Characterization of glycoprotein obtained from the skin mucus of an Antarctic fish, Trematomus bernacchii

The epithelial secretions were collected by scraping the skin of Trematomus bernacchii and seven species of temperate-water fishes and examined for the mucous glycoproteins by gel filtration on a Sepharose CL-4B column. In most cases, the glycoproteins were excluded at the void volume and separated from other mucous constitutents. The yields of the glycoproteins resolved were usually high (35-45%) in the following fishes secreting large quantities of thick mucus from their epidermis: Callionymus lunatus, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Anguilla japonica and Leiognathus nuchalis. A fish with hard scales, Carassius auratus, gave a mucous glycoprotein in a low yield (8.4%). Similarly, the glycoproteins of T. bernacchii, Trachurus japonicus and Acanthogobius fiavimanus were obtained in their respective yields of 17.5%, 18.9%, and 14.2%. The carbohydrate composition of the mucous glycoprotein in T. bernacchii was determined to consist of N-acetylneuraminic acid, N-acetylgalactosamine, galactose, mannose, fucose and glucose by analytical methods including thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography. The molar ratio of N-acetylneuraminic acid, N-acetylgalactosamine and galactose (1.0:4.8:1.2) suggests that major carbohydrate chains are constituted by such mono- and disaccharide units as JV-acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylneuraminyl-N-acetylgalactosamine, and galactosyl-N-acetylgalactosamine. These carbohydrate units may link through O-glycosidic linkage to threonine and serine residues in the core polypeptide. Assuming such a structure of the carbohydrate unit, it becomes probable that the mucous glycoprotein secreted from T. bernacchii epithelial tissue has a similar ability to depress freezing point for the antifreeze glycoproteins present in the serum

Irradiation Prolongs Survival of Alport Mice

Alport syndrome is a hereditary nephropathy that results in irreversible, progressive renal failure. Recent reports suggested that bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has a beneficial, short-term effect on renal injury in Alport (Col4a3−/−) mice, but its long-term effects, especially with regard to survival, are unknown. In this study, Alport mice received a transplant of either wild-type or Col4a3−/− bone marrow cells. Surprising, laboratory evaluations and renal histology demonstrated similar findings in both transplanted groups. Transplanted cells accounted for >10% of glomerular cells at 8 wk, but type IV collagen α3 chains were not detected in glomerular basement membranes of either group by immunofluorescence or Western blot analysis, although Col4a3 mRNA in the kidney could be amplified by reverse transcription–PCR in knockout mice that received a transplant of wild-type bone marrow. Both transplanted groups, however, survived approximately 1.5 times longer than untreated knockout mice (log rank P < 0.05). These data suggested that irradiation, which preceded BMT, may have conferred a survival benefit; therefore, the survival time of knockout mice was assessed after sublethal irradiation (3, 6, and 7 Gy) without subsequent BMT. A strong positive correlation between irradiation dosage and survival time was identified (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the improved survival observed in Alport mice that received a transplant of wild-type bone marrow might be primarily attributed to as-yet-unidentified effects of irradiation

Development of Compton X-Ray Spectrometer for Fast Ignition Experiment

In the context of Fast Ignition, the fast electron temperature is a key parameter to determine the laser-to-fast electron energy conversion efficiency. Bremsstrahlung X-ray (γ-ray) emission represents an attractive alternative to measure this fundamental parameter. In this study, a single-shot high-energy γ-ray spectrometer with sensitivity ranging from 0.5 MeV to 7 MeV was developed, allowing to estimate the γ-ray spectrum in the fast ignition

Dispersal history of Miniopterus fuliginosus bats and their associated viruses in east Asia.

In this study, we examined the role of the eastern bent-winged bat (Miniopterus fuliginosus) in the dispersion of bat adenovirus and bat alphacoronavirus in east Asia, considering their gene flows and divergence times (based on deep-sequencing data), using bat fecal guano samples. Bats in China moved to Jeju Island and/or Taiwan in the last 20,000 years via the Korean Peninsula and/or Japan. The phylogenies of host mitochondrial D-loop DNA was not significantly congruent with those of bat adenovirus (m2XY = 0.07, p = 0.08), and bat alphacoronavirus (m2XY = 0.48, p = 0.20). We estimate that the first divergence time of bats carrying bat adenovirus in five caves studied (designated as K1, K2, JJ, N2, and F3) occurred approximately 3.17 million years ago. In contrast, the first divergence time of bat adenovirus among bats in the 5 caves was estimated to be approximately 224.32 years ago. The first divergence time of bats in caves CH, JJ, WY, N2, F1, F2, and F3 harboring bat alphacoronavirus was estimated to be 1.59 million years ago. The first divergence time of bat alphacoronavirus among the 7 caves was estimated to be approximately 2,596.92 years ago. The origin of bat adenovirus remains unclear, whereas our findings suggest that bat alphacoronavirus originated in Japan. Surprisingly, bat adenovirus and bat alphacoronavirus appeared to diverge substantially over the last 100 years, even though our gene-flow data indicate that the eastern bent-winged bat serves as an important natural reservoir of both viruses