus Citrivirus.

Complete Genome Sequences of Two Apple Stem Grooving Viruses in Cnidium officinale in Korea.

We determined the whole-genome sequences of two apple stem grooving viruses (ASGV) detected in infected Cnidium officinale plants. The analyzed ASGV genomes were 6,494 nucleotides long and encoded two overlapping open reading frames. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the two ASGV isolates to be most closely related to the ASGV isolate Xinjiang-3.

Complete genome sequence of a putative novel cytorhabdovirus isolated from Rudbeckia sp.

Through high-throughput RNA sequencing, we discovered a putative new cytorhabdovirus in the seeds of Rudbeckia sp., which we have tentatively named "rudbeckia virus 1" (RudV1). Its complete 12,502-nt genomic sequence contains five open reading frames (ORFs): ORF1 (putative nucleocapsid protein, N), ORF2 (putative phosphoprotein, P), ORF3 (putative cell-to-cell movement protein, P3), ORF4 (putative matrix protein, M), and ORF5 (putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, L). BLASTp searches showed that ORF1, ORF3, ORF4, and ORF5 of RudV1 are most closely related to the corresponding proteins of Tagetes erecta virus 1 (a putative member of the genus Cytorhabdovirus) with 33.87% (88% query coverage), 55.98% (89% query coverage), 35.33% (94% query coverage), and 57.75% (98% query coverage) sequence identity at the amino acid level, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis and pairwise comparisons indicated that RudV1 is a novel member of the genus Cytorhabdovirus within the family Rhabdoviridae.

First report of mume virus A infecting Prunus salicina worldwide and Prunus mume in Korea.

Mume virus A (MuVA) of the genus Capillovirus in the family Betaflexiviridae was first isolated from a Japanese apricot tree (Prunus mume) exhibiting symptoms of diffuse chlorotic spots (Marais et al. 2018). MuVA infection has been reported in Japanese apricot trees in Japan as well as in peach (P. persica) and Japanese apricot trees in China (Marais et al. 2018; Zhang et al. 2021; Zheng et al. 2020). In the present study, the diversity of viruses and viroids infecting Chinese plum trees (P. salicina) was investigated using high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Ten flowers each from 50 trees without obvious symptoms related to virus and/or viroid infection were randomly collected from five orchards in Gimcheon, Korea, in April 2020. The samples from each Chinese plum tree were pooled, and the same amounts of 50 individual samples prepared in advance were pooled for the extraction of total RNA using the RNeasy Plant Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany). Removal of ribosomal RNA and construction of cDNA library from the extracted total RNA were conducted using the TruSeq Stranded Total RNA with Ribo-Zero Plant kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). Paired-end RNA sequencing using Illumina NovaSeq 6000 System (paired-end reads of 101 bp and a total of 162,845,322 reads) and data analysis were performed at Macrogen (Daejeon, Korea). Adaptor and low-quality sequences of reads were removed using Trimmomatic program. Trimmed reads were assembled into contigs using Trinity program, and several databases including NCBI Nucleotide and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used for functional annotation. HTS identified plum bark necrosis stem pitting-associated virus (PBNSPaV; four contigs ranging from 2081 to 3202 nucleotides) and hop stunt viroid (HSVd; one contig of 618 nucleotides). PBNSPaV and HSVd were also detected by RT-PCR (PBNSPaV det-F and PBNSPaV det-R for PBNSPaV [Al Rwahnih et al. 2007]; VP-19 and VP-20 for HSVd [Astruc et al. 1996]) and confirmed by Sanger sequencing of the amplified products. Interestingly, one contig derived from MuVA, which was not previously reported in Korea, was also detected. The contig was 7,618-nucleotide long (15,205 reads), and NCBI BLASTN search revealed 98.74% homology (100% query coverage) with the MuVA isolate pm14 (GenBank accession number MG783575). To design diagnostic primers for reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the contig sequence and MuVA sequences available in NCBI GenBank (GenBank accession numbers MG783575 and MN412555) were aligned using CLC Main Workbench 6.9.1 (QIAGEN, Redwood, CA, USA). The following primer set (expected size of 1,143 bp) was prepared: MuVA-2F (5'-CAGCTTTGTGACTCYAACCC-3') and MuVA-2R (5'-AATGGCTTGAGGRCCTGCAG-3'). The primers target a partial region (nt position 1185 to 2327 on the basis of the reference genome sequence of MuVA, GenBank accession no. NC_040568) of the polyprotein gene (ORF1). Each of the 50 samples was tested for the presence of MuVA using the above-mentioned RT-PCR primers with SuPrimeScript RT-PCR Premix (GeNet Bio, Daejeon, Korea). MuVA was detected in three samples collected from the same orchard. The three amplicons were inserted into a T&A cloning vector (RBC Bioscience, Taipei, Taiwan) and sequenced at Macrogen. Three consensus sequences obtained by Sanger sequencing were registered in NCBI GenBank under accession numbers MW589492, MW589493, and MW589494. NCBI BLASTN search revealed that the Korean isolates of MuVA shared high homology with isolate pm14 [98.16%, 98.08%, and 98.16% (100% query coverage), respectively]. To confirm additional MuVA infections, leaf samples of Chinese plum trees were collected from orchards in Uiseong (70 trees) and Seongju (50 trees) as well as a Japanese apricot tree in Chuncheon, from April to July 2021. RT-PCR confirmed additional MuVA infections from Uiseong (one tree) and Seongju (one tree) as well as from the Japanese apricot tree in Chuncheon. NCBI BLASTN search of the three additional amplicons (GenBank accession numbers OM210030, OM210031, and OM210032) revealed high homology with isolate pm14 [98.25%, 98.08%, and 97.90% (100% query coverage)]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of MuVA infecting P. mume in Korea and P. salicina worldwide. Further research is needed to investigate MuVA infections on various Prunus spp. including P. persica in Korea.

Engineering a U-box of E3 ligase E4B through yeast surface display-based functional screening generates a variant with enhanced ubiquitin ligase activity.

Ubiquitination is the covalent attachment of ubiquitin (Ub) to substrate proteins and regulates several cellular processes, including protein degradation. Ub ligases (E3s) bring a Ub-conjugated enzyme E2 (E2-Ub) and the target protein closer to enable ubiquitination. In this study, we engineered a U-box domain of human U-box-type E3 E4B (E4BU) to enhance its function as a Ub ligase by accelerating the rate of Ub transfer directly from Ub-loaded human E2 UbcH5b (E2(UbcH5b)-Ub) to the proximal substrate. We developed a functional screening system for the E4BU library using a yeast surface display system combined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate functionally improved variants. This phenotypic screening system yielded an E4BU variant, E4BU(#8), which exhibited an approximately 4-fold greater Ub ligase activity rate in the yeast displayed form than that of the E4BU wild-type. When E4BU(#8) was fused to a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-specific nanobody, the fusion protein polyubiquitinated GFP in proportion to the concentration and incubation time, with an approximately 3-fold faster Ub ligase activity rate than the previously isolated E4BU(NT) variant. Importantly, the engineered E4BU(#8) retained endogenous Lys48-linked polyubiquitination activity, which is essential for substrate degradation by the 26S proteasome. Our results indicated that E4BU(#8), which binds to and allosterically stimulates E2(UbcH5b)-Ub to enhance Ub transferase activity to a substrate, may be valuable in designing biological molecules for targeted protein degradation.

Improvement Effects of Myelophil on Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in a Reserpine-Induced Mouse Model.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is associated with various symptoms, such as depression, pain, and fatigue. To date, the pathological mechanisms and therapeutics remain uncertain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of myelophil (MYP), composed of Astragali Radix and Salviaemiltiorrhizae Radix, on depression, pain, and fatigue behaviors and its underlying mechanisms. Reserpine (2 mg/kg for 10 days, intraperitoneally) induced depression, pain, and fatigue behaviors in mice. MYP treatment (100 mg/kg for 10 days, intragastrically) significantly improved depression behaviors, mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, and fatigue behavior. MYP treatment regulated the expression of c-Fos, 5-HT1A/B receptors, and transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) in the brain, especially in the motor cortex, hippocampus, and nucleus of the solitary tract. MYP treatment decreased ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) expression in the hippocampus and increased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression and the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the striatum. MYP treatment altered inflammatory and anti-oxidative-related mRNA expression in the spleen and liver. In conclusion, MYP was effective in recovering major symptoms of ME/CFS and was associated with the regulation of dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways and TGF-ß expression in the brain, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant mechanisms in internal organs.

Metabolic Spectrum of Liver Failure in Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity: From NAFLD to NASH to HCC.

Liver disease is the spectrum of liver damage ranging from simple steatosis called as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Clinically, NAFLD and type 2 diabetes coexist. Type 2 diabetes contributes to biological processes driving the severity of NAFLD, the primary cause for development of chronic liver diseases. In the last 20 years, the rate of non-viral NAFLD/NASH-derived HCC has been increasing rapidly. As there are currently no suitable drugs for treatment of NAFLD and NASH, a class of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes is sometimes used to improve liver failure despite the risk of side effects. Therefore, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the development and progression of NAFLD and NASH are important issues. In this review, we will discuss the pathogenesis of NAFLD/NASH and NAFLD/NASH-derived HCC and the current promising pharmacological therapies of NAFLD/NASH. Further, we will provide insights into "adipose-derived adipokines" and "liver-derived hepatokines" as diagnostic and therapeutic targets from NAFLD to HCC.

GADD45ß Regulates Hepatic Gluconeogenesis via Modulating the Protein Stability of FoxO1.

Increased hepatic gluconeogenesis is one of the main contributors to the development of type 2 diabetes. Recently, it has been reported that growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 beta (GADD45ß) is induced under both fasting and high-fat diet (HFD) conditions that stimulate hepatic gluconeogenesis. Here, this study aimed to establish the molecular mechanisms underlying the novel role of GADD45ß in hepatic gluconeogenesis. Both whole-body knockout (KO) mice and adenovirus-mediated knockdown (KD) mice of GADD45ß exhibited decreased hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression concomitant with reduced blood glucose levels under fasting and HFD conditions, but showed a more pronounced effect in GADD45ß KD mice. Further, in primary hepatocytes, GADD45ß KD reduced glucose output, whereas GADD45ß overexpression increased it. Mechanistically, GADD45ß did not affect Akt-mediated forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) phosphorylation and forskolin-induced cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation. Rather it increased FoxO1 transcriptional activity via enhanced protein stability of FoxO1. Further, GADD45ß colocalized and physically interacted with FoxO1. Additionally, GADD45ß deficiency potentiated insulin-mediated suppression of hepatic gluconeogenic genes, and it were impeded by the restoration of GADD45ß expression. Our finding demonstrates GADD45ß as a novel and essential regulator of hepatic gluconeogenesis. It will provide a deeper understanding of the FoxO1-mediated gluconeogenesis.

The Detection of Plant Viruses in Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng) through RNA Sequencing.

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a dicotyledonous, medicinal, perennial plant belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae. We investigated the occurrence and incidence of plant viruses in Panax ginseng in Korea. A total of 656 leaf samples were combined into one and total RNA was extracted from the polled sample, using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), a metatranscriptome analysis of the plant virome was conducted. The virus present in Panax ginseng was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay using virus-specific primers. In RNA-Seq data analysis, the multiplication protein of four viral contigs including Aristotelia chilensis virus 1 (AcV1), Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV), and Tobamovirus multiplication protein were discovered. From our metatranscriptome analysis and RT-PCR assay, TuMV and WMV were detected, whereas the three viruses reported in China such as tomato yellow leaf curl China virus; panax notoginseng virus A; and panax virus Y were not found in this study. The distribution of domestic ginseng viruses seems different from that recorded in China. Overall, this is the first plant virome analysis of Panax ginseng in Korea.

Whole-Cell Photoenzymatic Cascades to Synthesize Long-Chain Aliphatic Amines and Esters from Renewable Fatty Acids.

Long-chain aliphatic amines such as (S,Z)-heptadec-9-en-7-amine and 9-aminoheptadecane were synthesized from ricinoleic acid and oleic acid, respectively, by whole-cell cascade reactions using the combination of an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Micrococcus luteus, an engineered amine transaminase from Vibrio fluvialis (Vf-ATA), and a photoactivated decarboxylase from Chlorella variabilis NC64A (Cv-FAP) in a one-pot process. In addition, long chain aliphatic esters such as 10-(heptanoyloxy)dec-8-ene and octylnonanoate were prepared from ricinoleic acid and oleic acid, respectively, by using the combination of the ADH, a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase variant from Pseudomonas putida KT2440, and the Cv-FAP. The target compounds were produced at rates of up to 37 U g-1 dry cells with conversions up to 90 %. Therefore, this study contributes to the preparation of industrially relevant long-chain aliphatic chiral amines and esters from renewable fatty acid resources.

Prostaglandin affects in vitro ovulation and 17α, 20ß-Dihydroxy- 4-pregnen-3-one production in longchin goby, Chasmichthys dolichognathus oocytes.

This study focused on the association of prostaglandins and a progestin, 17α, 20ß-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17α20ßP) during the ovulation process in longchin goby, Chasmichthys dolichognathus. We performed several in vitro experiments using 850-920 µm diameter oocytes which were at the migratory nucleus stage. With the 890-920 µm diameter oocytes, no significant difference in ovulation was observed in any of the prostaglandins (PGE1, PGE2, and PGF2α) treated groups although PGE2 and PGF2α at concentrations of 50 ng/mL increased ovulation slightly compared with controls; however, 17α20ßP production was stimulated with PGE1 alone at low concentrations (5 ng/mL). In 850 µm diameter oocytes, PGF2α at concentrations of 50 and 500 ng/ml resulted in a significant increase in ovulation. 17α20ßP (50 ng/ml) alone had no observable effect on ovulation, but in the combined of PGF2α 50 or 500 ng/ml it caused the greatest effect on ovulation. The sensitivity of oocytes to the induction of ovulation varies between 850 and 890-920 µm, it appeared to vary depending on the migration status of nucleus. These results suggest that PGF2α (or combined of 17α20ßP) was more potent in inducing ovulation of the longchin goby.

HDAC11 Inhibits Myoblast Differentiation through Repression of MyoD-Dependent Transcription.

Abnormal differentiation of muscle is closely associated with aging (sarcopenia) and diseases such as cancer and type II diabetes. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that regulate muscle differentiation will be useful in the treatment and prevention of these conditions. Protein lysine acetylation and methylation are major post-translational modification mechanisms that regulate key cellular processes. In this study, to elucidate the relationship between myogenic differentiation and protein lysine acetylation/methylation, we performed a PCR array of enzymes related to protein lysine acetylation/methylation during C2C12 myoblast differentiation. Our results indicated that the expression pattern of HDAC11 was substantially increased during myoblast differentiation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of HDAC11 completely inhibited myoblast differentiation, concomitant with reduced expression of key myogenic transcription factors. However, the catalytically inactive mutant of HDAC11 (H142/143A) did not impede myoblast differentiation. In addition, wild-type HDAC11, but not the inactive HDAC11 mutant, suppressed MyoD-induced promoter activities of MEF2C and MYOG (Myogenin), and reduced histone acetylation near the E-boxes, the MyoD binding site, of the MEF2C and MYOG promoters. Collectively, our results indicate that HDAC11 would suppress myoblast differentiation via regulation of MyoD-dependent transcription. These findings suggest that HDAC11 is a novel critical target for controlling myoblast differentiation.

Metabolic Adaptation in Obesity and Type II Diabetes: Myokines, Adipokines and Hepatokines.

Obesity and type II diabetes are characterized by insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. A high caloric intake combined with a sedentary lifestyle is the leading cause of these conditions. Whole-body insulin resistance and its improvement are the result of the combined actions of each insulin-sensitive organ. Among the fundamental molecular mechanisms by which each organ is able to communicate and engage in cross-talk are cytokines or peptides which stem from secretory organs. Recently, it was reported that several cytokines or peptides are secreted from muscle (myokines), adipose tissue (adipokines) and liver (hepatokines) in response to certain nutrition and/or physical activity conditions. Cytokines exert autocrine, paracrine or endocrine effects for the maintenance of energy homeostasis. The present review is focused on the relationship and cross-talk amongst muscle, adipose tissue and the liver as secretory organs in metabolic diseases.

Methyltransferase and demethylase profiling studies during brown adipocyte differentiation.

Although brown adipose tissue is important with regard to energy balance, the molecular mechanism of brown adipocyte differentiation has not been extensively studied. Specifically, regulation factors at the level of protein modification are largely unknown. In this study, we examine the changes in the expression level of enzymes which are involved in protein lysine methylation during brown adipocyte differentiation. Several enzymes, in this case SUV420H2, PRDM9, MLL3 and JHDM1D, were found to be up-regulated. On the other hand, Set7/9 was significantly down-regulated. In the case of SUV420H2, the expression level increased sharply during brown adipocyte differentiation, whereas the expression of SUV420H2 was marginally enhanced during the white adipocyte differentiation. The knock-down of SUV420H2 caused the suppression of brown adipocyte differentiation, as compared to a scrambled control. These results suggest that SUV420H2, a methyltransferase, is involved in brown adipocyte differentiation, and that the methylation of protein lysine is important in brown adipocyte differentiation. [BMB Reports 2016; 49(7): 388-393].

Development of a gluten-free rice noodle by utilizing protein-polyphenol interaction between soy protein isolate and extract of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus.

BACKGROUND: The potential of the protein-polyphenol interaction was applied to crosslinking reinforced protein networks in gluten-free rice noodles. Specifically, inter-component interaction between soy protein isolate and extract of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus fruit (ogaja) was examined with a view to improving its quality. RESULTS: In a components-interacting model system, a mixture of soy protein isolate (SPI) and ogaja extract (OE) induced a drastic increase in absorbance at 660 nm by haze formation, while the major anthocyanin of ogaja, cyanidin-3-O-sambubioside, sparsely interacted with SPI or gelatin. Individual or combined treatment of SPI and OE on rice dough decreased all the viscosity parameters in rapid visco analysis. However, SPI-OE treatment significantly increased all the texture parameters of rice dough derived from Mixolab(®) analysis (P < 0.05). Incorporation of SPI in rice dough significantly reduced endothermic ΔH, and SPI-OE treatment further decreased this value. SPI-OE interaction significantly increased the tensile properties of cooked noodle and decreased 53.7% of cooking loss compared to the untreated rice noodle. CONCLUSION: SPI-OE treatment caused a considerable reinforcement of the network as shown by reducing cooking loss and suggested the potential for utilizing protein-polyphenol interaction for gluten-free rice noodle production.

c-Jun regulates adipocyte differentiation via the KLF15-mediated mode.

Abnormal adipocyte differentiation is implicated in the development of metabolic disorders such as obesity and type II diabetes. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with adipocyte differentiation is the first step in overcoming obesity and its related metabolic diseases. Here, we examined the role of c-Jun as a transcription factor in adipocyte differentiation. c-Jun overexpression in murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation. In addition, the expression level of KLF15, an upstream effector of the key adipogenic factors C/EBPα and PPARγ, was decreased upon the ectopic expression of c-Jun. We found that c-Jun inhibited basal and glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-induced promoter activities of KLF15. c-Jun directly bound near the glucocorticoid response element (GRE) sites in the KLF15 promoter and inhibited adjacent promoter occupancies of GR. Furthermore, the restoration of KLF15 expression in 3T3-L1 cells with the stable ectopic expression of c-Jun partially rescued adipocyte differentiation. Our results demonstrate that c-Jun can suppress adipocyte differentiation through the down-regulation of KLF15 at the transcriptional level. This study proposes a novel mechanism by which c-Jun regulates adipocyte differentiation.

Improved optical sintering efficiency at the contacts of silver nanowires encapsulated by a graphene layer.

Graphene/silver nanowire (AgNWs) stacked electrodes, i.e., graphene/AgNWs, are fabricated on a glass substrate by air-spray coating of AgNWs followed by subsequent encapsulation via a wet transfer of single-layer graphene (SLG) and multilayer graphene (MLG, reference specimen) sheets. Here, graphene is introduced to improve the optical sintering efficiency of a xenon flash lamp by controlling optical transparency and light absorbing yield in stacked graphene/AgNW electrodes, facilitating the fusion at contacts of AgNWs. Intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering induced ultrafast (<20 ms) welding of AgNW junctions encapsulated by graphene, resulting in approximately a four-fold reduction in the sheet resistance of IPL-treated graphene/AgNWs compared to that of IPL-treated AgNWs. The role of graphene in IPL-treated graphene/AgNWs is further investigated as a passivation layer against thermal oxidation and sulfurization. This work demonstrates that optical sintering is an efficient way to provide fast welding of Ag wire-to-wire junctions in stacked electrodes of graphene/AgNWs, leading to enhanced conductivity as well as superior long-term stability under oxygen and sulfur atmospheres.