Alteration of phospholipid at various growth phases of Escherichia coli

By inoculating E. coli B into the semisynthetic medium we conducted shaking culture, and observed alterations of the total phospholipid contents and the amounts of individual phospholipid components in various stages of growth. The results are briefly summarized as follows. 1. The total phospholipid content has been found to be greater during early culture period, while it decreases as the growth age advances. 2. Phosphatidyl ethanolamine gradually increase as the culture period approaches the stationary phase. 3. Phosphatidic acid and phosphatidyl glycerol decrease precipitously as growth age advances. 4. Cardiolipin shows the maximum content in the middle log phase when the growth rate is most speedy.</p

Hydrogen and carbon isotope systematics in hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis under H2-limited and H2-enriched conditions: implications for the origin of methane and its isotopic diagnosis

Compilation of hydrogen and carbon isotope systematics from incubation and observation. Description of data: Type of ecosystem, name of ecosystem, temperature of methanogen growth (Celsius), approximate timescale for growth, fractionation factors of the carbon isotope ratio between CH4 and CO2 ( α C C H 4 – C O 2 {\upalpha^{\mathrm{C}}}_{{\mathrm{C}\mathrm{H}}_4\hbox{--} {\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}_2} ), fractionation factors of the hydrogen isotope ratio between CH4 and H2O ( α H C H 4 – H 2 O {\upalpha^{\mathrm{H}}}_{{\mathrm{CH}}_4\hbox{--} {\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}} ), and references. (XLSX 53 kb

A Retrospective Analysis of Transfusion Management for Obstetric Hemorrhage in a Japanese Obstetric Center

Background. Since cryoprecipitate, fibrinogen concentrate, or recombinant activated factor VII is not approved by public medical insurance in Japan, we retrospectively assessed blood product usage in patients with obstetric hemorrhage at our tertiary obstetric center. Material and Methods. 220 patients with obstetric hemorrhagic disorders who underwent blood product transfusion in our institution during a 5-year period were reviewed for the types and volumes of blood products transfused. Results. There was a significant positive correlation (P< 0.001) between the volume of RCC (red blood cell concentrate) transfused and that of FFP (fresh frozen plasma), irrespective of underlying obstetric disorders. The median of FFP to RCC ratio in each patient was 1.3–1.4, when 6 or more units of RCC were transfused. Conclusions. In transfusion for massive obstetric hemorrhage in terms of appropriate supplementation of coagulation factors, the transfusion of RCC : FFP = 1 : 1.3–1.4 may be desirable

Contacts between the commissural axons and the floor plate cells are mediated by nectins

AbstractDuring development of the central nervous system (CNS), commissural axons grow toward the ventral midline. After crossing the floor plate, they abruptly change their trajectory from the circumferential to the longitudinal axis. The contacts between the commissural axons and the floor plate cells are involved in this axonal guidance, but their mechanisms or structures have not fully been understood. In this study, we found that nectin-1 and -3, immunoglobulin-like cell–cell adhesion molecules, asymmetrically localized at the contact sites between the commissural axons and the floor plate cells, respectively. In vitro perturbation of the endogenous trans-interaction between nectin-1 and -3 caused abnormal fasciculation of the commissural axons and impairment of the contacts, and resulted in failure in longitudinal turns of the commissural axons at the contralateral sites of the rat hindbrain. These results indicate that the contacts between the commissural axons and the floor plate cells are mediated by the hetero-trans-interaction between nectin-1 and -3 and involved in regulation of the trajectory of the commissural axons

Isolation and characterization of a thermophilic, obligately anaerobic and heterotrophic marine Chloroflexi bacterium from a Chloroflexi dominated microbial community associated with a Japanese shallow hydrothermal system, and proposal for Thermomarinilinea lacunofontalis gen. nov., sp. nov.

A novel marine thermophilic and heterotrophic Anaerolineae bacterium in the phylum Chloroflexi, strain SW7T, was isolated from an in situ colonization system deployed in the main hydrothermal vent of the Taketomi submarine hot spring field located on the southern part of Yaeyama Archipelago, Japan. The microbial community associated with the hydrothermal vent was predominated by thermophilic heterotrophs such as Thermococcaceae and Anaerolineae, and the next dominant population was thermophilic sulfur oxidizers. Both aerobic and anaerobic hydrogenotrophs including methanogens were detected as minor populations. During the culture-dependent viable count analysis in this study, an Anaerolineae strain SW7T was isolated from an enrichment culture at a high dilution rate. Strain SW7T was an obligately anaerobic heterotroph grew with fermentation, and non-motile thin rods 3.5-16.5 μm in length and 0.2 μm in width constituting multicellular filament. Growth was observed between 37-65 ℃ (optimum 60℃), pH 5.5-7.3 (optimum pH 6.0), 0.5-3.5% (w/v) NaCl concentration (optimum 1.0%). Based on physiological and phylogenetic features of a new isolate, we propose a new species representing a novel genus Thermomarinilinea: the type strain of Thermomarinilinea lacunofontalis sp. nov., is SW7T (= JCM15506T = KCTC5908T)

DNA methyltransferase 3B plays a protective role against hepatocarcinogenesis caused by chronic inflammation via maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis

Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) develop on the basis of chronic hepatitis, but the mechanism of epigenetic regulation in inflammatory hepatocarcinogenesis has yet to be elucidated. Among de novo DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), DNMT3B has lately been reported to act specifically on actively transcribed genes, suggesting the possibility that it plays a role in the pathogenesis of cancer. We confirmed that DNMT3B isoforms lacking its catalytic domain were highly expressed in HCCs compared with non-tumorous liver tissue. To elucidate the role of DNMT3B in hepatocarcinogenesis, we generated a genetically engineered mouse model with hepatocyte-specific Dnmt3b deletion. The liver of the Dnmt3b-deficient mice exhibited an exacerbation of thioacetamide-induced hepatitis, progression of liver fibrosis and a higher incidence of HCC compared with the liver of the control mice. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing verified a lower CG methylation level in the Dnmt3b-deficient liver, demonstrating differentially methylated regions throughout the genome. Transcriptome analysis revealed decreased expression of genes related to oxidative phosphorylation in the Dnmt3b-deficient liver. Moreover, primary hepatocytes isolated from the Dnmt3b-deficient mice showed reduced mitochondrial respiratory capacity, leading to the enhancement of oxidative stress in the liver tissue. Our findings suggest the protective role of DNMT3B against chronic inflammation and HCC development via maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis

Microbial diversity in deep-sea methane seep sediments presented by SSU rRNA gene tag sequencing

http://www.godac.jamstec.go.jp/darwin/cruise/yokosuka/yk06-03/

Evolutional transition of HBV genome during the persistent infection determined by single-molecule real-time sequencing

BACKGROUND: Although HBV infection is a serious health issue worldwide, the landscape of HBV genome dynamics in the host has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to determine the continuous genome sequence of each HBV clone using a single-molecule real-time sequencing platform, and clarify the dynamics of structural abnormalities during persistent HBV infection without antiviral therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five serum specimens were collected from 10 untreated HBV-infected patients. Continuous whole-genome sequencing of each clone was performed using a PacBio Sequel sequencer; the relationship between genomic variations and clinical information was analyzed. The diversity and phylogeny of the viral clones with structural variations were also analyzed. RESULTS: The whole-genome sequences of 797, 352 HBV clones were determined. The deletion was the most common structural abnormality and concentrated in the preS/S and C regions. Hepatitis B e antibody (anti-HBe)-negative samples or samples with high alanine aminotransferase levels have significantly diverse deletions than anti-HBe-positive samples or samples with low alanine aminotransferase levels. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that various defective and full-length clones evolve independently and form diverse viral populations. CONCLUSIONS: Single-molecule real-time long-read sequencing revealed the dynamics of genomic quasispecies during the natural course of chronic HBV infections. Defective viral clones are prone to emerge under the condition of active hepatitis, and several types of defective variants can evolve independently of the viral clones with the full-length genome