モモセン コウサイキン ビョウキン(オモ ニXanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni)ノ ヤクザイ カンジュセイ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

モモせん孔細菌病は重要病害の一つであり,国内ではXanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae およびBrenneria nigrifluensの3種が病原細菌として報告されている。一般的に本病の主病原はX. a. pv. pruniであるとされているが,それを詳細に調査した報告は少ない。また,本病の防除は抗生物質剤を中心とした薬剤の散布が主である。抗生物質剤は様々な病害で薬剤耐性菌の発生が報告されており問題となっている。本病においても耐性菌の出現による防除効果の低下が懸念されている。そこで,2008年から2011年の4年間に合計7県151ほ場からモモせん孔細菌病罹病試料を採取し,病原細菌を分離,国内で発生している本病の主病原を再確認したところ,分離した菌株のほとんどがX. a. pv. pruniであったことから本病の主病原はX. a. pv. pruniである可能性が示唆された。さらに,菌株のオキシテトラサイクリン,オキソリニック酸およびストレプトマイシンに対する最小生育阻止濃度(MIC)を調査したところ,オキシテトラサイクリンおよびオキソリニック酸に対するMICは25ppm以下であった。一方,ストレプトマイシンに対してはMICが2000ppm以上を示す菌株が200菌株と全体の43%を占めており,ストレプトマイシンに対して耐性を有するX. a. pv. pruniが比較的高い割合で存在することが示唆された。Although bacterial shot hole disease is one of the most important diseases in peach production and three pathogens have been reported from the disease in Japan, there is little investigation on the dominant pathogen. As the use of bactericidal antibiotics is indispensable to control this disease, emergence of the causal bacteria with resistance to bactericides has been reported and is noticed as a serious problem in peach production. Samples of peach plants with bacterial shot hole disease were collected from 151 fields in 7 prefectures in four years from 2008 to 2011 for isolation and reaffirmation of the main causal bacteria. Most frequently isolated bacteria was identified as Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni, recognized as the dominant causal agent of bacterial shot hole disease of peach. The bacterial isolates identified as the dominant pathogen were examined for their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against oxytetracycline, oxolinic acid and streptomycin to evaluate their susceptibility. Although all isolates tested were susceptible to oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid and showed <25ppm (MIC), 200 isolates (43% of tested isolates) showed more than 2000ppm (MIC) to streptomycin and were judged as resistant. The results of the survey showed the considerably higher population of X. a. pv. pruni with resistance to streptomycin in peach fields

Nuclear Pore Complex Protein Mediated Nuclear Localization of Dicer Protein in Human Cells

Human DICER1 protein cleaves double-stranded RNA into small sizes, a crucial step in production of single-stranded RNAs which are mediating factors of cytoplasmic RNA interference. Here, we clearly demonstrate that human DICER1 protein localizes not only to the cytoplasm but also to the nucleoplasm. We also find that human DICER1 protein associates with the NUP153 protein, one component of the nuclear pore complex. This association is detected predominantly in the cytoplasm but is also clearly distinguishable at the nuclear periphery. Additional characterization of the NUP153-DICER1 association suggests NUP153 plays a crucial role in the nuclear localization of the DICER1 protein

Influence of birth cohort on age of onset cluster analysis in bipolar I disorder

PURPOSE: Two common approaches to identify subgroups of patients with bipolar disorder are clustering methodology (mixture analysis) based on the age of onset, and a birth cohort analysis. This study investigates if a birth cohort effect will influence the results of clustering on the age of onset, using a large, international database. METHODS: The database includes 4037 patients with a diagnosis of bipolar I disorder, previously collected at 36 collection sites in 23 countries. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to adjust the data for country median age, and in some models, birth cohort. Model-based clustering (mixture analysis) was then performed on the age of onset data using the residuals. Clinical variables in subgroups were compared. RESULTS: There was a strong birth cohort effect. Without adjusting for the birth cohort, three subgroups were found by clustering. After adjusting for the birth cohort or when considering only those born after 1959, two subgroups were found. With results of either two or three subgroups, the youngest subgroup was more likely to have a family history of mood disorders and a first episode with depressed polarity. However, without adjusting for birth cohort (three subgroups), family history and polarity of the first episode could not be distinguished between the middle and oldest subgroups. CONCLUSION: These results using international data confirm prior findings using single country data, that there are subgroups of bipolar I disorder based on the age of onset, and that there is a birth cohort effect. Including the birth cohort adjustment altered the number and characteristics of subgroups detected when clustering by age of onset. Further investigation is needed to determine if combining both approaches will identify subgroups that are more useful for research

Association between solar insolation and a history of suicide attempts in bipolar I disorder

In many international studies, rates of completed suicide and suicide attempts have a seasonal pattern that peaks in spring or summer. This exploratory study investigated the association between solar insolation and a history of suicide attempt in patients with bipolar I disorder. Solar insolation is the amount of electromagnetic energy from the Sun striking a surface area on Earth. Data were collected previously from 5536 patients with bipolar I disorder at 50 collection sites in 32 countries at a wide range of latitudes in both hemispheres. Suicide related data were available for 3365 patients from 310 onset locations in 51 countries. 1047 (31.1%) had a history of suicide attempt. There was a significant inverse association between a history of suicide attempt and the ratio of mean winter solar insolation/mean summer solar insolation. This ratio is smallest near the poles where the winter insolation is very small compared to the summer insolation. This ratio is largest near the equator where there is relatively little variation in the insolation over the year. Other variables in the model that were positively associated with suicide attempt were being female, a history of alcohol or substance abuse, and being in a younger birth cohort. Living in a country with a state-sponsored religion decreased the association. (All estimated coefficients p <0.01). In summary, living in locations with large changes in solar insolation between winter and summer may be associated with increased suicide attempts in patients with bipolar disorder. Further investigation of the impacts of solar insolation on the course of bipolar disorder is needed.Peer reviewe

Benefits of use, and tolerance of, medium-chain triglyceride medical food in the management of Japanese patients with Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease: a&nbsp;prospective, open-label pilot study

Tohru Ohnuma, Aiko Toda, Ayako Kimoto, Yuto Takebayashi, Ryoko Higashiyama, Yuko Tagata, Masanobu Ito, Tsuneyoshi Ota, Nobuto Shibata, Heii Arai Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University Alzheimer&rsquo;s Disease Project, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan Objectives: This is the first clinical trial of this type in Japan, designed to analyze two important aspects of Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease (AD) management using medium-chain triglycerides. Axona was administered for 3 months (40 g of powder containing 20 g of caprylic triglycerides). We used an indurating, four-step dose-titration method (from 10 to 40 g per day) for 7 days before the trial, and examined the tolerance and adverse effects of this intervention. We also investigated its effect on cognitive function in mild-to-moderate AD patients.Patients and methods: This was a clinical intervention in 22 Japanese patients with sporadic AD at a mild-to-moderate stage (ten females, 12 males), mean age (&plusmn; standard deviation) 63.9 (&plusmn;8.5) years, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, 10&ndash;25, seven patients were ApoE4-positive. During Axona administration, we examined changes in cognitive function by obtaining MMSE and AD assessment-scale scores. Intolerance and serum ketone concentrations were also examined.Results: The tolerance of Axona was good, without severe gastrointestinal adverse effects. Axona did not improve cognitive function in our sample of AD patients, even in those patients without the ApoE4 allele. However, some ApoE4-negative patients with baseline MMSE score &ge;14 showed improvement in their cognitive functions.Conclusion: The modified dose-titration method, starting with a low dose of Axona, decreased gastrointestinal adverse effects in Japanese patients. Axona might be effective for some relatively mildly affected patients with AD (with cognitive function MMSE score of &ge;14 and lacking the ApoE4 allele). Keywords: Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, medium-chain triglycerides, ketone, cognitive function, apolipoprotein E epsilon

PML-retinoic acid receptor alpha inhibits PML IVenhancement of PU.1-induced C/EBPepsilon expression in myeloid differentiation

PML and PU.1 play important roles in myeloid differentiation. PML-deficient mice have an impaired capacity for terminal maturation of their myeloid precursor cells. This finding has been explained, at least in part, by the lack of PML action to modulate retinoic acid-differentiating activities. In this study, we found that C/EBPɛ expression is reduced in PML-deficient mice. We showed that PU.1 directly activates the transcription of the C/EBPɛ gene that is essential for granulocytic differentiation. The type IV isoform of PML interacted with PU.1, promoted its association with p300, and then enhanced PU.1-induced transcription and granulocytic differentiation. In contrast to PML IV, the leukemia-associated PML-retinoic acid receptor α fusion protein dissociated the PU.1/PML IV/p300 complex and inhibited PU.1-induced transcription. These results suggest a novel pathogenic mechanism of the PML-retinoic acid receptor α fusion protein in acute promyelocytic leukemia