Skeletal patterning in the sea urchin embryo requires a conversation between the skeletogenic primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) and the overlyingpattern-dictatingectoderm;however, our understandingof the molecular basis for this process remains incomplete. Here, we show that TGF-β-receptor signaling is required during gastrulation to pattern the anterior skeleton. To block TGF-β signaling, we use...

Extraction of soil organic matter (SOM) fractions has been a longstanding approach to elucidating the pivotal roles of SOM in soil processes. Several types of extraction procedures are commonly used, and all provide partial information on SOM function. This report and accompanying papers summarize the information regarding SOM functions in real-world issues that has been gained through physical...

Lignans are phytoestrogens that are metabolized by the gut microbiota to enterodiol and enterolactone, the main biologically active enterolignans. Substantial interindividual variation in plasma concentration and urinary excretion of enterolignans has been reported, this being determined, at least in part, by the intake of lignan precursors, the gut microbiota, and the host’s phase 2 conjugatin...

Apicidin, a potential oral chemotherapeutic agent, possesses potent anti-histone-deacetylase activity. After oral administration, the total bioavailability of apicidin is known to be low (14.2%– 19.3%). In the present study, we evaluated the factors contributing to the low bioavailability of apicidin by means of quantitative determination of absorption fraction and first-pass metabolism after o...

Glycoproteins I Ib / I I Ia form a Ca2+-dependent complex that functions as the fibrinogen receptor on human platelets (1). Several reports have indicated that this fibrinogen receptor is also expressed on the surface of human monocytes (2-4). Of three monoclonal antibodies directed against platelet I Ib/ I I Ia , two were reported to give a positive reaction with monocytes as well (4). Other i...

In the 1980s, medical research set its focus more and more on molecular aspects of diseases, and it was not long until an individual mutation in a single protein species was found to cause the complete phenotype of a disease. Unsurprisingly, ion channels were among those culprits. Significant public attention was aroused when mutations in the (then appropriately named) cystic fibrosis transmemb...