We established a catalog of the mouse gut metagenome comprising ∼2.6 million nonredundant genes by sequencing DNA from fecal samples of 184 mice. To secure high microbiome diversity, we used mouse strains of diverse genetic backgrounds, from different providers, kept in different housing laboratories and fed either a low-fat or high-fat diet. Similar to the human gut microbiome, >99% of the cataloged genes are bacterial. We identified 541 metagenomic species and defined a core set of 26 metagenomic species found in 95% of the mice. The mouse gut microbiome is functionally similar to its human counterpart, with 95.2% of its Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) orthologous groups in common. However, only 4.0% of the mouse gut microbial genes were shared (95% identity, 90% coverage) with those of the human gut microbiome. This catalog provides a useful reference for future studies.

We recently derived mouse expanded potential stem cells (EPSCs) from individual blastomeres by inhibiting the critical molecular pathways that predispose their differentiation 1. EPSCs had enriched molecular signatures of blastomeres and possessed the developmental potency for all embryonic and extraembryonic cell lineages. Here, we report the derivation of porcine EPSCs, which express key pluripotency genes, are genetically stable, permit genome editing, differentiate to derivatives of the three germ layers in chimeras, and produce primordial germ celllike cells in vitro. Under similar conditions, human ESCs and iPSCs can be converted, or somatic cells directly reprogrammed, to EPSCs that display the molecular and functional attributes reminiscent of porcine EPSCs. Significantly, trophoblast stem cell-like cells can be generated from both human and porcine EPSCs. Our pathwayinhibition paradigm thus opens a new avenue for generating mammalian pluripotent stem cells, and EPSCs present an unique cellular platform for translational research in biotechnology and regenerative medicine.

, and the complex formation between eNOS and heat shock protein 90, resulting in a marked reduction of NO production. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of a constitutively active version of AMPK reversed these changes. In db/db diabetic mice, both APPL1 expression and adiponectin-induced vasodilation were significantly decreased compared with their lean littermates. Taken together, these results suggest that APPL1 acts as a common downstream effector of AdipoR1 and -R2, mediating adiponectin-evoked endothelial NO production and endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Diabetes 56: [1387][1388][1389][1390][1391][1392][1393][1394] 2007 E ndothelial dysfunction, characterized by decreased production and/or bioactivity of nitric oxide (NO) and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation, is a key mediator that links obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases (1). Dysfunction of the endothelium in conduit arteries is a well-established antecedent of hypertension and atherosclerosis, whereas dysfunction of peripheral vascular endothelium at the arteriolar and capillary level contributes to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome (2). On the other hand, insulin resistance aggravates endothelial dysfunction. Therapeutic interventions in animal models and humans have demonstrated that improving endothelial function ameliorates insulin resistance, while increasing insulin sensitivity alleviates endothelial dysfunction (3).Adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing adipokine secreted predominantly from adipocytes, possesses potent protective effects against endothelial dysfunction (4). Unlike most adipokines, plasma levels of adiponectin are decreased in obese individuals and patients with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. An independent association between serum levels of adiponectin and endothelium-dependent vasodilation has been repeatedly documented (5-7). Hypoadiponectinemia has been closely linked to impairment in endotheliumdependent vasodilation in both normal subjects and patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Consistent with these clinical findings, adiponectin-deficient mice exhibit reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation on an atherogenic diet (6), increased neointimal hyperplasia after acute vascular injury (8,9), and elevated blood pressure compared with their wild-type littermates (10). On the other hand, both adenovirus-mediated overexpression of full-length adiponectin and transgenic overexpression of globular adiponectin result in a marked alleviation of atherosclerotic lesion in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (11) and also cause a significant amelioration of endothelial dysfunction and hypertension (10) in obese mice.The endothelium-protective functions of adiponectin are mediated, at least in part, by its ability to increase the production of NO, a vasodilator synthesized by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) from the precursor L-arginine (4,7,12). NO protects the vascular system by enhancing vasodilation and inhibiting platelet aggregation,...