An "turning model" reveals new RanBP9 interactions in lung macrophages.

The biological functions of the scaffold protein Ran Binding Protein 9 (RanBP9) remain elusive in macrophages or any other cell type where this protein is expressed together with its CTLH (C-terminal to LisH) complex partners. We have engineered a new mouse model, named RanBP9-TurnX, where RanBP9 fused to three copies of the HA tag (RanBP9-3xHA) can be turned into RanBP9-V5 tagged upon Cre-mediated recombination. We created this model to enable stringent biochemical studies at cell type specific level throughout the entire organism.

E4BP4 in macrophages induces an anti-inflammatory phenotype that ameliorates the severity of colitis.

Macrophages are versatile cells of the innate immune system that work by altering their pro- or anti-inflammatory features. Their dysregulation leads to inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. We show that macrophage-specific upregulation of the clock output gene and transcription factor E4BP4 reduces the severity of colitis in mice.

Demonstration of a spherical plasma mirror for the counter-propagating kilojoule-class petawatt LFEX laser system.

A counter-propagating laser-beam platform using a spherical plasma mirror was developed for the kilojoule-class petawatt LFEX laser. The temporal and spatial overlaps of the incoming and redirected beams were measured with an optical interferometer and an x-ray pinhole camera. The plasma mirror performance was evaluated by measuring fast electrons, ions, and neutrons generated in the counter-propagating laser interaction with a Cu-doped deuterated film on both sides.

Significance of alveolar nitric oxide concentration in the airway of patients with organizing pneumonia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and a manifestation of peripheral airway/alveolar inflammation. Recently, alveolar nitric oxide concentration (Calv) has been revealed as a noninvasive marker of peripheral airway inflammation; however, whether Calv levels are associated with OP and peripheral airway in patients after allo-HSCT remains unclear. Herein, we evaluated whether Calv levels could reflect the presence of OP and structural airway changes in patients after allo-HSCT.

Metabolic state switches between morning and evening in association with circadian clock in people without diabetes.

Aims/introduction: Understanding morning-evening variation in metabolic state is critical for managing metabolic disorders. We aimed to characterize this variation from the viewpoints of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, including their relevance to the circadian rhythm.

Materials And Methods: A total of 14 and 10 people without diabetes were enrolled, and underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp study, respectively.

Liver-specific dysregulation of clock-controlled output signal impairs energy metabolism in liver and muscle.

The liver is the major organ maintaining metabolic homeostasis in animals during shifts between fed and fasted states. Circadian oscillations in peripheral tissues including the liver are connected with feeding-fasting cycles. We generated transgenic mice with hepatocyte specific E4BP4, D-box negative regulator, overexpression.

Soluble Interleukin-2 Receptor Index Predicts Outcomes After Cord Blood Transplantation.

Background: Our previous study demonstrated that the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) index, defined as the ratio of serum sIL-2R levels at neutrophil engraftment to that before conditioning, is a biomarker that can predict acute graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) after unrelated bone marrow transplantation. In the present study, we evaluated the significance of the sIL-2R index among patients who underwent cord blood transplantation (CBT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 31 patients who underwent single-unit CBT as their first transplantation for hematologic malignancies.

TERT and JAK2 polymorphisms define genetic predisposition to myeloproliferative neoplasms in Japanese patients.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and primary myelofibrosis (PMF), are often characterized by specific somatic mutations in any of the three genes: JAK2, CALR, or MPL. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs2736100, in the reverse transcriptase gene (TERT) and a germline JAK2 46/1 haplotype have been associated with MPNs in North American and European patients. We examined 201 Japanese MPN patients, including 52 with PV, 131 with ET, and 18 with PMF, as well as 366 control individuals for TERT rs2736100 and JAK2 rs10974944, a tagging SNP of the 46/1 haplotype.

Significance of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor-Combined High-Dose Cytarabine, Cyclophosphamide, and Total Body Irradiation in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Myeloid Malignant Neoplasms.

Unlabelled: Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) is a curative procedure for myeloid malignant neoplasms, but relapse after HCT remains critical. A conditioning regimen involving granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-combined high-dose cytarabine, cyclophosphamide, and total body irradiation (G-CSF-combined high-dose cytarabine/cyclophosphamide/total-body irradiation [HDCA/CY/TBI]) was reported to improve outcomes after cord blood transplant (CBT) for myeloid malignant neoplasms, but this regimen was not previously evaluated among patients undergoing bone marrow transplant (BMT) or peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 28 patients who underwent allogeneic HCT including BMT from a related (1 patient) or unrelated donor (9 patients), PBSCT from a related donor (7 patients), or single-unit CBT from an unrelated donor (11 patients) after a G-CSF-combined HDCA/CY/TBI regimen.

[Refractory primary immune thrombocytopenia in pregnancy requiring splenectomy and repeated intravenous immunoglobulin therapy].

A 30-year-old primigravid woman without a history of thrombocytopenia was referred to our hospital because of severe thrombocytopenia (<1,000 thrombocytes/µl) at 16 weeks of gestation and diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). There was no improvement in the platelet count after treatment with 0.5-1.

Control of unsteady laser-produced plasma-flow with a multiple-coil magnetic nozzle.

We report an experimental demonstration of controlling plasma flow direction with a magnetic nozzle consisting of multiple coils. Four coils are controlled separately to form an asymmetric magnetic field to change the direction of laser-produced plasma flow. The ablation plasma deforms the topology of the external magnetic field, forming a magnetic cavity inside and compressing the field outside.

Neoechinulin A protects PC12 cells against MPP+-induced cytotoxicity.

Neoechinulin A, an alkaloid from Eurotium rubrum, can protect neuronal PC12 cells against cytotoxicity of a potent oxidant, peroxynitrite. Because involvement of peroxynitrite has been suggested in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, we assessed whether this alkaloid could also protect PC12 cells from the cytocidal action of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPP+), a neurotoxin capable of provoking acute Parkinson's-like neurodegeneration in humans. Neoechinulin A could protect PC12 cells from MPP+ cytotoxicity without protecting against mitochondrial complex I dysfunction, suggesting the alkaloid can ameliorate downstream events of mitochondrial failure.

[New antifungal antibiotics, bacillopeptins and fusaricidins].

We isolated four strains of bacteria producing antifungal antibiotics from the rhizosphere of garlic with basal rot caused by the plant pathogenic fungal strain Fusarium oxysporum. Among them, Bacillus subtilis FR-2 was found to produce new antifungal antibiotics, named bacillopeptins A, B, and C. Their structures have been determined by 1D and 2D NMR and MS experiments, and amino acid analysis coupled with chiral HPLC, to be cyclic lipopeptides each containing a long-chain beta-amino acid.

Fusaricidins B, C and D, new depsipeptide antibiotics produced by Bacillus polymyxa KT-8: isolation, structure elucidation and biological activity.

Fusaricidins B, C and D, new depsipeptide antibiotics, have been isolated as minor components from the culture broth of Bacillus polymyxa KT-8 which was obtained from the rhizosphere of garlic suffering from the basal rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum. The structure of fusaricidin B has been elucidated mainly by various NMR experiments coupled with amino acid analysis in relation to fusaricidin A, the main component of the complex, whose structure was reported previously. The fraction consisting of fusaricidins C and D was unsuccessfully separated, giving roughly a 4:1 mixture of the two, respectively.

Fusaricidins B, C and D, new depsipeptide antibiotics produced by Bacillus polymyxa KT-8: isolation, structure elucidation and biological activity.

Fusaricidins B, C and D, new depsipeptide antibiotics, have been isolated as minor components from the culture broth of Bacillus polymyxa KT-8 which was obtained from the rhizosphere of garlic suffering from the basal rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum. The structure of fusaricidin B has been elucidated mainly by various NMR experiments coupled with amino acid analysis in relation to fusaricidin A, the main component of the complex, whose structure was reported previously. The fraction consisting of fusaricidins C and D was unsuccessfully separated, giving roughly a 4:1 mixture of the two, respectively.

Changes in contents of gamma-glutamyl peptides and fructan during growth of Allium sativum.

Determination of gamma-glutamyl peptides, alliin, and fructan during growth of Allium sativum L. was carried out by HPLC. The contents of gamma-glutamyl peptides and alliin in garlic bulbs remarkably increased during one month before the garlic leaves withered.

Fusaricidin A, a new depsipeptide antibiotic produced by Bacillus polymyxa KT-8. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, structure elucidation and biological activity.

Fusaricidin A, a new depsipeptide antibiotic, was isolated from the culture broth of Bacillus polymyxa KT-8 obtained from the rhizosphere of garlic suffering from the basal rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum. The structure of fusaricidin A was determined by 1D and 2D NMR and MS experiments coupled with amino acid analysis to be a hexadepsipeptide containing 15-guanidino-3-hydroxypentadecanoic acid as a side chain. The absolute configuration of each amino acid residue was determined by chiral HPLC.

Bacillopeptins, new cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics from Bacillus subtilis FR-2.

Bacilopeptins, new iturin-group antifungal antibiotics, were isolated from the culture broth of Bacillus subtilis FR-2 obtained from the rhizosphere of garlic suffering from the basal rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Their structures were elucidated to be cyclic lipopeptides similar to bacillomycin L by NMR and mass spectral studies coupled with amino acid analysis. The absolute configuration of each amino acid residue was determined by chiral HPLC.

Application of long synthetic oligonucleotides for gene analysis: effect of probe length and stringency conditions on hybridization specificity.

Two different lengths of long unique synthetic oligonucleotide probes (37- and 48-mers) specific for human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II beta genes were synthesized. These oligonucleotides were utilized to examine factors influencing hybridization specificity. Both probe length and stringency of washing conditions were found to be crucial factors for sequence-specific hybridization.

Cloning the heavy chain of human HLA-DR antigen using synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides as hybridization probes.

The recent development of the amino acid microsequence technique allows us to obtain partial sequence information using an extremely small amount of protein. Two sets of mixed oligonucleotide probes were chemically synthesized using the amino acid sequence information for the heavy chain of human HLA-DR antigen obtained by the microsequence technique. These two hybridization probes were used to screen cDNA clones constructed from cytoplasmic poly(A)+ mRNA from a human B lymphoblastoid homozygous cell line (LG-2).