Role of BMP, FGF, Calcium Signaling, and Zic Proteins in Vertebrate Neuroectodermal Differentiation

More than a decade has passed since Zic family zinc finger proteins were discovered to be transcription factors controlling neuroectodermal differentiation (neural induction) in Xenopus laevis embryos. Although BMP-signal blocking has been shown to be a major upregulator of Zic genes in neuroectodermal differentiation, recent studies have revealed that FGF signaling and intracellular calcium elevation are also involved in regulating the expression of Zic genes. Different regulatory mechanisms have been found for the Zic1 and Zic3 genes, raising the possibility that functional synergism between them partly accounts for the integration of BMP-signal blocking and FGF signaling in neuroectodermal differentiation. Furthermore, mammalian Zic1 and Zic3 have been found to be neural-cell-fate-inducing and pluripotency-maintaining factors, respectively, leading us to the intriguing question of whether the mechanism underlying amphibian neuroectodermal differentiation is applicable to mammals. Comprehensive understanding of the Zic family genes is therefore essential for the study of the neuroectodermal differentiation and stem cell biology

Investigating the Bidirectional Associations of Adiposity with Sleep Duration in Older Adults: The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Cross-sectional analyses of adiposity and sleep duration in younger adults suggest that increased adiposity is associated with shorter sleep. Prospective studies have yielded mixed findings, and the direction of this association in older adults is unclear. We examined the cross-sectional and potential bi-directional, prospective associations between adiposity and sleep duration (covariates included demographics, health behaviours, and health problems) in 5,015 respondents from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), at baseline and follow-up. Following adjustment for covariates, we observed no significant cross-sectional relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sleep duration [(unstandardized) B?=??0.28?minutes, (95% Confidence Intervals (CI)?=??0.012; 0.002), p?=?0.190], or waist circumference (WC) and sleep duration [(unstandardized) B?=??0.10?minutes, (95% CI?=??0.004; 0.001), p?=?0.270]. Prospectively, both baseline BMI [B?=??0.42?minutes, (95% CI?=??0.013; ?0.002), p?=?0.013] and WC [B?=??0.18?minutes, (95% CI?=??0.005; ?0.000), p?=?0.016] were associated with decreased sleep duration at follow-up, independently of covariates. There was, however, no association between baseline sleep duration and change in BMI or WC (p?>?0.05). In older adults, our findings suggested that greater adiposity is associated with decreases in sleep duration over time; however the effect was very small

Orange jasmine as a trap crop to control Diaphorina citri

[EN] Novel, suitable and sustainable alternative control tactics that have the potential to reduce migration of Diaphorina citri into commercial citrus orchards are essential to improve management of huanglongbing (HLB). In this study, the effect of orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata) as a border trap crop on psyllid settlement and dispersal was assessed in citrus orchards. Furthermore, volatile emission profiles and relative attractiveness of both orange jasmine and sweet orange (Citrus¿×¿aurantium L., syn. Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) nursery flushes to D. citri were investigated. In newly established citrus orchards, the trap crop reduced the capture of psyllids in yellow sticky traps and the number of psyllids that settled on citrus trees compared to fallow mowed grass fields by 40% and 83%, respectively. Psyllids were attracted and killed by thiamethoxam-treated orange jasmine suggesting that the trap crop could act as a `sink¿ for D. citri. Additionally, the presence of the trap crop reduced HLB incidence by 43%. Olfactometer experiments showed that orange jasmine plays an attractive role on psyllid behavior and that this attractiveness may be associated with differences in the volatile profiles emitted by orange jasmine in comparison with sweet orange. Results indicated that insecticide-treated M. paniculata may act as a trap crop to attract and kill D. citri before they settled on the edges of citrus orchards, which significantly contributes to the reduction of HLB primary spread.This work was supported by Fund for Citrus Protection (Fundecitrus) and by Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) (Proc. 2015/07011-3). We thank Moacir Celio Vizone, Felipe Marinho Martini and Joao Pedro Ancoma Lopes for technical support with experiments. Furthermore, we thank Cambuhy Agricola Ltda. and University of Araraquara (Uniara) for providing the areas in which the field experiments were performed. 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Entomol. 39, 618–24 (2010).Damsteegt, V. D. et al. Murraya paniculata and related species as potential hosts and inoculum reservoirs of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, causal agent of huanglongbing. Plant Dis. 94, 528–533 (2010).Lopes, S. A. et al. Liberibacters associated with orange jasmine in Brazil: Incidence in urban areas and relatedness to citrus liberibacters. Plant Pathol. 59, 1044–1053 (2010).Cifuentes-Arenas, J. C. Huanglongbing e Diaphorina citri: Estudos das relações patógeno-vetor-hospedeiro. Ph.D. Thesis. Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias/Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. 1–133 (2017).Morilla, G. et al. Pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a dead-end host for Tomato yellow leaf curl virus. Phytopathology 95, 1089–1097 (2005).Midega, C. A. O., Pittchar, J. O., Pickett, J. A., Hailu, G. W. & Khan, Z. R. A climate-adapted push-pull system effectively controls fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), in maize in East Africa. Crop Prot. 105, 10–15 (2018).Miranda, M. P. et al. Processed kaolin affects the probing and settling behavior of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Pest Manag. Sci. 74, 1964–1972 (2018).Kobori, Y., Nakata, T., Ohto, Y. & Takasu, F. Dispersal of adult Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Homoptera: Psyllidae), the vector of citrus greening disease, in artificial release experiments. Appl. Entomol. Zool. 46, 27–30 (2011).Sétamou, M. et al. Diurnal patterns of flight activity and effects of light on host finding behavior of the Asian citrus psyllid. J. Insect Behav. 25, 264–276 (2012).Wenninger, E. J., Stelinski, L. L. & Hall, D. G. Roles of olfactory cues, visual cues, and mating status in orientation of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) to four different host plants. Environ. Entomol. 38, 225–234 (2009).Miranda, M. P., Dos Santos, F. L., Felippe, M. R., Moreno, A. & Fereres, A. Effect of UV-blocking plastic films on take-off and host plant finding ability of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 108, 245–251 (2015).Visser, J. H. Host odor perception in phytophagous insects. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 31, 121–144 (1986).Robbins, P. S., Alessandro, R. T., Stelinski, L. L. & Lapointe, S. L. Volatile profiles of young leaves of Rutaceae spp. varying in susceptibility to the Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). Florida Entomol. 95, 774–776 (2012).Fancelli, M. et al. Attractiveness of host plant volatile extracts to the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is reduced by terpenoids from the non-host cashew. J. Chem. Ecol. 44, 397–405 (2018).Alquézar, B. et al. β-caryophyllene emitted from a transgenic Arabidopsis or chemical dispenser repels Diaphorina citri, vector of Candidatus Liberibacters. Sci. Rep. 7, 5639 (2017).Jones, R. A. C. Effects of cereal borders, admixture with cereals and plant density on the spread of bean yellow mosaic potyvirus into narrow‐leafed lupins (Lupinus angustifolius). Ann. Appl. Biol. 122, 501–518 (1993).Beloti, V. H., Alves, G. R., Coletta-Filho, H. D. & Yamamoto, P. T. The Asian citrus psyllid host Murraya koenigii is immune to citrus huanglongbing pathogen ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’. Phytopathology 108, 1089–1094 (2018).Walter, A. J., Duan, Y. & Hall, D. G. Titers of ‘Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus’ in Murraya paniculata and Murraya-reared Diaphorina citri are much lower than in Citrus and Citrus-reared psyllids. HortScience 47, 1449–1452 (2012).Walter, A. J., Hall, D. G. & Duan, Y. P. Low incidence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ in Murraya paniculata and associated Diaphorina citri. Plant Dis. 96, 827–832 (2012).Ammar, E.-D. D., Ramos, J. E., Hall, D. G., Dawson, W. O. & Shatters, R. G. Acquisition, replication and inoculation of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus following various acquisition periods on huanglongbing-infected citrus by nymphs and adults of the Asian citrus psyllid. PLoS One 11, e0159594 (2016).Inoue, H. et al. Enhanced proliferation and efficient transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by adult Diaphorina citri after acquisition feeding in the nymphal stage. Ann. Appl. Biol. 155, 29–36 (2009).Pelz-Stelinski, K. S., Brlansky, R. H., Ebert, T. A. & Rogers, M. E. Transmission parameters for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus by Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 103, 1531–1541 (2010).Canale, M. C. et al. Latency and persistence of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ in its psyllid vector, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Phytopathology 107, 264–272 (2017).Li, W., Hartung, J. S. & Levy, L. 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A generalized invariant imbedding equation II

Research into fetal development and medicin

INSIG2 gene rs7566605 polymorphism is associated with severe obesity in Japanese

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7566605 in the upstream region of the insulin-induced gene 2 (INSIG2) is associated with the obesity phenotype in many Caucasian populations. In Japanese, this association with the obesity phenotype is not clear. To investigate the relationship between rs7566605 and obesity in Japanese, we genotyped rs7566605 from severely obese subjects [n = 908, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2] and normal-weight control subjects (n = 1495, BMI < 25 kg/m2). A case–control association analysis revealed that rs7566605 was significantly associated with obesity in Japanese. The P value in the minor allele recessive mode was 0.00020, and the odds ratio (OR) adjusted for gender and age was 1.61 [95% confidential interval (CI) = 1.24–2.09]. Obesity-associated phenotypes, which included the level of BMI, plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and blood pressure, were not associated with the rs7566605 genotype. Thus, rs7566605 in the upstream region of the INSIG2 gene was found to be associated with obesity, i.e., severe obesity, in Japanese

Social media for health promotion and weight management: A critical debate

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: In 2016 an estimated 1.9 billion adults world-wide were either overweight or obese. The health consequences of obesity are responsible for 2.8 million preventable deaths per year. The WHO now considers obesity as a global epidemic and recommends population-wide health promotion strategies to address this issue. Weight gain is caused by increased energy intake and physical inactivity, so treatment should focus on changes to behaviour regarding diet and physical activity. Discussion: The WHO has also recognised the importance of social resources as a valuable agent for behaviour change in health promotion. Social resources are translated at the community level as support provided by significant others such as family, partners and peers, in the form of information, material aid and encouragement. Social support has been shown to improve health and well-being, whereas social isolation has been shown to have a negative impact on health outcomes. Social support provided by peers has been shown to be a useful strategy to employ in weight management programmes. The documented increased use of ICT and social media has presented health promoters with a potentially useful medium to increase social support for weight management. Conclusion: While the use of social media for health promotion is an emerging field of investigation, preliminary research suggests that it increases participant engagement, and may provide a cost-effective tool to provide social support for individuals participating in weight management programmes. With stringent privacy protocols in place, social media may be a useful, cost-effective accompaniment to multifactorial weight management programmes. However more research is needed to identify how to make the best use of social media as health promotion tool

Effect of Peripheral 5-HT on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Wether Sheep

In mice, peripheral 5-HT induces an increase in the plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin and bile acids, and a decrease in plasma triglyceride, NEFA and cholesterol concentrations. However, given the unique characteristics of the metabolism of ruminants relative to monogastric animals, the physiological role of peripheral 5-HT on glucose and lipid metabolism in sheep remains to be established. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of 5-HT on the circulating concentrations of metabolites and insulin using five 5-HT receptor (5HTR) antagonists in sheep. After fasting for 24 h, sheep were intravenously injected with 5-HT, following which-, plasma glucose, insulin, triglyceride and NEFA concentrations were significantly elevated. In contrast, 5-HT did not affect the plasma cholesterol concentration, and it induced a decrease in bile acid concentrations. Increases in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations induced by 5-HT were attenuated by pre-treatment with Methysergide, a 5HTR 1, 2 and 7 antagonist. Additionally, decreased plasma bile acid concentrations induced by 5-HT were blocked by pre-treatment with Ketanserin, a 5HTR 2A antagonist. However, none of the 5HTR antagonists inhibited the increase in plasma triglyceride and NEFA levels induced by 5-HT. On the other hand, mRNA expressions of 5HTR1D and 1E were observed in the liver, pancreas and skeletal muscle. These results suggest that there are a number of differences in the physiological functions of peripheral 5-HT with respect to lipid metabolism between mice and sheep, though its effect on glucose metabolism appears to be similar between these species

UEV-1 Is an Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme Variant That Regulates Glutamate Receptor Trafficking in C. elegans Neurons

The regulation of AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR) membrane trafficking is a key mechanism by which neurons regulate synaptic strength and plasticity. AMPAR trafficking is modulated through a combination of receptor phosphorylation, ubiquitination, endocytosis, and recycling, yet the factors that mediate these processes are just beginning to be uncovered. Here we identify the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant UEV-1 as a regulator of AMPAR trafficking in vivo. We identified mutations in uev-1 in a genetic screen for mutants with altered trafficking of the AMPAR subunit GLR-1 in C. elegans interneurons. Loss of uev-1 activity results in the accumulation of GLR-1 in elongated accretions in neuron cell bodies and along the ventral cord neurites. Mutants also have a corresponding behavioral defect—a decrease in spontaneous reversals in locomotion—consistent with diminished GLR-1 function. The localization of other synaptic proteins in uev-1-mutant interneurons appears normal, indicating that the GLR-1 trafficking defects are not due to gross deficiencies in synapse formation or overall protein trafficking. We provide evidence that GLR-1 accumulates at RAB-10-containing endosomes in uev-1 mutants, and that receptors arrive at these endosomes independent of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. UEV-1 homologs in other species bind to the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13 to create K63-linked polyubiquitin chains on substrate proteins. We find that whereas UEV-1 can interact with C. elegans UBC-13, global levels of K63-linked ubiquitination throughout nematodes appear to be unaffected in uev-1 mutants, even though UEV-1 is broadly expressed in most tissues. Nevertheless, ubc-13 mutants are similar in phenotype to uev-1 mutants, suggesting that the two proteins do work together to regulate GLR-1 trafficking. Our results suggest that UEV-1 could regulate a small subset of K63-linked ubiquitination events in nematodes, at least one of which is critical in regulating GLR-1 trafficking