Superior molasses assimilation, stress tolerance, and trehalose accumulation of baker's yeast isolated from dried sweet potatoes (hoshi-imo)

Yeast strains were isolated from dried sweet potatoes (hoshi-imo), a traditional preserved food in Japan. Dough fermentation ability, freeze tolerance, and growth rates in molasses, which are important characteristics of commercial baker's yeast, were compared between these yeast strains and a commercial yeast derivative that had typical characteristics of commercial strains. Classification tests including pulse-field gel electrophoresis and fermentation/assimilation ability of sugars showed that almost the stains isolated belonged to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One strain, ONY1, accumulated intracellular trehalose at a higher level than commercial strain T128. Correlated with intracellular trehalose contents, the fermentation ability of high-sugar dough containing ONY1 was higher. ONY1 also showed higher freeze tolerance in both low-sugar and high-sugar doughs. The growth rate of ONY1 was significantly higher under batch and fed-batch cultivation conditions using either molasses or synthetic medium than that of strain T128. These results suggest that ONY1 has potential commercial use as baker's yeast for frozen dough and high-sugar dough.     

Molecular identification of the causative agent of human strongyloidiasis acquired in Tanzania: Dispersal and diversity of Strongyloides spp. and their hosts

In order to identify the causative agent of imported strongyloidiasis found in a Japanese mammalogist, who participated in a field survey in Tanzania, the hyper-variable region IV (HVR-IV) of 18S ribosomal DNA and partial mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) were analyzed and compared with Strongyloides fuelleborni collected from apes and monkeys of Africa and Japan, and S. stercoralis from humans, apes and dogs. The HVR-IV and cox1 of the patient's worms were identical to or only slightly differed from those of worms parasitic in Tanzanian chimpanzees and yellow baboons, demonstrating that the patient acquired the infection during her field survey in Tanzania. Phylogenetic analysis with the maximum-likelihood method largely divided isolates of S. fuelleborni into three groups, which corresponded to geographical localities but not to host species. Meanwhile, isolates of S. stercoralis were grouped by the phylogenetic analysis into dog-parasitic and primate-parasitic clades, and not to geographical regions. It is surmised that subspeciation has occurred in S. fuelleborni during the dispersal of primates in Africa and Asia, while worldwide dispersal of S. stercoralis seems to have occurred more recently by migration and the activities of modern humans.     

The interactions between calcium-dependent regulator protein of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and microtubule proteins. II. Association of calcium-dependent regulator protein with tubulin dimer.

The Ca2+-dependent regulator protein (CDR) of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) was reported to be a Ca2+-dependent regulator of microtubule (MT) assembly in the preceding paper. In this paper, the binding of Ca2+-CDR complex to tubulin dimer was investigated in order to elucidate the Ca2+-dependent inhibitory action of CDR on MT assembly. Purified microtubular proteins (PMPs) isolated from porcine brain did not affect the ability of CDR to activate Ca2+-activatable PDE, and did not include any inhibitory protein of Ca2+-activatable PDE. The binding of CDR to the tubulin dimer was observed on Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and ammonium sulfate fractionation in a Ca2+-dependent manner. CDR did not bind to microtubule associated proteins. We now assume that Ca2+-dependent inhibition of MT assembly by CDR is due to the binding of CDR to tubulin dimer in a Ca2+-dependent manner.     

Mechanism,induction factors,and adaptive significance of dealation in the subterranean termite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Reticulitermes speratus</Emphasis> (Isoptera,Rhinotermitidae)

Summary. We studied the dealation of a subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe from three different angles; mechanism, induction factors, and adaptive significance. During nuptial flight alates prevent the wings from breaking off by holding the wings in a 3-dimensional configuration. In the process of dealation, the alates hold the wings in a 2-dimensional configuration, half spread the wings in a lowered position, and bend the abdomen back toward the wings, thereby exerting high pressure at the basal sutures. This separates the wings from the body. The primary factor determining the timing of dealation appears to be isolation from other alates: It induces alates to shed their wings, whereas pairing has no effect on dealation in this species. Alates of termites are especially vulnerable to ant predation during the period between flight and colony foundation. An experiment designed to compare the risk of alates and dealates to predation by a termite-hunting ant, Brachyponera chinensis Emery, showed that dealation reduced the predation risk during the period spent running on the ground.     

Mitochondrial genomes and phylogeny of the ocean sunfishes (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae)

We determined the complete nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial genomes for the three currently recognized species of ocean sunfish: Mola mola, Masturus lanceolatus, and Ranzania laevis (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae). Each genome contained the 37 genes as found in teleosts, with the typical gene order in teleosts. Bayesian, maximum-likelihood, and maximum-parsimony analyses were conducted with the data set comprising concatenated nucleotide sequences from 36 genes (excluding the ND6 gene) of three molids and four outgroups (three tetraodontiforms plus a caproid). The resultant trees supported monophyly of the Molidae and its intrarelationships ((Mola, Masturus), Ranzania), which were congruent with previous morphology-based hypotheses.     

Relationship between tubulin SH groups and bound guanine nucleotides.

Guanine nucleotides bound to both the non-exchangeable sites (N sites) and exchangeable sites (E sites) of tubulin were completely released after 7 moles of SH groups per tubulin subunit (55,000 molecular weight) had reacted with PCMPS. The blockage of 2 moles of SH groups in the glycerol-reassembly buffer or 1 mole of SH groups in glycerol-free reassembly buffer resulted in complete loss of tubulin polymerizability. However, under both sets of experimental conditions, the amount of guanine nucleotides released from the E sites was less than 8% and the loss of total guanine nucleotides was only 5%. Addition of GSH did not induce reassociation of released guanine nucleotides, although it restored tubulin polymerizability. These results indicate that the loss of tubulin polymerizability on blockage of the SH groups was not due to dissociation of bound guanine nucleotides and that the binding sites of the nucleotides were independent of the SH groups in tubulin required for polymerization. Furthermore, blockage of SH groups did not change the ratio of GTP to GDP bound to tubulin.     

Aspergillus niger DLFCC-90 rhamnoside hydrolase, a new type of flavonoid glycoside hydrolase

A novel rutin-α-L-rhamnosidase hydrolyzing α-L-rhamnoside of rutin, naringin, and hesperidin was purified and characterized from Aspergillus niger DLFCC-90, and the gene encoding this enzyme, which is highly homologous to the α-amylase gene, was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. The novel enzyme was classified in glycoside-hydrolase (GH) family 13.     

Assessment of border control measures and community containment measures used in Japan during the early stages of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

Background

In the early stages of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, border control measures were taken by quarantine stations to block the entry of infected individuals into Japan and community containment measures were implemented to prevent the spreading. The objectives of this study were to describe these measures and the characteristics of infected individuals, and to assess the measures'' effectiveness.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Border control and community containment measures implemented from April to June (Period I: April 28–May 21, Period II: May 22–June 18) 2009 were described. Number of individuals identified and disease characteristics were analyzed. For entry screening, a health declaration form and an infrared thermoscanner were used to detect symptomatic passengers. Passengers indicated for the rapid influenza test underwent the test followed by RT-PCR. Patients positive for H1N1 were isolated, and close contacts were quarantined. Entry cards were handed out to all asymptomatic passengers informing them about how to contact a health center in case they developed symptoms. Nine individuals were identified by entry screening and 1 during quarantine to have Pandemic (H1N1) 2009. Health monitoring by health centers was performed in period I for passengers arriving from affected countries and in period II for those who had come into contact with the individuals identified by entry screening. Health monitoring identified 3 infected individuals among 129,546 in Period I and 5 among 746 in Period II. Enhanced surveillance, which included mandatory reporting of details of the infected individuals, identified 812 individuals, 141 (18%) of whom had a history of international travel. Twenty-four of these 141 passengers picked up by enhanced surveillance had been developing symptoms on entry and were missed at screening.

Conclusion/Significance

Symptomatic passengers were detected by the various entry screening measures put in place. Enhanced surveillance provided data for the improvement of public health measures in future pandemics.     

Involvement of IL-1 in the Maintenance of Masseter Muscle Activity and Glucose Homeostasis

Physical exercise reportedly stimulates IL-1 production within working skeletal muscles, but its physiological significance remains unknown due to the existence of two distinct IL-1 isoforms, IL-1α and IL-1β. The regulatory complexities of these two isoforms, in terms of which cells in muscles produce them and their distinct/redundant biological actions, have yet to be elucidated. Taking advantage of our masticatory behavior (Restrained/Gnawing) model, we herein show that IL-1α/1β-double-knockout (IL-1-KO) mice exhibit compromised masseter muscle (MM) activity which is at least partially attributable to abnormalities of glucose handling (rapid glycogen depletion along with impaired glucose uptake) and dysfunction of IL-6 upregulation in working MMs. In wild-type mice, masticatory behavior clearly increased IL-1β mRNA expression but no incremental protein abundance was detectable in whole MM homogenates, whereas immunohistochemical staining analysis revealed that both IL-1α- and IL-1β-immunopositive cells were recruited around blood vessels in the perimysium of MMs after masticatory behavior. In addition to the aforementioned phenotype of IL-1-KO mice, we found the IL-6 mRNA and protein levels in MMs after masticatory behavior to be significantly lower in IL-1-KO than in WT. Thus, our findings confirm that the locally-increased IL-1 elicited by masticatory behavior, although present small in amounts, contributes to supporting MM activity by maintaining normal glucose homeostasis in these muscles. Our data also underscore the importance of IL-1-mediated local interplay between autocrine myokines including IL-6 and paracrine cytokines in active skeletal muscles. This interplay is directly involved in MM performance and fatigability, perhaps mediated through maintaining muscular glucose homeostasis.