Randomization of left-right asymmetry due to loss of nodal cilia generating leftward flow of extraembryonic fluid in mice lacking KIF3B motor protein

Microtubule-dependent motor, murine KIF3B, was disrupted by gene targeting. The null mutants did not survive beyond midgestation, exhibiting growth retardation, pericardial sac ballooning, and neural tube disorganization. Prominently, the left-right asymmetry was randomized in the heart loop and the direction of embryonic turning. lefty-2 expression was either bilateral or absent. Furthermore, the node lacked monocilia while the basal bodies were present. Immunocytochemistry revealed KIF3B localization in wild-type nodal cilia. Video microscopy showed that these cilia were motile and generated a leftward flow. These data suggest that KIF3B is essential for the left-right determination through intraciliary transportation of materials for ciliogenesis of motile primary cilia that could produce a gradient of putative morphogen along the left-right axis in the node.

Evolution of peripheral lung adenocarcinomas: CT findings correlated with histology and tumor doubling time

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to evaluate the evolution of peripheral lung adenocarcinomas using CT findings and histologic classification related to tumor doubling time.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The subjects were 34 patients, each with an adenocarcinoma smaller than 3 cm. All patients underwent chest radiography and 10 of them had previously undergone CT more than 6 months before surgery. Tumor doubling time was estimated by examining sequential radiographs using the method originally described by Schwartz. Tumor growth was also observed by studying the changes on CT in the 10 patients who had previously undergone CT. The histologic classification (types A-F) was evaluated according to the criteria of Noguchi et al.

RESULTS

Five (83%) of the six adenocarcinomas with tumor types A or B showed localized ground-glass opacity on high-resolution CT. All six tumors had a tumor doubling time of more than 1 year. Fifteen (71%) of the 21 tumors with type C showed partial ground-glass opacity mixed with localized solid attenuation on high-resolution CT. Ten (48%) of these 21 type C tumors had a tumor doubling time of more than 1 year. In types B and C, the solid component or the development of pleural indentation and vascular convergence increased during observation before surgery. All seven tumors with types D, E, and F showed mostly solid attenuation, and the tumor doubling time was less than 1 year in six (87%) of the seven tumors.

CONCLUSION

Two main types of peripheral lung adenocarcinoma exist. The first type appears on CT as a localized ground-glass opacity with slow growth, and the other appears as a solid attenuation with rapid growth.

Growth retardation and early death of beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase knockout mice with augmented proliferation and abnormal differentiation of epithelial cells

Carbohydrate chains on a glycoprotein are important not only for protein conformation, transport and stability, but also for cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. UDP-Gal:N-acetylglucosamine beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (GalT) (EC 2.4.1.38) is the enzyme which transfers galactose (Gal) to the terminal N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) of complex-type N-glycans in the Golgi apparatus. In addition, it has also been suggested that this enzyme is involved directly in cell-cell interactions during fertilization and early embryogenesis through a subpopulation of this enzyme distributed on the cell surface. In this study, GalT-deficient mice were produced by gene targeting in order to examine the pathological effects of the deficiency. GalT-deficient mice were born normally and were fertile, but they exhibited growth retardation and semi-lethality. Epithelial cell proliferation of the skin and small intestine was enhanced, and cell differentiation in intestinal villi was abnormal. These observations suggest that GalT plays critical roles in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of epithelial cells after birth, although this enzyme is dispensable during embryonic development.

Comparison of mesenchymal stem cells derived from arterial, venous, and Wharton's jelly explants of human umbilical cord

We isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from arteries (UCA), veins (UCV), and Wharton's jelly (UCWJ) of human umbilical cords (UC) and determined their relative capacities for sustained proliferation and multilineage differentiation. Individual UC components were dissected, diced into 1-2 mm(3) fragments, and aligned in explant cultures from which migrating cells were isolated using trypsinization. Preparations from 13 UCs produced 13 UCWJ, 11 UCV, and 10 UCA cultures of fibroblast-like, spindle-shaped cells negative for CD31, CD34, CD45, CD271, and HLA-class II, but positive for CD13, CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105, and HLA-class I. UCV cells exhibited a significantly higher frequency of colony-forming units fibroblasts than did UCWJ and UCA cells. Individual MSCs could be selectively differentiated into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. When compared for osteogenic potential, UCWJ cells were the least effective precursors, whereas UCA-derived cells developed alkaline phosphatase activity with or without an osteogenic stimulus. UC components, especially blood vessels, could provide a promising source of MSCs with important clinical applications.

RNase E polypeptides lacking a carboxyl-terminal half suppress a mukB mutation in Escherichia coli

We have isolated suppressor mutants that suppress temperature-sensitive colony formation and anucleate cell production of a mukB mutation. A linkage group (smbB) of the suppressor mutations is located in the rne/ams/hmp gene encoding the processing endoribonuclease RNase E. All of the rne (smbB) mutants code for truncated RNase E polypeptides lacking a carboxyl-terminal half. The amount of MukB protein was higher in these rne mutants than that in the rne+ strain. These rne mutants grew nearly normally in the mukB+ genetic background. The copy number of plasmid pBR322 in these rne mutants was lower than that in the rne+ isogenic strain. The results suggest that these rne mutations increase the half-lives of mukB mRNA and RNAI of pBR322, the antisense RNA regulating ColE1-type plasmid replication. We have demonstrated that the wild-type RNase E protein bound to polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) but a truncated RNase E polypeptide lacking the C-terminal half did not. We conclude that the C-terminal half of RNase E is not essential for viability but plays an important role for binding with PNPase. RNase E and PNPase of the multiprotein complex presumably cooperate for effective processing and turnover of specific substrates, such as mRNAs and other RNAs in vivo.

Human TSLP and TLR3 ligands promote differentiation of Th17 cells with a central memory phenotype under Th2-polarizing conditions

Background Human thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is expressed in the human asthmatic lung and activates dendritic cells (DCs) to strongly induce proallergic T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cell responses, suggesting that TSLP plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of human asthma. Th2 cells are predominantly involved in mild asthma, whereas a mixture of Th1 and Th2 cells with neutrophilic inflammation, probably induced by Th17, affects more severe asthmatic disease. Exacerbation of asthmatic inflammation is often triggered by airway‐targeting RNA viral infection; virus‐derived double‐stranded RNA, Toll‐like receptor (TLR)3 ligand, activates bronchial epithelial cells to produce pro‐inflammatory mediators, including TSLP.

Objective Because TSLPR‐expressing DCs express TLR3, we examined how the relationship between TSLP and TLR3 ligand stimulation influences DC activation.

Methods CD11c⁺DCs purified from adult peripheral blood were cultured in TLR ligands containing media with or without TSLP and then co‐cultured with allogeneic naïve CD4⁺T cells.

Results CD11c⁺ DCs responded to a combination of TSLP and TLR3 ligand, poly(I : C), to up‐regulate expression of the functional TSLP receptor and TLR3. Although TSLP alone did not induce IL‐23 production by DCs, poly(I : C) alone primed DCs for the production of IL‐23, and a combination of TSLP and poly(I : C) primed DCs for further production of IL‐23. The addition of poly(I : C) did not inhibit TSLP‐activated DCs to prime naïve CD4⁺ T cells to differentiate into inflammatory Th2 cells. Furthermore, DCs activated by a combination of TSLP and poly(I : C) primed more naïve CD4⁺ T cells to differentiate into Th17‐cytokine–producing cells with a central memory T cell phenotype compared with DCs activated by poly(I : C) alone.

Conclusions These results suggest that through DC activation, human TSLP and TLR3 ligands promote differentiation of Th17 cells with the central memory T cell phenotype under Th2‐polarizing conditions.

Clinical application of serum pepsinogen I and II levels for mass screening to detect gastric cancer

A considerable number of gastric cancers derive from stomach mucosa where chronic atrophic gastritis is severe and extensive. Based on the fact that the serum pepsinogen levels provide a precise measure of the extent of chronic atrophic gastritis, we have devised a mass screening method involving serum pepsinogen measurement to identify subjects at high risk of gastric cancer. In 1991, we screened 4,647 workers (male: 4,113, female: 534, mean age: 49.0 years) at a Japanese company using this method. Out of 875 subjects (18.8%) with a serum pepsinogen I level of less than 50 micrograms/liter and a pepsinogen I/II ratio of less than 3.0, 676 subjects (14.5%) were selected for further investigation by endoscopy. This led to the detection of four subjects (0.086%) with gastric cancer (three in an early stage) and four subjects with adenoma. The cancer detection rate of this new screening method was comparable, and in some respects superior, to that of the traditional barium X-ray screening. Since the incidence of test-positive subjects was as low as 10% amongst subjects aged less than 40, this screening method appears to be especially useful for screening of younger generations. The new method is less expensive than the traditional barium X-ray and subjects experience little discomfort. Further, many serum samples can be quickly measured simultaneously. The results of this study have indicated that serum pepsinogen screening provides a valuable method for detecting gastric cancers.

Diffuse peripheral lung disease: evaluation by high-resolution computed tomography

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was performed on 15 patients who had diffuse peripheral lung disease, and the findings were compared with those of conventional chest radiography and histologic examination. Bullae, interstitial fibrosis with honeycombing, and small granulomas were more clearly and specifically demonstrated on HRCT scans than on conventional chest radiographs in all patients. Histologically proved mild alveolar wall thickening due to alveolitis in cases of sarcoidosis and systemic lupus erythematosus was not detected. HRCT is useful for performing detailed morphological analyses of abnormalities of the peripheral portions of the lung.

Combined effects of maternal age and parity on successful initiation of exclusive breastfeeding

Maternal age at first childbirth has increased in most developed countries in the past 20 years. The purpose of this study is to investigate effects of maternal age at delivery and parity on successful initiation of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). This retrospective study investigated 1193 singleton dyads with vaginal-delivered at 37-42 gestational weeks during January and December in 2011 at one large "Baby-Friendly" certified hospital in Japan. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate individual and combined effects of maternal age and parity on successful initiation of EBF after adjusted for pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, pregnancy complications, mothers' underlying illness, smoking and alcohol drinking habits, gestational week at delivery, child's sex and nurturing support from grandparents. Success rates of EBF at one month after child delivery was 69.4% in primiparous aged ≥ 35 (group A: n = 284), 73.5% in multiparous aged ≥ 35 (group B: n = 268), 74.3% in primiparous aged < 35 (group C: n = 432), and 82.3% in multiparous aged < 35 (group D: n = 209). Older maternal age and primiparous became independently associated with EBF initiation. The combined effect for successful initiation of EBF was the lowest in group A referent to group D both at discharge and at one month (odds ratio (OR) 5.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.0-11.9, and OR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4-3.4, respectively). Primiparous mothers in late child-bearing aged 35 years or older are at the greatest risk of EBF initiation.

Structure of an anti-plasmin inhibitor, eckol, isolated from the brown alga Ecklonia kurome Okamura and inhibitory activities of its derivatives on plasma plasmin inhibitors

Eckol (1), a novel phlorotannin with a dibenzo-1,4-dioxin skeleton, has been isolated from the brown alga Ecklonia kurome Okamura as a potent and specific anti-plasmin inhibitor. Its structure has been elucidated based on the spectral data, in particular, by means of negative nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE), and finally established as 1-(3,5-dihydroxyphenoxy)-2,4,7,9-tetrahydroxydibenzo-1,4-dio xin by X-ray analysis. Some partially methoxylated derivatives of eckol were prepared by methylation with diazomethane and also by selective dimethylation of eckol permethylate (1b) to establish the structural requirements for inhibitory activities on alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor, the main plasmin inhibitors in plasma.

Characterization of cadherin-4 and cadherin-5 reveals new aspects of cadherins

Several properties of cadherin-4 and cadherin-5 were characterized by using the cDNA transfection approach. The proteins of both cadherins had a relative molecular mass of about 130 kDa and were present at the cell periphery, especially at cell-cell contact sites. These cadherins were easily digested with trypsin, and Ca2+ protected cadherin-4, but not cadherin-5, from the digestion. In immunoprecipitation, cadherin-4 co-precipitated with two major proteins of 105 kDa and 95 kDa, respectively. The 105 kDa and the 95 kDa proteins are likely to correspond to alpha- and beta-catenins. Cadherin-5 co-precipitated with only one major protein of 95 kDa, but seems to associate with the 105 kDa protein. On the other hand, plakoglobin or gamma-catenin did not co-precipitate well with either cadherin-4 or cadherin-5 in immunoprecipitation, but plakoglobin also appears to associated weakly with these cadherins. Cadherin-4 transfectants aggregated within 30 minutes in a cell aggregation assay, but cadherin-5 transfectants did not aggregate under the same conditions. Furthermore, the transfectants of chimeric cadherin-4 with cadherin-5 cytoplasmic domain showed cell aggregation activity comparable to that of wild-type cadherin-4 transfectants, whereas the transfectants of chimeric cadherin-5 with cadherin-4 cytoplasmic domain did not show appreciable cell aggregation, suggesting that the extracellular domains of cadherins, in conjunction with their cytoplasmic domains, play an important role in cell aggregation activity. These results show that cadherin-4 is very similar to the classical cadherins, whereas cadherin-5 is functionally as well as structurally distinct from classical cadherins.

The effectiveness of end-of-life care simulation in undergraduate nursing education: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Nursing students have limited opportunities to experience end-of-life care, so it is difficult for them to learn how to deliver it empirically. The use of simulations with standardized patients may be a way to provide realistic experience of end-of-life care for nursing students.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of end-of-life care simulations with standardized patients in improving the knowledge, skill performance and self-confidence of undergraduate nursing students.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled study.

SETTING

Japanese university nursing school.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty-eight students in the third year of the Bachelor's degree in nursing (simulation group = 20, control group = 18).

METHODS

After randomization to a simulation or control group, participants in the simulation group participated in an end-of-life care simulation with standardized patients. The primary outcome of a change in the knowledge score was assessed using a knowledge questionnaire, skill performance by completing Objective Structured Clinical Evaluations, and self-confidence related to end-of-life care by self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS

The simulation group improved significantly in knowledge, skill performance in physical assessment and psychological care, and self-confidence related to end-of-life care. The results of the two-way analysis of variance showed a significant interaction between groups and time (p = 0.000). Analysis of the simple main effect showed a significant difference (p = 0.000) between groups after the end-of-life care simulation and a significant difference (p = 0.000) over time in the simulation group. There were large effects on knowledge improvement (η² = 0.372), physical assessment (η² = 0.619), psychological care skill performance (η² = 0.588), and self-confidence in both physical assessment (η² = 0.410) and psychological care (η² = 0.722).

CONCLUSIONS

End-of-life care simulation with standardized patients would be an effective strategy to train nursing students, who have limited opportunities to experience end-of-life care.

Association of yeast adenylyl cyclase with cyclase-associated protein CAP forms a second Ras-binding site which mediates its Ras-dependent activation

Posttranslational modification, in particular farnesylation, of Ras is crucial for activation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae adenylyl cyclase (CYR1). Based on the previous observation that association of CYR1 with cyclase-associated protein (CAP) is essential for its activation by posttranslationally modified Ras, we postulated that the associated CAP might contribute to the formation of a Ras-binding site of CYR1, which mediates CYR1 activation, other than the primary Ras-binding site, the leucine-rich repeat domain. Here, we observed a posttranslational modification-dependent association of Ras with a complex between CAP and CYR1 C-terminal region. When CAP mutants defective in Ras signaling but retaining the CYR1-binding activity were isolated by screening of a pool of randomly mutagenized CAP, CYR1 complexed with two of the obtained three mutants failed to be activated efficiently by modified Ras and exhibited a severely impaired ability to bind Ras, providing a genetic evidence for the importance of the physical association with Ras at the second Ras-binding site. On the other hand, CYR1, complexed with the other CAP mutant, failed to be activated by Ras but exhibited a greatly enhanced binding to Ras. Conversely, a Ras mutant E31K, which exhibits a greatly enhanced binding to the CYR1-CAP complex, failed to activate CYR1 efficiently. Thus, the strength of interaction at the second Ras-binding site appears to be a critical determinant of CYR1 regulation by Ras: too-weak and too-strong interactions are both detrimental to CYR1 activation. These results, taken together with those obtained with mammalian Raf, suggest the importance of the second Ras-binding site in effector regulation.

Guidelines for office gynecology in Japan: Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) and Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (JAOG) 2017 edition

Six years after the first edition of The Guideline for Gynecological Practice, which was jointly edited by The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and The Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the third revised edition was published in 2017. The 2017 Guidelines includes 10 additional clinical questions (CQ), which brings the total to 95 CQ (12 on infectious disease, 28 on oncology and benign tumors, 27 on endocrinology and infertility and 28 on healthcare for women). Currently a consensus has been reached on the Guidelines and therefore the objective of this report is to present the general policies regarding diagnostic and treatment methods used in standard gynecological outpatient care that are considered appropriate. At the end of each answer, the corresponding recommendation level (A, B, C) is indicated.

Suicide and aging in Japan: an examination of treated elderly suicide attempters

Although individuals aged 65 and over accounted for 12% of the total population of Japan in 1990, suicides in this age group consisted of 29% of all suicides. The elderly population of Japan is expected to grow rapidly to 24% of the total population by the year 2020, and suicide prevention for the elderly is an urgent mental health problem. Among a total of 1,216 elderly patients who were admitted to the Department of Psychiatry at Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital between April 1980 and March 1990, 50 were hospitalized immediately after suicide attempts in order to study their psychosociomedical problems. Because early diagnosis of depression and initiation of proper treatment are indispensable--even if patients do not show obvious depressive symptoms--those who develop persistent somatization and/or delirium should be considered highly suicidal and given special attention. With the cooperation of mental health professionals, it is necessary to educate general practitioners, the public, and the elderly themselves about characteristics of psychiatric disorders and various problems associated with aging. Further research on other elderly Japanese populations, as well as research that examines suicide completion, is needed to confirm the findings of the present study.

Activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin signalling pathway in epidermal tumours and its correlation with cyclin-dependent kinase 2

BACKGROUND

The enzyme mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) integrates many different cellular signals to control cell growth and proliferation, protein synthesis and breakdown, and other processes. Dysregulation of mTOR is implicated in a range of human diseases, including cancers and cardiovascular disorders. To date, there has been no report on the expression of protein kinase B (AKT)/mTOR cell signalling in epidermal tumours.

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to investigate the activation of the mTOR signalling pathway in epidermal tumours and to correlate this with cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) expression.

METHODS

Immunohistological staining was performed with phosphorylated (p-) AKT, p-mTOR, p-4E-binding protein 1 (p-4EBP1), p-ribosomal protein S6 (p-S6), p-p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (p-p70S6K1) and CDK2 in 15 cases each of seborrhoeic keratosis, actinic keratosis, keratoacanthoma and Bowen's disease (BD), and 25 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Fifteen normal skin (NS) samples served as control.

RESULTS

Among 85 tumours, 40 (47%) were positive for p-AKT, 31 (36%) for p-mTOR, 44 (52%) for p-4EBP1, 38 (45%) for p-S6, and 39 (46%) for p-p70S6K1. CDK2 immunostaining was positive in all cases of SCC and BD, and in 67% of benign tumours. All of these markers were stained much more frequently in malignant tumours than in benign tumours or NS. p-AKT, p-mTOR, p-4EBP1, p-p70S6K1 and p-S6 each showed high correlation with CDK2.

CONCLUSIONS

Constitutive activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway was frequent in epidermal tumours, especially in malignant tumours. Activation was highly correlated with CDK2 expression, suggesting that the AKT/mTOR pathway may induce the malignant transition through CDK2 in epidermal tumours.

Human TSLP directly enhances expansion of CD8+ T cells

Human thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) promotes CD4(+) T-cell proliferation both directly and indirectly through dendritic cell (DC) activation. Although human TSLP-activated DCs induce CD8(+) T-cell proliferation, it is not clear whether TSLP acts directly on CD8(+) T cells. In this study, we show that human CD8(+) T cells activated by T-cell receptor stimulation expressed TSLP receptor (TSLPR), and that TSLP directly enhanced proliferation of activated CD8(+) T cells. Although non-stimulated human CD8(+) T cells from peripheral blood did not express TSLPR, CD8(+) T cells activated by anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28 did express TSLPR. After T-cell receptor stimulation, TSLP directly enhanced the expansion of activated CD8(+) T cells. Interestingly, using monocyte-derived DCs pulsed with a cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific pp65 peptide, we found that although interleukin-2 allowed expansion of both CMV-specific and non-specific CD8(+) T cells, TSLP induced expansion of only CMV-specific CD8(+) T cells. These results suggest that human TSLP directly enhances expansion of CD8(+) T cells and that the direct and indirect action of TSLP on expansion of target antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells may be beneficial to adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy.

Increased expression of an epidermal stem cell marker, cytokeratin 19, in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Cytokeratin 19 (CK19) has been considered to be a putative marker for epidermal stem cells in the hair follicle bulge. Cumulative reports have shown that epidermal stem cells play an important role in skin carcinogenesis. However, to date there has been no report on the clinical alteration of the stem cells in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

OBJECTIVES

To investigate alteration of the stem cells and proliferating cells and to assess their relationship and potential contribution to SCC.

METHODS

Thirty paraffin-embedded neoplastic skin lesions, consisting of 10 cases each of actinic keratosis (AK), Bowen disease (BD) and SCC, were examined immunohistologically for CK19 and Ki-67.

RESULTS

Positive reactivity for CK19 was seen in 30% of AK, 50% of BD and 80% of SCC lesions. There was significantly higher expression levels of CK19 in SCC than in AK and BD (P < 0.05). In addition, BD lesions harboured a significantly higher number of CK19-positive cells than did AK lesions (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in Ki-67 labelling indices between AK and BD and between AK and SCC (P < 0.001), but not between BD and SCC (P > 0.05). Furthermore, a serial section comparison study showed that there was a minor population of cells co-expressing CK19 and Ki-67 in a subset of the tumour cells of SCC samples. The percentage of CK19+ cells significantly correlated with that of Ki67+ cells in all examined neoplastic skin lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that CK19 expression may be associated with the retention of stem cell characteristics or a state that is uncommitted to terminal squamous differentiation.

Acceleration of fetal lung maturation by aminophyllin in pregnant rabbits

To test the hypothesis that fetal lung maturation can be accelerated by one of the xanthine derivatives, aminophyllin was given to 40 pregnant rabbits beginning on the 20th gestational day for a period of 7-10 days. The fetuses were delivered by cesarean section and fetal lung maturity was assessed by determining the biochemical, functional, and ultrastructural characteristics of aminophyllin-treated vs. control animals. The phospholipid content of the lung tissue homogenate from the aminophyllin-treated group was significantly higher than in the control subjects (saline injected) at 28 days of gestation (421 +/- 9 vs. 368 +/- 12 mug/mg wet wt, mean +/- SEM) and at 29 days of gestation (531 +/- 10 vs. 475 +/- 20). The alveolar wash phospholipid content of the aminophyllin-treated group was higher at 30 days (167 +/- 9 mug/mg dry wt, mean +/- SEM vs. 117 +/- 17). The lung compliance derived from pressure volume curves was also significantly higher in the aminophyllin-treated group when compared with controls at 27 days of gestation (0.023 +/- 0.0005 ml/cm H2O, mean +/- SEM vs 0.010 +/- 0.0002) and at 28 days of gestation (0.048 +/- 0.0003 vs 0.035 +/- 0.0006). There was no significant difference in the number of lamellar bodies in the type II cells between the aminophyllin-treated and the control groups. The data show that aminophyllin has accelerating effects on fetal lung maturation in rabbits when the drug is given to pregnant rabbits during the last 7-10 days of gestation.

Correlated gene expression between beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase V and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V in human cancer cell lines

Since our previous study showed that the gene expression level of beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta-1,4-GalT) V is only increased in mouse NIH3T3 transformant and that beta-1,4-GalT V preferentially galactosylates the GlcNAcbeta1 --> 6Man branch of oligosaccharides [Shirane et al. (1999) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 265, 434-438], whether its gene expression is correlated with malignant transformation was investigated. Northern blot analysis of beta-1, 4-GalTs I, II, III, IV, V, and VI and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (GlcNAcT)V in human cancer cell lines showed that the gene expression levels of beta-1,4-GalT V but not other beta-1,4-GalTs are strongly correlated with those of GlcNAcT V whose activity was shown to increase by malignant transformation. These results indicate that beta-1,4-GalT V is involved in the galactosylation of highly branched oligosaccharides characteristic of malignantly transformed cells.

Presence of polysialic acid and HNK-1 carbohydrate on brain glycoproteins from beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase-knockout mice

Polysialic acid and HNK-1 carbohydrate are expressed on Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc outer chains of N-linked sugar chain of neural cell recognition molecules at certain developmental stages and involved in neural tissue formation. Targeted inactivation of the mouse beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta-1,4-GalT) gene resulted in short life of the mice which supposedly do not have such carbohydrate antigens but have no defects in neural tissue formation. Analysis of the mutant mouse brain glycoproteins revealed that polysialic acid and HNK-1 carbohydrate are normally expressed in an age-dependent manner. In support of this, protein bands reacted with Ricinus communis agglutinin-I, which interacts with oligosaccharides terminated with the Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc group, and beta-1,4-GalT activity toward GlcNAc beta-S-pNP were detected in the mutant mouse brain, indicating that brain contains another functional beta-1,4-GalT important for the expression of the carbohydrate antigens.

Identification of a plasmid-coded protein required for initiation of ColE2 DNA replication

The product of the rep gene of ColE2 is required for initiation of ColE2 DNA replication. The rep gene was placed under the control of the promoters, PL and PR, and the heat-labile cl857 repressor of bacteriophage lambda. The Rep protein was identified as a 35 Kd protein by the maxicell method in combination with heat-induced expression. The protein was efficiently expressed from these promoters in unirradiated cells and accumulated up to a few per cent of the total cellular proteins. It was partially purified (about 80% pure) and its properties examined. The amino acid sequence of the amino terminal portion of the partially purified protein agreed well with that predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the rep gene. One of the characteristic features of the rep gene is frequent usage of rare codons, especially those for arginine. The protein specifically stimulated replication of ColE2 DNA but not that of ColE3 DNA in crude cell extracts of Escherichia coli. Specific binding of the protein to plasmid DNA containing the origin region of ColE2 was demonstrated by the filter binding method. Neither endonuclease activity nor topoisomerase activity was detected by using ColE2 DNA.