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Abstract Background Choosing a partner and job have long been regarded as important developmental milestones to reach in adulthood. In a collective cultural context with high familial and societal expectations to commit to a relationship and job by age 30, maximizing on such life decisions might potentially harm one’s well-being. The literature on maximization-well-being association is complex, and recent research suggests that this relationship might differ by its dimensions and cultural context. In the present study, we examined how engaging in a maximization strategy in relationship and career domains predicts life satisfaction and whether this pathway is mediated by a meaning-making process (search-to-presence of meaning) among established adults in South Korea. Methods Survey data on measures of relational maximization strategy, career maximization strategy, search for meaning, presence of meaning, and life satisfaction was collected from 264 South Korean unmarried, working adults in their 30 s to 40 s. A two-step structural equation modeling method was applied to test the hypothesized serial mediation model. Results Tests of the measurement and structural model showed good fit with the data (CFI = .96, TLI = .95, RMSEA = .07, SRMR = .05). Further bootstrapping results supported significant indirect effects of the serial mediation model in the paths between maximization strategy and life satisfaction via a search-to-presence of meaning in both relational (b = .16, 95% CI [.01, -.16], p

Alternative splicing products of AIMP2 and AIMP2-DX2 (DX2) have been reported to be associated with human lung cancer. In fact, DX2 expression is elevated in human lung cancers, and DX2 transgenic mice also develop lung cancer, in particular small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the mechanism by which DX2 is induced during cancer progression has not been clearly elucidated. Here, we show that DX2 is induced by nicotine, the main component of smoking-related chemicals, which can stabilize the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein and transcriptionally increase sonic hedgehog (Shh). Indeed, nicotine showed tumorigenicity via DX2 by promoting spheroid formation and in vivo lung and kidney cancer progression. Moreover, the elimination of DX2 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) or an optimized inhibitor (SNU-14) blocked the induction of HER2 and Shh and completely suppressed tumor sphere formation in response to nicotine. These results indicate that DX2 is critical for lung cancer progression, and a specific DX2 inhibitor would be useful for the treatment of human cancers, including SCLC and non-SCLC (NSCLC).

With ELISA-based screening, Woo et al. identify a new small molecule, PRG-A01, which can block the misfolding/aggregation of SOD1 or TDP-43 in a human neuroblastoma cell line. Its use in a mouse model of ALS results in improvement of muscle strength, motor neuron viability and mobility, highlighting its therapeutic potential in ALS.

The stromal antigen 3 (STAG3) gene, encoding a meiosis-specific cohesin component, is a strong candidate for causing male infertility, but little is known about this gene so far. We identified STAG3 in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) and normozoospermia in the Korean population. The coding regions and their intron boundaries of STAG3 were identified in 120 Korean men with spermatogenic impairments and 245 normal controls by using direct sequencing and haplotype analysis. A total of 30 sequence variations were identified in this study. Of the total, seven were exonic variants, 18 were intronic variants, one was in the 5'-UTR, and four were in the 3'-UTR. Pathogenic variations that directly caused NOA were not identified. However, two variants, c.3669+35C>G (rs1727130) and +198A>T (rs1052482), showed significant differences in the frequency between the patient and control groups (P = 0.021, odds ratio [OR]: 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.098–2.918) and were tightly linked in the linkage disequilibrium (LD) block. When pmir-rs1052482A was cotransfected with miR-3162-5p, there was a substantial decrease in luciferase activity, compared with pmir-rs1052482T. This result suggests that rs1052482 was located within a binding site of miR-3162-5p in the STAG3 3'-UTR, and the minor allele, the rs1052482T polymorphism, might offset inhibition by miR-3162-5p. We are the first to identify a total of 30 single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) of STAG3 gene in the Korean population. We found that two SNVs (rs1727130 and rs1052482) located in the 3'-UTR region may be associated with the NOA phenotype. Our findings contribute to understanding male infertility with spermatogenic impairment.

Abstract Background Egr4 is expressed in primary and secondary spermatocytes in adult mouse testes and has a crucial role in regulating germ cell maturation. The functional loss of Egr4 blocks spermatogenesis, significantly reducing the number of spermatozoa that are produced. In this study, we examined whether EGR4 variants are present in Korean men with impaired spermatogenesis. Methods A total 170 Korean men with impaired spermatogenesis and 272 normal controls were screened. The coding regions including exon-intron boundaries of EGR4 were sequenced by PCR-direct sequencing method. Results We identified eight sequence variations in the coding region and 3′-UTR regions of the EGR4 gene. Four were nonsynonymous variants (rs771189047, rs561568849, rs763487015, and rs546250227), three were synonymous variants (rs115948271, rs528939702, and rs7558708), and one variant (rs2229294) was localized in the 3′-UTR. Three nonsynonymous variants [c.65_66InsG (p. Cys23Leufs*37), c.236C > T (p. Pro79Leu), c.1294G > T (p. Val432Leu)] and one synonymous variant [c.1230G > A (p. Thr410)] were not detected in controls. To evaluate the pathogenic effects of nonsynonymous variants, we used seven prediction methods. The c.214C > A (p. Arg72Ser) and c.236C > T (p. Pro79Leu) variants were predicted as “damaging” by SIFT and SNAP2. The c.65_66insG (p. Cys23Leufs*37) variants were predicted as “disease causing” by Mutation Taster, SNPs &GO and SNAP2. The c.867C > G (p. Leu289) variants were predicted as “disease causing” only by Mutation Taster. Conclusion To date, this study is the first to screen the EGR4 gene in relation to male infertility. However, our findings did not clearly explain how nonsynonymous EGR4 variations affect spermatogenesis. Therefore, further studies are required to validate the functional impact of EGR4 variations on spermatogenesis.

Because the related domains of work-family conflict and family-work conflict have become significant issues for Korean dual-career couples, we examined whether the satisfaction of autonomy needs (feelings of agency, volition, and initiating one's own actions) in a marriage would moderate the relationship between work-family conflicts and displaced aggression toward family. In addition, we investigated whether such moderating effects would be different for men and women. The results revealed that the satisfaction of autonomy needs in marital relationships buffered the negative effects of work-family conflicts on displaced aggression toward family, although this effect was significant only for men. In contrast, the satisfaction of autonomy needs had a moderating effect on the association between family-work conflicts and displaced aggression toward family for women, but not for men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore correlates of chronic career indecision with multivariate modeling. We examined the effects of neuroticism and negative career thoughts and feelings on lack of information, which is one of the core elements of chronic career indecision. The sample included 310 first-semester students who had entered university study without a declared academic major. The results yielded support for the hypothesized multivariate model. Negative career thoughts and feelings explained a large amount of the variance in lack of information. The influence of neuroticism on lack of information was indirect and fully mediated by negative career thoughts and feelings. These results have significant implications for counseling for chronic career indecision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK) encoded by one of the genes highly expressed in a specific stage of soybean seed development, referred to as GmLRK1, was identified and characterized. Examination of its kinase domain indicated that GmLRK1 may be a catalytically inactive atypical receptor kinase. An autophosphorylation assay confirmed that GmLRK1 is incapable of autophosphorylation in vitro. However, the phosphorylation of GmRLK1 could be induced after incubation with plant protein extracts, suggesting that some plant proteins may interact with GmLRK1 and phosphorylate the protein in vivo. Analyses of the expression profiles of GmLRK1 and its Arabidopsis ortholog At2g36570 revealed that they may be involved in regulation of more fundamental metabolic and/or developmental pathways, rather than a specialized developmental program such as seed development. Our results further indicate that the GmLRK1 and At2g36570 may play a role in the regulation of certain cellular processes that lead to cell elongation and expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase pathway regulates various biological processes, including translation, synthesis of ribosomal proteins, and transcription of rRNA. The ribosomal protein S6 (RPS6) is one of the well known downstream components of the TOR pathway. Ribosomal proteins have been known to have diverse functions in regulating cellular metabolism as well as protein synthesis. So far, however, little is known about other possible role(s) of RPS6 in plants, besides being a component of the 40 S ribosomal subunit and acting as a target of TOR. Here, we report that RPS6 may have a novel function via interaction with histone deacetylase 2B (AtHD2B) that belongs to the plant-specific histone deacetylase HD2 family. RPS6 and AtHD2B were localized to the nucleolus. Co-expression of RPS6 and AtHD2B caused a change in the location of both RPS6 and AtHD2B to one or several nucleolar spots. ChIP analysis suggests that RPS6 directly interacts with the rRNA gene promoter. Protoplasts overexpressing both AtHD2B and RPS6 exhibited down-regulation of pre-18 S rRNA synthesis with a concomitant decrease in transcription of some of the ribosomal proteins, suggesting their direct role in ribosome biogenesis and plant development. This is consistent with the mutation in rps6b that results in reduction in 18 S rRNA transcription and decreased root growth. We propose that the interaction between RPS6 and AtHD2B brings about a change in the chromatin structure of rDNA and thus plays an important role in linking TOR signaling to rDNA transcription and ribosome biogenesis in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]