circRNA : A New Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Esophageal Cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) comprise a large class of endogenous non-coding RNA with covalently closed loops and have independent functions as linear transcripts transcribed from identical genes. circRNAs are generated by a “back-splicing” process regulated by regulatory elements in cis and associating proteins in trans. Many studies have shown that circRNAs play important roles in multiple processes, including splicing, transcription, chromatin modification, miRNA sponges, and protein decoys. circRNAs are highly stable because of their closed ring structure, which prevents them from degradation by exonucleases, and are more abundant in terminally differentiated cells, such as brains. Recently, it was demonstrated that numerous circRNAs are differentially expressed in cancer cells, and their dysfunction is involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the crucial functions of these circRNAs and the dysregulation of circRNAs in cancer are still unknown. In this review, we summarize the recent reports on the biogenesis and biology of circRNAs and then catalog the advances in using circRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer therapy, particularly esophageal cancer

Sugar signalling mediates cluster root formation and phosphorus starvation-induced gene expression in white lupin

Cluster root (CR) formation contributes much to the adaptation to phosphorus (P) deficiency. CR formation by white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is affected by the P-limiting level in shoots, but not in roots. Thus, shoot-derived signals have been expected to transmit the message of P-deficiency to stimulate CR formation. In this study, it is shown that sugars are required for a response to P starvation including CR formation and the expression of P starvation-induced genes. White lupin plants were grown in vitro on P-sufficient or P-deficient media supplemented with sucrose for 4 weeks. Sucrose supply stimulated CR formation in plants on both P-sufficient and P-deficient media, but no CR appeared on the P-sufficient medium without sucrose. Glucose and fructose also stimulated CR formation on the P-sufficient medium. On the medium with sucrose, a high concentration of inorganic phosphate in leaves did not suppress CR formation. Because sorbitol or organic acid in the media did not stimulate CR formation, the sucrose effect was not due to increased osmotic pressure or enriched energy source, that is, sucrose acted as a signal. Gene transcription induced by P starvation, LaPT1 and LaPEPC3, was magnified by the combination of P limitation and sucrose feeding, and that of LaSAP was stimulated by sucrose supply independently of P supply. These results suggest that at least two sugar-signalling mediating systems control P starvation responses in white lupin roots. One system regulates CR formation and LaSAP expression, which acts even when P is sufficient if roots receive sugar as a signal. The other system controls LaPT1 and LaPEPC3 expression, which acts when P is insufficient

Stadies on the seed raising of onion : 1) On the flower period and the flowering behavior 2) On the length of styles and receptive period of pistils

1) 葱頭の開花は5月31日に始まつて6月28日に終り,従つて開花期間は29日間であつた. 2) その中で開花数の多かつたのは,6月8日から22日の15日間で全開花数の84.9%であつた. 3) 開花は開花前日及び開花当日の日照量によつて影響されるものの如くである. 4) 1花球に於て最も多く咲いた花数雄842で平均は291であつた. 5) 1花球当りの開花数の多いものは,開花始めも早く,開花期間も長い. 1) 葱頭の花柱の伸長竝に雌蘂の授精力保有期間について実験した. 2) 葱頭の花柱は開花後徐々に伸長するが,その伸長は変異があり,一定の傾向は見られなかつた.最大の長さに達するのは,開花の翌日以後であつて,又葯が全部開葯してからであつた. 3) 雌蘂の授精力は開花2日目より生じ,6日目に終つた. 4) 結局,形態的にも,機能的にも葱頽の雌蘂は開花当日には成熟していなくて,雄蘂先熟の性質をもつていた

Studies on the Thickening Growth of Melon Fruits. : I. On the Honey Dew and New Melon.

1)本実験はメロン及び甜瓜類の果実の発育特に果肉部における細胞分裂の状態を観察するために,ハネデュー,ニューメロンの2品種を用いて行つた. 2)ハネデューにおける反曲点は謝花後5日目位にあつて,反曲点以前の方向指数αは0.215にして細胞分裂が行われておることを示し,反曲点以後のαは1.0105で細胞分裂は認められ無い.反曲点における果径(横)は29.65mm,細胞の大きさは53.09μであつた. 3)ニューメロンにおいては,反曲点は謝花後3～4日目の間にあつて,反曲点以前の方向指数αは0.3043で細胞分裂が行われておることを示し,反曲点以後のαは0.8825で細胞分裂は行われていないものと推定出来る.反曲点における果径(横)は18.86mm,細胞の大きさは54.79μであつた. 4)ハネデューの果肉がニューメロンのそれと比較して遥かに厚いのは,ハネデューはニューメロンに比較して,果肉細胞数が多く,又細胞も大きいためである

Verruca on the Fruit of Melon : 1) The Formation of Verruca due to the Artificial Treatment and its Anatomical Observation

1.Honey Dewメロンの果実の表面に現われる疣状突起を人為的に起させ,その発生経過を観察すると共に解剖学的に追求した.2.若い果実の表皮に軽い摩擦処理を施し室内においたものには,処理後2日において暗色の斑点を生じた.これは栽培中に生じた疣状突起の初期の変化と同様であつた.3.処理果を湿室に入れると斑点はできなかつた.4.暗色に変つた部分は表皮下0.5～0.8mm位の深さの組織は水浸状を呈していた.これが斑点の原因である.5.斑点部においては表皮下に木化細胞が現れるが,その現われ方は最初斑点部の各所に独立的に発生して出来た木化細胞群が,拡大によつて癒合し複雑な形態をとるようになる.6.木化は損傷を受けた毛茸の基部より起こり,主としてHypodermisの最外層に拡がるが数層に及ぶ団塊状をなすこともある.7.斑点部は果実が完熟するまで発達し疣状突起となるが,よく発達した突起部の先端にはコルク形成層が作られ,コルクを表面に増生する.8.結局,メロンの疣状突起は果実の毛茸の損害が直接原因であり,これに空中湿度等が関係して起るものと思われる

Lamin-like analogues in plants: the characterization of AcNMCP1

24 p.-6 fig.Este artículo pertenece a la Tesis presentada por Malgorzata Ciska con título: "Caracterización de AcNMCP1 una proteína implicada en organización nuclear de plantas."(https://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/98559)The nucleoskeleton of plants contains a peripheral lamina also called plamina, and even though lamins are absent in plants, their roles are still fulfilled in plant nuclei. One of the most intriguing topics in plant biology concerns the identity of lamin protein analogues in plants. Good candidates to play lamin functions in plants are the members of the NMCP (nuclear matrix constituent protein) family, which exhibit the typical tripartite structure of lamins. Here, we describe a bioinformatics analysis and the classification of the NMCP family based on phylogenetic relationships, sequence similarity and the distribution of conserved regions in 76 homologues. In addition, we characterized NMCP1 in the monocot Allium cepa, determining its sequence and structure, biochemical properties and sub-nuclear distribution, and identifying alterations in its expression throughout the root. Our results demonstrate that these proteins exhibit many similarities to lamins (structural organization, conserved regions, subnuclear distribution and solubility) and that they may fulfil the functions of lamins in plants. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the structural proteins of the plant lamina and nucleoskeleton, and they provide a basis for further investigation of the protein networks forming these structures.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation [BFU2010-15900] and CSIC [PIE 201020E019]. Malgorzata Ciska was supported by a Junta de Ampliacion de Estudios grant (JAE): JAEPre_08_00012/JAEPre027.Peer reviewe

Novel CLCN7 mutations in IARO

Osteopetrosis is a heritable disorder of the skeleton that is characterized by increased bone density on radiographs caused by defects in osteoclast formation and function. Mutations in >10 genes are identified as causative for this clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease in humans. We report two novel missense variations in a compound heterozygous state in the CLCN7 gene, detected through targeted exome sequencing, in a 15-year-old Japanese female with intermediate autosomal recessive osteopetrosis

Tagged steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri richardson) collected in the north Pacific by the Oshoro-Maru, 1980-1981

Bulletin of the Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University. Vol. 33 No. 4Thirteen steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) with coded-wire tags (CWT's) were captured in gillnets fished by the Oshoro-Maru in the Gulf of Alaska along 145°W in 1980 and 1981 and along 180° in 1981. These fish originated from hatcheries in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, U.S.A., and British Columbia, Canada. About 7% of all steelhead caught had CWT's One age LO steelhead entered the ocean about two months before it was captured after migrating at sea at least 1,641 km. Scales of the steelhead caught in gillnets indicated that most were "wild", non-hatchery fish, having spent 2 or 3 years in fresh water, and 0, 1 or 2 years in the ocean

Tagged steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson) collected in the north Pacific by the Oshoro-Maru, 1982-1985

Twenty-two steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri) containing coded wire tags (CWT's) were captured in gillnets fished by the Oshoro-Maru in the Gulf of Alaska and along 180 during 1982-85. These fish originated from North American streams and hatcheries in British Columbia, Idaho, and Washington. One fish was age 0.1, 16 were age 1.1 and 5 were age 1.2. In 1985, 17% of the steelhead caught had missing adipose fins but did not contain tags. This high proportion of marked hatchery fish and the known fresh water ages of marked fish indicated that many of the steelhead caught by the Oshoro-Maru and other vessels in the Northeast Pacific originated from North American hatcheries

G-band and Hard X-ray Emissions of the 2006 December 14 flare observed by Hinode/SOT and RHESSI

We report on G-band emission observed by the Solar Optical Telescope onboard the Hinode satellite in association with the X1.5-class flare on 2006 December 14. The G-band enhancements originate from the footpoints of flaring coronal magnetic loops, coinciding with non-thermal hard X-ray bremsstrahlung sources observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager. At the available 2 minute cadence, the G-band and hard X-ray intensities are furthermore well correlated in time. Assuming that the G-band enhancements are continuum emission from a blackbody, we derived the total radiative losses of the white-light flare (white-light power). If the G-band enhancements additionally have a contribution from lines, the derived values are overestimates. We compare the white-light power with the power in hard X-ray producing electrons using the thick target assumption. Independent of the cutoff energy of the accelerated electron spectrum, the white-light power and the power of accelerated electrons are roughly proportional. Using the observed upper limit of ~30 keV for the cutoff energy, the hard X-ray producing electrons provide at least a factor of 2 more power than needed to produce the white-light emission. For electrons above 40 keV, the powers roughly match for all four of the time intervals available during the impulsive phase. Hence, the flare-accelerated electrons contain enough energy to produce the white-light flare emissions. The observed correlation in time, space, and power strongly suggests that electron acceleration and white-light production in solar flares are closely related. However, the results also call attention to the inconsistency in apparent source heights of the hard X-ray (chromosphere) and white-light (upper photosphere) sources.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap