Functional Differentiation of Memory Retrieval Network in Macaque Posterior Parietal Cortex

SummaryHuman fMRI studies revealed involvement of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during memory retrieval. However, corresponding memory-related regions in macaque PPC have not been established. In this monkey fMRI study, comparisons of cortical activity during correct recognition of previously seen items and rejection of unseen items revealed two major PPC activation sites that were differentially characterized by a serial probe recognition paradigm: area PG/PGOp in inferior parietal lobule, along with the hippocampus, was more active for initial item retrieval, while area PEa/DIP in intraparietal sulcus was for the last item. Effective connectivity analyses revealed that connectivity from hippocampus to PG/PGOp, but not to PEa/DIP, increased during initial item retrieval. The two parietal areas with differential serial probe recognition profiles were embedded in two different subnetworks of the brain-wide retrieval-related regions. These functional dissociations in the macaque PPC imply the functional correspondence of retrieval-related PPC networks in macaques and humans

Subtle changes in chromatin loop contact propensity are associated with differential gene regulation and expression.

While genetic variation at chromatin loops is relevant for human disease, the relationships between contact propensity (the probability that loci at loops physically interact), genetics, and gene regulation are unclear. We quantitatively interrogate these relationships by comparing Hi-C and molecular phenotype data across cell types and haplotypes. While chromatin loops consistently form across different cell types, they have subtle quantitative differences in contact frequency that are associated with larger changes in gene expression and H3K27ac. For the vast majority of loci with quantitative differences in contact frequency across haplotypes, the changes in magnitude are smaller than those across cell types; however, the proportional relationships between contact propensity, gene expression, and H3K27ac are consistent. These findings suggest that subtle changes in contact propensity have a biologically meaningful role in gene regulation and could be a mechanism by which regulatory genetic variants in loop anchors mediate effects on expression

ヒト白血病K562細胞でクロトリマゾールにより誘発される細胞死に対するマイクロモル濃度の亜鉛の影響

Our recent study showed that the simultaneous application of clotrimazole with CdCI2 or PbCI2 exerted potent cytotoxic action in rat thymocytes although respective agents were ineffective. It was also the case of ZnCl2 and clotrimazole in preliminary study using rat thymocytes. Since clotrimazole is supposed to be a candidate for anticancer drug, we examined the effects of clotrimazole, ZnCI2, and their combination on human leukemia K562 cells. The combination of clotrimazole and ZnCl2 exerted potent cytotoxic effects on the growth and lethality of K562 cells by presumably modifying the process of cell death. The result suggests the possibility that endogenous Zn2+ may modify the action of clotrimazole

Early Embryonic Lethality Caused by Targeted Disruption of the Mouse Thioredoxin Gene

AbstractThioredoxins belong to a widely distributed group of small proteins with strong reducing activities mediated by a consensus redox-active dithiol (Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys). Thioredoxin was first isolated as a hydrogen donor for enzymatic synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides by ribonucleotide reductase inEscherichia coli.Recent studies have revealed a variety of roles that thioredoxin plays in transcription, growth control, and immune function. In this report, we describe the phenotype of mice carrying a targeted disruption of the thioredoxin gene (Txn). Heterozygotes are viable, fertile, and appear normal. In contrast, homozygous mutants die shortly after implantation, and the concepti were resorbed prior to gastrulation. When preimplantation embryos were placed in culture, the inner cell mass cells of the homozygous embryos failed to proliferate. These results indicate thatTxnexpression is essential for early differentiation and morphogenesis of the mouse embryo

ヒト白血病K562細胞におけるアドリアマイシン作用のクレモフォールELによる修飾

Adriamycin and paclitaxel are simultaneously used for cancer treatment in some cases. The formula of paclitaxel contains cremophor EL as a solvent. Since this solvent exerts diverse biological actions, the modification of adriamycin action by cremophor EL has been studied on human leukemia K562 cells. Cremophor EL did not significantly affect the concentration-response relation for antiproliferative action of adriamycin and the cell cycle changed by adriamycin. However, the induction of morphological change by adriamycin was significantly augmented by cremophor EL. The simultaneous application of cremophor EL increased the intensity of fluorescence from adriamycin trapped inside the cells in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting an increase in intracellular concentration of adriamycin by cremophor EL. Adriamycin alone at concentrations higher than those to completely inhibit the growth induced morphological change in K562 cells. Therefore, cremophor EL may potentiate some of actions induced by adriamycin when adriamycin and paclitaxel are simultaneously applied

イトウ タカシ ノ エイガ ニ オケル ジンブツ ヒョウゲン ジル ドゥルーズ ノ フィギュール ヲ エンヨウ シテ

本稿は、日本の映像作家、伊藤高志の比較的初期の作品『GHOST』（1984）と『ビーナス』（1990）に現れる人物表現について考察するものである。伊藤の作品はしばしば、不気味、幽霊的と称されながらも、初期の特異な人物表現に対してあまり語られることはない。人気のない空間の連続写真を再撮影したデビュー作の鮮烈な印象ゆえに、作品の構造面と不在を軸に語られることが多く、そこでも幽霊などの鍵語が用いられる。そこで、人物表現に焦点を当てることで、異なる角度から伊藤の作品を分析する手掛かりになると考えた。本稿は作品ごとに手法を変えながらも繰り返し現れる伊藤の不思議な人物表現が、どのような効果を作品に付与しているのかを検討するものである。主にジル・ドゥルーズが『感覚の論理学』で画家フランシス・ベーコンの描く人物に対して用いる「フィギュール」の議論を援用する。そして、フィギュールの特徴である、中庸で曖昧な感覚が、伊藤の作品のなかで表現されていることを明らかにする。研究ノー