Complete nucleotide sequence of the Cryptomeria japonica D. Don. chloroplast genome and comparative chloroplast genomics: diversified genomic structure of coniferous species

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The recent determination of complete chloroplast (cp) genomic sequences of various plant species has enabled numerous comparative analyses as well as advances in plant and genome evolutionary studies. In angiosperms, the complete cp genome sequences of about 70 species have been determined, whereas those of only three gymnosperm species, <it>Cycas taitungensis</it>, <it>Pinus thunbergii</it>, and <it>Pinus koraiensis </it>have been established. The lack of information regarding the gene content and genomic structure of gymnosperm cp genomes may severely hamper further progress of plant and cp genome evolutionary studies. To address this need, we report here the complete nucleotide sequence of the cp genome of <it>Cryptomeria japonica</it>, the first in the Cupressaceae sensu lato of gymnosperms, and provide a comparative analysis of their gene content and genomic structure that illustrates the unique genomic features of gymnosperms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The <it>C. japonica </it>cp genome is 131,810 bp in length, with 112 single copy genes and two duplicated (<it>trn</it>I-CAU, <it>trn</it>Q-UUG) genes that give a total of 116 genes. Compared to other land plant cp genomes, the <it>C. japonica </it>cp has lost one of the relevant large inverted repeats (IRs) found in angiosperms, fern, liverwort, and gymnosperms, such as <it>Cycas </it>and <it>Gingko</it>, and additionally has completely lost its <it>trn</it>R-CCG, partially lost its <it>trn</it>T-GGU, and shows diversification of <it>acc</it>D. The genomic structure of the <it>C. japonica </it>cp genome also differs significantly from those of other plant species. For example, we estimate that a minimum of 15 inversions would be required to transform the gene organization of the <it>Pinus thunbergii </it>cp genome into that of <it>C. japonica</it>. In the <it>C. japonica </it>cp genome, direct repeat and inverted repeat sequences are observed at the inversion and translocation endpoints, and these sequences may be associated with the genomic rearrangements.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The observed differences in genomic structure between <it>C. japonica </it>and other land plants, including pines, strongly support the theory that the large IRs stabilize the cp genome. Furthermore, the deleted large IR and the numerous genomic rearrangements that have occurred in the <it>C. japonica </it>cp genome provide new insights into both the evolutionary lineage of coniferous species in gymnosperm and the evolution of the cp genome.</p

ネンプ ワガ ジテイネンフ タカハタ アツシ センセイ タイニン キネンゴウ

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Primary Follicular Lymphoma of the Duodenum with Erosions as Atypical Macroscopic Features

A 52-year-old Japanese woman who was eventually diagnosed with primary follicular lymphoma of the duodenum showed atypical endoscopic features, namely, erosions with peripheral whitish edematous mucosa. Initial biopsy specimens taken from the erosions revealed insufficient numbers of lymphoma cells for histological diagnosis. Subsequent biopsy specimens from the peripheral mucosa containing the whitish enlarged villi showed infiltration of the lymphoma cells forming lymphoid follicles, which led us to the appropriate diagnosis. This case indicates that endoscopists should take biopsy samples from the peripheral mucosa with whitish enlarged villi rather than erosions in the rare instances that erosions appear as the main macroscopic feature of intestinal follicular lymphoma

Chromosome Scaffold is a Double-Stranded Assembly of Scaffold Proteins

Poonperm, R., Takata, H., Hamano, T. et al. Chromosome Scaffold is a Double-Stranded Assembly of Scaffold Proteins. Sci Rep 5, 11916 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11916

Cloudy band observations for annual layer counting on the GRIP and NGRIP, Greenland, deep ice core samples (scientific note)

Cloudy band stratigraphy was observed in the GRIP and NGRIP, Greenland ice cores. Gray value profiles obtained from the photographic recording were analyzed to extract annual layer signals. Simple counting of gray value peaks is effective enough when annual layer thickness is relatively small (smaller than approximately 20 mm), but smoothing of the gray value profile is needed when annual layer thickness is larger. Smoothing can be done by adopting a running mean over a range of half of annual layer thickness estimated from ice flow modeling. A comparison of the DEP profile with the gray value profile revealed that the DEP profile seems to reflect the seasonal variation in general, but not exactly

Retinal Endovascular Surgery with Tissue Plasminogen Activator Injection for Central Retinal Artery Occlusion

Purpose: To report 2 cases of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) who underwent retinal endovascular surgery with injection of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) into the retinal artery and showed a remarkable improvement in visual acuity and retinal circulation. Methods: Standard 25-G vitrectomy was performed under local anesthesia. Simultaneously, tPA (80,000 units/mL) solution was injected into the retinal artery of the optic disc for 2–3 min using a microneedle. Changes in visual acuity, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescein angiography, and laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) results were examined. Results: Both cases could be treated within 12 h after the onset of CRAO. Case 1 was a 47-year-old woman. Her visual acuity improved from counting fingers before operation to 0.08 logMAR 1 month after the surgery. However, thinning of the retina at the macula was observed by OCT. Case 2 was a 70-year-old man. His visual acuity improved from counting fingers to 0.1 logMAR 2 months after the surgery. Both fluorescein angiography and LSFG showed improvement in retinal circulation after the surgery in case 2. Conclusions: Retinal endovascular surgery with injection of tPA into the retinal artery was feasible and may be a way to improve visual acuity and retinal circulation when performed in the acute phase of CRAO

protective effect of EGCG on mouse islets

Purpose: Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea polyphenol, has been shown to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects and mechanism of EGCG on isolated pancreatic islets as pre-conditioning for pancreatic islet transplantation. Methods: The pancreatic islets were divided into two groups: an islet culture medium group (control) and an islet culture medium with EGCG (100 μM) group. We investigated the islet viability, Nrf2 expression, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA. Five hundred islet equivalents after 12 h of culture for the EGCG 100 μM and control group were transplanted under the kidney capsule of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic ICR mice. Results: The cell viability and insulin secretion ability in the EGCG group were preserved, and the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 was increased in the EGCG group (p<0.01). While the HO-1 mRNA levels were also higher in the EGCG group than in the control group (p<0.05), the ROS production was lower (p<0.01). An in vivo functional assessment showed that the blood glucose level had decreased in the EGCG group after transplantation (p<0.01). Conclusion: EGCG protects the viability and function of islets by suppressing ROS production via the Nrf2 pathway