Characterization of the Arabidopsis Mutant oligocellula6-D Reveals the Importance of Leaf Initiation in Determining the Final Leaf Size.

The leaf is a determinate organ with a final size under genetic control. Numerous factors that regulate the final leaf size have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana; although most of these factors play their roles during the growth of leaf primordia, much less is known about leaf initiation and its effects on the final leaf size. In this study, we characterized oligocellula6-D (oli6-D), a semidominant mutant of A.

Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 in Taste Nerve Contributes to the Sense of Sweet Taste in Mice.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels play a significant role in taste perception. TRP ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is present in the afferent sensory neurons and is activated by food-derived ingredients, such as Japanese horseradish, cinnamon, and garlic. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of TRPA1 in taste buds, and determine its functional roles in taste perception using TRPA1-deficient mice.

Identification of ksg1 mutation showing long-lived phenotype in fission yeast.

Fission yeast is a good model organism for the study of lifespan. To elucidate the mechanism, we screened for long-lived mutants. We found a nonsense mutation in the ksg1 gene, which encodes an ortholog of mammalian PDK1 (phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase).

Leaf form diversification in an ornamental heirloom tomato results from alterations in two different HOMEOBOX genes.

Domesticated plants display diverse phenotypic traits. However, the influence of breeding effort on this phenotypic diversity remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a single nucleotide deletion in the homeobox motif of BIPINNATA, a BEL-LIKE HOMEODOMAIN gene, led to a highly complex leaf phenotype in an heirloom tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), Silvery Fir Tree (SiFT), which is used as a landscaping and ornamental plant.

Transmembrane channel-like 4 is involved in pH and temperature-dependent modulation of salty taste.

Human susceptibility to NaCl varies depending on temperature and pH, the molecular mechanisms of which remain unclear. The voltage-dependent chloride channel, transmembrane channel-like 4 (TMC4), is activated at approximately 40 °C and is suppressed at pH 5.5.

Protective Effect of TRPM8 against Indomethacin-Induced Small Intestinal Injury via the Release of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in Mice.

Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) is a non-selective cation channel activated by mild cooling and chemical agents including menthol. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have antipyretic, analgesic effects, and they can cause stomach and small intestinal injury. The current study investigated the role of TRPM8 in the pathogenesis of indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury.

CDCP1 promotes compensatory renal growth by integrating Src and Met signaling.

Compensatory growth of organs after loss of their mass and/or function is controlled by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) promotes HGF-induced compensatory renal growth. Using canine kidney cells as a model of renal tubules, we found that HGF-induced temporal up-regulation of Src activity and its scaffold protein, CDCP1, and that the ablation of CDCP1 robustly abrogated HGF-induced phenotypic changes, such as morphological changes and cell growth/proliferation.

Zinc Finger Protein St18 Protects against Septic Death by Inhibiting VEGF-A from Macrophages.

Zinc finger protein St18 was initially reported as candidate tumor suppressor gene, and also suggested that fibroblast St18 positively regulates NF-κB activation. Despite the pleiotropic functions of St18, little is known about its roles in macrophages. Here, we report that myeloid St18 is a potent inhibitor of VEGF-A.

RNA Sensing by Gut Piezo1 Is Essential for Systemic Serotonin Synthesis.

Gastrointestinal enterochromaffin cells regulate bone and gut homeostasis via serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) production. A recent report suggested that gut microbes regulate 5-HT levels; however, the precise underlying molecular mechanisms are unexplored. Here, we reveal that the cation channel Piezo1 in the gut acts as a sensor of single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) governing 5-HT production.

Suppression of class I compensated cell enlargement by xs2 mutation is mediated by salicylic acid signaling.

The regulation of leaf size has been studied for decades. Enhancement of post-mitotic cell expansion triggered by impaired cell proliferation in Arabidopsis is an important process for leaf size regulation, and is known as compensation. This suggests a key interaction between cell proliferation and cell expansion during leaf development.

Molecular phylogenetic study of the tribe Tropidieae (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae) with taxonomic and evolutionary implications.

The orchid tribe Tropidieae comprises three genera, , and . There are three fully mycoheterotrophic species within Tropidieae: , and . A previous phylogenetic study of , based only on plastid data, placed outside the clade of and without support.

Discovery of inner centromere protein-derived small peptides for cancer imaging and treatment targeting survivin.

Survivin belongs to the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, which is consistently overexpressed in most cancer cells but rarely expressed in normal adult tissues. Therefore, the detection and inhibition of survivin are regarded as attractive strategies for cancer-specific treatment. In this study, we designed and synthesized 7-19 residues of inner centromere protein (INCENP)-derived small peptides (INC peptides) as novel survivin-targeting agents.

Oxidation of methionine residues activates the high-threshold heat-sensitive ion channel TRPV2.

Thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels detect changes in ambient temperature to regulate body temperature and temperature-dependent cellular activity. Rodent orthologs of TRP vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) are activated by nonphysiological heat exceeding 50 °C, and human TRPV2 is heat-insensitive. TRPV2 is required for phagocytic activity of macrophages which are rarely exposed to excessive heat, but what activates TRPV2 in vivo remains elusive.

The Biogenesis of SRP RNA Is Modulated by an RNA Folding Intermediate Attained during Transcription.

The signal recognition particle (SRP), responsible for co-translational protein targeting and delivery to cellular membranes, depends on the native long-hairpin fold of its RNA to confer functionality. Since RNA initiates folding during its synthesis, we used high-resolution optical tweezers to follow in real time the co-transcriptional folding of SRP RNA. Surprisingly, SRP RNA folding is robust to transcription rate changes and the presence or absence of its 5'-precursor sequence.

Estrogen Receptor β2 Oversees Germ Cell Maintenance and Gonadal Sex Differentiation in Medaka, Oryzias latipes.

In vertebrates, estrogen receptors are essential for estrogen-associated early gonadal sex development. Our previous studies revealed sexual dimorphic expression of estrogen receptor β2 (ERβ2) during embryogenesis of medaka, and here we investigated the functional importance of ERβ2 in female gonad development and maintenance using a transgenerational ERβ2-knockdown (ERβ2-KD) line and ERβ2-null mutants. We found that ERβ2 reduction favored male-biased gene transcription, suppressed female-responsive gene expression, and affected SDF1a and CXCR4b co-assisted chemotactic primordial germ cell (PGC) migration.

Author Correction: Pyrophosphate inhibits gluconeogenesis by restricting UDP-glucose formation in vivo.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 mediates sour taste sensing via type III taste cell differentiation.

Taste buds are comprised of taste cells, which are classified into types I to IV. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels play a significant role in taste perception. TRP vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a non-selective cation channel that responds to mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli.

Identification and classification of a new TRPM3 variant (γ subtype).

TRPM3 is a non-selective cation channel that is activated by neural steroids such as pregnenolone sulfate, nifedipine, and clotrimazole. Despite the number of TRPM3 variants, few reports have described functional analyses of these different TRPM3 types. Here we identified a new TRPM variant from mouse dorsal root ganglion, termed TRPM3γ3.

Histone H1 quantity determines the efficiency of chromatin condensation in both apoptotic and live cells.

Although chromatin condensation is a well-known hallmark of apoptosis, the generation mechanism has not been clarified. Histone H1, a positively-charged abundant nuclear protein, is located in the linker region of chromatin. There are several Histone H1 subtypes that are encoded by variant genes.

GlcNAc6ST3 is a keratan sulfate sulfotransferase for the protein-tyrosine phosphatase PTPRZ in the adult brain.

Keratan sulfate (KS) is a carbohydrate side chain covalently attached to extracellular proteoglycans. KS is composed of disaccharide units of 6-sulfated N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and galactose. We have previously shown that GlcNAc-6-O-sulfotransferase (GlcNAc6ST) 1 encoded by Chst2 is an enzyme necessary for the synthesis of GlcNAc-6-sulfated KS chains that are required for neuronal plasticity in the visual cortex of the mouse brain during the critical period, but not in adulthood.

Identification of molecular targets for toxic action by persulfate, an industrial sulfur compound.

Persulfate salts are broadly used as industrial chemicals and exposure to them causes occupational asthma, occupational rhinitis and contact dermatitis. However, the mechanisms underlying these toxic actions are not fully elucidated. Transient receptor potential (TRP) vanilloid 1 (V1), ankyrin 1 (A1) and melastatin 8 (M8) are non-selective cation channels preferentially expressing sensory neurons.

Correction to: Hypotonicity-induced cell swelling activates TRPA1.

The article Hypotonicity-induced cell swelling activates TRPA1, written by Fumitaka Fujita, Kunitoshi Uchida, Yasunori Takayama, Yoshiro Suzuki, Masayuki Takaishi and Makoto Tominaga, was originally published electronically on the publisher's internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 16 June 2017 without open access.