Nursing Practice and Care Structure for Children and Their Families in Need of Pediatric Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Japan: A Nationwide Survey.

Many nurses experience difficulties in pediatric palliative care practice. The study aimed to describe the current situation and structure of pediatric palliative and end-of-life care nursing practices for children and their families in Japan. The research subjects were nurses working in hospitals; facilities for persons with severe physical, motor, and intellectual disabilities; and home-visit nursing stations.

Identification of RPL15 60S Ribosomal Protein as a Novel Topotecan Target Protein That Correlates with DAMP Secretion and Antitumor Immune Activation.

Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) contribute to antitumor immunity during cancer chemotherapy. We previously demonstrated that topotecan (TPT), a topoisomerase I inhibitor, induces DAMP secretion from cancer cells, which activates STING-mediated antitumor immune responses. However, how TPT induces DAMP secretion in cancer cells is yet to be elucidated.

Recognition of pathogen-derived sphingolipids in .

In plants, many invading microbial pathogens are recognized by cell-surface pattern recognition receptors, which induce defense responses. Here, we show that the ceramide -ceramide D (Pi-Cer D) from the plant pathogenic oomycete triggers defense responses in . Pi-Cer D is cleaved by an apoplastic ceramidase, NEUTRAL CERAMIDASE 2 (NCER2), and the resulting 9-methyl-branched sphingoid base is recognized by a plasma membrane lectin receptor-like kinase, RESISTANT TO DFPM-INHIBITION OF ABSCISIC ACID SIGNALING 2 (RDA2).

Positive interactions between STAP-1 and BCR-ABL influence chronic myeloid leukemia cell proliferation and survival.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal disease characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome and its oncogenic product, BCR-ABL, which activates multiple pathways involved in cell survival, growth promotion, and disease progression. We recently reported that signal-transducing adaptor protein 1 (STAP-1) is upregulated in CML stem cells (LSCs) and functions to reduce the apoptosis of CML LSCs by upregulating the STAT5-downstream anti-apoptotic genes. In this study, we demonstrate the detailed molecular interactions among BCR-ABL, STAP-1, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5).

Circadian Clock in Arabidopsis thaliana Determines Flower Opening Time Early in the Morning and Dominantly Closes Early in the Afternoon.

Many plant species exhibit diurnal flower opening and closing, which is an adaptation influenced by the lifestyle of pollinators and herbivores. However, it remains unclear how these temporal floral movements are modulated. To clarify the role of the circadian clock in flower movement, we examined temporal floral movements in Arabidopsis thaliana.

CD47 promotes T-cell lymphoma metastasis by up-regulating AKAP13-mediated RhoA activation.

CD47, a 50 kDa transmembrane protein, facilitates integrin-mediated cell adhesion and inhibits cell engulfment by phagocytes. Since CD47 blocking promotes engulfment of cancer cells by macrophages, it is important to clarify the mechanism of CD47 signaling in order to develop treatments for diseases involving CD47-overexpressing cancer cells, including breast cancer and lymphoma. Here, we show that CD47 plays an essential role in T-cell lymphoma metastasis by up-regulating basal RhoA activity independent of its anti-phagocytic function.

Rhythmic adenosine triphosphate release from the cyanobacterial circadian clock protein KaiC revealed by real-time monitoring of bioluminescence using firefly luciferase.

The cyanobacterial circadian clock is composed of three clock proteins, KaiA, KaiB and KaiC. This KaiABC clock system can be reconstituted in vitro in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Mg , and shows circadian rhythms in the phosphorylation level and ATPase activity of KaiC. Previously, we found that ATP regulates a complex formation between KaiB and KaiC, and KaiC releases ATP from KaiC itself (PLoS One, 8, 2013, e80200).

Lumi-Map, a Real-Time Luciferase Bioluminescence Screen of Mutants Combined with MutMap, Reveals Genes Involved in PAMP-Triggered Immunity.

Plants recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) to activate PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). However, our knowledge of PTI signaling remains limited. In this report, we introduce Lumi-Map, a high-throughput platform for identifying causative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for studying PTI signaling components.

The role of ROC75 as a daytime component of the circadian oscillator in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

The circadian clocks in chlorophyte algae have been studied in two model organisms, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Ostreococcus tauri. These studies revealed that the chlorophyte clocks include some genes that are homologous to those of the angiosperm circadian clock. However, the genetic network architectures of the chlorophyte clocks are largely unknown, especially in C.

Atomic force microscopy analysis of SasA-KaiC complex formation involved in information transfer from the KaiABC clock machinery to the output pathway in cyanobacteria.

The cyanobacterial clock oscillator is composed of three clock proteins: KaiA, KaiB and KaiC. SasA, a KaiC-binding EnvZ-like orthodox histidine kinase involved in the main clock output pathway, exists mainly as a trimer (SasA ) and occasionally as a hexamer (SasA ) in vitro. Previously, the molecular mass of the SasA-KaiC complex, where KaiC is a mutant KaiC with two Asp substitutions at the two phosphorylation sites, has been estimated by gel-filtration chromatography to be larger than 670 kDa.

CSL encodes a leucine-rich-repeat protein implicated in red/violet light signaling to the circadian clock in Chlamydomonas.

The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii shows various light responses in behavior and physiology. One such photoresponse is the circadian clock, which can be reset by external light signals to entrain its oscillation to daily environmental cycles. In a previous report, we suggested that a light-induced degradation of the clock protein ROC15 is a trigger to reset the circadian clock in Chlamydomonas.

Circadian oscillations of KaiA-KaiC and KaiB-KaiC complex formations in an in vitro reconstituted KaiABC clock oscillator.

The circadian clock is an endogenous biological mechanism that generates autonomous daily cycles in physiological activities. The phosphorylation levels of KaiC oscillated with a period of 24 h in an ATP-dependent clock oscillator reconstituted in vitro from KaiA, KaiB and KaiC. We examined the complex formations of KaiA and KaiB with KaiC in the KaiABC clock oscillator by fluorescence correlation spectrometry (FCS) analysis.

Importance of the monomer-dimer-tetramer interconversion of the clock protein KaiB in the generation of circadian oscillations in cyanobacteria.

The molecular machinery of the cyanobacterial circadian clock oscillator consists of three proteins, KaiA, KaiB and KaiC, which interact with each other to generate circadian oscillations in the presence of ATP (the in vitro KaiABC clock oscillator). KaiB comprises four subunits organized as a dimer of dimers. Our previous study suggested that, on interaction with KaiC, the tetrameric KaiB molecule dissociates into two molecules of dimeric KaiB.

Comparative analysis of kdp and ktr mutants reveals distinct roles of the potassium transporters in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

Photoautotrophic bacteria have developed mechanisms to maintain K(+) homeostasis under conditions of changing ionic concentrations in the environment. Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 contains genes encoding a well-characterized Ktr-type K(+) uptake transporter (Ktr) and a putative ATP-dependent transporter specific for K(+) (Kdp).

High-throughput phenotyping of chlamydomonas swimming mutants based on nanoscale video analysis.

Studies on biflagellated algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants have resulted in significant contributions to our understanding of the functions of cilia/flagella components. However, visual inspection conducted under a microscope to screen and classify Chlamydomonas swimming requires considerable time, effort, and experience. In addition, it is likely that identification of mutants by this screening is biased toward individual cells with severe swimming defects, and mutants that swim slightly more slowly than wild-type cells may be missed by these screening methods.

Site-directed spin labeling-electron spin resonance mapping of the residues of cyanobacterial clock protein KaiA that are affected by KaiA-KaiC interaction.

The cyanobacterial clock proteins KaiA, KaiB and KaiC interact with each other to generate circadian oscillations. We have identified the residues of the KaiA homodimer affected through association with hexameric KaiC (KaiC6mer) using a spin-label-tagged KaiA C-terminal domain protein (KaiAc) and performing electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis. Cys substitution and/or the attachment of a spin label to residues located at the bottom area of the KaiAc concave surface, a KaiC-binding groove, hindered the association of KaiAc with KaiC6mer, suggesting that the groove likely mediates the interaction with KaiC6mer.

The ATP-mediated regulation of KaiB-KaiC interaction in the cyanobacterial circadian clock.

The cyanobacterial circadian clock oscillator is composed of three clock proteins--KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC, and interactions among the three Kai proteins generate clock oscillation in vitro. However, the regulation of these interactions remains to be solved. Here, we demonstrated that ATP regulates formation of the KaiB-KaiC complex.

Phase-resetting mechanism of the circadian clock in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Although the circadian clock is a self-sustaining oscillator having a periodicity of nearly 1 d, its period length is not necessarily 24 h. Therefore, daily adjustment of the clock (i.e.

Characterization of the role of a mechanosensitive channel in osmotic down shock adaptation in Synechocystis sp PCC 6803.

Synechocystis sp strain PCC 6803 contains one gene encoding a putative large conductance mechanosensitive channel homolog [named SyMscL (slr0875)]. However, it is unclear whether SyMscL contributes to the adaptation to hypoosmotic stress in Synechocystis. Here we report the in vivo characteristics of SyMscL.

The promoter activities of sucrose phosphate synthase genes in rice, OsSPS1 and OsSPS11, are controlled by light and circadian clock, but not by sucrose.

Although sucrose plays a role in sugar sensing and its signaling pathway, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of the expressions of plant sucrose-related genes. Our previous study on the expression of the sucrose phosphate synthase gene family in rice (OsSPSs) suggested the involvement of sucrose sensing and/or circadian rhythm in the transcriptional regulation of OsSPS. To examine whether the promoters of OsSPSs can be controlled by sugars and circadian clock, we produced transgenic rice plants harboring a promoter-luciferase construct for OsSPS1 or OsSPS11 and analyzed the changes in the promoter activities by monitoring bioluminescence from intact transgenic plants in real-time.

Aquaporin AqpZ is involved in cell volume regulation and sensitivity to osmotic stress in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

The moderately halotolerant cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 contains a plasma membrane aquaporin, AqpZ. We previously reported that AqpZ plays a role in glucose metabolism under photomixotrophic growth conditions, suggesting involvement of AqpZ in cytosolic osmolarity homeostasis.

The roles of the dimeric and tetrameric structures of the clock protein KaiB in the generation of circadian oscillations in cyanobacteria.

The molecular machinery of the cyanobacterial circadian clock consists of three proteins, KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC. The three Kai proteins interact with each other and generate circadian oscillations in vitro in the presence of ATP (an in vitro KaiABC clock system). KaiB consists of four subunits organized as a dimer of dimers, and its overall shape is that of an elongated hexagonal plate with a positively charged cleft flanked by two negatively charged ridges.

Phase-dependent generation and transmission of time information by the KaiABC circadian clock oscillator through SasA-KaiC interaction in cyanobacteria.

Circadian clocks allow organisms to predict environmental changes of the day/night cycle. In the cyanobacterial circadian clock machinery, the phosphorylation level and ATPase activity of the clock protein KaiC oscillate with a period of approximately 24 h. The time information is transmitted from KaiC to the histidine kinase SasA through the SasA autophosphorylation-enhancing activity of KaiC, ultimately resulting in genome-wide transcription cycles.

N-terminal acetyltransferase 3 gene is essential for robust circadian rhythm of bioluminescence reporter in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a model species of algae for studies on the circadian clock. Previously, we isolated a series of mutants showing defects in the circadian rhythm of a luciferase reporter introduced into the chloroplast genome, and identified the genes responsible for the defective circadian rhythm. However, we were unable to identify the gene responsible for the defective circadian rhythm of the rhythm of chloroplast 97 (roc97) mutant because of a large genomic deletion.

Nonselective excitation of pulsed ELDOR using multi-frequency microwaves.

The use of a polychromatic microwave pulse to expand the pumping bandwidth in pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR) was investigated. The pumping pulse was applied in resonance with the broad (∼100 mT) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signal of the manganese cluster of photosystem II in the S2 state. The observation pulses were in resonance with the narrow EPR signal of the tyrosine radical, YD·.