Mitochondria‐type GPAT is required for mitochondrial fusion

Glycerol‐3‐phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) is involved in the first step in glycerolipid synthesis and is localized in both the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. To clarify the functional differences between ER‐GPAT and mitochondrial (Mt)‐GPAT, we generated both GPAT mutants in C. elegans and demonstrated that Mt‐GPAT is essential for mitochondrial fusion. Mutation of Mt‐GPAT caused excessive mitochondrial fragmentation. The defect was rescued by injection of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a direct product of GPAT, and by inhibition of LPA acyltransferase, both of which lead to accumulation of LPA in the cells. Mitochondrial fragmentation in Mt‐GPAT mutants was also rescued by inhibition of mitochondrial fission protein DRP‐1 and by overexpression of mitochondrial fusion protein FZO‐1/mitofusin, suggesting that the fusion/fission balance is affected by Mt‐GPAT depletion. Mitochondrial fragmentation was also observed in Mt‐GPAT‐depleted HeLa cells. A mitochondrial fusion assay using HeLa cells revealed that Mt‐GPAT depletion impaired mitochondrial fusion process. We postulate from these results that LPA produced by Mt‐GPAT functions not only as a precursor for glycerolipid synthesis but also as an essential factor of mitochondrial fusion.     

Binding kinetics of sulfatide with influenza A virus hemagglutinin

Association of a sulfated galactosyl ceramide, sulfatide, with the viral envelope glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA) delivered to the cell surface is required for influenza A virus (IAV) replication through efficient translocation of the newly synthesized viral nucleoprotein from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. To determine whether the ectodomain of HA can bind to sulfatide, a secreted-type HA (sHA), in which the transmembrane region and cytoplasmic tail were deleted, was generated by using a baculovirus expression system. The receptor binding ability and antigenic structure of sHA were evaluated by a hemagglutination assay, solid-phase binding assay and hemagglutination inhibition assay. sHA showed subtype-specific antigenicity and binding ability to both sulfatide and gangliosides. Kinetics of sHA binding to sulfatide and GD1a was demonstrated by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis. QCM analysis showed that the sHA bound with the association rate constant (k _on) of 1.41?×?10⁴ M^?1 sec^?1, dissociation rate constant (k _off) of 2.03?×?10^?4 sec^?1 and K _d of 1.44?×?10^?8 M to sulfatide immobilized on a sensor chip. The k _off values of sHA were similar for sulfatide and GD1a, whereas the k _on value of sHA binding to sulfatide was 2.56-times lower than that of sHA binding to GD1a. The results indicate that sulfatide directly binds to the ectodomain of HA with high affinity.     

Purification and Properties of Acid Carboxypeptidase III from Aspergillus oryzae

Acid carboxypeptidase III from Aspergillus oryzae was purified from the rivanol non-precipitated fraction. The optimum activity of the enzyme occurred at pH 3.0 for carbobenzoxy-l-glutamyl-l-tyrosine. The enzyme was inhibited by diisopropylphosphorofluoridate and SH reagents such as p-chloromercuribenzoate and monoiodoacetate, but not by such metal chelating agents as ethylenediaminetetraacetate, αα′-dipyridyl and o-phenanthroline. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 61,000. The enzyme hydrolyzed the peptides that possess masked or bulky N-terminal.     

The Action of Peptidases from Aspergillus sojae on Soybean Proteins

To elucidate the mechanism of light-activation of pyruvate P_L dikinase in maize leaf, the inactive form was purified to homogeneity from dark-treated leaves using an activation system to locate it. The purification procedure included ammonium sulfate-fractionation followed by conventional chromatography.

The homogeneous enzyme after maximal activation had a specific activity comparable to that of the active enzyme obtained from non-dark-treated plants. The enzyme was indistinguishable from the active one in its molecular size and charge and in the amino acid composition of its acid-hydrolysate.     

Effects of heavy ion to the primary [correction of rimary] culture of mouse brain cells.

To investigate effects of low dose heavy particle radiation to CNS system, we adopted mouse neonatal brain cells in culture being exposed to heavy ions by HIMAC at NIRS and NSRL at BNL. The applied dose varied from 0.05 Gy up to 2.0 Gy. The subsequent biological effects were evaluated by an induction of apoptosis and neuron survival focusing on the dependencies of the animal strains, SCID, B6, B6C3F1, C3H, used for brain cell culture, SCID was the most sensitive and C3H the least sensitive to particle radiation as evaluated by 10% apoptotic criterion. The LET dependency was compared with using SCID and B6 cells exposing to different ions (H, C, Ne, Si, Ar, and Fe). Although no detectable LET dependency was observed in the high LET (55-200 keV/micrometers) and low dose (<0.5 Gy) regions. The survivability profiles of the neurons were different in the mouse strains and ions. In this report, a result of memory and learning function to adult mice after whole-body and brain local irradiation at carbon ion and iron ion.     

The quail and chicken intestine have sialyl-galactose sugar chains responsible for the binding of influenza A viruses to human type receptors

The receptor specificity of influenza viruses is one factor that allows avian influenza viruses to cross the species barrier. The recent transmissions of avian H5N1 and H9N2 influenza viruses from chickens and/or quails to humans indicate that avian influenza viruses can directly infect humans without an intermediate host, such as pigs. In this study, we used two strains of influenza A virus (A/PR/8/34, which preferentially binds to an avian-type receptor, and A/Memphis/1/71, which preferentially binds to a human-type receptor) to probe the receptor specificities in host cells. Epithelial cells of both quail and chicken intestines (colons) could bind both avian- and human-type viruses. Infected cultured quail colon cells expressed viral protein and allowed replication of the virus strain A/PR/8/34 or A/Memphis/1/71. To understand the molecular basis of these phenomena, we further investigated the abundance of sialic acid (Sia) linked to galactose (Gal) by the alpha2-3 linkage (Siaalpha2-3Gal) and Siaalpha2-6Gal in host cells. In glycoprotein and glycolipid fractions from quail and chicken colon epithelial cells, there were some bound components of Sia-Gal linkage-specific lectins, Maackia amurensis agglutinin (specific for Siaalpha2-3 Gal) and Sambucus nigra agglutinin (specific for Siaalpha2-6Gal), indicating that both Siaalpha2-3Gal and Siaalpha2-6Gal exist in quail and chicken colon cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated by fluorescence high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis that 5-N-acetylneuraminic acid was the main molecular species of Sia, and we demonstrated by multi-dimensional HPLC mapping and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis that bi-antennary complex-type glycans alpha2-6 sialylated at the terminal Gal residue(s) are major (more than 79%) sialyl N-glycans expressed by intestinal epithelial tissues in both the chicken and quail. Taken together, these results indicate that quails and chickens have molecular characterization as potential intermediate hosts for avian influenza virus transmission to humans and could generate new influenza viruses with pandemic potential.     

The expression of sialylated high-antennary N-glycans in edible bird's nest

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is the nest made from the saliva of Collocalia swift. Recently, we have found that EBN extract could strongly inhibit infection of influenza viruses in a host-range-independent manner [Guo, C. T.; Takahashi, T.; Bukawa, W.; Takahashi, N.; Yagi, H.; Kato, K.; Hidari, K. I.; Miyamoto, D.; Suzuki, T.; Suzuki, Y. Antiviral Res. 2006, 70, 140–146]. Although this antiviral activity might be attributed to O- or N-glycoconjugates, no N-glycan structures have so far been described for EBN. Here, we report the N-glycosylation profile of EBN, in which a tri-antennary N-glycan bearing the 2,3-N-acetylneuraminic acid residues is displayed as a major component. We suggest that the sialylated high-antennary N-glycans of EBN contribute to the inhibition of influenza viral infection.