Evolution of Lysine Biosynthesis in the Phylum Deinococcus-Thermus

Thermus thermophilus biosynthesizes lysine through the α-aminoadipate (AAA) pathway: this observation was the first discovery of lysine biosynthesis through the AAA pathway in archaea and bacteria. Genes homologous to the T. thermophilus lysine biosynthetic genes are widely distributed in bacteria of the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum. Our phylogenetic analyses strongly suggest that a common ancestor of the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum had the ancestral genes for bacterial lysine biosynthesis through the AAA pathway. In addition, our findings suggest that the ancestor lacked genes for lysine biosynthesis through the diaminopimelate (DAP) pathway. Interestingly, Deinococcus proteolyticus does not have the genes for lysine biosynthesis through the AAA pathway but does have the genes for lysine biosynthesis through the DAP pathway. Phylogenetic analyses of D. proteolyticus lysine biosynthetic genes showed that the key gene cluster for the DAP pathway was transferred horizontally from a phylogenetically distant organism

Depth perception from second-order-motion stimuli yoked to head movement

AbstractWe examined whether depth perception was produced by the parallax of second-order motion (i.e., movement of non-luminance features, such as flicker, texture size modulation, or contrast modulation that moved in synchrony with lateral head movement). The results, obtained with second-order motion from a simple grating stimuli, showed that depth order was judged correctly with probabilities well above chance, but the reported depth magnitude did not co-vary with parallax magnitude. When we used a complex spatial pattern for which feature tracking was difficult, the accuracy of depth-order judgments descended to chance level. Our results suggest that the visual system (a) can detect the correct depth order by tracking a relative shift in the salient features of a stimulus pattern, but (b) cannot determine depth magnitude from a velocity field given by second-order-motion stimuli

気管支喘息における気管支肺胞洗浄液中の細胞成分に対する加齢および副腎皮質ホルモンの影響

Effects of aging and glucocorticoid therapy on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells, particularly lymphocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils, were examined in 81 patients with asthma. 1. The proportion of BAL lymphocytes tended to increase with aging in asthmatics under age 69 years, and the proportion was significantly higher in patients with asthma between the ages of 60 and 69 than in those under age 39 and between the ages of 40 and 49. 2. The proportions of BAL neutrophils and eosinophils were not related to aging. 3. The proportion of BAL lymphocytes was higher in patients without glucocorticoid therapy than in those with steroid-dependent intractable asthma (SOIA) in those under age 69 years. In patients between the ages of 50 and 59, the proportion of BAL lymphocytes was significantly higher in patients without glucocorticoids than in those with SOIA. 4. The proportion of BAL neutrophils was higher in patients without glucocorticoid therapy than in those with SOIA, and the difference was significant in patients between the ages of 60 and 69. 5. The proportion of BAL eosinophils was not related to glucocorticoid therapy. These results suggest that the proportion of BAL lymphocytes and neutrophils is affected by aging and glucocorticoid therapy, but not BAL eosinophils.気管支喘息81例を対象に,気管支肺胞洗浄(BAL)液中の細胞成分,特にリンパ球,好中球および好酸球に対する加齢および副腎皮質ホルモ ンの影響について検討を加えた｡ 1.BAL液中のリンパ球頻度は,69才以下の症例では加齢とともに増加する傾向を示し,60-69才の年齢層では,39才以下および40-49才の年齢層の症例に比べ有意に高い値を示した｡　 2.BAL液中の好中球および好酸球頻度と加齢との間には関連が見られなかった｡　 3.BAL液中のリンパ球頻度は,69才以下の症例では,ステロイド依存性重症難治性喘息(SDIA)に比べ,ステロイド非使用例で有意に高い値を示し,50-59才の年齢層ではその差は有意であった｡　 4.BAL液中好中球頻度は,ステロイド非使用例に比べSDIA症例において高い値を示し,60-69才の年齢層ではその差は有意であった｡　 5.BAL液中好酸球頻度は,ステロイド使用の有無との関連は見られなかった｡これらの結果は,BAL液中リンパ球および好中球頻度は加齢や副腎皮質ホルモン投与の影響を受けるが,BAL液中好酸球額度には影響しないことを示唆している

Abdominal obesity exhibits distinct effect on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins in apparently healthy Japanese men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since visceral fat tissue is known to release various inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, abdominal obesity may play a key role in the inflammation associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, few studies have determined precise relationships of abdominal obesity with inflammatory markers in MetS. To clarify the importance of abdominal obesity in sub-clinical inflammation, we examined the changes of inflammatory markers in clustering of MetS components with or without abdominal obesity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Subjects consisted of 326 apparently healthy Japanese men (age: 30 to 59 years) who underwent health examination in the Osaka University Health Care Center. MetS components were assessed and serum levels of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-6 and adiponectin were examined in all subjects.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Subjects with abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥ 85 cm) showed higher serum hs-CRP and IL-6 levels and a lower adiponectin level than those without abdominal obesity. Serum levels of hs-CRP and IL-6 significantly increased in association with clustering of MetS components in the subjects with abdominal obesity, but not in those without abdominal obesity. On the other hand, serum adiponectin level exhibited a little change with clustering of MetS components in the subjects with abdominal obesity. Significant negative correlation between adiponectin and hs-CRP was observed in the subjects with abdominal obesity, however this correlation was not detected in obese subjects defined by body mass index ≥ 25.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Inflammatory status is not exaggerated by clustering of MetS components in the subjects without abdominal obesity. Abdominal obesity may exhibit distinct effect on inflammatory and anti-inflammatory proteins and modulate inflammatory network in MetS.</p