[A case of multiple small cerebral infarcts in the cerebellum and bilateral cerebrum, diagnosed with amyloid angiopathy by brain biopsy]

An 82-year-old woman had been suffering from progressive forgetfulness and abnormal speech and behavior for One month. Findings of the MRI of the head indicated scattered small cerebral infarcts in the cerebellum and in bilateral cerebral cortex/subcortical white matter. After admission, she experienced a subcortical hemorrhage, and the percentage of small cerebral infarcts increased over time. Based on the suspicion of central primary vasculitis or malignant lymphoma, we performed a brain biopsy targeting the right temporal lobe hemorrhage site, and the patient was diagnosed with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). We conclude that CAA can cause multiple small progressive cerebral infarcts.

Herpes zoster meningitis in a rheumatoid arthritis patient treated with tofacitinib

A man in his 70s with rheumatoid arthritis presented with seizures and coma and was transferred to our emergency department. Two months prior to admission, he started to take tofacitinib 10 mg/day. On admission, we noted a rash with a blister on the forehead, and herpes zoster was diagnosed. Cerebrospinal fluid examination suggested meningitis. An MRI of the brain showed no abnormality. Based on these findings, he was suspected with herpes zoster meningitis. We discontinued tofacitinib and treated the patient with intravenous acyclovir for 2 weeks. He regained complete consciousness, but right forehead skin lesion, severe vision loss in the right eye and right facial nerve paralysis remained as sequelae. Six weeks after admission, we restarted tofacitinib with oral valaciclovir as antiviral prophylaxis. Two years after admission, we administered Shingrix, an adjuvant recombinant vaccine for herpes zoster, and discontinued oral valaciclovir.

TDP-43 regulates early-phase insulin secretion via CaV1.2-mediated exocytosis in islets

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 kDa (TDP-43), encoded by TARDBP, is an RNA-binding protein, the nuclear depletion of which is the histopathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting both upper and lower motor neurons. Besides motor symptoms, patients with ALS often develop nonneuronal signs including glucose intolerance, but the underlying pathomechanism is still controversial, i.e., whether it is impaired insulin secretion and/or insulin resistance. Here, we showed that ALS subjects reduced early-phase insulin secretion and that the nuclear localization of TDP-43 was lost in the islets of autopsied ALS pancreas. Loss of TDP-43 inhibited exocytosis by downregulating CaV1.2 calcium channels, thereby reducing early-phase insulin secretion in a cultured β cell line (MIN6) and β cell-specific Tardbp knockout mice. Overexpression of CaV1.2 restored early-phase insulin secretion in Tardbp knocked-down MIN6 cells. Our findings suggest that TDP-43 regulates cellular exocytosis mediated by L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels and thus plays an important role in the early phase of insulin secretion by pancreatic islets. Thus, nuclear loss of TDP-43 is implicated in not only the selective loss of motor neurons but also in glucose intolerance due to impaired insulin secretion at an early stage of ALS.

3'UTR Length-Dependent Control of SynGAP Isoform α2 mRNA by FUS and ELAV-like Proteins Promotes Dendritic Spine Maturation and Cognitive Function

FUS is an RNA-binding protein associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Previous reports have demonstrated intrinsic roles of FUS in synaptic function. However, the mechanism underlying FUS's regulation of synaptic morphology has remained unclear. We found that reduced mature spines after FUS depletion were associated with the internalization of PSD-95 within the dendritic shaft. Mass spectrometry of PSD-95-interacting proteins identified SynGAP, whose expression decreased after FUS depletion. Moreover, FUS and the ELAV-like proteins ELAVL4 and ELAVL1 control SynGAP mRNA stability in a 3'UTR length-dependent manner, resulting in the stable expression of the alternatively spliced SynGAP isoform α2. Finally, abnormal spine maturation and FTLD-like behavioral deficits in FUS-knockout mice were ameliorated by SynGAP α2. Our findings establish an important link between FUS and ELAVL proteins for mRNA stability control and indicate that this mechanism is crucial for the maintenance of synaptic morphology and cognitive function.

Altered Tau Isoform Ratio Caused by Loss of FUS and SFPQ Function Leads to FTLD-like Phenotypes

Fused in sarcoma (FUS) and splicing factor, proline- and glutamine-rich (SFPQ) are RNA binding proteins that regulate RNA metabolism. We found that alternative splicing of the Mapt gene at exon 10, which generates 4-repeat tau (4R-T) and 3-repeat tau (3R-T), is regulated by interactions between FUS and SFPQ in the nuclei of neurons. Hippocampus-specific FUS- or SFPQ-knockdown mice exhibit frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)-like behaviors, reduced adult neurogenesis, accumulation of phosphorylated tau, and hippocampal atrophy with neuronal loss through an increased 4R-T/3R-T ratio. Normalization of this increased ratio by 4R-T-specific silencing results in recovery of the normal phenotype. These findings suggest a biological link among FUS/SFPQ, tau isoform alteration, and phenotypic expression, which may function in the early pathomechanism of FTLD.

FUS regulates AMPA receptor function and FTLD/ALS-associated behaviour via GluA1 mRNA stabilization

FUS is an RNA/DNA-binding protein involved in multiple steps of gene expression and is associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and fronto-temporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). However, the specific disease-causing and/or modifying mechanism mediated by FUS is largely unknown. Here we evaluate intrinsic roles of FUS on synaptic functions and animal behaviours. We find that FUS depletion downregulates GluA1, a subunit of AMPA receptor. FUS binds GluA1 mRNA in the vicinity of the 3′ terminus and controls poly (A) tail maintenance, thus regulating stability. GluA1 reduction upon FUS knockdown reduces miniature EPSC amplitude both in cultured neurons and in vivo. FUS knockdown in hippocampus attenuates dendritic spine maturation and causes behavioural aberrations including hyperactivity, disinhibition and social interaction defects, which are partly ameliorated by GluA1 reintroduction. These results highlight the pivotal role of FUS in regulating GluA1 mRNA stability, post-synaptic function and FTLD-like animal behaviours.

FUS is an RNA/DNA-binding protein involved in gene expression regulation and associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (FTLD) but the disease-causing mechanisms are unclear. Here the authors show that FUS regulates the stability of GluA1 mRNA and dendritic maturation and plays a role in FTLD-associated behaviours.

The ALS/FTLD-related RNA-binding proteins TDP-43 and FUS have common downstream RNA targets in cortical neurons

TDP-43 and FUS are linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and loss of function of either protein contributes to these neurodegenerative conditions. To elucidate the TDP-43- and FUS-regulated pathophysiological RNA metabolism cascades, we assessed the differential gene expression and alternative splicing profiles related to regulation by either TDP-43 or FUS in primary cortical neurons. These profiles overlapped by >25% with respect to gene expression and >9% with respect to alternative splicing. The shared downstream RNA targets of TDP-43 and FUS may form a common pathway in the neurodegenerative processes of ALS/FTLD.

Observation of the (Λ)(7)He hypernucleus by the (e, e'K+) reaction

An experiment with a newly developed high-resolution kaon spectrometer and a scattered electron spectrometer with a novel configuration was performed in Hall C at Jefferson Lab. The ground state of a neutron-rich hypernucleus, (Λ)(7)He, was observed for the first time with the (e, e'K+) reaction with an energy resolution of ~0.6 MeV. This resolution is the best reported to date for hypernuclear reaction spectroscopy. The (Λ)(7)He binding energy supplies the last missing information of the A = 7, T = 1 hypernuclear isotriplet, providing a new input for the charge symmetry breaking effect of the ΛN potential.

A new labyrinthulid isolate, which solely produces n-6 docosapentaenoic acid

A labyrinthulid strain, L59, was isolated from a leaf floating on seawater collected at the coastal area of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Strain L59 contained only n-6 docosapentaenoic acid ( n-6 DPA) among all the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The proportion of n-6 DPA in the total fatty acids was 48.1% and the total fatty acids content in the cell dry weight was 26.6%. Many oil bodies were observed in the cell, mostly in the vicinity of cell membranes. The strain had spindle-shaped cell bodies and all cells were surrounded by ectoplasmic net elements. It was also clearly classified in the labyrinthulid group by phylogenetic analysis. In the optimum culture condition, using soybean oil and peptone as carbon and nitrogen sources, 0.53 g of n-6 DPA/l was produced at 20 degrees C in 7 days.

Phylogenetic analysis of psychrophilic bacteria isolated from the Japan Trench, including a description of the deep-sea species Psychrobacter pacificensis sp. nov

Phylogenetic positions of psychrophilic bacteria isolated from the Japan Trench were determined by sequencing analysis of PCR-amplified bacterial small subunit (16S) rRNA genes. Between surface and deep-sea psychrophiles, distinct positions clearly differed within the gamma-Proteobacteria. In phylogenetic analysis using neighbour-joining, maximum-parsimony and maximum-likelihood, strains from surface seawater were inferred to be located in the Halomonas aquamarina-meridiana clade within the family Halomonadaceae. Strains from deep seawater (5000-6000 m), however, formed a novel monophyletic clade within the Moraxella-Psychrobacter branch in the family Moraxellaceae, showing separation from terrestrial and Antarctic relatives. These deep-sea strains were also discriminated from other known Psychrobacter species in phenotype, e.g. limited growth in the absence of NaCl (optimum at about 3% NaCl), positive urease activity, acid production from xylose and arabinose, and the presence of multiple fimbriae. DNA relatedness values among six deep-sea strains were > 85% in DNA-DNA hybridization experiments and > 98% in aligned 16S rDNA sequences. From this evidence, a new species, Psychrobacter pacificensis, is proposed for these deep-sea psychrophiles; the type strain of Psychrobacter pacificensis is strain NIBH P2K6T (= IFO 16270T). Occurrence of psychrobacters in cold Japan Trench deep seawater and at the Antarctic sea surface suggests that deep-sea bacterial habitation and evolution have been mediated by global deep-ocean circulation linked to the sinking of cooled seawater in polar regions.

Molecular phylogeny of labyrinthulids and thraustochytrids based on the sequencing of 18S ribosomal RNA gene

Labyrinthulids and thraustochytrids are unicellular heterotrophs, formerly considered as fungi, but presently are recognized as members in the stramenopiles of the kingdom Protista sensu lato. We determined the 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequences of 14 strains from different species of the six genera and analyzed the molecular phylogenetic relationships. The results conflict with the current classification based on morphology, at the genus and species levels. These organisms are separated, based on signature sequences and unique inserted sequences, into two major groups, which were named the labyrinthulid phylogenetic group and the thraustochytrid phylogenetic group. Although these groupings are in disagreement with many conventional taxonomic characters, they correlated better with the sugar composition of the cell wall. Thus, the currently used taxonomic criteria need serious reconsideration.

Chromatographic resolution of the enantiomers of a pharmaceutical intermediate from the milligram to the kilogram scale

The preparative chromatographic resolution of racemic mixtures is rapidly becoming a standard approach for the generation of enantiomers in pharmaceutical R&D. This paper will discuss the optical resolution of a pharmaceutical intermediate as the separation is scaled up from the milligram to the kilogram scale. Difficulties encountered and their solutions at each scale will be discussed. In addition, the exploration of Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) for the separation will also be discussed. Finally, a comparison of the productivities and solvent consumption for each method and scale will be presented.

Detection of seven major evolutionary lineages in cyanobacteria based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis with new sequences of five marine Synechococcus strains

Although molecular phylogenetic studies of cyanobacteria on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence have been reported, the topologies were unstable, especially in the inner branchings. Our analysis of 16S rRNA gene phylogeny by the maximum-likelihood and neighbor-joining methods combined with rate homogeneous and heterogeneous models revealed seven major evolutionary lineages of the cyanobacteria, including prochlorophycean organisms. These seven lineages are always stable on any combination of these methods and models, fundamentally corresponding to phylogenetic relationships based on other genes, e.g., psbA, rbcL, rnpB, rpoC, and tufA. Moreover, although known genotypic and phenotypic characters sometimes appear paralleled in independent lineages, many characters are not contradictory within each group. Therefore we propose seven evolutionary groups as a working hypothesis for successive taxonomic reconstruction. New 16S rRNA sequences of five unicellular cyanobacterial strains, PCC 7001, PCC 7003, PCC 73109, PCC 7117, and PCC 7335 of Synechococcus sp., were determined in this study. Although all these strains have been assigned to "marine clusters B and C," they were separated into three lineages. This suggests that the organisms classified in the genus Synechococcus evolved diversely and should be reclassified in several independent taxonomic units. Moreover, Synechococcus strains and filamentous cyanobacteria make a monophyletic group supported by a comparatively high statistical confidence value (80 to 100%) in each of the two independent lineages; therefore, these monophylies probably reflect the convergent evolution of a multicellular organization.