A protein essential for recovering oxygen evolution in cholate-treated chloroplasts

AbstractA novel method for the reconstitution of oxygen evolution in cholate-extracted spinach thylakoid membranes was established and a protein essential for the reconstitution was purified from cholate extracts. Purification of the protein was accomplished by chromatography on a DEAE-Sephacel column. This protein (Mr 17 000) was reinserted into vesicular membranes reconstituted from cholate-extracted thylakoids in the presence of 25% glycerol to reactivate oxygen evolution

Circadian-regulated expression of a nuclear-encoded plastid σ factor gene (sigA) in wheat seedlings

AbstractThe activity of a light-responsive psbD promoter in plastids is known to be regulated by a circadian clock. However, the mechanism of the circadian regulation of the psbD light-responsive promotor, which is recognized by an Escherichia coli-type RNA polymerase, is not yet known. We examined the time course of mRNA accumulation of two E. coli-type RNA polymerase subunit genes, sigA and rpoA, under a continuous light condition after 12 h light/12 h dark entrainment. Accumulation of the sigA mRNA was found to be regulated by a circadian clock, while rpoA mRNA did not show any significant oscillation throughout the experiment

Discovery of anti-inflammatory physiological peptides that promote tissue repair by reinforcing epithelial barrier formation

上皮バリアを形成するペプチドJIPの発見 --JIPは上皮組織修復に貢献する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-11-18.Epithelial barriers that prevent dehydration and pathogen invasion are established by tight junctions (TJs), and their disruption leads to various inflammatory diseases and tissue destruction. However, a therapeutic strategy to overcome TJ disruption in diseases has not been established because of the lack of clinically applicable TJ-inducing molecules. Here, we found TJ-inducing peptides (JIPs) in mice and humans that corresponded to 35 to 42 residue peptides of the C terminus of alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1AT), an acute-phase anti-inflammatory protein. JIPs were inserted into the plasma membrane of epithelial cells, which promoted TJ formation by directly activating the heterotrimeric G protein G13. In a mouse intestinal epithelial injury model established by dextran sodium sulfate, mouse or human JIP administration restored TJ integrity and strongly prevented colitis. Our study has revealed TJ-inducing anti-inflammatory physiological peptides that play a critical role in tissue repair and proposes a previously unidentified therapeutic strategy for TJ-disrupted diseases

Warming and Sterilizing Towels by Microwave Irradiation

A steamed and sterilized towel was easily obtained using a home microwave oven. A small piece of gauze (7 × 7 cm) containing approximately 5 × 108 organisms in 1 mL of saline was rolled up in the moist towel which was wrapped in heat-resistant vinylidene polychloride film (wrap film). Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans in the towel were completely killed by microwave irradiation for 1 min. When three towels were irradiated simultaneously, it took 2 min for complete killing of the bacteria. In another experiment, the small gauze containing the bacterial suspension was set in a sterile plastic dish and completely dried using filtered air for a period of 3 h. After a 5-min irradiation in a microwave oven, the survival rate of S. aureus was 17%. These results indicate that a sterile steamed towel can be obtained by microwave irradiation of a moist towel wrapped in wrap film

The Japanese space gravitational wave antenna; DECIGO

DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to open a new window of observation for gravitational wave astronomy especially between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz, revealing various mysteries of the universe such as dark energy, formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and inflation of the universe. The pre-conceptual design of DECIGO consists of three drag-free spacecraft, whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry– Perot Michelson interferometer. We plan to launch two missions, DECIGO pathfinder and pre- DECIGO first and finally DECIGO in 2024

DECIGO pathfinder

DECIGO pathfinder (DPF) is a milestone satellite mission for DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) which is a future space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to provide us fruitful insights into the universe, in particular about dark energy, a formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and the inflation of the universe. Since DECIGO will be an extremely large mission which will formed by three drag-free spacecraft with 1000m separation, it is significant to gain the technical feasibility of DECIGO before its planned launch in 2024. Thus, we are planning to launch two milestone missions: DPF and pre-DECIGO. The conceptual design and current status of the first milestone mission, DPF, are reviewed in this article

Some Wave-cut Features in Granitic Region, Uradome Coast, Tottori Prefecture

There are many sea caves, arches and inlets mainly controlled by fault and joint system in this granitic rocky coast. Two abrasion platforms are recognized (―6~7m,―15m~). Shallow abrasion platform is roughly connected with sea cave floor, and furrowed by many grooves. Storm benches are observed in open coast and high tide benches in sheltered inlets. Notch is well preserved only in sheltered places, merging below with the abrasion profile. (plate4. fig.6) These erosional features are being formed depending local wave condition