Non-competitive cyclic peptides for targeting enzyme-substrate complexes

Affinity reagents are of central importance for selectively identifying proteins and investigating their interactions. We report on the development and use of cyclic peptides, identified by mRNA display-based RaPID methodology, that are selective for, and tight binders of, the human hypoxia inducible factor prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) - enzymes crucial in hypoxia sensing. Biophysical analyses reveal the cyclic peptides to bind in a distinct site, away from the enzyme active site pocket, enabling conservation of substrate binding and catalysis. A biotinylated cyclic peptide captures not only the PHDs, but also their primary substrate hypoxia inducible factor HIF1-α. Our work highlights the potential for tight, non-active site binding cyclic peptides to act as promising affinity reagents for studying protein-protein interactions.

Measurements of Multiparticle Correlations in d+Au Collisions at 200, 62.4, 39, and 19.6 GeV and p+Au Collisions at 200 GeV and Implications for Collective Behavior

Recently, multiparticle-correlation measurements of relativistic p/d/^{3}He+Au, p+Pb, and even p+p collisions show surprising collective signatures. Here, we present beam-energy-scan measurements of two-, four-, and six-particle angular correlations in d+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200, 62.4, 39, and 19.6 GeV. We also present measurements of two- and four-particle angular correlations in p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. We find the four-particle cumulant to be real valued for d+Au collisions at all four energies. We also find that the four-particle cumulant in p+Au has the opposite sign as that in d+Au. Further, we find that the six-particle cumulant agrees with the four-particle cumulant in d+Au collisions at 200 GeV, indicating that nonflow effects are subdominant. These observations provide strong evidence that the correlations originate from the initial geometric configuration, which is then translated into the momentum distribution for all particles, commonly referred to as collectivity.

Significant association of increased PD-L1 and PD-1 expression with nodal metastasis and a poor prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor PD-1 are immune checkpoint molecules that attenuate the immune response. Blockade of PD-L1 enhances the immune response in a variety of tumours and thus serves as an effective anti-cancer treatment. However, the biological and prognostic roles of PD-L1/PD-1 signalling in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation of PD-L1/PD-1 signalling with the prognosis of OSCC patients to assess its potential therapeutic relevance. The expression of PD-L1 and of PD-1 was determined immunohistochemically in 97 patients with OSCC and the association of this expression with clinicopathological characteristics was examined. Increased expression of PD-L1 was found in 64.9% of OSCC cases and increased expression of PD-1 was found in 61.9%. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that increased expression of PD-L1 and PD-1 positively correlated with cervical lymph node metastasis. The expression of CD25, an activated T-cell marker, was negatively correlated with the labelling index of PD-L1 and PD-1. Moreover, the patient group with PD-L1-positive and PD-1-positive expression showed a more unfavourable prognosis than the group with PD-L1-negative and PD-1-negative expression. These data suggest that increased PD-L1 and PD-1 expression is predictive of nodal metastasis and a poor prognosis and is possibly involved in cancer progression via attenuating the immune response.

Nuclear Dependence of the Transverse-Single-Spin Asymmetry for Forward Neutron Production in Polarized p+A Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

During 2015, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) provided collisions of transversely polarized protons with Au and Al nuclei for the first time, enabling the exploration of transverse-single-spin asymmetries with heavy nuclei. Large single-spin asymmetries in very forward neutron production have been previously observed in transversely polarized p+p collisions at RHIC, and the existing theoretical framework that was successful in describing the single-spin asymmetry in p+p collisions predicts only a moderate atomic-mass-number (A) dependence. In contrast, the asymmetries observed at RHIC in p+A collisions showed a surprisingly strong A dependence in inclusive forward neutron production. The observed asymmetry in p+Al collisions is much smaller, while the asymmetry in p+Au collisions is a factor of 3 larger in absolute value and of opposite sign. The interplay of different neutron production mechanisms is discussed as a possible explanation of the observed A dependence.

77 Monozygotic Twin Calves Production by Blastomere Separation Technique with Commercial Well-of-the-Well Culture Dish

Monozygotic twin bovine embryos can be produced by blastomere separation of 2-cell embryos and commercial well-of-the-well (WOW) culture dish (Hashiyada et al. 2016 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 28, 178) obtaining 60% and 48% of blastocyst formation and monozygotic blastocyst pairs, respectively. The present study was conducted to evaluate the fertility of blastocysts derived from this production system in Japanese Black beef cattle. Embryos were produced using oocytes collected by ovum pick-up technique. TCM-199 supplemented with 5% calf serum (CS), Brackett-Oliphant solution supplemented with 10 mg mL−1 BSA, and CR1aa containing 5% CS, were used for each culture step: in vitro maturation, fertilization, and culture (IVM,IVF, and IVC). Two-cell stage embryos were obtained 24 to 27 h post-insemination. Zonae pellucidae were removed by exposure to 0.25% pronase. Then, embryos were separated into blastomeres by gentle pipetting in IVC medium. Each blastomere was introduced into a single conical microwell of 25 wells, each having a diameter and depth of ~287 μm and 168 μm (Dai Nippon Printing, Tokyo, Japan). Blastomeres in wells were cultured covered with a droplet of 2.5 μL of IVC medium/well. The developed blastocysts in pairs on 7 days post-insemination were used for transfer. Single embryos of monozygotic twin embryos were transferred to Japanese Black cattle with a generally small body frame to produce twin calves from a set of recipients. Twin embryos were transferred in pairs to unilateral of uterus of non-lactating Holstein cows. Pregnancy and twin pregnancy were determined at 30 days of gestation by ultrasonography and were reconfirmed at 60 days with detection of fetal loss. Statistical significance was analysed by Fisher’s exact test. There was no significant difference in pregnancy rate or twin pregnancy rate between single embryo transfer (7/14, 50% and 2/7, 28.6%) and twin embryo transfer (9/21, 42.9% and 4/21, 19%). In either transfer method, fetal loss was not observed in diagnosis carried out at 60 days by ultrasonography. To date, 2 pairs of twin calves have been obtained from twin pregnant cows by twin embryo transfer within the normal range of gestation length (286 and 288 days) and birth weight (31-40 kg). These results indicate that blastocysts developed from blastomeres separated from 2-cell embryos by culturing with commercial WOW culture dish had fertility similar to that of intact embryos derived from standard in vitro culture and further demonstrate the possibility of production of normal twin calves.

Effect of Te substitution on crystal structure and transport properties of AgBiSe2thermoelectric material

Reduced lattice thermal conductivity of Te-substituted AgBiSe₂was qualitatively described using the point defect scattering model.

Nanoscale Dynamics of Protein Assembly Networks in Supersaturated Solutions

Proteins in solution are conventionally considered macromolecules. Dynamic microscopic structures in supersaturated protein solutions have received increasing attention in the study of protein crystallisation and the formation of misfolded aggregates. Here, we present a method for observing rotational dynamic structures that can detect the interaction of nanoscale lysozyme protein networks via diffracted X-ray tracking (DXT). Our DXT analysis demonstrated that the rearrangement behaviours of lysozyme networks or clusters, which are driven by local density and concentration fluctuations, generate force fields on the femtonewton to attonewton (fN – aN) scale. This quantitative parameter was previously observed in our experiments on supersaturated inorganic solutions. This commonality provides a way to clarify the solution structures of a variety of supersaturated solutions as well as to control nucleation and crystallisation in supersaturated solutions.

14 ENHANCEMENT OF THE EARLY RECOVERY OF OVARY AND UTERUS FUNCTIONS BY TREATMENT OF eCG AND POVIDONE-IODINE IN POSTPARTUM JAPANESE BLACK CATTLE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of administration of eCG and intrauterine infusion of povidone-iodine to promote the early recovery of ovary and uterus functions in early stage after delivery on postpartum beef cows. Thirty-three postpartum Japanese Black cows without retention of placenta were used for this investigation. After delivery, cows nursed colostrums to calves for several hours in a pen, and then were separated from calves and returned into a barn managed in a group. In experimental group (n = 14), on Day 10 (Day 0 = day of parturition), an intramuscular administration of 500 IU of eCG and infusion of 30 mL of 2% povidone-iodine into the uterus body were conducted. The untreated cows delivered in the same period were compared as a control group (n = 19). Cows were inseminated artificially using commercial Japanese Black frozen–thawed semen when standing oestrus was detected until Day 90. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed 30 days after insemination by ultrasonography. For all of the experimental group and 8 cows in the control group, the diameter of follicles >8 mm and the diameter of cross-section between endometrium in uterus of the implanted side at the point of ~2 cm from bifurcation of the uterus were measured using an ultrasound scanning machine connected to a 7.5-MHz convex probe. This monitoring was carried out every 10 days from Day 10 until the day of first oestrus (= insemination) or until Day 80 for non-returned oestrus cows. Data were analysed using Fisher’s exact test and ANOVA. The ratio of returned oestrus by Day 90 was 100% (14/14) in experimental group and 89.5% (17/19) in control group. The first oestrus day postpartum in the experimental group and the control group was the almost same: 52.9 ± 12.1 (24–88) days and 57.2 ± 19.9 (29–78) days, respectively. The conception rate until Day 90 tended to be higher (P = 0.07) in the experimental group (78.6%, 11/14) than in the control group (47.4%, 9/19). The days inseminated to cows that were conceived, was almost same between the experimental group (57.5 ± 18.6, 24–87 d) and the control group (55.4 ± 12.9, 36–78 d). The ratio of cows observed follicles more than 8 mm, was higher in the experimental group than control group on Day 50 (90.9% v. 50.0%; P = 0.09) and Day 60 (66.7% v. 0%; P < 0.05), respectively. The diameter of uterus tended to be lesser in the experimental group than in the control group on Day 30 (16.9 ± 2.8 mm v. 19.2 ± 2.8 mm; P = 0.09), and that regressed linearly to Day 30 in the experimental group however that was prolonged until Day 40 (16.4 ± 1.7 mm) in the control group. These results indicate that administration of eCG and uterus infusion of povidone-iodine at an early stage postpartum may promote the early recovery of ovary and uterus functions in beef cows. This research was supported by a grant from the Research Program of MAFF, (REP1004) Development of Innovative Technology for Animal Reproduction.

143 EFFECT OF FSH OR EPIDERMAL-GROWTH-FACTOR-LIKE PEPTIDE SUPPLEMENTATION TO MATURATION MEDIUM ON DEVELOPMENTAL COMPETENCE OF BOVINE OOCYTES DERIVED FROM FULLY DEVELOPED FOLLICLES INDUCED BY SUPER-STIMULATION

Bovine oocytes obtained by ovum-pick-up (OPU) following follicle growth treatment (FGT) have improved quality and competence (Imai et al. 2008 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 20, 182). However, the effect of the presence of FSH or epidermal growth factor (EGF) like peptide during in vitro maturation (IVM) on the developmental competence of FGT oocytes has not been well known. This study was undertaken to examine the developmental competence of FGT oocytes following IVM in the presence of FSH (recombinant human FSH) or EGF-like peptide (amphiregulin; Areg) and IVF. Japanese Black cows (n = 17) were used as donors. Five days after arbitrary OPU (opu group), follicles ≥8 mm in diameter were aspirated again, a controlled internal drug release (CIDR) was inserted into the vagina, and then pFSH was injected twice a day from the evening of Day 6 to the morning of Day 10 with decreasing doses (total of 20 AU; 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1 AU/day). On the evening of Day 8, PGF2α (0.5 mg of cloprostenol) was administered. On Day 11, oocytes were aspirated from follicles with ≥5 mm in diameter of the treated donors by OPU (fgt group). The cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) were cultured in the absence (opu-cont and fgt-cont groups) or presence of 0.1 IU mL−1 FSH (opu-fsh and fgt-fsh groups) or 100 ng mL−1 Areg (opu-areg and fgt-areg groups) in IVM medium (mTCM199 containing 5 mg mL−1 BSA) for 20 to 22 h (1 COC/5 µL, total of 162–171 COC per group), and then co-cultured with 3 × 106 sperm/mL for 6 h. The presumptive zygotes were continued to culture in mCR1aa supplemented with 5% newborn calf serum for 216 h (1 zygote/5 µL) using micro-well culture dishes (Dai-Nippon-Print). When repeating this opu-fgt session in the same cow, an interval at least for 50 days was kept, and the session was performed 28 times. Statistical analysis was carried out by Mann-Whitney’s U-test (between opu and fgt groups) or Steel-Dwass test after Kruskal-Wallis test (among all groups). The number of follicles ≥5 mm increased in the fgt than opu group (17.8 v. 2.9; P < 0.01). The number of COC collected was not different between the opu and fgt groups (23.1 v. 19.6; P > 0.05). The blastocyst formation rate was higher in the fgt than opu group (36.9 v. 23.1%; P < 0.01). Within 6 groups, the blastocyst formation rate was higher in the fgt-fsh (43.3%; P < 0.01) and fgt-areg (39.5%; P < 0.05) groups than the opu-cont (16.3%) group. The rate in the fgt-fsh group was also higher than that in the opu-fsh group (43.3 v. 18.7%; P < 0.01). These results suggested that FGT improved the developmental competence of bovine oocytes, probably through improving the ability of the COC to react against FSH/Areg.

The influence of preceding dive cycles on the foraging decisions of Antarctic fur seals

The foraging strategy of many animals is thought to be determined by their past experiences. However, few empirical studies have investigated whether this is true in diving animals. We recorded three-dimensional movements and mouth-opening events from three Antarctic fur seals during their foraging trips to examine how they adapt their behaviour based on past experience--continuing to search for prey in the same area or moving to search in a different place. Each dive cycle was divided into a transit phase and a feeding phase. The linear horizontal distance travelled after feeding phases in each dive was affected by the mouth-opening rate during the previous 244 s, which typically covered two to three dive cycles. The linear distance travelled tended to be shorter when the mouth-opening rate in the previous 244 s was higher, i.e. seals tended to stay in the same areas with high prey-encounter rates. These results indicate that Antarctic fur seals follow decision-making strategies based on the past foraging experience over time periods longer than the immediately preceding dive.

Campylobacter and Salmonella are prevalent in broiler farms in Kyushu, Japan: results of a 2-year distribution and circulation dynamics audit

AIM

To elucidate the distribution and circulation dynamics of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Japanese chicken broiler flocks.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A 2-year investigation of the distribution of Campylobacter and Salmonella was conducted in 25 broiler flocks at nine farms in Japan from 2013 to 2014. Campylobacter and Salmonella tested positive in 11 (44·0%) and 24 (96·0%) broiler flocks respectively. One hundred and ninety-five Campylobacter and 184 Salmonella isolates were characterized into 12 Campylobacter (including two novel genotypes) and three Salmonella MLST genotypes. Only Salmonella isolation between caecal and environmental samples were significantly correlated. Further, one litter sample tested positive for Salmonella before new chicks were introduced. The Campylobacter strains rapidly lost culturability within 2-18 days; in contrast, the Salmonella strains survived from 64-211 days in artificially inoculated water samples.

CONCLUSION

No persistent circulation-mediated Campylobacter contamination was observed. In contrast, circulation of Salmonella in broiler houses was seen, apparently due to the litter excreted from broiler flocks, as well as Salmonella-contaminated water and feed.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This paper provides the distribution, genotypic data and circulation dynamics of Campylobacter and Salmonella as recently observed in Japanese chicken broiler farms.

Centrality-Dependent Modification of Jet-Production Rates in Deuteron-Gold Collisions at √[s(NN)]=200 GeV

Jet production rates are measured in p+p and d+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV recorded in 2008 with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Jets are reconstructed using the R=0.3 anti-k_{t} algorithm from energy deposits in the electromagnetic calorimeter and charged tracks in multiwire proportional chambers, and the jet transverse momentum (p_{T}) spectra are corrected for the detector response. Spectra are reported for jets with 12<p_{T}<50  GeV/c, within a pseudorapidity acceptance of |η|<0.3. The nuclear-modification factor (R_{dAu}) values for 0%-100% d+Au events are found to be consistent with unity, constraining the role of initial state effects on jet production. However, the centrality-selected R_{dAu} values and central-to-peripheral ratios (R_{CP}) show large, p_{T}-dependent deviations from unity, challenging the conventional models that relate hard-process rates and soft-particle production in collisions involving nuclei.

194 EFFECT OF CORPUS LUTEUM PRESENCE FOR THE DURATION OF FOLLICULAR GROWTH ON BOVINE OOCYTE DEVELOPMENTAL COMPETENCE

It has been reported that follicular wave control is effective to increase bovine oocyte (OC) quality of ovum pickup (Imai et al. 2008 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 20, 182). However, the effect on the bovine OC developmental competence to the presence of corpus luteum (CL) for the duration of follicular growth (FG) is not known. This study was conducted to examine the developmental competence of OC after stimulation of FG with and without CL. Japanese Black cows (n = 4/session) were synchronised in oestrus (Day 0; D0) with prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α; 0.5 mg cloprostenol). On Day 9, cows were removed follicles (FL) ≥ 8 mm in diameter and CIDR were inserted. Cows in the PGF2α treatment group (PG) were administered PGF2α (0.75 mg cloprostenol) for regression of the CL; the PGF2α non-treatment group (non-PG) were not administered PGF2α for the presence of CL. The cows received 20 mg of FSH twice a day from the evening of Day 10 to the morning of Day 14 in decreasing doses. Oocytes were collected from FL ≥ 5 mm by OPU on Day 15. Collected OC were classified as follows: Grade 1, several layers of cumulus cells (CC) and homogeneous OC cytoplasm; Grade 2, 1 to 3 layers of CC; Grade 3, denuded OC; Grade 4, expanded CC or degenerated OC. The OC that were classified as Grade 1 to 3 were matured in vitro for 20–22 h and then inseminated with 3 × 106 sperm mL–1 for 6 h. Then presumptive zygotes were cultured in 5% newborn calf serum + CR1aa for 216 h in micro-well culture dishes (Dai, Nippon, Japan). Cows were assigned to groups of 4 with each pair placed into 1 of the treatments, and groups switched at ≥40 days of interval for crossover trials. To compare the quality of OC derived from CL ipsilateral FL and CL contralateral FL, the OC were subdivided in CL ipsilateral group (ipsi-CL) and CL contralateral group (contra-CL) in the non-PG. In addition, half of the data from PG were regarded as unilateral ovary (regression CL group; reg-CL). Statistical analysis was carried by Student’s t-test, Tukey’s test, Fisher’s exact probability test, and chi-squared test. Part of data was log-transformed. At OPU, all cows in the non-PG group had an observed CL, and the average diameter of the CL was 16 ± 0.1 mm in the long axis and short; all cows in the PG were observed to not have a CL. In PG and non-PG, there were no significant differences in the number of FL ≥ 5 mm, the rate of cleavage, or the rate of blastocyst (BL) formation (17 ± 2.0 v. 20.8 ± 2.6, 82.7 ± 5.6% v. 86.1 ± 3.9% and 53.4 ± 5.9% v. 62.1 ± 4.7%, respectively). The number of BL tended to increase in non-PG cows compared with PG cows (10.0 ± 1.2 v. 7.8 ± 0.9; P = 0.078). The number of BL rated as Code 1 or 2 (IETS code) was higher in non-PG cows than in PG cows (76 v. 46; P < 0.01). In ipsi-CL, contra-CL, and reg-CL, statistical differences were observed between the rate of Grade 1 to 2 OC and groups; the rate of Grade 1 to 2 OC was higher in ipsi-CL (93.8 v. 79.0 v. 86.7; P < 0.01). These results suggested that the presence of CL for the duration of FG did not affect the rate of cleavage and BL formation but may have improved efficiency of embryo production by increasing quality of OC and BL.

96 EFFICIENT PRODUCTION OF MONOZYGOTIC TWIN BOVINE EMBRYOS USING BLASTOMERE SEPARATION TECHNIQUE WITH COMMERCIAL WELL OF THE WELL CULTURE DISH

Monozygotic twin embryos can be produced using the technique of blastomere separation and well of the well (WOW) dish having handmade micro-wells by the needle depression (Tagawa et al. 2008). We have recently reported that developed commercial WOW dish enhances embryo competence in individual culture (Sugimura et al. 2010). The present study was conducted to evaluate the availability of commercial WOW dish for production of monozygotic twin embryos in bovine. Embryos were produced using oocytes from ovaries collected at an abattoir by IVM, IVF, and IVC. For each culture, TCM-199 supplemented with 5% calf serum (CS), Brackett-Oliphant solution supplemented with 10 mg mL–1 BSA, and CR1aa containing 5% CS were used. To evaluate the adaptability of dishes on culture of isolated blastomeres from different cell stage, 2- (n = 63), 4- (n = 94), 8- (n = 137), and 10- to 14- (n = 116) cell stages were obtained on 24–27 h, 30–36 h, 48–54 h, and 48–54 h from the beginning of fertilization, respectively. The zona pellucida was removed by exposure of 0.25% pronase, followed by gentle pipetting by inspiration and expiration in the IVC medium. Then, two halves separated from the original number of blastomeres were randomly allocated to the conical micro-wells of commercial dish (Dai Nippon Printing, Tokyo, Japan) or created micro-wells by pressing the bottom of the dish with an eyeleteer (control). The approximate diameter and depth of each 25 wells in a commercial dish was 287 and 168 μm, and each 20 wells in the control were 800 and 600 μm. The blastomeres were cultured in wells covered with a droplet of 2.5 μL well–1 IVC medium until Day 8 (IVF = Day 0). Expanded blastocysts (n = 28) derived from tetra-blastomeres of 8-cell stage were stained to determine the number of the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) in each group. Statistical significance of the blastocyst formation rates and the number of cells were analysed by the chi-square test and the Student’s t-test, respectively. In the 2-cell stage, blastocyst formation rate in commercial dish tended to be higher than that in the control (60.0% v. 46.1%). The rate of monozygotic blastocyst pairs in commercial dish was higher compared with the control (48.0% v. 26.3%, P < 0.05). In the 4-cell stage, rates of blastocyst formation (50.0% v. 33.0%, P < 0.05) and the pairs (39.5% v. 12.5%, P < 0.01) in the commercial dish, both were higher compared with the control. In the 8-cell stage, there were no differences between two groups in rates of blastocyst formation (53.1% v. 59.0%) and the pairs (41.8% v. 48.7%), similarly in the 10- to 14-cell stage (47.9% v. 56.8% and 36.2% v. 40.9%, respectively). The ICM, TE, and total cell numbers were not different between the commercial and the control dish (28.0 ± 3.2 v. 26.0 ± 3.8, 64.6 ± 4.3 v. 76.0 ± 7.9, and 92.6 ± 6.2 v. 102.0 ± 11.0, respectively). These results indicate that separated blastomeres could be developed to blastocysts efficiently and stably regardless of embryo cell stage with a commercial WOW culture dish.