Identification of a Candida glabrata homologue of the S. cerevisiae VRG4 gene,encoding the Golgi GDP-mannose transporter

Mannoproteins on the cell wall of yeast and fungi help regulate cell shape, porosity, and cell-cell interactions, including those required for attachment to host cells by fungal pathogens. The mannose-containing oligosaccharides on proteins and lipids are extended in the Golgi by glycosyltransferases that use GDP-mannose as the sugar substrate. A membrane-bound transporter that, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is encoded by the VRG4 gene catalyses delivery of GDP-mannose into the lumen of the Golgi. We report here the cloning of the homologous VRG4 gene from the pathogenic yeast, Candida glabrata, by functional complementation of an S. cerevisiae vrg4 mutant. The sequence of the CgVrg4 protein displays significant homology to GDP-mannose transporters from other yeast, fungi, protozoa, and plants. CgVRG4 fully complements the glycosylation defect and other cell wall associated vrg4 mutant phenotypes. Like ScVRG4, CgVRG4 is essential for the viability of C. glabrata. These results suggest that, as in S. cerevisiae, CgVrg4p accounts for all of the GDP-mannose transport activity in the Golgi lumen.     

用于PEMFC的Pt/C阳极催化剂制备与性能研究

为了提高PEMFC的阳极催化剂活性,降低Pt载量,分别采用甲醛、甲酸钠、连二亚硫酸钠、水合肼4种还原剂通过化学还原沉积法制备Pt/C催化剂;向溶液中加入某种羧酸盐(RCOOM)作为吸附剂,制备Pt/C催化剂;利用粉末微电极的循环伏安研究和恒电位极化研究考核了上述催化剂对H_2阳极氧化的催化活性的影响;通过XRD和TEM技术对催化剂的结构及微观形貌进行了分析。结果表明,甲醛作为还原剂得到的铂催化剂在碳载体上分布均匀,粒径较小,催化性能最好;加入适量吸附剂则使Pt颗粒的平均粒径减小到3.4nm,催化剂性能有明显改善。     

Formation of a thiamine disulfide complex with fatty acid: Mechanism of formation of the complex

The formation of complexes between thiamine disulfide (TDS) orO-acetyl thiamine disulfide (O-acetyl TDS) and fatty acid or fatty acid methyl ester in methanol has been studied by fluorescence quenching and¹³C NMR relaxation (T₁) measurements. The association constants (K-values) of TDS andO-acetyl TDS with fatty acids (from 11∶0 to 18∶0, and 18∶1, 18∶2, 18∶3 and 20∶4) and fatty acid methyl esters have been determined. These values do not depend on either the number of carbon atoms or the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid. The K-values of TDS andO-acetyl TDS with fatty acid were 7.8 M⁻¹ and 5.1 M⁻¹, respectively. The K-values of TDS andO-acetyl TDS with fatty acid methyl ester were very small. These results show that the-OH moiety in TDS and the-COOH moiety in the fatty acid are necessary for formation of the complex     

Structural analysis of unknown dyes detected in hajikami (ginger pickled in vinegar)

Hajikami (ginger pickled in vinegar) is often used as a relish for grilled fish, and it often contains coloring agents. We detected Rose Bengal (R105) and two unknown dyes in some Hajikami by thin layer chromatography. In this study, we tried to characterize these unknown dyes by HPLC with photodiode array detection (PDA-HPLC), liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). PDA-HPLC analysis showed that the spectra of the unknown dyes resembled that of R105, suggesting the molecular structures of these two dyes are similar to that of R105. Furthermore, LC/MS analysis suggested that the these dyes are R105 in which one or two iodines are replaced by hydrogen. Finally, the two dyes were determined by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR to be 4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-3',6'-dihydroxy-2',7'-diiodo spiro[isobenzofuran- 1 (3H),9'-[9H]xanthen]-3-one disodium salt and 4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-3',6'-dihydroxy-2',7'-diiodo spiro[isobenzofuran-1(3H),9'[9H]xanthen]-3-one disodium salt.     

Oxygen distribution and vascular injury in the mouse eye measured by phosphorescence-lifetime imaging

Maps of the oxygen distribution in the retina of the mouse eye were obtained by phosphorescence-lifetime imaging. Phosphor dissolved in the blood was excited by modulated light and phosphorescence imaged through microscope optics with an intensified-CCD camera. Phosphorescence lifetimes and oxygen pressures were calculated for each pixel of the images. The resolution was sufficient to permit the detection of anomalies that result in reduced oxygen pressures in individual retinal capillaries. High-resolution maps of oxygen distribution in the retina can provide greater understanding of the role of oxygen and vascular function in diseases of the eye.     

PHoM – a Polyhedral Homotopy Continuation Method for Polynomial Systems

PHoM is a software package in C++ for finding all isolated solutions of polynomial systems using a polyhedral homotopy continuation method. Among three modules constituting the package, the first module StartSystem constructs a family of polyhedral-linear homotopy functions, based on the polyhedral homotopy theory, from input data for a given system of polynomial equations f(x)=0. The second module CMPSc traces the solution curves of the homotopy equations to compute all isolated solutions of f(x)=0. The third module Verify checks whether all isolated solutions of f(x)=0 have been approximated correctly. We describe numerical methods used in each module and the usage of the package. Numerical results to demonstrate the performance of PHoM include some large polynomial systems that have not been solved previously.AMS Subject Classification: Primary: 65H10 system of equations, secondary: 65H20 global methods, including homotopy approaches.     

Overview of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in Japan

Listeriosis is a relatively rare foodborne illness but can be life threatening with high fatality rates. In Japan, the incidence of listeriosis has been very low for the past 40 years compared with that of Western Europe and North America. We hypothesized that less Listeria monocytogenes contamination in Japanese foods would be related to the lower incidence in Japan. For this purpose, we collected data of Japanese foods contaminated with L. monocytogenes, mainly from Japanese-written reports, and reviewed them. From this review, we found that the proportion of L. monocytogenes, Listeria spp. isolation from foods in Japan is similar to those reported from other countries and that other factors might be responsible for the lower occurrence of listeriosis.