Cloning and characterization of the cDNA encoding rice elongation factor 1β

AbstractWe have cloned and sequenced a cDNA coding for rice elongation factor 1β (EF-1β). The clone was 1420 bp long and contained an open reading frame coding for 229 amino acids. The overall identity between rice EF-1β and rice EF-1β' [Matsumoto, S., Oizumi, N., Taira, H. and Ejiri, S. (1992) FEBS Lett. 311, 46-48] is 60% at the amino acid sequence level; a higher percent identical residues (81%) were especially observed in the C-temiinal region. Rice EF-1β has no conserved phosphorylation site for casein kinase II and no leucine zipper motif, although these motifs are well conserved in EF-1δ (= β in plants) subunits of animal EF-1

A Major Urinary Protein of the Domestic Cat Regulates the Production of Felinine, a Putative Pheromone Precursor

SummaryDomestic cats spray urine with species-specific odor for territorial marking. Felinine (2-amino-7-hydroxy-5,5-dimethyl-4-thiaheptanoic acid), a putative pheromone precursor, is excreted in cat urine. Here, we report that cauxin, a carboxylesterase excreted as a major urinary component, regulates felinine production. In vitro enzyme assays indicated that cauxin hydrolyzed the felinine precursor 3-methylbutanol-cysteinylglycine to felinine and glycine. Cauxin and felinine were excreted age dependently after 3 months of age. The age-dependent increases in cauxin and felinine excretion were significantly correlated. In mature cats, cauxin and felinine levels were sex-dependently correlated and were higher in males than in females. In headspace gas of cat urine, 3-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate, 3-methyl-3-methylthio-1-butanol, and 3-methyl-3-(2-methyldisulfanyl)-1-butanol were identified as candidates for felinine derivatives. These findings demonstrate that cauxin-dependent felinine production is a cat-specific metabolic pathway, and they provide information for the biosynthetic mechanisms of species-specific molecules in mammals

Mouse Interferons: Amino Terminal Amino Acid Sequences of Various Species

Mouse interferons of three size classes (A, 35,000 to 40,000 daltons; B, 26,000 to 33,000 daltons; and C, 20,000 daltons) were purified from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells infected with Newcastle disease virus. The sequences of the first 24 amino acids (No.17 has not been identified) of interferons A and B are identical. The sequence of the first 20 amino acids of interferon C differs from that of A and B in 18 positions. There is partial homology in amino terminal sequence between mouse interferons A (or B) and a human fibroblast interferon and between mouse interferon C and a human lymphoblastoid interferon

Candida dubliniensis fungemia in a patient with severe COVID-19: A case report

Candida dubliniensis phenotypically mimics Candida albicans in its microbiological features; thus, its clinical characteristics have yet to be fully elucidated. Here we report the case of a 68-year-old Japanese man who developed C. dubliniensis fungemia during treatment for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pa-tient was intubated and received a combination of immunosuppressants, including high-dose methylpredniso-lone and two doses of tocilizumab, as well as remdesivir, intravenous heparin, and ceftriaxone. A blood culture on admission day 11 revealed Candida species, which was confirmed as C. dubliniensis by mass spectrometry. An additional sequencing analysis of the 26S rDNA and ITS regions confirmed that the organism was 100% identical to the reference strain of C. dubliniensis (ATCC MYA-646). Considering the simultaneous isolation of C. dubliniensis from a sputum sample, the lower respiratory tract could be an entry point for candidemia. Although treatment with micafungin successfully eradicated the C. dubliniensis fungemia, the patient died of COVID-19 progression. In this case, aggressive immunosuppressive therapy could have caused the C. dubliniensis fungemia. Due to insufficient clinical reports on C. dubliniensis infection based on definitive diagnosis, the whole picture of the cryptic organism is still unknown. Further accumulation of clinical and microbiological data of the pathogen is needed to elucidate their clinical significance