Variation in 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-Phosphate Synthase (EPSPS) Coding Sequences and Glyphosate Response among <i>Cyperus rotundus</i>L. Populations

The gene sequence encoding 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), the enzymatic target site of the herbicide glyphosate, was determined for several purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) accessions from geographically distant locations and these were aligned to generate a consensus sequence. The EPSPS sequences each had single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) only a few of which were predicted to cause an amino acid change in the EPSP synthase. None had the proline to serine substitution or other substitutions responsible for glyphosate resistance reported in other species. A dendrogram generated from the cluster analysis of the EPSPS gene sequences indicated similarities between accessions from Tanzania, Indonesia, California-2, Greece, Brazil, Argentina and Iran much like cluster analysis previously reported based on RAPD scores and morphological traits possibly indicating a common genetic background or origin. Considering the differences in EPSPS sequences, the response of these purple nutsedge accessions to 0.84 kg·ae·ha-1 of glyphosate was assessed to determine whether differential tolerance was present. At 7 days after the first application control ranged from 9% for the accession from Greece to 73% for the accession from Tanzania. Control of these accessions increased to 45% and 93% respectively by 14 days after the second application. The I50’s for glyphosate inhibition of growth for four accessions from geographically distant countries (Mississippi, Brazil, Indonesia and Tanzania) were 0.21, 0.10, 0.25 and 0.06 kg·ha-1, respectively, which represented a 4-fold difference. The difference in sensitivity to glyphosate may be a result of a non-target site mechanism such as differences in sequestration, translocation or cuticle thickness rather than alterations in EPSPS.

Catalytically Important Residues in E. coli 1-Deoxy-D-Xylulose 5-Phosphate Synthase

1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) catalyzes the initial step of the 2-C-methyl-D- erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway consisting in the condensation of (hydroxiethyl)thiamin derived from pyruvate with D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GAP) to yield 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP). The role of the conserved residues H49, E370, D427 and H431 of E. coli DXS was examined by site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis of the purified recombinant enzyme mutants. Mutants at position H49 showed a severe reduction in their specific activities with a decrease of the kcat/KM ratio by two orders of magnitude lower than the wild-type DXS. According to available structural data residue H49 is perfectly positioned to abstract a proton from the donor substrate. Mutations in DXS E370 showed that this residue is also essential for catalytic activity. Three-dimensional structure supports its involvement in cofactor deprotonation, the first step in enzymatic thiamin catalysis. Results obtained with H431 mutant enzymes indicate that this residue plays a role contributing to transition state stabilization. Finally, mutants at position D427 also showed a severe specific activity decrease with a reduction of the kcat/KM ratio. A role in binding the substrate and selecting the stereoisomer is proposed for D427.

A gene encoding AtPIP5K2 may be involved in regulating the sensitivity to osmotic stress

One mutant line eto with salt tolerance was screened from a T-DNA insertion mutant collection of Arabidopsis thaliana. In addition to a reduced rate of seed germination, NaCl and ABA also inhibited the growth and the greening of cotyledons of wild-type seedlings, but not the eto mutant. TAIL-PCR analysis showed that T-DNA tag insertion in the eto was located at nucleotide 27,502 in BAC F3M18, upstream （at position -487 relative to the translation initiation codon） of gene At lg77740 （encoding a putative phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase, AtPIP5K2）. This inserted mutation cosegregated closely with the eto phenotype, Another analysis not only indicated that AtPIP5K2 transcript is expressed predominantly in roots and rosette leaves, but also showed the T-DNA insertion resulted higher accumulation of the AtPIP5K2 in eto mutant plants and did not influenced the expression of the upstream At lg77730 gene. This change may play an essential role in the tolerance of eto mutant plant to the osmotic stress.

Fingolimod protects against neurovascular unit injury in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Recent research on the underlying mechanisms of cerebral ischemia indicates that the neurovascular unit can be used as a novel subject for general surveys of neuronal damage and protein mechanisms.Fingolimod(FTY-720)is a newly developed immunosuppressant isolated from Cordyceps sinensis that exhibits a wide range of biological activities,and has recently attracted much attention for the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases.In the current research,the role of FTY-720 and its possible mechanisms were assessed from an neurovascular unit perspective using a rat cerebral ischemia model.Our results revealed that FTY-720 markedly decreased infarct volume,promoted neurological function recovery,and weakened the blood-brain barrier permeability of ischemic rats.The protective roles of FTY-720 in ischemic stroke are ascribed to a combination of sphingosin-1-phosphate receptor-1 and reduced expression of sphingosin-1-phosphate receptor-1 in microvessels and reduction of interleukin-17A protein levels.These findings indicate that FTY-720 has promise as a new therapy for neurovascular protection and functional recovery after ischemic stroke.

The Isogene 1-Deoxy-D-Xylulose 5-Phosphate Synthase 2 Controls Isoprenoid Profiles, Precursor Pathway Allocation, and Density of Tomato Trichomes

Plant isoprenoids are formed from precursors synthesized by the mevalonate （MVA） pathway in the cytosol or by the methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate （MEP） pathway in plastids. Although some exchange of precursors occurs, cytosolic sesquiterpenes are assumed to derive mainly from MVA, while plastidial monoterpenes are produced preferentially from MEP precursors. Additional complexity arises in the first step of the MEP pathway, which is typically catalyzed by two divergent 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase isoforms （DXS1, DXS2）. In tomato （Solanum lycopersicum）, the SIDXS1 gene is ubiquitously expressed with highest levels during fruit ripening, whereas SIDXS2 transcripts are abundant in only few tissues, including young leaves, petals, and isolated trichomes. Specific down-regulation of SIDXS2 expression was performed by RNA interference in transgenic plants to investigate feedback mechanisms. SIDXS2 down-regulation led to a decrease in the monoterpene β-phellandrene and an increase in two sesquiterpenes in trichomes. Moreover, incorporation of MVA-derived precursors into residual monoterpenes and into sesquiterpenes was elevated as determined by comparison of ^13C to ^12C natural isotope ratios. A compensatory up-regulation of SIDXS1 was not observed. Down-regulated lines also exhibited increased trichome density and showed less damage by leaf-feeding Spodoptera littoralis caterpillars. The results reveal novel, non-redundant roles of DXS2 in modulating isoprenoid metabolism and a pronounced plasticity in isoprenoid precursor allocation.

Arginine methylation of ribose-5-phosphate isomerase A senses glucose to promote human colorectal cancer cell survival

Cancer cells remodel their metabolic network to adapt to variable nutrient availability. Pentose phosphate pathway(PPP) plays protective and biosynthetic roles by oxidizing glucose to generate reducing power and ribose. How cancer cells modulate PPP activity in response to glucose supply remains unclear. Here we show that ribose-5-phosphate isomerase A(RPIA), an enzyme in PPP, directly interacts with co-activator associated arginine methyltransferase 1(CARM1) and is methylated at arginine 42(R42). R42 methylation up-regulates the catalytic activity of RPIA. Furthermore, glucose deprivation strengthens the binding of CARM1 with RPIA to induce R42 hypermethylation. Insufficient glucose supply links to RPIA hypermethylation at R42, which increases oxidative PPP flux. RPIA methylation supports ROS clearance by enhancing NADPH production and fuels nucleic acid synthesis by increasing ribose supply. Importantly, RPIA methylation at R42 significantly potentiates colorectal cancer cell survival under glucose starvation. Collectively, RPIA methylation connects glucose availability to nucleotide synthesis and redox homeostasis.

Establishment of the Agrobacterium-mediated Genetic Transformation System of Ginkgo biloba and the Construction of the Expression Vector of Gb-DXR

[Objective] The research aimed to provide reference for increasing the genetic transformation efficiency of Ginkgo biloba mediated by Agrobacterium.[Method] Taking the mature embryos of Ginkgo biloba seeds as explants,after 48 hours＇ pre-cultivation on MS medium in the absence of phytohormone,GUS gene was transmitted into embryos of Ginkgo biloba mediated by three kinds of Agrobacterium.Transient expression of GUS gene activity was observed through histochemical staining,and the influencing factors of the expression of GUS gene were analyzed.And the expression vector of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase in the biosynthesis approach of biobalide precursor of Ginkgo biloba was constructed.[Result] A more suitable genetic transformation scheme was obtained as follows：taking embryos of Ginkgo biloba as explants,using EHA105 Agrobacterium with pCAMBIA1304＋ for infection,co-culture for 3 days and GUS staining.The results showed that transient expression rate of GUS after transformation was higher.[Conclusion] The research provide a more effective method for further study on the transgene of Ginkgo biloba.

Bombyx mori Pyridoxal Kinase cDNA Cloning and Enzymatic Characterization

Pyridoxal kinase （PLK） （EC 2.7.1.35） catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of pyridoxal, generating pyridoxal-5＇-phosphate （PLP）, an important cofactor for many enzymatic reactions. Bombyx mori, similar to mammals, relies on a nutritional source of vitamin B6 to synthesize PLP. This article describes how a cDNA encoding PLK was cloned from Bombyx mori using the PCR method （GenBank accession number： DQ452397）. The cDNA has an 894 bp open reading frame and encodes a protein of 298 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 33.1 k.Da. The amino acid sequence shares 48.6% identity with that of human PLK, and it also contains signature conserved motifs of the PLK family. However, the protein is 10 or more amino acids shorter than the PLK from mammals and plants, and several amino acid residues conserved in the PLK from mammals and plants are changed in the protein. The cDNA cloned was expressed successfully in Escherichia coli using the T7 promoter/T7 RNA polymerase expression system, and the crude extracts containing the expressed product were found to have strong PLK enzymatic activity with a value of 30 nmol/min/mg, confirming that the cDNA encodes the functional PLK of Bombyx mori. This is the first identification of a gene encoding PLK in insects.

Sperm glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene expression in asthenozoospermic spermatozoa

It has been suggested that the energy required for sperm motility is produced by oxidative phosphorylation while glycolysis seems to be an important source for ATP transmission along the flagellum. Some studies have investigated the chemical and kinetic properties of the enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase to identify any changes in the regulation of glycolysis and sperm motility. In contrast, there are few studies analyzing the genetic basis of hypokinesis. For this reason, we investigated the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene in human sperm to evaluate whether asthenozoospermia was correlated with any changes in its expression. Semen examination and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene expression studies were carried out on 116 semen samples divided into two groups - Group A consisted of 58 normokinetic samples and Group B of 58 hypokinetic samples. Total RNA was extracted from spermatozoa, and real-time PCR quantification of mRNA was carried out using specific primers and probes. The expression profiles for the Groups A and B were very similar. The mean delta Ct was as follows - Group A, 5.79 ＋ 1.04; Group B, 5.47 ＋ 1.27. Our study shows that in human sperm, there is no difference in glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene expression between samples with impaired motility and samples with normal kinetics. We believe that this study could help in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of sperm kinetics, suggesting that hypomotility may be due to a possible posttranscriptional impairment of the control mechanism, such as mRNA splicing, or to posttranslational changes.

Vitamin B6 and colorectal cancer:Current evidence and future directions

Colorectal cancer remains the third most common cancer in both women and men worldwide.Identifying modifiable dietary factors is crucial in developing primary prevention strategies.Vitamin B6 is involved in more than 100 coenzyme reactions,and may influence colorectal cancer risk in multiple ways including through its role in one-carbon metabolism related DNA synthesis and methylation and by reducing inflammation,cell proliferation,and oxidative stress.Observational studies of dietary or dietary plus supplementary intake of vitamin B6 and colorectal cancer risk have been inconsistent with most studies reporting nonsignificant positive or inverse associations.However,published studies of plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate(the active form of vitamin B6) levels consistently support an approximately 30%-50% reduction in risk of colorectal cancer comparing high with low concentrations.The reasons for the discrepancy in the results between dietary-based and plasma-based studies remain unresolved.Other unresolved questions include the effects of vitamin B6 intake in early life(i.e.,childhood or adolescence) and of suboptimal vitamin B6 status on colorectal cancer risk,whether the associations with vitamin B6 differ across molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer,and whether the vitamin B6-colorectal cancer association is modified by genetic variants of one-carbon metabolism.

Homology modeling and docking studies of IscS from extremophile Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

The gene iscS-3 from ,4cidithiobacillus ferrooxidans may play a central role in the delivery of sulfur to a variety of metabolic pathways in this organism. For insight into the sulfur metabolic mechanism of the bacteria, an integral three-dimensional （3D） molecular structure of the protein encoded by this gene was built by homology modeling techniques, refined by molecular dynamics simulations, assessed by PROFILE-3D and PROSTAT programs and further used to search bind sites, carry out flexible docking with cofactor pyridoxal 5＇-phosphate（PLP） and substrate cysteine and hereby detect its key residues. Through these procedures, the detail conformations of PLP-IscS（P-I） and cysteine-PLP-IscS（C-P-I） complexes were obtained. In P-I complex, the residues of Lys208, His106, Thr78, Ser205, His207, Asp182 and Gln185 have large interaction energies and/or hydrogen bonds fixation with PLP. In C-P-I complex, the amino group in cysteine is very near His106, Lys208 and PLP, the interaction energies for cysteine with them are very high. The above results are well consistent with those experimental facts of the homologues from other sources. Interestingly, the four residues of Glul05, Glu79, Ser203 and Hisl80 in P-I docking and the residue of Lys213 in C-P-I docking also have great interaction energies, which are fitly conservation in IscSs from all kinds of sources but have not been identified before. From these results, this gene can be confirmed at 3D level to encode the iron-sulfur cluster assembly protein IscS and subsequently play a sulfur traffic role. Furthermore, the substrate cysteine can be presumed to be effectively recruited into the active site. Finally, the above detected key residues can be conjectured to be directly responsible for the bind and/or catalysis of PLP and cysteine.

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase regulates type-Ⅰ vs type-Ⅱ phenotyping of human vascular endothelial cells

AIM: To identify kinases involved in phenotype regulation of vascular endothelial cells(VECs): Proproliferative G-protein signaling 5(RGS5)^(high)(typeⅠ) vs anti-proliferative RGS5^(low)(typeⅡ) VECs.METHODS: Proteomic kinase assays were performed to identify the crucial kinase involved in the phenotype regulation of human VECs using typeⅠ VECs, which promotes the proliferation of human vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs), and typeⅡ VECs, which suppress the proliferation of human VSMCs. The assays were performed using multiple pairs of typeⅠ and typeⅡ VECs to obtain the least number of candidates. The involvement of the candidate kinases was verified by evaluating the effects of their specific inhibitors on the phenotype regulation of human VECs as well as the expression levels of regulator of RGS5, which is the causative gene for the "typeⅡ to typeⅠ" phenotype conversion of human VECs. RESULTS: p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38α MAPK) was the only kinase that showed distinctive activities between typeⅠ and typeⅡ VECs: p38α MAPK activities were low and high in type-Ⅰand typeⅡ VECs, respectively. We found that an enforced expression of RGS5 indeed lowered p38α MAPK activitiesin typeⅡ VECs. Furthermore, treatments with a p38α MAPK inhibitor nullified the anti-proliferative potential in typeⅡ VECs. Interestingly, MAPK inhibitor treatments enhanced the induction of RGS5 gene. Thus, there is a vicious cycle between "RGS5 induction" and "p38α MAPK inhibition", which can explain the unidirectional process in the stress-induced "typeⅡ to typeⅠ" conversions of human VECs. To understand the upstream signaling of RGS5, which is known as an inhibitory molecule against the G protein-coupled receptor(GPCR)-mediated signaling, we examined the effects of RGS5 overexpression on the signaling events from sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P) to N-cadherin, because S1 P receptors belong to the GPCR family gene and N-cadherin, one of their downstream effectors, is reportedly involved in the regulation of VEC-VSMC interactions. We found that RGS5 specifically bound with S1P1. Moreover, N-cadherin localization at intercellular junctions in typeⅡ VECs was abolished by "RGS5 overexpression" and "p38α MAPK inhibition".CONCLUSION: p38α MAPK plays crucial roles in "type-Ⅰ vs type-Ⅱ" phenotype regulations of human VECs at the downstream of RGS5.

Varying Tolerance to Glyphosate in a Population of Palmer Amaranth with Low EPSPS Gene Copy Number

A Palmer amaranth population (seeds collected in the year 2000;Washington Co., MS) suspected to be susceptible to glyphosate was examined as a population and as individual plants and found to exhibit varying tolerance or resistance to glyphosate. Whole plant spraying of glyphosate (0.84 kg·ha?1) to the population revealed that approximately 40% of this population were resistant to glyphosate and an LD50 of 0.75 kg·ha?1 was determined. Spray application of glyphosate indicated that some plants displayed varying degrees of resistance 14 days after treatment. Initial tests using leaf disc bioassays on 10 individual plants selected randomly from the population, allowed characterization of glyphosate resistance using both visual ratings of injury and quantitative measurement via chlorophyll content analysis. After initial bioassays and spray application, five plants with a range of tolerance to glyphosate were selected for cloning so that further studies could be accomplished on these individuals. Q-PCR analysis of these clones showed that resistance was not due to elevated EPSPS gene copy number. Shikimate levels were lower in the resistant and higher in the susceptible clones which correlated with varying degrees of resistance demonstrated in bioassays and spray application of glyphosate of these clones. Results demonstrate that individuals in a population can vary widely with respect to herbicide resistance and suggest that uptake, translocation, sequestration, metabolism or altered target site may contribute to the resistance in some individuals of this population.

Vitamin B6 and Lipid Contents in Engraulisjaponica Specifically Caught for Production of Japanese Soup Stock

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between percentage of body lipid and individual vitamin B6 contents in the anchovy used for production of Japanese soup stock. The contents of individual vitamin B6 compound in foods should be determined to estimate the functionality of foods. Anchovies （Engraulisjaponica） for use as production of iriko, which is a raw material for preparation of Japanese soup stock, were caught using a medium-sized purse seine on May 26th, June 1st, and July 6th 2011 in Tachibana Bay, Nagasaki, Japan. Vitamin B6 contents were analyzed by 4-pyridoxolacone-coversion （all-enzymatic） HPLC. The relationship between body length, lipid content and the individual contents of vitamin B6 compounds in the anchovies was determined. The propriety of anchovies for iriko preparation could not be estimated based on the appearance of length of fishes. The anchovies were rich in vitamin B6, especially pyridoxamine 5＇-phosphate, which may prevent diabetic complications. The percentage of body lipid significantly showed a negative correlation with the content of pyridoxamine 5＇-phosphate. The contents of the other vitamin B6 compounds did not show the significant correlation with the percentage of body lipid.

Stabilization of Alliinase from Garlic by Osmolytes and the Mannose-Specific Lectin ASAI

Objectives： Alliinase is a pyridoxal-5＇-phosphate （PLP）-dependent enzyme responsible for the production of diallyl thiosulfinate （allicin）, the biologically active component of garlic, from alliin. The use of allicin for treatment of various diseases has been proposed but it is very unstable in the blood stream. This difficulty can be overcome by administration of alliin, together with a conjugate of alliinase directed towards the target cells. This, in turn requires a stable and active form of the enzyme. In this study we evaluate the stability of alliinase itself, in the presence mad absence of osmolytes, as well as that of its catalytically active complex with a mannose-specific lectin, ASAI （Allium sativum agglutinin I）, also presents in garlic. Methods： Alliinase, mad ASAI were both purified from garlic cloves. Thermal stability of alliinase itself, mad of its complexes with PLP and ASAI, in the presence mad absence of osmolytes, was analyzed by monitoring enzymic activity, and using DSC （differential scanning calorimetry）. Key findings： PLP exerts only a minor influence on alliinase structure and stablity. But both osmolytes and ASAI stabilize the enzyme considerably. Conclusions： The principle finding is that ASAI greatly stabilizes alliinase. Thus, the lectin-enzyme complex, which can be lyophilized and stored until used, provides an effective formulation of alliinase for generation of allicin from alliin in vivo.

The contributions of bacteria metabolites to the development of hepatic encephalopathy

Over 20%of mortality during acute liver failure is associated with the development of hepatic encephalopathy(HE).Thus,HE is a complication of acute liver failure with a broad spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities ranging from subclinical alterations to coma.HE is caused by the diversion of portal blood into systemic circulation through portosystemic collateral vessels.Thus,the brain is exposed to intestinal-derived toxic substances.Moreover,the strategies to prevent advancement and improve the prognosis of such a liver-brain disease rely on intestinal microbial modulation.This is supported by the findings that antibiotics such as rifaximin and laxative lactulose can alleviate hepatic cirrhosis and/or prevent HE.Together,the significance of the gut-liver-brain axis in human health warrants attention.This review paper focuses on the roles of bacteria metabolites,mainly ammonia and bile acids(BAs)as well as BA receptors in HE.The literature search conducted for this review included searches for phrases such as BA receptors,BAs,ammonia,farnesoid X receptor(FXR),G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1(GPBAR1 or TGR5),sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2(S1PR2),and cirrhosis in conjunction with the phrase hepatic encephalopathy and portosystemic encephalopathy.PubMed,as well as Google Scholar,was the search engines used to find relevant publications.

Functional Cooperativity of Enzymes of Phosphoinositide Conversion According to Synergistic Effects on Pectin Secretion in Tobacco Pollen Tubes

The Arabidopsis phosphoinositide kinases PI4Kβ1 and PIP5K5 have been implicated in the control of directional vesicle trafficking underlying polar tip growth in pollen tubes. PI4Kβ1 and PIP5K5 catalyze key consecutive steps of phosphoinositide conversion, and it appears obvious that phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate formed by PI4Kβ1 might act as a substrate for phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate formation by PIP5K5. However, this hypothesis has not been experimentally addressed and distinct localization patterns of PI4Kβ1, PIP5K5, and also PI-synthases （PIS） generating phosphatidylinositol suggest additional complexity. Here, the synergistic functionality of enzymes of phosphoinositide conversion was assessed. In tobacco and Arabidopsis pollen tubes, phosphoinositides influence the apical secretion of pectin, and increased pectin deposition results in characteristic morphological alterations. Catalytically active and dominant negative variants of PI4Kβ1 and PIP5K5 were systematically co-expressed in tobacco pollen tubes and the incidence of morphologies related to enhanced pectin secretion was evaluated. The data support a proposed functional interplay of PI4Kβ1 and PIP5K5 at the trans-Golgi network, mediating directional vesicle trafficking. Co-expression experiments additionally including PIS isoforms, PIS1 or PIS2, indicate that pectin secretion is synergistically mediated by PI4Kβ1 and PIPSK5 acting on Ptdlns formed by PIS2 rather than PIS1. Possible ramifications for the preferential channeling of phosphoinositide intermediates between particular isoforms of PI pathway enzymes are discussed.

Regulation of bile acid receptor activity

Many receptors can be activated by bile acids(BAs)and their derivatives.These include nuclear receptors farnesoid X receptor(FXR),pregnane X receptor(PXR),and vitamin D receptor(VDR),as well as membrane receptors Takeda G protein receptor 5(TGR5),sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2(S1PR2),and cholinergic receptor muscarinic 2(CHRM2).All of them are implicated in the development of metabolic and immunological diseases in response to endobiotic and xenobiotic exposure.Because epigenetic regulation is critical for organisms to adapt to constant environmental changes,this review article summarizes epigenetic regulation as well as post-transcriptional modification of bile acid re-ceptors.In addition,the focus of this review is on the liver and digestive tract although these receptors may have effects on other organs.Those regulatory mechanisms are implicated in the disease process and critically important in uncovering innovative strategy for prevention and treatment of metabolic and immunological diseases.