Autotaxin concentrations in peritoneal dialysis effluent reflect peritoneal function.

Introduction: Peritoneal equilibration test (PET) has been used to monitor peritoneal function. A more convenient marker would be useful in clinical situations including home medical care. Autotaxin is known to leak into the interstitium as vascular permeability increases during the progression of tissue fibrosis.

Proteomic analysis of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: A biomarker identification strategy based on preparation and in-solution digestion methods of total proteins.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL), caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) infection, is a malignant hematologic cancer that remains difficult to cure. We herein established a biomarker identification strategy based on the total cell proteomics of cultured ATL cells to search for novel ATL biomarkers. Four protocols with a combination of selected conditions based on lysis buffers and addition agents for total cell proteomics were used for a differential analysis between the ATL cell group (consisting of 11 cell lines), HTLV-1-infected cell group (consisting of 6 cell lines), and HTLV-1-negative cell group (consisting of 6 cell lines).

Hyperoxidized Peroxiredoxin 2 Is a Possible Biomarker for the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Peroxiredoxin (Prx) 2 in red blood cells (RBCs) reacts with various reactive oxygen species and changes to hyperoxidized Prx2 (Prx2-SO). Therefore, Prx2 may serve as an indicator of oxidative stress in vivo. This study aimed to analyze Prx2-SO levels in clinical samples to examine whether the oxidation state of Prx2 in human RBCs reflects the pathological condition of oxidative stress diseases.

Correlation of the Commercial Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain Antibody Test with the Chemiluminescent Reduction Neutralizing Test and Possible Detection of Antibodies to Emerging Variants.

Serological tests are beneficial for recognizing the immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). To identify protective immunity, optimization of the chemiluminescent reduction neutralizing test (CRNT) is critical. Whether commercial antibody tests have comparable accuracy is unknown.

Accumulation of Carbonyl Proteins in the Brain of Mouse Model for Methylglyoxal Detoxification Deficits.

Recent studies have shown that carbonyl stress is a causative factor of schizophrenia, categorized as carbonyl stress-related schizophrenia (CS-SCZ). However, the correlation between carbonyl stress and the pathogenesis of this disease is not well established. In this study, glyoxalase 1(Glo1)-knockout and vitamin B6-deficient mice (KO/VB6 (-) mice), which are susceptible to methylglyoxal (MGO)-induced oxidative damages, were used as a CS-SCZ model to analyze MGO-modified protein and the carbonyl stress status in the brain.

Interactome analysis of the Tudor domain-containing protein SPF30 which associates with the MTR4-exosome RNA-decay machinery under the regulation of AAA-ATPase NVL2.

The AAA-ATPase NVL2 associates with an RNA helicase MTR4 and the nuclear RNA exosome in the course of ribosome biogenesis. In our proteomic screen, we had identified a ribosome biogenesis factor WDR74 as a MTR4-interacting partner, whose dissociation is stimulated by the ATP hydrolysis of NVL2. In this study, we report the identification of splicing factor 30 (SPF30), another MTR4-interacting protein with a similar regulatory mechanism.

Differential oxidation processes of peroxiredoxin 2 dependent on the reaction with several peroxides in human red blood cells.

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) detoxify hydrogen peroxide (HO), peroxynitrite, and various organic hydroperoxides. However, the differential oxidative status of Prxs reacted with each peroxide remains unclear. In the present study, we focused on the oxidative alteration of Prxs and demonstrated that, in human red blood cells (RBCs), peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) is readily reactive with HO, forming disulfide dimers, but was not easily hyperoxidized.

[Effect of Japanese Traditional Medicine, Ninjin-Youei-To(TJ-108), on the Quality of Life of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Outpatient Chemotherapy].

An increasing number of patients with lung cancer are undergoing outpatient chemotherapy, and thus, it is very important to maintain the quality of life(QOL)of these patients. Ninjin-Youei-To(TJ-108), a Japanese traditional medicine, has been reported to improve the QOL of patients with advanced cancer. However, the effect of TJ-108 in patients with lung cancer undergoing outpatient chemotherapy is unknown.

Diminished nuclear RNA decay upon infection upregulates antibacterial noncoding RNAs.

Cytoplasmic mRNA degradation controls gene expression to help eliminate pathogens during infection. However, it has remained unclear whether such regulation also extends to nuclear RNA decay. Here, we show that 145 unstable nuclear RNAs, including enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) such as NEAT1v2, are stabilized upon infection in HeLa cells.

WDR74 participates in an early cleavage of the pre-rRNA processing pathway in cooperation with the nucleolar AAA-ATPase NVL2.

WD repeat-containing protein 74 (WDR74), a nucleolar-localized protein, is the mammalian ortholog of Nsa1, a 60S ribosome assembly factor in yeast. We previously showed that WDR74 associates with MTR4, the nuclear exosome-assisting RNA helicase, whose dissociation is prohibited by an ATPase-deficient mutant of the AAA-type chaperone NVL2. However, the functions and regulation of WDR74 during ribosome biogenesis in cooperation with NVL2 remains unknown.

Peroxidatic cysteine residue of peroxiredoxin 2 separated from human red blood cells treated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide is hyperoxidized into sulfinic and sulfonic acids.

Peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) is a redox enzyme that is abundantly expressed in red blood cells (RBCs) and has been the focus of clinical attention for monitoring the oxidative status. We previously developed a method to quantify the reduced and hyperoxidized forms of Prx2 in human RBCs using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the present study, we investigated the hyperoxidative status of Prx2 at the molecular level in a post-translational modification analysis using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system.

Sewall Wright, shifting balance theory, and the hardening of the modern synthesis.

The period between the 1940s and 1960s saw the hardening of the modern synthesis in evolutionary biology. Gould and Provine argue that Wright's shifting balance theory of evolution hardened during this period. But their account does not do justice to Wright, who always regarded selection as acting together with drift.

A mathematical model of osteoclast acidification during bone resorption.

Bone resorption by osteoclasts occurs through the creation of a sealed extracellular compartment (ECC), or pit, adjacent to the bone that is subsequently acidified through a complex biological process. The low pH of the pit dissolves the bone mineral and activates acid proteases that further break down the bone matrix. There are many ion channels, transporters, and soluble proteins involved in osteoclast mediated resorption, and in the past few years, there has been an increased understanding of the identity and properties of some key proteins such as the ClC-7 Cl/H antiporter and the H1 proton channel.

Interaction properties of human TRAMP-like proteins and their role in pre-rRNA 5'ETS turnover.

In yeast, the Trf4/5-Air1/2-Mtr4 polyadenylation (TRAMP) complex acts as a cofactor for the nuclear exosome to promote degradation of various RNAs. However, the corresponding machinery in mammals is less characterized. We analyzed the interactions of the human TRAMP-like proteins, PAPD5, ZCCHC7, and MTR4, with the nuclear exosome.

AAA-ATPase NVL2 acts on MTR4-exosome complex to dissociate the nucleolar protein WDR74.

Nuclear VCP-like 2 (NVL2) is a chaperone-like nucleolar ATPase of the AAA (ATPase associated with diverse cellular activities) family, which exhibits a high level of amino acid sequence similarity with the cytosolic AAA-ATPase VCP/p97. These proteins generally act on macromolecular complexes to stimulate energy-dependent release of their constituents. We previously showed that NVL2 interacts with RNA processing/degradation machinery containing an RNA helicase MTR4/DOB1 and an exonuclease complex, nuclear exosome, and involved in the biogenesis of 60S ribosomal subunits.

Elemental Distribution in Multilayer Systems by Laser-Assisted Atom Probe Tomography with Various Analysis Directions.

Elemental distributions in a magnetic multilayer system with the structure Si substrate/Ta/NiFe/Ru/CoFeB/Ru/NiFe were studied using atom probe tomography (APT) along different analysis directions. The distributions of Ru and B atoms, which require a high evaporation field, were strongly influenced by the APT analysis direction. In particular, B in the CoFeB layer appeared near the interface with the lower Ru layer when the analysis was anti-parallel to the film growth direction, while B atoms were observed at the other side of the CoFeB layer when the analysis was parallel to the film growth direction.

NVL2, a nucleolar AAA-ATPase, is associated with the nuclear exosome and is involved in pre-rRNA processing.

Nuclear VCP-like 2 (NVL2) is a member of the chaperone-like AAA-ATPase family and is involved in the biosynthesis of 60S ribosomal subunits in mammalian cells. We previously showed the interaction of NVL2 with a DExD/H-box RNA helicase MTR4/DOB1, which is a known cofactor for an exoribonuclease complex, the exosome. This finding implicated NVL2 in RNA metabolic processes during ribosome biogenesis.

Maternal peripheral blood natural killer cells incorporate placenta-associated microRNAs during pregnancy.

Although recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) regulate fundamental natural killer (NK) cellular processes, including cytotoxicity and cytokine production, little is known about the miRNA-gene regulatory relationships in maternal peripheral blood NK (pNK) cells during pregnancy. In the present study, to determine the roles of miRNAs within gene regulatory networks of maternal pNK cells, we performed comprehensive miRNA and gene expression profiling of maternal pNK cells using a combination of reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR)-based miRNA array and DNA microarray analyses and analyzed the differential expression levels between first- and third-trimester pNK cells. Furthermore, we constructed regulatory networks for miRNA-mediated gene expression in pNK cells during pregnancy by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA).

Functional foods effective for hepatitis C: Identification of oligomeric proanthocyanidin and its action mechanism.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis and currently infects approximately 170 million people worldwide. An infection by HCV causes high rates of chronic hepatitis (> 75%) and progresses to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma ultimately. HCV can be eliminated by a combination of pegylated α-interferon and the broad-spectrum antiviral drug ribavirin; however, this treatment is still associated with poor efficacy and tolerability and is often accompanied by serious side-effects.

Human exosomal placenta-associated miR-517a-3p modulates the expression of PRKG1 mRNA in Jurkat cells.

During pregnancy, human placenta-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from the miRNA cluster in human chromosome 19 are expressed in villous trophoblasts and secreted into maternal circulation via exosomes; however, little is known about whether circulating placenta-associated miRNAs are transferred into maternal immune cells via exosomes, and modulate expression of target genes in the recipient cells. We employed an in vitro model of trophoblast-immune cell communication using BeWo cells (a human trophoblast cell line) and Jurkat cells (a human leukemic T-cell line) and investigated whether BeWo exosomal placenta-associated miRNAs can suppress expression of target genes in the recipient Jurkat cells. Using this system, we identified PRKG1 as a target gene of placenta-associated miRNA miR-517a-3p.

Carnosol, rosemary ingredient, induces apoptosis in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cells via glutathione depletion: proteomic approach using fluorescent two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a fatal malignancy caused by infection with human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 and there is no accepted curative therapy for ATL. We searched for biological active substances for the prevention and treatment of ATL from several species of herbs. The ATL cell growth-inhibitory activity and apoptosis assay showed that carnosol, which is an ingredient contained in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), induced apoptosis in ATL cells.

A model of lysosomal pH regulation.

Lysosomes must maintain an acidic luminal pH to activate hydrolytic enzymes and degrade internalized macromolecules. Acidification requires the vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase to pump protons into the lumen and a counterion flux to neutralize the membrane potential created by proton accumulation. Early experiments suggested that the counterion was chloride, and more recently a pathway consistent with the ClC-7 Cl(-)/H(+) antiporter was identified.

Effects of switch from sevelamer hydrochloride to lanthanum carbonate on serum K and bone metabolic turnover.

Effects of switch from sevelamer hydrochloride (Sev) to lanthanum carbonate (La) on serum potassium (K) and bone metabolic markers in maintenance dialysis patients were examined. A switch from Sev to La was made for 14 dialysis patients (mean dialysis period and age: 65.3 months and 58.