In the epidermis, remodelling of Connexin43 is a key event in wound closure. However, controversy between the role of connexin channel and non-channel functions exist. We compared the impact of SiRNA targeted to Connexin43 and the connexin mimetic peptide Gap27 on scrape wound closure rates and hemichannel signalling in adult keratinocytes (AK) and fibroblasts sourced from juvenile foreskin (JF...

This experiment was carried out to study the effect of a directly fed exogenous fibrolytic enzyme on intake and digestion of DM, OM, protein, NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose of alfalfa and ryegrass hay by sheep. Four diets were randomly assigned to four ruminally cannulated lambs using a 4 x 4 Latin square design, repeated in time, with a factorial arrangement (2 x 2) of diets: 1) alfalfa hay; 2) a...

In the current recycling system of end-of-life (EoL) appliances, which is based on shredding, alloying elements tend to end up in the scrap of base metals. The uncontrolled mixing of alloying elements contaminates secondary metals and calls for dilution with primary metals. Active disassembling fastener (ADF) is a design for disassembly (DfD) technology that is expected to solve this problem by...

This study investigated the chemical composition and ruminal degradability of corn stover in three maize-planting regions in Qiqihaer, Heilongjiang Province, China. The whole stover was separated into seven morphological fractions, i.e., leaf blade, leaf sheath, stem rind, stem pith, stem node, ear husk, and corn tassel. The assessment of nutritive value of corn stover and its fractions was per...

Tropomyosin binds to actin filaments and is implicated in stabilization of actin cytoskeleton. We examined biochemical and cell biological properties of Caenorhabditis elegans tropomyosin (CeTM) and obtained evidence that CeTM is antagonistic to ADF/cofilin-dependent actin filament dynamics. We purified CeTM, actin, and UNC-60B (a muscle-specific ADF/cofilin isoform), all of which are derived f...

Disassembly of actin filaments by actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin and actin-interacting protein 1 (AIP1) is a conserved mechanism to promote reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. We previously reported that unc-78, an AIP1 gene in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, is required for organized assembly of sarcomeric actin filaments in the body wall muscle. unc-78 functions in larva...

[Purpose] This study assessed the effects of type 2 diabetes without diabetic polyneuropathy on muscle strength according to body composition in middle age patients. [Subjects and Methods] This study included 45 non-diabetic individuals (control group) and 50 patients with type 2 diabetes (DM group), 40 to 64 years of age. The body composition was examined, including the leg muscle volume (LMV)...

Cell locomotion and endocytosis are powered by the rapid polymerization and turnover of branched actin filament networks nucleated by Arp2/3 complex. Although a large number of cellular factors have been identified that stimulate Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin nucleation, only a small number of studies so far have addressed which factors promote actin network debranching. Here, we investigated t...