In most organs of the body, epithelial tissues are supported by their own basement membrane and underlying stroma, the latter being regarded as a complex of amorphous cells, extracellular matrices, and soluble factors. We demonstrate here that an epithelial tube can serve as a component of stroma that supports the formation of epithelial cell sheet derived from a different origin. During development of the mesonephros in chicken embryos, the intermediate mesoderm (IMM), which contains the Wolffian duct (WD) and its associated tubules, is overlain by a sheet of epithelial cells derived from lateral plate (coelomic) mesoderm. We describe that in normal embryos, epitheliogenesis of IMM tubes and the adjacent coelomic cell sheet proceed in a coordinated manner. When the WD was surgically ablated, the overlying coelomic epithelium exhibited aberrant morphology accompanied by a punctated basement membrane. Furthermore, the WD-ablated coelomic epithelium became susceptible to latent external stress; electroporation of Rac1 resulted in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) within the coelomic epithelium. The distorted coelomic epithelium was rescued by implanting fibronectin-producing cells in place of the WD, suggesting that fibronectin provided by WD has an important role acting interepithelially. This notion was corroborated further by directly visualizing a translocation of EGFP-tagged fibronectin from fibronectinproducing to -receiving epithelia in vivo. Our findings provide a novel insight into interepithelial signaling that also might occur in adult tissues to protect against EMT and suggest a possible new target for anticancer therapeutic strategy.epithelialization | kidney development | extracellular matrix | metastasis | organogenesis

A revised structure of natural 14-mer cyclic depsipeptide MA026, isolated from Pseudomonas sp. RtlB026 in 2002 was established by physicochemical analysis with HPLC, MS/MS, and NMR and confirmed by total solid-phase synthesis. The revised structure differs from that previously reported in that two amino acid residues, assigned in error, have been replaced. Synthesized MA026 with the revised structure showed a tight junction (TJ) opening activity like that of the natural one in a cell-based TJ opening assay. Bioinformatic analysis of the putative MA026 biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) of RtIB026 demonstrated that the stereochemistry of each amino acid residue in the revised structure can be reasonably explained. Phylogenetic analysis with xantholysin BGC indicates an exceptionally high homology (ca. 90 %) between xantholysin and MA026. The TJ opening activity of MA026 when binding to claudin-1 is a key to new avenues for transdermal administration of large hydrophilic biologics.

Summary Identification of cis-regulatory elements, such as enhancers and promoters, is very important not only for analysis of gene regulatory networks but also as a tool for targeted gene expression experiments. In this chapter, we introduce an easy but reliable approach to predict enhancers of a gene of interest by comparing mammalian and Xenopus genome sequences, and to examine their activity using a co-transgenesis technique in Xenopus embryos. Since the bioinformatics analysis utilizes publically available web-tools, bench biologists can easily perform it without any need for special computing capability. The co-transgenesis assay, which directly uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, quickly screens for activity of the candidate elements in a cloning-free manner.

Fenquinotrione is a novel herbicide that can control a wide range of broadleaf and sedge weeds with excellent rice selectivity. We revealed that fenquinotrione potently inhibited the 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) activity in Arabidopsis thaliana with an IC 50 of 44.7 nM. The docking study suggested that the 1,3-diketone moiety of fenquinotrione formed a bidentate interaction with Fe(II) at the active site. Furthermore, π-π stacking interactions occurred between the oxoquinoxaline ring and the conserved Phe409 and Phe452 rings, indicating that fenquinotrione competes with the substrate, similar to existing HPPD inhibitors. A more than 16-fold difference in the herbicidal activity of fenquinotrione in rice and the sedge, Schoenoplectus juncoides, was observed. However, fenquinotrione showed high inhibitory activity against rice HPPD. Comparative metabolism study suggested that the potent demethylating metabolism followed by glucose conjugation in rice was responsible for the selectivity of fenquinotrione.

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A new catalytic system using bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) dichloride and Ag2CO3 was developed for the one‐pot selective synthesis of dihydrofuro[3,2‐c]coumarin 3 from 4‐hydroxycoumarin (1) and propargylic carbonate 2 under the mild condition. Our catalytic system afforded distinct regioselectivity compared to reported methodologies using palladium catalysts, 2 and active methylene compounds. In addition, furo[3,2‐c]coumarin 4 was derived from 3 with Et3N. The proposed reaction mechanism involved 4‐hydroxycoumarin (1) reacting with the η1–(propargyl)palladium complex to generate a terminal alkyne, and subsequent intramolecular 5‐exo‐dig cyclization selectively synthesized 3 in one‐pot. The newly developed methodology is beneficial in the construction of a novel compound library related to furocoumarins with distinct regioselective preference.

Th is article argues that the social quality approach can be usefully applied to studying "models of elderly care" that enhance the wellbeing of the elderly and empower them to participate in social activities. Examining three cases in Japan and another three cases in Th e Netherlands, the study identifi es actors, institutions and processes that have provided services for the elderly, highlighting the importance of history and culture in infl uencing the "social" of the elderly. Th e article deals with a range of opportunities and possibilities for optimizing care for the elderly, both as individuals and as a group, through promoting their social inclusion, social cohesion, socio-economic security and social empowerment. Grounded in community networks, as well as in social and intergenerational interaction, these "models" demonstrate how care-givers, including nurses and family members, are also empowered in these processes. Th ese discussions, refl ecting empirical reality and conceptual insights, provide the basis of sustainable welfare policies that improve the social quality of the elderly. 75 "aged" and even " hyper-aged" societies in the twenty-fi rst century. Th e percentage of those eighty-fi ve or older is expected to double from 4.9 per cent in 2010 to 9.3 per cent in 2040. For instance, Th e Netherlands is an "aged society" with over 15.5 per cent of the population being over sixty-fi ve in 2010, while Japan reached the hyperaged status in 2009 with 22.7 per cent of the population being over sixty-fi ve years. At the same time, women, who have traditionally looked after the elderly in households, have increasingly taken up paid work, causing strains on this customary practice. As reported, women's employment in Th e Netherlands has increased from 34.2 per cent to 70.6 per cent between 1980 and 2009, while it has moved up from 51.4 per cent to 59.8 per cent in Japan over the same period.Under these circumstances, there were more elderly who lived on their own, and who were placed in care institutions, often isolated and alienated from society. On the other hand, new and creative ways of elderly care were also developed to counter these problems while enabling the elderly to improve their lives. Th is article examines six such experiments with elderly care that involved cooperation between relevant public and private institutions, networks and voluntary groups. Th e six cases were chosen on the bases of research, interviews with relevant public servants and care providers who viewed them as important "models" of elderly care. In all these cases priority was given to improving the quality of the participation of the elderly in their communities and thereby empowering them to be involved actively in the ageing process.

A revised structure of natural 14-mer cyclic depsipeptide MA026, isolated from Pseudomonas sp. RtlB026 in 2002 was established by physicochemical analysis with HPLC, MS/MS, and NMR and confirmed by total solid-phase synthesis. The revised structure differs from that previously reported in that two amino acid residues, assigned in error, have been replaced. Synthesized MA026 with the revised structure showed a tight junction (TJ) opening activity like that of the natural one in a cell-based TJ opening assay. Bioinformatic analysis of the putative MA026 biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) of RtIB026 demonstrated that the stereochemistry of each amino acid residue in the revised structure can be reasonably explained. Phylogenetic analysis with xantholysin BGC indicates an exceptionally high homology (ca. 90 %) between xantholysin and MA026. The TJ opening activity of MA026 when binding to claudin-1 is a key to new avenues for transdermal administration of large hydrophilic biologics.