Effect of circadian rhythm type on serum lipid levels in shift workers: A 5-year cohort study

We investigated how differences in circadian rhythm type affect the health of workers engaged in shift work. Employees, who were newly hired in a steel company between 2007 and 2011, received the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) survey. The target participants were 153 male shift workers who were not being treated with any antihyperlipidemic drugs and underwent periodic physical examinations including blood tests at least twice. According to the score of the MEQ at the time of joining the company, we classified the subjects into five types. Longitudinal changes in serum lipid level were estimated among the circadian rhythm types adjusted for age, BMI, and other covariates using a linear mixed model. The regression coefficient of total cholesterol level in the “definitely and moderately morning” group was ?17.83 (95% confidence interval (CI): ?33.42 to ?2.23), and in the “intermediate ‘group’ was ?16.84 [95% CI: ?30.40 to ?3.28], compared to the moderate evening type.” The total cholesterol level was higher in the moderately evening type than in any of the other groups. Between the Morningness–Eveningness (ME) type and Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, compared with the “moderately evening type” group, the regression coefficient in the “intermediate type” group was ?16.08 (95% CI: ?28.79 to ?3.37), and in the “definitely and moderately morning type” group was ?17.50 [95% CI: ?32.11 to ?2.88]. The “moderately evening type” group had a higher LDL cholesterol level than any of the other groups. Evening-type circadian rhythm type shift workers are more prone to elevated serum lipid levels.     

Production of anti-self-H-2 antibodies by C3D2F1 mice hyperimmune to L cell/L1210 hybrids and L1210 leukemia cells

During the course of immunization of (C3H × DBA/2)F₁ mice (genotype H-2^k/b) with L cell (H-2^k/k)/L1210 leukemia cell (H-2^d/d) hybrids and L1210 leukemia cells, some of them produced a good titer of anti-self-H-2 (H-2^d) antibodies. Antigens recognized by this anti-self-H-2 antiserum were shown to be controlled by the H-2K-IA-IB-IJ-IE subregions of the H-2^d but not H-2^k nor H-2^b haplotypes of parental as well as F₁ origins and to have a tissue distribution identical to that of class 1 H-2 (H-2K/D) antigens.     

The potential applications of cyanobacterial photosynthesis for clean technologies

Natural photosynthesis may be adapted to advantage in the development of clean energy technologies. Efficient biocatalysts that can be used in solar energy conversion technologies are the cyanobacteria. Photobioreactors incorporating cyanobacteria have been used to demonstrate (a) the production of hydrogen gas, (b) the assimilation of CO₂ with the production of algal biomass, (c) the excretion of ammonium, and (d) the removal of nitrate and phosphate from contaminated waters.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - DW dry weight - MSX L-methionine-D-L-sulphoximine - PAR photosynthetically active radiation - PU polyurethane - PV polyvinyl - PVC polyvinylchloride     

Overcoming crossing barriers between nontuber-bearing and tuber-bearing Solanum species: towards potato germplasm enhancement with a broad spectrum of solanaceous genetic resources.

The first direct sexual hybrids between diploid nontuber-bearing species and diploid potato breeding lines are reported here. Three nontuberous species of Solanum, S. brevidens, S. etuberosum, and S. fernandezianum, were used for sexual crosses, achieved by a combination of rescue pollinations and embryo rescue. Initial hybrid selection was made using an embryo spot marker, followed by the evaluation of morphological and reproductive traits. Putative hybrids were first tested for resistance to potato leaf roll virus derived from the wild species, and then were tested with molecular markers using species-specific DNA probes. Finally, the tuberization of several 2x hybrids was tested for actual potato germplasm enhancement. These hybrids are unique in terms of their potential to enhance recombination between chromosomes of wild species and those of cultivated potatoes in germplasm utilization, and to exploit the genetic nature of tuber formation. The finding that nontuber-bearing Solanum spp. can be directly crossed with tuber-bearing species also has important implications for the regulatory aspects of the use of genetically modified organisms.     

Effects of fungal pretreatment and steam explosion pretreatment on enzymatic saccharification of plant biomass

The effects of consecutive treatments by a lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium and by steam explosion for the enzymatic saccharification of plant biomass were studied experimentally, and the optimal operational conditions for obtaining the maximum saccharification were evaluated. Beech wood-meal was treated by the fungus for 98 days and then by high steam temperatures of 170-230 degrees C with steaming times of 0-10 min. The treatment of the wood-meal by fungus prior to steam explosion enhanced the saccharification of wood-meal. The treated wood-meal was separated into holo-cellulose, water soluble material, methanol soluble lignin, and Klason lignin. The saccharification decreased linearly with the increase in the amount of Klason lignin. It was estimated by the equation for the saccharification of exploded wood-meal expressed as a function of steam temperature and steaming time that the maximum saccharification of wood-meal was obtained by consecutive treatments such as fungal treatment for 28 days and then steam explosion at a steam temperature of 215 degrees C and a steaming time of 6.5 min. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An In Vitro ES Cell-Based Clock Recapitulation Assay Model Identifies CK2α as an Endogenous Clock Regulator

We previously reported emergence and disappearance of circadian molecular oscillations during differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and reprogramming of differentiated cells, respectively. Here we present a robust and stringent in vitro circadian clock formation assay that recapitulates in vivo circadian phenotypes. This assay system first confirmed that a mutant ES cell line lacking Casein Kinase I delta (CKIδ) induced ∼3 hours longer period-length of circadian rhythm than the wild type, which was compatible with recently reported results using CKIδ null mice. In addition, this assay system also revealed that a Casein Kinase 2 alpha subunit (CK2α) homozygous mutant ES cell line developed significantly longer (about 2.5 hours) periods of circadian clock oscillations after in vitro or in vivo differentiation. Moreover, revertant ES cell lines in which mutagenic vector sequences were deleted showed nearly wild type periods after differentiation, indicating that the abnormal circadian period of the mutant ES cell line originated from the mutation in the CK2α gene. Since CK2α deficient mice are embryonic lethal, this in vitro assay system represents the genetic evidence showing an essential role of CK2α in the mammalian circadian clock. This assay was successfully applied for the phenotype analysis of homozygous mutant ES cells, demonstrating that an ES cell-based in vitro assay is available for circadian genetic screening.     

Rescue of abnormal phenotypes of the delta2 glutamate receptor-null mice by mutant delta2 transgenes

The delta2 glutamate receptor (GluRdelta2) has a crucial role in cerebellar functions; disruption of GluRdelta2 alleles in mice (delta2(-/-)) impairs synapse formation and long-term depression, which is thought to underlie motor learning in the cerebellum, and consequently leads to motor discoordination. However, it has been unclear whether GluRdelta2 is activated by glutamate analogues. Here we introduced a GluRdelta2 transgene, which had a mutation (Arg514Lys) in the putative ligand-binding motif conserved in all mammalian ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and their ancestral bacterial periplasmic amino-acid-binding proteins, into delta2(-/-) mice. Surprisingly, a mutant GluRdelta2 transgene, as well as a wild-type GluRdelta2 transgene, rescued all abnormal phenotypes of delta2(-/-) mice. Therefore, these results indicate that the conserved arginine residue, which is crucial for the binding of iGluRs to glutamate analogues, is not essential for the restoration of GluRdelta2 functions in delta2(-/-) mice.     

Novel interactions of large P3 moiety and small P4 moiety in the binding of the peptide mimetic factor VIIa inhibitor

Selective factor VIIa-tissue factor complex (FVIIa/TF) inhibition is seen as a promising target for developing new anticoagulant drugs. A novel peptide mimetic factor VIIa inhibitor, ethylsulfonamide-d-biphenylalanine-Gln-p-aminobenzamidine, shows 100-fold selectivity against thrombin in spite of its large P3 moiety, unlike previously reported FVIIa/TF selective inhibitors. X-ray crystal structure analysis reveals that the large P3 moiety, d-biphenylalanine, and the small P4 moiety, ethylsulfonamide, make novel interactions with the 170-loop and Lys192 of FVIIa/TF, respectively, accompanying ligand-induced conformational changes of the 170-loop, Gln217, and Lys192. Structural comparisons of FVIIa with thrombin and amino acid sequence comparisons among coagulation serine proteases suggest that these interactions play an important role in achieving selective inhibition for FVIIa/TF.