Activation of strigolactone biosynthesis by the DWARF14-LIKE/KARRIKIN-INSENSITIVE2 pathway in mycorrhizal angiosperms, but not in Arabidopsis, a non-mycorrhizal plant

Strigolactones (SLs) are a class of plant hormones that regulate many aspects of plant growth and development. SLs also improve symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the rhizosphere. Recent studies have shown that the DWARF14-LIKE (D14L)/KARRIKIN-INSENSITIVE2 (KAI2) family, paralogs of the SL receptor D14, are required for AMF colonization in several flowering plants, including rice. In this study, we found that (−)-GR5, a 2′S-configured enantiomer of a synthetic SL analog (+)-GR5, significantly activated SL biosynthesis in rice roots via D14L. This result is consistent with a recent report, showing that the D14L pathway positively regulates SL biosynthesis in rice. In fact, the SL levels tended to be lower in the roots of the d14l mutant under both inorganic nutrient-deficient and -sufficient conditions. We also show that the increase in SL levels by (−)-GR5 was observed in other mycorrhizal plant species. In contrast, the KAI2 pathway did not upregulate the SL level and the expression of SL biosynthetic genes in Arabidopsis, a non-mycorrhizal plant. We also examined whether the KAI2 pathway enhances SL biosynthesis in the liverwort Marchantia paleacea, where SL functions as a rhizosphere signaling molecule for AMF. However, the SL level and SL biosynthetic genes were not positively regulated by the KAI2 pathway. These results imply that the activation of SL biosynthesis by the D14L/KAI2 pathway has been evolutionarily acquired after the divergence of bryophytes to efficiently promote symbiosis with AMF, although we cannot exclude the possibility that liverworts have specifically lost this regulatory system

Awa (Tokushima) lactate-fermented tea as well as green tea enhance the effect of diet restriction on obesity in rats

Drinking tea is recommended for promoting health due to its bioactive nutrients, such as catechins and caffeine. In Tokushima area, we have a unique traditional tea, named Awa tea, which are fermented with Lactobacillus pentosus and Lactobacillus plantarum. The present study was designed to investigate anti-obesity effects of the Awa tea and compare with those of non-fermented green tea. Obese male Wistar rats (19 weeks of age) were given by low energy diets containing 3% of Awa and green tea extracts, respectively, or without any tea extracts (control), for 4 weeks. Awa tea contained smaller amount of catechins than green tea, although they contained similar amounts of polyphenols. This finding indicates that there are distinct kinds of polyphenols from catechins. The diets containing Awa and green tea extracts further decreased whole body weight, fat tissue mass and plasma leptin level, compared with control diet. In addition, their diets increased the daily amount of lipid excreted to feces and total 24-h-energy consumption, compared with the control group. However, there is no significant difference in these anti-obesity effects between Awa tea and green tea. Our results indicate that Awa lactate-fermented tea as well as green tea similarly enhance the effect of diet restriction on obesity, at least in part, through the increase in fat energy consumption and the decrease in fat absorption in rats

Pretreatment glasgow prognostic score predicts survival among patients administered first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide for small cell lung cancer

BackgroundThere are no established predictive biomarkers for the effectiveness of first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate whether the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and body mass index (BMI) can predict the effectiveness of first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy in patients with extensive-disease SCLC.MethodsWe reviewed data from 84 patients who received first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy for SCLC at nine Japanese institutions between August 2019 and May 2021. Further, we evaluated the prognostic value of the GPS, NLR, and BMI. The Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Moreover, the GPS, NLR, and BMI consisted of C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, and body weight and height, respectively.ResultsThe response rate was 72.6% (95% confidence interval: 63.0–82.1%). The median PFS and OS from the initiation of treatment were 5.4 (95% CI: 4.9–5.9) months and 15.4 (95% CI: 11.4–16.8) months, respectively. The GPS independently predicted the effectiveness of first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide treatment, as a favorable GPS (GPS 0–1) was correlated with significantly better PFS and OS rates compared to a poor GPS (GPS 2) (PFS: 5.8 vs. 3.8 months, p = 0.0005; OS: 16.5 vs. 8.4 months, p<0.0001).ConclusionsThis is the first analysis to evaluate the association between the GPS, NLR, and BMI and the treatment effectiveness of survival among patients receiving first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy for SCLC. Among patients receiving this treatment for SCLC, GPS was significantly associated with the PFS and OS rates, suggesting that GPS might be useful for evaluating therapeutic outcomes in these patients