Up-regulation of Na+,K+-ATPase α3-isoform and down-regulation of the α1-isoform in human colorectal cancer

AbstractWe investigated expression levels of Na+,K+-ATPase α-isoforms and their ATPase activities in human colorectal cancer tissue and the accompanying normal mucosa. A decrease in expression of the α1-isoform protein was observed in all sampled cancer tissues compared with the normal mucosae. The level of ouabain (5 μM)-sensitive Na+,K+-ATPase activity in carcinomas was 81±5% that of in the normal mucosae. The mRNA expression of α2- and α4-isoforms was decreased in almost all the carcinoma samples. Interestingly, the expression level of the α3-isoform protein in the cancer tissue was higher than that of the normal mucosa. These results indicate that a decrease in the α1-isoform expression and an increase in the α3-isoform expression may be associated with colorectal cancer

Monoclonal antibody to galactosylceramide: discrimination of structural difference in the ceramide moiety

AbstractA mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) was developed against monohexaosylceramide. This mAb differentially reacted on thin-layer chromatograms with 3 types of galactosylceramide (GalCer) obtained from bovine brain. Structural analysis of the 3 glycolipids revealed that they consisted of the same galactose and sphingosine but of apparently different fatty acids. Among the 3 GalCers, the mAb reacted with two GalCers which contained α-hydroxy fatty acids, but not with GalCer composed of nonhydroxy fatty acids. These findings suggest not only that the mAb discriminated the fatty acid composition in the ceramide moiety of GalCer, but also that the ceramide structure defines the immunological epitope as it is known to do for the carbohydrate moiety of glycosphingolipid

Whole-genome analyses reveal genetic instability of Acetobacter pasteurianus

Acetobacter species have been used for brewing traditional vinegar and are known to have genetic instability. To clarify the mutability, Acetobacter pasteurianus NBRC 3283, which forms a multi-phenotype cell complex, was subjected to genome DNA sequencing. The genome analysis revealed that there are more than 280 transposons and five genes with hyper-mutable tandem repeats as common features in the genome consisting of a 2.9-Mb chromosome and six plasmids. There were three single nucleotide mutations and five transposon insertions in 32 isolates from the cell complex. The A. pasteurianus hyper-mutability was applied for breeding a temperature-resistant strain grown at an unviable high-temperature (42°C). The genomic DNA sequence of a heritable mutant showing temperature resistance was analyzed by mutation mapping, illustrating that a 92-kb deletion and three single nucleotide mutations occurred in the genome during the adaptation. Alpha-proteobacteria including A. pasteurianus consists of many intracellular symbionts and parasites, and their genomes show increased evolution rates and intensive genome reduction. However, A. pasteurianus is assumed to be a free-living bacterium, it may have the potentiality to evolve to fit in natural niches of seasonal fruits and flowers with other organisms, such as yeasts and lactic acid bacteria

CNVs in Three Psychiatric Disorders

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the similarities and differences in the roles of genic and regulatory copy number variations (CNVs) in bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Based on high-resolution CNV data from 8708 Japanese samples, we performed to our knowledge the largest cross-disorder analysis of genic and regulatory CNVs in BD, SCZ, and ASD. RESULTS: In genic CNVs, we found an increased burden of smaller (500 kb) exonic CNVs in SCZ/ASD. Pathogenic CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders were significantly associated with the risk for each disorder, but BD and SCZ/ASD differed in terms of the effect size (smaller in BD) and subtype distribution of CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. We identified 3 synaptic genes (DLG2, PCDH15, and ASTN2) as risk factors for BD. Whereas gene set analysis showed that BD-associated pathways were restricted to chromatin biology, SCZ and ASD involved more extensive and similar pathways. Nevertheless, a correlation analysis of gene set results indicated weak but significant pathway similarities between BD and SCZ or ASD (r = 0.25–0.31). In SCZ and ASD, but not BD, CNVs were significantly enriched in enhancers and promoters in brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS: BD and SCZ/ASD differ in terms of CNV burden, characteristics of CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, and regulatory CNVs. On the other hand, they have shared molecular mechanisms, including chromatin biology. The BD risk genes identified here could provide insight into the pathogenesis of BD

Development of Porous Titanium Sheet with High Porosity and Good Mechanical Properties

To respond to the requirements for porous Ti sheet with the balanced properties of high porosity and good mechanical properties, and to optimize the manufacturing conditions of the simple powder-filling plus sintering process, effects of sintering temperatures on density and bending strength in porous Ti sheet were investigated. The optimum sintering condition was 900-950 °C for 1h to obtain porous Ti sheet with the balanced density ratio (around 40%) and high bending strength. The polyhedron shape of HDH powders contributed to those balanced properties, in which localized sintering raised bending strength with keeping high porosity (low density). Using the optimum manufacturing conditions, large sized porous Ti sheet of 400 × 800 × 0.5 mm was successfully manufactured

Development of Porous Titanium Sheet with High Porosity and Good Mechanical Properties

To respond to the requirements for porous Ti sheet with the balanced properties of high porosity and good mechanical properties, and to optimize the manufacturing conditions of the simple powder-filling plus sintering process, effects of sintering temperatures on density and bending strength in porous Ti sheet were investigated. The optimum sintering condition was 900-950 °C for 1h to obtain porous Ti sheet with the balanced density ratio (around 40%) and high bending strength. The polyhedron shape of HDH powders contributed to those balanced properties, in which localized sintering raised bending strength with keeping high porosity (low density). Using the optimum manufacturing conditions, large sized porous Ti sheet of 400 × 800 × 0.5 mm was successfully manufactured

Manufacturing of High Quality Titanium Thin Foil by Electrodeposition Route

To challenge the significant reduction of manufacturing cost of Ti thin sheet or foil in the future, manufacturing of Ti foil by electrodeposition route was studied with emphasizing on factors affecting quality of the foil and separability from Mo cathode. Current density was one of the strong factors affecting soundness of deposited Ti foil and its separability from the cathode. Electrolyte bath temperature also affected soundness and separability of deposited Ti foil. Separability was closely related to interdiffusion distance of Ti and Mo, that is, shorter diffusion distance, which was brought by low temperature and low current density, led to good separability as well as good surface quality. By reflecting above knowledge, post card size Ti foil of around 0.1 mm in thickness was successfully obtained. It had good quality and could be separated from the cathode by hand. O and Fe contents were drastically decreased by this process