Acetylated YY1 regulates Otx2 expression in anterior neuroectoderm at two cis-sites 90 kb apart

The mouse homeobox gene Otx2 plays essential roles at each step and in every tissue during head development. We have previously identified a series of enhancers that are responsible for driving the Otx2 expression in these contexts. Among them the AN enhancer, existing 92 kb 5′ upstream, directs Otx2 expression in anterior neuroectoderm (AN) at the headfold stage. Analysis of the enhancer mutant Otx2(ΔAN/−) indicated that Otx2 expression under the control of this enhancer is essential to the development of AN. This study demonstrates that the AN enhancer is promoter-dependent and regulated by acetylated YY1. YY1 binds to both the AN enhancer and promoter region. YY1 is acetylated in the anterior head, and only acetylated YY1 can bind to the sequence in the enhancer. Moreover, YY1 binding to both of these two sites is essential to Otx2 expression in AN. These YY1 binding sites are highly conserved in AN enhancers in tetrapods, coelacanth and skate, suggesting that establishment of the YY1 regulation coincides with that of OTX2 function in AN development in an ancestral gnathostome

Evidence for a higher-order topological insulator in a three-dimensional material built from van der Waals stacking of bismuth-halide chains

Low-dimensional van der Waals materials have been extensively studied as a platform with which to generate quantum effects. Advancing this research, topological quantum materials with van der Waals structures are currently receiving a great deal of attention. Here, we use the concept of designing topological materials by the van der Waals stacking of quantum spin Hall insulators. Most interestingly, we find that a slight shift of inversion centre in the unit cell caused by a modification of stacking induces a transition from a trivial insulator to a higher-order topological insulator. Based on this, we present angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy results showing that the real three-dimensional material Bi4Br4 is a higher-order topological insulator. Our demonstration that various topological states can be selected by stacking chains differently, combined with the advantages of van der Waals materials, offers a playground for engineering topologically non-trivial edge states towards future spintronics applications

Lifetime of the isomeric O-2(+) state in Be-12

Mean lifetime tau of the isomeric O-2(+) state in Be-12 has been determined by measuring decay spectra of delayed y-rays from stopped Be-12 2 nuclei produced by the projectile fragmentation of O-18 at 100 A MeV. A consistent value of tau = 331 +/- 12 ns was obtained from the time spectra of the E2 gamma decay to the 2(1)(+) state and the positron annihilation following the E0 decay to the ground state. Based on the observed branching ratio between the E2 and E0 decays, transition strengths of the two decay modes were deduced to be B(E2; O-2(+) -> 2(1)(+)) = 7.0 +/- 0.6 e(2) fm(4) and 2 1 1 (O-2(+) Sigma(i) e(i) r(i)(2) O-1(+)), = 0.87 +/- 0.03 e fM(2), respectively. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved