Tao-1, the single representative of the Sterile 20 kinase subfamily in Drosophila, is best known for destabilizing microtubules at the actin-rich cortex, regulating the cytoskeletal architecture of cells. More recently, Tao-1 was shown to act in the Salvador-Warts-Hippo pathway by phosphorylating Hippo, regulating cell growth as well as cell polarity. Here, we show that tao-1 encodes two protei...

Although conspicuous and well-studied, stag beetles have been slow to join the genomic era. In this study, mitochondrial genomes of two stag beetles, Sinodendron yunnanense and Prosopocoilus confucius, are sequenced for the first time. Both of their genomes consisted of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and a control region. The mitogenome ...

A novel flavoprotein monooxygenase, trans-anethole oxygenase (TAO), from Pseudomonas putida JYR-1, which is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of trans-anethole to p-anisaldehyde, was heterologously expressed in E. coli and purified. Enzymatic kinetics of diverse substrates and cofactors revealed that TAO is likely to be a novel self-sufficient flavoprotein monooxygenase. Enzyme assays of GST-...

BACKGROUND Thromboangiitis obliterans (TAO, also known as Buerger's disease) is a non-atherosclerotic inflammatory vascular disease that primarily affects arteries in the extremities of young adult smokers. Since the etiology of TAO is still unknown, therapeutic options are limited. Recent attempts in therapeutic angiogenesis have been promising. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate ...