The initial segment (IS) in rodents is functionally and structurally distinct from other epididymal segments and plays an important role in sperm maturation. We previously showed that, in the mouse epididymis, basal cells (BCs) extend a narrow luminal-reaching projection only in the IS, while in all other regions, they mainly nestle at the base of the epithelium. We also found that BC projections are regulated by testicular luminal factors, and the present study was aimed at characterizing the signaling pathway involved in their formation and elongation. Previous studies reported that testicular luminal factors maintain the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in a highly phosphorylated state in the IS. We report here that the BC projections, which we call axiopodia, periodically extend and retract over time. We found that axiopodia extensions and retractions follow an oscillatory pattern. This movement is controlled by MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Our results suggest that ERK phosphorylation plays a key role in the formation and elongation of BC projections. Such unexpected cell motility may reflect a novel mechanism by which specialized epithelial cells sample the luminal environment.

Ricinus communis, belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae, has been known as medicinal plants for treatment of inflammation, tumors, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and laxative. Compared to many pharmacological studies, the effect of R. communis extract on regulating adipogenesis as therapeutic drug for treating obesity has not been reported. R. communis extract (RCE) was investigated to determine its effects on the adipogenesis by monitoring the status of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and factors involving the differentiation of adipocytes. The differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells monitored by Oil Red O staining was inhibited in concentration dependent manner by RCE. The luciferase activity of HEK 293-TOP cells containing pTOPFlash with Tcf4 response element-luciferase gene was increased approximately 2-folds by the treatment of RCE at concentrations of 100 μg/mL compared to the control. Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by RCE was further confirmed by immunocytochemical analysis which shows an increment of nuclear localization of β-catenin. In addition, safety of RCE was verified through performing neural stem cell morphology assay. Among the identified flavonoids in RCE, isoquercitrin was the most abundant. Therefore, these results indicate that the adipocyte differentiation was significantly reduced by isoquercitrin in R. communis. In this study, RCE suppresses the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells via the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Cambial meristematic cells (CMCs) are innately undifferentiated cells located in the meristems of plant with function as a stem cell to renew itself or replace specialized tissues. Another interesting feature of plant stem cells is controlling the plant defense in response to various stresses. Several groups have studied for stem cell triggered immunity signaling however, the molecular basis of the stem cell triggered immunity remains unclear. We previously obtained deferentially expressed 563 stem cell specific gene profiles from transcriptome analysis between two different cell types, CMC and dedifferentiated dells (DDCs) of yew tree (Taxuscuspidate). In a line of comparative genomics approach, we have selected 30 Arabidopsis homologous immune regulator candidate genes that showed significantly enriched GO terms ; at “response to stress” and “defense response”. We obtained one of homologous knock-out (KO) Arabidopsis mutant line on the locus At1G71110 whose cognate yew homologous gene showed predominantly expressed in CMCs compared to DDCs (20 times higher). For the assessment of basal disease resistance KO mutant plants were inoculated with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 and counted pathogen isolated from inoculated leaves. Interestingly, the KO mutant plants were not compromised in basal disease resistant, however, the hypersensitive response was significantly enhanced in the mutant compared to wild type in response to PstavrB, suggesting R-gene mediated defense response involved. We also investigated there sponse to the small reactive redox molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) that associated significantly in plant immune response. Notably the KO mutant plants exhibited hypersensitivity specifically under nitrosative stress condition derived by S-nitrosiglutathione (GSNO), anitrioxide (NO) donor. Taken all together, putative endomembrane components At1G71110 may play a pivotal role in R gene mediated plant immune system. To further investigate its role(s) and molecular signaling network various defense gene expression profiles and functional genomics approach are ongoing for the long term aim of muti-stress tolerant crop development

In order to select a rice population with useful trait such as arsenic tolerance for crop improvement, we have developed 3000 M7 Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) lines by gamma ray (GR) irradiation treatment to a rice variety (cv. Donganbyeo). A total of 2 M7 lines exhibited the arsenic (AsV) tolerant phenotype (hereafter, named Arsenic Tolerant TILLING line 1 and 2, and designed as ATT1 and 2), in which the shoots and roots length of ATT lines were significantly longer than those of wild type (WT) during As(V) treatment. To survey the DNA polymorphism of these plants, we conducted the Whole genome resequencing with 10x coverage in ATT lines. By comparative analysis among ATT lines, we have identified the common DNA polymorphism such as 11,817 SNPs (49.83% in ATT1 and 48.35% in ATT2) and 30,618 InDels (86.72% in ATT1 and 86.23% in ATT2). Also, these mutants were showed the close relationships more than WT. To further study the changed amino acids of genes, we commonly identified the 758 genes for non-synonymous SNPs and 249 genes for changed codon InDels. These genes were mainly exhibited the enriched GO functions such as catalytic activity, nucleic acid binding and transferring phosphorus-containing groups. To determine the genes associated with arsenic-related mechanism in DNA polymorphism of ATT lines, we have retrieved the two structurally altered genes (Os11g47870 and Os03g19900) for metalloid As(V) detoxification toward induced genes in response to arsenic treatments by public microarray datasets. We suggest that As(V) tolerant phenotypes of ATT lines are certainly affected by structurally altered genes associated with phosphorus transferring and As(V) detoxification during GR treatment

MC1R의 길항제 역할을 하는 펩타이드와 tyrosinase를 저해하는 효능을 가지는 천연유래 물질을 유도체화하여 신규 미백소재를 개발하였다. 또한 이러한 새로운 기작에 의한 미백 효능을 평가할 수 있는 방법을 cAMP 신호전달 과정을 활용하여 제시하였다. 총 24종의 유도체를 합성하였고, cAMP assay의 결과를 통해 11종의 유도체를 선별하였으며, 선별된 유도체에 대하여 멜라닌 형성 억제 효능을 평가하여 본 평가 방법의 유효성을 확인하였다. 이 과정에서 RW를 서열에 포함하는 펩타이드 유도체가 특별히 멜라닌 형성 억제 효능이 높은 것을 알 수 있었다. 또한, cAMP assay는 MC1R의 antagonist라는 특정 타겟 물질을 디자인한 소재의 스크리닝 방법에는 활용할 수 있음을 알 수 있었다. 하지만, 미백소재로서의 가능성을 확인하기 위해서는 멜라닌 생성저해 시험과 병행하여야 할 것으로 판단된다.

Lipid metabolites involved in cellular regulation as signaling mediators. Prostaglandins (PGs), metabolites of lipid are involved to pregnancy at the time of implantation but the functional roles of PGs on embryo development are still controversy and largely unknown. In previous report, the levels of and at embryos of morula stage and blastocyst stage were explored (Cheon et al., 1998). In this study, the previous suggestion was confirmed and the possible downstream mediator of prostaglandin and prostaglandin on the expansion and hatching of mouse embryo was examined. As expected, developmental rate of the blastocyst to expanded stage was a concentration-response curve that showed the highest expansion rate at 10 , but at 100 , the rate was decreased. In contrast to the , stimulated expansion without toxicity at highest concentration. Cotreatment of PGs with indomethacin overcame the inhibitory effects of indomethacin in expansion. Exogenous PGs also improved the development of expanded embryos to the hatching stage. Besides, PGs receptors' transcripts detected at blastocyst. was caused of calcium fluctuation in the blastocyst but did not. The changes of intracellular calcium concentration were different between indomethacin pretreated embryos and non-treated embryos. Based on these results it is suggested that PGs work as paracrine and/or autocrine factors through calcium and the others which were not identified in this study.

BEL1-like transcription factors interact with Knotted1 types to regulate numerous developmental processes. In potato (Solanum tuberosum), the BEL1 transcription factor St BEL5 and its protein partner POTH1 regulate tuber formation by mediating hormone levels in the stolon tip. The accumulation of St BEL5 RNA increases in response to short-day photoperiods, inductive for tuber formation. RNA detection methods and heterografting experiments demonstrate that BEL5 transcripts are present in phloem cells and move across a graft union to localize in stolon tips, the site of tuber induction. This movement of RNA to stolon tips is correlated with enhanced tuber production. Overexpression of BEL5 transcripts that include the untranslated sequences of the BEL5 transcript endows transgenic lines with the capacity to overcome the inhibitory effects of long days on tuber formation. Addition of the untranslated regions leads to preferential accumulation of the BEL5 RNA in stolon tips under short-day conditions. Using a leaf-specific promoter, the movement of BEL5 RNA to stolon tips was facilitated by a short-day photoperiod, and this movement was correlated with enhanced tuber production. These results implicate the transcripts of St BEL5 in a long-distance signaling pathway that are delivered to the target organ via the phloem stream.