Dissociation of heterochromatin protein 1 from lamin B receptor induced by human polyomavirus agnoprotein: role in nuclear egress of viral particles

The nuclear envelope is one of the chief obstacles to the translocation of macromolecules that are larger than the diameter of nuclear pores. Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) bound to the lamin B receptor (LBR) is thought to contribute to reassembly of the nuclear envelope after cell division. Human polyomavirus agnoprotein (Agno) has been shown to bind to HP1alpha and to induce its dissociation from LBR, resulting in destabilization of the nuclear envelope. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching showed that Agno increased the lateral mobility of LBR in the inner nuclear membrane. Biochemical and immunofluorescence analyses showed that Agno is targeted to the nuclear envelope and facilitates the nuclear egress of polyomavirus-like particles. These results indicate that dissociation of HP1alpha from LBR and consequent perturbation of the nuclear envelope induced by polyomavirus Agno promote the translocation of virions out of the nucleus.     

Melatonin modulates the neural activity in the photosensory pineal organ of the trout: Evidence for endocrine-neuronal interactions

Summary Hormonal and neural signals transmitted from the pineal organ to the brain in cold-blooded vertebrates presumably convert information about the ambient illumination into signals which may be used to mediate photoperiodic and circadian responses. The possible intrapineal function of melatonin was investigated by recording intra- and extracellularly from photoreceptors and second-order neurons in the isolated superfused pineal organ of the trout (Salmo gairdneri). Melatonin added through the perfusion bath to the explanted pineal organ caused a dose-related and reversible inhibition of ganglion cells of the luminance type whereas the hormone did not significantly affect the membrane potential of photoreceptors and their light-evoked response. The observed effects seem to be independent from photoperiod and adaptation conditions. These results suggest that melatonin provides a feedforward signal to intrapineal neurons regulating the neural output of the organ.Laboratory of Fish Biology, School of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464 Japan     

High-pressure NMR spectroscopy for characterizing folding intermediates and denatured states of proteins

Extensive structural studies using high-pressure NMR spectroscopy have recently been carried out on proteins, which potentially contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms of protein folding. Pressure shifts the conformational equilibrium from higher to lower volume conformers. If the pressure is varied, starting from the folded native structure, in many cases we observe intermediate conformers before the onset of total unfolding. This enables the investigation of details of the structure and thermodynamic characteristics of various intermediate conformers of proteins under equilibrium conditions. We can also examine pressure effects on the structure and stability of some typical denatured states such as helical denatured, molten globule, and unfolded states. The high-pressure NMR method can also be used to investigate association/dissociation equilibria of oligomeric or aggregated proteins. Beside direct observation of kinetic intermediates upon pressure jump, NMR structural investigations of equilibrium conformers under pressure provide information about the structures of kinetic intermediates during folding/unfolding reactions.     

Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus

A large epizootic of an acute respiratory disease of cattle occurred in Japan during the months from October 1968 to May 1969. A virus was recovered in primary cultures of calf kidney and testicle cells from nasal swabs of affected cattle. Neutralization tests revealed the virus to be closely related to the Long strain of human respiratory syncytial virus. The virus induced cytopathic changes including the formation of syncytia and acidophilic-cytoplasmic inclusions in calf kidney and testicle cell cultures. A calf inoculated with the virus by the respiratory route developed an illness resembling the natural disease. Most cattle clinically diagnosed as having the disease showed significant rises of neutralizing antibody titer for the isolated virus, whereas none or only small fractions of those animals showed serological evidence for recent infection with bovine ephemeral fever virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus, Ibaraki virus, bovine diarrhea virus, bovine adenovirus Type 7 and parainfluenza virus Type 3. Neutralization tests on paired sera revealed a wide dissemination of the isolated virus among cattle in many areas of the country during the epizootic. All these findings leave no doubt that the epizootic was caused by bovine respiratory syncytial virus. This is the first study that ever shows the presence of infection of cattle with this virus in Japan.     

Strain Differences in SA Gene Expression in Brain and Kidney of Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats

SUMMARY 1. In situ hybridization done using a ³⁵S-cRNA probe was carried out to obtain information on the expressions of the SA gene in brains and kidneys of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) strain obtained from the Izumo colony (/Izm) and from Charles River Laboratories (/Crj).2. In the brain, SA mRNA expression was most abundantly observed in epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. High to moderate levels was present on neurons of the CA1–CA4 pyramidal cell layer and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the cerebellar Purkinje cell layer. The solitary tract nucleus and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus expressed the SA gene at very low levels. An increase in the expression was noted in the choroid plexus of WKY/Crj; there was no difference, however, in expression levels of other brain areas between WKY/Izm, SHR/Izm, and SHRSP/Izm, and between WKY/Crj and SHR/Crj.3. In the kidney, expression signals of SA mRNA were observed in renal medullary rays and focal cortex of WKY/Izm, SHR/Izm, SHRSP/Izm, and SHR/Crj, whereas mRNA expression in the WKY/Crj kidney was observed in medullary rays and outer strips of the outer medulla. Microscopically, hybridization signals were predominant in the proximal tubules.4. Expression densities decreased only in the kidney of WKY/Crj in 4-and 8-week-old rats, but not in the WKY/Izm kidney, compared with findings in SHR and SHRSP kidneys. These observations are in good agreement with data from Northern blot analysis.5. The SA gene expressions in the brain and the kidney seem not to relate to states of elevated blood pressure, but rather to strain differences. Abundant expressions in the brain and the kidney may mean that the SA gene plays a role in the water–electrolyte transport system. It is noteworthy that there are neuronal expressions of the SA gene in hippocampal pyramidal cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells.     

Developing an understanding of dissolved organic matter dynamics in the giant Lake Baikal by ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry

To elucidate the molecular characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Lake Baikal, 3D excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) were employed. From the linear relationship between the humic-like peak intensities (excitation/emission = 305 nm/430 nm) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in the water samples extending from the Selenga River mouth to offshore (central lake in the south basin), allochthonous DOM appeared to be a main contributor to the DOC concentrations. However, DOM with fewer fluorophores dominated in the South Basin of the lake at stable DOC concentrations of ca. 0.84 mg C l^?1. Meanwhile, FT-ICR MS analysis and subsequent principal component analysis across the transect revealed a transition of compounds with high H-deficiency (aromatic) to compounds with low H-deficiency (aliphatic) that dominate pelagic open-lake water. We believe that this molecular change is induced by photo-degradation, which mainly alters aromatic compounds.     

Large-scale production of N-acetyllactosamine through bacterial coupling.

A large-scale production system of N-acetyllactosamine, a core structure of various oligosaccharides, was established by a whole-cell reaction through the combination of recombinant Escherichia coli strains and Corynebacterium ammoniagenes. Two recombinant E. coli strains over-expressed the UDP-Gal biosynthetic genes and the beta-(1-->4)-galactosyltransferase gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, respectively. C. ammoniagenes contributed the production of UTP from orotic acid. N-Acetyllactosamine was accumulated at 279 mM (107 g L-1) after a 38 h reaction (2.5 L in volume) starting from orotic acid, D-galactose, and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose.     

香蕉ADA1家族成员鉴定及其在生物和非生物胁迫下的表达分析

Spt-Ada-Gcn5-乙酰转移酶(Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase, SAGA)是高度保守的辅助转录起始复合物,转录接头蛋白-激活的改变/缺失亚基1 (alteration/deficiency in activation 1, ADA1),也称作组蛋白H2A功能互作因子1 (histone H2A functional interactor 1, HFI1),它是SAGA核心模块中的一个亚基,在植物的生长发育和抗逆性方面发挥着重要的作用。为了解香蕉ADA1的分子特性,本研究基于香蕉基因组数据库,对香蕉ADA1基因家族成员进行鉴定,分析其基本理化性质、系统进化、选择压力、启动子顺式作用元件及生物与非生物胁迫下的表达等。结果显示,香蕉A、B及阿宽蕉基因组中分别有10、6、7个ADA1家族成员;成员均为不稳定的亲水性蛋白,均保守地含有SAGA-Tad1结构域,MaADA1和MbADA1均可与SAGA核心模块中的SAGA相关因子11 (SAGA-associated factor 11, Sgf11)互作;系统发育显示香蕉ADA1基因家族成员可划分为3个亚族,进化过程中大多受纯化选择;香蕉ADA1基因家族成员的基因结构差异性较大;香蕉ADA1基因家族成员含有多个响应激素的作用元件;MaADA1-1可能对香蕉在低温胁迫下的抗性起着重要的作用,MaADA1均响应香蕉枯萎病菌胁迫。本研究表明,ADA1基因家族成员在香蕉中高度保守,并可能响应生物与非生物胁迫。     

Minimal cross-trial generalization in learning the representation of an odor-guided choice task

There is no single way to represent a task. Indeed, despite experiencing the same task events and contingencies, different subjects may form distinct task representations. As experimenters, we often assume that subjects represent the task as we envision it. However, such a representation cannot be taken for granted, especially in animal experiments where we cannot deliver explicit instruction regarding the structure of the task. Here, we tested how rats represent an odor-guided choice task in which two odor cues indicated which of two responses would lead to reward, whereas a third odor indicated free choice among the two responses. A parsimonious task representation would allow animals to learn from the forced trials what is the better option to choose in the free-choice trials. However, animals may not necessarily generalize across odors in this way. We fit reinforcement-learning models that use different task representations to trial-by-trial choice behavior of individual rats performing this task, and quantified the degree to which each animal used the more parsimonious representation, generalizing across trial types. Model comparison revealed that most rats did not acquire this representation despite extensive experience. Our results demonstrate the importance of formally testing possible task representations that can afford the observed behavior, rather than assuming that animals’ task representations abide by the generative task structure that governs the experimental design.