Immunoadjuvant activities of peptidoglycan subunits from the cell walls of Staphyloccus aureus and Lactobacillus plantarum.

Attempts were made to isolate and identify the unit chemical structure essential for manifestation of the immunoadjuvant activities characteristic of bacterial cell walls. The N-acetylmuramyl-peptide subunit monomers, Nalpha-(N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminyl)-Nepsilon-(glycylglycyl)-L-lysyl-D-alanine from the cell walls of Staphylococcus aureus (FDA 209P) and N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminyl-meso-diaminopimelic acid and/or N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminyl-meso-diaminopimelyl-D-alanine from those of Lactobacillus plantarum (ATCC 8014), were shown to be unit chemical entities with definite adjuvant activity both in stimulation of antibody production and in induction of delayed-type hypersensitivity to ovalbumin when administered to guinea-pigs as water-in-oil emulsions.     

Detection of SO2 at the ppm Level with Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) Sensing

Plasmonics - Detection and monitoring of SO2 is important because it is a representative toxic gas in the atmospheric environment that is emitted from industrial and natural processes. Localized...     

Molecular cloning of putative chloroplastic cysteine synthase in Leucaena leucocephala

Journal of Plant Research - Cysteine biosynthesis is directed by the successive commitments of serine acetyltransferase, and O-acetylserine (thiol) lyase (OASTL) compounds, which subsequently frame...     

Correction to: Comparative analysis of sperm motility in liquid and seminal coagulum portions between Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

Primates - In the original publication of the article, the coauthor “Takashi Hayakawa” was wrongly assigned as co-corresponding author.     

Reduction of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infectivity by admissible concentration of ozone gas and water

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Because complete elimination of SARS-CoV-2 appears difficult, decreasing the risk of transmission is important. Treatment with 0.1 and 0.05 ppm ozone gas for 10 and 20 hr, respectively, decreased SARS-CoV-2 infectivity by about 95%. The magnitude of the effect was dependent on humidity. Treatment with 1 and 2 mg/L ozone water for 10 s reduced SARS-CoV-2 infectivity by about 2 and 3 logs, respectively. Our results suggest that low-dose ozone, in the form of gas and water, is effective against SARS-CoV-2.     

The Structure of Neplanocin C

Abstract

The molecular and crystal structure of neplanocin C(3), C₁₁H₁₃N₅O₄ M.W. = 279.26, has been determined by X-ray anlys?s. The space group is P2₁ with a=16.381(2), b=8.210(1), c=9.127(1) Å, β=105.31(1)° and z=4. The structure was solved by direct method, and least-squares refinement using 2093 reflections with |Fo|>3σ(F) led to the final R value of 0.0772. The sugar puckering of the two crystal-lographically independent molecules is C(2′)-exo-C(3′)-endo, and the torsion angles about the N(9)-C(1′) bond are 22.8(6) and 28.7(6)°, respectively (anti conformation).     

A heat‐inducible CRE/LOXP gene induction system in medaka

We established three lines of transgenic medaka, a heat‐shock element (HSE) monitor line (hse‐GFP line), heat‐inducible driver lines (hse‐cre lines), and effector lines (gapdh‐loxP[DsRed]‐GFP lines). We employed these to comprehensively analyze gene induction at different time points in various tissues. These analyses demonstrate a good response of synthetic HSEs by heat treatment during embryogenesis and the mosaic gene induction by cre/loxP‐mediated recombination, thus providing practical information regarding the feasibility of a heat‐inducible cre/loxP‐mediated system in medaka. We also activated recombination by local heat‐treatment using a metal probe and an infrared laser. Our results collectively indicate that these lines allow us to perform lineage tracing and mosaic analysis and provide the platform to investigate gene functions at later developmental stage and adult. genesis 51:59–67, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.