Trials for Risk Assessment of Japanese Encephalitis Based on Serologic Surveys of Wild Animals

Flavivirus Encephaliti

Mice with defects in HB-EGF ectodomain shedding show severe developmental abnormalities

Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is first synthesized as a membrane-anchored form (proHB-EGF), and its soluble form (sHB-EGF) is released by ectodomain shedding from proHB-EGF. To examine the significance of proHB-EGF processing in vivo, we generated mutant mice by targeted gene replacement, expressing either an uncleavable form (HBuc) or a transmembrane domain–truncated form (HBΔtm) of the molecule. HBuc/uc mice developed severe heart failure and enlarged heart valves, phenotypes similar to those in proHB-EGF null mice. On the other hand, mice carrying HBΔtm exhibited severe hyperplasia in both skin and heart. These results indicate that ectodomain shedding of proHB-EGF is essential for HB-EGF function in vivo, and that this process requires strict control

The Constrained Maximal Expression Level Owing to Haploidy Shapes Gene Content on the Mammalian X Chromosome.

X chromosomes are unusual in many regards, not least of which is their nonrandom gene content. The causes of this bias are commonly discussed in the context of sexual antagonism and the avoidance of activity in the male germline. Here, we examine the notion that, at least in some taxa, functionally biased gene content may more profoundly be shaped by limits imposed on gene expression owing to haploid expression of the X chromosome. Notably, if the X, as in primates, is transcribed at rates comparable to the ancestral rate (per promoter) prior to the X chromosome formation, then the X is not a tolerable environment for genes with very high maximal net levels of expression, owing to transcriptional traffic jams. We test this hypothesis using The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) and data from the Functional Annotation of the Mammalian Genome (FANTOM5) project. As predicted, the maximal expression of human X-linked genes is much lower than that of genes on autosomes: on average, maximal expression is three times lower on the X chromosome than on autosomes. Similarly, autosome-to-X retroposition events are associated with lower maximal expression of retrogenes on the X than seen for X-to-autosome retrogenes on autosomes. Also as expected, X-linked genes have a lesser degree of increase in gene expression than autosomal ones (compared to the human/Chimpanzee common ancestor) if highly expressed, but not if lowly expressed. The traffic jam model also explains the known lower breadth of expression for genes on the X (and the Z of birds), as genes with broad expression are, on average, those with high maximal expression. As then further predicted, highly expressed tissue-specific genes are also rare on the X and broadly expressed genes on the X tend to be lowly expressed, both indicating that the trend is shaped by the maximal expression level not the breadth of expression per se. Importantly, a limit to the maximal expression level explains biased tissue of expression profiles of X-linked genes. Tissues whose tissue-specific genes are very highly expressed (e.g., secretory tissues, tissues abundant in structural proteins) are also tissues in which gene expression is relatively rare on the X chromosome. These trends cannot be fully accounted for in terms of alternative models of biased expression. In conclusion, the notion that it is hard for genes on the Therian X to be highly expressed, owing to transcriptional traffic jams, provides a simple yet robustly supported rationale of many peculiar features of X's gene content, gene expression, and evolution

A Retrospectively Diagnosed Case of IgG4-Related Tubulointerstitial Nephritis Showing Good Renal Outcome and Pathological Progress

A 74-year-old man was hospitalized for diabetic nephropathy evaluation and assessment of the effect of treatment on his tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN). When he was 62 years old, he developed polyarthralgia and had superficial lymph node swelling, mildly increased serum creatinine concentration, hypergammaglobulinemia, hypocomplementemia, high serum IL-2R level, and positive titer of antinuclear antibody. Several tissues were biopsied. Mild chronic sialadenitis and reactive lymphadenitis were identified. Renal specimen showed mild glomerular ischemia, extensive storiform fibrosis, and abundant infiltrating monocytes and plasma cells. He was treated with oral prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. After the treatment, most of his clinical parameters quickly returned to within the reference range. However, he developed diabetes mellitus soon after steroid therapy. At the time of rebiopsy, a high level of serum IgG4 was detected. The second renal biopsy showed diabetic nephropathy without any tubulointerstitial damage. The first biopsied tissues were retrospectively investigated. Large numbers of IgG4-positive plasma cells were detected in the kidneys and lymph nodes. A retrospective diagnosis of IgG4-related TIN with lymph node involvement was made. In conclusion, this paper describes a retrospectively diagnosed case of IgG4-related TIN with lymph node involvement, showing good clinical and pathological prognosis