Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Vaibhav Wasnik
Summary: This work presents two results. Firstly, the error in concentration measurement by cells is found to be the same as previously evaluated, even when considering a more realistic case. Secondly, a lower bound on the measurement time is derived, which is independent of diffusion rate and concentration of the chemoattracts, and is determined by the detachment rate of ligands from cell receptors. This finding can help explain experimental observations.
Article
Biology
Tamao Saito, Tomoyuki Iijima, Kohei Koyama, Tomonori Shinagawa, Ayaka Yamanaka, Tsuyoshi Araki, Noriyuki Suzuki, Toyonobu Usuki, Robert R. Kay
Summary: The soil is a complex ecosystem where various ecological interactions occur. Dictyostelium discoideum, a social amoeba with a high genomic potential, produces polyketides to regulate these interactions. This study reveals that D. discoideum utilizes specific enzymes to produce chlorinated signal molecules and antibacterial polyketides. These compounds play a role in protecting mature spores from bacterial infection.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Robin S. B. Williams, Jonathan R. Chubb, Robert Insall, Jason S. King, Catherine J. Pears, Elinor Thompson, Cornelis J. Weijer
Summary: The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum serves as an excellent model for research in various biological disciplines due to its low genetic complexity and versatile experimental techniques, enabling multidisciplinary studies and leading to breakthroughs in research. Numerous laboratories in the United Kingdom utilize Dictyostelium as their core research model for studying distinct areas and benefiting from the tractable nature of this model system.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Michael Muljadi, Yi-Chen Fu, Chao-Min Cheng
Summary: Cellular chemotaxis has been extensively studied due to its relevance in various physiological and pathological processes. Classic diffusion chambers have limitations in quantification, reproducibility, and measurement accuracy. Microfluidic technology has provided advanced tools to observe and analyze cell chemotaxis, especially using D. discoideum as a model organism. The flexibility and ability to generate consistent concentration gradients make microfluidic devices promising for understanding cell migratory behavior and related biological processes.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Richa Karmakar, Man-Ho Tang, Haicen Yue, Daniel Lombardo, Aravind Karanam, Brian A. Camley, Alex Groisman, Wouter-Jan Rappel
Summary: Cells of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum exhibit cellular memory, enabling them to respond to chemoattractant waves while ignoring downward gradients. Increasing background levels of chemoattractant can significantly enhance chemotactic efficiency, peaking at intermediate values and decreasing to near zero at high values. These results suggest that raising levels of chemoattractant background may facilitate self-organized aggregation in Dictyostelium colonies.
Review
Physiology
William D. Kim, Sabateeshan Mathavarajah, Robert J. Huber
Summary: Cullins are important for regulating protein degradation and function. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a valuable model organism for studying cellular processes and diseases. Recent research shows that inhibiting neddylation affects the growth and development of D. discoideum.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Beth Kelly, Gustavo E. Carrizo, Joy Edwards-Hicks, David E. Sanin, Michal A. Stanczak, Chantal Priesnitz, Lea J. Flachsmann, Jonathan D. Curtis, Gerhard Mittler, Yaarub Musa, Thomas Becker, Joerg M. Buescher, Erika L. Pearce
Summary: The behavior of Dictyostelium discoideum is dependent on nutrients, existing as unicellular organisms in the presence of sufficient food and aggregating into multicellular organisms upon starvation. The generation of reactive oxygen species due to nutrient limitation leads to the sequestration of cysteine in the antioxidant glutathione, limiting its sulfur atom usage and maintaining the organism in a nonproliferating state conducive to multicellular development. This mechanism of signaling through reactive oxygen species highlights the roles of oxygen and sulfur as simple signaling molecules in dictating cell fate in early eukaryotes, with implications for responses to nutrient fluctuations in multicellular eukaryotes.
Article
Oncology
Xinwen Zhu, Emily R. Hager, Chuqiao Huyan, Allyson E. Sgro
Summary: The interplay between models and experimental data is crucial for advancing discovery and understanding in biology. By examining examples from cellular slime mold chemotaxis, it is evident that the feedback between models and experiments can lead to key insights into biological mechanisms. The iterative use of models and experiments helps to refine models, validate assumptions, and test predictions.
EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Hellen C. Ishikawa-Ankerhold, Sophie Kurzbach, Arzu S. Kinali, Annette Mueller-Taubenberger
Summary: Research has shown that depletion of energy, hyperosmotic shock, or cytoplasmic acidification can induce the formation of cytoplasmic actin-cofilin rods. These rods, consisting of actin and cofilin aggregates, are formed as a result of cellular stress and play a role in ensuring cell survival under unfavorable conditions.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariko Katoh-Kurasawa, Karin Hrovatin, Shigenori Hirose, Amanda Webb, Hsing- Ho, Blaz Zupan, Gad Shaulsky
Summary: The study on Dictyostelium reveals 1371 milestone genes whose expression changes sharply during morphogenesis, as well as 1099 genes as members of 21 regulons that remain coordinately regulated despite genetic, temporal, and developmental perturbations.
Article
Zoology
Ben T. Larson
Summary: Cells are the basic building blocks of biological organization and possess remarkable complexity in their behaviors. By studying protists from the perspective of cellular biophysics, we can gain insights into general principles of morphogenesis, navigation and motility, and decision making. Applying biophysical approaches to evolutionary cell biology offers exciting opportunities, as integrating and expanding biophysical studies across protist diversity will enhance our understanding of underlying principles.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Hidekazu Kuwayama, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Yuzuru Kubohara
Summary: This study investigated the effects of nine derivatives of DIF-1 on chemotactic cell movement and stalk cell differentiation in Dictyostelium discoideum. The results showed that DIF-1 and DIF-2 have at least three receptors, one for stalk cell induction and two for chemotaxis modulation.
Article
Microbiology
Yue Zou, Jiangan Hou, Songning Guo, Changtian Li, Zhuang Li, Steven L. Stephenson, Igor N. Pavlov, Pu Liu, Yu Li
Summary: This study discovered two new species of dictyostelids and demonstrated that atp1 sequences can improve the accuracy of identifying dictyostelids. The diversity of dictyostelids on Changbai Mountain is higher than previously reported, and differences in diversity at the family level may be related to latitude. Mixed broadleaf-conifer forests have higher isolates and species richness than broadleaf forests, indicating the influence of vegetation on dictyostelids. However, there is a slight decrease in dictyostelid diversity with increasing elevation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bruno Guillotin, Ramin Rahni, Michael Passalacqua, Mohammed Ateequr Mohammed, Xiaosa Xu, Sunil Kenchanmane Raju, Carlos Ortiz Ramirez, David Jackson, Simon C. Groen, Jesse Gillis, Kenneth D. Birnbaum
Summary: Comparative analysis of root cell transcriptomes in three grass species reveals that some cell types diverged more rapidly, driven by recruitment of gene modules from other cell types. The recent whole-genome duplication provides new, highly localized gene expression domains that favour fast-evolving cell types. Cell-by-cell comparative analysis can extract conserved modules and provide insight on the evolution of cells mediating key functions in crops.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Johann E. Kufs, Christin Reimer, Pierre Stallforth, Falk Hillmann, Lars Regestein
Summary: The identification of novel platform organisms for the production and discovery of small molecules is highly important in the pharmaceutical industry. The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum serves as a promising platform for producing complex secondary metabolites and has the potential for developing new bioprocesses for pharmaceuticals.
CURRENT OPINION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Daiki Nakahara, Cui Nan, Koichiro Mori, Motoki Hanayama, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Shizuka Hirai, Yukari Egashira
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2020)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jing Zhang, Osamu Yamada, Shinya Kida, Shinya Murase, Toshio Hattori, Yoshiteru Oshima, Haruhisa Kikuchi
EXPERIMENTAL AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hitomi Sasaki, Yuzuru Kubohara, Hirotaka Ishigaki, Katsunori Takahashi, Hiromi Eguchi, Akihiro Sugawara, Yoshiteru Oshima, Haruhisa Kikuchi
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuzuru Kubohara, Yoshimi Homma, Hiroshi Shibata, Yoshiteru Oshima, Haruhisa Kikuchi
Summary: DIF-1 and DIF-1(3M) promote glucose uptake and metabolism via an AMPK-dependent pathway in 3T3-L1 cells, potentially serving as leading antiobesity and antidiabetes compounds, whereas CP-DIF-1 had no effect.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Palak Babbar, Mizuki Sato, Yogavel Manickam, Siddhartha Mishra, Karl Harlos, Swati Gupta, Suhel Parvez, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Amit Sharma
Summary: Plasmodium falciparum lysyl-tRNA synthetase (PfKRS) is a potential therapeutic target for anti-malarial treatment. Cladosporin has been identified as a potent inhibitor of PfKRS, and in this study, analogues with a piperidine ring replacing the tetrahydropyran (THP) frame of cladosporin were synthesized and evaluated. The compounds showed moderate potency in binding to and inhibiting PfKRS, providing a basis for further development of this scaffold as a lead compound.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Toshihiro Mita, Makoto Hirai, Yoshiko Maki, Saifun Nahar, Naoko Yoshida, Yoshiteru Oshima, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Yuzuru Kubohara
Summary: The study showed that DIF-1 and its derivatives have strong inhibitory effects on the growth of Plasmodium falciparum, including strains resistant to chloroquine and artemisinin. Among them, DIF-1(+2) exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect and was effective against 12 field isolates. In in vivo experiments in mice, DIF-1(+2) at certain doses effectively suppressed parasite growth without apparent adverse effects, and significantly prolonged animal survival.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shoji Kokubo, Shinobu Ohnuma, Megumi Murakami, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Shota Funayama, Hideyuki Suzuki, Taiki Kajiwara, Akihiro Yamamura, Hideaki Karasawa, Norihiko Sugisawa, Kosuke Ohsawa, Kuniyuki Kano, Junken Aoki, Takayuki Doi, Takeshi Naitoh, Suresh V. Ambudkar, Michiaki Unno
Summary: This study identified a novel ABCG2 inhibitor, PFC, through high-throughput screening, which significantly decreased IC50 of SN-38 in cancer cells and reversed resistance to irinotecan without causing toxicity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Toru Higashinakagawa, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Hidekazu Kuwayama
Summary: The study attempted to identify the active principle EMF in EM culture extract, and found that the stimulatory effect in EM mainly resides in the residual insoluble material, composed of micro particles containing magnesium and potassium. Acid treatment of the residue produced air bubbles, indicating the presence of inorganic carbonate in the particles, which are believed to be the active principle of EM culture extract.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yoshihide Suzuki, Keisuke Ichinohe, Akihiro Sugawara, Shinya Kida, Shinya Murase, Jing Zhang, Osamu Yamada, Toshio Hattori, Yoshiteru Oshima, Haruhisa Kikuchi
Summary: In this study, novel immune checkpoint inhibitors with enhanced potency were developed through modifications of an existing unnatural pentacyclic compound. These inhibitors showed the ability to suppress both CTLA-4 and PD-L1 gene expression and protein expression, making them the first reported dual small-molecule inhibitors of CTLA-4 and PD-L1.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Liu Xu, Zaiqiang Yu, Yoshinori Uekusa, Shogo Kawaguchi, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Kazuyuki Daitoku, Masahito Minakawa, Shigeru Motomura, Ken-Ichi Furukawa, Yoshiteru Oshima, Kazuhiko Seya, Tadaatsu Imaizumi
Summary: The study found that resveratrol and its derivatives can regulate the innate immune system by inhibiting the phosphorylation of the transcription factor NF-KB, thereby suppressing inflammatory reactions. These findings are important for the development of drugs for the prevention and treatment of autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Hidekazu Kuwayama, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Yuzuru Kubohara
Summary: This study investigated the effects of nine derivatives of DIF-1 on chemotactic cell movement and stalk cell differentiation in Dictyostelium discoideum. The results showed that DIF-1 and DIF-2 have at least three receptors, one for stalk cell induction and two for chemotaxis modulation.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Gaowa Bai, Toshiro Niki, Haruhisa Kikuchi, Ayako Sumi, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Takahiro Haruyama, Jing Zhang, Haorile Chagan-Yasutan, Toshio Hattori
