Processing of Thionin Precursors in Barley Leaves by a Vacuolar Proteinase

Thionins are synthesized as precursors with a signal peptide and a long C-terminal acidic peptide that is post-translationally processed. A fusion protein including the maltose-binding protein from Eschrrichia coli (MalE), thionin DG3 froin barley leaves, and its acidic C-terminal peptide has been used to obtain antibodies that recognize both domains of the precursor. In barley leaf sections. mature thionins accuinulated in the vacuolar content, while the acidic peptide was not detected in any cell fraction. Brefeldin A and inonensin inhibited processing of the precursor but its export from the microsomal fraction was not inhibited. Both purified vacuoles aiid an acid (pH 5.5) extract from leaves processed the fusion protein into a MalE-thionin and an acidic peptide fragment. A 70-kDa proteinase that effected this cleavage was purified froin the acid extract. Processing of the fusion protein by both lysed vacuoles and the purified proteinase was inhibited by Zn2+ and by Cu2+, but not by inhibitors of the previously described vacuolar processing thiol or aspartic proteinases. In vivo processing of the thionin precursor in leaf sections was also inhibited by Zn+, and Cu2+, Variants of the fusion protein with altered processing sites that represented thme of thionin precursors from different taxa were readily processed by the proteinase, whereas changing the polarity of either the C-terminal or N-terminal residues of the processing site prevented cleavage by the proteinase

Developments in the Ni–Nb–Zr amorphous alloy membranes

Most of the global H2 production is derived from hydrocarbon-based fuels, and efficient H2/CO2 separation is necessary to deliver a high-purity H2 product. Hydrogen-selective alloy membranes are emerging as a viable alternative to traditional pressure swing adsorption processes as a means for H2/CO2 separation. These membranes can be formed from a wide range of alloys, and those based on Pd are the closest to commercial deployment. The high cost of Pd (USD *31,000 kg-1) is driving the development of less-expensive alternatives, including inexpensive amorphous (Ni60Nb40)100-xZrx alloys. Amorphous alloy membranes can be fabricated directly from the molten state into continuous ribbons via melt spinning and depending on the composition can exhibit relatively high hydrogen permeability between 473 and 673 K. Here we review recent developments in these low-cost membrane materials, especially with respect to permeation behavior, electrical transport properties, and understanding of local atomic order. To further understand the nature of these solids, atom probe tomography has been performed, revealing amorphous Nb-rich and Zr-rich clusters embedded in majority Ni matrix whose compositions deviated from the nominal overall composition of the membrane

Effect of anakinra on arthropathy in CINCA/NOMID syndrome

CINCA/NOMID is an autoinflammatory disorder characterized by the triad of neonatal onset of cutaneous symptoms, chronic meningitis, and recurrent fever and it presents with distinctive osteoarthropathy, synovitis mainly of the large joints and overgrowth of epimetaphyseal cartilage, particularly of the long bones. The cartilage overgrowth eventually causes osseous overgrowth and deformity that persists beyond skeletal maturity and leads to limb length discrepancy, joint contracture, and early degenerative arthropathy. Autoinflammation in CAPS/NOMID has been proven to derive from excessive release of interleukin-1 (IL-1). It has been well documented that the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra (Kineret(R)) helps mitigate systemic inflammation in the disorder. However, a general consensus has not been reached on its beneficial effect on osteoarthropathy. The case of a girl with CINCA/NOMID syndrome who showed dramatic improvement of osteoarthropathy after anakinra treatment is reported. A 4-year-old girl suffered at the age of 10 months from a generalized urticarial skin lesion with recurrent episodes of fever and growth disorder. Blood examination revealed persistent massive neutrophilia, anemia and intense acute phase response. She manifested knee joint swelling with limited ROM when she was 20 months old and was diagnosed as being CINCA/NOMID based on characteristic findings of radiograph despite negative CIAS1 mutation. Radiological examination demonstrated metaphyseal fraying and cupping and widening of the growth plate in the distal femur. MR imaging showed mottled gadolinium enhancement at the chondrosseous junction. Neither significant joint effusion nor synovitis was identified. At 2 years and 7 months of age, anakinra, 2 mg/kg/day given by regular daily subcutaneous injections, was started. A few days after the initiation of the treatment, her clinical symptoms and laboratory findings of active inflammation were promptly alleviated. She was not able to walk unaided prior to the treatment, but she walked independently 1 month after the treatment. Follow-up radiographs and MR imaging showed that growth plate widening and gadolinium enhancement at the chondrosseous junction were less conspicuous. Furthermore, longitudinal growth of the femur and tibia was identified during 20 months of observation

Spectroscopy of 32Ne and the Island of Inversion

We report on the first spectroscopic study of the N=22 nucleus 32Ne at the newly completed RIKEN Radioactive Ion Beam Factory. A single gamma-ray line with an energy of 722(9) keV was observed in both inelastic scattering of a 226 MeV/u 32Ne beam on a Carbon target and proton removal from 33Na at 245 MeV/u. This transition is assigned to the de-excitation of the first J^pi = 2+ state in 32Ne to the 0+ ground state. Interpreted through comparison with state-of-the-art shell model calculations, the low excitation energy demonstrates that the Island of Inversion extends to at least N=22 for the Ne isotopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. 11 pages, 3 figure

Measurements of Charmless Hadronic b->s Penguin Decays in the pi+pi-K+pi- Final State and First Observation of B0 -> rho0K+pi-

We report measurements of charmless hadronic B^0 decays into the pi+pi-K+pi+ final state. The analysis uses a sample of 657x10^6 BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at the Y(4S) resonance. The decay B^0 -> rho0 Kpi is observed for the first time; the significance is 5.0sigma and the corresponding partial branching fraction for M_Kpi in (0.75,1.20) GeV/c^2 is [2.8 +- 0.5(stat) +-0.5(syst)] x 10^{-6}. We also obtain the first evidence for B^0 -> f0Kpi with 3.5sigma significance and for B^0 -> pi+pi-K*0 with 4.5sigma significance. For the two-body decays B^0 -> rho0K*0 and B^0 -> f0K*0, the significances are 2.7sigma and 2.5sigma, respectively, and the upper limits on the branching fractions are 3.4x10^{-6} and 2.2x10^{-6} at 90% confidence level.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. accepted by PRD(RC

Search for Lepton Flavor and Lepton Number Violating tau Decays into a Lepton and Two Charged Mesons

We search for lepton flavor and lepton number violating tau decays into a lepton (ell = electron or muon) and two charged mesons (h,h' = pi^\pm or K^\pm), tau- -> ell-h+h'- and tau- -> ell+h-h'-, using 671 fb^{-1} of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We obtain 90% C.L. upper limits on the branching fractions in the range (4.4-8.8)x10^{-8} for tau -> ehh', and (3.3-16)x10^{-8} for tau -> muhh' processes. These results improve upon previously published upper limits by factors between 1.6 to 8.8.Comment: 15 page, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.