Interactions of Cations with the Cytoplasmic Pores of Inward Rectifier K^+ Channels in the Closed State

This research was originally published in Journal of Biological Chemistry. Atsushi Inanobe, Atsushi Nakagawa, and Yoshihisa Kurachi. Interactions of Cations with the Cytoplasmic Pores of Inward Rectifier K^+ Channels in the Closed State. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2011; 286, 41801-41811. © the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Conformational changes underlying pore dilation in the cytoplasmic domain of mammalian inward rectifier K^+ channels

Inanobe A, Nakagawa A, Kurachi Y (2013) Conformational Changes Underlying Pore Dilation in the Cytoplasmic Domain of Mammalian Inward Rectifier K^+ Channels. PLOS ONE 8(11): e79844. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.007984

Investigation of childcare and educational opportunities for children with disabilities aimed at lifelong development: From the life histories of mothers involved in their children’s development

Special needs education began in 2007. Childcare for children with disabilities and children who need to be taken into consideration is provided reasonable considerations in the context on inclusion as in elementary school. However, the perception of special needs education differs from agency to agency and person to person. In addition, there is little research on children with intellectual or physical disabilities in early childhood care settings. So we do not know what kind of support children with different characteristics have received and developed in the same childcare education setting at different stages of their education. This study focused on “differences in disability characteristics” and “each age group of children from the beginning of special-needs education to the present,” and clarified aspects of transition in childcare and education settings, and places from the mothers’ narratives. The findings provide “support for lifelong development,” from the perspective of interaction with the environment. The results suggest the need for caregivers’ support during infancy, teachers’ collaboration to support the lack of relationships in elementary school and beyond, and the establishment of places of residence outside of “home” and “school.” The significance of this study is that it compares similarities and differences in how children with different characteristics need support, within the same childcare and educational settings

Lattice QCD and High Baryon Density State

We report our recent studies on the finite density QCD obtained from lattice QCD simulation with clover-improved Wilson fermions of two flavor and RG-improved gauge action. We approach the subject from two paths, i.e., the imaginary and real chemical potentials.Comment: 10 pages, 16 figures. Proceedings of BARYONS'10 on Decemberg 7-11, 2010, Osaka, Japan. MSN-01

A structural determinant for the control of PIP_2 sensitivity in G protein-gated inward rectifier K^+ channels

Inward rectifier K^+ (Kir) channels are activated by phosphatidylinositol-( 4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP_2), but G protein-gated Kir (K_G) channels further require either G protein βγ subunits (Gβγ) or intracellular Na^+ for their activation. To reveal the mechanism(s) underlying this regulation, we compared the crystal structures of the cytoplasmic domain of K_G channel subunit Kir3.2 obtained in the presence and the absence of Na^+. The Na^+ -free Kir3.2, but not the Na^+ -plus Kir3.2, possessed an ionic bond connecting the N terminus and the CD loop of the C terminus. Functional analyses revealed that the ionic bond between His-69 on theNterminus and Asp-228 on the CD loop, which are known to be critically involved in Gβγ- and Na^+ -dependent activation, lowered PIP_2 sensitivity. The conservation of these residues within the K_G channel family indicates that the ionic bond is a character that maintains the channels in a closed state by controlling the PIP_2 sensitivity.This research was originally published in Journal of Biological Chemistry. Atsushi Inanobe, Atsushi Nakagawa, Takanori Matsuura and Yoshihisa Kurachi. A structural determinant for the control of PIP2 sensitivity in G protein-gated inward rectifier K^+ channels. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2010; 285, 38517-38523. © the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology