Discovery of novel enzyme genes involved in the conversion of an arylglycerol-β-aryl ether metabolite and their use in generating a metabolic pathway for lignin valorization

Microbial conversions known as “biological funneling” have attracted attention for their ability to upgrade heterogeneous mixtures of low-molecular-weight aromatic compounds obtained by chemical lignin depolymerization. β-hydroxypropiovanillone (HPV) and its analogs can be obtained by chemoselective catalytic oxidation of lignin using 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone/tert-butyl nitrite/O2, followed by cleavage of arylglycerol-β-aryl ether with zinc. Sphingobium sp. strain SYK-6 can degrade HPV generated by the catabolism of arylglycerol-β-aryl ether through 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate (PDC), a promising platform chemical. Therefore, production of PDC from HPV can be achieved using the HPV catabolic pathway. However, the pathway and genes involved in the catabolism of vanilloyl acetic acid (VAA) generated during HPV catabolism have not been investigated. In the present study, we isolated SLG_24960 (vceA), which encodes an enzyme that converts VAA into a coenzyme A (CoA) derivative of vanillate (vanilloyl-CoA) from SYK-6, by shotgun cloning. The analysis of a vceA mutant indicated that this gene is not required for VAA conversion in vivo, but it encodes a major enzyme catalyzing CoA-dependent VAA conversion in vitro. We also identified SLG_12450 (vceB), whose product can convert vanilloyl-CoA to vanillate. Enzyme genes besides vceA and vceB, which are necessary for the conversions of HPV to VAA and of vanillate to PDC, were introduced and expressed in Pseudomonas putida. The resulting engineered strain completely converted 1 mM HPV into PDC after 24 h. Our results suggest that the enzyme genes that are not required for the catabolic pathway in microorganisms but can be used for the conversion of target substrates are buried in microbial genomes. These genes are, thus, useful for designing metabolic pathways to produce value-added metabolites.PostprintPeer reviewe

Characteristics of a novel segment type switched reluctance motor using grain-oriented electric steel

The authors developed a novel segment type switched reluctance motor (SRM) as a rare earth less motor. The torque was increased by 40% and radial force was decreased by 76% compared with the same size VR type SRM. In this paper we propose a new type rotor using grain-oriented electric steel for the segment core. We compare the torque and efficiency characteristics with a non-oriented electric steel type by a finite element method and show effectiveness of the new type rotor.2011 International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems, ICEMS 2011; Beijing; 20 August 2011 through 23 August 201

Effects of nitrous oxide sedation on sympathetic batireflex sesensitivity.

笑気吸入鎮静法（IS）は不安，恐怖心の強い患者，知的障害者，内部障害等を有する患者などに応用される精神鎮静法である．動脈圧は圧受容器反射により維持・調整されているが，亜酸化窒素（N2O）吸入が圧受容器反射感受性（BRS）に影響するかは不明である．そこで，IS中に連続血圧と，マイクロニューログラフィーを用いて筋交感神経活動（Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity：MSNA）を同時測定し，動脈圧の変動に対する末梢血管調節性交感神経活動の変化量からBRSを検証した．健常成人男性10名［31±2歳］を対象に，水平仰臥位でルームエアー，100％酸素（O2），30％N2O，40％N2Oをそれぞれ20分間吸入した後，各条件下で心拍数（HR），心拍出量（CO），1回拍出量（SV），連続血圧およびMSNAを5分間測定した．さらに，O2を20分間吸入した後に回復期を設け，ルームエアーで5分間同様の測定をした．BRSの評価のために，まず，連続血圧の拡張期血圧（DBP）を3mmHgごとにグルーピングを行い，各グループのDBP平均値をDBPの代表値とし，100拍あたりのMSNAのバースト数（BI）とバースト面積（Total MSNA）をMSNA代表値とした．各グループのDBPとBIおよびTotal MSNA代表値から求めた直線回帰の傾きを交感神経性圧受容器反射感受性（sBRS）とした．各IS条件間でHR，CO，血圧に差はなかった．また，DBPとBIおよびTotal MSNAで求めたsBRSは両者ともIS濃度による変動を示さなかった．以上から，笑気吸入中に圧受容器反射のオペレーティングポイント，感受性とも維持されることが示唆された．2019博士（歯学）松本歯科大

Spawning ecology of Girella punctata and G. leonina (Perciformes: Girellidae) in the coastal waters of the Izu Peninsula, Japan

The girellid fishes, Girella punctata and G. leonina, are commercially important fishes in Japan, but interspecific differences in their spawning ecology are unclear. In the present study, seasonal variations in the species composition and gonadosomatic index (GSI) were examined for G. punctata and G. leonina collected from the coastal waters of the Izu Peninsula, in order to clarify the spawning ecology of these two species. Both adults and juveniles were genetically identified by PCR-RFLP using mtDNA. The GSI of G. punctata showed markedly high values (>15.0) in April, whereas the GSI values of G. leonina were constantly low (<0.5). This result suggests that the coastal area of the Izu Peninsula is utilized as a spawning ground by G. punctata but not by G. leonina. Juveniles of G. punctata mostly appeared from May to July, whereas those of G. leonina appeared during the longer period from January to June. Juveniles of G. punctata born in the study area are inferred to settle to the sea bottom around the spawning ground after a one-month planktoninc life phase, whereas G. leonina juveniles are likely to be immigrants from another area

Spawning ecology of Girella punctata and G. leonina (Perciformes: Girellidae) in the coastal waters of the Izu Peninsula, Japan

The girellid fishes, Girella punctata and G. leonina, are commercially important fishes in Japan, but interspecific differences in their spawning ecology are unclear. In the present study, seasonal variations in the species composition and gonadosomatic index (GSI) were examined for G. punctata and G. leonina collected from the coastal waters of the Izu Peninsula, in order to clarify the spawning ecology of these two species. Both adults and juveniles were genetically identified by PCR-RFLP using mtDNA. The GSI of G. punctata showed markedly high values (>15.0) in April, whereas the GSI values of G. leonina were constantly low (<0.5). This result suggests that the coastal area of the Izu Peninsula is utilized as a spawning ground by G. punctata but not by G. leonina. Juveniles of G. punctata mostly appeared from May to July, whereas those of G. leonina appeared during the longer period from January to June. Juveniles of G. punctata born in the study area are inferred to settle to the sea bottom around the spawning ground after a one-month planktoninc life phase, whereas G. leonina juveniles are likely to be immigrants from another area