Ⅰ. Impact assessment of oil pollution

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科　環境科学Editor : Tazaki, Kazue |田崎, 和

Ⅱ.Impact assessment for fish and wildlife

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科　環境科学Editor : Tazaki, Kazue |田崎, 和

Antioxidant Activity of β-Glucan

β-Glucans extracted from barley, which mainly contains β-(1,3-1,4)-D-glucan, are used extensively as supplements and food additives due to their wide biologic activities, including a reduction in blood lipid level. In this study, the antioxidant activity of β-glucan was examined to assess potential new benefits associated with β-glucan, because oxidative stress is considered one of the primary causal factors for various diseases and aging. β-Glucan extracted from barley was found to possess significant antioxidant activity. The amount of antioxidant activity was influenced by different physiologic properties (e.g., structure and molecular size) of β-glucan, which varied depending on the source and extraction method used. The antioxidant activity of β-glucan was significantly higher than that of various polymers that are used as food additives. These results indicate that β-glucan has promise as a polymeric excipient for supplement and food additive with antioxidant and other benefits, which may contribute to enhancing health and beauty

L-Ascorbate Biosynthesis Involves Carbon Skeleton Rearrangement in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Ascorbate (AsA) is required as a cofactor and is widely distributed in plants and animals. Recently, it has been suggested that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans also synthesizes AsA. However, its biosynthetic pathway is still unknown. To further understand AsA biosynthesis in C. elegans, we analyzed the incorporation of the 13C atom into AsA using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in worms fed with D-Glc (1-13C)-labeled Escherichia coli. GC-MS analysis revealed that AsA biosynthesis in C. elegans, similarly to that in mammalian systems, involves carbon skeleton rearrangement. The addition of L-gulono-1,4-lactone, an AsA precursor in the mammalian pathway, significantly increased AsA level in C. elegans, whereas the addition of L-galactono-1,4-lactone, an AsA precursor in the plant and Euglena pathway, did not affect AsA level. The suppression of E03H4.3 (an ortholog of gluconolactonase) or the deficiency of F54D5.12 (an ortholog of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase) significantly decreased AsA level in C. elegans. Although N2- and AsA-deficient F54D5.12 knockout mutant worm (tm6671) morphologies and the ratio of collagen to non-collagen protein did not show any significant differences, the mutant worms exhibited increased malondialdehyde levels and reduced lifespan compared with the N2 worms. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the AsA biosynthetic pathway is similar in C. elegans and mammals

Structure of the dopamine D2 receptor in complex with the antipsychotic drug spiperone

統合失調症に関わるドパミン受容体の構造解明 --副作用を抑えた薬の迅速な探索・設計が可能に--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-12-24.In addition to the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR), the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) is a key therapeutic target of antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia. The inactive state structures of D2R have been described in complex with the inverse agonists risperidone (D2Rris) and haloperidol (D2Rhal). Here we describe the structure of human D2R in complex with spiperone (D2Rspi). In D2Rspi, the conformation of the extracellular loop (ECL) 2, which composes the ligand-binding pocket, was substantially different from those in D2Rris and D2Rhal, demonstrating that ECL2 in D2R is highly dynamic. Moreover, D2Rspi exhibited an extended binding pocket to accommodate spiperone’s phenyl ring, which probably contributes to the selectivity of spiperone to D2R and 5-HT2AR. Together with D2Rris and D2Rhal, the structural information of D2Rspi should be of value for designing novel antipsychotics with improved safety and efficacy

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Desenvolvimento de Ambientes Inteligentes Assistivos Acionamento de uma Cadeira de Rodas

Ambientes inteligentes podem ser definidos como uma evolução de sistemas de automação convencionais que de forma ubíqua e pervasiva têm por objetivo facilitar a execução de tarefas diárias. Estes novos sistemas apresentam um alto grau de automação de processos e produtos e mesclam diferentes tecnologias, hoje existentes de forma isolada, dentro de um ambiente habitado integrado. O objetivo final é prover sistemas automatizados capazes de suprir necessidades como conforto, entretenimento, auxílio no cuidado de enfermos e idosos, segurança do ambiente, economia de recursos, além de outras funcionalidades que se adaptam às necessidades do ser humano inserido nestes ambientes. Para implantar o conceito de Ambientes Inteligentes se faz necessário envolver uma grande quantidade de tecnologias relacionadas à eletrônica e ao desenvolvimento de software. Entre estas tecnologias pode-se citar novos materiais, sistemas micro-eletromecânicos, tecnologias de sensores, comunicação sem fios, interfaces de comunicação inteligentes, softwares adaptativos, sistemas embarcados, agentes de software, etc. De fato, o cenário tecnológico atual tem permitido que equipamentos cada vez menores tenham cada vez mais poder de processamento e de intercomunicação, e com isso, novas aplicações podem ser propostas. Sensores e atuadores podem ser conectados em redes sem fios a custo muito baixo hoje em dia, tornando possível obter uma grande quantidade de dados a respeito de um determinado ambiente ou processo, e agir sobre eles. No entanto, para que um cenário de AmI possa se tornar realidade, não basta apenas coletar dados. É preciso dotar o sistema de inteligência computacional para que o mesmo possa processar tais dados de forma a inferir no contexto dos mesmos e ainda levar em consideração a perspectiva do usuário humano. Com isso, é possível tornar o ambiente reativo e adaptável às necessidades dos usuários. Diversos sistemas que usam os conceitos e abordagens de Ambientes Inteligentes procuram resolver problemas relacionados à saúde do ser humano que interage com esses sistemas. Nasce assim o conceito de Healthcare, ou seja, sistemas eletrônicos e computacionais, ubíquos e pervasivos, que oferecem soluções para pessoas com necessidades especiais. Nesse projeto de iniciação cientifica, a aluna bolsista será responsável por pesquisar temas relacionados ao acionamento de uma cadeira de rodas automatizada. Seu principal trabalho será integrar os controles desse dispositivo de auxilio a um ambiente inteligente a ser implementado no Ceteli. O enfoque será dado em soluções inovadoras que façam uso de novas tecnologias. Para tanto, será necessário estudar as tecnologias de sensoriamento e acionamento automáticos, além de técnicas e tecnologias que permitam aprimorar os serviços oferecidos. O resultado será a proposição de novas abordagens teóricas e práticas para a construção de aplicações para sistemas de ambientes inteligentes.CNP