The Studies on the Spherical Bodies Containing Anthocyanins in Plant Cells, II. : The Effects of Light on the Pigmentation of Spherical Bodies in the Seedling Hypocotyls of the Radish Plant.

In order to answer the question whether anthocyanoplasts have the capacity of anthocyanin biosynthesis or not, the effects of light on their pigmentation were investigated using the seedling hypocotyls of the radish plant, Raphanus sativus L. Microscopic observations were carried out on slices which were prepared by cutting with a razor from the seedling hypocotyls of radish plants germinated under light or dark conditions. The cells of hypocotyls germinated under dark conditions bore some colorless spherical bodies, whereas those germinated under continuously light conditions had entirely red-colored bodies. The colorless bodies found in the cells of hypocotyls germinated under the dark condition turned red after they had transferred to light conditions. From these facts it was concluded that the anthocyanoplasts in radish hypocotyls have the capacity of light reaction indispensable for the anthocyanin biosynthesis.Article信州大学理学部紀要 23(1): 1-6(1988)departmental bulletin pape

Aetzbilder aus Frankfurt am Main

The ICCHIBAN intercomparison experiments for space radiation instruments using ion beams from accelerators have been performed at HIMAC, Chiba, Japan and Loma Linda Univ. Medical Center (LLUMC), California, USA. Investigators from 17 laboratories in 10 nations participated in these experiments. To date, five intercomparison experiments have performed at HIMAC using heavy ion beams, including He, C, Ne, Si, Ar and Fe, that are of importance in the galactic cosmic-ray spectrum. At LLUMC, an experiment was performed using a proton beam to simulate a solar particle event. Additional experiments, including an intercomparison using relativistic Fe, Si and proton beams at NSRL, are currently being planned. The objectives of the ICCHIBAN intercomparison experiments are to 1) determine the response of space radiation instruments to heavy ions and protons; 2) intercompare the response and sensitivity of these instruments; 3) establish and characterize an accelerator-based "reference standard" against which these instruments can be calibrated.The participants of ICCHIBAN-1 and ICCHIBAN-2 experiments have analyzed their results and submitted reports to the ICCHIBAN working group (ICWG). ICWG has summarized the results and published as HIMAC Technical Report. For active instruments, the LET distributions from instruments using Si detectors and from TEPC were good agreement for 12C exposures, although the width of the main peak was broader for the TEPC exposures due to differences in the operating principles of the instruments. Several active instruments were found to lack sensitivity to high LET particles including the Fe beam used in the intercomparison. For passive dosimeters, ICWG exposed participants\u27 dosimeters to both \u27known\u27 and \u27blind\u27 conditions. The participants analyzed their dosimeters from the \u27known\u27 exposures to measure dose linearity and obtain high-LET dose efficiency response. In the blind exposure simulating an actual exposure in space (97% low LET particles and 3% high LET particles) most of dosimeters showed good agreement with the reference ion chamber measurements. But, in other blind exposures where high LET radiation was dominant, there was larger disagreement. This was largely due to the lack of efficiency of TLD and OSL dosimeters in registering dose from high-LET particles. Some of participants applied correction methods to the TLD or OSL data that greatly improved their response to high-LET particles. Only those passive detector laboratories that used a combination of CR-39 PNTD and TLD were able to measure both dose and dose equivalent.3rd International Workshop on Space Radiation Researc

Inhibition of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase enhances the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor in pancreatic cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (Rho-kinase/ROCK) is involved in various cellular functions including cell proliferation, and is generally considered to be oncogenic, while some studies show that ROCK functions as a negative regulator of cancer progression. As a result, the precise role of ROCK remains controversial. We have previously reported that Rho-kinase/ROCK negatively regulates epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced cell proliferation in SW480 colon cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated the role of ROCK in EGF receptor (EGFR) signaling in the pancreatic cancer cell lines, Panc1, KP3 and AsPc1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In these cells, Y27632, a specific ROCK inhibitor, enhanced EGF-induced BrdU incorporation. The blockade of EGF stimulation utilizing anti-EGFR-neutralizing antibodies suppressed Panc1 cell proliferation. EGF induced RhoA activity, as well as the phosphorylation of cofilin and myosin light chain (MLC), both targets of ROCK signaling, and Y27632 suppressed both of these processes, indicating that the phosphorylation of cofilin and MLC by EGF occurs through ROCK in Panc1 cells. EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR at tyrosine residues was augmented when the cells were pretreated with Y27632 or were subjected to gene silencing using ROCK-siRNA. We also obtained similar results using transforming growth factor-α. In addition, EGF-induced phosphorylation of p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt were also enhanced by Y27632 or ROCK-siRNA. Moreover, an immunofluorescence microscope study revealed that pretreatment with Y27632 delayed EGF-induced internalization of EGFR. Taken together, these data indicate that ROCK functions to switch off EGFR signaling by promoting the internalization of the EGFR.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>While EGF first stimulates the activation of the EGFR and subsequently increases cancer cell proliferation, EGF concurrently induces the activation of ROCK, which then turns off the activated EGFR pathway via a negative feedback system.</p

Structural studies of toxins and toxin-like proteins

Toxins are an ancient mechanism of interaction between cohabiting organisms: basal concentrations serve as an informal cue, enough as a warning signal; too much and the dialog is over. As such, the evolutionary race to arms led to the development of a vast trove of molecular unique biochemical mechanisms, from small molecules to protein toxins. The study of these mechanisms is not only essential for the treatment of toxin-related pathologies, but also as the potential source for novel therapeutic drugs. In this thesis, a series of studies of different toxins and toxin-like proteins are compiled. To further understand the biological function and relevance of each toxin, their detailed study and characterization were pursued. Here are described the advances made using a combination of different complementary biophysical and structural methods, chosen in each case to specifically target each molecule characteristics. In the first chapter, the general biological theme of this thesis is introduced: toxins, particularly protein toxins, their description, and classification, as well as the role of structural biology in the study of proteins in general. To set the theoretical background of the following chapters, are also described the general principles of two of the most prominent methods for the study of proteins in structural biology: nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. In the second chapter, the interaction between human FKBP12 chaperone protein and two similar bacterial small molecule toxins is detailed: rapamycin initially used as an anti-fungal before the discovery of its potent immunosuppressive properties as a mTOR inhibitor; and mycolactone, a bacterial toxin responsible for the disease Buruli ulcers in humans. In the third chapter, the cell-free protein expression system is introduced as a technique best suited for the expression of cytotoxic proteins and otherwise difficult targets, as explored further in the following chapters. In the fourth chapter, advancements towards the structural and conformational characterization of the membrane-inserted state of two similar pore-forming toxins are detailed: the bacterial Colicin Ia protein; and the human Bax protein, an apoptosis effector; using X-ray crystallography, solution NMR and solid-state NMR. Finally, in the fifth chapter, two FIC-domain bacterial toxins are investigated: the bacterial VbhTA toxin-antitoxin protein complex, and the structural determination with its cognate target, DNA GyraseB enzyme; and the auto-activation of the bacterial NmFIC protein; in both cases using a combination of X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy, as well as other biophysical techniques

Randomized Comparison Between Everolimus-Eluting Bioresorbable Scaffold and Metallic Stent: Multimodality Imaging Through 3 Years

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the vascular responses and fates of the scaffold after bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation using multimodality imaging. Background: Serial comprehen

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guideline for acute kidney injury 2016

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome which has a broad range of etiologic factors depending on different clinical settings. Because AKI has significant impacts on prognosis in any clinical settings, early detection and intervention are necessary to improve the outcomes of AKI patients. This clinical guideline for AKI was developed by a multidisciplinary approach with nephrology, intensive care medicine, blood purification, and pediatrics. Of note, clinical practice for AKI management which was widely performed in Japan was also evaluated with comprehensive literature search

Multiple Translocation of the AVR-Pita Effector Gene among Chromosomes of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and Related Species

Magnaporthe oryzae is the causal agent of rice blast disease, a devastating problem worldwide. This fungus has caused breakdown of resistance conferred by newly developed commercial cultivars. To address how the rice blast fungus adapts itself to new resistance genes so quickly, we examined chromosomal locations of AVR-Pita, a subtelomeric gene family corresponding to the Pita resistance gene, in various isolates of M. oryzae (including wheat and millet pathogens) and its related species. We found that AVR-Pita (AVR-Pita1 and AVR-Pita2) is highly variable in its genome location, occurring in chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and supernumerary chromosomes, particularly in rice-infecting isolates. When expressed in M. oryzae, most of the AVR-Pita homologs could elicit Pita-mediated resistance, even those from non-rice isolates. AVR-Pita was flanked by a retrotransposon, which presumably contributed to its multiple translocation across the genome. On the other hand, family member AVR-Pita3, which lacks avirulence activity, was stably located on chromosome 7 in a vast majority of isolates. These results suggest that the diversification in genome location of AVR-Pita in the rice isolates is a consequence of recognition by Pita in rice. We propose a model that the multiple translocation of AVR-Pita may be associated with its frequent loss and recovery mediated by its transfer among individuals in asexual populations. This model implies that the high mobility of AVR-Pita is a key mechanism accounting for the rapid adaptation toward Pita. Dynamic adaptation of some fungal plant pathogens may be achieved by deletion and recovery of avirulence genes using a population as a unit of adaptation