Tau phosphorylation at Alzheimer\u27s disease-related Ser356 contributes to tau stabilization when PAR-1/MARK activity is elevated.

Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau is observed in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). AD-related phosphorylation of two tau residues, Ser262 and Ser356, by PAR-1/MARK stabilizes tau in the initial phase of mismetabolism, leading to subsequent phosphorylation events, accumulation, and toxicity. However, the relative contribution of phosphorylation at each of these sites to tau stabilization has not yet been elucidated. In a Drosophila model of human tau toxicity, we found that tau was phosphorylated at Ser262, but not at Ser356, and that blocking Ser262 phosphorylation decreased total tau levels. By contrast, when PAR-1 was co-overexpressed with tau, tau was hyperphosphorylated at both Ser262 and Ser356. Under these conditions, the protein levels of tau were significantly elevated, and prevention of tau phosphorylation at both residues was necessary to completely suppress this elevation. These results suggest that tau phosphorylation at Ser262 plays the predominant role in tau stabilization when PAR-1/MARK activity is normal, whereas Ser356 phosphorylation begins to contribute to this process when PAR-1/MARK activity is abnormally elevated, as in diseased brains

Clinicopathological Aspects of Gastric Carcinoma in the Remnant Stomach

The clinicopathological differences between remnant gastric carcinoma (RGC) after partial gastrectomy for benign disease (RGC-BD) and RGC after partial gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma (RGC-GC) were evaluated. The incidences of developing gastric carcinomas in patients more than 10 years after partial gastrectomy for benign disease or for gastric carcinoma were compared with those of developing gastric carcinomas in patients with colorectal carcinoma who were determined to have no malignant disease in the stomach preoperatively. Next, we analyzed the clinicopathological differences among RGC-BD, RGC-GC and primary gastric carcinoma (PGC) in the upper third of the stomach. RGC-BD was detected in 8 of 1,187 (0.7%) patients and RGC-GC was detected in 19 of 764 (2.5%) patients. Among the controls, 7 of 226 (3.1%) patients developed gastric carcinoma. The estimated risk of developing of RGC-BD and RGC-GC were 0.12 and 0.798. No difference was found among 18 patients with RGC-BD, 16 patients with RGC-GC and 229 patients with PGC in terms of patient age, histologic type, tumor size and distribution of tumor stage. The 5-year survival rate for patients with PGC (55%) was not different from that for patients with RGC-BD (43%) or that for patients with RGC-GC (65%). However, the interval between initial operation and detection of RGCs was longer in RGC-BD than in RGC-GC (P = 0.004), and RGCs were more frequently detected at the site of anastomosis in patients with RGC-BD (50%) than in patients with RGC-GC (19%, P= 0.057). The incidence of developing RGCs after partial gastrectomy for benign and malignant diseases was low. The histologic type of tumors and tumor stages of RGC-GC were not different from those of RGC-BD; however, RGC-GC developed within a short time and most lesions were at sites remote from the anastomosis. These findings indicate that carcinogenesis of RGC-GC appears to be different from that of RGC-BD

Thioredoxin-1 maintains mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) function during oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes

Thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) is a 12-kDa oxidoreductase that catalyzes thiol-disulfide exchange reactions to reduce proteins with disulfide bonds. As such, Trx1 helps protect the heart against stresses, such as ischemia and pressure overload. Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates cell growth, metabolism, and survival. We have shown previously that mTOR activity is increased in response to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, whether Trx1 interacts with mTOR to preserve heart function remains unknown. Using a substrate-trapping mutant of Trx1 (Trx1C35S), we show here that mTOR is a direct interacting partner of Trx1 in the heart. In response to H2O2 treatment in cardiomyocytes, mTOR exhibited a high molecular weight shift in non-reducing SDS-PAGE in a 2-mercaptoethanol-sensitive manner, suggesting that mTOR is oxidized and forms disulfide bonds with itself or other proteins. The mTOR oxidation was accompanied by reduced phosphorylation of endogenous substrates, such as S6 kinase (S6K) and 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in cardiomyocytes. Immune complex kinase assays disclosed that H2O2 treatment diminished mTOR kinase activity, indicating that mTOR is inhibited by oxidation. Of note, Trx1 overexpression attenuated both H2O2-mediated mTOR oxidation and inhibition, whereas Trx1 knockdown increased mTOR oxidation and inhibition. Moreover, Trx1 normalized H2O2-induced down-regulation of metabolic genes and stimulation of cell death, and an mTOR inhibitor abolished Trx1-mediated rescue of gene expression. H2O2-induced oxidation and inhibition of mTOR were attenuated when Cys-1483 of mTOR was mutated to phenylalanine. These results suggest that Trx1 protects cardiomyocytes against stress by reducing mTOR at Cys-1483, thereby preserving the activity of mTOR and inhibiting cell death

Topoisomerase I Protein Expression and Prognosis of Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Topoisomerase I (Topo I) is known as a target for chemotherapy in advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer. In order to prolong the survival of patients with colorectal cancer or to prevent ineffective chemotherapy, we evaluated clinicopathological characteristics of Topo I protein in colorectal cancer. Also, we estimated whether Topo I protein expression of primary tumors could be a parameter for chemosensitivity of Topo I inhibitor in patients with cancer recurrence. Immunohistochemical detection of Topo I protein was performed in 104 surgically obtained specimens. Topo I protein was detected in 45 of 104 patients (43.2%). Topo I protein expression closely correlated with tumor progression, histpathological differentiation and poor prognosis of patients. Sixteen patients with recurrent cancer had been treated with Topo I inhibitor. Topo I inhibitor significantly prolonged the survival of 12 patients who had Topo I-positive primary tumors. Topo I protein expression in colorectal cancer may be a biological marker for chemosensitivity of tumors against Topo I inhibitors

Nanometer-size hard magnetic ferrite exhibiting high optical-transparency and nonlinear optical-magnetoelectric effect

Development of nanometer-sized magnetic particles exhibiting a large coercive field (Hc) is in high demand for densification of magnetic recording. Herein, we report a single-nanosize (i.e., less than ten nanometers across) hard magnetic ferrite. This magnetic ferrite is composed of ε-Fe2O3, with a sufficiently high Hc value for magnetic recording systems and a remarkably high magnetic anisotropy constant of 7.7 × 106 erg cm−3. For example, 8.2-nm nanoparticles have an Hc value of 5.2 kOe at room temperature. A colloidal solution of these nanoparticles possesses a light orange color due to a wide band gap of 2.9 eV (430 nm), indicating a possibility of transparent magnetic pigments. Additionally, we have observed magnetization-induced second harmonic generation (MSHG). The nonlinear optical-magnetoelectric effect of the present polar magnetic nanocrystal was quite strong. These findings have been demonstrated in a simple iron oxide, which is highly significant from the viewpoints of economic cost and mass production.UTokyo Research掲載「世界最小ハードフェライト磁石の開発に成功」 URI: http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ja/utokyo-research/research-news/the-worlds-smallest-hard-ferrite-magnet.htmlUTokyo Research "The world\u27s smallest hard ferrite magnet" URI: http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utokyo-research/research-news/the-worlds-smallest-hard-ferrite-magnet.htm

Serum IgG4 as a biomarker reflecting pathophysiology and post-operative recurrence in chronic rhinosinusitis

Background: Type 2 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), especially eosinophilic CRS (ECRS), is an intractable upper airway inflammatory disease. Establishment of serum biomarkers reflecting the pathophysiology of CRS is desirable in a clinical setting. As IgG4 production is regulated by type 2 cytokines, we sought to determine whether serum IgG4 levels can be used as a biomarker for CRS. Methods: Association between the serum IgG4 levels and clinicopathological factors was analyzed in 336 CRS patients. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the cut-off value of serum IgG4 levels that can be used to predict the post-operative recurrence. Results: Serum IgG4 levels were significantly higher in patients with moderate to severe ECRS versus those with non to mild ECRS. The levels were also significantly higher in asthmatic patients and patients exhibiting recurrence after surgery compared to controls. ROC analysis determined that the best cut-off value for the serum IgG4 level to predict the post-operative recurrence was 95 mg/dL. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 39.7% and 80.5%, respectively. When we combined the two cut-off values for the serum IgG4 and periostin, patients with high serum levels of either IgG4 or periostin exhibited a high post-operative recurrence (OR: 3.95) as compared to patients having low serum levels of both IgG4 and periostin. Conclusions: The present results demonstrate that the serum IgG4 level is associated with disease severity and post-operative course in CRS. In particular, the combination of serum IgG4 and periostin could be a novel biomarker that predicts post-operative recurrence

An alternative mitophagy pathway mediated by Rab9 protects the heart against ischemia

Energy stress, such as ischemia, induces mitochondrial damage and death in the heart. Degradation of damaged mitochondria by mitophagy is essential for the maintenance of healthy mitochondria and survival. Here, we show that mitophagy during myocardial ischemia was mediated predominantly through autophagy characterized by Rab9-associated autophagosomes, rather than the well-characterized form of autophagy that is dependent on the autophagy-related 7 (Atg) conjugation system and LC3. This form of mitophagy played an essential role in protecting the heart against ischemia and was mediated by a protein complex consisting of unc-51 like kinase 1 (Ulk1), Rab9, receptor-interacting serine/ thronine protein kinase 1 (Rip1), and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). This complex allowed the recruitment of transGolgi membranes associated with Rab9 to damaged mitochondria through S179 phosphorylation of Rab9 by Ulk1 and S616 phosphorylation of Drp1 by Rip1. Knockin of Rab9 (S179A) abolished mitophagy and exacerbated the injury in response to myocardial ischemia, without affecting conventional autophagy. Mitophagy mediated through the Ulk1/Rab9/Rip1/Drp1 pathway protected the heart against ischemia by maintaining healthy mitochondria

Impurity emission characteristics of long pulse discharges in Large Helical Device

Line spectra from intrinsic impurity ions have been monitored during the three kinds of long-pulse discharges (ICH, ECH, NBI). Constant emission from the iron impurity shows no preferential accumulation of iron ion during the long-pulse operations. Stable Doppler ion temperature has been also measured from Fe XX, C V and C III spectra