Molecular cloning and preliminary expression analysis of banded dogfish (Triakis scyllia) TNF decoy receptor 3 (TNFRSF6B)

Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), a member of TNF receptor superfamily, is a soluble receptor without death domain and cytoplasmic domain, and secreted by cells and binds with FasL, LIGHT and TL1A. The principal function of DcR3 is the inhibition of apoptosis by the binding cytotoxic ligands. Expression of DcR3 has been reported in a wide array of normal human tissues as well as tumors and tumor cell lines. Recently, DcR3 was reported to modulate a variety of immune responses in mammals. TNFR or DcR3 has been identified in some teleost fishes. However, DcR3 is not reported in cartilaginous fish which is the lowest vertebrate possessing the adaptive immune system. Here we identified DcR3 cDNA in shark (Trsc-DcR3) from an SSH library prepared from peripheral white blood cells stimulated with PMA. Four cysteine-rich domains (CRDs) in common with TNF receptor family members are present in the Trsc-DcR3 sequence. The deduced amino acid sequence of Trsc-DcR3 showed highest identity with the chicken (50.4%), followed by human (46.8%) and rainbow trout (36.5%) DcR3. In a phylogenetic tree of known TNFRSF sequences, the Trsc-DcR3 grouped with the chicken and human DcR3. Trsc-DcR3 mRNA was detected strongly in the gill, moderately in the brain, and weakly in the kidney, thymus and leydig. These data strongly suggest that the gene encoding Trsc-DcR3 in banded dogfish is a homolog of the human gene. mRNA expression of Trsc-DcR3 in the thymus and leydig suggests that DcR3 may act as a modulator in the immune system even at the phylogenetic level of cartilaginous fish.     

Oxidative renal tubular injuries induced by aminocarboxylate-type iron (III) coordination compounds as candidate renal carcinogens

Oxidative renal tubular injuries and carcinogenesis induced by Fe^III-nitrilotriacetate (NTA) and Fe^III–ethylenediamine-N,N′-diacetate (EDDA) have been reported in rodent kidneys, but the identity of iron coordination structure essential for renal carcinogenesis, remains to be clarified. We compared renal tubular injuries caused by various low molecular weight aminocarboxylate type chelators with injuries due to NTA and EDDA. We found that Fe^III-iminodiacetate (IDA), a novel iron-chelator, induced acute tubular injuries and lipid peroxidation to the same extent. We also prepared Fe^III-IDA solutions at different pHs, and studied resultant oxidative injuries and physicochemical properties. The use of Fe^III-IDA at pH 5.2, 6.2, and 7.2 resulted in renal tubular necrosis and apoptotic cell death, but neither tubular necrosis nor apoptosis was observed at pH 8.2. Spectrophotometric data suggested that Fe^III-IDA had the same dimer structure from pH 6.2 to 7.2 as Fe^III-NTA; but at a higher pH, iron polymerized and formed clusters. Fe^III-IDA was crystallized, and this was confirmed by X-ray analysis and magnetic susceptibility measurements. These data indicated that Fe^III-IDA possessed a linear μ-oxo bridged dinuclear iron (III) around neutral pH.     

Age-related differences in cutaneous warm sensation thresholds of human males in thermoneutral and cool environments

The purpose of this study was to investigate age-related differences in cutaneous temperature thresholds for warm thermal sensitivity in a thermoneutral (28 °C) and in a cool environment (22 °C). Peripheral warm thresholds were measured on nine body regions (cheek, chest, abdomen, upper arm, forearm, hand, thigh, shin, and foot) using a thermal stimulator in 12 young (22±1 years) and 13 elderly male subjects (67±3 years). The results showed that: (1) mean skin temperature did not differ by age in both environments; (2) the cutaneous warm thresholds for the hand, shin, and foot were significantly higher for the elderly than for the young in both environments (p<0.01), whereas the remaining body parts showed no age difference; (3) the most insensitive region for elderly males was the shin for both environments (p<0.01), while for young there was no statistical significant difference with T_a 28 °C; (4) the shin of the elderly was seven and nine times less sensitive to warmth when compared to those of the cheek at T_a 28 and 22 °C, respectively; and (5) warm thresholds were 3-4 °C greater at T_a 22 °C than at 28 °C, only for the elderly males' shin and foot (p<0.05), while for young the difference between T_a 22 and 28 °C was not statistically significant. The results indicate that age-related differences in cutaneous warm perception appear to be non-uniform over the body and significant on extremities; there is a greater bluntness of warm sensitivity in the cool environment for elderly males.     

The endogenous gibberellins of vegetative and reproductive tissue of G2 peas

The gibberellins (GAs) of both vegetative (leaves and stems) and reproductive (pods and seeds) tissue of the G2 strain of peas Pisum sativum L. were characterized in purified extracts by a combination of sequential silicic-acid partition column chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Gibberellins A₁₉, A₂₀, A₂₉ and an A₂₉ catabolite were identified in both types of tissue. Gibberellins A₉, A₁₇ and A₄₄ were also found in pods and seeds.Abbreviations FID Ilame ionization detector - GA(s) gibberellin(s) - GC gas chromatograph(y) - HPLC high performance liquid chromatograph(y) - LD long day - MS mass spectrum(a) or mass spectrometer(ry) - SD short day     

Interleukin 1 alpha mRNA in virus-transformed T and B cells

IL-1 alpha cDNA clone was isolated from a T cell line infected by the human T lymphotropic retrovirus type-I (HTLV-I/ATLV). We found significant amounts of mRNA hybridizing to IL-1 alpha cDNA not only in HTLV-I-transformed T cells but also in Epstein-Barr Virus-transformed B cells. A part of IL-2 receptor inducing activity in Adult T cell leukemia (ATL) cell line seems to be due to IL-1 alpha.     

Structure and physiological properties of the taste organs on the ventral side of frog tongue (Rana catesbeiana)

The structure and physiological properties of the non-papillarytaste organs on the ventral side of frog tongue were examined.The taste organs were distributed around the hyoglossal muscleof the tongue. The total number of organs was estimated as about100. The fine structure of the taste organs was similar to thatof the fungiform papilla. Neural responses recorded from theglossopharyngeal nerve by applying chemical stimuli to the ventraltide of the tongue were noticeably smaller than those to thedorsal side of the tongue. The taste cells on the ventral sideof the tongue generated receptor potentials to various chemicalstimuli like those on the dorsal side of the tongue.     

Cheek-pouch dispersal of seeds by Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata yakui) on Yakushima Island, Japan

Seed dispersal by Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata yakui) via cheek-pouch was studied in a warm temperate evergreen forest on Yakushima Island. Plant list was compiled based on a study during 1986–1995, of which troops of monkeys have been habituated without artificial feeding. We followed the well-habituated monkeys in 1993 and 1994 to observe the feeding behavior and their treatments of fruits and seeds, and collected seeds dispersed by monkeys to record the distance carried from the mother trees. We checked the difference of germination ratio between seeds dispersed via cheek-pouch and seeds taken from mother trees by sowing experiments. Seeds and acorns of 22 species were observed to be dispersed via cheek-pouch of monkeys. Among them, three species with acorns were never dispersed via feces, and 15 species with drupes were seldom dispersed via feces. Plant species of which seeds are dispersed only via cheek-pouch had larger seeds than those of dispersed both via cheek-pouch and via feces, and typically had only one or two seeds in a fruit. As for one of cheek-pouch dispersal species,Persea thunbergii, the mean distance when seeds were carried from the mother trees via cheek-pouch was 19.7 m, and the maximum distance was as long as 105 m although more than 80% of seeds were dispersed within 30 m from mother trees. And 82% of seeds dispersed via cheek-pouch germinated. The easy separation of seeds from other parts of the fruit seems to facilitate cheek-pouch dispersal more than dispersal via feces. Cheek-pouch dispersal by monkeys has possibly enhanced the natural selection for larger seeds which bring forth larger seedlings with high shade-tolerance. In conclusion, cheek-pouch dispersal by monkeys is quite an important mode for trees in the mature stand in a warm temperate evergreen forest on Yakushima Island.     

Object-oriented fuzzy expert system for on-line diagnosing and control of bioprocesses

Summary An object-oriented fuzzy expert system to support on-line control of an automated fermentation plant is described. The major elements of the system consist of a fuzzy inference engine, a database, a knowledge base, and an expression evaluater. The expression evaluater calculates specific rates for growth, and substrate and product formation at different physiological states during the cultivation from the measured data. The specific rates are then compared with the standard target rates stored in the database. If differences outside the set tolerances were observed, the inference engine analyses the reasons for the faults on the basis of the knowledge represented in the form of a knowledge network and fuzzy membership functions of the process variables. The fuzzy expert system was developed on the basis of a shell constructed by using the object oriented Smalltalk/V Mac programming environment, with Lactobacillus casei lactic acid fermentation as the example of process application.Visiting scientist from Helsinki University of Technology at RIKEN Correspondence to: P. Linko or I. Endo     

The differential ability of splenic adherent cells from B6.lpr mice to induce suppressor T cells

Hapten-coupled splenic adherent cells or resident peritoneal cells from autoimmune B6.lpr mice that are over 5 mo of age fail to induce first-order inducer suppressor T cells (Ts1). However, the same population of hapten-coupled cells can induce both delayed-type hypersensitivity responses and third-order effector suppressor T cells (Ts3). Thus, splenic and peritoneal antigen-presenting cells from B6.lpr mice display a defined defect in the ability to induce certain suppressor T cell responses. The cellular defect in Ts1 induction is controlled by the lpr gene, since age-matched congenic B6 mice do not display this defect. The splenic adherent cell defect is temporarily correlated with the autoimmunity that develops in B6.lpr animals. The antigen-presenting defect in the B6.lpr splenic adherent population for Ts1 induction is reversible by culturing the cells in interferon-gamma. The results are discussed as an illustration of the relationship between experimental models of autoimmunity and defects in a suppressor T cell cascade.