In Vitro Phosphorylation of Proteins in IAA-Treated Primary Roots and Coleoptiles in Zea mays

Five-mm sections of elongation zones which were cut from primary roots or coleoptiles of Zea mays were incubated for designated periods with various concentrations of IAA. In vitro protein phosphorylation in the soluble fractionsprepared from these sections was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The phosphorylation of proteins in sections of primary roots incubated for 20 or 40 min in the presenceof 10^-7 M IAA was greater than that in the sections incubated in the absence ofIAA. The phosphorylation of proteins in sections of primary roots incubated for 20 min or 2h in the presence of 10^-8,10^-7 or 10^-6 M IAA was higher than that in the sections incubated in the absence of IAA. An incuba-tion for 20 min or 2h with 10^-4 M IAA inhibited the phosphorylation of proteins in sections of primary roots. The growth of the sections of primary roots incubated for 2h in the presence of 10^-7 M IAA or higher concentrations was lower than that of the sections incubated in the absence of IAA. These results suggest that the phosphorylation of proteins which was increased by IAA treatment is independent of an inhibition of the growth induced by IAA in maize primary roots. The phosphorylation of proteins in sections of coleoptiles incubated for 10, 20 or 40 min in the presence of 10^-7 or 10^-5 M IAA was equal to that in the sectionsincubated in the absence of IAA. These results show that IAA regulates growth ofmaize coleoptiles in no relation with phosphorylation of the proteins and that IAA regulates growth of maize mesocotyls via phosphorylation of the proteins, comparing with earlier results [Kato et al. (1996) Plant Cell Phsiol. 37:667].　Coleoptile―IAA treatment―Primary root―Protein phosphorylation―Zea mays

Nuclear localization of beta-catenin involved in precancerous change in oral leukoplakia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oral leukoplakia is a precancerous change developed in the oral mucosa, and the mechanism that oral leukoplakia becomes malignant through atypical epithelium is not known. Here we compared the β-catenin expression detected by immunohistochemical staining in the normal oral epithelium and in the oral leukoplakia with or without dysplasia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The normal oral epithelium showed β-catenin expression only in the cell membrane, but not in the nuclei. In the oral leukoplakia without dysplasia, 7 out of 17 samples (41%) showed β-catenin expression in the cell membrane, and 5 samples (29%) showed expression in the nuclei. In the oral leukoplakia with dysplasia, nuclear expression of β-catenin was shown in 11 out of 12 samples (92%). Incidence of nuclear β-catenin expression was significantly different between dysplasia and normal oral epithelium (P < 0.01), and also between oral leukoplakia with dysplasia and those without dysplasia (P < 0.01). Wnt3 expression was detected in the epithelial cell membrane or cytoplasm in oral leukoplakia where nuclear expression of β-catenin was evident, but not in epithelial cells without nuclear expression of β-catenin.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The components of canonical Wnt pathway, such as Wnt3, β-catenin, and cyclin D1, were detected, implying that this pathway is potentially involved in the progression of dysplasia in oral leukoplakia.</p

Survey of Newly-found Nitrile Hydratase-Producing Microorganisma Grown at Higher Temperatures

We surveyed some novel nitrile hydratase-producing microorganisms through the enrichment culture technique at higher temperatures. We isolated several spore-forming filamentous bacteria from soil samples. One of them, strain 45A40 exhibited the highest nitrile hydratase activity. Based on taxonomical studies, strain 45A40 was identifind to be genus Streptomyces. It was the first example of a Streptomyces strain exhibiting high nitrile hydratase acitivity. We optimized the culture conditions of Streptomyces 45A40 to enhance the nitrile hydratase activity. The formation of nitrile hydratase was constitutive and was highly enhanced by the addition of cobalt ions. The enzyme acted on various nitriles and showed low Km value for 3-cyanopuridine. The enzyme exhibited tolerance against a high concentration of 3-cyanopyridine ; however, its heat stability was not outstanding.二トリルヒドラターゼは、温和な条件下で二トリルを水和し、極めて効率的にアミドを生産蓄積する反応を触媒することから、ポリマーの原料であるアクリルアミドの工場生産に応用されてきた(Fig.1(1)).またごく最近、ビタミン剤として家畜の飼料添加に用いられるニコチンアミドの工業生産にも本酵素の水和反応プロセスが応用されるようになった(Fig.1(2))1-3).本酵素は今日のバイオインダストリーにおいて、最もポテンシャルの高い酵素の一つであると言える。現在、アクリルアミド、ニコチンアミドの工場生産は、長澤ら4-6)によって確立された方法、即ちRhodococcus rhodochrous J1をコバルトイオンと尿素を添加した培地で培養し、著量の二トリルヒドラターゼを誘導生成させた菌体を直接触媒的に用いる生産プロセスが実用化されている。これまで二トリル分解菌の分離は、二トリルが一般的に低沸点で揮発性であることから、30℃以下の温度域で集積培養し、分離することが一派的であった。これまで報告されている高活性を示す二トリルヒドラターゼ生成菌としては、Pseudomonas属7), Rhodococcus属6,8)の細菌が知られている。新規二トリルヒドラターゼ生成菌の探索を目的として、今回、我々は比較的高沸点の二トリル化合物を単一炭素、窒素源として用いてこれまで試みられなかった37℃-50℃の中高温度域で集積培養を行う新たな二トリル分解菌の探索を試みた

Calcineurin-GATA-6 pathway is involved in smooth muscle–specific transcription

Intracellular calcium is one of the important signals that initiates the myogenic program. The calcium-activated phosphatase calcineurin is necessary for the nuclear import of the nuclear factor of activated T cell (NFAT) family members, which interact with zinc finger GATA transcription factors. Whereas GATA-6 plays a role in the maintenance of the differentiated phenotype in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), it is unknown whether the calcineurin pathway is associated with GATA-6 and plays a role in the differentiation of VSMCs. The smooth muscle–myosin heavy chain (Sm-MHC) gene is a downstream target of GATA-6, and provides a highly specific marker for differentiated VSMCs. Using immunoprecipitation Western blotting, we showed that NFATc1 interacted with GATA-6. Consistent with this, NFATc1 further potentiated GATA-6–activated Sm-MHC transcription. Induction of VSMCs to the quiescent phenotype caused nuclear translocation of NFATc1. In differentiated VSMCs, blockage of calcineurin down-regulated the amount of GATA-6-DNA binding as well as the expression of Sm-MHC and its transcriptional activity. These findings demonstrate that the calcineurin pathway is associated with GATA-6 and is required for the maintenance of the differentiated phenotype in VSMCs

Well-Differentiated Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma Arising from the Retroperitoneum That Recurred as Anaplastic Spindle Cell Sarcoma

Extraskeletal osteosarcoma is an uncommon high-grade malignant soft tissue sarcoma. Well-differentiated extraskeletal osteosarcoma is thought to have a better prognosis than classical extraskeletal osteosarcoma, but dedifferentiation after recurrence has also been reported. We present a case of a primary retroperitoneal extraskeletal osteosarcoma in a 62-year-old Japanese woman. Abdominal CT revealed a large mass with diffuse calcification in the right retroperitoneal space and tumor resection was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was well-differentiated retroperitoneal extraskeletal osteosarcoma. She was followed up by CT every 6 months without adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy for 31 months until anaplastic high-grade spindle cell sarcoma recurred in the retroperitoneum. Our case is the seventh reported description of well-differentiated extraskeletal sarcoma, and the first to arise in the retroperitoneum and recur as an entirely dedifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma

林冠木とカタクリの花の向きとの関係

[短報

Interactive Rakuchu Rakugai-zu (Views in and Around Kyoto)

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Conference on Culture and Computing, C&C 2020, held as part of the 22nd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2020, in July 2020. The conference was planned to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, but had to change to a virtual conference mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Rakuchu Rakugai-zu is a screen painting illustrating in and around Kyoto created from the beginning of 16th century until 17th century. As in the Funaki Version of Rakuchu Rakugai-zu everyday lives of over 2, 000 people in Kyoto are vividly painted, the painting is a good material to learn their customs in early 17th century in Kyoto. However, it is difficult to understand the details of the painting, if background information is not provided. How to document such information and how to provide people such information would be crucial for the future of museums. To cope with this, we are carrying out a project to develop the interactive Rakuchu Rakugai-zu, Funaki Version. Firstly, we digitize the painting with ultra-high resolution. Secondly, using historical books regarding the customs of that era., we identify clothes and behaviors of each person in the painting and linked them to the person in the painting. Thirdly, we develop the technology to provide such information interactively using text or voice. Fourthly, we develop present Funaki Version including various manga characters so that we can compare old and present customs of people. Integrating these contents and technologies we are now developing the interactive Rakuchu Rakugai-zu, Funaki Version

ASTE CO(3-2) Mapping toward the Whole Optical Disk of M 83: Properties of Inter-arm GMAs

We present a new on-the-fly (OTF) mapping of CO(J=3-2) line emission with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) toward the 8' x 8' (or 10.5 x 10.5 kpc at the distance of 4.5 Mpc) region of the nearby barred spiral galaxy M 83 at an effective resolution of 25''. Due to its very high sensitivity, our CO(J=3-2) map can depict not only spiral arm structures but also spur-like substructures extended in inter-arm regions. This spur-like substructures in CO(J=3-2) emission are well coincident with the distribution of massive star forming regions traced by Halpha luminosity and Spitzer/IRAC 8 um emission. We have identified 54 CO(J=3-2) clumps as Giant Molecular-cloud Associations (GMAs) employing the CLUMPFIND algorithm, and have obtained their sizes, velocity dispersions, virial masses, and CO luminosity masses. We found that the virial parameter alpha, which is defined as the ratio of the virial mass to the CO luminosity mass, is almost unity for GMAs in spiral arms, whereas there exist some GMAs whose alpha are 3 -- 10 in the inter-arm region. We found that GMAs with higher $\alpha$ tend not to be associated with massive star forming regions, while other virialized GMAs are. Since alpha mainly depends on velocity dispersion of the GMA, we suppose the onset of star formation in these unvirialized GMAs with higher alpha are suppressed by an increase in internal velocity dispersions of Giant Molecular Clouds within these GMAs due to shear motion.Comment: 42 pages, 16 figures, ApJ in press, version with high resolution figures is available via http://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/~kmuraoka/m83paper/m83aste-otf.pd