In Vitro Reconstitution of the Clostridium botulinum Type D Progenitor Toxin

Clostiridium botulinum D型4947株は蛋白分解作用を受けない完全型として、異なったサイズの2種類のプロジェニター毒素（MとL）を産生する。M毒素は神経毒素（NT）と非毒素系ー非血球凝集素（NTNHA）で構成されているのに対し、L毒素はM毒素と血球凝集素（HA-70、HA-17、HA-33）によって構成されている。HA-70サブコンポーネントとHA-33/17混合体は変成剤の存在下でクロマトグラフィーによりL毒素からほぼ単一の形で得られた。著者らは、純化したM毒素、HA-70とHA-33/17を混合してL毒素を再構成することに初めて成功した。再構成したL毒素とネイティブのL毒素はゲル濾過、PAGEプロファイル、血球凝集活性、赤血球への吸着活性、マウスへの経口毒力などの諸症状が全く同じであった。トリプシン処理によりニックを持つNTNHAで構成されたM毒素はHAサブコンポーネントと一緒にしてもL毒素を再構成することが出来なかったのに対し、プロテアーゼ処理したL毒素はM毒素とHAサブコンポーネントに隔離することが出来なかった。これらの結果から、著者らはM毒素が最初にNTとNTNHAの会合により形成され、その後HA-70とHA-33/17の会合によってL毒素へ変換されると結論ずけた

Data on melanin production in B16F1 melanoma cells in the presence of emu oil

AbstractHere, we present data on the effects of emu oil, obtained from emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) fat deposits, on melanogenesis in B16F1 murine melanoma cells. The cells were cultured in media containing different concentrations of emu oil, and the melanin content of these cells was measured using a microplate reader. Next, melanin content was measured for cells cultured with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. This article reports the different melanin contents as μg melanin/mg cellular protein, by using bar graphs with error bars. The present data imply that emu oil reduces the cellular melanin production

Spontaneous Nicking in the Nontoxic-Nonhemagglutinin Component of the costridium botulinum Toxin Conplex

Clostiridium botulinum D型4947株によって産生された毒素複合体から非毒素ー非血球凝集素（NTNHA）標品を蛋白分解酵素フリーの条件下で、単独の形と神経毒(NT)/NTNHA複合体の形で調製できた。両調製物質のNTNHAはスポンテニアスにニックの入ったNTNHAとなり、15-と115-kDaフラグメント及び特異的部分でいくつかのアミノ酸の削除を生じることが長時間培養のSDS-PAGEで認められた。しかし、NT/NTNHA/血球凝集素(HA)複合体は同じ条件下でニックの入らない一本鎖のペプチドのままであった。NTNHA調製物に少量のニック型の物が含まれていることから、NTNHAのニック型は精製の残物と/あるいはNTNHAがインタクトNTNHAをそれ自身との切断酵素活性によってニックを入れたことが考えられる

Role of C-Terminal Region of HA-33 Component of Botulinum Toxin in Hemagglutination

Clostridium botulinum D型1873株とC型Yoichi株の産生するプロジェニター毒素から得られた1種類のサブコンポーネントである血球凝集素（HA-33）は、C及びD型参照株のそれより少し小さい分子サイズであるが、他のコンポーネントのの大きさに違いがないことが、SDS-PAGEを用いて見いだされた。すなわち、HA-33のN-及びC-末端シーケンス分析に基つき、両株のHA-33淡白において特異的なサイトでC-末端から33アミノ酸残基の欠落があることが見いだされた。両株のプロジェニター毒素は、参照株毒素の血球凝集力価2かそれ以下の弱い血球凝集活性を示すが、赤血球に吸着することはできない。これらの結果はHA-33の短いC-末端部分が、ボツリヌスプロジェンター毒素の血球凝集活性において重要な役割を果たしていることを示す。さらに、シーケンスモチーフの探索により、HA-33のC-末端部分は炭化水素認識サブドメインを持っていることが推測された

Cytoskeleton-mediated templating of complex cellulose-scaffolded extracellular structure and its association with oikosins in the urochordate Oikopleura

Oriented cellulose deposition is critical to plant patterning and models suggest microtubules constrain cellulose synthase movements through the plasma membrane. Though widespread in plants, urochordates are the only animals that synthesize cellulose. We characterized the distinctive cellulose microfibril scaffold of the larvacean house and its interaction with house structural proteins (oikosins). Targeted disruption of cytoskeletal elements, secretory pathways, and plasma membrane organization, suggested a working model for templating extracellular cellulose microfibrils from animal cells that shows both convergence and differences to plant models. Specialized cortical F-actin arrays template microfibril orientation and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in lipid rafts may act as scaffolding proteins in microfibril elongation. Microtubules deliver and maintain cellulose synthase complexes to specific cell membrane sites rather than orienting their movement through the membrane. Oikosins are incorporated into house compartments directly above their corresponding cellular field of expression and interact with the cellulose scaffold to a variable extent

Identification of Salicornia Populations : Comparison between Morphological Characterization and RAPD Fingerprinting

In Japan, there are two taxa of the genus Salicorniaplants; S. europaeaL. distributed in Hokkaido and S. herbaceaL. distributed on the coast of Inland Sea of Seto. To estimate the polymorphism of the Salicorniaplants, we statistically analyzed the morphological features and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) of five groups from three populations found at Lake Tofutsu and Lake Notori in Hokkaido and Okayama Prefecture on the coast of Inland Sea of Seto. The morphological features, such as plant length, segment number, length and number of branches, and incidence of the secondary branches showed variations among locations. The morphological plasticity of Salicorniaplants was also observed at different plant densities. Thereby these features were difficult to use for identifying the populations. On the other hand, the genotype based on the RAPD markers implied five groups : two groups from the Notori population, two groups from the Tofutsu population and one group from the Okayama population. Additionally the Notori and Tofutsu populations were identified as genotypically related, and different from the Okayama population. The RAPD method, which is one of the simplest and fastest molecular techniques, was found useful for identifying the type of Salicorniaplant

Data on spatiotemporal patterns of the foundation of Japanese companies in China from 1980â2016

This data article provides spatiotemporal patterns of the foundation of Japanese companies in China. The data for companies in the food manufacturing, wholesaling, and service industries were collected from published lists of Chinese companies founded through the investment of Japanese companies. The data are provided in a matrix heatmap format, a two-dimensional visualization of data using color to represent the magnitude of two variables: year of foundation and area in China where the company is located. Keywords: China, Japan, Industry, Heatma

Data on the correlations among brand value, market capitalization, and consolidated overseas sales ratios of Japanese companies

This data article features a figure and tables that show the correlations among brand value by Brand Valuation (Interbrand Japan, Inc. Tokyo, Japan), market capitalization, and the consolidated overseas sales ratios of Japanese companies. The figure shows the scatter plot for market capitalization vs. brand value for Japanese companies. The lines in the plot show the regression fits for two groups of companies (domestic and global) with consolidated overseas sales ratios below or above 30%, respectively. The Pearson's correlation coefficients between brand value and market capitalization are calculated for global and domestic companies separately. Additionally, cross-tabulation statistics and Chi-square test of independence for brand values and consolidated overseas sales ratios were performed to assess their correlation

Data on people's interests related to entry into the Chinese market based on Internet activity corresponding to real-world statistical data in the period 2004â2015 in Japan

This data article describes Internet activities in Japan related to entry into the Chinese market from 2004 to 2015 using data obtained from mining Google Trends. The search volumes were processed and correlated with statistical annual data on the number of Chinese companies founded by investment from Japanese companies. Relative search volumes generated by Google Trends reflect the increase and decrease in the number of Chinese companies founded by Japanese companies in the âreal world.â The correlation between relative search volumes generated by Google Trends and foundation of companies in the âreal worldâ in the study period (2004â2015) was statistically significant. Keywords: China, Japan, Google Trends, Data minin