Article
Food Science & Technology
Min-Jung Kang, Jae-Ran Kang, Min Seok Woo, Dawon Kang, Jung-Hye Shin
Summary: This study examined the effect of long-term storage on the quality of black garlic (BG) produced from raw garlic. The results showed that stored raw garlic (SRG) had lower S-allylcysteine (SAC) content and lower antioxidant activity compared to non-stored raw garlic (NSRG) in BG production. Therefore, it is important to establish an aging method suitable for stored raw garlic to achieve high SAC content in BG production.
Review
Plant Sciences
Takehiro Ito, Naoko Ohkama-Ohtsu
Summary: GSH is an essential thiol for plants, but its degradation has not been fully elucidated, limiting our understanding of plant life. Recent studies have shown that GSH is degraded by cytosolic enzymes or after conjugation with other molecules. This highlights the need to reassess previous assumptions and provide a novel overview of the plant GSH degradation pathway. This review aims to summarize current understanding of GSH/glutathione conjugate degradation and lay a foundation for future studies.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hironobu Nishijima, Matthew J. Zunitch, Masafumi Yoshida, Kenji Kondo, Tatsuya Yamasoba, James E. Schwob, Eric H. Holbrook
Summary: This study identified two fluorescence probes that can rapidly detect and evaluate the entire extent of mice OE. These probes can be used to monitor OE degeneration and the regenerative response to therapeutic interventions.
Article
Oncology
Nao Sukeda, Hidetsugu Fujigaki, Tatsuya Ando, Honomi Ando, Yasuko Yamamoto, Kuniaki Saito
Summary: Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug used for treating malignant tumors, but nephrotoxicity is a dose-limiting factor. The study identified 2',4',6'-trihydroxyacetophenone (THA) as an inhibitor of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. THA pretreatment can effectively alleviate cisplatin-induced kidney damage.
MOLECULAR CANCER THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Takehiro Ito, Taisuke Kitaiwa, Kosuke Nishizono, Minori Umahashi, Shunsuke Miyaji, Shin-Ichiro Agake, Kana Kuwahara, Tadashi Yokoyama, Shinya Fushinobu, Akiko Maruyama-Nakashita, Ryosuke Sugiyama, Muneo Sato, Jun Inaba, Masami Yokota Hirai, Naoko Ohkama-Ohtsu
Summary: The study reveals the important roles of GGP1 and possibly GGP3 in the degradation of GSH and primary and secondary sulfur metabolism. The GGP-mediated pathway may be more efficient in the degradation of GSH compared to the GGCT-mediated pathway.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Eshita Sharma, Milan Kumar Lal, Arvind Gulati, Ashu Gulati
Summary: An extracellular gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) from Bacillus altitudinis IHB B1644 was purified using ion-exchange chromatography, and it was composed of two subunits of 40 and 22 kDa determined by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme showed optimal activity at pH 9 and 37 degrees C, and it was stable in a pH range of 5-10 and below 50 degrees C. The enzyme exhibited highest affinity for L-methionine and serine or threonine and tryptophan residues were found to be essential for its activity. The production of L-theanine was optimized by a one-variable-at-a-time approach with a conversion rate of 60-65%.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yohei Kondo, Yutaro Saito, Abdelazim Elsayed Elhelaly, Fuminori Hyodo, Tatsuya Nishihara, Marino Itoda, Hiroshi Nonaka, Masayuki Matsuo, Shinsuke Sando
Summary: Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is an emerging method for acquiring metabolic and physiological information in vivo. The development of a deuterated probe, gamma-Glu-[1-C-13]Gly-d(2), has been shown to extend the lifetime of hyperpolarized signals. By evaluating enzymatic conversion and magnetic properties, this study confirms the effectiveness of gamma-Glu-[1-C-13]Gly as a DNP NMR molecular probe for detecting GGT activity in serum.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jingxin Fu, Likang Lu, Manzhen Li, Yaoyao Guo, Meihua Han, Yifei Guo, Xiangtao Wang
Summary: A novel nanoparticle drug delivery system was developed for the targeted treatment of GGT-positive cervical cancer, which achieved good tumor accumulation and improved anti-tumor efficacy through GGT-triggered charge reversal.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hui Wang, Xiaoting Zhang, Ping Li, Fang Huang, Tiancong Xiu, Hongtong Wang, Wei Zhang, Wen Zhang, Bo Tang
Summary: Atherosclerosis, a disease driven by lipoproteins, lacks effective therapy for reversal. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a noninvasive and reliable early detection approach to prevent plaque formation.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Weiting Liao, Yu Yang, Huazhen Yang, Yuanyuan Qu, Huan Song, Qiu Li
Summary: The study found a positive association between serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) level and pancreatic cancer risk. Each one standard deviation increase in GGT level was associated with a 14% higher risk of pancreatic cancer. The highest GGT group had a 1.68-fold increased risk compared to the lowest GGT group, and this association was observed in both men (GGT≥50.2 U/L) and women (GGT≥31.6 U/L).
Article
Biophysics
Kai Wang, Xu-Yang Chen, Bo Zhang, Ying Yue, Xiao-Lin Wen, Yang Yang, Yu-Shun Yang, Hai-Liang Zhu, Hong-Ji Liu, Ai-Guo Zhang
Summary: In this study, Near-infrared imaging and medicinal treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were achieved using the KYZ-GGT probe, which allowed for monitoring the GGT level. The KYZ-GGT probe showed stable imaging capability in cellular, xenograft, and induced HCC models.
BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS
(2023)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Maria Salinas, Emilio Flores, Maite Lopez-Garrigos, Rosa Carbonell, Carlos Leiva-Salinas
Summary: The study indicates that the use of GGT levels as a screening test for liver function remains controversial. By implementing a DM intervention, the measurement of GGT redundantly requested with ALP in primary care was successfully reduced. Although the number of measured GGT increased slightly during the study period, it began to decrease in October 2019.
CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aleksandra Mitric, Immacolata Castellano
Summary: GGT is an enzyme located on the outer membrane of the cells and plays a key role in regulating glutathione metabolism. It is upregulated in inflammatory conditions and various human tumors, and is involved in physiological disorders related to oxidative stress. This review focuses on the structure and function of human GGT, and discusses its potential as a target for drugs to alleviate oxidative stress-related diseases. The development of new GGT inhibitors and their potential clinical use is also discussed. GGT is considered a potential moonlighting protein due to its pleiotropic activities and evolved functions.
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Weijie Chen, Danmian Hong, Zeliang Chen, Xiaoqing Dai, Jing Cao, Min Yu, Liping Li
Summary: This study investigated the reference ranges of GPR and GLR in the Chinese Han population in the Chaoshan region of South China. The study found that GPR and GLR varied with age and sex.
BMC GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sojeong Heo, Jong-Hoon Kim, Mi-Sun Kwak, Moon-Hee Sung, Do-Won Jeong
Summary: Genomic analysis confirmed the probiotic traits of strain KMU01, which lacked enterotoxin genes but had acquired antibiotic resistance genes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yoshinori Utsumi, Maho Tanaka, Chikako Utsumi, Satoshi Takahashi, Akihiro Matsui, Atsushi Fukushima, Makoto Kobayashi, Ryosuke Sasaki, Akira Oikawa, Miyako Kusano, Kazuki Saito, Mikiko Kojima, Hitoshi Sakakibara, Punchapat Sojikul, Jarunya Narangajavana, Motoaki Seki
Summary: The integrative omics approach revealed crosstalk among phytohormones during tuberous root development in cassava, with the effects of different hormones on various stages of plant growth being clarified.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tsubasa Shoji, Naoyuki Umemoto, Kazuki Saito
Summary: Plant domestication and improvement have led to mutational changes in transcriptional regulators of defense metabolism. Specialized compounds like alkaloids and terpenoids play essential roles in plant defense against herbivores and microbes. Transcription factors coordinately regulate defense metabolism genes by recognizing cis-regulatory elements in the promoter regions of target genes.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tsubasa Shoji, Koki Moriyama, Nicolas Sierro, Sonia Ouadi, Nikolai Ivanov, Takashi Hashimoto, Kazuki Saito
Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated the regulation of nicotine biosynthesis in tobacco and identified several low-nicotine tobacco varieties lacking specific transcription factors. They characterized the newly identified alleles and examined their influence on alkaloid contents and gene expression related to nicotine biosynthesis. They also demonstrated the effect of a distal genomic region deletion on the expression of a key transcription factor and the alkaloid phenotype. These findings provide new insights into the regulation of nicotine biosynthesis and offer genetic resources for breeding low-nicotine tobacco.
Article
Plant Sciences
Kanade Tatsumi, Takuji Ichino, Natsumi Isaka, Akifumi Sugiyama, Eiko Moriyoshi, Yozo Okazaki, Yasuhiro Higashi, Masataka Kajikawa, Yoshinori Tsuji, Hideya Fukuzawa, Kiminori Toyooka, Mayuko Sato, Ikuyo Ichi, Koichiro Shimomura, Hiroyuki Ohta, Kazuki Saito, Kazufumi Yazaki
Summary: Plants produce a variety of lipophilic metabolites, some of which are secreted by cells. Triacylglycerol acts as a matrix lipid to facilitate the secretion of these lipophilic compounds.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Khurram Bashir, Daisuke Todaka, Sultana Rasheed, Akihiro Matsui, Zarnab Ahmad, Kaori Sako, Yoshinori Utsumi, Anh Thu Vu, Maho Tanaka, Satoshi Takahashi, Junko Ishida, Yuuri Tsuboi, Shunsuke Watanabe, Yuri Kanno, Eigo Ando, Kwang-Chul Shin, Makoto Seito, Hinata Motegi, Muneo Sato, Rui Li, Saya Kikuchi, Miki Fujita, Miyako Kusano, Makoto Kobayashi, Yoshiki Habu, Atsushi J. Nagano, Kanako Kawaura, Jun Kikuchi, Kazuki Saito, Masami Yokota Hirai, Mitsunori Seo, Kazuo Shinozaki, Toshinori Kinoshita, Motoaki Seki
Summary: This study demonstrates that exogenous application of ethanol can significantly enhance drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, and wheat. Ethanol treatment leads to the upregulation of genes related to sugar and phenylpropanoid metabolism, as well as the accumulation of sugars and drought-tolerance-related amino acids. Ethanol treatment induces stomatal closure and decreases transpiration rate, resulting in enhanced drought tolerance. ABA signaling and acetic acid biosynthesis are involved in ethanol-mediated drought tolerance.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jichen Wang, Hideyuki Suzuki, Nanako Nakashima, Mariko Kitajima, Hiromitsu Takayama, Kazuki Saito, Mami Yamazaki, Naoko Yoshimoto
Summary: TvMAS1, an S-oxygenase, plays a crucial role in marasmin biosynthesis by catalyzing the oxygenation of S-(methylthiomethyl)-L-cysteine to produce marasmin in Tulbaghia violacea.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Amit Rai, Hideki Hirakawa, Megha Rai, Yohei Shimizu, Kenta Shirasawa, Shinji Kikuchi, Hikaru Seki, Mami Yamazaki, Atsushi Toyoda, Sachiko Isobe, Toshiya Muranaka, Kazuki Saito
Summary: In this study, a chromosome-scale genome assembly for Chinese licorice using HiFi sequencing reads was achieved, resulting in a high-quality plant genome assembly. The analysis revealed a recent whole-genome duplication event in licorice which contributed to its medicinal properties. The metabolic gene cluster analysis identified several gene clusters involved in the biosynthesis of glycyrrhizin.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tsubasa Shoji, Kazuki Saito
Summary: A group of specialized metabolites called steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are produced in Solanum species and their biosynthesis is regulated by the transcription factor JASMONATA-RESPONSIVE ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 4 (JRE4). In this study, the downregulation of a cluster of genes encoding nitrate transporter 1/peptide transporter family (NPF) members was observed in a low-SGA tomato mutant with a loss-of-function mutation in JRE4. The NPF transporters, which belong to a large family of plant membrane transporters, are induced by the defense-related phytohormone jasmonate and are potentially involved in the SGA pathway.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tsubasa Shoji, Kazuki Saito
Summary: The transcription factor JRE4 co-regulates the expression of RMA-type ligase gene SlRMA1 in tomato to prevent the overaccumulation of metabolites.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tsubasa Shoji, Kazuki Saito
Summary: This study provides insights into the molecular mechanism of SGA biosynthesis and its regulation in eggplant, offering a theoretical basis for further understanding of the anti-nutritional defense in eggplant plants.
Correction
Chemistry, Medicinal
Naoko Yoshimoto, Takashi Asano, Ayuna Kisanuki, Chihiro Kanno, Machiko Asanuma, Mami Yamazaki, Isao Fujii, Kazuki Saito
JOURNAL OF NATURAL MEDICINES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Soichiro Honda, Yumiko Yamazaki, Takumi Mukada, Weiguo Cheng, Masaru Chuba, Yozo Okazaki, Kazuki Saito, Akira Oikawa, Hayato Maruyama, Jun Wasaki, Tadao Wagatsuma, Keitaro Tawaraya
Summary: Plants have evolved mechanisms to tolerate low P, including changing their membrane lipid composition. This study investigated the membrane lipid remodeling among different rice cultivars under P deficiency. The levels of phospholipids were lower in -P plants compared to +P plants, while the levels of non-phospholipids were higher in -P plants. Decomposition of phospholipids in roots correlated with low P tolerance. These findings suggest that rice cultivars remodel membrane lipids under P deficiency, contributing to their low P tolerance.
Review
Plant Sciences
Tsubasa Shoji, Takashi Hashimoto, Kazuki Saito
Summary: Tobacco is a widely cultivated crop, but its highly addictive nature poses a significant risk to human health. Recent research in molecular and genomics has led to advancements in understanding the metabolic and regulatory genes involved in nicotine biosynthesis, allowing the development of tobacco plants with ultra-low nicotine levels through mutational breeding, genetic engineering, and genome editing.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tsubasa Shoji, Satoko Sugawara, Tetsuya Mori, Makoto Kobayashi, Miyako Kusano, Kazuki Saito
Summary: This study investigates the regulatory function of the transcription factor PhERF1 in petunia, which controls the synthesis of bioactive alkaloids and terpenoids. The study demonstrates that PhERF1 can induce the production of specialized steroids by transcriptional reprogramming. This highlights the potential of transcriptional regulators in producing specialized products.