It's Not the Availability, But the Accessibility that Matters: Ecological and Economic Potential of Non-Timber Forest Products in Southeast Cameroon

This study examined the ecological availability and economic potential of 10 non-timber forest product (NTFP) species. Irvingia gabonensis and Ricinodendron heudelotii produce large quantities of fruits and have higher economic values compared to other species. The number of nuts and kernels harvested and sold was a small percentage of the total annual production in the area. This is likely to be due to the low human population density and the difficulty in increasing the efficiency of gathering the nuts and kernels. Given the affluent ecological availability demonstrated in this study, even when innovations to improve the efficiency of harvesting are achieved, the trees produce more than 10 times the amount of fruits that can be gathered by all the people in the region, even with their maximum labor input. However, because of the forest zoning carried out by the government in the 1990s, the area that local people can harvest, without any concerns, is limited. What is of concern when promoting the use of NTFPs in southeast Cameroon is not the ecological availability of resources but limited accessibility to the resources, due to conflicts between local people and stakeholders, recently introduced under the national and international forest policies

Progress in transduction of cerebellar Purkinje cells in vivo using viral vectors

金沢大学大学院医学系研究科Expression of a foreign gene in cerebellar Purkinje cells in vivo is a powerful method for exploring the pathophysiology of the cerebellum. Although using developmental engineering many gene-modified mice have been generated, this approach is time-consuming and requires a lot of effort for crossing different lines of mice, genotyping and maintenance of animals. If a gene of interest can be transferred to and efficiently expressed in Purkinje cells of developing and mature animals, it saves much time, effort and money. Recent advances in viral vectors have markedly contributed to selective and efficient gene transfer to Purkinje cells in vivo. There are two approaches for selective gene expression in Purkinje cells: one is to take advantage of the viral tropism for Purkinje cells, which includes the tropism of adeno-associated virus and the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G)-pseudotyped lentivirus. Another method, which might be used in combination with the first one, is utilization of a Purkinje-cell-specific promoter. Focusing mainly on these points, recent progress in viralvector-mediated transduction of Purkinje cells in vivo is reviewed. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.This article has not been published yet

Rescue of exotropia subsequent to pulled-in-two syndrome of the medial rectus muscle occurring during surgery for high myopic strabismus fixus: A case report

Rationale: Pulled-in-two syndrome is one of the significant complications of strabismus surgery. This study aimed to report a case of pulled-in-two syndrome of the contractured medial rectus muscle (MR) that occurred during strabismus surgery for strabismus fixus due to high myopia, and to describe a rescue of this complication. Patient concerns: A woman in her 60s presented to our Ophthalmology Department with the main complaint of unilateral high myopia and severe myopic strabismus fixus. Esotropia exceeded 45° and hypotropia exceeded 15° in her right eye in the Hirschberg test. Right eye duction was markedly limited in every gaze direction. Orbital magnetic resonance images showed rupture of the superior rectus to lateral rectus band ligament and lengthening of the distance between the SR and LR muscles in the right eye. Diagnosis: Due to the patient's ophthalmic examination and imaging results, she was diagnosed with high myopic strabismus fixus. Interventions: We performed MR recession and Yokoyama surgery to correct right eye hypoesotropia. In the MR recession procedure, pulled-in-two syndrome (MR muscle tear) occurred. Thus, no additional procedure was performed on the MR. After the surgery, she presented 45 prism diopter exotropia and 18 prism diopter residual right hypotropia in a Krimsky test. We performed a second surgery, combining MR muscle advancement and inferior rectus (IR) muscle recession, 3 months after the first surgery. Outcomes: One and a half years after the second surgery, she presented exotropia of 14 prism diopters without hypotropia in the Krimsky test and was satisfied with her ocular position and improved motility. Lessons: We experienced pulled-in-two syndrome in a case with severe myopic strabismus fixus and achieved a good outcome by performing additional surgery 3 months later, in which the lost MR muscle was advanced. This case underscores that, if the lost muscle cannot be found during surgery, one should maintain composure and perform a reoperation a few months after the initial surgery, if necessary. This case report can aid in making rescue treatment decisions when pulled-in-two syndrome occurs

Contribution of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone to Cerebellar Long-Term Depression and Motor Learning

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) regulates various physiological activities through activation of receptors expressed in a broad range of cells in the central nervous system. The cerebellum expresses TRH receptors in granule cells and molecular layer interneurons. However, the function of TRH in the cerebellum remains to be clarified. Here, using TRH knockout (KO) mice we studied the role of TRH in the cerebellum. Immunohistochemistry showed no gross morphological differences between KO mice and wild-type (WT) littermates in the cerebellum. In the rotarod test, the initial performance of KO mice was comparable to that of WT littermates, but the learning speed of KO mice was significantly lower than that of WT littermates, suggesting impaired motor learning. The motor learning deficit in KO mice was rescued by intraperitoneal injection of TRH. Electrophysiology revealed absence of long-term depression (LTD) at parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses in KO mice, which was rescued by bath-application of TRH. TRH was shown to increase cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) content in the cerebellum. Since nitric oxide (NO) stimulates cGMP synthesis in the cerebellum, we examined whether NO-cGMP pathway was involved in TRH-mediated LTD rescue in KO mice. Pharmacological blockade of NO synthase and subsequent cGMP production prevented TRH-induced LTD expression in KO mice, whereas increase in cGMP signal in Purkinje cells by 8-bromoguanosine cyclic 3’,5’-monophosphate, a membrane-permeable cGMP analog, restored LTD without TRH application. These results suggest that TRH is involved in cerebellar LTD presumably by upregulating the basal cGMP level in Purkinje cells, and, consequently, in motor learning

Molecular Determinants of Agonist Discrimination by NMDA Receptor Subunits: Analysis of the Glutamate Binding Site on the NR2B Subunit

AbstractNMDA receptors require both L-glutamate and the coagonist glycine for efficient channel activation. The glycine binding site of these heteromeric receptor proteins is formed by regions of the NMDAR1 (NR1) subunit that display sequence similarity to bacterial amino acid binding proteins. Here, we demonstrate that the glutamate binding site is located on the homologous regions of the NR2B subunit. Mutation of residues within the N-terminal domain and the loop region between membrane segments M3 and M4 significantly reduced the efficacy of glutamate, but not glycine, in channel gating. Some of the mutations also decreased inhibition by the glutamate antagonists, D-AP5 and R-CPP. Homology-based molecular modeling of the glutamate and glycine binding domains indicates that the NR2 and NR1 subunits use similar residues to ligate the agonists' α-aminocarboxylic acid groups, whereas differences in side chain interactions and size of aromatic residues determine ligand selectivity

ANGUSTIFOLIA3 Signaling Coordinates Proliferation between Clonally Distinct Cells in Leaves

SummaryCoordinated proliferation between clonally distinct cells via inter-cell-layer signaling largely determines the size and shape of plant organs [1–4]. Nonetheless, the signaling mechanism underlying this coordination in leaves remains elusive because of a lack of understanding of the signaling molecule (or molecules) involved. ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3, also called GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR1) encodes a putative transcriptional coactivator with homology to human synovial sarcoma translocation protein [5–7]. AN3 transcripts accumulate in mesophyll cells but are not detectable in leaf epidermal cells [8]. However, we found here that in addition to mesophyll cells [5, 6], epidermal cells of an3 leaves show defective proliferation. This spatial difference between the accumulation pattern of AN3 transcripts and an3 leaf phenotype is explained by AN3 protein movement across cell layers. AN3 moves into epidermal cells after being synthesized within mesophyll cells and helps control epidermal cell proliferation. Interference with AN3 movement results in abnormal leaf size and shape, indicating that AN3 signaling is indispensable for normal leaf development. AN3 movement does not require type II chaperonin activity, which is needed for movement of some mobile proteins [9]. Taking these findings together, we present a novel model emphasizing the role of mesophyll cells as a signaling source coordinating proliferation between clonally independent leaf cells

小脳プルキンエ細胞特異的薬剤誘導性ポリグルタミン産生マウスの作出と解析

群馬大学 / 金沢大学学際科学実験センターテトラサイクリンの中止により時期特異的に、小脳プルキンエ細胞に限局し、異常伸長したCAGリピートをもつ脊髄小脳変性症(SCA)遺伝子を発現するモデルマウスの作出を目的とした。この部位時期特異的遺伝子発現マウスの作出には以下の2種類のトランスジェニック(Tg)マウスを作出し、それらをかけ合わせる必要がある。1)L7-rtTAプルキンエ細胞特異的プロモーターL7制御下で、リバーステトラサイクリントランスアクチベーター(rtTA)遺伝子を発現するTgマウス。2)tet0-Ataxin-1[Q76]-IRES-GFP(1)に関しては、すぐれた2ラインのTgマウスを得ている。これらマウスの小脳皮質にtetoプロモーター制御下でGFPを発現するレンチウイルスベクターを接種し、DOXを2週間与えたところ、プルキンエ細胞特異的なGFPの発現が観察された。(2)に関しては、コンストラクトを作出、外注にて受精卵にインジェクションし産仔を得たが、1ラインも目的のものが得られなかった。そこで再びコンストラクトを作出しなおして現在外注に出しているところである。これ以外にL7プロモーター制御下でSCA type1遺伝子を発現するTgマウスを作出した。研究課題/領域番号:17650106, 研究期間(年度):2005 – 2006出典：「小脳プルキンエ細胞特異的薬剤誘導性ポリグルタミン産生マウスの作出と解析」研究成果報告書　課題番号17650106（KAKEN：科学研究費助成事業データベース（国立情報学研究所））（https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/ja/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-17650106/)を加工して作

Endoscopic evaluation by the Kyoto classification of gastritis combined with serum anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody testing reliably risk-stratifies subjects in a population-based gastric cancer screening program

Background　We previously demonstrated that the Kyoto classification of gastritis was useful for judging the status of Helicobacter pylori infection in a population-based screening program, and that adding H. pylori antibody test improved its accuracy (UMIN000028629). Here, we tested whether our endoscopic diagnosis of H. pylori infection status reliably estimated gastric cancer risk in the program. Methods　Data were collected from1345 subjects who underwent endoscopic follow-up 4 years after the end of the registration. We analyzed the association of three diagnostic methods of H. pylori infection with gastric cancer detection: (1) endoscopic diagnosis based on the Kyoto classification of gastritis; (2) serum diagnosis according to the ABC method (H. pylori antibody and pepsinogen I and II); and (3) endoscopic diagnosis together with H. pylori antibody test. Results　During the follow-up, 19 cases of gastric cancer were detected. By Kaplan–Meier analysis, the detection rates of cancer were significantly higher in the past or current H. pylori infection groups than in the never-infected group with all 3 methods. By the Cox proportional hazards model, the hazard ratio for cancer detection was highest in evaluation with the combined endoscopic diagnosis and the antibody test (method 3; hazard ratio 22.6, 95% confidence interval 2.99–171) among the three methods (the endoscopic diagnosis (method 1); 11.3, 2.58–49.8, and the ABC method (method 2); 7.52, 2.49–22.7). Conclusions　Endoscopic evaluation of H. pylori status with the Kyoto classification of gastritis, especially combined with serum anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody testing, reliably risk-stratified subjects in a population-based gastric cancer screening program