Macrophage hyperreactivity to endotoxin induced by streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin in rabbits

Pretreatment of rabbits with streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (SPE) resulted in an enhancement of their febrile response to subsequent endotoxin challenge. This suggested that SPE may enhance the macrophage capacity to respond to endotoxin in vivo to produce an endogenous pyrogen. It was also demonstrated that peritoneal macrophages derived from SPE-treated rabbits exhibited hyperreactivity to endotoxin in vitro as assessed by endotoxin-induced increase in glucose consumption. These data indicate that SPE has the ability to enhance macrophage reactivity to endotoxin.     

Genomic regions affecting backfat thickness and cannon bone circumference identified by genome‐wide association study in a Duroc pig population

We performed a genome‐wide association study using the porcine 60K SNP array to detect QTL regions for nine traits in a three‐generational Duroc samples (n = 651), viz. generations 1, 2 and 3 from a population selected over five generations using a closed nucleus breeding scheme. We applied a linear mixed model for association mapping to detect SNP effects, adjusting for fixed effects (sex and season) and random polygenic effects (reflecting genetic relatedness), and derived a likelihood ratio statistic for each SNP using the efficient mixed‐model association method. We detected a region on SSC6 for backfat thickness (BFT) and on SSC7 for cannon bone circumference (CANNON), with a genome‐wide significance of P < 0.01 after Bonferroni correction. These regions had been detected previously in other pig populations. Six genes are located in the BFT‐associated region, while the CANNON‐associated region includes 66 genes. In the future, significantly associated SNPs, derived by sequencing the coding regions of the six genes in the BFT region, can be used in marker‐assisted selection of BFT, whereas haplotypes constructed from the SSC7 region with strong LD can be used to select for the CANNON trait in our resource family.     

Age‐ and Gender‐specific BMI in Terms of the Lowest Mortality in Japanese General Population

Objective: The primary purposes of our study were to establish age‐ and gender‐specific BMIs in terms of lowest mortality (risk nadir BMIs) for the Japanese population, and to then compare those to (i) BMIs for whites as determined by similar studies and to (ii) the official BMI guidelines. Methods and Procedures: A total of 32,060 men and 61,916 women aged 40–79 years underwent health check‐ups in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, in 1993 and were followed through 2003. To determine the age‐ and gender‐specific risk nadir BMIs, coefficients and the lowest point from a quadratic model with transformed BMI were calculated by a Cox proportional hazard model. This included the quadratic term of 1/BMI and adjusted values (age, alcohol intake, and smoking status). Results: For both age and both gender categories, the relationship between all‐cause mortality risk and BMI categories are illustrated as U‐shaped curves. The risk nadir BMIs for men in the age groups of 40–59 and 60–79 years were 23.4 and 25.3 kg/m², respectively. Similarly, in women, the risk nadir BMIs were 21.6 and 23.4 kg/m², respectively. Discussion: Among the general Japanese population, the risk nadir BMI for the age group of 60–79 years was higher compared to the age group of 40–59 years, which was similar to the study for whites, and the age‐dependent risk nadir BMI differed from the official guidelines criteria. Our findings underscore the importance of weight control following appropriate indicators of body weight according to age.     

Synthesis of glycolipids: dialkyl

Tween 80-hydrolyzing esterases produced by various species of rapidly growing mycobacteria were partially purified from sonicated cell lysates by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose and subsequent Sephadex G-150 column chromatographies. The amount of the esterase produced per gram of bacterial cells varied markedly with each species. Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. chelonei, and M. phlei were high producers and M. chitae and M. diernhoferi were low producers of Tween-hydrolyzing esterase. The resistance of each mycobacterial strain to oleic acid correlated well with their esterase-producing ability. All the esterases studied were adsorbed on DEAE cellulose in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5), indicating that they are acidic proteins. Esterases of M. smegmatis, M. chitae, M. fortuitum, and M. phlei were eluted from DEAE at high concentrations (0.11–0.18 m) of ammonium sulfate, while those of M. parafortuitum and M. diernhoferi were eluted at lower concentrations (0.05–0.08 m). With Sephadex G-150 gel filtration, all esterases were shown to have similar molecular weights (36,000 to 58,000). On the basis of heat-stability and trypsin- or chymotrypsin-sensitivity, these esterases were divided into three groups: one was heat-stable and protease-sensitive (M. smegmatis and M. fotuitum), another was heat-labile and protease-resistant (M. chelonei), and the other was the intermediate of the above two groups (M. diernhoferi).     

Physicochemical Characterization of Tween 80-Hydrolyzing Esterases Produced by Rapidly Growing Mycobacteria

Tween 80-hydrolyzing esterases produced by various species of rapidly growing mycobacteria were partially purified from sonicated cell lysates by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose and subsequent Sephadex G-150 column chromatographies. The amount of the esterase produced per gram of bacterial cells varied markedly with each species. Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. chelonei, and M. phlei were high producers and M. chitae and M. diernhoferi were low producers of Tween-hydrolyzing esterase. The resistance of each mycobacterial strain to oleic acid correlated well with their esterase-producing ability. All the esterases studied were adsorbed on DEAE cellulose in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5), indicating that they are acidic proteins. Esterases of M. smegmatis, M. chitae, M. fortuitum, and M. phlei were eluted from DEAE at high concentrations (0.11–0.18 m) of ammonium sulfate, while those of M. parafortuitum and M. diernhoferi were eluted at lower concentrations (0.05–0.08 m). With Sephadex G-150 gel filtration, all esterases were shown to have similar molecular weights (36,000 to 58,000). On the basis of heat-stability and trypsin- or chymotrypsin-sensitivity, these esterases were divided into three groups: one was heat-stable and protease-sensitive (M. smegmatis and M. fotuitum), another was heat-labile and protease-resistant (M. chelonei), and the other was the intermediate of the above two groups (M. diernhoferi).     

Genetical study on the formation of anthocyanins and flavonols in turnip varieties. Genetical studies on anthocyanins in brassicaceae II

Genetic studies were made on the root color of turnip varieties. In the cross between the red (raphanusin, pelargonidin glucoside) and the white varieties, F₁ hybrids were all purple (rubrobrassicin, cyanidin glucoside), and F₂ progenies were segregated into three groups: purple (rubrobrassicin), red (raphanusin), and white in the ratio of 9:3:4, respectively. This indicates the presence of two pairs of conditional alleles, as previously found in the case of radish. As to the flavonols in turnip varieties, isorhamnetin and kaempferol were found in the plants forming rubrobrassicin in roots, and only kaempferol in the plants producing raphanusin in roots; whereas isorhamnetin was found together with a trace of kaempferol in the plants with white root.     

Crystal structure and conformation of a cyclic tetrapeptide cyclo(L-Pro-Sar)2 containing all-cis peptide units

The crystal structure and conformation of the synthetic cyclic tetrapeptide, cyclo(L -Pro-Sar)₂, was determined by x-ray analysis. The peptide crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ with cell parameters a = 9.277(1), b = 12.884(1), and c = 15.581(2) Å. The crystal structure was solved by the symbolic addition procedure for direct phase determination and least-squares refinement using 1796 reflections, which led to the final R value of 0.043. This structure provides the first example observed in a crystal of a cyclic tetrapeptide in which all four peptide units have been found in the cis conformation with ω angles deviating slightly by 2°–10° from the ideal value of 0°. It was also found that the two Pro C^α-CO single bonds assumed a trans′ (ψ = 159.6° and 158.4°) conformation. Adjoining average planes of the peptide groups fall at nearly right angles to each other. The pyrrolidine ring conformations of the two prolyl residues are in the envelope form, with C^γ carbon out of the least-squares planes for the remaining four atoms.     

Self-assembled peptide fibers from valylvaline bola-amphiphiles by a parallel β-sheet network

A series of dipeptide-based bola-amphiphiles, bis(N-α-amide-L-valyl-L-valine) 1, n-alkane dicarboxylate (n=4–12), have been synthesized. The bola-amphiphiles with n=4 and 6 self-assembled to form crystalline solids in water, whereas those with n=7–12 produced peptide fibers. FT-IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the peptide fibers have parallel-type β-sheet networks between the valylvaline units. FT-IR deconvolution study of carboxyl regions indicated that these crystalline solids and peptide fibers are stabilized by interlayer bifurcated and intralayer lateral hydrogen-bond networks between the end carboxylic acid groups, respectively.