An alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase/beta-D-xylosidase from immature seeds of radish (Raphanus sativus L.).

The carbohydrate moieties of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are essential for their physiological functions and undergo rapid turnover in vivo. Degradation of the carbohydrate moieties of AGPs seems to occur by concerted action of several glycosidases, among them alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase, beta-D-galactosidase, and beta-D-glucuronidase. Here, a bifunctional alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase/beta-D-xylosidase from immature seeds of radish (Raphanus sativus L.

Novel SPG6 mutation p.A100T in a Japanese family with autosomal dominant form of hereditary spastic paraplegia.

We describe a Japanese family in which inheritance of a novel mutation p.A100T in SPG6 resulted in an autosomal dominant form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (ADHSP). Clinical investigation showed a pure form of HSP.

Characterization of an exo-beta-1,3-galactanase from Clostridium thermocellum.

A gene encoding an exo-beta-1,3-galactanase from Clostridium thermocellum, Ct1,3Gal43A, was isolated. The sequence has similarity with an exo-beta-1,3-galactanase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Pc1,3Gal43A). The gene encodes a modular protein consisting of an N-terminal glycoside hydrolase family 43 (GH43) module, a family 13 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM13), and a C-terminal dockerin domain.

5-year survival rates for primary cancer sites at cancer-treatment-oriented hospitals in Japan.

In Japan, The Japanese Association of Clinical Cancer Centers (JACCCs) was established in 1965 by systematizing cancer-treatment-oriented hospitals. The core center of JACCCs is the National Cancer Center in Tokyo. In 1984, JACCCs created The "Improvement for Clinical Cancer Centers in Japan" Study Group (The Study Group) which has subsequently routinely evaluated the effectiveness of the therapy that is provided.

Characterization of a thermostable endo-beta-1,4-D-galactanase from the hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima.

A putative endo-beta-1,4-D-galactanase gene of Thermotoga maritima was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme hydrolyzed pectic galactans and produced D-galactose, beta-1,4-D-galactobiose, beta-1,4-D-galactotriose, and beta-1,4-D-galactotetraose. The enzyme displayed optimum activity at 90 degrees C and pH 7.

Persistent activation of stat3 signaling induces survivin gene expression and confers resistance to apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

Purpose: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) protein is persistently activated in breast cancer and promotes tumor cell survival. To gain a better understanding of the role of constitutive Stat3 signaling in breast cancer progression, we evaluated the expression profile of potential Stat3-regulated genes that may confer resistance to apoptosis.

Experimental Design: Stat3 signaling was blocked with antisense oligonucleotides in human MDA-MB-435s breast cancer cells and Affymetrix GeneChip microarray analysis was done.

A framework for cancer surveillance in Japan.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that countries develop national cancer control programs in order to reduce the number of deaths due to preventable cancers. The national cancer control program should be comprehensive and systematic with evidence-based priority-setting and the efficient use of limited resources. In order to provide evidence-based information, cancer surveillance systems must be established with registration as a focus.

Molecular cloning and characterization of the human AKT1 promoter uncovers its up-regulation by the Src/Stat3 pathway.

Akt1, also known as protein kinase B (PKB) alpha, is frequently activated in human cancers and has been implicated in many cell processes by phosphorylation of downstream molecules. However, transcriptional regulation of Akt1 has not been documented. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of the human AKT1 promoter and demonstrate transcriptional up-regulation of AKT1 by the Src/Stat3 pathway.

A single amino acid substitution enhances the catalytic activity of family 11 xylanase at alkaline pH.

Random mutagenesis of the gene encoding family 11 xylanase was used to obtain alkalophilic mutants. The catalytic domain of the chimeric enzyme Stx15, which was constructed from Streptomyces lividans xylanase B and Thermobifida fusca xylanase A, was mutated using error-prone PCR and screened for halo formation on dye-linked xylan plates and activity toward soluble xylan. A positive mutant, M1011, was isolated, and it was found that mutation A49V was responsible for the alkalophilicity of the mutant.

Characterization of carbohydrate-binding cytochrome b562 from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

cDNA encoding a hemoprotein similar to the cytochrome domain of extracellular flavocytochrome cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) was cloned from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The deduced amino acid sequence implies that there is a two-domain structure consisting of an N-terminal cytochrome domain and a C-terminal family 1 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM1) but that the flavin-containing domain of CDH is not present. The gene transcripts were observed in cultures in cellulose medium but not in cultures in glucose medium, suggesting that there is regulation by carbon catabolite repression.

Molecular cloning of a {beta}-galactosidase from radish that specifically hydrolyzes {beta}-(1->3)- and {beta}-(1->6)-galactosyl residues of Arabinogalactan protein.

A basic beta-galactosidase with high specificity toward beta-(1-->3)- and beta-(1-->6)-galactosyl residues was cloned from radish (Raphanus sativus) plants by reverse transcription-PCR. The gene, designated RsBGAL1, contained an open reading frame consisting of 2,532 bp (851 amino acids). It is expressed in hypocotyls and young leaves.

Cloning and expression of the gene encoding Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) alpha-galactosidase belonging to family 36.

The alpha-galactosidase gene of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and characterized. It consisted of 1497 nucleotides encoding a protein of 499 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 57,385. The observed homology between the deduced amino acid sequences of the enzyme and alpha-galactosidase from Thermus thermophilus was over 40%.

An exo-beta-1,3-galactanase having a novel beta-1,3-galactan-binding module from Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

An exo-beta-1,3-galactanase gene from Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The complete amino acid sequence of the exo-beta-1,3-galactanase indicated that the enzyme consists of an N-terminal catalytic module with similarity to glycoside hydrolase family 43 and an additional unknown functional domain similar to carbohydrate-binding module family 6 (CBM6) in the C-terminal region. The molecular mass of the recombinant enzyme was estimated as 55 kDa based on SDS-PAGE.

Trends in lung cancer mortality among young adults in Japan.

Background: Trends in lung cancer mortality among young adults, which are important for projecting future trends, have not been explored previously in Japan.

Methods: Using data from the National Vital Statistics between 1958 and 2003, we compiled lung cancer mortality by sex and 5-year birth cohort among young adults aged 20-49.

Results: Mortality among those aged 20-29 has consistently decreased regardless of sex.

ArgBP2gamma interacts with Akt and p21-activated kinase-1 and promotes cell survival.

Akt/protein kinase B is a major cell survival pathway through phosphorylation of proapoptotic proteins Bad and Bax and of additional apoptotic pathways linked to Forkhead proteins glycogen synthase kinase-3beta and ASK1. To further explore the mechanism by which Akt regulates cell survival, we identified an Akt interaction protein by yeast two-hybrid screening. It is highly homologous to ARG-binding protein 2 (ArgBP2) with splicing exon 8 of the coding region of the ArgBP2.

Molecular and genetic studies imply Akt-mediated signaling promotes protein kinase CbetaII alternative splicing via phosphorylation of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor SRp40.

Insulin regulates alternative splicing of PKCbetaII mRNA by phosphorylation of SRp40 via a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway (Patel, N. A., Chalfant, C.

AKT/PKB signaling mechanisms in cancer and chemoresistance.

During the past decade, Akt (also known as protein kinase B, PKB) has been extensively studied. It regulates a variety of cellular processes by mediating extracellular (mitogenic growth factor, insulin and stress) and intracellular (altered tyrosine receptor kinases, Ras and Src) signals. Activation of Akt by these signals is via its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain binding to products of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K).

Aurora-A abrogation of p53 DNA binding and transactivation activity by phosphorylation of serine 215.

The tumor suppressor p53 is important in the decision to either arrest cell cycle progression or induce apoptosis in response to a variety of stimuli. p53 posttranslational modifications and association with other proteins have been implicated in the regulation of its stability and transactivation activity. Here we show that p53 is phosphorylated by the mitotic kinase Aurora-A at serine 215.