Fructooligosaccharides consumption inhibits the loss of iron from the incisor enamel surface in gastrectomized rat

We examine the effects of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on the reduction in the incisor iron content in gastrectomized rat. Twenty-eight 5-wk-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: sham operated (bSH) and gastrectomized (bGX). After 4 wk each group was divided into two subgroups according to the presence or absence of 7.5% FOS in the synthetic diet (SH, SH+FOS, GX, and GX+FOS). At 10 wk wafter surgery, the maxilla was prepared to examine the iron content of the incisor enamel surface at four points. These points corresponded to the iron content at 6,7,8, and 10 wk, respectively. Blood was collected to determine serum iron levels at 4 and 10 wk. The serum iron level significantly decreased at 4 and 10 wk the GX group. At 10 wk, the level in the GX+FOS group significantly increased but did not reaach that in the SH group. The iron content of the enamel surface time-dependently increased and no significant differences were seen between SH and GX+FOS at 8 and 10 wk. These results suggest that FOS consumption impaired the loss of enamel content following gastrectomy, and this effect preceded the effect on the serum iron level.     

Analysis of risk epitopes of anti-neutrophil antibody MPO-ANCA in vasculitis in Japanese population

Autoantibodies to myeloperoxidase (MPO) are a subset of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA, MPO-ANCA) detected in the sera of some patients with primary systemic vasculitis. The titer of MPO-ANCA does not always reflect disease activity and this inconsistency may be attributable to differences in epitopic specificity by MPO-ANCA among various patients with vasculitis. Epitope analysis may also explain the occurrence of MPO-ANCA in different vasculitic syndromes. We screened the sera of 148 MPO-ANCA positive patients from six vasculitic syndromes: rapidly progressive gromerulonephritis (RPGN), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), idiopathic crescentic glomerulonephritis (I-CrGN), classic polyangiitis nodosa (cPAN), Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS), Kawasaki disease (KD); and from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The sera were collected by the Intractable Vasculitis Research Project Group in Japan. No serum showed epitopes La and Lb of light chain of MPO, and sera with 68.6% of patients showed a positive reaction to one or more epitopes in heavy chain of MPO. Analysis of binding level showed that RPGN, I-CrGN and MPA sera mainly reacted to the Ha epitope at the N-termimus of the MPO heavy chain, CSS sera reacted to Ha and the Hf epitope close to the C-terminus of the MPO heavy chain, KD reacted mainly to Hf, while SLE and RA sera reacted to all epitopes. These results suggest that MPO-ANCA recognizing specific regions of the N-terminus of the MPO H-chain confer an increased risk of vasculitis RPGN, I-CrGN, MPA and CSS. Furthermore, the epitopic specificity of MPO-ANCA differentiates vasculitic from non-vasculitic syndromes associated with MPO-ANCA positivity and differentiates in the cirtain type of vasculitis from various vasculitic syndromes. In particular, vasculitic syndromes associated with kidney involvement had similar epitopic reactivity which suggests that this pattern confers an increased risk of vasculitis.     

Production and partial purification of membrane proteins using a liposome-supplemented wheat cell-free translation system

Background  

Recently, some groups have reported on cell-free synthesis of functional membrane proteins (MPs) in the presence of exogenous liposomes (liposomes). Previously, we reported synthesis of a functional AtPPT1 plant phosphate transporter that was associated with liposomes during translation. However, it is unclear whether or not lipid/MP complex formation is common to all types of MPs in the wheat cell-free system.     

Studies on BHC Isomers and their Related Compounds

β-BTC(3, 4/5, 6),¹⁾ γ-BTC(3, 4, 6/5), and ε-BTC(3, 4, 5/6) were synthesized from α-BTC (3, 6/4, 5) by stepwise routes.     

Functional properties of recombinant factor V mutated in a potential calcium-binding site

Activated coagulation factor V (FVa) is a cofactor of activated factor X (FXa) in prothrombin activation. FVa is composed of a light chain (LC) and a heavy chain (HC) that are noncovalently associated in a calcium-dependent manner. We constructed a recombinant FV Asp111Asn/Asp112Asn mutant (rFV-NN) to abolish calcium binding to a potential calcium-binding site in FVa in order to study the specific role of these residues in the expression of FVa activity. Whereas thrombin-activated recombinant FV wild type (rFV-wt) presented with stable FVa activity, incubation of rFV-NN with thrombin resulted in a temporary increase in FVa activity, which was rapidly lost upon prolonged incubation. Loss of FVa activity was most likely due to dissociation of HC and LC since, upon chromatography of rFVa-NN on a SP-Sepharose column, the HC did not bind significantly to the resin whereas the LC bound and could be eluted at high ionic strength. In contrast, rFVa-wt adhered to the column, and both the HC and LC coeluted at high ionic strength. In the presence of phospholipid vesicles, the loss of rFVa-NN activity was partially prevented by FXa, active site inhibited FXa, and prothombin in a dose-dependent manner. We conclude that the introduced amino acid substitutions result in a loss of the high-affinity (calcium-dependent) interaction of the HC and LC of FVa. We propose that the introduced substitutions disrupt the calcium-binding site in FV, thereby yielding a FV molecule that rapidly loses activity following thrombin-catalyzed activation most likely via dissociation of the HC and LC.     

Microbial diversity of soils on the banks of the Solimões and Negro rivers, state of Amazonas, Brazil

Analysis of bacterial diversity in soils along the banks of the Solimões and Negro rivers, state of Amazonas, Brazil, was by partial sequencing of the genes codifying the rDNA16S region. Diversity of operational taxonomic units (OTU) and of the divergent sequences obtained were applied in comparative analysis of microbiological diversity in the two environments, based on richness estimators and OTU diversity indices. The higher OTU diversity in the Solimões was based on the higher number of parameters that evoke this. The interaction between the nucleotide sequences of bacteria inhabiting the two riverine environments indicated that the two microrganism communities are similar in composition.     

A highly efficient construction of GM1 epitope tetrasaccharide and its conjugation with KLH

GM1 epitope tetrasaccharide was synthesized by a condensation of sialyl-alpha(2-3)-gal acceptor and gal-beta(1-3)-GalN donor in a highly efficient manner. After introduction of mercaptohexanol to the tetrasaccharide, it was coupled to maleimide-activated KLH carrier protein to give the desired GM1 epitope-KLH conjugate.     

Airborne sperm of Conocephalum conicum (Conocephalaceae)

We have obtained the first momentary photographs of sperms just as they are discharged from the antheridium of a liverwort, Conocephalum conicum, and have succeeded in monitoring the airborne sperms of bryophytes under field conditions. Airborne sperm of liverworts seems to be an effective strategy for raising the efficiency of fertilization between male and female plants separated in a drought environment. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

2'-O,4'-C-ethylene-bridged nucleic acids (ENA): highly nuclease-resistant and thermodynamically stable oligonucleotides for antisense drug.

To develop antisense oligonucleotides, novel nucleosides, 2'-O,4'-C-ethylene nucleosides and their corresponding phosphoramidites, were synthesized as building blocks. The 1H NMR analysis showed that the 2'-O,4'-C-ethylene linkage of these nucleosides restricts the sugar puckering to the N-conformation as well as the linkage of 2'-O,4'-C-methylene nucleosides which are known as bridged nucleic acids (BNA) or locked nucleic acids (LNA). The ethylene-bridged nucleic acids (ENA) showed a high binding affinity for the complementary RNA strand (DeltaT(m)=+5.2 degrees C/modification) and were more nuclease-resistant than natural DNA and BNA/LNA. These results indicate that ENA have better properties as antisense oligonucleotides than BNA/LNA.