Publications

aluminum-activated malate transporters can facilitate gaba transport.	plant aluminum-activated malate transporters (almts) are currently classified as anion channels; they are also known to be regulated by diverse signals, leading to a range of physiological responses. gamma-aminobutyric acid (gaba) regulation of anion flux through almt proteins requires a specific amino acid motif in almts that shares similarity with a gaba binding site in mammalian gabaa receptors. here, we explore why taalmt1 activation leads to a negative correlation between malate efflux and ...	2018	29618628
new information on morphology and molecular data of camallanid nematodes parasitising xenopus laevis (anura: pipidae) in south africa.	three species of nematodes from the camallanidae that are known to infect xenopus laevis daudin (anura: pipidae) were collected from several localities across south africa. new data on morphology, partial 28s and cox1 genes, infection levels and distribution are presented herein. the most common species, batrachocamallanus slomei southwell et kirshner, 1937, from the stomach and less often oesophagus, was found in eight localities. camallanus kaapstaadi southwell et kirshner, 1937, also from the ...	2018	29611533
distinct mhc class i-like interacting invariant t cell lineage at the forefront of mycobacterial immunity uncovered in xenopus.	the amphibian xenopus laevis is to date the only species outside of mammals where a mhc class i-like (mhc-like) restricted innate-like (i) t cell subset (ivα6 t cells) reminiscent of cd1d-restricted inkt cells has been identified and functionally characterized. this provides an attractive in vivo model to study the biological analogies and differences between mammalian it cells and the evolutionarily antecedent xenopus it cell defense system. here, we report the identification of a unique it cel ...	2018	29610296
divergent evolutionary trajectories of two young, homomorphic, and closely related sex chromosome systems.	there exists extraordinary variation among species in the degree and nature of sex chromosome divergence. however, much of our knowledge about sex chromosomes is based on comparisons between deeply diverged species with different ancestral sex chromosomes, making it difficult to establish how fast and why sex chromosomes acquire variable levels of divergence. to address this problem, we studied sex chromosome evolution in two species of african clawed frog (xenopus), both of whom acquired novel ...	2018	29608717
preparations and protocols for whole cell patch clamp recording of xenopus laevis tectal neurons.	the xenopus tadpole retinotectal circuit, comprised of the retinal ganglion cells (rgcs) in the eye which form synapses directly onto neurons in the optic tectum, is a popular model to study how neural circuits self-assemble. the ability to carry out whole cell patch clamp recordings from tectal neurons and to record rgc-evoked responses, either in vivo or using a whole brain preparation, has generated a large body of high-resolution data about the mechanisms underlying normal, and abnormal, cir ...	2018	29608176
xenopus laevis macrophage-like cells produce xcl-1, an intelectin family serum lectin that recognizes bacteria.	xenopus laevis ca2+ -dependent lectin-1 (xcl-1) is an intelectin family serum lectin that selectively recognizes carbohydrate chains on the bacterial cell surface. immunofluorescence examination of control spleen tissues from normal x. laevis revealed cells producing xcl-1 (xcl-1+ cells) exclusively in red pulps. intraperitoneal injection of escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (lps) caused a marked increase in the number of xcl-1+ cells in red pulps on day 3, followed by a rapid decrease to near ...	2018	29604105
cellular composition and organization of the spinal cord central canal during metamorphosis of the frog xenopus laevis.	studying the cellular composition and morphological changes of cells lining the central canal during xenopus laevis metamorphosis could contribute to understand postnatal development and spinal cord regeneration. here we report the analysis of central canal cells at different stages during metamorphosis using immunofluorescence for protein markers expression, transmission and scanning electron microscopy and cell proliferation assays. the central canal was regionalized according to expression of ...	2018	29603210
effects of environmentally relevant sub-chronic atrazine concentrations on african clawed frog (xenopus laevis) survival, growth and male gonad development.	sub-chronic toxicity of environmentally relevant atrazine concentrations on exposed tadpoles and adult male african clawed frogs (xenopus laevis) was evaluated in a quality controlled laboratory for 90 days. the aim of this study was to determine the effects of atrazine on the survival, growth and gonad development of african clawed frogs. after exposure of tadpoles to atrazine concentrations of 0 (control), 0.01, 200 and 500 μg l-1 in water, mortality rates of 0, 0, 3.3 and 70% respectively wer ...	2018	29602044
muscarinic modulation of the xenopus laevis tadpole spinal mechanosensory pathway.	muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (machrs) mediate effects of acetylcholine (ach) in many systems, including those involved in spinal functions like locomotion. in xenopus laevis tadpoles at two days old, a model vertebrate for motor control research, we investigated the role of machrs in the skin mechanosensory pathway. we found that machr activation by carbachol did not affect the sensory rohon-beard neuron properties. however, carbachol could hyperpolarise sensory interneurons and decrease t ...	2018	29601952
the effects of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid identified from bamboo (dendrocalamus asper) shoots on kv1.4 channel.	bamboo shoot has been used as a treatment for epilepsy in traditional chinese medicine for generations to treat neuronal disorders such as convulsive, dizziness and headaches. 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-hba) is a non-flavonoid phenol found abundantly in dendrocalamus asper shoots (bamboo), fruits (strawberries and apples) and flowers. kv1.4 is a rapidly inactivating shaker-related member of the voltage-gated potassium channels with two inactivation mechanisms; the fast n-type and slow c-type. it p ...	2018	29599640
mir-206 is required for changes in cell adhesion that drive muscle cell morphogenesis in xenopus laevis.	micrornas (mirnas) are highly conserved small non-coding rna molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in multicellular organisms. within the set of muscle-specific mirnas, mir-206 expression is largely restricted to skeletal muscle and is found exclusively within the bony fish lineage. although many studies have implicated mir-206 in muscle maintenance and disease, its role in skeletal muscle development remains largely unknown. here, we examine the role of mir-206 during x ...	2018	29596841
the degenerin region of the human bile acid-sensitive ion channel (basic) is involved in channel inhibition by calcium and activation by bile acids.	the bile acid-sensitive ion channel (basic) is a member of the enac/degenerin family of ion channels. it is activated by bile acids and inhibited by extracellular ca2+. the aim of this study was to explore the molecular mechanisms mediating these effects. the modulation of basic function by extracellular ca2+ and tauro-deoxycholic acid (t-dca) was studied in xenopus laevis oocytes heterologously expressing human basic using the two-electrode voltage-clamp and outside-out patch-clamp techniques. ...	2018	29589117
control of xenopus tadpole locomotion via selective expression of ih in excitatory interneurons.	locomotion relies on the coordinated activity of rhythmic neurons in the hindbrain and spinal cord and depends critically on the intrinsic properties of excitatory interneurons. therefore, understanding how ion channels sculpt the properties of these interneurons, and the consequences for circuit function and behavior, is an important task. the hyperpolarization-activated cation current, ih, is known to play important roles in shaping neuronal properties and for rhythm generation in many neurona ...	2018	30503615
genomic takeover by transposable elements in the strawberry poison frog.	we sequenced the genome of the strawberry poison frog, oophaga pumilio, at a depth of 127.5× using variable insert size libraries. the total genome size is estimated to be 6.76 gb, of which 4.76 gb are from high copy number repetitive elements with low differentiation across copies. these repeats encompass dna transposons, rna transposons, and ltr retrotransposons, including at least 0.4 and 1.0 gb of mariner/tc1 and gypsy elements, respectively. expression data indicate high levels of gypsy and ...	2018	30517748
modeling underwater hearing and sound localization in the frog xenopus laevis.	animals that are small compared to sound wavelengths face the challenge of localizing a sound source since the main cues to sound direction-interaural time differences (itd) and interaural level differences (ild)-both depend on size. remarkably, the majority of terrestrial vertebrates possess internally coupled ears (ice) with an air-filled cavity connecting the two eardrums and producing an inherently directional middle-ear system. underwater, longer wavelengths and faster sound-speed reduce bo ...	2018	30522324
silurana chromosomal evolution: a new piece to the puzzle.	the african clawed frogs of the subgenus silurana comprise both diploid and tetraploid species. the root of the polyploidization event leading to the extant xenopus calcaratus, x. mellotropicalis, and x. epitropicalis is not fully understood so far. in x. mellotropicalis, we previously proposed 2 evolutionary scenarios encompassing complete (scenario a) or incomplete (scenario b) translocation of a heterochromatic block from chromosome 9 to 2 in a diploid ancestor. to resolve this puzzle, we per ...	2018	30537723
the interplay between voluntary food intake, dietary carbohydrate-lipid ratio and nutrient metabolism in an amphibian, (xenopus laevis).	digestion of food and metabolism of frogs are little studied at the moment, and such processes could be very particular in the case of amphibians, given their ectothermic and carnivorous nature which may lead them to use nutrients through specific biochemical pathways. in the present study, 24 adult xenopus laevis (six replicates with two frogs per treatment) were randomly assigned to two diets with different carbohydrate:fat ratio (4.5:1 and 2.1:1), changing the dietary glucogenic and lipogenic ...	2018	30532132
xenopus hybrids provide insight into cell and organism size control.	determining how size is controlled is a fundamental question in biology that is poorly understood at the organismal, cellular, and subcellular levels. the xenopus species, x. laevis and x. tropicalis differ in size at all three of these levels. despite these differences, fertilization of x. laevis eggs with x. tropicalis sperm gives rise to viable hybrid animals that are intermediate in size. we observed that although hybrid and x. laevis embryogenesis initiates from the same sized zygote and pr ...	2018	30564147
alteration of the retinoid acid-cbp signaling pathway in neural crest induction contributes to enteric nervous system disorder.	hirschsprung disease (hscr) and/or hypoganglionosis are common pediatric disorders that arise from developmental deficiencies of enteric neural crest cells (enccs). retinoid acid (ra) signaling has been shown to affect neural crest (nc) development. however, the mechanisms underlying ra deficiency-induced hscr or hypoganglionosis are not well-defined. in this report, we found that in hscr patient bowels, the ra nuclear receptor rarα and its interacting coregulator creb-binding protein (cbp) were ...	2018	30560112
ventx1.1 as a direct repressor of early neural gene zic3 in xenopus laevis.	from xenopus embryo studies, the bmp4/smad1-targeted gene circuit is a key signaling pathway for specifying the cell fate between the ectoderm and neuro-ectoderm as well as the ventral and dorsal mesoderm. in this context, several bmp4/smad1 target transcriptional factors have been identified as repressors of the neuro-ectoderm. however, none of these direct target transcription factors in this pathway, including gata1b, msx1 and ventx1.1 have yet been proven as direct repressors of early neuro- ...	2018	30590909
development of a rapid functional assay that predicts glut1 disease severity.	to examine the genotype to phenotype connection in glucose transporter type 1 (glut1) deficiency and whether a simple functional assay can predict disease outcome from genetic sequence alone.	2018	30588498
time-lapse imaging of cell death in cell culture and whole living organisms using turn-on deep-red fluorescent probes.	cell death is a central process in developmental biology and also an important indicator of disease status and treatment efficacy. two related fluorescent probes are described that are molecular conjugates of one or two zinc dipicolylamine (zndpa) coordination complexes with an appended solvatochromic benzothiazolium squaraine dye. the probes were designed to target the anionic phospholipid, phosphatidylserine (ps), that is exposed on the surface of dead and dying cells. a series of spectrometri ...	2018	30858977
effects of copper on the early development of xenopus laevis: the case of cuso4 and bordeaux mixture solutions.		2018	30701063
amphibian (xenopus laevis) interleukin-8 (cxcl8): a perspective on the evolutionary divergence of granulocyte chemotaxis.	the glutamic acid-leucine-arginine (elr) motif is a hallmark feature shared by mammalian inflammatory cxc chemokines such the granulocyte chemo-attractant cxcl8 (interleukin-8, il-8). by contrast, most teleost fish inflammatory chemokines lack this motif. interestingly, the amphibian xenopus laevis encodes multiple isoforms of cxcl8, one of which (cxcl8a) possesses an elr motif, while another (cxcl8b) does not. these cxcl8 isoforms exhibit distinct expression patterns during frog development and ...	2018	30258441
molecular determinants of α-conotoxin potency for inhibition of human and rat α6β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.	nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachrs) containing α6 and β4 subunits are expressed by dorsal root ganglion neurons and have been implicated in neuropathic pain. rodent models are often used to evaluate the efficacy of analgesic compounds, but species differences may affect the activity of some nachr ligands. a previous candidate α-conotoxin-based therapeutic yielded promising results in rodent models, but failed in human clinical trials, emphasizing the importance of understanding species di ...	2018	30249616
the balance of two opposing factors mad and myc regulates cell fate during tissue remodeling.	cell proliferation and differentiation are two distinct yet coupled processes in development in diverse organisms. understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate this process is a central theme in developmental biology. the intestinal epithelium is a highly complex tissue that relies on the coordination of cell proliferation within the crypts and apoptosis mainly at the tip of the villi, preservation of epithelial function through differentiation, and homeostatic cell migration along the c ...	2018	30237868
two tier hox collinearity mediates vertebrate axial patterning.	a two tier mechanism mediates hox collinearity. besides the familiar collinear chromatin modification within each hox cluster (nanocollinearity), there is also a macrocollinearity tier. individual hox clusters and individual cells are coordinated and synchronized to generate multiscale (macro and nano) collinearity in the early vertebrate embryo. macro-collinearity is mediated by three non-cell autonomous hox-hox interactions. these mediate temporal collinearity in early nom (non-organizer mesod ...	2018	30234110
dscam differentially modulates pre- and postsynaptic structural and functional central connectivity during visual system wiring.	proper patterning of dendritic and axonal arbors is a critical step in the formation of functional neuronal circuits. developing circuits rely on an array of molecular cues to shape arbor morphology, but the underlying mechanisms guiding the structural formation and interconnectivity of pre- and postsynaptic arbors in real time remain unclear. here we explore how down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (dscam) differentially shapes the dendritic morphology of central neurons and their presynaptic r ...	2018	30219101
systematic variation of the benzoylhydrazine moiety of the glun2a selective nmda receptor antagonist tcn-201.	glun2a containing n-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (nmdars) are important ion channels in the central nervous system and highly involved in several different neurophysiological but also neuropathophysiological processes. however, current understanding of the contribution of glun2a containing nmdars in these processes is incomplete. therefore, highly selective compounds are required to further investigate these ion channels. in 2010, tcn-201 (2), one of the first selective negative allosteric modul ...	2018	30218911
bighead is a wnt antagonist secreted by the xenopus spemann organizer that promotes lrp6 endocytosis.	the xenopus laevis embryo has been subjected to almost saturating screens for molecules specifically expressed in dorsal spemann organizer tissue. in this study, we performed high-throughput rna sequencing of ectodermal explants, called animal caps, which normally give rise to epidermis. we analyzed dissociated animal cap cells that, through sustained activation of mapk, differentiate into neural tissue. we also microinjected mrnas for cerberus, chordin, fgf8, bmp4, wnt8, and xnr2, which induce ...	2018	30209221
a review of interventions against fetal alcohol spectrum disorder targeting oxidative stress.	fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is caused by maternal ethanol exposure; it causes physical, behavioral, cognitive, and neural impairments (murawski et al., 2015). mechanisms of fasd causing damage are not yet fully elucidated. oxidative stress might be one of its mechanisms (henderson et al., 1995). yet no effective treatment against fasd has been found other than ethanol abstention (long et al., 2010).	2018	30205148
in vitro analyses of novel hcn4 gene mutations.	the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel hcn4 contributes significantly to the generation of basic cardiac electrical activity in the sinus node and is a mediator of modulation by β-adrenergic stimulation. heterologous expression of sick sinus syndrome (sss) and bradycardia associated mutations within the human hcn4 gene results in altered channel function. the main aim was to describe the functional characterization of three (two novel and one known) missense mutat ...	2018	30196304
inward rectifier potassium (kir) channels in the soybean aphid aphis glycines: functional characterization, pharmacology, and toxicology.	inward rectifier k+ (kir) channels contribute to a variety of physiological processes in insects and are emerging targets for insecticide development. previous studies on insect kir channels have primarily focused on dipteran species (e.g., mosquitoes, fruit flies). here we identify and functionally characterize kir channel subunits in a hemipteran insect, the soybean aphid aphis glycines, which is an economically important insect pest and vector of soybeans. from the transcriptome and genome of ...	2018	30196125
a dual-app nucleoside probe provides structural insights into the human telomeric overhang in live cells.	understanding the topology adopted by individual g-quadruplex (gq)-forming sequences in vivo and targeting a specific gq motif among others in the genome will have a profound impact on gq-directed therapeutic strategies. however, this remains a major challenge as most of the tools poorly distinguish different gq conformations and are not suitable for both cell-free and in-cell analysis. here, we describe an innovative probe design to investigate gq conformations and recognition in both cell-free ...	2018	30192541
multiscale analysis of architecture, cell size and the cell cortex reveals cortical f-actin density and composition are major contributors to mechanical properties during convergent extension.	the large-scale movements that construct complex three-dimensional tissues during development are governed by universal physical principles. fine-grained control of both mechanical properties and force production is crucial to the successful placement of tissues and shaping of organs. embryos of the frog xenopus laevis provide a dramatic example of these physical processes, as dorsal tissues increase in young's modulus by six-fold to 80 pascal over 8 h as germ layers and the central nervous syst ...	2018	30190279
draft genome of dugesia japonica provides insights into conserved regulatory elements of the brain restriction gene nou-darake in planarians.	planarians are non-parasitic platyhelminthes (flatworms) famous for their regeneration ability and for having a well-organized brain. dugesia japonica is a typical planarian species that is widely distributed in the east asia. extensive cellular and molecular experimental methods have been developed to identify the functions of thousands of genes in this species, making this planarian a good experimental model for regeneration biology and neurobiology. however, no genome-level information is ava ...	2018	30181897
the cytoskeletal protein zyxin interacts with the zinc-finger transcription factor zic1 and plays the role of a scaffold for gli1 and zic1 interactions during early development of xenopus laevis.	we have shown recently that the cytoskeletal protein zyxin participates in the fine tuning of the neural plate pattering in xenopus laevis embryos by modulating activity of one of the effectors of hedgehog (shh) signaling cascade, the transcription factor gli1. in the present work, we show that zyxin can also interact with the potential modulator of the shh pathway, the transcription factor zic1. the interaction of proteins occurs primarily by mean of the zinc-finger domain of zic1 and 2nd lim d ...	2018	30180953
a single xlf dimer bridges dna ends during nonhomologous end joining.	nonhomologous end joining (nhej) is the primary pathway of dna double-strand-break repair in vertebrate cells, yet how nhej factors assemble a synaptic complex that bridges dna ends remains unclear. to address the role of xrcc4-like factor (xlf) in synaptic-complex assembly, we used single-molecule fluorescence imaging in xenopus laevis egg extract, a system that efficiently joins dna ends. we found that a single xlf dimer binds dna substrates just before the formation of a ligation-competent sy ...	2018	30177755
functional analysis of a triplet deletion in the gene encoding the sodium glucose transporter 3, a potential risk factor for adhd.	sodium-glucose transporters (sglt) belong to the solute carrier 5 family, which is characterized by sodium dependent transport of sugars and other solutes. in contrast, the human sglt3 (hsglt3) isoform, encoded by slc5a4, acts as a glucose sensor that does not transport sugar but induces membrane depolarization by na+ currents upon ligand binding. whole-exome sequencing (wes) of several extended pedigrees with high density of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd) identified a triplet a ...	2018	30286162
nucleosomes and the three glycosylases: high, medium, and low levels of excision by the uracil dna glycosylase superfamily.	human cells express the udg superfamily of glycosylases, which excise uracil (u) from the genome. the three members of this structural superfamily are uracil dna glycosylase (ung/udg), single-strand selective monofunctional uracil dna glycosylase (smug1), and thymine dna glycosylase (tdg). we previously reported that udg is efficient at removing u from dna packaged into nucleosome core particles (ncp) and is minimally affected by the histone proteins when acting on an outward-facing u in the dya ...	2018	30268365
a xenopus oocyte model system to study action potentials.	action potentials (aps) are the functional units of fast electrical signaling in excitable cells. the upstroke and downstroke of an ap is generated by the competing and asynchronous action of na+- and k+-selective voltage-gated conductances. although a mixture of voltage-gated channels has been long recognized to contribute to the generation and temporal characteristics of the ap, understanding how each of these proteins function and are regulated during electrical signaling remains the subject ...	2018	30266757
unusual light-reflecting pigment cells appear in the xenopus neural tube culture system in the presence of guanosine.	isolation and culture of xenopus laevis neural tubes resulted in differentiation of melanophores and iridophores from neural crest cells; the differentiated melanophores and iridophores were then maintained in culture for more than 6 months. guanosine has been reported to promote reflecting platelet formation in melanin-producing pigment cells; however, the process of pigment organellogenesis is still unclear. in the present study, unusual light-reflecting pigment cells were observed upon additi ...	2018	30309510
uroplakins play conserved roles in egg fertilization and acquired additional urothelial functions during mammalian divergence.	uroplakin (up) tetraspanins and their associated proteins are major mammalian urothelial differentiation products that form unique two-dimensional crystals of 16-nm particles ("urothelial plaques") covering the apical urothelial surface. although uroplakins are highly expressed only in mammalian urothelium and are often referred to as being urothelium specific, they are also expressed in several mouse nonurothelial cell types in stomach, kidney, prostate, epididymis, testis/sperms, and ovary/ooc ...	2018	30303751
retinal tissue preparation for high-resolution live imaging of photoreceptors expressing multiple transgenes.	live imaging has become the favorite method in recent years to study the protein transport, localization and dynamics in live cells. protein transport is extremely essential for proper function of photoreceptors. aberration in the proper transport of proteins gives rise to the loss of photoreceptor and blindness. on the other hand, the ease of generation of transgenic xenopus laevis tadpoles and the advantage of high resolution live confocal imaging provide new insight into understanding protein ...	2018	30302320
antibacterial and antibiofilm activity and mode of action of magainin 2 against drug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii.	antimicrobial peptides (amps) are promising therapeutic agents for treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. previous studies showed that magainin 2 (isolated from african clawed fogs xenopus laevis) has antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. the present study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial activity of magainin 2 against acinetobacter baumannii. magainin 2 showed excellent antibacterial activity against a. baumannii strains and high sta ...	2018	30301180
morphomechanical reactions and mechanically stressed structures in amphibian embryos, as related to gastrulation and axial organs formation.	reactions of embryonic tissues to a distributed and concentrated stretching are described and compared with the mechanics of the normal gastrulation movements. a role of mechanically stressed dynamic cell structures in the gastrulation, demarcation of notochord borders and in providing proportionality of the axial rudiments is demonstrated. a morphomechanical scheme of amphibian gastrulation is presented.	2018	30321583
reconstitution of cell-cycle oscillations in microemulsions of cell-free xenopus egg extracts.	real-time measurement of oscillations at the single-cell level is important to uncover the mechanisms of biological clocks. although bulk extracts prepared from xenopus laevis eggs have been powerful in dissecting biochemical networks underlying the cell-cycle progression, their ensemble average measurement typically leads to a damped oscillation, despite each individual oscillator being sustained. this is due to the difficulty of perfect synchronization among individual oscillators in noisy bio ...	2018	30320763
assembly of protein complexes restricts diffusion of wnt3a proteins.	members of the wnt protein family play roles in many aspects of embryogenesis and homeostasis. despite their biological significance, characteristics of wnt proteins still remain unclear, mainly due to their insolubility after the removal of serum. here we examine wnt proteins in serum-containing media by using analytical ultracentrifugation with a fluorescence detection system. this analysis reveals that wnt3a assembles into high-molecular-weight complexes that become dissociable by interaction ...	2018	30320232
polystyrene microplastics did not affect body growth and swimming activity in xenopus laevis tadpoles.	a growing number of studies have highlighted the contamination and the effects towards organisms of diverse microplastics (μps) in the marine environment. surprisingly, although the main sources of μps for marine environments are inland surface waters, the information on the occurrence and the effects of μps in freshwater ecosystems is still scant. thus, the aim of the present work is to investigate the ingestion and possible adverse effects due to the exposure to polystyrene μps (psμps; ø = 3 μ ...	2018	30317408
calcineurin promotes apc/c activation at meiotic exit by acting on both xerp1 and cdc20.	vertebrate oocytes await fertilization arrested at metaphase of the second meiotic division. fertilization triggers a transient calcium wave, which induces the activation of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (apc/c) and its co-activator cdc20 resulting in the destruction of cyclin b and hence meiotic exit. two calcium-dependent enzymes are implicated in fertilization-induced apc/ccdc20 activation: calcium-/calmodulin-dependent kinase type ii (camkii) and calcineurin (can). while the role ...	2018	30373936
assessment of the complex refractive indices of xenopus laevis sciatic nerve for the optimization of optical (nir) neurostimulation.	despite an increasing interest in the use of light for neural stimulation, there is little information on how it interacts with neural tissue. the choice of wavelength in most of the optical stimulation literature is based on already available light sources designed for other applications. this paper is the first one to report the complex refractive index of the sciatic nerve of xenopus laevis, which is a crucial parameter for identifying the optimal wavelength of optical stimuli. the xenopus la ...	2018	30371379
the receptor-like pseudokinase ghr1 is required for stomatal closure.	guard cells control the aperture of stomatal pores to balance photosynthetic carbon dioxide uptake with evaporative water loss. stomatal closure is triggered by several stimuli that initiate complex signaling networks to govern the activity of ion channels. activation of slow anion channel1 (slac1) is central to the process of stomatal closure and requires the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (lrr-rlk) guard cell hydrogen peroxide-resistant1 (ghr1), among other signaling components. here ...	2018	30361234
divergent subgenome evolution after allopolyploidization in african clawed frogs (xenopus).	whole genome duplication (wgd), the doubling of the nuclear dna of a species, contributes to biological innovation by creating genetic redundancy. one mode of wgd is allopolyploidization, wherein each genome from two ancestral species becomes a 'subgenome' of a polyploid descendant species. the evolutionary trajectory of a duplicated gene that arises from wgd is influenced both by natural selection that may favour redundant, new or partitioned functions, and by gene silencing (pseudogenization). ...	2018	30341989
synthetic light-activated ion channels for optogenetic activation and inhibition.	optogenetic manipulation of cells or living organisms became widely used in neuroscience following the introduction of the light-gated ion channel channelrhodopsin-2 (chr2). chr2 is a non-selective cation channel, ideally suited to depolarize and evoke action potentials in neurons. however, its calcium (ca2+) permeability and single channel conductance are low and for some applications longer-lasting increases in intracellular ca2+ might be desirable. moreover, there is need for an efficient lig ...	2018	30333716
multiple combinations of rdl subunits diversify the repertoire of gaba receptors in the honey bee parasite varroa destructor.	in insects, γ-aminobutyric acid (gaba) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter, and gaba-gated ion channels are the target of different classes of insecticides, including fipronil. we report here the cloning of six subunits (four rdl, one lcch3, and one grd) that constitute the repertoire of the gaba-gated ion channel family of the varroa mite (varroa destructor), a honey bee ectoparasite. we also isolated a truncated grd subunit with a premature stop codon. we found that when expressed in xeno ...	2018	30333227
emerin induces nuclear breakage in xenopus extract and early embryos.	emerin is an inner nuclear membrane protein often mutated in emery-dreifuss muscular dystrophy. because emerin has diverse roles in nuclear mechanics, cytoskeletal organization, and gene expression, it has been difficult to elucidate its contribution to nuclear structure and disease pathology. in this study, we investigated emerin's impact on nuclei assembled in xenopus laevis egg extract, a simplified biochemical system that lacks potentially confounding cellular factors and activities. notably ...	2018	30332321
early redox activities modulate xenopus tail regeneration.	redox state sustained by reactive oxygen species (ros) is crucial for regeneration; however, the interplay between oxygen (o2), ros and hypoxia-inducible factors (hif) remains elusive. here we observe, using an optic-based probe (optrode), an elevated and steady o2 influx immediately upon amputation. the spatiotemporal o2 influx profile correlates with the regeneration of xenopus laevis tadpole tails. inhibition of ros production but not ros scavenging decreases o2 influx. inhibition of hif-1α i ...	2018	30327466
expression of trpv channels during xenopus laevis embryogenesis.	transient receptor potential (trp) cation channel genes code for an extensive family of conserved proteins responsible for a variety of physiological processes, including sensory perception, ion homeostasis, and chemical signal transduction. the trp superfamily consists of seven subgroups, one of which is the transient receptor potential vanilloid (trpv) channel family. while trpv channels are relatively well studied in adult vertebrate organisms given their role in functions such as nociception ...	2018	30326274
transcriptome analysis of xenopus orofacial tissues deficient in retinoic acid receptor function.	development of the face and mouth is orchestrated by a large number of transcription factors, signaling pathways and epigenetic regulators. while we know many of these regulators, our understanding of how they interact with each other and implement changes in gene expression during orofacial development is still in its infancy. therefore, this study focuses on uncovering potential cooperation between transcriptional regulators and one important signaling pathway, retinoic acid, during developmen ...	2018	30390632
flow cytometric analysis of xenopus laevis and x. tropicalis blood cells using acridine orange.	automated blood cell counters can distinguish cells based on their size and the presence or absence of a nucleus. however, most vertebrates have nucleated blood cells that cannot be counted automatically. we established an alternative automatic method for counting peripheral blood cells by staining cells with the fluorescent dye acridine orange (ao) and analysing cell populations using flow cytometry (fcm). as promising new animal models, we chose xenopus laevis and three inbred strains of x. tr ...	2018	30390005
size-dependent functional response of xenopus laevis feeding on mosquito larvae.	predators can play an important role in regulating prey abundance and diversity, determining food web structure and function, and contributing to important ecosystem services, including the regulation of agricultural pests and disease vectors. thus, the ability to predict predator impact on prey is an important goal in ecology. often, predators of the same species are assumed to be functionally equivalent, despite considerable individual variation in predator traits known to be important for sha ...	2018	30386704
trypanosoma brucei aquaglyceroporins mediate the transport of metabolic end-products: methylglyoxal, d-lactate, l-lactate and acetate.	bloodstream forms of trypanosoma (t.) brucei, the causative agent of african sleeping sickness, possess a highly active glycolysis, which generates as main end-products: pyruvate under aerobic conditions, and pyruvate and glycerol under anaerobic conditions. to secrete them into the extracellular milieu, the parasites have at least two main specific membrane proteins, the pyruvate transporter and the aquaglyceroporins however, there are several other minor products from the glycolysis that must ...	2018	30409521
brief local application of progesterone via a wearable bioreactor induces long-term regenerative response in adult xenopus hindlimb.	the induction of limb repair in adult vertebrates is a pressing, unsolved problem. here, we characterize the effects of an integrated device that delivers drugs to severed hindlimbs of adult xenopus laevis, which normally regenerate cartilaginous spikes after amputation. a wearable bioreactor containing a silk protein-based hydrogel that delivered progesterone to the wound site immediately after hindlimb amputation for only 24 hr induced the regeneration of paddle-like structures in adult frogs. ...	2018	30404012
atlht1 transporter can facilitate the uptake and translocation of a glycinergic-chlorantraniliprole conjugate in arabidopsis thaliana.	understanding of the transporters involved in the uptake and translocation of agrochemicals in plants could provide an opportunity to guide pesticide to the site of insect feeding. the product of arabidopsis thaliana gene atlht1 makes a major contribution to the uptake into the roots of free amino acids and some of their derivatives. here, a chlorantraniliprole-glycine conjugate (cap-gly-1) was tested for its affinity to atlht1 both in planta and in vitro. seedlings deficient in atlht1 exhibited ...	2018	30403859
cellspecks: a software for automated detection and analysis of calcium channels in live cells.	to couple the fidelity of patch-clamp recording with a more high-throughput screening capability, we pioneered a, to our knowledge, novel approach to single-channel recording that we named "optical patch clamp." by using highly sensitive fluorescent ca2+ indicator dyes in conjunction with total internal fluorescence microscopy techniques, we monitor ca2+ flux through individual ca2+-permeable channels. this approach provides information about channel gating analogous to patch-clamp recording at ...	2018	30447989
automating event-detection of brain neuron synaptic activity and action potential firing in vivo using a random-access multiphoton laser scanning microscope for real-time analysis.	determining how a neuron computes requires an understanding of the complex spatiotemporal relationship between its input (e.g. synaptic input as a result of external stimuli) and action potential output. recent advances in in vivo, laser-scanning multiphoton technology, known as random-access microscopy (ram), can capture this relationship by imaging fluorescent light, emitted from calcium-sensitive biosensors responding to synaptic and action potential firing in a neuron's full dendritic arbor ...	2018	30440280
expression of hyaluronan synthases upregulated by thyroid hormone is involved in intestinal stem cell development during xenopus laevis metamorphosis.	during amphibian intestinal remodeling, thyroid hormone (th) induces adult stem cells, which newly generate the absorptive epithelium analogous to the mammalian one. we have previously shown that hyaluronan (ha) is newly synthesized and plays an essential role in the development of the stem cells via its major receptor cd44 in the xenopus laevis intestine. we here focused on ha synthase (has) and examined how the expression of has family genes is regulated during natural and th-induced metamorph ...	2018	30430240
novel findings on the impact of chytridiomycosis on the cardiac function of anurans: sensitive vs. tolerant species.	understanding of the physiological effects of chytridiomycosis is crucial to worldwide amphibian conservation. therefore, we analyzed the cardiac function of two anuran species (xenopus laevis and physalaemus albonotatus) with different susceptibilities to infection by the causative agent of chytridiomycosis, batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (hereafter bd).	2018	30425891
a taxonomically and geographically constrained information base limits non-native reptile and amphibian risk assessment: a systematic review.	for many taxa, new records of non-native introductions globally occur at a near exponential rate. we undertook a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications on non-native herpetofauna, to assess the information base available for assessing risks of future invasions, resulting in 836 relevant papers. the taxonomic and geographic scope of the literature was also compared to a published database of all known invasions globally. we found 1,116 species of herpetofauna, 95% of which were present i ...	2018	30425887
development of an acute method to deliver transgenes into the brains of adult xenopus laevis.	the central vocal pathway of the african clawed frog, xenopus laevis, is a powerful vertebrate model to understand mechanisms underlying central pattern generation. however, fast and efficient methods of introducing exogenous genes into the neurons of adult x. laevis are currently not available. here, we systematically tested methods of transgene delivery into adult x. laevis neurons. although successfully used for tadpole neurons for over a decade, electroporation was not efficient in transfect ...	2018	30416430
thyroid hormone levels and temperature during development alter thermal tolerance and energetics of xenopus laevis larvae.	environmental variation induced by natural and anthropogenic processes including climate change may threaten species by causing environmental stress. anuran larvae experiencing environmental stress may display altered thyroid hormone (th) status with potential implications for physiological traits. therefore, any capacity to adapt to environmental changes through plastic responses provides a key to determining species vulnerability to environmental variation. we investigated whether developmenta ...	2018	30464840
the effect of an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture on primordial germ cells of xenopus laevis embryos.		2018	32550375
effects of quinine, quinidine and chloroquine on human muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.	the genus cinchona is known for a range of alkaloids, such as quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, and cinchonidine. cinchona bark has been used as an antimalarial agent for more than 400 years. quinine was first isolated in 1820 and is still acknowledged in the therapy of chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria; in lower dosage quinine has been used as treatment for leg cramps since the 1940s. here we report the effects of the quinoline derivatives quinine, quinidine, and chloroquine on human adult ...	2018	30515099
auditory perception exhibits sexual dimorphism and left telencephalic dominance in xenopus laevis.	sex differences in both vocalization and auditory processing have been commonly found in vocal animals, although the underlying neural mechanisms associated with sexual dimorphism of auditory processing are not well understood. in this study we investigated whether auditory perception exhibits sexual dimorphism in xenopus laevis to do this we measured event-related potentials (erps) evoked by white noise (wn) and conspecific calls in the telencephalon, diencephalon and mesencephalon respectively ...	2018	30509903
functional variants in hcn4 and cacna1h may contribute to genetic generalized epilepsy.	genetic generalized epilepsy (gge) encompasses seizure disorders characterized by spike-and-wave discharges (swd) originating within thalamo-cortical circuits. hyperpolarization-activated (hcn) and t-type ca2+ channels are key modulators of rhythmic activity in these brain regions. here, we screened hcn4 and cacna1h genes for potentially contributory variants and provide their functional analysis.	2017	29588962
molecular characterization and tissue expression profiles of prepro-vasoactive intestinal peptide in the chinese alligator (alligator sinensis) during the active and hibernating periods.	the chinese alligator (alligator sinensis), a freshwater crocodilian endemic to china, is one of the most endangered crocodilian species; up to this date, very little is known about the endocrine regulation of its metabolic activities during different physiological states. in this study, we characterized the structure of the prepro-vasoactive intestinal peptide in chinese alligator (prepro-cavip) for the first time and examined its expression profiles in various tissues during the active and hib ...	2017	29356375
invasive american bullfrogs and african clawed frogs in south america: high suitability of occurrence in biodiversity hotspots.	fabiana g. barbosa, camila both, and miguel b. araújo (2017) invasion of protected areas by non-native species is currently one of the main threats to global biodiversity. using an ensemble of bioclimatic envelope models we quantify the degree of exposure of south american protected areas to invasion by two invasive amphibian species. we focus on protected areas that coincide with global biodiversity hotspots. the species modeled, lithobates catesbeianus and xenopus laevis, have been reported to ...	2017	31966227
expression patterns of zebrafishnocturningenes and the transcriptional activity of the frognocturninpromoter in zebrafish rod photoreceptors.	daily modulation of gene expression is critical for the circadian rhythms of many organisms. one of the modulating mechanisms is based on nocturnin, a deadenylase that degrades mrna in a circadian fashion. thenocturningenes are expressed broadly, but their tissue expression patterns differ between mice and the frogxenopus laevis; this difference suggests that the extent of the regulation ofnocturingene expression varies among species. in this study, we set out to characterize the expression patt ...	2017	29386877
monepantel is a non-competitive antagonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from ascaris suum and oesophagostomum dentatum.	zolvix®is a recently introduced anthelmintic drench containing monepantel as the active ingredient. monepantel is a positive allosteric modulator of deg-3/des-2 type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachrs) in several nematode species. the drug has been reported to produce hypercontraction of caenorhabditis elegans and haemonchus contortus somatic muscle. we investigated the effects of monepantel on nachrs from ascaris suum and oesophagostomum dentatum heterologously expressed in xenopus laevi ...	2017	29366967
williams syndrome transcription factor is critical for neural crest cell function in xenopus laevis.	williams syndrome transcription factor (wstf) is one of ∼25 haplodeficient genes in patients with the complex developmental disorder williams syndrome (ws). ws results in visual/spatial processing defects, cognitive impairment, unique behavioral phenotypes, characteristic "elfin" facial features, low muscle tone and heart defects. wstf exists in several chromatin remodeling complexes and has roles in transcription, replication, and repair. chromatin remodeling is essential during embryogenesis, ...	2017	22691402
mustn1 is essential for craniofacial chondrogenesis during xenopus development.	mustn1 is a vertebrate-specific protein that, in vitro, was showed to be essential for prechondrocyte function and thus it has the potential to regulate chondrogenesis during embryonic development. we use xenopus laevis as a model to examine mustn1 involvement in chondrogenesis. previous work suggests that mustn1 is necessary but not sufficient for chondrogenic proliferation and differentiation, as well as myogenic differentiation in vitro. mustn1 was quantified and localized in developing xenop ...	2017	22281807
methylmercury exposure during early xenopus laevis development affects cell proliferation and death but not neural progenitor specification.	methylmercury (mehg) is a widespread environmental toxin that preferentially and adversely affects developing organisms. to investigate the impact of mehg toxicity on the formation of the vertebrate nervous system at physiologically relevant concentrations, we designed a graded phenotype scale for evaluating xenopus laevis embryos exposed to mehg in solution. embryos displayed a range of abnormalities in response to mehg, particularly in brain development, which is influenced by both mehg concen ...	2017	25496965
the phosphoinositide sensitivity of the k(v) channel family.	recently, we screened several kv channels for possible dependence on plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (pi(4,5)p 2). the channels were expressed in tsa-201 cells and the pi(4,5)p 2 was depleted by several manipulations in whole-cell experiments with parallel measurements of channel activity. in contrast to reports on excised-patches using xenopus laevis oocytes, we found only kv 7, but none of the other tested kv channels, to be strongly dependent on pi(4,5)p 2. we now have e ...	2017	23907203
an inducible amphipathic helix within the intrinsically disordered c-terminus is not required for protein biosynthesis, trafficking, or garp2 interaction, but can participate in membrane curvature generation by peripherin-2/rds.	peripherin-2/rds is required for biogenesis of vertebrate photoreceptor outer segment organelles. its localization at the high curvature rim domains of outer segment disk membranes suggests that it may act to shape these structures; however, the molecular function of this protein is not yet resolved. here, we apply biochemical, biophysical, and imaging techniques, to elucidate the role(s) played by the protein's intrinsically disordered c-terminal domain, and an incipient amphipathic α-helix con ...	2017	28325841
effects of amphibian phylogeny, climate and human impact on the occurrence of the amphibian-killing chytrid fungus.	chytridiomycosis, due to the fungus batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (bd), has been associated with the alarming decline and extinction crisis of amphibians worldwide. because conservation programs are implemented locally, it is essential to understand how the complex interactions among host species, climate and human activities contribute to bd occurrence at regional scales. using weighted phylogenetic regressions and model selection, we investigated geographic patterns of bd occurrence along a l ...	2017	28055125
immune roles of amphibian (xenopus laevis) tadpole granulocytes during frog virus 3 ranavirus infections.	infections by frog virus 3 (fv3) and other ranaviruses (rvs) are contributing to the amphibian declines, while the mechanisms controlling anuran tadpole susceptibility and adult frog resistance to rvs, including the roles of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (pmns) during anti-fv3 responses, remain largely unknown. since amphibian kidneys represent an important fv3 target, the inability of amphibian (xenopus laevis) tadpoles to mount effective kidney inflammatory responses to fv3 is thought to cont ...	2017	28238879
amphibian (xenopus laevis) tadpoles and adult frogs mount distinct interferon responses to the frog virus 3 ranavirus.	infections of amphibians by frog virus 3 (fv3) and other ranavirus genus members are significantly contributing to the amphibian declines, yet much remains unknown regarding amphibian antiviral immunity. notably, amphibians represent an important step in the evolution of antiviral interferon (ifn) cytokines as they are amongst the first vertebrates to possess both type i and type iii ifns. accordingly, we examined the roles of type i and iii ifns in the skin of fv3-challenged amphibian xenopus l ...	2017	28081430
long term effects of carbaryl exposure on antiviral immune responses in xenopus laevis.	water pollutants associated with agriculture may contribute to the increased prevalence of infectious diseases caused by ranaviruses. we have established the amphibian xenopus laevis and the ranavirus frog virus 3 (fv3) as a reliable experimental platform for evaluating the effects of common waterborne pollutants, such as the insecticide carbaryl. following 3 weeks of exposure to 10 ppb carbaryl, x. laevis tadpoles exhibited a marked increase in mortality and accelerated development. exposure at ...	2017	27988452
hepatitis e virus orf3 is a functional ion channel required for release of infectious particles.	hepatitis e virus (hev) is the leading cause of enterically transmitted viral hepatitis globally. of hev's three orfs, the function of orf3 has remained elusive. here, we demonstrate that via homophilic interactions orf3 forms multimeric complexes associated with intracellular endoplasmic reticulum (er)-derived membranes. hev orf3 shares several structural features with class i viroporins, and the function of hev orf3 can be maintained by replacing it with the well-characterized viroporin influe ...	2017	28096411
aquaglyceroporins are the entry pathway of boric acid in trypanosoma brucei.	the boron element possesses a range of different effects on living beings. it is essential to beneficial at low concentrations, but toxic at excessive concentrations. recently, some boron-based compounds have been identified as promising molecules against trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of sleeping sickness. however, until now, the boron metabolism and its access route into the parasite remained elusive. the present study addressed the permeability of t. brucei aquaglyceroporins (tbaqps) ...	2017	28087364
functional characterisation and cell specificity of bvsut1, the transporter that loads sucrose into the phloem of sugar beet (beta vulgaris l.) source leaves.	sugar beet (beta vulgaris l.) is one of the most important sugar-producing plants worldwide and provides about one third of the sugar consumed by humans. here we report on molecular characterisation of the bvsut1 gene and on the functional characterisation of the encoded transporter. in contrast to the recently identified tonoplast-localised sucrose transporter bvtst2.1 from sugar beet taproots, which evolved within the monosaccharide transporter (mst) superfamily, bvsut1 represents a classical ...	2017	28075052
sucrose transporter localization and function in phloem unloading in developing stems.	how sucrose transporters (suts) regulate phloem unloading in monocot stems is poorly understood and particularly so for species storing high suc concentrations. to this end, sorghum bicolor suts sbsut1 and sbsut5 were characterized by determining their transport properties heterologously expressed in yeast or xenopus laevis oocytes, and their in planta cellular and subcellular localization. the plasma membrane-localized sbsut1 and sbsut5 exhibited a strong selectivity for suc and high suc affini ...	2017	27986867
the malaria parasite's lactate transporter pffnt is the target of antiplasmodial compounds identified in whole cell phenotypic screens.	in this study the 'malaria box' chemical library comprising 400 compounds with antiplasmodial activity was screened for compounds that perturb the internal ph of the malaria parasite, plasmodium falciparum. fifteen compounds induced an acidification of the parasite cytosol. two of these did so by inhibiting the parasite's formate nitrite transporter (pffnt), which mediates the h+-coupled efflux from the parasite of lactate generated by glycolysis. both compounds were shown to inhibit lactate tra ...	2017	28178359
h(+)-dependent inorganic phosphate uptake in trypanosoma brucei is influenced by myo-inositol transporter.	trypanosoma brucei is an extracellular protozoan parasite that causes human african trypanosomiasis or "sleeping sickness". during the different phases of its life cycle, t. brucei depends on exogenous inorganic phosphate (pi), but little is known about the transport of pi in this organism. in the present study, we showed that the transport of (32)pi across the plasma membrane follows michaelis-menten kinetics and is modulated by ph variation, with higher activity at acidic ph. bloodstream forms ...	2017	28185085
two spatially and temporally distinct ca(2+) signals convey arabidopsis thaliana responses to k(+) deficiency.	in plants, potassium (k(+) ) homeostasis is tightly regulated and established against a concentration gradient to the environment. despite the identification of ca(2+) -regulated kinases as modulators of k(+) channels, the immediate signaling and adaptation mechanisms of plants to low-k(+) conditions are only partially understood. to assess the occurrence and role of ca(2+) signals in arabidopsis thaliana roots, we employed ratiometric analyses of ca(2+) dynamics in plants expressing the ca(2+) ...	2017	27579668
polar localization of the nip5;1 boric acid channel is maintained by endocytosis and facilitates boron transport in arabidopsis roots.	boron uptake in arabidopsis thaliana is mediated by nodulin 26-like intrinsic protein (nip)5;1, a boric acid channel that is located preferentially on the soil side of the plasma membrane in root cells. however, the mechanism underlying this polar localization is poorly understood. here, we show that the polar localization of nip5;1 in epidermal and endodermal root cells is mediated by the phosphorylation of thr residues in the conserved tpg (thrprogly) repeat in the n-terminal region of nip5;1. ...	2017	28341806
models of amphibian myogenesis - the case of bombina variegata.	several different models of myogenesis describing early stages of amphibian paraxial myotomal myogenesis are known. myoblasts of xenopus laevis and hymenochirus boettgeri change their position from perpendicular to parallel, in relation to axial organs, and differentiate into mononucleate myotubes. in bombina variegate the myotomal myoblasts change their shape from round to elongate and then differentiate into mononuclear, morphologically mature myotubes. in pelobates fuscus and triturus vulgari ...	2017	28287243
cloning and expression analysis of zygote arrest 1 (zar1) in new zealand white rabbits.	zygote arrest 1 (zar1) is an oocyte-specific maternal-effect gene. previous studies indicate that zar1 plays important role in early embryo development, but little is known about its function in rabbit. the objectives of this study were to clone the new zealand white rabbit zar1 gene and to investigate its expression in various organs in groups of animals with different reproductive traits.we obtained a 709-bp zar1 cdna fragment consisting of an 8-bp exon 1, 161-bp exon 2, 75-bp exon 3, 271-bp e ...	2017	28360383
targeting functional noncoding rnas.	noncoding rnas have essential biochemical functions in different areas of cellular metabolism, including protein synthesis, rna splicing, protein secretion, and dna replication. we have successfully used morpholino antisense oligonucleotides for the functional inactivation of small noncoding rnas required for dna replication (y rnas in vertebrates and stem-bulge rnas in nematodes). here we discuss specific issues of targeting functional noncoding rnas for inactivation by morpholino antisense oli ...	2017	28364241
isolation and functional characterization of cslsi1, a silicon transporter gene in cucumis sativus.	cucumber (cucumis sativus) is a widely grown cucurbitaceous vegetable that exhibits a relatively high capacity for silicon (si) accumulation, but the molecular mechanism for silicon uptake remains to be clarified. here we isolated and characterized cslsi1, a gene encoding a silicon transporter in cucumber (cv. mch-4). cslsi1 shares 55.70 and 90.63% homology with the lsi1s of a monocot and dicot, rice (oryza sativa) and pumpkin (cucurbita moschata), respectively. cslsi1 was predominantly expresse ...	2017	27701737