Latest news with #KobeUniversity
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Noster research: Gut bacteria-derived molecule found to shrink fat cells and improve metabolism
KYOTO, Japan, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Joint study by University of Shizuoka, Kobe University, and Noster Inc. uncovers a novel postbiotic pathway for obesity prevention. A new collaborative study from the University of Shizuoka, Kobe University, and Kyoto-based biotech company Noster Inc. has revealed that a natural compound produced by beneficial gut bacteria can directly act on fat cells, reducing their size and improving cellular metabolism. These findings, published in Nutrients, point to a new mechanism by which microbiome-derived compounds may help combat obesity and related diseases. The compound—HYA (10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid)—is made when certain gut bacteria, including Lactobacillus, metabolize linoleic acid, a common dietary fat. While HYA has previously been shown to support gut health and inflammation control, this study is the first to demonstrate that it directly alters the behavior of fat cells themselves. "We've known that metabolites from gut bacteria can influence the body, but this is the first clear evidence that HYA acts directly on adipose tissue," says Tetsuya Hosooka, Associate Professor at the University of Shizuoka and senior author of the study. "The discovery that gut bacteria can regulate fat cell function adds an exciting new dimension to our understanding of host–microbe communication." Key findings In the study, mice fed a high-fat diet were supplemented with HYA for five weeks. The fat cells themselves were significantly smaller compared to mice not receiving HYA—indicating a reduction in adipocyte hypertrophy, which is closely associated with insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. The researchers then examined the effects of HYA on cultured fat cells. In these experiments, HYA-treated adipocytes accumulated less fat, showed reduced expression of fat synthesis genes (FAS, ACC1, SCD1), and increased expression of genes involved in fat oxidation (CPT1A). This shift was linked to activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key energy-regulating enzyme in cells. Importantly, the study found that HYA boosts intracellular calcium levels in fat cells, which in turn activates AMPK. This newly described mechanism is independent of GPR40 and GPR120, two receptors previously thought to mediate HYA's effects, suggesting that a different signaling route is involved. These results reinforce the idea that postbiotics—beneficial substances produced by gut microbes—can influence metabolic health by acting directly on distant tissues. Reference Matsushita R, Sato K, Uchida K, Imi Y, Amano R, Kasahara N, Kitao Y, Oishi Y, Kawaai H, Tomimoto C, et al. A Gut Microbial Metabolite HYA Ameliorates Adipocyte Hypertrophy by Activating AMP-Activated Protein Kinase. Nutrients, 2025; 17(8):1393. Glossary HYA – A natural compound produced by gut bacteria from dietary fat Adipocyte – A cell that stores fat in the body AMPK – An enzyme that regulates how cells use energy Postbiotic – A health-promoting compound made by gut microbes Hypertrophy – The enlargement of individual cells, often seen in obesity Abbreviations AMP (adenosine monophosphate), FAS (fatty acid synthase), ACC1 (acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1), SCD1 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1), CPT1A (carnitine acyltransferase 1A), GPR (G protein-coupled receptor) About Noster Inc. Noster Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Kyoto, Japan. The company focuses on postbiotics—compounds produced by gut bacteria—to develop new approaches to healthcare. By collaborating with universities and research institutes, Noster aims to translate microbiome science into real-world solutions for chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions. CEO: Kohey Kitao Head Office & Research Center: 35-3 Minamibiraki, Kamiueno-cho, Muko, Kyoto 617-0006, Japan Website: Contact Information Public Relations: Nanami Akatsuka Tel: +81-75-921-5303 / Fax: +81-75-924-2702 Email: contact@ Photo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Noster Inc Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Noster research: Gut bacteria-derived molecule found to shrink fat cells and improve metabolism
KYOTO, Japan, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Joint study by University of Shizuoka, Kobe University, and Noster Inc. uncovers a novel postbiotic pathway for obesity prevention. A new collaborative study from the University of Shizuoka, Kobe University, and Kyoto-based biotech company Noster Inc. has revealed that a natural compound produced by beneficial gut bacteria can directly act on fat cells, reducing their size and improving cellular metabolism. These findings, published in Nutrients, point to a new mechanism by which microbiome-derived compounds may help combat obesity and related diseases. The compound—HYA (10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid)—is made when certain gut bacteria, including Lactobacillus, metabolize linoleic acid, a common dietary fat. While HYA has previously been shown to support gut health and inflammation control, this study is the first to demonstrate that it directly alters the behavior of fat cells themselves. "We've known that metabolites from gut bacteria can influence the body, but this is the first clear evidence that HYA acts directly on adipose tissue," says Tetsuya Hosooka, Associate Professor at the University of Shizuoka and senior author of the study. "The discovery that gut bacteria can regulate fat cell function adds an exciting new dimension to our understanding of host–microbe communication." Key findings In the study, mice fed a high-fat diet were supplemented with HYA for five weeks. The fat cells themselves were significantly smaller compared to mice not receiving HYA—indicating a reduction in adipocyte hypertrophy, which is closely associated with insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. The researchers then examined the effects of HYA on cultured fat cells. In these experiments, HYA-treated adipocytes accumulated less fat, showed reduced expression of fat synthesis genes (FAS, ACC1, SCD1), and increased expression of genes involved in fat oxidation (CPT1A). This shift was linked to activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key energy-regulating enzyme in cells. Importantly, the study found that HYA boosts intracellular calcium levels in fat cells, which in turn activates AMPK. This newly described mechanism is independent of GPR40 and GPR120, two receptors previously thought to mediate HYA's effects, suggesting that a different signaling route is involved. These results reinforce the idea that postbiotics—beneficial substances produced by gut microbes—can influence metabolic health by acting directly on distant tissues. Reference Matsushita R, Sato K, Uchida K, Imi Y, Amano R, Kasahara N, Kitao Y, Oishi Y, Kawaai H, Tomimoto C, et al. A Gut Microbial Metabolite HYA Ameliorates Adipocyte Hypertrophy by Activating AMP-Activated Protein Kinase. Nutrients, 2025; 17(8):1393. Glossary HYA – A natural compound produced by gut bacteria from dietary fat Adipocyte – A cell that stores fat in the body AMPK – An enzyme that regulates how cells use energy Postbiotic – A health-promoting compound made by gut microbes Hypertrophy – The enlargement of individual cells, often seen in obesity Abbreviations AMP (adenosine monophosphate), FAS (fatty acid synthase), ACC1 (acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1), SCD1 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1), CPT1A (carnitine acyltransferase 1A), GPR (G protein-coupled receptor) About Noster Inc. Noster Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Kyoto, Japan. The company focuses on postbiotics—compounds produced by gut bacteria—to develop new approaches to healthcare. By collaborating with universities and research institutes, Noster aims to translate microbiome science into real-world solutions for chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions. CEO: Kohey Kitao Head Office & Research Center: 35-3 Minamibiraki, Kamiueno-cho, Muko, Kyoto 617-0006, Japan Website: Contact Information Public Relations: Nanami Akatsuka Tel: +81-75-921-5303 / Fax: +81-75-924-2702 Email: contact@ Photo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Noster Inc Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Lost in space: Why some meteorites look less 'shocked' than others
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. What happens when two carbon-rich space rocks slam into each other? You'd expect to see clear signs of impact in the ensuing meteorites — but for over 30 years, scientists have puzzled over why meteorites that contain carbon appear less affected by such violent encounters than those that don't. Understanding why carbon-rich meteorites appear "less shocked" helps scientists interpret the history and evolution of solar system bodies more accurately. Shock features in meteorites are a sort of forensic evidence — they reveal how often, and how violently, space rocks have collided with each other, and with planetary bodies, over the eons. If certain materials obscure or erase that evidence, it could skew our understanding of planetary formation, the conditions on early asteroids, or even how life-essential elements, like carbon, were distributed throughout the solar system. Related: What are meteorites? To find a solution, Kosuke Kurosawa, an astrophysicist at Kobe University in Japan, turned to an old theory: that asteroid collisions release vapor from water-bearing minerals in the rocks, which then carries the evidence away into space. "I specialize in impact physics and am interested in how the meteorite material changes in response to impacts, something called 'shock metamorphism,'" Kurosawa explained in a statement. "And so, I was very interested in this question," the researcher added. "I thought the [old theory] was brilliant, but it had problems." For one, the original proponents never calculated whether the process would generate enough energy — or water vapor — to actually blast impact evidence into space. And then there's a bigger issue: some carbon-rich meteorites still appear "less shocked," despite lacking any water-bearing minerals. But Kurosawa wasn't ready to abandon the theory just yet. To investigate how carbon-bearing minerals behave during collisions, his team built a two-stage light gas gun linked to a sample chamber designed to analyze gases released after high-speed collisions. The design allowed the researchers to isolate and analyze gases from the impact alone, by separating the sample chamber from the gun mechanism — preventing contamination from gases generated during the shot itself. Related stories: — Meteor showers and shooting stars: Formation and history — James Webb Space Telescope spots asteroid collision in neighboring star system — Solar system planets, order and formation: The ultimate guide The experiments revealed that impacts by carbon-rich space rocks trigger chemical reactions that generate not water vapor but extremely hot carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gases. "We found that the momentum of the ensuing explosion is enough to eject the surrounding highly shocked rock material into space," Kurosawa said. "Such explosions occur on carbon-rich meteorites, but not on carbon-poor ones." Kurosawa believes that, while evidence of such collisions might be difficult to obtain on smaller objects, larger bodies like the dwarf planet Ceres should have enough gravity to to pull the ejected material back to the body's surface. "Our results predict that Ceres should have accumulated highly shocked material produced by these impacts, and so we believe that this provides a guideline for planning the next generation of planetary exploration missions," said Kurosawa. The new study was published online Thursday (April 24) in the journal Nature Communications.
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Where bees won't go: How flowers rely on cockroaches, bats and moths
New research is showing just how much plants and crops rely on a host of darkness-dwelling creepy crawlies. Think pollination, and you will likely picture a butterfly or bee flitting between flowers. But while these are indeed important pollinators, both the natural world and our food supplies rely on a host of other creatures, some of them decidedly less appealing. Most of the world's 350,000 species of flowering plants rely on animal pollinators for reproduction. Pollinators and their importance for ecosystems are increasingly in the spotlight in recent years due to the dramatic decline in their numbers. Birds, bats, bees, bumblebees and butterflies have all been affected, with some populations shrinking by 80% or more. The causes include habitat loss, pesticides and climate change. And recent research has also shown that pollinator diversity is just as vital for ecosystems and cultivated plants as the sheer numbers of pollinators, and found that this diversity is on the decline for similar reasons. Scientists estimate that 3-5% of fruit, vegetable and nut production is lost globally as a result of inadequate pollination, affecting the availability of healthy food and threatening human health. From cockroaches and beetles to the tiny "bees of the seas", here are some of the most unexpected, and occasionally disconcerting, pollinators the world continues to rely on – even if we don't always see them. Cockroaches Cockroaches are, in the words of one study, "among Earth's most despised creatures". But recent research suggests they play a beneficial and long overlooked role as plant pollinators – especially in the darker areas of forest often avoided by the world's more beloved bees and butterflies. "Traditionally, pollination has been associated with bees, flies, moths and butterflies," says Kenji Suetsugu, a professor of biology at Kobe University in Japan. "However, emerging studies reveal that unexpected visitors such as cockroaches can play significant roles under certain conditions." These "alternative pollinators", he adds, are often particularly important in environments where conventional pollinators are scarce, such as "in dense, shaded understories where light is limited and typical pollinators are infrequent". In fact, a growing body of research suggests that cockroaches act as pollinators in a rich and varied range of ecosystems – a role that previously went mostly unnoticed by researchers, since the creatures are nocturnal and less obvious in their interactions with plants than bees. In recent years, cockroach pollination has been reported for plant species such as Clusia blattophila, which grows on rocky outcrops in French Guiana, and the rare and endangered Vincetoxicum hainanense in China, amongst others. Suetsugu has studied the role of cockroaches in pollination in dense, evergreen forests on Yakushima Island, a lush, subtropical island off Japan. He was specifically interested in cockroach-assisted pollination of Balanophora tobiracola, a mushroom-shaped parasitic plant. Since cockroaches are elusive and nocturnal, he used several tricks to better understand their interactions with this plant. For example, he set up a waterproof digital camera in front of one flowering plant which took photos of it in 50-second intervals from dusk till dawn for around three weeks. The resulting photographs – more than 34,000 shots – showed cockroaches visiting the flower at night. Suetsugu also captured cockroaches after they'd visited the plant to identify and count the pollen grains on their bodies. To investigate how a single cockroach visit affected the plant's chance of setting fruit, he enclosed five of the plant's flowers with a fine mesh and opened it only for one visit by the Margattea satsumana cockroach (the most frequent cockroach visitor for this plant), then closed it again. He compared this with other treatments of the plant, such as covering the flowers with mesh for the entire flowering period, to exclude all pollinators. The study, published in 2025, provides "the first direct evidence of effective cockroach pollination" in this type of plant, says Suetsugu. "In the case of a single visit [by a cockroach], nearly 40% of flowers developed pollen tubes, a strong indicator of successful pollination." Beetles As soon as the first ever flowers unfurled from their buds in the early Cretaceous period, they were visited by pollinators. But those first soft landings on their petals weren't by bees or butterflies – instead, it's thought that the pioneers of pollination may have had six scuttling legs and tough, shiny shells. They were beetles. Beetles remain important pollinators to this day, often visiting flowers with the most seemingly unpromising allure – little nectar, greenish flowers, and an overpowering, possibly putrid smell, a set of traits known as "beetle pollination syndrome". Despite millions of years of evolution, beetles remain among the most frequent pollinators of primitive flowers which emerged among the dinosaurs, such as magnolias. And unlike the more well-known modern pollinators, many beetles like to operate at night, flying or crawling towards the warmth and delectable scent emitted by certain beetle-specialised flowers, such as lowiaceae orchids in Borneo which smell strongly of faeces – a favourite of dung beetles. Moths As they hover above wild tobacco flowers, hawkmoths unfurl their 8cm (3in)-long proboscis to drink up its nectar – among their favourite meals. As they do this, grains of pollen are also pulled – as if by magic – across air gaps of several millimetres or even centimetres. This happens because, incredibly, moths collect so much static electricity whilst in flight that pollen is pulled through the air towards them. The fact that they don't need to touch flowers in order to pollinate them makes them very good pollinators. The majority of pollination research has tended to focus on day-flying insects, but researchers are now probing what is happening at night. In 2023, researchers from the University of Sussex, UK, discovered moths may even be more efficient pollinators than bees. The team studied both daytime and nocturnal pollinator visits to bramble plants, a widespread species across Europe which is important to pollinators for its pollen and nectar. While the study found that 83% of all visits were made in the day, and just 17% made under cover of darkness (almost exclusively by moths), it also found the moths were able to pollinate the flowers more quickly than their daytime counterparts. The authors say nocturnal pollination is understudied. As moths have been shown to transport pollen from wide variety of plant species, further research is needed to fully appreciate the role they and other nocturnal insects play in pollinating, they say. Another recent study from the University of Sheffield, UK, found moths account for a third of all urban pollination. However, a lack of native plant species and diversity of plant life in cities, coupled with scent-stifling air pollution, is still leaving moths struggling to find their next meal. Now, experts are warning of an "alarming" global decline in moth abundance and diversity. There are ways we can help, though, such as planting white flowers, leaving patches of scrub, rough grass and brambles to grow and turning off lights at night. Night-time pollinators such as moths, it turns out, need protecting just as much as bees. Bats Bats are another oft-overlooked furry night-time pollinator. While most bats eat mainly insects, at least 500 plant species in the tropics and subtropics are pollinated largely by nectar-feeding bats. Scientists say that bat pollination (chiropterophily) could have advantages: their large size means they can transfer a lot of pollen at once, and they fly long distances compared with many other pollinators. However, the large size of bats can also make pollination by them energetically expensive for plants. One example is the endangered greater long-eared bat, native to the south-western US and Mexico. It feeds mainly on the pollen and nectar of agave (used to make mezcal and tequila) and various cacti, hovering above the plants just like a hummingbird to feed. Along with the lesser long-nosed bat, it is the main pollinator of agave. Like agave, the pale flowers these bats feed on are often long and bell-shaped, and many bats have evolved ways to reach the nectar at the bottom of them. An extreme example is the tube-lipped nectar bat, found in the cloud forests of Ecuador. The size of a mouse, it has a tongue more than one and a half times its body length – the longest tongue-to-body ratio of any mammal and is the sole pollinator of a plant with corolla tubes of matching length. While not in use, it stows this huge tongue down in its rib cage. More like this:• A wild 'freakosystem' has been born on Hawaii• Elephants hate bees – here's why that's good news for Kenyan farmers• How bug poo can help reverse the soil crisis In fragmented tropical habitats, nectar bats play an important role in keeping certain plants populations healthy, but also in pollinating crops for farmers. However, researchers have warned that bats' status as a long-overlooked pollinator means there is a lack of knowledge of how dependent crops are on bats for harvest yield and quality. A 2020 study found, for example, that bats were the main pollinators of pitayas (dragon fruit), a major crop in central Mexico – and that when bats were excluded from pollinating this crop, yields decreased by 35%. Experts have also warned that decreased populations of bats could lead to a fall in agave abundance. Bats also play an crucial ecological role worldwide for wild plants and crops as both seed dispersers and insect eaters. Pest control by bats has been found to support many crops around the world – from coffee in Costa Rica and cacao in Indonesia to rice in Thailand and cotton in the US – sometimes to the tune of billions of dollars in avoided losses. Like many other pollinators, bats are being impacted by environmental change around the world, with researchers warning that these changes are putting the pollination services bat species provide at risk. 'Bees of the seas' Despite their tiny, inconspicuous flowers, seagrasses are capable of reproducing with no help from animals. Turtle grass, for example, a seagrass which grows in shallow seas across the Caribbean, has miniscule, pollen-producing male flowers and female flowers which don't produce pollen. In coordinated cycles, the female flowers open, followed by male flowers, which release pollen into the tides after sunset. A decade ago, it was widely believed this was the only way that seagrasses pollinated, with pollinating animals only visiting flowers that bloom in the open air. But in an experiment at an aquarium in Mexico in 2016, ecologist Brigitta van Tussenbroek from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and her colleagues showed marine crustaceans were in fact playing a role. "At the onset of the night, many small organisms that were hiding during the day from predators started swimming around," she says. The majority were barely visible crustacean larvae, which approached the male flowers to feed on the energy-rich pollen embedded in "a slimy and sticky substance". "Some of this substance and pollen attached to their body parts when they swim around, while also being tossed to-and-fro by the water movement," says van Tussenbroek. On the receiving end, the female flowers have "tentacle-like stigmas which capture the small pollen-carrying organisms", thus depositing the pollen grains. Mostly, these invertebrates are at the whims of ocean currents, but when waters are calm, they are able to swim purposefully, she adds, earning these bugs the nickname "the bees of the seas". "This was a complete surprise," says van Tussenbroek, and upended the belief that small free-moving fauna played no role at all in pollinating seagrass. But perhaps even more surprising was the discovery in 2022 that tiny Baltic isopods help transport the pollen-like "spermatia" produced by red algae. Does it count as pollination if there is no pollen? The researchers call it "animal-mediated fertilisation" and ask what this means for our understanding of pollination, which is believed to have developed around 130 million years ago when flowering plants first appeared on land. The discovery opens the possibility that these kinds of symbiotic interactions might have developed completely separately on land and in water – and that animal-mediated fertilisation may have emerged in the sea well before plants moved ashore. -- For essential climate news and hopeful developments to your inbox, sign up to the Future Earth newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Parasitic orchids ditch photosynthesis for fungi
In some orchids, photosynthesis is out and parasitism is in. Instead of making food from sunlight, some of these plants have become parasitic and primarily suck nutrients out of the fungi in their roots. Whether these orchids change their feeding method when they can't get enough nutrients through photosynthesis alone or if they actually get more nutritional benefits from the parasitism has eluded scientists. New research into the orchid Oreorchis patens shows that it might be the opportunity and not necessity that is driving them. The findings are detailed in a study published February 19 in The Plant Journal. Most orchid species have a symbiotic relationship with the natural fungi found in their roots. The plants provide the fungi with sugar through photosynthesis and the orchids receive important water and minerals from the fungi. However, some have generally stopped photosynthesis and only feed on the fungi instead. 'I've always been intrigued by how orchids turn parasitic,' Kenji Suetsugu, a study co-author and botanist at Kobe University in Japan, said in a statement. 'Why would a plant give up its reliance on photosynthesis and instead 'steal' from fungi?' In the study, the team looked at Oreorchis patens. This species is common across eastern Asia and is known for iridescent yellow flowers. Oreorchis patens is also considered a partial parasite. It can produce its own food, but also takes up to half of its food budget from fungi. Occasionally, it can grow some strange coral-shaped rootstalks. According to Suetsugu, this trait is more often seen in orchids that fully rely on fungi. 'I thought that this would allow me to compare plants with these organs to those with normal roots, quantify how much extra nutrients they might be gaining, and determine whether that extra translates into enhanced growth or reproductive success,' said Suetsugu. From June 2010 to November 2021, the team conducted fieldwork in three temperate forests, each with over 100 mature Oreorchis patens. Most of the plants were located near decomposing logs on the forest floor or beneath the litter layer. The team found that when an orchid happens to grow close to rotten wood, it will shift its fungal symbionts into those that decompose wood. This change significantly increases the amount of nutrients that it takes from the dying wood, but does not stop photosynthesis. These plants are often bigger and produce more flowers. 'In short, these orchids aren't merely substituting for diminished photosynthesis, they're boosting their overall nutrient budget,' said Suetsugu. 'This clear, adaptive link between fungal parasitism and improved plant vigor is, to me, the most thrilling aspect of our discovery, as it provides a concrete ecological explanation for why a photosynthetic plant might choose this path.' [ Related: These parasitic plants force their victims to make them dinner. ] However, the question of why less than 10 percent of these orchids exhibit this behavior remains unanswered. In order to become a parasite, the orchids need to switch from their usual symbionts to different fungi in order to handle this increased amount of food. The appropriate fungi only occur around fallen wood and during certain stages of decomposition. So the orchids only become parasitic when they can–and are near the right wood–and not when they need to. This opportunity is also not a lengthy visitor and does not happen often. Further study could help determine what triggers the orchids to develop these coral-like rootstalks and whether certain environmental factors influence the amount of nutrients that the plants take in from the fungi. 'This work is part of a broader effort to unravel the continuum from photosynthesis to complete parasitism,' said Suetsugu. 'Ultimately, I hope such discoveries will deepen our understanding of the diverse strategies orchids employ to balance different lifestyles, thereby aiding in the preservation of the incredible diversity of these plants in our forests.'
