Denitrification of nitrate by the fungus Cylindrocarpon tonkinense

The denitrifying fungus Cylindrocarpon tonkinense was thought to be able to denitrify only nitrite (NO2-) but not nitrate (NO3-) to form nitrous oxide (N2O). Here we found, however, that C. tonkinense can denitrify NO3- under certain conditions. Presence of ammonium (NH3+) in addition to NO3- and the use of a fermentable sugar as an electron donor were key conditions for inducing the denitrifying activity. Such induction accompanied a remarkable increase in the intracellular level of the enzyme activities related to NO3- metabolism. These activities contained assimilatory type NADPH (or NADH)-dependent NO3- reductase (aNar), dissimilatory nitrite reductase (dNir), and nitric oxide reductase (P450nor), but did not contain ubiquinol-dependent, dissimilatory NO3- reductase (dNar). The denitrification was inhibited by tungstate, an inhibitor of Nar. These results demonstrated occurrence of a novel type of denitrification in C. tonkinense, in which assimilatory type Nar is possibly involved.     

The potential to induce glial differentiation is conserved between Drosophila and mammalian glial cells missing genes

Drosophila glial cells missing (gcm) is a key gene that determines the fate of stem cells within the nervous system. Two mouse gcm homologs have been identified, but their function in the nervous system remains to be elucidated. To investigate their function, we constructed retroviral vectors harboring Drosophila gcm and two mouse Gcm genes. Expression of these genes appeared to influence fibroblast features. In particular, mouse Gcm1 induced the expression of astrocyte-specific Ca(2+)-binding protein, S100beta, in those cells. Introduction of the mouse Gcm1 gene in cultured cells from embryonic brains resulted in the induction of an astrocyte lineage. This effect was also observed by in utero injection of retrovirus harboring mouse Gcm1 into the embryonic brain. However, cultures from mouse Gcm1-deficient mouse brains did not exhibit significant reductions in the number of astrocytes. Furthermore, in situ hybridization analysis of mouse Gcm1 mRNA revealed distinct patterns of expression in comparison with other well-known glial markers. The mammalian homolog of Drosophila gcm, mouse Gcm1, exhibits the potential to induce gliogenesis, but may function in the generation of a minor subpopulation of glial cells.     

Investigation on light-addressable potentiometric sensor as a possible cell-semiconductor hybrid

This article reports an investigation on light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) to be used as a possible biological cell-semiconductor hybrid that will enable us to make an interface between the physical and biological system. To increase the surface potential sensitivity, we used a LAPS structure with single insulator (SiO2) coated with poly-L-ornithine and laminin (PLOL) on Si. Efficient culturing of PC-12 and nerve cells of Lymnaea stagnalis on PLOL-coated Si3N4 and SiO2 was achieved. The thickness of the PLOL layer was found to be about 4 nm by the atomic force microscope (AFM) measurement. Using the advantage of this thin layer of PLOL, we compared the performance of a novel structure to the previously reported "PLOL-coated Si3N4/SiO2/Si" structure. Due to high insulating capacitance, the photocurrent response of the novel LAPS was found to be very steep. As a result, higher sensitivity was achieved. This steepness did not degrade during 10 days when the sensor surface was kept in contact with the cell culture medium and environment. The thickness of PLOL layer, its ability to improve the biological cell adhesion, enhanced sensitivity, and experiment with simulated neural action potential (AP) applied to the novel LAPS show a good promise for LAPS to be a biological cell-semiconductor hybrid.     

Purification of alginate oligosaccharides with root growth-promoting activity toward lettuce

Sodium alginate was degraded by alginate lyase from Corynebacterium sp., and the product was purified by an ultrafiltration (UF) membrane module. The UF treatment was carried out at a transmembrane pressure of 0.15 MPa and a flow velocity of 0.6 m/s in the cross-flow mode, and non-degraded alginate was almost completely removed. The alginate oligosaccharide obtained was a mixture of di- to octasaccharides and had promoting activity toward lettuce root elongation (about 2-fold compared with the control) in the concentration range of 200-3000 microg/ml. The effect of the degree of polymerization on this activity was examined by using each oligosaccharide fractionated by gel chromatography. The tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexasaccharides were each found to have root growth-promoting activity in a lettuce bioassay.     

Requirements for the maintenance of Th1 immunity in vivo following DNA vaccination: a potential immunoregulatory role for CD8+ T cells

Protective immunity against Leishmania major generated by DNA encoding the LACK (Leishmania homologue of receptor for activated C kinase) Ag has been shown to be more durable than vaccination with LACK protein plus IL-12. One mechanism to account for this may be the selective ability of DNA vaccination to induce CD8+ IFN-gamma-producing T cells. In this regard, we previously reported that depletion of CD8+ T cells in LACK DNA-vaccinated mice abrogated protection when infectious challenge was done 2 wk postvaccination. In this study, we extend these findings to study the mechanism by which CD8+ T cells induced by LACK DNA vaccination mediate both short- and long-term protective immunity against L. major. Mice vaccinated with LACK DNA and depleted of CD8+ T cells at the time of vaccination or infection were unable to control infection when challenge was done 2 or 12 wk postvaccination. Remarkably, it was noted that depletion of CD8+ T cells in LACK DNA-vaccinated mice was associated with a striking decrease in the frequency of LACK-specific CD4+ IFN-gamma-producing T cells both before and after infection. Moreover, data are presented to suggest a mechanism by which CD8+ T cells exert this regulatory role. Taken together, these data provide additional insight into how Th1 cells are generated and sustained in vivo and suggest a potentially novel immunoregulatory role for CD8+ T cells following DNA vaccination.     

A kaiC-interacting sensory histidine kinase, SasA, necessary to sustain robust circadian oscillation in cyanobacteria

Both regulated expression of the clock genes kaiA, kaiB, and kaiC and interactions among the Kai proteins are proposed to be important for circadian function in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942. We have identified the histidine kinase SasA as a KaiC-interacting protein. SasA contains a KaiB-like sensory domain, which appears sufficient for interaction with KaiC. Disruption of the sasA gene lowered kaiBC expression and dramatically reduced amplitude of the kai expression rhythms while shortening the period. Accordingly, sasA disruption attenuated circadian expression patterns of all tested genes, some of which became arrhythmic. Continuous sasA overexpression eliminated circadian rhythms, whereas temporal overexpression changed the phase of kaiBC expression rhythm. Thus, SasA is a close associate of the cyanobacterial clock that is necessary to sustain robust circadian rhythms.     

Fusarium oxysporum fatty-acid subterminal hydroxylase (CYP505) is a membrane-bound eukaryotic counterpart of Bacillus megaterium cytochrome P450BM3

The gene of a fatty-acid hydroxylase of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum (P450foxy) was cloned and expressed in yeast. The putative primary structure revealed the close relationship of P450foxy to the bacterial cytochrome P450BM3, a fused protein of cytochrome P450 and its reductase from Bacillus megaterium. The amino acid sequence identities of the P450 and P450 reductase domains of P450foxy were highest (40.6 and 35.3%, respectively) to the corresponding domains of P450BM3. Recombinant P450foxy expressed in yeast was catalytically and spectrally indistinguishable from the native protein, except most of the recombinant P450foxy was recovered in the soluble fraction of the yeast cells, in marked contrast to native P450foxy, which was exclusively recovered in the membrane fraction of the fungal cells. This difference implies that a post (or co)-translational mechanism functions in the fungal cells to target and bind the protein to the membrane. These results provide conclusive evidence that P450foxy is the eukaryotic counterpart of bacterial P450BM3, which evokes interest in the evolutionary aspects concerning the P450 superfamily along with its reducing systems. P450foxy was classified in the new family, CYP505.     

Modulation of RuvB function by the mobile domain III of the Holliday junction recognition protein RuvA

In prokaryotes, RuvA-RuvB complexes play a crucial role in the migration of the Holliday junction, which is a key intermediate of homologous recombination. RuvA binds to the Holliday junction and enhances the ATPase activity of RuvB required for branch migration. RuvA adopts a unique domain structure, which assembles into a tetrameric molecule. The previous mutational and proteolytic analyses suggested that mutations in a carboxyl-terminal domain (domain III) impair binding of RuvA to RuvB. In order to clarify the functional role of each domain in vitro, we established the recombinant expression systems, which allow us to analyze structural and biochemical properties of each domain separately. A small-angle X-ray scattering solution study, combined with X-ray crystallographic analyses, was applied to the tetrameric full-length RuvA and its tetrameric NH2 region (domains I and II) lacking the domain III. These results demonstrated that domain III can be completely separate from the tetrameric major core of the NH2 region and freely mobile in solution, through a remarkably flexible loop. Biochemical analyses indicated that domain III not only interacts with RuvB, but also modulates its ATPase activity. This modulation may facilitate the dynamic coupling between RuvA and RuvB during branch migration.     

Rhododendrol biosynthesis and metabolism in Acer nikoense callus

Cell suspensions derived from Acer nikoense callus, not containing (S)-rhododendrol, converted 4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2- butanone into (R)-, (S)-rhododendrol and their glycosides. (R)- and (S)-rhododendrol formed was only detected in the culture medium and their glycosides only in the cells. The former compound disappeared within a short time and the latter one also tended to decrease during prolonged culture. Quantitative analysis of rhododendrol glycosides in the callus showed that most of them were (S)-rhododendrol 2-O--D-glucopyranoside and its content was much lower than that of the original plants. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998     

Simple analysis of local anaesthetics in human blood using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–electron impact ionization selected ion monitoring

A simple method for analysis of five local anaesthetics in blood was developed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–electron impact ionization selected ion monitoring (GC–MS–EI-SIM). Deuterated lidocaine (d₁₀-lidocaine) was synthesized and used as a desirable internal standard (I.S.). A vial containing a blood sample, 5 M sodium hydroxide and d₁₀-lidocaine (I.S.) was heated at 120°C. The extraction fiber of the SPME system was exposed for 45 min in the headspace of the vial. The compounds adsorbed on the fiber were desorbed by exposing the fiber in the injection port of a GC–MS system. The calibration curves showed linearity in the range of 0.1–20 μg/g for lidocaine and mepivacaine, 0.5–20 μg/g for bupivacaine and 1–20 μg/g for prilocaine in blood. No interfering substances were found, and the time for analysis was 65 min for one sample. In addition, this proposed method was applied to a medico–legal case where the cause of death was suspected to be acute local anaesthetics poisoning. Mepivacaine was detected in the left and right heart blood samples of the victim at concentrations of 18.6 and 15.8 μg/g, respectively.