Supplemental Effects of Arginine and Methionine on Growth,and on Formations of Urea and Creatine of Adrenalectomized Rats Fed High Glycine Diets

The effects of adrenalectomy on growth, some enzyme activities in the liver and kidney, and urinary excretion of urea, creatinine and creatine were investigated in rats fed the 10% casein diets containing 7% glycine with or without l-arginine and l-methionine (10C, 10C7G and 10C7ArgMet).

Body weight gains of the intact 10C and 10C7GArgMet groups were almost same as the corresponding adrenalectomized groups. The body weight of the adrenalectomized 10C7G group was extremely decreased though that of the intact 10C7G group was maintained almost constant; but the decrease was recovered by the administration of hydrocortisone. The activities of liver arginase and carbamylphosphate synthetase were not affected by those diets. Liver serine dehydratase and ornithine δ-aminotransferase activities were increased in the intact 10C7G and 10C7GArgMet groups, but these increases were depressed by adrenalectomy. Glutamate-pyruvate transminase activities in the liver of intact 10C7G and 10C7GArgMet groups were also enhanced, but were extremely decreased in the corresponding adrenalectomized groups. Kidney transamidinase activity was not affected by adrenalectomy. The amount of urinary excreted urea was almost unchanged by adrenalectomy, but was increased by hydrocortisone administration. The amounts of excreted creatine of the adrenalectomized groups were generally larger than the corresponding intact groups, but slightly decreased by the administration of hydrocortisone. The amount of excreted creatinine was not generally affected by adrenalectomy.     

A Growth Factor for Malo-lactic Fermentation Bacteria

A growth factor (TJF) for a malo-lactic fermentation bacterium has been isolated from tomato juice, and found to be a β-glucoside. The NMR spectra of TJF and its acetate revealed that the glucosyl residue linked to the hydroxyl group at C-2′ or C-4′ of d- or l-pantothenic acid moiety. Then, 2′-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-dl-pantothenic acid (I), 4′-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-dl-pantothenic acid (II) and 4′-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-d(R)-pantothenic acid (II-a) were synthesized, and Il-a and 4′-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-l-pantothenic acid (II-b) were obtained by the optical resolution of the acetate of II. Among the above compounds, II-a was identical with natural TJF regarding to the biological activity, NMR and ORD spectra, and thin-layer chromatography.     

A New Metabolite, 6-Oxo-7-azatridecanedioic Acid,a Microbial Product from Cyclic Dimer of ε-Caprolactam

A series of partially and heterogeneously N-acylated chitosans was prepared and isolated in 50 ~ 100% yields. The structure of N-acyl groups influenced the gelation. The minimum requirement for the gelation was defined as ca. 0.4 N-lauroyl (C₁₂), ca. 0.6 N-fatty acyl (C₃–C₁₀) or ca. 0.7 N-benzoyl groups per hexosaminide residue. However, the gelation did not occur with N-high fatty acyl (C₁₄-C₁₈) groups.1)     

Insect Ecdysis Inhibitors from the East African Medicinal Plant Ajuga remota (Labiatae)

γ-Glutamy Icy steine synthetase was purified from E. coli B. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 5.5 × 10⁴ and required only magnesium ion for activity. The optimal pH and temperature for reaction were 8.5 and 45°C, respectively. The Km values for l-glutamate, l-cysteine, and ATP were 0.50, 0.09, and 0.01 mm, respectively. GTP and UTP were also used as energy sources. The enzyme activity was inhibited by phosphate anions and by various sulfhydryl reagents. Unlike the enzyme from mammalian tissues, the E. coli B enzyme was not inhibited by α-alkyl analogues of methionine. The enzyme was feedback inhibited by reduced glutathione, although oxidized glutathione had no inhibitory effect.     

Studies on Production of Biotin by Microorganisms

The utilization of hydrocarbons by microorganisms was studied in many fields, but the production of biotin vitamers by hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria has never been reported.

We have screened many hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria which produce biotin vitamers in the culture broth. The effects of cultural conditions on biotin vitamers production by strain 5–2, tentatively assigned to the genus Pseudomonas, were studied.

More than 98% of biotin vitamers produced from hydrocarbons by strain 5–2 was chromatographically determined as desthiobiotin. As nitrogen source, natural nutrients were more effective than inorganic nitrogen sources. The production of biotin vitamers was increased under the condition of good aeration. Exogenous pimelic or azelaic acid enhanced biotin vitamers production by strain 5–2.

The production of biotin vitamers from n-alkanes, n-alkenes or glucose by an isolated bacterium, strain 5-2, tentatively assigned to the genus Pseudomonas, was investigated. Among these carbon sources, n-undecane was the most excellent for biotin vitamers production.

The biosynthetic pathway of biotin vitamers, especially desthiobiotin, from n-undecane was also studied. It was found by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatographical methods that pimelic and azelaic acids were the main acid components in n-undecane culture.

This result, together with previously reported enhancement of biotin vitamers production by these acids, suggests that pimelic and azelaic acids may be the intermediates of biotin vitamers biosynthesis from n-undecane.     

Antiviral Effect of Theaflavins on Tobacco Mosaic Virus

Theaflavins, the oxidized products formed from tea leaf catechins during black tea fermentation, showed an antiviral activity on TMV. From the survey of the interactions of theaflavins with RNA and its related substances, it was presumed that theaflavins disturbed the replication cycle of TMV through binding to TMV-RNA.     

Efficient and Reproducible Myogenic Differentiation from Human iPS Cells: Prospects for Modeling Miyoshi Myopathy In Vitro

The establishment of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has enabled the production of in vitro, patient-specific cell models of human disease. In vitro recreation of disease pathology from patient-derived hiPSCs depends on efficient differentiation protocols producing relevant adult cell types. However, myogenic differentiation of hiPSCs has faced obstacles, namely, low efficiency and/or poor reproducibility. Here, we report the rapid, efficient, and reproducible differentiation of hiPSCs into mature myocytes. We demonstrated that inducible expression of myogenic differentiation1 (MYOD1) in immature hiPSCs for at least 5 days drives cells along the myogenic lineage, with efficiencies reaching 70–90%. Myogenic differentiation driven by MYOD1 occurred even in immature, almost completely undifferentiated hiPSCs, without mesodermal transition. Myocytes induced in this manner reach maturity within 2 weeks of differentiation as assessed by marker gene expression and functional properties, including in vitro and in vivo cell fusion and twitching in response to electrical stimulation. Miyoshi Myopathy (MM) is a congenital distal myopathy caused by defective muscle membrane repair due to mutations in DYSFERLIN. Using our induced differentiation technique, we successfully recreated the pathological condition of MM in vitro, demonstrating defective membrane repair in hiPSC-derived myotubes from an MM patient and phenotypic rescue by expression of full-length DYSFERLIN (DYSF). These findings not only facilitate the pathological investigation of MM, but could potentially be applied in modeling of other human muscular diseases by using patient-derived hiPSCs.     

Bone Inner Structure Suggests Increasing Aquatic Adaptations in Desmostylia (Mammalia,Afrotheria)

Background

The paleoecology of desmostylians has been discussed controversially with a general consensus that desmostylians were aquatic or semi-aquatic to some extent. Bone microanatomy can be used as a powerful tool to infer habitat preference of extinct animals. However, bone microanatomical studies of desmostylians are extremely scarce.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We analyzed the histology and microanatomy of several desmostylians using thin-sections and CT scans of ribs, humeri, femora and vertebrae. Comparisons with extant mammals allowed us to better understand the mode of life and evolutionary history of these taxa. Desmostylian ribs and long bones generally lack a medullary cavity. This trait has been interpreted as an aquatic adaptation among amniotes. Behemotops and Paleoparadoxia show osteosclerosis (i.e. increase in bone compactness), and Ashoroa pachyosteosclerosis (i.e. combined increase in bone volume and compactness). Conversely, Desmostylus differs from these desmostylians in displaying an osteoporotic-like pattern.

Conclusions/Significance

In living taxa, bone mass increase provides hydrostatic buoyancy and body trim control suitable for poorly efficient swimmers, while wholly spongy bones are associated with hydrodynamic buoyancy control in active swimmers. Our study suggests that all desmostylians had achieved an essentially, if not exclusively, aquatic lifestyle. Behemotops, Paleoparadoxia and Ashoroa are interpreted as shallow water swimmers, either hovering slowly at a preferred depth, or walking on the bottom, and Desmostylus as a more active swimmer with a peculiar habitat and feeding strategy within Desmostylia. Therefore, desmostylians are, with cetaceans, the second mammal group showing a shift from bone mass increase to a spongy inner organization of bones in their evolutionary history.