Quantitative analysis of ER body morphology in an Arabidopsis mutant.

Although fluorescence microscopy screening has proven useful in the identification of genes involved in plant organelle biogenesis and integrity, the quantitative and statistical study of the geometric phenotype is highly limited. This situation could generate unconscious bias in the understanding and presentation of a mutant phenotype. Therefore, we have developed an automated quantification system for green fluorescent protein (GFP) images, which enabled us to easily obtain quantitative data on ER bodies (an endoplasmic reticulum-derived organelle).

Properties, intracellular localization, and stage-specific expression of membrane-bound beta-glucosidase, BglM1, from Physarum polycephalum.

Physarum polycephalum expresses a membrane-bound beta-glucosidase (BglM1) with a molecular mass of 130 kDa. The primary structure of BglM1 consists of a glycosyl hydrolase family 3 domain at an amino-terminal domain and a carboxyl-terminal region without homology to the sequence of known glycosidases. The latter region contains two calx-beta motifs known as Ca(2+)-binding sites; an RGD sequence, which is known to be a cell attachment sequence; and a transmembrane region.

A cDNA cloned from Physarum polycephalum encodes new type of family 3 beta-glucosidase that is a fusion protein containing a calx-beta motif.

The microplasmodia of Physarum polycephalum express three types of beta-glucosidases: secretory enzyme, a soluble cytoplasmic enzyme and a membrane-bound enzyme. We are interested in the physiological role of three enzymes. We report the sequence of cDNA for membrane beta-glucosidase 1, which consists of 3825 nucleotides that includes an open reading frame encoding 1248 amino acids.

[A case of bacteria-associated hemophagocytic syndrome induced by nosocomial pneumonia].

This study reviews the case of a 67-year-old man who initially presented with high fever and dyspnea. He was subsequently admitted for treatment of pneumonia. On admission, severe leucopenia and thrombopenia were observed in the peripheral blood, with significant phagocytosis of hematopoietic cells including erythroblasts and leukocytes by macrophages in the bone marrow.