Methylglyoxal activates the target of rapamycin complex 2-protein kinase C signaling pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Methylglyoxal is a typical 2-oxoaldehyde derived from glycolysis. We show here that methylglyoxal activates the Pkc1-Mpk1 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade in a target of rapamycin complex 2 (TORC2)-dependent manner in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We demonstrate that TORC2 phosphorylates Pkc1 at Thr(1125) and Ser(1143). Methylglyoxal enhanced the phosphorylation of Pkc1 at Ser(1143), which transmitted the signal to the downstream Mpk1 MAP kinase cascade. We found that the phosphorylation status of Pkc1(T1125) affected the phosphorylation of Pkc1 at Ser(1143), in addition to its protein levels. Methylglyoxal activated mammalian TORC2 signaling, which, in turn, phosphorylated Akt at Ser(473). Our results suggest that methylglyoxal is a conserved initiator of TORC2 signaling among eukaryotes

TOR Signaling in Budding Yeast

TOR (Target of Rapamycin) is a Ser/Thr kinase that was originally identified by genetic screening using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The TOR protein forms two structurally and functionally distinct complexes (TOR complex 1, TORC1, and TOR complex 2, TORC2). TORC1 is involved in various cellular activities, such as cell growth, ribosome biogenesis, translation initiation, metabolism, stress response, aging, and autophagy. TORC2 is involved in actin organization, sphingolipid biogenesis, and endocytosis. TORC1 plays a central role in the signaling network in response to stimuli coupled to internal and external nutrient conditions, particularly an amino acid sufficiency. A dimeric complex of Rag GTPases, the activity of which is regulated by the guanine nucleotide-loading status, and some regulator proteins communicating with Rag GTPases are involved in the activation of TORC1 by amino acids. In TORC2 signaling, membrane stress appears to be a cue, in which some proteins associated with respective membrane compartments, such as eisosomes, play a role

Robust UAV Position and Attitude Estimation using Multiple GNSS Receivers for Laser-based 3D Mapping

Small-sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely investigated for use in a variety of applications such as remote sensing and aerial surveying. Direct three-dimensional (3D) mapping using a small-sized UAV equipped with a laser scanner is required for numerous remote sensing applications. In direct 3D mapping, the precise information about the position and attitude of the UAV is necessary for constructing 3D maps. In this study, we propose a novel and robust technique for estimating the position and attitude of small-sized UAVs by employing multiple low-cost and light-weight global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antennas/receivers. Using the "redundancy" of multiple GNSS receivers, we enhance the performance of real-time kinematic (RTK)-GNSS by employing single-frequency GNSS receivers. This method consists of two approaches: hybrid GNSS fix solutions and consistency examination of the GNSS signal strength. The fix rate of RTK-GNSS using single-frequency GNSS receivers can be highly enhanced to combine multiple RTK-GNSS to fix solutions in the multiple antennas. In addition, positioning accuracy and fix rate can be further enhanced to detect multipath signals by using multiple GNSS antennas. In this study, we developed a prototype UAV that is equipped with six GNSS antennas/receivers. From the static test results, we conclude that the proposed technique can enhance the accuracy of the position and attitude estimation in multipath environments. From the flight test, the proposed system could generate a 3D map with an accuracy of 5 cm.Comment: Proceedings of IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 201

Distinct regulatory mechanism of yeast GPX2 encoding phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase by oxidative stress and a calcineurin/Crz1-mediated Ca2+ signaling pathway

AbstractThe GPX2 gene encodes a homologue of mammalian phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Previously, we have reported that the oxidative stress-induced expression of GPX2 is strictly regulated by Yap1 and Skn7 transcription factors. Here, we found that the expression of GPX2 is induced by CaCl2 in a calcineurin (CN)/Crz1-dependent manner, and the CN-dependent response element was specified in the GPX2 promoter. Neither Yap1 nor Skn7 was required for Ca2+-dependent induction of GPX2, therefore, distinct regulation for the oxidative stress response and Ca2+ signal response for GPX2 exists in yeast cells

Laparoscopy endoscopy cooperative surgery for gastric plexiform fibromyxoma: a case report

[Background] Gastric submucosal tumors are commonly treated by partial resection under laparoscopy. However, the surgical resection of gastric submucosal tumors sometimes causes deformation of the stomach, especially in the case of intraluminal tumors located near the pylorus or esophagogastric junction. Such deformations can result in impaired diet intake and reduced quality of life. Laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery has been developed to overcome these problems. This is the first report to describe a case of gastric plexiform fibromyxoma, a rare gastric submucosal tumor, that was successfully resected by laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery. [Case presentation] A 36-year-old Japanese woman presented with epigastric pain and anemia. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor in the gastric antrum. Because a definitive diagnosis could not be obtained and the tumor was located near the pylorus, we performed laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery as diagnostic therapy. The postoperative course was favorable with no complications, such as delayed gastric emptying or outlet obstruction. The tumor was pathologically diagnosed as gastric plexiform fibromyxoma. [Conclusions] Laparoscopic endoscopic cooperative surgery is a useful approach for diagnostic therapy for rare submucosal tumors to avoid the deformation of the stomach, especially when the tumor is located near the pylorus

Hydrodynamic stress stimulates growth of cell clusters via the ANXA1/PI3K/AKT axis in colorectal cancer

Cancer cells are exposed to various stresses in vivo, including hydrodynamic stress (HDS). HDS on cancer cells in the blood stream can influence the metastatic potential. Recent studies revealed that circulating tumor cell clusters are more responsible for metastasis than circulating single cells. Nevertheless, most studies on HDS are based on single cells prepared from established cancer cell lines. Here, we used cancer tissue-originated spheroids (CTOS) as a patient-derived, 3D organoid model to investigate the effect of HDS on cancer cell clusters. We found that HDS induced the growth of cancer cell clusters in a population of colorectal CTOSs. Microarray analyses revealed that the multifunctional protein, Annexin 1 (ANXA1), was upregulated upon HDS exposure. Chemically-induced membrane damage also triggered the expression of ANXA1. A knockdown of ANXA1 revealed that ANXA1 regulated HDS-stimulated growth in colorectal CTOSs. Mechanistically, activating the PI3K/AKT pathway downstream of ANXA1 contributed to the phenotype. These findings demonstrate that HDS induces the growth of cancer cell clusters via ANXA1/PI3K/AKT axis, which helps to elucidate the pro-metastatic feature of circulating cancer cell clusters

高純度フェライト系ステンレス鋼の高温酸化に及ぼす添加元素(Nb, Si, Mn, Ti, Al)の影響に関する研究

13301甲第4565号博士（工学）金沢大学博士論文本文Full 以下に掲載：1.鉄と鋼 102(12) pp.704-713 2016. 日本鉄鋼協会. 共著者：井上 宜治, 平出 信彦, 潮田 浩作　2.鉄と鋼 103(4) pp.184-193 2017. 日本鉄鋼協会. 共著者：井上 宜治, 平出 信彦, 林 篤剛, 潮田 浩作　3.日本金属学会誌 70(11) pp.880-889 2006. 日本金属学会. 共著者：井上 宜治, 菊池 正夫, 天藤 雅之, 梶村 治

Probing Symmetry-Breaking Pattern Using Sfermion Masses

We study the mass spectrum of superparticles within supersymmetric grand unified models. For gaugino masses, it is pointed out that the GUT-relation in the $SU(5)$ model is applicable to a more general case where a grand-unified gauge group breaks down to the standard model gauge group by several steps. We also show that the mass spectrum of squarks and sleptons carries the information on the breaking pattern of the gauge symmetry. It is demonstrated in some $SO(10)$ models how the scalar mass spectrum distinguishes various $SO(10)$ breaking patterns from each other.Comment: LaTeX file, 11 pages, 5 PostScript figures, appended in uuencoded format. Tohoku University preprint TU-439, June 1993, final version accepted for publication in Phys. Lett.

Isolation and Purification of Nocardamine from the Validamycin Producer

An antibacterial active against P. mirabilis was isolated from the culture of Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. limoneus, validamycin producer. The antibiotic was found to be produced with a non-validamycin producing condition. The antibiotic was identified as nocardamine with the analytical data, IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectra.Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. limoneus はバリダマイシン生成菌として知られているが、その抗カビ物質以外に抗細菌性抗生物質を生成することは知られていない。われわれはその微生物がバリダマイシン非生成条件において生成する抗細菌性抗生物質を見出そうと試みた。その結果、グラム陰性細菌に活性を示す抗生物質EO-3を得たのでこれを分離・精製してノカルダミンと同定した。本報告では本抗生物質の培養条件、抗菌スペクトル、精製および同定方法について述べる。尚、この研究は平成6年度から8年度までの3年間に亙る岡山大学学内特定研究『特殊環境生物の機能開発と物質生産への応用』を分担して行ったものである