73 research outputs found

    Mineral Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria Isolated from Various Plant Rhizosphere under Different Aluminum Content

    Get PDF
    The objectives of this study was to isolate and characterize the mineral phosphate solubilizing bacteria from rhizosphere and evaluate their potential as plant growth promoting bacteria in Al-toxic soils. The halo    zone formation method was used to isolate PSB using the media containing insoluble phosphates (Ca-P or Al-P) as a source of phosphate. Eight of acid and Al-tolerant PSB isolates that were able to solubilize Ca-P were obtained from rhizosphere of clover, wheat, corn, and sunflower grown in Al-toxic soil. Identification of the isolates based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that the isolates were strains of Burkholderia (5 strains), Pseudomonas (1 strain), Ralstonia (1 strain), and unidentified bacterium (1 strains). All PSB isolates showed the capability to dissolve Ca-P, and only 1 strain (Ralstonia strain) was able to dissolve Al-P in agar plate medium. The P-solubilization by these isolates was correlated with pH of medium. Inoculation of the bacterial strains on clover on Al-toxic medium showed that all isolates increased the plant dry weight compared with uninoculated treatment. Our results showed that those PSB isolates have potential to be developed as a biofertilizer to increase the efficiency of P-inorganic fertilizer used in Al-toxic soils

    Establishing allowable value of Electric Conductivity for monitoring groundwater based on the benchmark dose concept and its application

    Get PDF
    Recently, a number of studies have pointed out that Electric Conductivity (EC) would be a very effective measure for monitoring the quality of ground water possibly polluted by sewage sludge or incineration ash leachate. However, few have explicitly determined the allowable limit of the EC value. Therefore, we have obtained the allowable limit of EC by applying the "benchmark dose (BMO)" method.2010 International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Applications (ICEEA) : Singapore, Singapore, 2010.09.10-2010.09.1

    Mineral Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria Isolated from Various Plant Rhizosphere under Different Aluminum Content

    Get PDF
    The objectives of this study was to isolate and characterize the mineral phosphate solubilizing bacteriafrom rhizosphere and evaluate their potential as plant growth promoting bacteria in Al-toxic soils. The halozone formation method was used to isolate PSB using the media containing insoluble phosphates (Ca-P or Al-P)as a source of phosphate. Eight of acid and Al-tolerant PSB isolates that were able to solubilize Ca-P wereobtained from rhizosphere of clover, wheat, corn, and sunflower grown in Al-toxic soil. Identification of theisolates based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that the isolates were strains of Burkholderia(5 strains), Pseudomonas (1 strain), Ralstonia (1 strain), and unidentified bacterium (1 strains). All PSB isolatesshowed the capability to dissolve Ca-P, and only 1 strain (Ralstonia strain) was able to dissolve Al-P in agar platemedium. The P-solubilization by these isolates was correlated with pH of medium. Inoculation of the bacterialstrains on clover on Al-toxic medium showed that all isolates increased the plant dry weight compared withuninoculated treatment. Our results showed that those PSB isolates have potential to be developed as a biofertilizerto increase the efficiency of P-inorganic fertilizer used in Al-toxic soils

    Safe and efficient method for cryopreservation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem and progenitor cells by a programmed freezer with a magnetic field

    Get PDF
    AbstractStem cells represent a potential cellular resource in the development of regenerative medicine approaches to the treatment of pathologies in which specific cells are degenerated or damaged by genetic abnormality, disease, or injury. Securing sufficient supplies of cells suited to the demands of cell transplantation, however, remains challenging, and the establishment of safe and efficient cell banking procedures is an important goal. Cryopreservation allows the storage of stem cells for prolonged time periods while maintaining them in adequate condition for use in clinical settings. Conventional cryopreservation systems include slow-freezing and vitrification both have advantages and disadvantages in terms of cell viability and/or scalability. In the present study, we developed an advanced slow-freezing technique using a programmed freezer with a magnetic field called Cells Alive System (CAS) and examined its effectiveness on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells (hiPSC-NS/PCs). This system significantly increased cell viability after thawing and had less impact on cellular proliferation and differentiation. We further found that frozen-thawed hiPSC-NS/PCs were comparable with non-frozen ones at the transcriptome level. Given these findings, we suggest that the CAS is useful for hiPSC-NS/PCs banking for clinical uses involving neural disorders and may open new avenues for future regenerative medicine

    De Novo Mutations in GNAO1, Encoding a Gαo Subunit of Heterotrimeric G Proteins, Cause Epileptic Encephalopathy

    Get PDF
    Heterotrimeric G proteins, composed of α, β, and γ subunits, can transduce a variety of signals from seven-transmembrane-type receptors to intracellular effectors. By whole-exome sequencing and subsequent mutation screening, we identified de novo heterozygous mutations in GNAO1, which encodes a Gαo subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins, in four individuals with epileptic encephalopathy. Two of the affected individuals also showed involuntary movements. Somatic mosaicism (approximately 35% to 50% of cells, distributed across multiple cell types, harbored the mutation) was shown in one individual. By mapping the mutation onto three-dimensional models of the Gα subunit in three different complexed states, we found that the three mutants (c.521A>G [p.Asp174Gly], c.836T>A [p.Ile279Asn], and c.572_592del [p.Thr191_Phe197del]) are predicted to destabilize the Gα subunit fold. A fourth mutant (c.607G>A), in which the Gly203 residue located within the highly conserved switch II region is substituted to Arg, is predicted to impair GTP binding and/or activation of downstream effectors, although the p.Gly203Arg substitution might not interfere with Gα binding to G-protein-coupled receptors. Transient-expression experiments suggested that localization to the plasma membrane was variably impaired in the three putatively destabilized mutants. Electrophysiological analysis showed that Gαo-mediated inhibition of calcium currents by norepinephrine tended to be lower in three of the four Gαo mutants. These data suggest that aberrant Gαo signaling can cause multiple neurodevelopmental phenotypes, including epileptic encephalopathy and involuntary movements

    Infectious virus shedding duration reflects secretory IgA antibody response latency after SARS-CoV-2 infection

    Get PDF
    新型コロナウイルス排出と粘膜抗体の関係を解明 --呼吸器ウイルスのヒト間伝播を制御・予防する第一歩--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-12-25.Articles: Infectious virus shedding duration reflects secretory IgA antibody response latency after SARS-CoV-2 infection. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-12-25.Infectious virus shedding from individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is used to estimate human-to-human transmission risk. Control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission requires identifying the immune correlates that protect infectious virus shedding. Mucosal immunity prevents infection by SARS-CoV-2, which replicates in the respiratory epithelium and spreads rapidly to other hosts. However, whether mucosal immunity prevents the shedding of the infectious virus in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals is unknown. We examined the relationship between viral RNA shedding dynamics, duration of infectious virus shedding, and mucosal antibody responses during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Anti-spike secretory IgA antibodies (S-IgA) reduced viral RNA load and infectivity more than anti-spike IgG/IgA antibodies in infected nasopharyngeal samples. Compared with the IgG/IgA response, the anti-spike S-IgA post-infection responses affected the viral RNA shedding dynamics and predicted the duration of infectious virus shedding regardless of the immune history. These findings highlight the importance of anti-spike S-IgA responses in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 for preventing infectious virus shedding and SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Developing medical countermeasures to shorten S-IgA response time may help control human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection and prevent future respiratory virus pandemics

    Reduced Rate of Neural Differentiation in the Dentate Gyrus of Adult Dysbindin Null (Sandy) Mouse

    Get PDF
    Genetic variations in the gene encoding dysbindin has consistently been associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, although little is known about the neural functions carried out by dysbindin. To gain some insight into this area, we took advantage of the readily available dysbindin-null mouse sandy (sdy−/−) and studied hippocampal neurogenesis using thymidine analogue bromodeoxuridine (BrdU). No significant differences were found in the proliferation (4 hours) or survival (1, 4 and 8 weeks after the last BrdU injection) of progenitors in the subgranular regions of the dentate gyrus between sdy−/− and sdy+/+ (control) mice. However, 4 weeks after the last BrdU injection, a significant reduction was observed in the ratio of neuronal differentiation in sdy−/− when compared to that of sdy+/+ (sdy+/+  = 87.0±5.3% vs. sdy−/−  = 71.3±8.3%, p = 0.01). These findings suggest that dysbindin plays a role during differentiation process in the adult hippocampal neurogenesis and that its deficit may negatively affect neurogenesis-related functions such as cognition and mood

    発症早期ALS患者に対する超高用量メチルコバラミンの有効性・安全性について : ランダム化比較試験

    Get PDF
    Importance: Post hoc analysis in a phase 2/3 trial indicated ultra-high dose methylcobalamin slowed decline of the Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R) total score at week 16 as well as at week 182, without increase of adverse events, in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who were enrolled within 1 year from onset. Objective: To validate the efficacy and safety of ultra-high dose methylcobalamin for patients with ALS enrolled within 1 year of onset. Design: A multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial with 12-week observation and 16-week randomized period, conducted from October 2017 to September 2019. Setting: Twenty-five neurology centers in Japan. Participants: Patients with ALS diagnosed within 1 year of onset by the updated Awaji criteria were initially enrolled. Of those, patients fulfilling the following criteria after 12-week observation were eligible for randomization: 1- or 2-point decrease in ALSFRS-R total score, a percent forced vital capacity over 60%, no history of noninvasive respiratory support and tracheostomy, and being ambulant. The target number was 64 in both methylcobalamin and placebo groups. Of 203 patients enrolled in the observation, 130 patients (age, 61.0 ± 11.7 years; female, 56) met the criteria and were randomly assigned through an electronic web-response system to methylcobalamin or placebo (65 for each). Of these, 129 patients were eligible for the full analysis set, and 126 completed the double-blind stage. Interventions: Intramuscular injection of methylcobalamin 50 mg or placebo twice weekly for 16 weeks. Main outcomes and measures: The primary endpoint was change in ALSFRS-R total score from baseline to week 16 in the full analysis set. Results: The least-squares mean difference in ALSFRS-R total score at week 16 of the randomized period was 1.97 points greater with methylcobalamin than placebo (−2.66 versus −4.63; 95% CI, 0.44–3.50; P = 0.012). The incidence of adverse events was similar between the two groups. Conclusions and relevance: Ultra-high dose methylcobalamin was efficacious in slowing functional decline and safe in the 16-week treatment period in ALS patients in the early stage and with moderate progression rate. Trial registration: UMIN-CTR Identifier: UMIN000029588 (umin.ac.jp/ctr); ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03548311 (clinicaltrials.gov
    corecore