Metacaspase-dependent autophagy in plants promotes cell disassembly during vacuolar cell death and inhibits necrosis.

Vesicle trafficking plays an important role in cell division, establishment of cell polarity, and translation of environmental cues to developmental responses. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating vesicle trafficking remain poorly understood. Here, we report that the evolutionarily conserved caspase-related protease separase (EXTRA SPINDLE POLES [ESP]) is required for the establishment of cell polarity and cytokinesis in Arabidopsis thaliana. At the cellular level, separase colocalizes with microtubules and RabA2a (for RAS GENES FROM RAT BRAINA2a) GTPase-positive structures. Separase facilitates polar targeting of the auxin efflux carrier PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2) to the rootward side of the root cortex cells. Plants with the radially swollen4 (rsw4) allele with compromised separase activity, in addition to mitotic failure, display isotropic cell growth, perturbation of auxin gradient formation, slower gravitropic response in roots, and cytokinetic failure. Measurements of the dynamics of vesicle markers on the cell plate revealed an overall reduction of the delivery rates of KNOLLE and RabA2a GTPase in separase-deficient roots. Furthermore, dissociation of the clathrin light chain, a protein that plays major role in the formation of coated vesicles, was slower in rsw4 than in the control. Our results demonstrate that separase is a key regulator of vesicle trafficking, which is indispensable for cytokinesis and the establishment of cell polarity.

RNA can play multiple biological roles through use of its three-dimensional (3-D) structures. Recent advances in RNA structural biology have revealed that complex RNA 3D structures are assemblages of double-stranded helices with a variety of tertiary structural motifs. By employing RNA tertiary structural motifs together with the helices, we designed a novel class of self-folding RNA. In RNA composed of three helices (P1, P2, and P3), P1 interacts with P3 via a tetraloop-receptor interaction and P2 forms consecutive base-triples. Two designed RNAs of this class were prepared and their folding properties indicate that they form defined tertiary structures as designed. These RNAs may be used as modular units for constructing artificial ribozymes or nanometer-scale materials.

A high-fat diet (HFD) is one of the causes of hepatic steatosis. We previously demonstrated that Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 (FK-23), a type of lactic acid bacteria, exhibits an anti-obesity effect in mice fed a HFD. In the present study, we examined the effects of FK-23 on HFDinduced hepatic steatosis. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups and given one of four treatments: standard diet (SD); standard diet supplemented with FK-23 (SD þ FK); HFD; or HFD supplemented with FK-23 (HFD þ FK). For the administration of FK-23, the drinking water was supplemented with FK-23 at a concentration of 2 % (w/w). After 11 weeks, histological findings revealed hepatic steatosis in the liver of HFD-fed mice; however, this effect was attenuated by the administration of FK-23. The expression levels of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation in the liver tissue were significantly reduced in the HFD group compared with the SD group, but FK-23 supplementation tended to up-regulate the expression levels of these genes. Our findings show that the inhibitory effect of FK-23 against hepatic steatosis in HFD-fed mice can be explained by the prevention of fat accumulation in the liver through the modulation of the activities of genes involved in hepatic fatty acid oxidation.

The lineage of volvocine algae includes unicellular Chlamydomonas and multicellular Volvox in addition to their colonial relatives intermediate in size and cell number. In an asexual life cycle, daughter cells of Chlamydomonas hatch from parental cell walls soon after cell division, while Volvox juveniles are released from parental spheroids after the completion of various developmental events required for the survival of multicellular juveniles. Thus, heterochronic change in the timing of hatching is considered to have played an important role in the evolution of multicellularity in volvocine algae. To study the hatching process in Volvox carteri, we purified a 125-kD Volvox hatching enzyme (VheA) from a culture medium with enzymatic activity to degrade the parental spheroids. The coding region of vheA contains a prodomain with a transmembrane segment, a subtilisin-like Ser protease domain, and a functionally unknown domain, although purified 125-kD VheA does not contain a prodomain. While 143-kD VheA with a prodomain is synthesized long before the hatching stage, 125-kD VheA is released into the culture medium during hatching due to cleavage processing at the site between the prodomain and the subtilisin-like Ser protease domain, indicating that posttranslational regulation is involved in the determination of the timing of hatching.

A clinical trial was conducted on 39 adult HCV-positive subjects to determine the safety and long-term effect of the probiotic FK-23 (heat-treated Enterococcus faecalis strain FK-23). Asymptomatic anti-HCV positive adults who fulfilled the selection criteria and gave voluntary consent were recruited from attendees of the Hepatitis Carrier Clinic, Department of Medical Research (Lower Myanmar). Each subject was given 2,700 mg of FK-23 per day by oral route. Blood samples were taken at enrollment and every 3 months and tested for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). Viral load, urea, total protein, hemoglobin and platelet count were determined every 6 months. Among the subjects, 23 completed 36 months, 31 completed 24 months, 35 completed 12 months and 37 completed 6 months of probiotic therapy. Significant decreases in mean ALT levels were observed at 3 months (34. 9 ± 15.1 IU/l) as compared with the initial level (64.8 ± 17.5 IU/l) and persisted up to 36 months (43.7 ± 25.2 IU/l). Decrease of AST was detected after 9 months (46.2 ± 21.7 IU/l) of probiotic therapy as compared with the initial level (64.3 ± 28.7 IU/l). FK-23 was safe based on the stable levels of biochemical and hematological parameters and the absence of untoward side effects. The FK-23 preparation was well tolerated and accepted by the subjects.

To maintain homeostasis of the immune system is considered important for the prevention of influenza A virus infection. Aberrant systemic inflammation is frequently induced by influenza A virus infection, and the severity of the symptoms is associated with pathogenicity of the virus. Lactic acid bacteria are known to have a positive effect in maintaining the immune system. Furthermore, preparations of a lactic acid bacteria strain, Enterococcus faecalis FK-23 (FK-23), have been reported to exert preferable homeostatic effects on immune diseases such as allergic rhinitis and early asthmatic responses. In this study, we examined the efficacy of the water-soluble fraction of lysed and heat-treated FK-23 (SLFK) against a lethal influenza A virus challenge. Mice were orally administered SLFK from day -7 to day 20, and intranasally infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) at 10(3) PFU on day 0. The survival rate of SLFK-administered mice after influenza A virus infection was significantly improved compared with that of control mice. In addition, the mRNA expression level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in lung tissues was enhanced by the oral administration of SLFK after influenza A virus infection. These observations suggest that the oral administration of SLFK exerts a protective effect against influenza virus infection through the activation of the anti-inflammatory response.

This is the accepted version of the following article: Moschou, P. N., Savenkov, E. I., Minina, E. A., Fukada, K., Reza, S. H., Gutierrez-Beltran, E., Sanchez-Vera, V., Suarez, M. F., Hussey, P. J., Smertenko, A. P. and Bozhkov, P. V. (2016), EXTRA SPINDLE POLES (Separase) controls anisotropic cell expansion in Norway spruce (Picea abies) embryos independently of its role in anaphase progression. New Phytologist, 212(1): 232-243, which has been published in nal form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nph.14012. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.Additional information: Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details.