A Case Report of a Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma in a T-cell Receptor β Chain and p53 Double-knockout Mouse

A subcutaneous tumor was found in the right abdomen of a 16-week-old male TCRβ and p53 double-knockout mouse. The tumor had indistinct borders with the surrounding tissue. The cut surface after formalin fixation was pale yellowish white, partially dark red and partly white. Histologically, the tumor was composed of three distinct regions. The first region showed pleomorphic cells arranged in sheets. The second region showed spindle cells arranged in interlacing fascicles. The final region contained a mixture of the above mentioned two types of cells. Furthermore, a small amount of collagen fibers, round cells, multinucleated giant cells, and cells with eosinophilic granules were observed between these tumor cells. Immunohistochemical examination and electron microscopy identified that the pleomorphic cells and spindle cells were histiocytes and fibroblasts, respectively, and that the round cells were undifferentiated mesenchymal cells. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as a malignant fibrous histiocytoma

Characterization of a Thermostable 8-Oxoguanine DNA Glycosylase Specific for GO/N Mismatches from the Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Thermoplasma volcanium

The oxidation of guanine (G) to 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (GO) forms one of the major DNA lesions generated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The GO can be corrected by GO DNA glycosylases (Ogg), enzymes involved in base excision repair (BER). Unrepaired GO induces mismatched base pairing with adenine (A); as a result, the mismatch causes a point mutation, from G paired with cytosine (C) to thymine (T) paired with adenine (A), during DNA replication. Here, we report the characterization of a putative Ogg from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Thermoplasma volcanium. The 204-amino acid sequence of the putative Ogg (TVG_RS00315) shares significant sequence homology with the DNA glycosylases of Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MjaOgg) and Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsoOgg). The six histidine-tagged recombinant TVG_RS00315 protein gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The Ogg protein is thermostable, with optimal activity near a pH of 7.5 and a temperature of 60°C. The enzyme displays DNA glycosylase, and apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) lyase activities on GO/N (where N is A, T, G, or C) mismatch; yet it cannot eliminate U from U/G or T from T/G, as mismatch glycosylase (MIG) can. These results indicate that TvoOgg-encoding TVG_RS00315 is a member of the Ogg2 family of T. volcanium

ガッコウカチ ト コドモタチ

学校は子どもたちに、自らが「価値あるもの」と位置づけるものを伝えようとする。日々の教育活動のなかで、顕在・潜在両面のカリキュラムによって彼らに伝えられる、この「価値あるもの」を、ここでは〈学校価値〉と呼ぶことにする。〈学校価値〉を受容しやすい子どもは、学校に適合的な子どもであり、このく学校価値〉の受容度によって、小学校・中学校段階から子どもたちは日常的な選別を受けるのである。その選別により、同程度に〈学校価値〉を受容し、成績・学力や意識・行動も似かよった子どもどうしがふりわけられ、早い時期から「隠されたトラック」ともいうべき構造が形成されると考えられるが、それは中学校での成績に集約され、高校入試を経ることにより高校間格差という形で顕在化してくる。〈学校価値〉による選別という概念によって、小学校・中学校・高校を一連の選別システムとして把握することが可能となり、またこの選別機能を通じて学校は自己再生産を果たしているのである。論

Flexibility of the coordination geometry around the cupric ions in Cu(II)-rat dipeptidyl peptidase III is important for the expression of enzyme activity.

Dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III), the zinc peptidase, has a unique helix portion in the metal-binding motif (HELLGH). The enzyme activity of the cupric derivative of rat DPP III (Cu(II)-rat DPP III) for Lys-Ala-β-NA is about 30% of that of the wild-type enzyme. On the other hand, the enzyme activity of Cu(II)-rat del-DPP III, in which Leu453 is deleted from the metal-binding motif, possesses only 1-2% of the enzyme activity of rat del-DPP III. The EPR spectra of Cu(II)-rat DPP III in the presence of various concentrations of the substrate, Lys-Ala-β-NA, changed dramatically, showing formation of the enzyme-metal-substrate complex. The EPR spectra of Cu(II)-rat del-DPP III did not change in the presence of excess Lys-Ala-β-NA. The deletion of Leu453 from the HELLGH motif of rat DPP III leads to a complete loss of flexibility in the ligand geometry around the cupric ions. Under the formation of the enzyme-metal-substrate complex, Glu451 of Cu(II)-rat DPP III is sufficiently able to approach the water molecule via a very different orientation from that of the resting state; however, Glu451 of Cu(II)-rat del-DPP III is not able to access the water molecule.Dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III), the zinc peptidase, has a unique helix portion in the metal-binding motif (HELLGH). The enzyme activity of the cupric derivative of rat DPP III (Cu(II)-rat DPP III) for Lys-Ala-β-NA is about 30% of that of the wild-type enzyme. On the other hand, the enzyme activity of Cu(II)-rat del-DPP III, in which Leu453 is deleted from the metal-binding motif, possesses only 1-2% of the enzyme activity of rat del-DPP III. The EPR spectra of Cu(II)-rat DPP III in the presence of various concentrations of the substrate, Lys-Ala-β-NA, changed dramatically, showing formation of the enzyme-metal-substrate complex. The EPR spectra of Cu(II)-rat del-DPP III did not change in the presence of excess Lys-Ala-β-NA. The deletion of Leu453 from the HELLGH motif of rat DPP III leads to a complete loss of flexibility in the ligand geometry around the cupric ions. Under the formation of the enzyme-metal-substrate complex, Glu451 of Cu(II)-rat DPP III is sufficiently able to approach the water molecule via a very different orientation from that of the resting state; however, Glu451 of Cu(II)-rat del-DPP III is not able to access the water molecule

Large-scale identification and characterization of alternative splicing variants of human gene transcripts using 56 419 completely sequenced and manually annotated full-length cDNAs

We report the first genome-wide identification and characterization of alternative splicing in human gene transcripts based on analysis of the full-length cDNAs. Applying both manual and computational analyses for 56 419 completely sequenced and precisely annotated full-length cDNAs selected for the H-Invitational human transcriptome annotation meetings, we identified 6877 alternative splicing genes with 18 297 different alternative splicing variants. A total of 37 670 exons were involved in these alternative splicing events. The encoded protein sequences were affected in 6005 of the 6877 genes. Notably, alternative splicing affected protein motifs in 3015 genes, subcellular localizations in 2982 genes and transmembrane domains in 1348 genes. We also identified interesting patterns of alternative splicing, in which two distinct genes seemed to be bridged, nested or having overlapping protein coding sequences (CDSs) of different reading frames (multiple CDS). In these cases, completely unrelated proteins are encoded by a single locus. Genome-wide annotations of alternative splicing, relying on full-length cDNAs, should lay firm groundwork for exploring in detail the diversification of protein function, which is mediated by the fast expanding universe of alternative splicing variants

都市近郊の里山地域における地域協働型デザイン教育モデルの実践的構築

　本研究は、都市近郊に活用されないまま偏在する緩衝緑地、圃場、里山をフィールドとして、環境デザイン、プロダクト・インテリアデザイン、ソーシャルアートの見地から、持続可能な地域協働型のデザイン教育モデルを構築することを目的としている。　具体的には、研究学園都市周辺地域の荒廃した保安林や緑地、共生ゾーン集落の里山、国営明石海峡公園神戸地区、キーナの森公園、神出里づくり地域などの活用されないまま残る緑地、里山、圃場地等において、自然生態、歴史、文化、環境、空間、素材などの調査活動および、立地環境や整備派生材を生かしたワークショップの企画・運営を実践し、地域協働型のデザイン教育モデルを試行した 。　令和3年度においては、調査対象地における、①地理的・歴史的・文化的側面からのランドスケープおよび建造物調査、②樹木や希少植物などの植生調査を中心に、既存資料などの集約を行い、対象地の利用価値について検討する基礎資料を作成した。実証実験では、地域の教育機関と連携した体験学習会を実施したほか、大学・大学院授業において里山をテーマとした制作を行った。また、調査や実験のプロセス、結果をリアルタイムに映像化・可視化し、SNS等によって情報公開を行った。　The purpose of this research is to construct a sustainable collaborative regional design education model from the perspectives of environmental design, product and interior design, and social art, using buffer green spaces, fields, and satoyama, which remain unutilized and unevenly distributed in the urban suburbs, as fields.　In 2021, the project focused on (1) landscape and building surveys from geographical, historical, and cultural perspectives, (2) vegetation surveys of trees and rare plants,　and compiled existing materials to create basic data for　considering the us e value of the target sites. In the　demonstration experiment, hands on learning sessions were　conducted in collaboration with local educational institutions,　and satoyama themed productions were conducted in university and graduate school classes. In addition, the process and results of the surveys and experiments were visualized in real time and made public through SNS and other means

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Japanese field vole microtus montebelli (Milne-Edwards, 1872) (Rodentia: Arvicolinae)

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the Japanese field vole Microtus montebelli was determined using Illumina MiSeq platform. The assembled genome was 16,307 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes. According to phylogenetic analysis of 13 protein-coding genes, M. montebelli and other Microtus species consist of paraphyletic clades and M. montebelli is most closely related to M. kikuchii, a species endemic to Taiwan