Molecular analysis of cyclic α-maltosyl-(1→6)-maltose binding protein in the bacterial metabolic pathway

Cyclic α-maltosyl-(1→6)-maltose (CMM) is a cyclic glucotetrasaccharide with alternating α-1,4 and α-1,6 linkages. Here, we report functional and structural analyses on CMM-binding protein (CMMBP), which is a substrate-binding protein (SBP) of an ABC importer system of the bacteria Arthrobacter globiformis. Isothermal titration calorimetry analysis revealed that CMMBP specifically bound to CMM with a Kd value of 9.6 nM. The crystal structure of CMMBP was determined at a resolution of 1.47 Å, and a panose molecule was bound in a cleft between two domains. To delineate its structural features, the crystal structure of CMMBP was compared with other SBPs specific for carbohydrates, such as cyclic α-nigerosyl-(1→6)-nigerose and cyclodextrins. These results indicate that A. globiformis has a unique metabolic pathway specialized for CMM

Integrated Evaluation of Soil Carbon Budget by Manure Application on Forage Production

Grasslands and forage crop fields produce forages and also have many services and functions such as repositories of biodiversity, climate regulation and soil conservation (Sala and Paruelo, 1997). Carbon budget is one of these important ecosystem services by high levels of carbon sequestration below ground (Hungate et al., 1997). Manure application increases carbon budget and also affects forage production, NO3- leaching to underground water and N2O emission to atmosphere. Integrated evaluation of these various environmental impacts is important to find optimum condition for forage production and environmental impacts. LIME2 (Life-cycle Impact assessment Method based on Endpoint modeling 2, Itsubo and Inaba, 2010) is one of the methods to evaluate environmental impacts and to integrate them into a single index of environmental damages with the unit of Japanese yen. By comparing this index to economic benefit of forage production, integrated evaluation of environmental damages and profit of farmers is achieved. In this study, the effects of manure application to forage production, carbon budget, NO3- leaching and N2O emission were evaluated and optimum level of manure application level was estimated with LIME2 integration factors

Direct conversion of carlactonoic acid to orobanchol by cytochrome P450 CYP722C in strigolactone biosynthesis

Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived phytohormones and rhizosphere signaling molecules for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and root parasitic weeds. Why and how plants produce diverse SLs are unknown. Here, cytochrome P450 CYP722C is identified as a key enzyme that catalyzes the reaction of BC-ring closure leading to orobanchol, the most prevalent canonical SL. The direct conversion of carlactonoic acid to orobanchol without passing through 4-deoxyorobanchol is catalyzed by the recombinant enzyme. By knocking out the gene in tomato plants, orobanchol was undetectable in the root exudates, whereas the architecture of the knockout and wild-type plants was comparable. These findings add to our understanding of the function of the diverse SLs in plants and suggest the potential of these compounds to generate crops with greater resistance to infection by noxious root parasitic weeds

Minor Physical Anomalies in Japanese Patients With Schizophrenia

We assessed the prevalence of minor physical anomalies (MPAs) in Japanese patients with schizophrenia (n=313) and normal controls (n=128) using the Waldrop scale. There was a significant difference in the scale scores between the patients with schizophrenia and control subjects (U=17274.5, p=0.02). Patients had significantly more MPAs than controls on the individual scale items of malformed ears (p=0.039), furrowed tongue (p=0.006), high steepled palate (p=0.041) and head circumference which was 1.5 SDs below the average of normal controls (p=0.015). When we defined subjects at or above the median MPA score to be in the high anomaly group, significantly more patients than normal controls were represented in this group (p=0.033). Waldrop scores were not found to be related to age at onset of schizophrenia

Intraperitoneal radioimmunotherapy in treating peritoneal carcinomatosis of colon cancer in mice compared with systemic radioimmunotherapy

医薬保健研究域医学系Peritoneal spread is one of major causes of mortality in colorectal cancer patients. In the current investigation, the efficacy of radio-immunotherapy (RIT) with i.p. administration of an anti-colorectal cancer IgG1, 131 I-A7, was compared to that with i.v. administration in BALB/c female mice bearing peritoneal nodules of LS180 human colon cancer cells, at the same toxicity level. Distribution of either i.p. or i.v. administered 131 I-A7 and i.p. administered irrelevant 131 I-HPMS-1 was assessed. Based on the results of toxicity determination at increments of 2 MBq and estimated dosimetry, an i.p. dose of 11 MBq and an i.v. dose of 9 MBq were chosen for treatment. Mice were monitored for long-term survival: untreated mice (n=11), mice undergoing i.p. RIT with 131 I-A7 (n=11), mice undergoing i.v. RIT with 131 I-A7 (n=11) and mice undergoing non-specific i.p. RIT with 131 I-HPMS-1 (n=5). Intraperitoneal injection of 131 I-A7 produced faster and greater tumor accumulation than i.v. injection: 34.2±16.5% of the injected dose per g (% ID/ g) and 11.1±3.6% ID/g at 2 h, respectively (P<0.0001). Consequently, cumulative radioactivity in tumors was 1.73-fold higher with i.p. injection. 131 I-HPMS-1 did not show specific accumulation. Non-specific RIT with 131 I-HPMS-1 (mean survival, 26.0±2.5 days) did not affect the survival as compared to no treatment (26.7±1.9 days). Intravenous RIT with 131 I-A7 prolonged the survival of mice to 32.8±1.8 days (P<0.01). Intraperitoneal RIT with 131 I-A7 improved the survival more significantly and attained cure in 2 of 11 mice (P<0.05 vs. i.v. RIT). In conclusion, i.p. RIT is more beneficial in treating peritoneal carcinomatosis of colon cancer than i.v. RIT in a murine model

Pathway to psychiatric care in Japan: A multicenter observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study examines pathways to psychiatric care in Japan using the same method as the collaborative study carried out in 1991 under the auspices of the World Health Organization.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirteen psychiatric facilities in Japan were involved. Of the 228 patients who contacted psychiatric facilities with any psychiatric illness, eighty four visiting psychiatric facilities for the first time were enrolled. Pathways to psychiatric care, delays from the onset of illness to treatment prior to reaching psychiatrists were surveyed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty three patients (39.4%) directly accessed mental health professionals, 32 patients (38.1%) reached them via general hospital, and 13 patients (15.5%) via private practitioners. The patients who consulted mental health professionals as their first carers took a longer time before consulting psychiatrists than the patients who consulted non-mental health professionals as their first carers. The patients who presented somatic symptoms as their main problem experienced longer delay from the onset of illness to psychiatric care than the patients who complained about depressive or anxiety symptoms. Prior to the visit to mental health professionals, patients were rarely informed about their diagnosis and did not receive appropriate treatments from their physicians. Private practitioners were more likely to prescribe psychotropics than physicians in general hospitals, but were less likely to inform their patients of their diagnosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This first pathway to psychiatric care study in Japan demonstrated that referral pathway in Japan heavily relies on medical resources. The study indicates possible fields and gives indications, underlining the importance of improving skills and knowledge that will facilitate the recognition of psychiatric disorders presenting with somatic and depressive symptoms in the general health care system and by private practitioners.</p